Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

There will be a big market for decommissioning onshore wind farms, Zero Waste Scotland says.

More than 5000 wind turbines will be decommissioned in Scotland within the next 30 years opening up the prospect of a green jobs boost, according to a new report.

The country's first forecast into onshore wind decommissioning was published by Zero Waste Scotland, whose chief executive highlighted the economic opportunities that could be on offer.

The report entitled The Future of Onshore Wind Decommissioning in Scotland finds that around 5500 wind turbines will be decommissioned in Scotland by 2050. Zero Waste Scotland says this represents "a quantified opportunity to grow Scotlands remanufacturing sector in line with net-zero ambitions".

The findings identify a need for future reprocessing infrastructure and storage locations to support the demands of wind turbine decommissioning, as well as opportunities to increase skills and expertise in the reuse and refurbishment of wind turbines in Scotland.

Scotland's minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, Lorna Slater, said: There is a huge circular economy opportunity in Scotlands already thriving renewable energy sector.

"Scotlands renewable energy businesses have already helped to deliver significant reductions in our energy emissions and provided high-quality green jobs. Now, with many of the first generation of turbines reaching the end of their working lifespan, we have an opportunity to repurpose those valuable materials into new energy infrastructure or for other high-value use.

"By embracing the circular economy, Scotlands renewable sector can become even greener, while also delivering more high-skilled jobs in Scotland.

Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland said: Like anything else, wind turbines and their parts require maintenance and refurbishment and eventually reach an end-of-life.

"In forecasting the scale of materials set to be released through wind turbine decommissioning, this report presents Scotland with a fantastic opportunity to embed circular solutions into the resource management of these materials.

Decommissioning and refurbishment of wind turbines will release valuable metals like steel and iron and component parts like gear mechanisms into circulation, thereby unlocking potential for economic gain.

"However, as these materials are currently exported for recycling, the Scottish economy is losing the value of these resources. Based on this reports findings, we have quantified the scale of the opportunity and I hope we can act to seize the economic opportunities represented.

Onshore wind decommissioning is fast becoming a practical problem for many European countries. To date, across Europe, 34,000 turbines are known to be 15 years or older.

"There will be a big market for decommissioning onshore wind farms over the next decade and, if we act now, Scotland is in a prime position to provide a circular solution and establish a competitive advantage.

More:

More than 5000 wind turbines to be decommissioned in Scotland within next 30 years - Northern Times

As companies prepare for the recovery from the pandemic, many leaders hope innovation will set them up for the next phase of growth. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, Laura Furstenthal, whose client work focuses on healthcare organizations and innovation transformations, and Erik Roth, leader of McKinseys global innovation practice, explain how to establish a sustainable innovation process. This is an edited transcript of the discussion. For more conversations on the strategy issues that matter, subscribe to the series on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Sean Brown: Laura, perhaps you can set the stage. How do you define innovation in the corporate setting?

Laura Furstenthal: If you look up innovation in a dictionary, you see definitions like creating novel ideas or even just the word creativity. We believe you have to think about the impact, so our definition of innovation incorporates delivering net new growth that is sustainable, repeatable, and substantial. You can focus on new products, markets, customers, or business models, but however you measure it, innovation has to increase value and drive growth.

Erik Roth: The word substantial is really important. Organizations often experiment with incremental initiatives that take up a lot of resources, but if innovation is to be the growth engine, it has to be large enough to matter.

Laura Furstenthal: For successful organizations, innovation is a choice. It has to be backed by a commitment. Putting your organization on a new growth trajectory requires both deliberate action and resource allocation. However, while innovation is at the top of most organizations agenda, far more fail than succeed at driving successful innovation. In fact, 86 percent of executives we surveyed told us that innovation is a top three priority, yet fewer than 10 percent say they are satisfied with their organizations innovation performance.

Sean Brown: How should business leaders decide what innovations to prioritize, especially when there is still so much uncertainty?

Laura Furstenthal: We have found that every successful innovation throughout history has come at the intersection of three lenses: an unmet customer need, or the who; a technology that generates a solution, or the what; and a business model that enables you to monetize that solution, which is the how. Another way to think about it is to ask yourself the three questions. First, does what you are doing matter? Will customers benefit from it? Second, can you build it, and what technologies do you need to do that? And third, will it win? Is there an opportunity for the innovation to take on a market? Because all of these lenses are required for successful innovation, the best way to generate new concepts is to collide them in a very structured and purposeful way.

Every successful innovation comes at the intersection of three lenses. The lens we find organizations often spend the least amount of time on is building a scalable operating model.

Think about the famous inventor Thomas Edison. In every case, he did not just invent the what, he also invented a how. He was often not the first person to create the innovation, whether its the light bulb or the motion-picture player, but his unique contribution was to make it salable and scalable. In the case of the light bulb, he created the filament and the vacuum tube that allowed it to turn on and off, and he developed the production process that enabled mass production. Thats a great example of all three lenses, and the lens we find organizations often spend the least amount of time on is building that scalable operating model.

Sean Brown: You both mentioned that the innovation has to be substantial to merit the resources you allocate to it. How do you determine if the innovation concept will deliver that substantial outcome?

Laura Furstenthal: We often find that people come up with ideas and build business plans, laying out all of their assumptions, but those assumptions become assertions over time and their teams end up trying to prove that their assumptions were right rather than testing them. Instead of building a business plan, we recommend building what we call a reverse P&L: What would need to be true for this idea to meet your hurdle rate and get to the level that you would consider a success? Then take those assumptions and rank them by the level of uncertainty and the degree of impact they have on the business case, and test the highest ranked first. If those assumptions fail, you know you need to pivot early. We often find people test the customer interface first, but its the business model or the supply chain or the technology that require early testing.

If you are going to innovate, start with the size of the business you want and work backward. If nobody can conceive of a way to get it to that size, maybe its not the right business for your company.

Erik Roth: We recommend getting rid of business cases altogether. They are a waste of energy and time. I will go so far as to say they actually increase risk, for the reasons that Laura mentioned: everybody writes down their assertions, showing hockey-stick growth at the end, and I am willing to bet the models are dominated by market growth as the dominant variable, not growth driven by your innovation. If thats the case, there is no point in creating something. The point is, if you are going to innovate, start with the end goal. Start with the size of the business you want and work backward. If nobody can conceive of a way to get it to that size, maybe its not the right business for your company. Many teams then apply what looks like a new product development (NPD) process, which is a sequential risk-management tool. The problem is that innovation processes are iterative and learning based, not linear and risk management based.

Sean Brown: The past year has forced companies to get innovative to overcome constraints the pandemic imposed on us. What are your favorite examples of organizations coming up with clever and valuable solutions to these challenges?

Erik Roth: Its always interesting how the old becomes new again. The pandemic obviously hit retail in an unprecedented way, and retailers ingenuity in leveraging their store assets, retaining some level of customer experience, and reconnecting the brands with people was incredible. One of the more fun examples is Walmart using their giant parking lots as drive-ins to create entertainment and connectivity to the brand in a time when we were all hungering to be outside of our homes but still safe.

Sean Brown: Did innovation take a back seat during the pandemic at most companies?

Laura Furstenthal: We did some research looking at pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and the expectations for the post-COVID-19 environment, and we found that most organizations battened down the hatches during the crisis and focused on the core business, with the expectation that they would focus on innovation projects once they recovered from the crisis. So we asked, is this the right thing to do? We looked across multiple crises, including the SARS epidemic that ravaged Asia and became the impetus for widespread adoption of online transactions, and back to World War II when we saw rapid growth in manufacturing of convenience technologies to capitalize on the fact that women were working. During the financial crisis, stranded assets and an unemployed workforce spurred the sharing economy, among other things. The lesson is that those who innovate through a crisis come out stronger (exhibit).

Exhibit

Sean Brown: How do you determine if your organization has the capabilities it needs to innovate successfully?

Erik Roth: Innovation is a context-specific sport. However, our research on about 5,000 companies over the past seven years has identified about 100 activities that we know promote, support, and enable innovation, and that research allows us to quantitatively understand the state of play in terms of an organizations innovativeness. Those activities are grouped into eight categories that we call the eight essentials of innovation, and they in turn fall into four buckets. One is about strategy and portfolio, and another is about the ability to create distinctive value propositions that are not only products but business models and other forms of value creation. Launching and scaling up is another bucket, which refers to accelerating those innovations paths to market and making them as big as they can be. The last one is about mobilizing your culture and external partners so you get reinforcement and celebration of success.

