May 11, 2022

A Sphera aborda o Relatório de Emissões do Escopo 3 com o Lançamento da Solução Automatizada de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida

Nova solução irá viabilizar que as empresas agreguem e calculem avaliações do ciclo de vida rapidamente e em escala

CHICAGO, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Sphera®, principal fornecedora global de serviços de software e de dados e consultoria de desempenho e gerenciamento de risco Ambiental, Social e de Governança (ESG), anunciou hoje o lançamento do seu novo software Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Automation, com base nas soluções LCA existentes da empresa. A mudança ocorre à medida que as pressões regulatórias e dos investidores em torno da padronização e digitalização da medição de dados completos de sustentabilidade continuem a aumentar, exigindo ferramentas de relatórios e conformidade cada vez mais sofisticadas e granulares.

A solução da próxima geração da Sphera se integra perfeitamente aos sistemas existentes dos clientes para implantação rápida, permitindo que os clientes recebam rapidamente análises holísticas e em tempo real e insights sobre a pegada ambiental dos portfólios dos seus produtos. Ela também tem um extenso conteúdo gerenciado que permite que os clientes calculem instantaneamente sua pegada de carbono em escala e modelem como os ajustes a variáveis específicas – como o uso de uma fonte de energia mais limpa ou a alteração dos processos de produção – podem afetar as emissões.

A solução LCA Automation serve como uma extensão dos recursos existentes de Sustentabilidade do Produto da Sphera, que incluem software e conteúdo de avaliação do ciclo de vida. O serviço permite que uma empresa aumente 1.000 vezes o número de ACVs, viabilizando que o profissional experiente em ACV se concentre na análise a aprimoramento dos resultados, e não na sua criação.

O objetivo geral da ferramenta LCA Automation da Sphera é ajudar as empresas – especialmente aquelas em setores com cadeias de suprimentos complexas, como manufatura, bens de consumo, tintas e produtos químicos – a reduzir de forma mais eficaz suas emissões de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) em cada etapa da produção, desde o projeto até à desmontagem. O aprimoramento da previsão facilitará as decisões corporativas holísticas com a sustentabilidade incorporada em cada estágio, permitindo que as equipes prevejam e controlem proativamente o impacto ambiental.

Paul Marushka, CEO e presidente da Sphera, disse: “Historicamente, as ACVs têm sido vistas como complementos voluntários e ad hoc para esforços mais amplos de sustentabilidade corporativa. No entanto, com o aumento do conhecimento do consumidor quanto aos mandatos regulatórios para mitigar os efeitos das mudanças climáticas, o LCA Automation se alimenta das mais altas necessidades de descarbonização. Como mostraram as recentes mudanças da UE, da SEC e do último relatório do IPCC, as consequências financeiras e de reputação de uma omissão é uma questão de “quando” e não de “se”.”

Continuou Marushka: “Desde ajudar os engenheiros a criar produtos mais sustentáveis até permitir que os profissionais de aquisição estabeleçam cadeias de fornecimento de emissões de carbono mais baixas, o LCA Automation transformará a tomada de decisões, em benefício das empresas e do nosso planeta.”

Sobre a Sphera A
A Sphera é a principal fornecedora de serviços de software e de dados e consultoria de desempenho e gerenciamento de risco Ambiental, Social e de Governança (ESG), com foco em Meio Ambiente, Saúde, Segurança e Sustentabilidade (EHS&S), Gerenciamento de Riscos Operacionais e Administração de Produtos. Há mais de 30 anos atendemos mais de 3.000 clientes e mais de um milhão de usuários em 80 países para ajudar as empresas a manter suas pessoas seguras, seus produtos sustentáveis e suas operações produtivas. Saiba mais sobre a Sphera em www.sphera.com. Siga a Sphera no LinkedIn.

Informações de Contato:
Astrid Dickinson
sphera@aspectusgroup.com

May 11, 2022

Sphera s’attaque au reporting des émissions de portée 3 avec le lancement de sa solution automatisée d’évaluation du cycle de vie

Cette nouvelle solution permettra aux entreprises d’agréger et de calculer rapidement et à grande échelle les évaluations du cycle de vie

CHICAGO, 11 mai 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sphera®, l’un des principaux fournisseurs mondiaux de logiciels, de données et de services de conseil en matière de performance et de gestion des risques environnementaux, sociaux et de gouvernance (ESG), a annoncé aujourd’hui le lancement de son nouveau logiciel d’automatisation de l’évaluation du cycle (ACV), s’appuyant sur les solutions ACV existantes de l’entreprise. Cette évolution intervient alors que les pressions des investisseurs et réglementaires concernant la normalisation et la numérisation de la mesure des données de durabilité de bout en bout continuent de monter, ce qui nécessite des outils de reporting et de conformité de plus en plus sophistiqués et granulaires.

