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Social Impact
Social Impact
New Economic Development Tool for funding Creative Communities.
Where: Austin TX
What: Electronic tipping of musicians and artists via Dipjar for digital tips
How: Pilot program launches Summer 2019 with artists applying to participate
New Eminent Domain Opposition Tactic: Gardening
What? Opponents to eminent domain are surreptitiously planting fruit trees on land that has been taken by eminent domain
How could this be used? Imagine a group planting state trees or state flowers that could be protected from removal.
The signage: “A gift to the people, reclaiming land stolen by corporate greed.”
Where did this happen? Property taken for the Kelo project in New London, Mass.
The Day | Group is planting fruit trees, vegetables on Fort Trumbull eminent domain land
Local Ordinance Sets Beverage Container Requirements at Large Gatherings. Local Sustainability Goals.
Where: San Francisco
The ordinance: Plastic and Litter Reduction Ordinance
What is required but he Plastic and Litter Reduction ordinance?
- A gathering of 100 or more on city owned property requires reusable cups for at least 10% of attendees
- Single use food service items are available only by request
Regulatory TREND. Safety and Battery Storage.
Where: Arizona
What sparked a safety concern about battery storage? A fire at a battery storage facility on April 19, 2019
What issue did an Arizona regulator raise? that lithium ion battery storage create a unacceptable risk
3 goals of utility scale battery storage according to this Arizona utility commissioner:
- sustainable
- less risky
- do not utilize chemistries that have a potential to release hydrogen fluoride in the event of a fire or explosion
Research Fund Supports Cyber Security
What: Professional Services Council Foundation created the Mark L. Cohn Research Fund
Why? ” promote innovation through research primarily focused on cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.”
Corporate Partner: Unisys
Local Smart Street Lights. 3 Data Sets Collected.
Where: Syracuse, NY
What: Smart Street lights are replacing traditional street lights
How much? $38 M bond financing with $3 Million annual savings to city when installed
Why?
- Energy efficient LED lights
- Data collection from street lights including:
- traffic patters
- power outages
- weather measurements like wind, snow, and rain
Route 50 | When Street Lights Do More Than Illuminate a City
STATE FUND INVESTMENT TREND. Cannabis investments.
Where: Tennessee, Texas, & Alaska
What: invest funds in Innovative Industrial Properties, that will operate in Illinois where recreational marijuana becomes legal Jan. 1
Other pension investments in cannabis?
- New York State Common Retirement Fund.
- Arizona State Retirement System.
- California State Teachers Retirement System.
- California Public Employees Retirement System.
- Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio.
- New York State Teachers Retirement System.
- Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund.
- State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System.
- Louisiana State Employees Retirement System.
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Schools Employees Retirement System.
- Teachers Retirement System of the State of Kentucky.
- Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan.
- State Teacher Retirement System of Ohio.
- Public Sector Pension Investment Board — Canada.
Local TREND. Ban Natural Gas from new buildings.
Where? Berkeley CA
What? City Council unanimous vote to ban natural gas infrastructure in new low-rise residential buildings starting 1.1.2020
Exceptions? Yes, 2. new industrial & commercial buildings
Supporters?
- PG&E
- Sierra Club
- atural Resources Defense Council
What will be required in new buildings instead? electrification of space and water heating and air conditioning
Smart Cities | Berkeley, CA sets historic law banning natural gas from new buildings
+1 City with EV Goals Set. 6 Local Requirements.
Where: Los Angeles, CA
What EV goals did LA set? Emission free by 2050
How will LA accomplish this?
- PHASE IN STANDARDS. increase % of electric and zero emission vehicles in the city to 25% by 2025, 80% by 2035, and 100% by 2050
- EV CHARGER INSTALLATION. 10,000 public EV chargers by 2022 & 28,000 chargers by 2028
- INCLUDE TAXI STANDARDS. 10% of its taxi fleet by 2022 & 100% of its fleet by 2028
- SCHOOL BUS STANDARDS. Zero emission by 2028
- PORT STANDARDS reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2050
- PUBLIC TRANSIT. Metro and LADOT buses by 2030
Electrek | LA’s own ‘Green New Deal’ sets goal of 100% zero emission vehicles by 2050, 20K+ new EV chargers
Business TREND. Employees Calling for Corporate Social Repsonsibility.
