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Energy Treasure Hunts can be described as a combination of gemba walks and kaizen events in Lean methodology, with the goal to identify and reduce energy usage in a facility. This is a great approach that combines my passion for process improvement and sustainability. I uploaded a recent webinar I did on Energy Treasure Hunts to AI (NotebookLM), and it generated a fake podcast episode between two robots, which was mind-blowing to hear. I share segments from the "podcast" so you can hear how it sounds. Let me know what you think! In summary, here is how NotebookLM summarized the webinar, which was well-stated: "Energy treasure hunts and programs like the Better Buildings Challenge offer a powerful approach to identifying and implementing energy-saving opportunities. By engaging employees, leveraging data analysis, and fostering collaboration, organizations can achieve significant energy reductions, cost savings, and environmental benefits." Links NotebookLM from Google: https://notebooklm.google.com/ Energy Treasure Hunts Webinar: https://leansixsigmaenvironment.org/index.php/e116-using-energy-treasure-hunts-and-energy-swaps-to-engage-employees-and-reduce-costs/ If you're interested in taking a Lean, Green Belt or Black Belt course, consider these self-paced affordable courses from OpEx Training: https://www.leansixsigmadefinition.com/shop/ Need help in your organization, or want to discuss your current work situation? Let's talk! Schedule a free support call Podcast Sponsor: Creative Safety Supply is a great resource for free guides, infographics, and continuous improvement tools. I recommend starting with their 5S guide. It includes breakdowns of the five pillars, ways to begin implementing 5S, and even organization tips and color charts. From red tags to floor marking; it's all there. Download it for free at creativesafetysupply.com/5S BIZ-PI.com LeanSixSigmaDefinition.com Have a question? Submit a voice message at Podcasters.Spotify.com
Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022 includes coverage of the following stocks: Life Time, Hurtigruten, Panera Bread, Yeti, Toro, Ecolab, Colgate-Palmolive, Tesla, Beyond Meat, Microsoft, Aflac, Enphase Energy, Intuit, Adobe, Waste Management, Chipotle, PepsiCo. Plus: First Trust Water ETF, iShares Global Clean Energy ETF, Fidelity US Sustainability Index Fund, Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund Podcast: Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022 Transcript & Links, Episode 90, September 23, 2022 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 90 published on September 23, 2022, titled “Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022” — and presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols, quotes, and bonus material – at this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Now if any terms are unfamiliar to you, simply Google them. Also, just a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022 I'm beginning with this article which lists some intriguing companies not regularly featured in these podcasts. The title of the article is 10 Most Sustainable Companies 2022 and found on Worth.com. Here are the public companies on the list with brief quotes from the article. 1. Life Time: Healthy People + Healthy Planet (NASDAQ: LTH) Today, the company offers nearly 160 sprawling athletic country clubs, a handful of coworking and residential complexes, and the rights to numerous marquee sporting events such as the Miami Marathon and the annual ‘Race Across The Sky' in Colorado. With sustainability at the forefront of his business model, (Bahram Akradi, the founder,) has relentlessly pushed his staff… In July of this year, his efforts to reduce Life Time's carbon footprint earned him recognition from the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge, which named his business the top-ranked company in the country for energy reduction. 2. Hurtigruten: Cruising towards a Carbon Neutral Future (Oslo: HURT) Hurtigruten Group was established in 1893 by Norway's government as a means for connecting people living along the country's jagged coastline and fjords, shipping goods, and delivering mail. Nearly 130 years later, the company has emerged as the most innovative, technologically advanced, and sustainable cruise line in the world… 3. Panera Bread: Cool Meals for an Overheated Planet (NASDAQ: PNRA) Carbon-friendly food, it turns out, is good for the planet and business; recent reports found that 6 in 10 Americans say that sustainable food is important to them and a significant driver of brand loyalty. 4. Yeti: Hard Goods Built to Last (NYSE: YETI) Part of the customer appeal of YETI's famous drinkware line is its value as an alternative to single-use, disposable plastic cups and thermoses… One hundred percent of YETI packaging will be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025… In 2020 YETI surpassed $1 billion in revenue and in 2021 reached global sales of $1.4 billion. 5. Toro: Harnessing Massive Reach and New Tech for Maximum Impact (NASDAQ: TTC) Its Flex-Force power system of interchangeable, battery-powered yard equipment has given it a certain ‘Tesla-like' status in neighborhoods across the country. 6. Ecolab: Water Preservation at Scale (NYSE: ECL) Ecolab (is) a $15 billion a year company specializing in water treatment, purification, cleaning, and hygiene in various applications. Every major corporate water preservation initiative in the news, from the Manchester United football club to Kraft Heinz to Hilton Hotels, has Ecolab's fingerprints. 