August 5, 2012
Newly-Crowned Women's Gymnastics All-Around Champion Gabby Douglas To Be Featured On Special-Edition Boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the USA
Photo: To celebrate U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas’ gold medal in the women’s all-around at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Kellogg’s announced today that she will be featured on special-edition boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes which will be on shelves this fall. Kellogg Company is an official sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics.
Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal. Kellogg’s brands are produced in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 2:38 PM
June 28, 2012
Coca-Cola identifies India as Long-Term Strategic Growth Market
Photo: New Delhi, India, June 26, 2012 - L to R: Atul Singh, President and CEO, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia and Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company.
The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners have robust plans to capture growth in India with investments in innovation, expansion of distribution network, cold drink equipment placement and augmentation of manufacturing capacity. The Company has announced that the Coca-Cola system will invest a total of $5 billion in India from 2012 to 2020.
The Coca-Cola system has already invested more than US$2 billion in India since it re-entered the country in 1993. Today’s announcement brings the total investment number to US$7 billion since reentry into India. The Coca-Cola India system currently directly employs more than 25,000 people and is estimated to have created indirect employment for more than 150,000 people in related industries through its vast procurement, supply chain and distribution system.
Atul Singh, President and CEO, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, “India is a strategic growth market for The Coca-Cola Company, ranking among our top 10 markets in volume globally and as the largest market in the Eurasia and Africa Group. Our India business has been growing at a robust rate over the last five years, and our goal is to continue this momentum. The country’s demographics, economic and social parameters are all huge drivers of growth and we have to ensure that we continue to grow our offerings to be the non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink beverage company of choice for local consumers.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 3:40 AM
April 8, 2012
Pepsi NEXT — Actress Eva Longoria Serves Up First Sips in New York
Photos: Eva Longoria serves New Yorkers first sips of new Pepsi NEXT— real cola taste with 60% less sugar.
Today, Eva Longoria, actress and star of the hit TV show, Desperate Housewives, surprised New Yorkers with a first taste of new Pepsi NEXT, which, according to PepsiCo, is the first cola to deliver real cola taste with 60% less sugar than Pepsi-Cola.
To continue fueling the “Drink it to Believe it” excitement, actress and star of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Paula Patton, will bring Pepsi NEXT to Los Angeles fans on Monday, April 9, the company further announced.
“When it comes to Pepsi NEXT, tasting is believing,” said Angelique Krembs, Vice President TM Pepsi Marketing. “Whether it’s partnering with Eva and Paula to serve up free sips, sampling at local Walmart Supercenter stores across the country or inviting fans to “try” Pepsi NEXT online, it’s all about encouraging a first taste. We know that once cola lovers taste Pepsi NEXT, they’ll believe real cola flavor with 60% less sugar than Pepsi-Cola is possible.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 8:58 AM
November 15, 2011
Coca-Cola to make $2 Billion long term Investment in India
Investment includes new infrastructure, partnerships, brand building and sustainability programs
Photo: The Coca-Cola Company hosted a 125th Anniversary Celebration Concert at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA, USA, on May 7, 2011. The concert was streamed online as a live ‘thank you’ to people around the world.
Coca-Cola will invest US$2 billion in India over the next five years, beginning in 2012, to further capture the opportunity in the Indian nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverage market, the company announced.
• Coca-Cola informed GlobalGiants.Com that India is a strategic growth country for The Coca-Cola Company, ranking among its top 10 markets in volume globally and as the largest market in the Eurasia and Africa Group.
The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio in India includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Sprite, Fanta, Limca, Maaza, Maaza Milky Delite, Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh, Burn, Kinley Water, Kinley Soda, Nestea, Schweppes, and GEORGIA Gold.
The Coca-Cola system has already invested over US$2 billion in India since it re-entered the country in 1993, and currently it directly employs more than 25,000 people. The system is estimated to have created indirect employment for more than 150,000 people in related industries through its vast procurement, supply chain and distribution system. The investments announced today by Coca-Cola will further catalyze economic growth and create new opportunities for the local community, the company said.