Normally, organizations track their R&D spending or patents or other indirect indicators of innovation. We instead looked at how public companies stack up in terms of economic profit creation when they apply those essentials. Organizations that satisfy up to seven or eight of the essentials generate 2.4 times the amount of economic profit as their competitors.

Sean Brown: Can you offer any examples that illustrate what these activities involve, and how companies can determine whether they have those capabilities?

Erik Roth: Each essential has a test question. For aspire, for example: Does your organization find innovation or net new growth critical to meeting its future objectives, and has it cascaded those objectives down to the right parts of the organization? If you answer yes, then you are probably well on the way to meeting the biggest challenge of innovation, which is reallocating resources to the best opportunities. Why is that so hard? We use a heuristic to assess whether an organization is prepared to be a great innovator: Does it have a green box? The green box represents the gap between your aspiration and what your organization can expect to deliver on its regular growth trajectory. Say on one side you have todays revenue and on the other is revenue you want five years out. There are four ways to get from one side to the other. One is selecting the right market segments. If you did nothing else but get the average growth rate in those segments, that tells you your baseline. You could then outperform your competition through all the activities in your annual plan and some incremental innovation, such as ingredient changes or functionality improvements.

If you only do those two things, how close do you get to the five-year aspiration? Is it a small gap, no gap, or a big gap? Companies that have no gap are the ones that struggle the most with innovation. No matter how many times executives make speeches to inspire people to innovate, if the business model and the growth model tell employees, Just keep doing what youre doing, they will cheer at the speech, then keep doing what they were doingbecause there is no green box. The business can achieve its objectives by performing those first two steps. Sometimes M&A fills in the gap, which is the third way. But unless there is a green box designed into the strategic plan that only innovation can address, it is hard for an organization to reallocate resources toward risky propositions like innovations.

What is interesting is that when organizations dont have a green box and their executives get frustrated, they start creating appendages like accelerators and corporate venture-capital units and incubators that are meant to satisfy the green box but actually sit on the side and struggle. They might create interesting things but the core business does not need them to satisfy its growth ambition.

Sean Brown: How can companies identify the innovations that will fill that gap the green box represents and meet the threshold you mentioned of being substantial?

Erik Roth: Great innovation, as Laura said earlier, starts with a valuable problem to solve. It starts with the outcome, or the value of a potential opportunity. Then we use a formula. How many customers are excited about that outcome? How much do they pay today and how frequently does that occur? The most important thing, which is often forgotten or never asked, is the customers frustration levelwith the existing solutions. If that level is high, the likelihood of the customer switching and being willing to pay more goes up. You can quantify the opportunity using this formula and understand which problems are valuable and the degree of difficulty in solving them.

Sean Brown: So if I am a leader frustrated with the lack of innovation in my organization, Laura, what should I do tomorrow?

Laura Furstenthal: First, make sure you are reallocating toward the future. As we say, innovation is not an ideas problem, it is a resource reallocation problem. COVID-19 has caused a massive disruption and customer needs have changed. You probably have a long tail of innovation initiatives in your organization, and there is an opportunity to redeploy those resources toward a few big, bold moves that will really move the needle.

Secondly, embed flexibility. It is important to put a structure in place where it is not okay to say, This is the way weve always done it. You need to find the way we now do it and role-model that in your organization. Finally, hack your processes. Over time people develop a compliance mindset, risk aversion, and process discipline. They put in place various things that get in the way of what is at the core of innovation, which is finding ways to delight the customer.

Read more:

Innovation--the launchpad out of the crisis - McKinsey

Get inside Wall Street with StreetInsider Premium. Claim your 1-week free trial here.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) is pleased to share the news that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge (the Grand Challenge). The Grand Challenge spells out action steps to reduce the cost, enhance the sustainability, and expand the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that achieves a minimum of a 50 percent reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) compared to conventional fuel to meet a goal of supplying sufficient SAF to meet 100 percent of aviation fuel demand by 2050.

Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm of the DOE, Secretary Pete Buttigieg of the DOT, and Secretary Tom Vilsack of the USDA, along with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and the Department of Defense represented by Secretary Frank Kendall III of the Air Force, all participated in the roundtable to discuss the details of the Grand Challenge. The MOU states that, increased production of SAF will play a critical role in a broader set of actions by the United States Government and the private sector to reduce the aviation sector's emissions in a manner consistent with the goal of netzero emissions for our economy, and to put the aviation sector on a pathway to full decarbonization by 2050. In recognition of the critical role that drop-in synthesized hydrocarbon fuels from waste streams, renewable energy sources, or gaseous carbon oxidesor SAFwill play in addressing our climate change crisis and its role for jobs and the economy, the Parties undertake this MOU to ensure the highest level of collaboration and coordination across our Agencies.

Dr. Patrick Gruber, chief executive officer of Gevo, shared his thoughts at a virtual White House Roundtable to discuss the future of SAF, along with other industry leaders. As a near-term goal, government and aviation stakeholders pledged to try to achieve 3 billion gallons of SAF production and reduce aviation-related emissions by 20 percent by 2030.

This is an exciting time for our industry, Gruber said. We are both honored and thankful to have been included in this collaborative event. Through Gevos current off-take agreements with Delta Airlines, Trafigura, Haltermann Carless, Air Total, and SAS, as well as the proposed collaboration with Chevron, we are ready to take on the Grand Challenge, and are already approaching a potential combined off-take of 250 million gallons per year of advanced hydrocarbon products, which include SAF.

According to the MOU, The activities underlying this MOU represent an investment in America that not only reduces our environmental impact, but also supports energy independence and creates jobs in agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, research and development and other areas where America already excels at production. This MOU also supports a just transition of the energy industry to a low carbon future. Environmental responsibility, equity and economic sensibility go hand in hand with this effort.

The Grand Challenge is a roadmap to a future that allows transportation growth to continue while flattening related carbon emissions, says Gruber. Its only through this type of cross-discipline effort that the effects are multiplied. Our Net-Zero 1 Project is expected to be the first of its kind to be convert renewable energy into SAF and other energy-dense, liquid hydrocarbons and we dont expect to stop there. Our vision is to reach a billion gallons by 2030, which will require additional facilities with the potential to achieve net-zero GHG emissions across the lifecycle of the fuel.

For agricultural based feedstocks, Gevo believes in working with farmers as partners, to encourage sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture and were delighted to hear Secretary Vilsacks thoughts about agriculture. Secretary Vilsack said during the event, USDA and American agriculture will make sustainable aviation possible in concert with our federal and industry partners and their stakeholders. We can expand our ability to power the nations aviation sector with fuel grown right here at home by hard-working Americans, while creating economic opportunity for American farmers, business owners and rural communities. Participating in SAF supply chains is also a big win for the aviation business, consumers and the planet.

In addition to Gevos approach to utilizing sustainable field corn as a feedstock for producing SAF and renewable gasoline, Gevo also believes in the technology to utilize cellulosic feedstock, such as wood residues.Gevo believes that the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory model utilizes the most up to date, scientific carbon accounting. Argonne GREET is the premier science-based life cycle inventory model for determining GHGs and other sustainability attributes across the life cycle of a fuel. Gevo believes that by rewarding farmers to improve their agricultural practices, by capturing carbon, by reducing run-off, and by producing large amounts of protein, Gevo can address several problems at once. Gevo believes it is possible to make this world a better place, with better nutrition, while eliminating fossil based GHGs.A link to the White House fact sheet can be found here.

About Gevo

Gevos mission is to transform renewable energy and carbon into energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons. These liquid hydrocarbons can be used for drop-in transportation fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel, that when burned have potential to yield net-zero greenhouse gas emissions when measured across the full life cycle of the products. Gevo uses low-carbon renewable resource-based carbohydrates as raw materials, and is in an advanced state of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes, resulting in low-carbon fuels with substantially reduced carbon intensity (the level of greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their life cycle). Gevos products perform as well or better than traditional fossil-based fuels in infrastructure and engines, but with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to addressing the problems of fuels, Gevos technology also enables certain plastics, such as polyester, to be made with more sustainable ingredients. Gevos ability to penetrate the growing low-carbon fuels market depends on the price of oil and the value of abating carbon emissions that would otherwise increase greenhouse gas emissions. Gevo believes that its proven, patented technology enabling the use of a variety of low-carbon sustainable feedstocks to produce price-competitive low-carbon products such as gasoline components, jet fuel and diesel fuel yields the potential to generate project and corporate returns that justify the build-out of a multi-billion-dollar business.