WHAT? Amazon protests
WHY? Protestors do not support the use of Amazon technology by ICE
WHERE does this business trend get interesting? In the company’s response (emphasis added):
An Amazon representative said in an emailed statement: “There is clearly a need for more clarity from governments on what is acceptable use of [artificial intelligence] and ramifications for its misuse, and we’ve provided a proposed legislative framework for this. We remain eager for the government to provide this additional clarity and legislation.”
Wall Street Journal | Protesters Disrupt Amazon Event Over Its Ties With ICE
Energy Issues. New Study. Consumers Rank Issues.
The study: Authenticity Gap report by FleishmanHillard Fishburn
What did consumers say for this 7th annual Authenticity Gap report?
- 66% consumers want companies to show greater purpose & societal impact
- 59% expect companies to stand up on climate and environmental issues (that’s up from 39% in 2018)
- 84% of the 160 companies studied don’t meet consumer expectations concerning environmental issues and climate change
What did it say about how this message should be conveyed?
- 76% expect CEOs to first and foremost communicate issues that impact customers
- 71% expect CEOS to first and foremost communicate issues that impact employees
- 55% believe Companies should act on issues with a large societal impact, even if there is no significant affect to the company
- 48% consumers think companies must take a stand on controversial issues that influenced government policy changes
- 43% consumers think corporations should take stands on issues concerning the CEOs own personal views and beliefs
The Holmes Report | Study: Consumer Expect Brands To Take A Stand On Climate Change & Data Security
TREND ESG Investment in clean water
What’s happening? traditional mutual funds & exchange-traded funds are investing in clean water
Why? As clean water becomes scarcer, the price goes up
How are they investing? Companies that contribute to the delivery, testing and cleaning of potable water.
NY Times | As Fresh Water Grows Scarcer, It Could Become a Good Investment
Package of EV Bills. How to bring Electric Vehicles to your State.
Where: Michigan
The Bills:
- SB 409 / HB 4789: Create tax incentives for small businesses and multi-unit housing to install EV charging stations.
- SB 405 / HB 4786: Create a council within the MDOT to produce an EV infrastructure plan to expand Michigan’s charging network.
- SB 408 / HB 4787: Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state “park and ride” lots, either directly or by lease.
- SB 407/ HB 4788: Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state parks, either directly or by lease.
NRDC | EV Charging Infrastructure Package Introduced in Michigan
+1 Local Government Travel Bans
Where: Long Breach CA
What travel ban? Prohibiting taxpayer funded travel to Alabama and Georgia due to abortion restrictions
Is Long Beach alone? No, similar travel bans are also in the works by Los Angeles, the State of Colorado and the State of Maryland
AL.COM | Another California city looks to ban travel to Alabama over abortion law
Property Rights. Communal Cleaning of Abandoned Property.
Where: Missouri
What: the “Good Neighbor Bill.”
How does the Good Neighbor Bill work? allow neighbors/neighborhood associations to clean up abandoned properties by picking up trash, mowing lawns and fixing windows without any legal ramifications
KCTV | Missouri bill would allow neighbors to clean up outside of abandoned houses
Lege TREND. +1 Divestment from Fossil Fuels
Where: Great Britain
What: 1/3 of British lawmakers are calling on the parliamentary pension fund to divest its holdings in fossil fuel companies
Why? to address the climate change “emergency”
What’s the largest fund to divest from fossil fuels? Norway’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund (the world’s largest fund)
Reuters | British lawmakers demand their pension fund divests fossil fuels
Data Security Workforce by the Number of Women.
- 20% of Fortune 500 CISOs will be women by 2020
- 13% were women in 2017
- Capitol Hill hearings hear testimony from women 20% of the time on information security
Tech Target | Women in cybersecurity work to grow voice in US lawmaking
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