Ahmet C. Bozer, Coca-Cola’s President, Eurasia and Africa Group, said, “India is one of our most important growth markets as we work toward our 2020 Vision of doubling system revenues and servings this decade. The opportunity in the packaged beverage segment is immense, and our efforts in India are focused on being the beverage of choice all day, every day. If we continue to do the right things each day and at all times, it would not surprise me if India becomes one of the top five markets for the Company globally by the end of this decade.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 12:12 PM
April 4, 2011
Cola-Cola and the Band "Maroon 5" Release Track Created in 24 Hours
“Is Anybody Out There” by the band, Maroon 5, featuring PJ Morton, now available for free download.
• See the Previous Related Post.
Last week music history was made as fans from 139 countries across the world tuned in to watch and inspire the band, Maroon 5, as they wrote and recorded a brand new track in just 24hrs at the Coca-Cola Music 24hr Session.
Today, “Is Anybody Out There”, the up-tempo track created at the session, is released for free download at www.cocacola.com/music. For the first 100,000 downloads, Coca-Cola will make a donation to support Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in their work to provide access to safe drinking water to communities in Africa. The band entered Metropolis studios in London at 5pm GMT on March 22 and worked around the clock to create the track using inspiration sent in by fans via the @Coca-Cola Twitter stream.
Over 350,000 views were logged on the live stream throughout the duration of the session as fans tuned in to watch the creative process unfold. Providing inspiration for the song, over 25,000 fans tweeted their thoughts and messages of support to the band in the studio.
Commenting at the end of the 24hrs, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 said; “This has been an amazing and entirely unique experience. It was 24hrs of creativity, brought to you by Coca-Cola. We’d like to thank all our fans for their Tweets of support, ideas and inspiration throughout a really productive and intense 24hrs.”
Click at the link below to hear the song. You may download it for free.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 8:10 AM
March 15, 2011
PepsiCo Develops World's First 100 Percent Plant-Based, Renewably Sourced PET Bottle
PepsiCo today announced it has developed the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources, enabling the company to manufacture a beverage container with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
According to PepsiCo, its “green” bottle is 100 percent recyclable and far surpasses existing industry technologies. The bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. In the future, the company expects to broaden the renewable sources used to create the “green” bottle to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business.
“This breakthrough innovation is a transformational development for PepsiCo and the beverage industry, and a direct result of our commitment to research and development,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi. “PepsiCo is in a unique position, as one of the world’s largest food and beverage businesses, to ultimately source agricultural byproducts from our foods business to manufacture a more environmentally-preferable bottle for our beverages business - a sustainable business model that we believe brings to life the essence of Performance with Purpose.”
PepsiCo will pilot production of the new bottle in 2012. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the company intends to move directly to full-scale commercialization.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 11:33 AM
March 3, 2011
Coca-Cola Music: One Band. 24 Hours. A Brand New Song Inspired By Fans Across The World.
Photo: Maroon 5.
• On March 22 live from London, Coca-Cola and the band, Maroon 5, are bringing fans from around the world together.
For one epic session, fans will be invited to inspire the band “Maroon 5” as they compose an original song from start to finish in just 24 hours. Enabled by innovative interactive projection technology, fans will be given a virtual all-access pass to the studio by visiting www.coca-cola.com/music, where they will be able to interact with the band and lend their creative inspiration to lyrics, riffs and rhythms for the new song. They’ll get to contribute throughout the process and, at the end of 24 hours, will have helped inspire a hot new Maroon 5 track to share with the world.
The 24hr Session is part of “Coca-Cola Music,” an innovative new music program from Coca-Cola that will give teens the inside track on the creation of music and the opportunity to view the industry’s leading artists at work.
“Coca-Cola has a long history of using the power of music to bring people together from around the world in the most relevant and compelling ways,” said Joe Belliotti, Director of Global Entertainment Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. “We are excited to be working with Maroon 5. They have a huge global following and a strong track record of producing great music. They have worked closely with us to help shape the event and ensure the session will be a fun and engaging experience for fans no matter where in the world they are.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 5:39 AM
August 28, 2010
Nestlé's Global Nescafé Plan: Direct Involvement in Coffee Farming, Coffee Production, Coffee Consumption
• At its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé today announced that in Mexico City, Mexico, it has launched its Global Nescafé Plan that brings under one umbrella Nestlé's commitments on coffee farming, production and consumption.
Photo: Coffee Farmer.