Gevo believes that the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model is the best available standard of scientific-based measurement for life cycle inventory or LCI.

Learn more at Gevos website:www.gevo.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, without limitation, including Gevos technology, the White House fact sheet and virtual roundtable, the production of SAF, the attributes of Gevos products, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

Investor and Media Contact+1 720-647-9605IR@gevo.com

See original here:

White House Coordinates Efforts of Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Agriculture to Meet the Grand Challenge: Reduce Aviation Carbon...

The Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission has released their first staff maps of both the Congressional and Legislative districts. Colorado Farm Bureau submitted comments to the commissions and included their own maps for discussion and guidance as they advocate for the states agriculture industry and rural communities.

The Congressional map will determine the districts represented by U.S. House Representatives, and the Legislative map will determine the districts represented by state legislators. With the passage of amendments Y and Z, which were supported by CFB, the new redistricting body was created, and the passage required maps to be drawn to align communities of interest and to increase competitiveness.

In the groups submitted comments, president Carlyle Currier told the commissions it is important to recognize that rural Colorado is distinct and it is different from urban and suburban areas for the way it uses land, its sparse population, its transportation and infrastructure needs, and its agricultural and natural resource-based economy.

One of the new criteria for amendments Y and Z is competition. According to CFB vice president of advocacy Shawn Martini, is competition between districts so power could potentially be shifted between parties. It also requires that communities of interest be grouped together.

For rural Colorado, that could be agriculture, as rural economy is a distinct community of interest, Martini said. That was one thing we appreciated in the preliminary draft of the Congressional map specifically was two rural-dominated districts that werent encompassing of Front Range communities that dont share that agriculture and rural economy base that would water down that representation.

That watered down representation is currently seen in the 4th district which included Douglas County, an area that doesnt share a particular nexus with the remainder of the district. Martini said that leaves representatives like, for example, Ken Buck, attempting to be servants to two masters.

To aid the commission, CFB submitted their own versions of the maps as part of the public comment period. Those maps, Martini said, stay true to the spirit of the amendments but also recognize agriculture and rural Colorado as specific communities of interest. The maps also took into account the early stages of public comment submitted to the commission, making the maps responsive to those concerns as well. He said one of the main concerns was the splitting of counties making one county represented by two different districts.

When you begin to draw the maps, thats a hard thing to do to make them balance with all the other considerations, he said. I think we were pretty successful with only three counties in the two legislative maps that are split and most of the counties that have multiple districts warranted by population dont have districts that extend beyond the county boundary.

In the letter CFB sent to the commission, Currier pointed out the broad disconnect between the wider population and the people that make up the industry that feeds it.

This separation from the farm and ranch means that 99 percent of the population does not understand how agriculture can be impacted by monetary policy, employment regulations, federal nutrition programs, environmental laws, international trade, land-use policies, wildlife management, public lands administration, banking regulations, transportation infrastructure, tax policy, public and higher education, accounting standards, wireless and broadband construction, national monument designations, the Endangered Species Act, oil and natural gas production, and even congressional and legislative redistricting, just to name a few, Currier wrote, This is just a short list of a much larger panoply of policy areas that impact agriculture. These stark differences often require specialist legislators who understand this and can help mitigate it.

Former state Sen. Greg Brophy said the proposed Congressional map is a good start, in that it treats rural Colorado as well as he said possible.

I like the concept of having a seat that all of eastern Colorado is in, that doesnt have any part of suburban or exurban parts of the metro area attached, he said.

Brophy said the draft also keeps western Colorado together for a rural district as well. The Legislative maps, he said, were rougher. The committee is forced to make one of two decisions with regard to the state legislative map. The map can either give one large single Senate seat that covers all of eastern Colorado that excludes any exurban areas along the Front Range, or two can be drawn as was done on the staff drawn map that splits eastern Colorado but goes to I-25. This option would likely result in both seats going to legislators along the Front Range.

The same goes for the state House, he said. Do you go for three rural Colorado-influenced seats or two fully eastern Colorado seats?

The district maps are redrawn every 10 years. Brophy said for the past 20 years, the state legislative maps have been gerrymandered to fit Democrats and have been recognized as some of the most heavily gerrymandered maps in the nation.

There have been multiple times since 2001 where Republican candidates for the state House have garnered well over 50% of the total votes statewide but did not achieve 50% plus one of the seats in the legislature, he said. Thats how you know the map is terribly gerrymandered.

For example, under the new commission and amendments, a county like Douglas should not be grouped with eastern Colorado counties, as it doesnt share the economic interests of oil and gas or agriculture.

The Commissions final rounds of virtual public hearings begin Sept. 7-10 for the Congressional Commission and Sept. 17-18 for the Legislative Commission. More information is available at redistricting.colorado.gov.

Read the rest here:

Redrawing the lines: CFB submits maps with ag and amendments top of mind - Fence Post

Ive come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:1. Anything that is in the world when youre born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.2. Anything thats invented between when youre 15 and 35 is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.3. Anything invented after youre 35 is against the natural order of things.Douglas Adams

For Jill Tipping, that observation by late science fiction author Adams gets at the urgent need to shift our thinking about the B.C. economy and its future.

Tipping is president and CEO of the BC Tech Association, which recently published A New Economic Narrative for British Columbia. The reports thesis: Our economy isnt what we tell ourselves it is. We still cling to the 20th-century image of B.C. as mostly an exporter of natural resources. But in fact, over the past three decades, weve become a knowledge and service-driven economy.

How I would describe the call to action in this report is that its no longer enough to describe that were experiencing economic growth, Tipping says. We actually need to understand the why so that we can understand if its sustainable or not.

The report presents B.C. as a small, open economy at an inflection point in a rapidly changing world. If physical assets drove economic growth, resilience and competitiveness during the previous century, the service economy of the 21st century hinges on intangible assets such as data and intellectual property.

Just look at B.C., where services now account for 75 percent of gross domestic product, 80 percent of jobs and 50 percent of exports. To plan for the future, we have to understand where we came from, but weve got to get our feet grounded in where we are today, Tipping says. I think the conversation continues to be dominated by things that were true 30 years ago but actually arent true today and definitely wont be true tomorrow.

Despite growing affluence in North America, COVID has been a reality check for the world, Tipping notes. So have the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the 2016 election of Donald Trump, which could signal the end of the expansionist, globalist era, she says.

I think today, were sort of at a place of, oh, I dont know, maybe theres more tension in the world than I thought there was, and perhaps the climate crisis is more serious than I thought, and the transition off oil and gas is sooner than I thought, Tipping says.

Economic growth is a good thing, but economic growth that doesnt drive increased shared prosperity is going to be a challenging thing, she adds. And economic growth thats based on industries that might be grandfathering or not growing as fast as they once did isnt as good as economic growth thats driven by industries that are globally growing and going to be sustainable sources of economic growth for the next 30 to 50 years.

On that note, Tipping sees opportunity for B.C., whose technology industry keeps spilling over into other sectors. Adjacent industries are becoming tech industries, and every industry is becoming tech, she says. As a consequence of that, its going to be a growing share of jobs.

The provincial government projects that from 2019 through 2029, professional, scientific and technical services will see 2.5-percent annual job growth. But based on recent member surveys, BC Tech expects that category to expand by 10 to 15 percent annually during the same periodgenerating 88,000 more jobs than the government forecast of 98,800.

Thats good news, but when it comes to measuring the economic impact of the tech sector, were still using 20th-century methods, the report maintains. For example, the current North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) doesnt separate technology and digital businesses from professional, scientific and technical services. At the same, time theres little provincial and federal data on B.C. services exports.

Talking to civil servants at both levels of government, Tipping has found them interested in gathering better data. Its a challenge to find the time and the money and the teams to invest in the new, she says. But I do think theres a shared understanding of the challenge and the need to adjust to this question.

To help shape the new economic narrative, BC Tech lays out three steps. First and foremost is to really embrace data, Tipping says. Lets understand todays economy, because we dont have enough information is what is driving 80 percent of our economy.