7. Colgate-Palmolive: Taking Ownership on a Global Scale (NYSE: CL) Colgate is not afraid to upend the status quo if it means lowering the environmental footprint of its products.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022 Now we turn to another list titled Best Sustainable Investing Funds to Watch in 2022. It's by Kane Pepi on business2community.com. It's a UK article but has relevance globally. Here is Mr. Pepi's list with some quotes from him on each fund. “1. First Trust Water ETF (FIW) The First Trust Water ETF is benchmarked to the ISE Clean Edge Water Index. As such, this is one of the most popular sustainable ETFs to provide investors with a way of gaining exposure to the shortage of drinkable water… The First Trust Water fund was created in 2007… (and) up by almost 80% over the previous five years of trading. MSCI ESG Rating: AAA 2. KraneShares Global Carbon ETF (KRBN) This ETF is benchmarked to the IHS Markit Global Carbon Index. The sustainable index fund tracks the most actively traded carbon credit futures contracts and provides comprehensive coverage of cap-and-trade carbon allowances… KraneShares Global Carbon began trading as recently as 2020. Since then, the fund has increased by almost 100%. MSCI ESG Rating: N/A – Undisclosed 3. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) Makes investments in firms operating in the biofuels, geothermal, wind, hydroelectric, ethanol, and solar sectors of the worldwide green power sector… it has over $5.7 billion in net assets. MSCI ESG Rating: AA 4. Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) … invests in renewable power and tracks the MAC Global Solar Energy Index (SUNIDX)… In order to account for relevant taxes for non-resident investors, the index is calculated using net returns… The inception year for this fund was 2008… Invesco Solar is trading almost 300% higher than it was five years ago. MSCI ESG Rating: A 5. First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund (QCLN) This is one of the most sustainable index funds in the market for those interested in green investment funds and energy companies within the US… (The fund) was made public in 2007… (It) has increased by 254% over the five years. MSCI ESG Rating: A 6. Fidelity US Sustainability Index Fund (FITLX) … only holds securities with excellent MSCI ESG ratings. This fund's benchmark is the MSCI USA ESG Leaders Index. MSCI ESG Rating: AAA 7. Global X CleanTech ETF (CTEC) … aims to mimic the Indxx Global CleanTech Index's price and yield performance, prior to fees and charges… the Global X CleanTech ETF seeks to invest in… businesses engaged in the improvement of home and commercial energy efficiency and those that specialize in the creation of renewable power… (The fund was listed in) 2020. It has increased a little over 10% since its inception. MSCI ESG Rating: A 8. BGF Sustainable Energy A2 USD Launched in 2001, this BGF sustainable energy fund invests at least 70% of its total assets internationally. Notably, there are numerous different units, albeit, for the purpose of this analysis we focus on A2 USD… There are 49 holdings in this Blackrock sustainable fund… it has an asset net value of over $6.3 billion. MSCI ESG Rating: AA 9. Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund (VFTAX) The Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund tracks the FTSE4Good US Select Index… Strict exclusionary ESG filters are applied by the Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund… The net assets in this sustainable investment fund have a value of almost $14 billion… (The) Fund has been around since 2019… (It's) price has increased by over 46% since its inception. MSCI ESG Rating: AAA 10. VanEck Vectors Environmental Services ETF (EVX) The VanEck Environmental Services ETF closely monitors, before fees and costs, the price and performance of the NYSE Arca Environmental Services Index (AXENV). The fund monitors the overall performance of businesses engaged in soil remediation, wastewater management, trash collection, transfer, and disposal, recycling, and environmental consultancy… VanEck Vectors Environmental Services ETF has risen by over 78% over five years. MSCI ESG Rating: AA.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022 Now from the same busines2community.com site, we have the article Best Ethical Investing Stocks to Watch in 2022 by Michael Graw. Here's his selection of companies with some brief comments on each one. “1. Tesla (TSLA) Tesla was kicked out of the S&P 500's ESG stocks index earlier this year. That's because the company receives low scores for its social impact and governance, and Tesla has been criticized for racism and poor work environments. Still, because of Tesla's environmental impacts, many investors still consider it an ethical investment. ESG rating: 91 2. Beyond Meat (BYND) Beyond Meat is a meatless food producer that's reinventing what a veggie burger can be… The fast food chain Mcdonald's decided not to go ahead with Beyond Meat burgers on a wide scale after an initial test, although other fast food chains have adopted Beyond Meat products… Some Wall Street analysts believe Beyond Meat is valued appropriately at its current price. But more bullish analysts suggest the stock could jump to $35 per share, which would represent a gain of nearly 65% from current prices. ESG rating: 47 3. Microsoft (MSFT) The company's goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, then offset all prior emissions by 2050… Microsoft also prides itself on the company's social impact. The company has been outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights and integrates supportive symbols into products like the Xbox. ESG rating: 76 4. Aflac (AFL) ... has quietly been an ethical leader within the insurance industry… Aflac has also taken an active role in promoting medical research. The company donated more than $150 million to cancer research in 2021 and supported more than 140,000 pediatric cancer patients and their families during treatment. More recently, Aflac has also begun giving money towards sickle cell research and patients. Aflac stock is up more than 5% since the start of 2022… The company also pays a dividend yield of 2.61%. ESG rating: 94 5. Enphase Energy (ENPH) This company builds integrated solar panels, batteries, and micro-inverters that can be used to convert large commercial and industrial buildings to solar power. By focusing on the industrial sector, Enphase Energy has somewhat differentiated itself from solar competitors that largely rely on residential solar installations for revenue… Enphase Energy stock has gained 93% over the past year and is currently trading just below its 52-week high. ESG rating: 93 6. Intuit (INTU) The company, which makes software products like TurboTax, Quickbooks, and Mint, has achieved equal gender pay across its organization and is working towards achieving equal pay for minorities… Intuit has also promoted inclusive hiring practices in underserved communities… and investing in ‘Prosperity Hubs' in economically depressed areas. Still… Intuit has faced criticism over some of its practices… Intuit stock is down 31% since the start of the year and is currently priced 40% below its 52-week high. ESG rating: 91 7. Adobe (ADBE) The company has ESG initiatives on multiple fronts, including achieving gender pay equity across its global operations and setting a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035… This ethical stock saw a 143% increase in price over the past 5 years… Adobe stock is down 33% so far in 2022, but analysts suggest that the company may be undervalued. ESG rating: 70 8. Waste Management (WM) The company operates hundreds of landfills around the US as well as recycling centers and fleets of trucks to collect garbage… Waste Management takes its environmental impact seriously. The company creates landfills that can be filled in and turned into parks once they're full and has been active in promoting recycling… This ethical investing stock has… gained 6.1% year-to-date and recently hit a 52-week high. Waste Management also pays investors a dividend yield of 1.51%. ESG rating: 63 9. Chipotle (CMG) … has made significant efforts to source its ingredients in ways that are local and sustainable. The company has partnerships with thousands of small farmers and buys the majority of its meat products from certified human sources… The downside to this approach, however, is that Chipotle occasionally runs into issues with its supply chain, especially contamination… Chipotle stock is sitting at a 1.3% gain for the year so far and is nearing a 52-week high. ESG rating: 62 10. PepsiCo (PEP) PepsiCo is one of the world's largest producers of bottled water… The company's goal is to put more water back into each of the aquifers it uses as water sources than it takes out of them… The price of PepsiCo stock has been flat to down slightly since the start of the year, but investors can still benefit from the stock's 2.70% dividend yield. ESG rating: 93.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Other Honorable Mentions – not in any order 1) Title: 10 Best ESG Stocks to Invest In by Mohammed Saqib on Yahoo.com. 2) Title: Best Green Investment Funds to Watch in September 2022 on business2community.com. By Michael Graw. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast: “Most Sustainable Stocks & Funds for 2022.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope in these deeply troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Talk to you next on October 7th. Bye for now. © 2022 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul
Earlier in the series, we talked about The Better Buildings Challenge, which involves a voluntary commitment to reduce portfolio-wide energy consumption by 20% within 10 years. In June, the DOE and HUD recognized Mercy Housing for Energy Efficiency Leadership. Join Caitlin Rood, National Environmental Sustainability Director for Mercy Housing, for a discussion about her work and her company’s success with the Better Buildings Challenge. Plus, get insight into: How Mercy achieved this goal How participation in the Better Buildings Challenge has benefitted Mercy What Mercy Housing learned from the process Watch the webcast version of this podcast here: https://www.realpage.com/webcasts/better-buildings-challenge-mercy-housing/ Want to learn more about the sustainability solutions offered by RealPage? Visit the Sustainability Suite Webpage: https://www.realpage.com/sustainability-services/