The Nescafé Plan contains a set of objectives which will help Nestlé further optimize its coffee supply chain. In addition to the CHF 200 million invested over the past ten years, Nestlé will invest CHF 500 million in coffee projects by 2020. This includes an investment of CHF 350 million for the Nescafé Plan and CHF 150 million for Nespresso.
Photo: Coffee beans drying.
Photo: Factory. On 10 June 2009 Nestlé inaugurated its second Nestlé Nespresso Production and Distribution Centre in Avenches, Switzerland. Foto: Pierre Boss. © Nestlé.
Over the next five years, Nestlé will double the amount of Nescafé coffee bought directly from farmers and their associations, eventually purchasing 180,000 tonnes of coffee from around 170,000 farmers every year.
Photo: Experts at work. Nespresso green coffee experts. Foto: Pierre Boss. © Nestlé.
Under the Nescafé Plan, Nestlé will distribute 220 million high-yield, disease-resistant coffee plantlets to farmers by 2020. This helps farmers to rejuvenate their plantations, thus multiplying the yield on existing land and increasing farmers' income. Through partnerships with public and private institutions in a number of countries, including Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, Nestlé has already distributed over 16 million coffee plantlets over the past ten years.
Nestlé is also expanding its technical assistance programmes, in which Nestlé agronomists provide advice on farming and post-harvest practices, to over 10,000 coffee farmers a year.
Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke said: "We are proud that Nescafé, the world's leading coffee brand, gives its name to this global initiative which creates value across the coffee supply chain, from farmers to consumers to us. Creating Shared Value is an integral part of our business strategy. For a company to be successful in the long term, it needs to create value at the same time for its shareholders and the communities in which it operates."
• Nestlé Annual Report 2009 is available HERE.
• Nestlé with headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé and is today the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. Sales for 2009 were CHF 108 bn. Nestlé employs around 280,000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 5:27 AM
June 4, 2010
World Environment Day: United Nations International Children's Painting Competition
Photo: Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, California, won the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC) in North America. Gong's painting portrays a tiger grieving over a world where human activities are depleting resources.
• Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, California, received the top North American prize in the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) 19th annual International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC). Her painting addresses the theme, "Biodiversity - Connecting with Nature."
Gong was honored at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh as Bayer Corporation and UNEP unveiled the 2010 ICPC Exhibition to herald World Environment Day celebrations in Pittsburgh, this year's North American host city. The 77-picture exhibition features the three winning paintings, including Gong's portrayal of a tiger grieving over a world where human activities are depleting resources.
Her first place award included a $1,000 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip for her and a chaperone to UNEP's TUNZA International Children's Conference in Nagoya, Japan, in October. While there, she will join the first place winners from UNEP's six global regions. This year, nearly 1.1 million paintings from 88 countries were received.
The ICPC is a signature event of UNEP's annual World Environment Day celebrations. The painting competition is sponsored globally by Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group headquartered in Germany.
Established in 1991 and organized annually by partners UNEP, Bayer AG, Nikon and the Foundation for Global Peace and the Environment, the ICPC invites elementary and middle school students, ages six to 14, to learn about the environment and express that knowledge creatively through art.
Regional winners are selected from UNEP's six regions including North America; Africa; Asia and the Pacific; West Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Europe. They are announced during the six-week period between Earth Day in April and World Environment Day on June 5.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 11:26 AM
May 7, 2010
Daiichi Sankyo and Students 2 Science Help Students Learn Through Hands-On Experience
Innovative Program Encourages Local Students to Excel in Science.
Photo: Newark Science Park High School students work in a lab alongside a science mentor, Matt Wong, to conduct a series of scientific experiments. Thirty students participated in a day of hands-on learning during Students 2 Science "Supercharged Science" program, sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Company Daiichi Sankyo.
Students 2 Science, Inc. (S2S) hosted students from Newark Science Park High School for a day of hands-on science as part of its year-long "Supercharged Science" program. During the 'day of science,' students worked in a lab alongside mentor volunteers to conduct a series of scientific experiments, including:
• "Copper Electroplating," where students plated an iron nail with copper using electrolysis and compared results against theory;
• "Name that Salt," where students identified six different types of salt using visible spectroscopic flame test;
• "Sulfur identification," where students identified sulfur using an igniter; and a titration in the presence of a color indicator;
• "Molecular Structure identification," where students identified various sweeteners using infrared spectroscopy.