With that in mind, Tipping would like to see the provincial government make use of her organizations report as it develops a new economic plan due this fall. Were hoping to be influential as part of that on the kinds of questions that need to be asked and answered, and specifically with a focus on the data capture piece.

But her bigger ambition is to change the conversation, so that hopefully, three years from now, it isnt the case that 80 percent of the jobs get 5 percent of the conversation, she says. Thats something thats a longer-term play, but even the way the report has been received so far and the conversations weve had so far, I am pleasantly surprised by the interest that were getting within government as well as in wider society.

Step 2: Face reality. Lets just understand that technology innovation isnt a choice, it isnt an option anymore. Its a fact, and its been a fact for 20 years, and its what is driving prosperity and growth globally, she says. Sometimes I think in B.C., its seen as icing on the cakeor, If we have time for that, we will. Its the cake, OK? Its become the cake.

And Step 3? There are three priorities in this new economic narrative, and they are talent, talent and talent, Tipping says. We must stop seeing people as a cost or an afterthought. Theyre the fundamental unit and driver of wealth, of prosperity, of growth. And if we invest in people, whether thats through education or infrastructure or their ideas or their entrepreneurship or their innovation about new ways to create value for old industries, whether its in B.C. or elsewhere, its the easiest money you could possibly make.

Having previously spent several years with energy multinational Schneider Electric as VP operations and CFO of its solar business, Tipping knows about making money the hard way. It is a really tough business, she says. Its constantly focused on taking costs out. You will win in the energy business if you have the lowest-cost, most consistently efficient supplier.

The drivers of the talent economy are completely different, Tipping notes. You will win in the talent economy if you enable creativity and innovation and fast business cycles, and constant nourishment and enrichment and bringing in new ideas and products.

Working in that new economy is more enjoyable, too, she says. Its more fun to earn your living in something thats sustainably profitable and constantly interested in new ideas.

The BC Tech report also highlights the changing nature of economic competitiveness, which sees taxes play a smaller role than intangible assets, innovation and investment in people.

I would say weve moved from a time when capital was constrained to a time when talent is constrained, Tipping says. In other words, human labour and talent have become the scarce resource. If you optimize for that resource, you will be a winner and a success in todays economy and the future.

Given its strong education and health-care systems, and the fact that generally speaking, its a safe and welcoming society, B.C. should be far ahead in that department, Tipping reckons. Its a bit hokey to say it, but if we can get as good as mining whats in peoples minds as we were at mining whats in the ground, thats the source of value for the future.

For Tipping, it comes back to what she calls the infrastructure of the people economyeducation and re-skilling, but also affordable housing and good public transit.

Its important to have a stable and predictable environment, she says. But maybe thats not the most important thing anymore. The most important thingand this is certainly what I believeis to be a great place for human talent to thrive. And if you are optimized for that, then industry and post-secondaries and governments and all players in the economy will find themselves with the wind at their backs.

Originally posted here:

The B.C. economy has fundamentally changed. Are we ready for tomorrow? - BCBusiness

Investing In Our Greatest Resource

By Governor Pete Ricketts

August 31, 2021

Governors official photohere.

Over the past year, Nebraskas economy has been booming, creating more and more great opportunities here in the Good Life. We currently have the lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 2.3%. That equals our states lowest rate ever and is less than half of the national unemployment rate of 5.4%. According to Local Area Unemployment Statistics from the Nebraska Department of Labor, 92 of our 93 counties have an unemployment rate at or below 2.7%. Statewide, our manufacturing employment is above pre-pandemic levels and has reached its highest point since the Great Recession (October 2008).

Job opportunities abound. The States job site (NEworks.nebraska.gov) listed over 49,000 open positions on August 29th. WalletHub recently ranked Nebraska as the #2 state in the U.S. to find a job, and it named Lincoln and Omaha as the top two cities in the nation bouncing back the strongest from coronavirus. While this strong growth has led to plenty of opportunities, it also presents a challenge for businesses that are looking to grow. Companies are having difficulty hiring people to fill all of the jobs theyre creating.

To address this, were taking steps to help Nebraskans get the skills and education needed to take the great-paying jobs being created in our state. Were approaching this in a strategic way by building a talent pipeline to help prepare students for high-wage, high-demand careers here in Nebraska. Our pipeline starts in middle school with the Developing Youth Talent Initiative (DYTI), which familiarizes kids with jobs in fields like engineering or manufacturing. This summer, we awarded our latest round of DYTI grants to Behlen Manufacturing Company in Columbus and Great Plains Health in North Platte.

After participating in DYTI, students can take part in a career academy at the high school level. These academies provide hands-on learning experiences, job shadowing, and mentoring to further prepare students for professional life. High school graduates can then apply for Nebraska Career Scholarships. These scholarships help offset tuition for college students in fields of study, such as engineering and IT, where theres a big need for skilled professionals. Earlier this year, I worked with the Legislature to expand the Career Scholarship program to private colleges and universities. This brings the total number of career scholarships to at least 2,110 by 2023.

In addition to these programs, were partnering with local companies to offer a variety of apprenticeships to studentsboth in high school and college. Since January 2020, the number of Registered Apprenticeships has grown by 14 percent with 1,511 new apprentices enrolled. These apprenticeships give students the opportunity to gain on-the-job skills, while simultaneously earning income and coursework credits. Earlier this month, I joined CLAAS for the grand opening of their innovative new training academy, which offers German-style apprenticeships in west Omaha. Its part of the Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT) program created by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. Based on the German dual-education philosophy, ICATT apprentices gain valuable workplace knowledge while studying for industry certifications and an associate degree in their chosen field.

Some companies are blending a variety of strategies to recruit the next generation of Nebraskans to work for them. Reinke Manufacturing in Deshler is a great example of a Nebraska business that has proactively invested locally to build its workforce. A two-time DYTI award recipient, Reinke has used the grants to educate students on coding and robotics. Before working with DYTI, Reinke launched a welding program at Deshler High School and donated the equipment used to train students over a decade ago. The manufacturer has also funded scholarships at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NTCA) and contributed a GPS-equipped center pivot for use in NTCAs field laboratory. This long-term engagement with area schools is exactly whats needed for companies to meet their demand for talent.

As we work to recruit and retain the talent businesses need to grow, we are also pursuing strategies beyond the classroom. Military service members have valuable skills they learned while on active duty, and they add immense value to our businesses and nonprofits as they pursue a new career in civilian life. In recent years, weve taken a number of steps to make Nebraska a more attractive home for them and for their families. This year, I successfully worked with the Legislature to pass LB 387, which provides a 100% tax exemption on military retirement benefits. In April, we announced the Veterans SkillBridge. Overseen by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the program creates connections between Nebraska employers and military members during their final 180 days of service, giving participants a chance to explore the best fit for their specific talents and interests after transitioning out of military service. This spring, we also launched the Military Spouse Transition Program to help military spouses moving to Nebraska identify job opportunities in state government. Additionally, I signed legislation this year to make it quicker and easier for military spouses licensed in another state to obtain a teaching permit after moving to Nebraska. These are just a few of the steps we have taken.

To keep our growth going, we will find innovative ways to develop our people so they can take some of the thousands of great-paying jobs right here in Nebraska. If you have questions about the States workforce initiatives, or any other matter, please email pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2244. The Good Life is powered by the hard work of our people, and well continue to provide the tools and training Nebraskans need to achieve their dreams.

###

More here:

Investing In Our Greatest Resource | Office of Governor Pete Ricketts - Governor Pete Ricketts

Atlanta, GA Today Governor Brian P. Kemp announced 20 appointments to the Georgia Tourism Foundation. Governor Kemp highlighted the important role of the Georgia Tourism Foundation Board of Directors during his remarks Wednesday at the 2021 Georgia Governors Tourism Conference presented by Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).

Im excited to announce these leaders from various segments of Georgias tourism industry who will be focused on directing the development of innovative and entrepreneurial strategies designed to improve Georgias position as a destination for travel,said Governor Kemp. Under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner for Tourism Mark Jaronski, this Board of Directors will work as a team with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and our Explore Georgia state tourism office to increase Georgias competitiveness and grow the tourism industry back stronger than ever.

Joseph Akersserves as RaceTrac's Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, overseeing the company's Legal, Risk Management, Environmental, Internal Audit, and Compliance functions. Akers joined RaceTrac in 2005, and before becoming General Counsel in 2012, spent seven years working to protect the company when litigated. He earned a bachelor's degree in political economy from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1994 and a J.D. from the University of Georgia in 1997. Before joining RaceTrac, he was an associate at the Miami-based firm of Greenberg Traurig. In addition to his work at RaceTrac, Akers is active in several civic and legal organizations. He has been married to his wife Nancy since 2002, and they have two children.

