People

Project CAR celebrates 100 repairs at The Lift Garage

Every car owner knows the stress of seeing the check engine light glow red on the dashboard. Suddenly, any normal day is taken over by concerns of finding a repair shop and the potential costs of an unknown repair. For…

Code red for humanity: Our response

The headlines on Monday, Aug. 9 were terrifying: “Code red for humanity,” “Global climate crisis: inevitable, unprecedented and unavoidable,” and “Wake up to red alert on climate crisis.” We have been battered since early 2020 with a seemingly relentless stream…

Policy Forum recap: Community science, technology, and playing nice in the sandbox

Last week, Environmental Initiative hosted its first policy forum of 2021 on Gather.town and Crowdcast. The session, Community Science, Technology, and Playing Nice in the Sandbox brought together: Brandy Toft, Environmental Deputy Director, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Chris Nelson, Environmental Compliance Director,…

Corporate leadership in community building for equity and sustainability

In December 2020, the Sustainable Growth Coalition convened a cross-functional group of C-suite leaders to explore the relationship between equity and sustainability from local and global perspectives. Themes on this complex set of relationships emerged including: Organizations are expected to…

Xcel Energy focused on essential change

For many of us, this past year made laser clear what we value most, and perhaps, what needs to change. That’s also true for organizations like Xcel Energy. We operate in an industry already undergoing significant transformation, driven by technology…

Allianz Life survey shows sustainable investing is here to stay

At Allianz Life, we recognize that as an insurer and investor, we have a unique opportunity to bring about change on a local scale in the Twin Cities as well as on an international scale. We accomplish this through a…

Sustainable Growth Coalition gets creative on problem solving, priorities

Sustainable Growth Coalition members convened for their spring meeting late last month. We talked about focus and transitions including staff changes, what matters most to our members, reimagining how we work together, and leveraging our resources to make the biggest…

Air Quality Awareness Week: Highlighting our work

It’s the first week of May, the weather is starting to warm, spring is in full swing, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Awareness Week. Clean Air Minnesota has been busy this year with partnerships to…

Forecasting for better air quality: The impact of air monitors on tribal lands in Minnesota

When we think of Minnesota, we think a lot about the water. We’re known for our lakes and the headwaters of the Mississippi so people may overlook the fact that our air quality is also overall pretty great. Great air…

How Blue Cross is impacting racial and health equity through environmental sustainability

The devastation of dual public health crises, COVID-19 and racism are rooted in systemic inequities. This is true for the less talked about environmental crisis, which research shows is exacting a heavy toll on the health of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of…