According to S2S, these experiments and curriculum taught students the fundamental principles of chemistry and also tapped into problem solving skills.
The "Supercharged Science" program is one of many integrated full-year science education programs offered by S2S that provides students the opportunity to work side-by-side with professional scientists to perform hands-on experiments using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation.
"At a time when our school systems are facing significant resource challenges, we are excited that socially responsible companies such as Daiichi Sankyo are focusing philanthropic initiatives around science education," said Paul A. Winslow, Ph.D., President and Co-Founder of Students 2 Science. "Their commitment underscores the importance of fostering science education among middle and high school students. When students are intrigued by a new idea, they are compelled to discover more. We believe this is an essential component that leads to creativity and a heightened state of exploration and excitement."
• Students 2 Science, Inc. is a New Jersey, USA, non-profit corporation inspiring, motivating, and educating students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). While Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of global pharmaceutical innovator Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
• Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd., Japan, has subsidiaries in the USA, England, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, Ireland, China, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Brazil, and Venezuela. Recently, Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest pharmaceutical company, became a subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo.
Source: Daiichi Sankyo
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 1:43 PM
April 24, 2010
Fight against Malaria
Photo: Public health leaders and dignitaries participate in a reception for the exhibit, Malaria, blood, sweat, and tears held at the United Nations to commemorate World Malaria Day on April 25.
(From left to right)
• Kiyo Akasaka, Under-secretary General, UN Department of Public Affairs;
• Anne M. Veneman, Executive Director, UNICEF;
• Professor Awa Coll-Seck, Executive Director, Roll Back Malaria Partnership;
• United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon;
• HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership;
• Adam Nadel, Exhibition Photographer;
• Sunil Mehra, Executive Director, Malaria Consortium;
• Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen, leading producer of mosquito nets;
• Raymond G. Chambers, UN Special Envoy for Malaria.
Malaria is a preventable and curable disease. Yet nearly 850,000 people each year, mainly pregnant women and children, die from it, and half of the world's population, some 3.3 billion people in 109 countries, are at risk of contracting the disease.
• It's also widely recognized that malaria control has a positive impact on all of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Fueled by milestones set by the MDGs in 2000, there has been strong international funding and support for malaria prevention programs throughout 2009. A recent report authored by the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that this effort has yielded significant successes.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 7:40 AM
April 11, 2010
COCA-COLA LAUNCHES POWERADE GLOBAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN VIA 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP
The Coca-Cola Company has had a formal association with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) since 1974 and an official sponsorship of FIFA World Cup that began in 1978. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950.
Powerade is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. The Powerade brand will be part of the Company's overall sponsorship marketing activation around the FIFA World Cup.
In the brand's first-ever global integrated marketing campaign, Powerade will give athletes the "inspiration and ability" to "Keep Playing" through a comprehensive campaign highlighted by the presence of Powerade on the pitch during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
FIFA has officially designated Powerade as "Chosen by FIFA to Hydrate 2010 FIFA World Cup Players."
"The campaign theme KEEP PLAYING alludes to the insight that passionate sports players love the game of football and never want a great game to end," says Coca-Cola. "When the world's top footballers compete for the sport's ultimate prize during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they will be able to reach for a Powerade to hydrate."
"FIFA only chooses the best technical partners to work with and we are delighted to be able to offer all players Powerade during the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament," said Professor Jiri Dvorak, FIFA Chief Medical Officer. "Players know they have to stay hydrated at all times and the effective hydration and energy Powerade gives them will help them perform at their best and hopefully go a long way to achieving an exciting and competitive tournament for all the countries involved."
During the month long tournament Powerade will be pitch side at all 10 venues, hydrating 736 players from 32 countries before, during and after all 64 games, from the opening game between South Africa and Mexico on June 11, all the way through to the Final in Johannesburg on July 10, 2010.
According to Coca-Cola, as little as 2 percent dehydration can seriously affect a player's performance. Powerade, when consumed throughout extended exercise, is designed to provide effective hydration and maintain performance by helping to replace essential fluids, carbohydrates and body salts lost during such exercise.
• Brand Name: POWERADE
• Drink Type: Sports Drink
• POWERADE: POWERADE combines carbohydrates with fluids for energy and hydration. It quenches thirst and replenishes minerals and carbohydrates lost during sports or other intense activities.