Jake Carteris the Owner and Operator of Southern Belle Farms. Carter graduated from the University of Georgia in 2003 with a degree in business management. After graduation, he returned to the family farm in McDonough and began transforming the dairy operation into the 330-acre agritourism destination that it is today. Carter also serves on the Board of Directors at Snapping Shoals EMC. In 2019, Governor Brian Kemp appointed Carter to serve as the Tenth Congressional District representative on the Board of Economic Development. He and his wife, Jennifer, are Henry County natives and have three children. They are members of Bethany Baptist Church and reside in McDonough.

Paul Crameris president & CEO of The Classic Center, a 350,000 square-foot meeting and convention facility, with a 2,000+-seat performing arts theatre, 2,000-seat arena, and 22,000 square foot outdoor covered pavilion, with a removable ice rink located in Athens, Georgia. He has served in this role for over 26 years. Cramer began his career in Rochester, New York, working his way from banquet and concessions manager in 1986 to the assistant executive director by 1992. Cramer runs a successful workforce development program, which aids those seeking a career in hospitality, including the non-profit organization Bread for Life. He also serves on the Athens Technical College Foundation Board, the Athens Community Career Academy Board, and the Clarke County School District CTAE Board. During his tenure at The Classic Center, Cramer has developed and oversees The Classic Center Cultural Foundation, which provides scholarships for the performing, visual, and culinary arts, as well as for entertainment, hospitality, sports, and event management education programs, while supporting these initiatives in the Athens community. In 2018, he initiated the partnership between Piedmont College, The Classic Center, and The Classic Center Cultural Foundation to create and launch the Hospitality & Tourism Management degree program within the Harry W. Walker School of Business at Piedmont College. In 2015, Facilities and Destinations Magazine recognized Cramer as an Elite Convention Center Executive. Under his leadership, The Center has remained an award-winning facility. The most recent awards include 10x ConventionSouth Readers' Choice Award, the 2020 Stella Award, and the 2021 GBAC STAR Facility Certification. He and his wife Stacey reside in Athens and have two adult children.

Liz Crisafiis the Global Vice President of Campaign Marketing at IHG Hotels and Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies. She is responsible for marketing their 17 global brands and delivering commercial, loyalty, and partnership campaigns to ensure IHG supports the ever-changing needs of their guests and owners and provides a world-class experience across their 5,900+ hotels worldwide. Crisafi has more than 20 years of in-depth global marketing experience and previously held several senior marketing positions at Kimberly-Clark, Ogilvy & Mather, Discovery Communications, and Eastman Kodak. Crisafi is on the Advisory Board of Brand Innovators and was most recently recognized in 2017, 2018 & 2019 in the "Top 100 Women to Watch in Brand Marketing". She was also recently featured by Dress for Success Atlanta for their "2021 Women of Power." Liz holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Broadcasting from Georgia Southern University.

Brian Davisis Georgia Aquarium's president and CEO. Davis has more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles within zoological and educational institutions. Davis first joined the Georgia Aquarium team before its founding in 2003 as the Director of Education, later served as the Aquarium's Vice President of Education and then most recently as Executive Vice President of Operations. Prior to his tenure at Georgia Aquarium, he served as president and CEO of the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, where he oversaw the enhancement of the Aquarium's footprint. Davis has also served in teaching and administrative roles in Cobb County's school system and developed education programs at New York Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta. He has served as an Adjunct Professor for Schools of Education at Georgia State University and Mercer University. He has served on the Boards of Directors for Centennial Place Elementary School, Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, Open Door Shelter, and NorwalkACTS. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Davis graduated from Rutgers University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, later earning both a master's in education and his Ph.D. in Secondary Science Education at Georgia State University.

Cynde Dickeyis the chief financial officer for Dickey Farms, Inc, a 3,000+ acre peach and timberland farm family-owned since 1897. Since 2016, she has served as a board member on the Georgia Agribusiness Council. Dickey is the Grants Committee chairman for the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the treasurer for Keep Roberta/Crawford Beautiful, and the treasurer of the Roberta/Crawford County Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her civic engagement, Dickey is a member of the 1990 Class of Leadership Georgia and a member of the Crawford County Farm Bureau. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's in accounting in 1977. She and her husband Robert Dickey, a State Representative, have two adult children and are active members of Musella Baptist Church.

David Friederichis the president of North Georgia's award-winning Barnsley Resort. Friederich oversees all operations of the 3,000-acre estate, including meetings, weddings, outdoor activities, events, restaurants and catering, 150 guest rooms and suites at the cottages and new Inn, and overall guest satisfaction. A seasoned leader and innovator in the hospitality field, Friederich previously serves as Managing Director of The Whitley in Buckhead, formerly The Ritz-Carlton. Before that, Friederich served as the Corporate Vice President of Operations and Regional Manager of The Kessler Collection and General Manager of Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando - named among Cond Nast Traveler's 'Top Hotels in Florida.' Friederich has over 30 years of management experience in the hospitality industry, including six years as general manager of The Cloister Hotel at Sea Island and various senior leadership roles with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Steve Hallowellis the chief marketing officer at Herschend Family Entertainment, including properties such as Callaway Gardens and Resort, Stone Mountain Park, and Wild Adventures. Prior to joining Herschend, Hallowell was a marketing and sales executive for Eastman Kodak Co. for more than 25 years. He graduated from Rutgers University, where he received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and marketing. In 2016, Governor Nathan Deal first appointed Hallowell to serve as a member of the Georgia Tourism Foundation.

Jay Markwalterserves as Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (GACVB), the unified voice, education, and leadership development resource for our state's destination marketing organizations. Prior to becoming the statewide organization's director in 2018, Markwalter served as Director of Marketing Communications and Director of Sales with the Augusta CVB. From 2004 to 2014, he led the tourism-based economic development efforts in Atlanta-metro and the north Georgia mountains as the tourism director for Lawrenceville and Dahlonega-Lumpkin County. Markwalter has served on the 13-state Southeast Tourism Society Board of Directors and represents Georgia as a member of Destinations International and the U.S. Travel Association. He is a graduate of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2013 and was appointed to the Georgia Tourism Foundation by Governor Nathan Deal. A native of Savannah, Markwalter received his BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia and has his Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) designation from the Southeast Tourism Society. Markwalter lives in Augusta with his wife, Sumner, and their two sons, Joe and Hart.

Mark O'Brienis president and CEO of LakePoint Sports, the nation's premier youth travel sports destination. The sprawling 1,300-acre campus features eight Major League-sized baseball fields, three multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse, and football, a 170,000-square-foot Indoor Pavilion with 12 basketball courts that convert to 24 volleyball courts. He has more than two decades of executive leadership for some of the most globally recognizable brands, including Mizuno USA and Mizuno Canada, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Original Honey Baked Ham Company, Johnsonville Sausage, and Miller Brewing Company (now MillerCoors).After graduating from St. Norbert College, where he played on the baseball team, he went on to earn his master's in sports management from Georgia Southern University. O'Brien boasts a diverse array of experience in the sports industry, including several years in minor league baseball that culminated in a role as general manager. He also worked in sports marketing and branding for the NBA's Houston Rockets, assisting with the franchise's brand partnerships. During his time with GMR Marketing, his work focused on customer engagement and experiential marketing for one of the top global sports entertainment and experiential marketing agencies.

Atul Patelis the asset manager at Asha Management and has served in this role since 1999. Patel has also served as General Contractor for the Real Estate Development Group, building his first new construction project in Locust Grove, Ga., in 2001. During his tenure with Asha Management, Patel has overseen numerous multi-million dollar new construction and renovation projects, including the NexGen Red Roof Inn and LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Locust Grove. He served on the Franchise Advisory Council for Red Roof from 2005 thru 2010 and was elected to serve on the AAHOA Board of Directors as the North Georgia Regional Director in 2010. Patel holds a Certified Hotel Operator (CHO) designation from AAHOA and is a Lifetime Member. In 2013 he was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve as a member of the Georgia Tourism Foundation, and in April 2014, he was appointed to serve a three-year term on the La Quinta Brand Council.

