New York City – Big City – Big Goals for 80% Lower Emissions by 2050

The Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio is committing NYC to reduce emissions of city buildings by 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, making them largest city in the world to commit to this goal. The project known as “One City, Built to Last,” intends to upgrade a lofty 3,000 buildings that have high energy demands. The targeted buildings will include public housing, hospitals, homeless shelters and schools.

Do you think Governments (at all levels) could better promote the Positive Impact Projects, or is it just not ‘sexy’ or ‘cool’ enough?

Childhood Obesity – are we injecting our children with fat?

Undoubtedly a problem that past generations of children never had to face. This is a pretty hard hitting advertisement …

IOOF is proud to be Principal Partner for the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) Step-a-thon for kids. Now in its second year, this event aims to get kids active, and at the same time, raise funds for important children’s health research.

Kids are and always have been our future Changemakers.

If you would like to support this Positive Impact Project do so here – www.stepathon.org.au

What ideas do you have to keep children active?

John Kennedy – “Don’t think, DO” (No, not the 35th President of the United States)

Many people around the world just LOVE their sports. The variety of sports in the world is astounding, with a quick Google search I found a statement that there are up to 8,000 sports with 442 internationally recognised. Some of the sports fall into categories such as aquatic, ball-and-stick, ball-over-net, shooting, snow, combat, gymnastics and cycling sports…. the list goes on.

Within every sport we have our heroes, some you admire even though they are not on your team.

In Australia there is a sport that is ‘almost’ treated like a religion, Australian Rules Football (AFL). One famous AFL Coach, John Kennedy Senior is famous for a short but very motivational speech during the 1975 Grand Final to his team Hawthorn who went on to convincingly ‘lose’.

It is short but well worth listening to no matter which sports you follow:

And if your really interested in more listen to this interview on FoxSports from the 12:05 to 13:36 minute mark:

Having an impact in sport can be very positive, building leadership and team work skills as well as long term friendships. It is said that having a sport keeps children from getting into trouble, i.e instead of hanging around in gangs on the street.

Do you have a famous sportsperson that has had a positive impact on your life. Who are they and what did they do? What was their impact upon you?

We want our business to have a positive impact on the world!

Isn’t that a great headline for any business “We want our business to have a positive impact on the world!” Who said it ….. IKEA

IKEA is committed to renewable energy and running its business in a way that minimizes carbon emissions, not only because of the environmental impact but also for good business practices.

• By 2020, IKEA has committed to producing as much renewable energy as IKEA consumes in its operations. New projects over the next three years will take total investments in renewable energy to up to $1.95 billion, focusing on solar and wind (2009-2015).
• In 2013, the IKEA Group produced 1,425 GWh of energy from renewable sources, including wind and solar, equivalent to 37% of the company’s total energy needs. •Globally, we currently have over 300,000 solar panels on our stores and other buildings and 83 wind turbines in operation.
• IKEA wants to improve the energy efficiency in their stores and buildings by at least 20% and encourage our suppliers to do the same. Since 2010 IKEA has saved nearly $55 million through energy efficiency efforts in IKEA stores and warehouses.

WOW – now lets double that:

Ikea Group, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, will double its investment in renewable energy to $4 billion by 2020 as part of a drive to reduce costs as cash-strapped consumers become more price sensitive. IKEA to double renewable energy investments

What a crazy figure – US$4 BILIION invested in renewable energy.

Impact Embassy – What’s your impact?

My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer just days prior to Christmas 2008. For us this was one of the lowest points of our lives, we recall visiting a local shopping centre for our young boys photo with Santa where a choir was singing Jingle Bells. Now, you can’t get a more upbeat Christmas song then Jingle Bells. Well, we were both in tears hidden behind our sunglasses …… was this our last Christmas together? What did our future look like, this weighed heavily on our minds.

We were supported by the goodwill from our immediate family who helped out, the neighbours who mowed our lawns, the caring of oncology nurses, specific services provided by non-profit agencies and fundraisers supported by local businesses.

People really enjoy having a positive impact (beyond themselves) and the more you look for it the more positive activities you see around you daily. This is equally true within our major corporations and small businesses where having an impact is also a very constructive and powerful tool in connecting with your community and networks.

My wife is now cancer free and Impact Embassy has been created to highlight these positive stories that occur daily but go unseen.

We are all Ambassadors in our own communities. Whats your Impact?

Bertelsmann Stiftung – Inspiring people. Shaping the future.

The Bertelsmann Stiftung was founded by Reinhard Mohn in 1977 based on the belief that financial wellbeing entails social responsibility. In establishing the foundation, Mohn was acting on his conviction that material wealth brings with it an obligation to help others.

Our Mission

“Inspiring people. Shaping the future. Participating in a globalized world.” This motto summarizes the work carried out by the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Effective participation in society requires both the ability to act and the opportunity to do so. The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s programs are designed to strengthen society by helping individuals realize their full potential, and to further develop the systems necessary to achieve this goal.