• Available in the following flavors: Apple, Berry, Berry Fruit Punch, Blackberry Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Cherry, Cherry Lime, Citrus Blend, Fruit Punch, Grape, Grape Strawberry, Grapefruit, Grapefruit Lemon, Grapefruit Passionfruit, Kiwi, Kiwi Watermelon, Lemon, Lemon Lime, Lemon Strawberry, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Mango, Mango Orange, Orange, Orange Tangerine, Passionfruit, Peach, Strawberry and Tangerine.
• Available in the following locations: American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Malta, Mariana Islands, Mexico, Namibia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States, Vanuatu and Venezuela.
Source: The Coca-Cola Company Headquarters, Atlanta
|GlobalGiants.Com|
"Powerade global marketing would make no sense to the audiences in the countries where Powerade is not sold.
But Coca-Cola's supplementary advertising at 2010 FIFA World Cup would be understood by all."
© GlobalGiants.Com. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Editors at 8:10 AM
March 19, 2010
Better City, Better Life: Siemens at EXPO 2010
Photos: View of Shanghai
"Better City, Better Life" - that's the theme of EXPO 2010, which will take place in Shanghai from May 1 - October 31, 2010. Siemens is supporting EXPO 2010 with green infrastructure technology.
On the 1st of May, the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai will open its doors to the world. About 70 million visitors are expected in the Chinese metropolis.
It is supposed to be the first green world exhibition in EXPO history.
As a global EXPO partner, Siemens has supplied technology used in more than 40 projects on the exhibition grounds. In addition, Siemens supplied infrastructure including technology for rapid mass transit, clean air, cleaner water and ultra-modern health care in Shanghai.
Photo: Siemens won contracts related to the EXPO. These include high-speed trains at a speed of 300 kph from Beijing to Tianjin.
"Our green technology will continue to upgrade the city's infrastructure well after the EXPO. Thus, it is a triple win for EXPO visitors, for the host city of Shanghai and for Siemens," said Richard Hausmann, CEO Siemens Northeast Asia and President and CEO of Siemens Ltd., China.
Siemens was awarded contracts in connection with the Expo with a total value of more than one billion euros. About 90 percent of this amount is related to environmentally friendly products and solutions.
Photo: In China, ensuring a supply of clean water is a pressing problem. Shanghai, which is naturally rich in water, suffers from polluted springs. Siemens water treatment solutions help clean up Taihu Lake not far from Shanghai.
Photo: Shanghai buildings in the evening.
More than 50,000 energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produced by Siemens' lighting subsidiary Osram will illuminate the pavilions and boulevards. LEDs consume 80 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs.
The China Pavilion, with a total surface area of 160,000 square meters, is one of the largest Siemens projects at the Expo.
In addition to solutions for reduced energy consumption, Siemens also supplied infrastructure in advance of the Expo that will assure adequate power supply to the city of Shanghai both during and after the event.
Source: Siemens AG, Berlin
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 2:20 AM
March 4, 2010
The Plastiki Expedition
An 11,000 nautical mile journey-with-a-message from San Francisco, California, to Sydney, Australia, setting sail March 2010.
Photo: Eco-Friendly Catamaran, The Plastiki, Made From 12,500 Reclaimed Plastic Bottles Prepares to Embark on Transpacific Voyage From US to Australia. February 25, 2010. San Francisco, CA. (Photo: Luca Babini).
The Plastiki, an eco-conscious catamaran made from reclaimed plastic bottles is embarking on transpacific journey to raise awareness of ocean pollution problem by showcasing plastic debris as a resource and demonstrating real world solutions through its design and construction.
The goal of The Plastiki Expedition is to draw attention to the massive amounts of plastic debris in the world's oceans, and to showcase re-thinking waste as a resource by demonstrating real world solutions to this pressing problem.
The legacy of The Plastiki Expedition will be its capacity to shift public thinking and perception from plastics as the enemy to how plastic can become part of the solution. To solve the marine debris and waste issues at large will require a reprogramming of how the global community currently uses, re-uses and ultimately disposes of plastics.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 8:20 AM
December 4, 2009
World Bank: Majority of People Want Action on Climate Change, Even if it Entails Costs
Photo: View of lakes and mountains. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
A new poll of 15 nations, most of them in the developing world, finds that majorities of the people canvassed want their governments to take steps to fight climate change, even if that entails costs. People signaled they would support public measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and step up adaptation measures. For example, respondents would support higher fuel efficiency standards for cars, preserving or expanding forests, and extending funding to vulnerable countries so they can develop hardier crops suited to more severe climates.