Kal Patelis president and CEO of Image Hotels, Inc., which owns and operates multiple hotels throughout the Southeast and is a Starwood, Hilton, IHG, and Marriott brands licensee. Patel began his career at Merril Lynch, learning finance and investments, which he was later able to apply this knowledge to the lodging business. Patel's family immigrated to the United States in 1979. He graduated from Savannah State University in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.Patel is heavily involved in AH&LA, AAHOA, Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association, and participation in national events and conferences. He was the Young Professional Hotelier serving as a Board of Directors for AAHOA. Patel has previously served as Board of Director for the Savannah CVB and the Tourism and Leadership Council. He has received several awards and recognitions for lodging accomplishments from industry leaders, franchisors, and municipalities.

William Pateserves as president of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), where he oversees maintaining tourism as one of the city's top economic drivers. Before joining ACVB, Pate served as Career Sports & Entertainment president, a national sports marketing and representation firm. He is the former chief marketing officer of BellSouth, one of the world's largest communications companies. Prior to joining BellSouth, Pate supervised domestic and international advertising and communications at MCI during the telecom ad wars of the 1990s. In 2020, American Marketing Association's (AMA) Atlanta chapter awarded him its lifetime achievement award. Atlanta Business League named him its 2019 Herman J. Russell CEO of the Year; Atlanta Magazine recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in Atlanta. Georgia Trend magazine included him on its list of 2019 Notable Georgians. Atlanta Business Chronicle honored Pate multiple times as one of Atlanta's 50 most admired CEOs and named him to its 100 most influential Atlantans list every year since 2009. AMA's Atlanta chapter also selected him as the corporate marketer of the year in 2010. A prominent leader in the nation's hospitality industry, Pate serves on the U.S. Travel Association and Destinations International board of directors. Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International honored him as one of the top 25 most extraordinary minds in sales and marketing. He received the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association award of appreciation for his commitment to diversity and inclusion within the travel industry. Pate's involvement in Atlanta's sports industry includes serving on the boards of the Atlanta Sports Council, Celebration Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame. He served as vice president of the Atlanta Football Host Committee, was a board member for the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee for Super Bowl LIII in 2019, and vice-chairman of the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee. Atlanta Business Chronicle named him one of Georgia's 30 most influential sports business figures of 2020. Pate is very active in the Atlanta community, serving on the board of directors for Central Atlanta Progress, Children's Museum of Atlanta, First Tee Atlanta, Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Woodruff Arts Center. He is also on the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center and the industry advisory board for Georgia State University's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration.

Marisa Simpsonis the Director of Legislative and Governmental Affairs at Atlanta Gas Light (Southern Company Gas). Simpson was previously the Director of Community Relations and Economic Development for AGL Resources Southern Operations. Simpson is a former staffer for U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss. He serves as a board member for Camp Sunshine and is an active volunteer with the American Diabetes Association. Simpson has previously served as a trustee for the Leadership Georgia Foundation, a board member for the Atlanta Touchdown Club, and Georgia Allies. In 2016, Governor Nathan Deal appointed him to the Board of Economic Development and, in 2017, to the Georgia Tourism Foundation, where he serves as chairman. Simpson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia, where he played football.

Dave Snyderowns and operates Halyards Catering, Hook & Knife Charters, and Halyards Restaurant Group, comprised of Tramici, Halyards Restaurant, and La Plancha. His restaurants perennially ranked the island and region's most popular, Halyards and Tramici were named 2014 Businesses of the Year by the Brunswick and Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, Dave was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Restaurant Association. Synder offers monthly cooking classes where he is able to draw on his relationships with local fishermen and farmers; he demonstrates to eager guests that the best ingredients make a tremendous difference in food quality, the sustainability of the environment, and the financial strength of the local economy. He serves on the Advisory Panel for Snapper/Grouper Species for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. He has worked with the South Atlantic Fishermen's Association to improve the sustainability and health of the South Atlantic, the availability of local fish, and the financial future and heritage of the fishing industry. Deeply devoted to community service, Snyder serves on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, The Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, and Hospice of the Golden Isles. Snyder is a founding board member of the St. Simons Food & Spirits Festival, benefiting Hospice of the Golden Isles. He also serves on the Culinary Board for the College of Coastal Georgia.

Ron Stephensrepresents Georgias 164th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. Stephens is the Chairman of the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Mathews Swiftreceived his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Georgia in 1969 and his J.D. from Walter F. George School of Law in 1972. He practiced real estate law before becoming president & COO of the W.C. Bradley Co. Real Estate Division in 1986. During his 32 years as president of the Real Estate Division, Swift developed multiple projects ranging from a 600-acre upscale golf course community; a 500-acre suburban mixed-use development, a 200-acre suburban office park; a 100-acre industrial park, and numerous residential subdivisions, etc. Over the past 20 years, he has primarily focused on the redevelopment of downtown Columbus. Swift's marquee project was the Eagle & Phenix Mill a mixed-use development of converting a 1,000,000 square foot 1800's textile mill into riverfront high rise condominiums, apartments, retail, restaurants, office, and specialty uses. As part of this riverfront development, Swift was an integral part of the Columbus Whitewater initiative a 30-million-dollar project involving the removal of two hydroelectric dams and the restoration of 2.5 miles of Chattahoochee River into what has been labeled as the world's longest urban whitewater experience. In 2019, Governor Brian Kemp appointed Swift to serve on the Board of Economic Development.

Bruce Thompsonrepresents Georgias 14th District in the Georgia State Senate. Thompson is the Chairman of the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Scott Tigchelaaris the President of Senoia Enterprises, Inc, the company responsible for the redevelopment of historic Senoia, and President of Nic & Norman's Inc, a restaurant located in Senoia. Tigchelaar is the former President of Riverwood Studios Inc, operating as Raleigh Studios- Atlanta, which has now been acquired by AMC Studios, where AMC's hit series "The Walking Dead" was filmed. He serves on the Board of Directors for Explore Newnan-Coweta and is passionate about expanding the tourism industry in Coweta County. He is currently working with Explore Newnan-Coweta, Inc to develop a trolley system that would connect Newnan, Senoia, Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, and the Bouckaert Farm on the Chattahoochee River in South Fulton. Tigchelaar has created significant economic opportunities for Georgia at the intersection of film and tourism. In 2014, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Tigchelaar to serve as a member of the Georgia Tourism Foundation.

Allan Vellais president and CEO of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, a position he has held since June 2006. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he holds a bachelor's in liberal arts and arts management. Vella has worked professionally in the Facility Management field since 1986, managing theatres, arenas, amphitheaters, and exhibition facilities. His experience spans a wide range of events, including NCAA Tournaments, MLB, NHL, Ballet, Corporate Events, Concerts, Broadway, and Presidential visits, to name just a few. Under Vella's direction, the Fox Theatre has been consistently ranked in the top three non-residency theatres in North America for gross ticket sales by industry trade magazines, Pollstar, Billboard, and Venues Today. In addition, the Fox Theatre was declared a Top Stop of the Decade by Venues Today and the #1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade by Billboard Magazine. The historic Fox Theatre has managed to remain cutting edge as well. It holds numerous titles for Social Media presence for 2000-5000 seat venues in North America as calculated in Venues Today's Social Media Power 100. Before joining the Fox Theatre, Vella worked for SMG, the world's largest facility management company. Vella is a member of the International Association of Venue Managers and Rotary International, a graduate of IAVM's Venue Management School, and a board member of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as Variety of Georgia, a children's charity. He and his wife Nicole have three children and reside in Decatur, Georgia.

Read the rest here:

Governor Appoints 20 to the Georgia Tourism Foundation | Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor - Gov.Georgia.gov.

The BMW Group is increasing the pace of its efforts to combat climate change. Looking ahead to the introduction of the Neue Klasse, the company is further strengthening its self-defined objectives, announced in summer last year, to significantlyreduce CO2 emissions, whilst also committing itself to a clear course that supports the1.5 degree targetfor the limitation of global warming. The Neue Klasse will also see the BMW Group hugely increase its use ofsecondary materialswith a firm focus on the principles of thecircular economy, whilst also promoting better framework conditions for establishing a market for secondary materials.