Roger Webb, Lifetime Student of the Restaurant Industry joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why the brand is the experience.The conversation begins with Roger sharing the story of how he first met Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy's. Later he shares his experience of when he first joined Wendy's as the company opened its third restaurant.Today there over 6,500 Wendy's around the world and the brand is known and loved by millions of individuals. From the VP of Franchise to a Wendy's franchisee, Roger had an incredible career with Wendy's.Roger was the first Wendy's franchisee to join the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge in 2016. Before joining the challenge, Roger had a company-wide energy policy.We had a very strict policy, never have a light out. – Roger WebbNever having a light out is part of the experience of going to a restaurant. It's an experience that consumers look for and one that the restaurant industry has to deliver on each and every-time.The experience is the thousands of little things that have to be executed perfectly every time. – Roger WebbExpanding upon the conversation of the little things that make an experience, Grayson and Roger go on to discuss brands and experiences and why they are crucial to the ultimate success of a restaurant.Your brand is the experience. – Roger WebbWith a great brand, the future is bright and scalable if you are innovative and ahead of trends. Taking a look at the future of the restaurant industry, Grayson and Roger discuss the design of restaurants. Will they have to change with the growth of delivery and eventually autonomous delivery via delivery bots such as Nuro.With an increase in delivery services, comes the need for new innovative packaging. Roger shares his thoughts on packaging and what needs to be done to ensure the french fries that arrive at your house are warm and crispy.From drones to autonomous vehicles to delivery cars, the packaging has to be developed for the operating environment. The packaging used in delivery will be different than the packaging used for food picked up at a drive-through.The drive-through is a booming business for the restaurant industry today. Roger explains how the drive-through operates and what the keys to success are for successfully operating one.The drive-throughs of today might not look like the drive-throughs of the future. Chipotle is pioneering their Chipotlanes concept throughout the United States to great success.Chipotlanes are Chipotle's most-profitable experience because of the higher check averages. This raises the question: Is this the future of the restaurant business? Grayson asks Roger and he goes onto say restaurants are always evolving.While restaurants are always evolving they must never stop building their brand equity. This lesson can be traced back to Sam Bronfman, Founder of Distillers Corporation who was always focused on quality and the appearance of his brands.Discounting can impact brand equity in a negative way. Roger explains why discounting is something that should be done with caution.Brand equity is what you do every day, every minute, every hour, and that should be a part of everything that you do when you are building a brand. – Roger WebbLooking at the current trend of Cloud / Ghost Kitchens, Grayson asks Roger how these types of restaurant businesses can develop a brand. Without a brand, customers will be unsure whether to try a new concept that they might never have heard of before.For Cloud / Ghost Kitchen concepts to be successful, they will have to have a brand that customers know, like and trust. A brand combined with a bespoke delivery service and pick-up service will thrive in resort communities.Wrapping up the conversation, Roger discusses delivery fees and the economics of delivery services.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mary Nitschke joins Join Michael Freedberg, Sr. Advisor, High Performance Building, Office of Economic Development, to hear about the HUD Better Buildings Challenge, a voluntary leadership initiative. Learn the strategies that multifamily operators use to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings by at least 20%. Plus, get insights on the collaboration and community created by this program. Watch the webcast version of this podcast here: https://www.realpage.com/webcasts/better-buildings-challenge/ Want to learn more about the sustainability solutions offered by RealPage? Visit the Sustainability Suite Webpage: https://www.realpage.com/expense-management/sustainability-suite/
One of the first cities to sign on to the Better Buildings Challenge, Atlanta recently met its 20% energy savings goal two years ahead of schedule. AJ Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress, discusses the challenges Atlanta faced and the public-private partnership that helped deliver results in more than 450 buildings representing over 115 million square feet. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/buildings-podcast/support
On March 26, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge visited Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)'s Showcase Project Santee Education Complex, to recognize LAUSD for the energy productivity advances made in its schools. Better Buildings Partner LAUSD opened the 338,000-square-foot Santee Education Complex in July 2005 as the first new four-year high school for the Los Angeles Unified School District in more than 35 years. Santee is on schedule to achieve 30% annual energy savings this year. As a result of these upgrades, the school expects to achieve a 23% annual cost savings, equal to more than $195,000 yearly. Tune in as we speak with Maria T. Vargas, Director of the Better Buildings Challenge at the Department of Energy, and Christos Chrysiliou, Director of Architectural & Engineering Services at LAUSD.