Photo: Fishing. Photo © Alex Baluyut / World Bank.
"The poll's findings shed light on global attitudes at a particularly important moment: the run-up to the conference on climate change to be held December 7-18 in Copenhagen. Hearing from people in the developing world offers a new lens on this issue," says Katherine Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development.
Photo: Horse-drawn cart. Mali. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Photo: Mali. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Carried out by WorldPublicOpinion.org and commissioned by the World Bank, the poll questioned 13,518 respondents in 15 nations -- Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.
Other key findings include:
• Public concern about climate change is high worldwide, but it's generally higher in developing countries.
• Publics, particularly in developing countries, believe climate change is already having negative effects.
• In most countries, wealthy and poor alike, large majorities are willing to pay to fight climate change.
• Support for increased adaptation funding to poor countries is widespread worldwide.
Photo: View of river and mountains. Bhutan. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
"It is encouraging indeed to see strong across-the-board support for committing to emissions limits in both developed and developing nations, since behavior change and attitudes will help determine whether we succeed or fail in addressing this global issue," says Marianne Fay, World Bank Chief Economist for Sustainable Development and Co-Director of the World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change.
Ms. Fay explained that the poll was commissioned as a follow-up to the recently released WDR. The aim was to gain a better understanding of how the recommendations of the Report to invest substantially and immediately to manage climate change ("Act now, act together, and act differently") resonate in a cross-section of countries.
In the low-income country of Vietnam, for example, 98% say their government should commit to limiting emissions as part of a deal, and 93% support the same course in the absence of a deal. At the other end of the wealth spectrum, the people of France express 97% support if an agreement is reached at Copenhagen, and 87% if no agreement emerges.
Photo: View of road before storm. Ghana. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Majorities in 14 of 15 countries are willing to pay to fight global climate change.
Majorities in most countries also support measures that would raise costs for energy and transportation.
Photo: Portrait of children. India. Photo © World Bank / Curt Carnemark.
Similarly, majorities in 12 countries support "gradually increasing the requirements for fuel efficiency in automobiles, even if this raises the cost of cars and bus fares." Majorities in 11 countries support "gradually reducing government subsidies that favor private transportation, even if this raises its cost." Majorities in all countries polled support "preserving or expanding forested areas, even if this means less land for agriculture or construction."
WorldPublicOpinion.org operates as a collaborative project involving research centers from around the world that is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The margins of error for each country range from +/-3 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted across the different nations in September and October 2009.
Source: World Bank
|GlobalGiants.Com|
"We, the Heads of the MDBs and the IMF, appeal to the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to agree in Copenhagen the foundations for an ambitious, comprehensive, and equitable global climate change regime that enables all countries to achieve sustainable development along climate-resilient and low greenhouse gas emission-intensive paths. We recognise the primacy of the UNFCCC, whose principles and process we have supported from the start. We endeavour, in accordance with our organizations' respective mandates, expertise, and resources, to further coordinate our financing and analyses of climate change actions and enable our client partners to maximise the effective use of new financial flows."
-- Joint statement by the heads of the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) has released the names of over 140 leading climate experts from 17 countries who are asking the United Nations and other supporters of this month's Climate Change Conference to produce convincing OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE for their claims of dangerous human-caused global warming (AGW) and other changes in climate.
• "With revelations that critical temperature data used by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change appear to have been intentionally distorted to increase warming trends, national representatives to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference must demand a thorough re-examination of the scientific evidence supporting proposed mitigation actions. This should not be limited to simple temperature data auditing but must also include a re-evaluation of many of the climate-related assertions uncritically accepted by politicians and media worldwide."
-- Dr. Tim Patterson, ICSC Chair and Professor of Earth Sciences at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
• "While policies designed to conserve energy, reduce pollution and help vulnerable peoples adapt to climate change are important to pursue, proposals to severely curtail GHG emissions in an effort to control climate make no sense, given the current state of scientific knowledge. Instead we need to focus on environmental issues we know we can positively impact - air, land and water pollution being primary examples."