To achieve a furtherreduction in CO2 emissions, the focus is on theutilisation phaseof vehicles, which account for 70% of the BMW Groups CO2 footprint.By 2030, the CO2 emissions per vehicle and kilometre driven will beat least halvedfrom 2019 levels. The commitment of all manufacturers when it comes to combatting climate change can best be compared when looking at theentire life cycleof a vehicle, including production and upstream supply chain. Here, the BMW Group is planning areduction of CO2 emission per vehicle of at least 40%.

How companies are dealing with CO2 emissions has become a major factor when it comes to judging corporate action. The decisive factor in the fight against global warming is how strongly we can improve the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire life span. This is why we are setting ourselves transparent and ambitious goals for the substantial reduction of CO2 emissions; these are validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative and will deliver an effective and measurable contribution, saidOliverZipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Thursday. With the Neue Klasse we are significantly sharpening our commitment and also committing ourselves to a clear course for achieving the 1.5 degree target.

The BMW Group is the first German carmaker to join theBusiness Ambition for 1.5Cof theScience Based Targets Initiativeand is committed to the goal of full climate neutrality over the entire value-added chain by 2050 at the latest. This means that the company is also part of theinternational Race to Zero Initiative. The company is convinced that this can be achieved using innovation, rather than any overall ban on individual technologies.

The most powerful driver on this path to climate neutrality is electric mobility, with the BMWGroups Neue Klasse set to provide significant further momentum to the market. During the next ten years or so, the company will be putting aroundten million all-electric vehicles on the road. As early as2030, at least halfof global BMWGroup sales will beall-electric vehicles, with theMINIbrand offeringexclusively all-electric vehiclesfrom 2030.

The BMW Group continues to comply with thestringent criteriaof the Science Based Targets Initiative, when it comes to measuring the reduction of worldwide CO2 emissions of the companys vehicles whilst they are being driven on the roads. For example, emissions from the production of fuel or electricity are included in the calculation and consumption is based on the WLTP cycle plus ten percent. With its current product and electrification strategy, the company is on track to meet the EU fleet target for 2030.

BMW Group is clear that simply increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road does not automatically lead to climate-friendly mobility. The company understands that it is also crucial to reduce the use of primary material and the related environmentally harmfulexploitation of resourcesand their often CO2-intensive processing especially when it comes to car manufacturing, one of the most resource-intensive industries.

2017 was the first time the worlds population consumed more than 100 billion tons of resources within a single year a trend which we in the automotive industry must also counteract,Zipsedemanded. This is a strategic issue, concerning not only ecological but also economic sustainability; the current development of commodity prices demonstrates the impact an industry that is dependent on limited resources must expect.

With the number of battery-powered vehicles growing, there isincreasing demand for many commodities such as cobalt, nickel and aluminium, which are required for the vehicles high-voltage batteries. However there is great potential for the reuse of materials in the sense of a circular economy and together with specialist partners, the BMW Group has already demonstrated that its technological feasible to achieve a recycling efficiency of over 90 percent.

The amount ofsecondary nickelused for the high-voltage battery in theBMW iXis already as high as 50 percent, with the battery housing containing up to 30 percentsecondary aluminium.The BMW Group aims to improve these figures even further for future product generations.

In addition to the increasingly scare availability of primary materials and resulting commodity price increases, there are manysustainability reasonsto use more secondary materials and move towards a circular economy.

Thesupplyof secondary materials is considerablylessCO2-intensivethan is the case with primary materials and can significantly improve the CO2 footprint, especially within the supply chain. In the case of secondary aluminium, the CO2 saving compared with primary material constitutes a factor of approximately 4 to 6, whilst steel and thermoplastics lie between around 2 and 5.

The extraction of resources for primary materials particularly through mining has a significant impact on the basicregenerative capacity of ecosystems. This impact can be greatly reduced by increasing the use of secondary materials.

The mining and trading ofconflict materialscarries the possible risk of associated infringements of environmental and social standards. The BMW Group has established numerous measures to counteract this risk, including membership of the Responsible Minerals Initiative. However, the most efficient strategy for avoiding risks is tominimise the mining of such primary materials.

As part of its holistic approach to sustainability, the BMW Group aims to increase significantly the percentage of secondary materials in its vehicles. On average, current vehicles are manufactured using almost30 percentrecycled and reusable materials. With theSecondary Firstapproach, BMW Group plans to successivelyraise this figure to 50 percent.

Of course its crucial that the quality, safety and reliability of the materials comply with the same high standards as those existing for primary materials and so its essential that the market availability of such high-quality materials increases considerably. In order to achieve this, cross-industry approaches and political initiatives are necessary.

Based on the four principlesRe:think, Re:duce, Re:use, Re:cycle,the BMWGroup is boosting its activities in the field of circular economy, an area where its carrying out pioneering work. For instance, vehicle production now involves the increased separation and recycling of crucial material groups, so these can be reused by the industry within the framework of closed loops.

Within the supply chain and depending on market availability, secondary materials are increasingly being used in BMW Group vehicles. Moreover, together with its partners, the company is providing important impetus when it comes to developing secondary materials. One example is the companys pilot project withBASFand theALBA Groupfor the increased recycling of plastics used in cars.

The aim of the project is to reduce the use of primary plastics by means of a comprehensiverecycling system. To this end, the ALBA Group analyses end-of-life BMW Group vehicles to establish whether a car-to-car reuse of the plastic is possible. In a second step, BASF assesses whetherchemical recyclingof the pre-sorted waste can be used in order to obtain pyrolysis oil. This can be then used as a basis for new products made of plastic. In the future, a new door trim or other components could be manufactured from a used instrument panel, for example.

In order to achievehigher recycling ratesand whilst also guaranteeing thehigh quality of secondary materials, the materials must be extracted in their purest form as early as possibly during therecycling process. For example, the onboard wiring systems must be easy to remove, in order to avoid mixing steel with copper from the cable harnesses in the vehicles. If this mixing does take place, the secondary steel loses its essential material properties and therefore no longer meets thehigh safety requirementsof the automotive industry. To support this early and easy extraction of materials, the interior of a car must increasingly be made ofmonomaterials, so that at the end of the cars lifecycle, as much as possible can be transferred back into the usable material cycle. Basically, reducing the number of materials can help to improve the quality of recycled materials. Currently, vehicles consist of about 8,000 to 10,000 different materials.

To achieve this, the BMW Group is now focusing on aCircular Designconcept, which is designed to guarantee theeconomical dismantling capacityof vehicles. It is essential that disassembly of the vehicle and its individual components is fast and cost-efficient to ensure that prices ofsecondary materialsare competitive. It all starts with theconstruction of the vehicle, which must be done in such a way that allows materials to be removed at the end of the vehicles service life without different types of material being mixed with each other.

The BMW Group is putting circular economy at the centre of its presence at the IAAMobility 2021 in Munich, where the company will offer a visionary outlook on the potentials of a circular economy and sustainable mobility. TheBMW i Vision Circularembodies the companys ambitious claim to be the most sustainable manufacturer for individual premium mobility.

This visionary vehicle, designed according to the four principles of the circular economy Re:think, Re:duce, Re:use, Re:cycle, shows how individual, sustainable and luxurious urban mobility could look in 2040. The BMW i Vision Circular is manufactured from 100 percent secondary materials or renewable raw materials, and is 100 percent recyclable.

This car demonstrates that climate protection and individual mobility do not necessarily contradict each other. On the contrary, it shows that using new technologies and innovation, the BMW Group can fulfill the planets requirements for greater sustainability without customers having to forgo individual mobility.

SOURCE: BMW Group

See the original post:

BMW Group accelerates CO2 reduction and focuses consistently on a circular economy with the Neue Klasse - Automotive World

Though roads exist to many ore deposit areas, Afghanistan lacks good-quality roadways, railways and electricity

Seattle: The official ending of the US-led war in Afghanistan leaves a number of long-term questions, including how the country can build a functioning economy. Now that US assistance has evaporated and international aid is largely shut off, what options does Afghanistan have?

One possibility resides in natural resources. Afghanistan possesses a wealth of nonfuel minerals whose value has been estimated at more than $1 trillion.

For millennia the country was renowned for its gemstones rubies, emeralds, tourmalines and lapis lazuli. These minerals continue to be locally extracted, both legally and illegally, in mostly small, artisanal mines. Far more value, however, lies with the country's endowments of iron, copper, lithium, rare earth elements, cobalt, bauxite, mercury, uranium and chromium.