On March 26, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge visited Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)'s Showcase Project Santee Education Complex, to recognize LAUSD for the energy productivity advances made in its schools. Better Buildings Partner LAUSD opened the 338,000-square-foot Santee Education Complex in July 2005 as the first new four-year high school for the Los Angeles Unified School District in more than 35 years. Santee is on schedule to achieve 30% annual energy savings this year. As a result of these upgrades, the school expects to achieve a 23% annual cost savings, equal to more than $195,000 yearly. Tune in as we speak with Maria T. Vargas, Director of the Better Buildings Challenge at the Department of Energy, and Christos Chrysiliou, Director of Architectural & Engineering Services at LAUSD.
Learn how your business, university, municipality or real estate company can improve energy efficiency of your portfolio by 20% while improving social equity, employee production, wellness and the environment!
Learn how your business, university, municipality or real estate company can improve energy efficiency of your portfolio by 20% while improving social equity, employee production, wellness and the environment!
Learn how your business, university, municipality or real estate company can improve energy efficiency of your portfolio by 20% while improving social equity, employee production, wellness and the environment!
Learn how your business, university, municipality or real estate company can improve energy efficiency of your portfolio by 20% while improving social equity, employee production, wellness and the environment!
If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast, Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco.
If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco for three days.
If you swap energy management teams with another business, just what will you learn? In this podcast, Maria Vargas, director of the Better Buildings Challenge, describes what Whole Foods and Hilton Worldwide learned when they swapped energy management teams in San Francisco.
Want to save money on energy on your buildings? Check this out. Better Buildings Challenge is a platform at the Department of Energy with goal to reduce energy used across building portfolios by 20% or more by 2020. Our guest this afternoon is Maria Vargas, Director of Better Buildings Challenge at the Department of Energy. Prior to DOE, Maria was the Brand Manager for the Energy Star Program for over 15 years at the EPA. She'll talk to us about how the program works and what's in it for you - if you or your company own buildings. Join us for the conversation. Listeners dial-in program 347-945-5619.
Want to save money on energy on your buildings? Check this out. Better Buildings Challenge is a platform at the Department of Energy with goal to reduce energy used across building portfolios by 20% or more by 2020. Our guest this afternoon is Maria Vargas, Director of Better Buildings Challenge at the Department of Energy. Prior to DOE, Maria was the Brand Manager for the Energy Star Program for over 15 years at the EPA. She'll talk to us about how the program works and what's in it for you - if you or your company own buildings. Join us for the conversation. Listeners dial-in program 347-945-5619.
Starting with the Downtown central business district, the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge will unite the public sector with the business and nonprofit communities to implement substantive building upgrades toward the goal of improving participating buildings’ energy and water performance. The effort is underway with a benchmarking initiative for Atlanta's 400-block Downtown area, including the Atlanta Civic Center and other municipal facilities, as well as eventually to include other landmark Downtown buildings. The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge aims to support President Obama’s goal of helping businesses save nearly $40 billion annually in energy costs, enabling them to grow, invest in new technology, and create American jobs. Atlanta is proud to be one of the three first-mover cities, along with Seattle and Los Angeles, selected for this important initiative.
Lisa Cohn of RealEnergyWriters.com continues her interview with Metrus Energy CEO Bob Hinkle. Metrus Energy has been chosen as a financial partner under the White House’s Better Buildings Challenge. Hinkle discusses his company’s participation as a provider of innovative financing.
Lisa Cohn of RealEnergyWriters.com interviews Bob Hinkle, CEO of Metrus Energy, which has been chosen as a financial partner under the White House’s Better Buildings Challenge, about the challenge and Metrus Energy's participation as a provider of innovative financing.