-- Dr. Wibjörn Karlén, Professor Emeritus, Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Posted by Editors at 8:32 AM
November 19, 2009
Bridget Moynahan is the Newest Spokesmodel for Garnier Nutritioniste
Moynahan will be the face of the Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift product collection.
Global skincare company Garnier Nutritioniste is introducing actress Bridget Moynahan as the latest spokesmodel for the brand. Moynahan will appear in print and TV campaigns for the brand's top-selling Ultra-Lift skincare collection, set to debut July 2010.
Moynahan joins an impressive roster of Garnier spokesmodels, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Bar Rafaeli and Alana de la Garza.
"We are thrilled to partner with the beautiful Bridget Moynahan," says Maybelline New York-Garnier President David Greenberg. "Her class, grace and accessibility make her a model representative of the Garnier brand. Most importantly, she exhibits a likeable, healthy beauty that speaks to our consumer in such a positive way."
Moynahan is an all-American girl raised in the East Coast town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Before earning international recognition in films and TV, she had a successful modeling career, appearing on the covers of numerous magazines including Glamour, Vogue, Elle and Self. Moynahan has since appeared in a number of major films, such as Serendipity, The Sum of All Fears, The Recruit, I, Robot, and Lord of War. She is the star of the upcoming 2010 film Ramona and Beezus and is currently shooting the film Battle: Los Angeles.
Source: Garnier
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 6:11 AM
November 14, 2009
PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Photo: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt (center) visit a diagnostic imaging suite during a tour of University Medical Center at Princeton today. Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Holt held a press conference at the hospital to discuss the need for healthcare reform in America. Pictured at left is Barry S. Rabner, president and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System. (Photo Credit: Princeton HealthCare System. Photographer: Richard Titus)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 11:10 PM
September 25, 2009
New York City Green Buildings Program Launch: Building Owners, Union Leader Joined By Mayor Bloomberg
Labor-Management Program to Train 1,000 Building Supers.
Photo: New York Mayor Bloomberg, along with union president Mike Fishman, launched a green building worker training program at an apartment building in Manhattan on Friday, September 25, 2009. The One Year, One Thousand Supers program, said the mayor, "is a smart, practical, effective way to help make the Big apple green.".
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Realty Advisory Board President Jim Berg and 32BJ President Mike Fishman today in launching an ambitious green buildings program to train one thousand superintendents and resident managers in one year in the latest energy efficient practices.
The launch of One Year, One Thousand Green Supers, which took place at a downtown apartment building, was attended by Jeff Brodsky, President of Related Management, and James O'Connor, President of Douglas Elliman, two of the first companies to have their employees participate in this labor-management green buildings program.
"By working together, 32BJ and New York's building owners have put into place a smart, practical and effective way to help make the Big Apple green," said Mayor Bloomberg. "One Year, One Thousand Green Supers provides a low-cost way to make our buildings more energy and cost efficient, and our environment cleaner, all while saving our city millions of dollars."
"With 77 percent of our city's greenhouse gas emissions generated by buildings, we must all work together to protect the environment," said Mike Fishman. "Making the Big Apple green starts with recognizing the vital role of building service workers."
• With more than 85,000 members in six states and Washington, DC, SEIU Local 32BJ is the largest property service workers union in the country. The union represents window cleaners, doormen, building maintenance workers, cleaners, porters, and security officers in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia.
• One Year, One Thousand Green Supers is part of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. The program is a 40 hour class that provides building service workers with the latest, state-of-the-art practices in energy efficient operations. The curriculum trains workers to identify and address wasted energy, create a green operating plan and perform cost-benefit analysis for building owners and managers.
"By learning how to air seal a building, improve heating and air conditioning performance and reduce overall energy use in a building's common areas, graduates can achieve substantial savings at their buildings," said Linda Nelson, Director of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. The third and final pilot class of building service workers in the program is set to graduate next week.
• The Fund's programs provide 150,000 hours of industry, academic, and computer courses at over 20 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
• The One Year, One Thousand Supers curriculum combines classes and field exercises with elective courses, including renewable technologies, green roofs and water reuse.
With a growing demand for greener buildings, smarter management practices could reduce energy use in buildings by twenty to forty percent, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Source: SEIU Local 32BJ
|GlobalGiants.com|
Posted by Editors at 10:46 PM
September 22, 2009
Clinton Global Initiative: President Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton Address the Opening Plenary Session of the Fifth Annual Meeting
Among others, following are joining President Clinton in Panel Discussion on Global Challenges:
• Michelle Bachelet, President of the Republic of Chile.