Germany is facing enormous challenges resulting from globalization, demographic change, cultural diversity and the country’s transition to a modern, knowledge-based society.  Through our programs, we seek to provide people with the knowledge and skills they need to participate – economically, politically and culturally – in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. In short, our work focuses on the individual.

Inspiring people. Shaping the future.

More about the Bertelsmann Stiftung, our values, our goals and our work you can find in the download on the right side.

IMPACT:

We concentrate our efforts on areas in which we have expertise: improving education, creating an economic system that is fair and efficient, promoting people-centered healthcare, empowering civil society, ensuring a viable cultural future and anchoring international understanding around the globe. Both independent and politically nonpartisan, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is a private operating foundation and therefore initiates and executes its own projects. See more here – Bertelsmann Stiftung

Is CEO Kat Taylor crazy? Or working with something really powerful?

Beneficial State Bank grew from the vision of Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor and the team they formed to create a triple bottom-line bank and a supportive nonprofit foundation of the same name.

Do you know of any Bankers that can sing ……. listen to this!

Keep up your work Kat, I do know that I can’t sing anywhere near as well as you ….. so, I challenge any other CEO’s or Chairs of Banks (in fact any staff of banks) to be brave enough to take the challenge to Kat and ‘sing to your community’ as to why they should bank with you.

I do wonder if any bankers will take up this challenge and sing the reasons as to why you should be a customer of theirs? Then again …. I can probably guess the answer to my own question. Nah! But hey, I live in hope!

Lets call it the Singing Banker Challenge ….. so, who will be first to respond?

PRIZE: Free promotion on Impact Embassy.

NOTE: You also need to identify what positive impact your bank has on your community. I haven’t made up any other rules as yet.

I look forward to seeing the entries. On twitter #singingbankerschallenge

IMPACT:

Fashioned in the image of the great socially responsible banks and credit unions of national and international fame, the Beneficial State Bank is mandated to produce meaningful social justice and environmental benefits at the same time that it is financially sustainable. The Foundation owns all of the economic rights of the Bank — when profits of the Bank are distributed, they can only be distributed to the Foundation which is mandated to reinvest those proceeds back into the communities and the environment on which we all depend. In our theory and experience, this ownership model aligns our incentives with the triple bottom line and the values of our bank customers.

 

 

Business – Bank Degroof Foundation helping future entrepreneurs.

Bank Degroof Foundation focuses its support primarily on innovative educational projects which have the potential for larger-scale deployment. It adopts a long-term perspective.

Project initiators must have the will and sufficient entrepreneurial qualities for extensive development of their activities. This Foundation provides public benefits and operates in countries where the Bank Degroof is present: in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Spain.

The projects supported by Bank Degroof Foundation must have a concrete and observable impact on society.

• Preventing school drop-outs
  13% of young Belgians leave school early. Bank Degroof Foundation supports concrete measures within schools. The objective is to reduce absenteeism through direct support to pupils and training of teachers.
• Boosting technical and occupational training
  Many firms are confronted by skilled labour shortages, at a time when the unemployment rate is constantly rising. Bank Degroof Foundation wishes to boost technical and occupational training among young people and job-seekers.
• Encouraging entrepreneurship
  Business start-ups are the best solution to the economic challenges faced by future generations. For Bank Degroof Foundation, this is a priority. Bank Degroof has always supported entrepreneurship; today, the Foundation supports associations which encourage new, promising initiatives.

The Foundation also encourages the employees of Bank Degroof to take part in sponsoring skills acquisition or during community days.

Bank Degroof Foundation website

 

Community gives 4 year old Ethan Van Leuvens something to celebrate.

A life is being cut short way too early by Leukemia but none the less is having a positive impact on those around him.

Ethan Van Leuvens is dying from terminal cancer, his parents have been told that he only has a few days or at most several weeks to live. The community of West Jordan, Utah in the USA have come together to help Ethan celebrate an early 5th birthday, Halloween and Christmas. Something to make him smile, neighbours are dressing upon their homes as well in support of Ethan.

This family’s strength has captured the minds of the nation, and beyond. Stories like these make many of us reflect on the impact we have within the communities in which we live.

This Facebook page is a resource for fundraising efforts on behalf of Ethan VanLeuven and his family to help defray costs of his battle with ALL Leukemia. – http://facebook.com/fundraiserforethan

 

 

Should we protect the environment?

What a question! Of course we should …. there is quite possibly no other subject that has the potential to touch upon every single human on this planet … ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

I find the discussion interesting surrounding Climate Change believers or nonbelievers.

Should there not be just one point made strongly and that is that we have one planet and we need to look after it. Simplistic, yes …. but who would disagree with that basic premise? Let me know if you do.

We all have an impact on the environment in which we live.