While the total abundance of minerals is certainly vast, scientific understanding of these resources is still at an exploratory stage. Even with a better understanding of how rewarding their extraction might be, the presence of these resources will not provide a jump-start to a new economy. As a geologist who has studied the extent of their resources, I estimate a minimum of seven to 10 years will be needed for large-scale mining to become a major new source of revenue.

USGS follows the Soviets

British and German geologists conducted the earliest modern surveys of Afghanistan's minerals in the 19th and early 20th centuries. But it was the Soviets in the 1960s and 1970s who performed the most systematic exploratory work throughout the country, producing a large body of detailed information that stood as the backbone to more recent studies.

From 2004 to 2011, the US Geological Survey conducted a detailed review of available data, adding new information from its own aerial survey, limited field checking and from the Afghanistan Geological Survey. This work better identified mineral sites, richness and abundance.

No one who examines this work, as I have, can ignore the large-scale exploratory effort by Soviet scientists. Detailed field mapping and massive sampling, including tens of thousands of meters of borehole drilling, and lab analyses were performed. Given the time and money invested, it would appear high-level plans were in play to develop Afghanistan's minerals once the country was under Soviet influence.

Based largely on this information, the USGS delineated 24 areas in the country and estimated their mineral abundance. Data packages were prepared on all 24 areas for companies to use as a basis for making bids to exploit any resources.

Chinese and Indian companies expressed strong interest, and actual concessions were granted. Arguments over contract terms and concerns about security, however, have stalled activity since the late 2010s.

Mineral abundance

How much mineral abundance does Afghanistan actually have? I'll try to answer this with a brief summary of USGS estimates for metals of special interest: copper, iron, lithium and rare earth metals. Geoscientists who were part of the USGS effort have noted that their figures are conservative but also preliminary.

Regardless, it's safe to say the resources in total are huge. Total copper resources for all known deposits sum to about 57.7 million metric tons. At current prices, the resource value is $516 billion. These are undiscovered resources identified but not fully explored and assessed. If further study were to judge them recoverable at a profit, they would rank Afghanistan among the top five nations for copper reserves in the world.

The largest copper deposit, which also contains significant amounts of cobalt, is the Aynak ore body, located about 18 miles (30 kilometers) southeast of Kabul. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the Soviets began development of the mine but it was suspended in 1989 following Soviet withdrawal from the country. The high-grade portion of the total Aynak deposit is estimated at 11.3 million metric tons of copper, worth $102 billion at current market prices.

Afghanistan also has world-class iron ore resources, concentrated in the Haji Gak deposit of Bamiyan Province. Haji Gak has an estimated 2,100 million metric tons of high-grade ore that is 61%-69% iron by weight. At current price levels, this represents a value of $336.8 billion, placing Afghanistan among the top 10 nations worldwide in extractable iron.

Lithium resources in Nuristan Province, which occur as veins, impressed Soviet geoscientists with the amount of hard rock ore (lithium is also mined from brine).

Based on USGS estimates, it is a significant but modest resource in today's terms, as exploration for such deposits has increased around the world in the past decade.

Finally, rare earth elements exist in southern Helmand Province. These deposits mainly contain cerium, with smaller amounts of more valuable lanthanum, praseodymium and neodymium, totaling perhaps 1.4 million metric tons. Two of these, praseodymium and neodymium, are at high price levels more than $45,000 per metric ton and make exceptional magnets used in motors for hybrid and electric cars, but the abundance of these elements is not large relative to how much other countries have.

Above-ground factors and geopolitics

Mining wisdom holds that what's in the ground is less important than what's above ground. Market realities, security, contract terms, infrastructure and environmental concerns matter more than sheer abundance to whether resources can be developed.

Among these factors, perhaps the most relevant at present is strong global demand for the metals, particularly copper, lithium and rare earth elements, which are essential to the growing markets in renewable energy and electric vehicles.

Whether or not Afghanistan can begin mining these elements will depend on what the new Taliban government does. Under the former Ministry of Mines, a $2.9 billion contract for a portion of the Aynak copper deposit was granted to two state-owned Chinese companies.

The 30-year contract signed in 2007 had a high royalty rate by global standards and required that ore smelting and processing be done locally. Other conditions included building a 400-megawatt coal power plant and a railway to the Pakistan border. Also stipulated was that 85%-100% of employees, from skilled labor to managerial personnel, be Afghan nationals within eight years of the date work begins. Though originally agreed to, these terms were later declared onerous by the companies, halting development.

Though roads exist to many ore deposit areas, Afghanistan lacks good-quality roadways, railways and electricity. Mining companies are no stranger to such challenges, yet the situation is heightened in this case by rugged terrain and the landlocked nature of the country. Railways, in particular, would be essential for transporting ore, raw or refined, to foreign markets.

There are also environmental and cultural concerns. Mining can result in major impacts to land and air quality, as well as watersheds a particular concern in water-poor Afghanistan if not regulated to best practices. No less, enforcement of such standards is required and has been a problem in many lower-income countries.

Close to the Aynak copper deposit is a large site of Buddhist relics, statues, temples and stupas. There are also Bronze Age mining sites that constitute important archaeological resources. Here, too, no clarity yet exists about how Taliban leaders, who ordered the destruction of the great Buddhist statues at Bamiyan in 2001, might view these sites.

For Afghanistan, its resources could mean a source of long-term foreign investment, skill-building and infrastructure expansion, all essential for a sustainable economy. But a major question is which companies would be involved. Afghanistan is also at the center of geopolitical struggles, involving both India and Pakistan, as well as China, Iran and the U.S. That the Taliban are now in control does not make the country's minerals any less invested with large significance.

Read this article:

Afghanistan posessess $1 trillion mineral wealth, but war-ravaged economy has challenges to overcome - Firstpost

Thursday, 16 September 2021, Malaysia Day

8.30pm to 10.30pm

Facebook live: Facebook.com/AliranKesedaranNegara

Panel members:

Our five speakers, all of them Aliran executive committee or ordinary members, explore what might be the political, social and economic situation in Malaysia in the medium-term, say in five years time.

Will the new Umno-led government, headed by the ninth Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, be able to usher in a more democratic, inclusive and prosperous Malaysia for all?

Our distinguished speakers will situate current problems in the context of several bigger questions.

Assuming the next general election will be held as scheduled in two years time, will a new multi-ethnic coalition have consolidated itself to restore stability to Malaysian politics? Or should we anticipate the consolidation of a Malay-Muslim dominant coalition like now? Might the latter not lead towards more polarised inter-ethnic relations and continued instability?

Will the coalition that offers Sabah and Sarawak greater autonomy a bigger share of the development budget have the edge?

Or will multi-ethnic multi-religious cooperation spearheaded by a reformist coalition government emerge? But where might this fresh energy come from?

To what extent can the current Malaysian economic model, so dependent on foreign direct investments and cheap foreign labour (currently an estimated four to five million), continue to steer Malaysia towards economic growth and employment creation and allow it to compete with its Asean neighbours?

Have we made progress in human resource development so we can seize opportunities in the knowledge-based and IT-driven global and regional economies?

Where are our lead national companies, whether among the government-linked companies or in the private sector? Or will our government-linked companies continue their core business of rent-seeking?

There is no doubt that Malaysian civil society has awakened since Reformasi. We have witnessed the re-emergence of mass-based politics in the streets, epitomised by Bersih, Himpunan Hijau, Hindraf and most recently, the #Lawan youth.

No doubt, ethnic-based and crony-driven Old Politics is still around, not least in the ruling coalition itself! But many new groups in civil society have emerged. These are non-ethnic-based, and, like Aliran, go out of their way to build bridges and cross boundaries.

We also note the emergence of a host of new and young netizens, men and women, from all corners, including from Sabah and Sarawak, who have used social media to reach out to the rakyat.

So, what will be the cumulative contribution of NGOs and civil society organisations towards democratisation and inter-ethnic cooperation? How does this energetic, creative and exciting sector of politics link up to electoral politics and contribute to a better Malaysia?

Come and join us for an exciting and important webinar!

Our voluntary writers work hard to keep these articles free for all to read. But we do need funds to support our struggle for Justice, Freedom and Solidarity. To maintain our editorial independence, we do not carry any advertisements; nor do we accept funding from dubious sources. If everyone reading this was to make a donation, our fundraising target for the year would be achieved within a week. So please consider making a donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB Bank account number 8004240948.

Link:

Aliran webinar: State, society and economy in transition Whither Malaysia? - Aliran