• Mike Duke, CEO of Wal-Mart Stores.
• Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Coca-Cola.
• Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Photo: President Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton Greet Each Other on Stage at the Opening Plenary Session of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Today, in New York, President Barack Obama joined President Bill Clinton to open the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.
The meeting is bringing together leaders from the political, corporate, and civil sectors to develop and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing problems.
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.
"This week, even as we gather at the United Nations to discuss what governments can do to confront the challenges of our time, even as we're joined tonight by so many presidents and prime ministers - this Global Initiative reminds us what we can do as individuals: that you don't have to hold public office to be a public servant," President Obama said, adding: "That's the beauty of service - anyone can do it and everyone should try."
"In the midst of a global financial crisis, I don't think it's a coincidence that more people are attending this meeting than ever before," President Clinton said. "Since 2005, it has become clear that CGI has found an effective model for addressing challenges around the world. Our members have made more than 1,400 commitments affecting more than 200 million people around the world. Because of their efforts, more than 10 million children have access to a better education, 48 million people have better health care, and more than 12 people million have safe drinking water. But there is still work to be done."
President Clinton announced that more than 60 current and former heads of state, 500 business leaders, and 400 leaders from nongovernmental and philanthropic organizations will be attending the meeting, representing 84 countries.
Photo (Added Sep 23): From left: Diane Sawyer moderates panel including Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and CEO of The Goldman Sachs Group, Merlanne Verveer, ambassador-at-large for global women's issues at the U.S. Department of State, Robert Zoellick, president of The World Bank Group, Zainab Salbi, founder and CEO of Women for Women International, Rex Tillerson, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, and Edna Adan, director and founder of the Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital (speaking).
Photo (Added Sept 23): From left to right, Matthew Bishop, New York Bureau Chief and American Business Editor, The Economist, Al Gore, Chairman, The Alliance for Climate Protection, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, The World Bank Group, Jack Ma, Chairman and CEO, Alibaba Group, Judith Robin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation, Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank.
Source: Clinton Global Initiative
|GlobalGiants.com|
Posted by Editors at 11:44 PM
September 7, 2009
Nestlé Chocolate Center of Excellence inaugurated in Broc, Switzerland
Nestlé Chocolate Center to combine artistic creativity and cutting-edge science.
Photo © Nestlé S.A.
Nestlé today inaugurated the Chocolate Center of Excellence in Broc, Switzerland, in the presence of Doris Leuthard, Swiss Minister of Economic Affairs, Beat Vonlanthen, Minister of Canton Fribourg, and Stéphane Sudan, Mayor of Broc.
Photo: Nestlé Chocolate Center of Excellence, Broc, Switzerland. Photo © Nestlé S.A.
The Chocolate Center of Excellence builds on Nestlé's chocolate-making heritage and will spearhead its drive in the premium and luxury chocolate segment, which in turn will influence the company's entire chocolate range. The Center combines a team of Nestlé specialists, from fine cocoa bean scientists, sensory experts and chocolatiers to packaging designers and consumer specialists, with the artistic inspiration of a panel of independent chocolatiers.
This spirit of open innovation is further illustrated by the Center's partnership with prestigious external design institutions such as the California Art Center and the ECAL University of Art and Design in Lausanne.
Photo: Nestlé Chocolate Center of Excellence, Broc, Switzerland. Photo © Nestlé S.A.
The investment of CHF 25 million underlines the strategic importance Nestlé attributes to its chocolate business, especially in the premium and luxury segment. In 2008 the chocolate business reached sales of CHF 9.8 billion, with an organic growth of 7.6%.
While global brands such as Kit Kat reached sales of over CHF 1 billion, 70% of Nestlé's chocolate business comes from local brands. In the premium and luxury segment, which grows above the category average, Nestlé is leader in dark chocolate and is well known for premium brands such as Nestlé Noir, Perugina, Cailler and Nespresso luxury chocolate.
The Chocolate Center of Excellence is part of Nestlé's research and development network, which comprises 28 Centers and employs around 5,000 people worldwide.
Source: Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Posted by Editors at 1:38 AM