La solution de nouvelle génération de Sphera s’intègre de manière transparente aux systèmes existants des clients pour un déploiement rapide, permettant ainsi aux clients de recevoir rapidement une analyse holistique en temps réel et des informations sur l’empreinte environnementale de leurs portefeuilles de produits. Elle comprend également un contenu géré étendu qui permet aux clients de calculer instantanément leur empreinte carbone à grande échelle et de modéliser la manière dont les ajustements à des variables spécifiques, tels que l’exploitation d’une source d’énergie plus propre ou la modification des processus de production, peuvent affecter les émissions.

La solution d’automatisation ACV sert d’extension des capacités existantes de développement durable des produits de Sphera, qui comprennent un logiciel et le contenu d’évaluation du cycle de vie. Le service permet à une entreprise de multiplier par 1 000 le nombre d’ACV, ce qui permet au professionnel expérimenté de l’ACV de se concentrer sur l’analyse et l’amélioration des résultats plutôt que sur leur création.

L’objectif primordial de l’outil d’automatisation ACV de Sphera est d’aider les entreprises, en particulier celles des secteurs disposant de chaînes d’approvisionnement complexes, telles que la fabrication, les biens de consommation, les peintures et les produits chimiques, à réduire plus efficacement leurs émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) à chaque étape de la production, de la conception au démontage. L’amélioration des prévisions facilitera les décisions d’entreprise globales avec la durabilité intégrée à chaque étape, permettant ainsi aux équipes de prévoir et de contrôler de manière proactive l’impact environnemental.

Paul Marushka, PDG et président de Sphera, a déclaré : « Historiquement, les ACV ont été considérés comme des ajouts volontaires et ad hoc aux efforts plus vastes de développement durable de l’entreprise. Cependant, avec la sensibilisation croissante des consommateurs au rythme des mandats réglementaires visant à atténuer les effets du changement climatique, l’automatisation ACV répond aux besoins les plus élevés de décarbonation. Comme l’ont montré les récentes initiatives de l’UE, de la SEC et du dernier rapport du GIEC, les retombées financières et de réputation d’un manquement à agir sont inévitables. »

M. Marushka a ajouté : « Qu’il s’agisse d’aider les ingénieurs à créer des produits plus durables ou de permettre aux professionnels de l’approvisionnement d’établir des chaînes d’approvisionnement à faibles émissions de carbone, l’automatisation ACV transformera la prise de décisions, au profit des entreprises et de notre planète. »

À propos de Sphera
Sphera est un fournisseur mondial de premier plan de services de conseil, de données et de logiciels de gestion des risques et des performances environnementales, sociales et de gouvernance (ESG) mettant un accent tout particulier sur l’environnement, la santé, la sécurité et la durabilité (EHS&S), la gestion des risques opérationnels et la gestion des produits. Depuis plus de 30 ans, nous servons plus de 3 000 clients et plus d’un million d’utilisateurs dans 80 pays afin d’aider les entreprises à maintenir leur personnel en sécurité, la durabilité de leurs produits et la productivité de leurs opérations. Pour en savoir plus sur Sphera, rendez-vous sur www.sphera.com. Suivez Sphera sur LinkedIn.

Coordonnées :
Astrid Dickinson
sphera@aspectusgroup.com

May 11, 2022

Huawei Unveils New All-Scenario Smart PV and Energy Storage Solutions at Intersolar Europe 2022

MUNICH, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei today announced all-new smart photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage solutions at Intersolar Europe 2022. The intelligent solutions enable a low-carbon smart society with clean energy, demonstrating Huawei’s continuous commitment to technological innovation and sustainability.

With industry leaders, experts, and journalists around the world joining the event, Chen Guoguang, Chief Executive Officer of Smart PV & ESS Business at Huawei Digital Power, presented Huawei’s new smart solutions for utility-scale PV plants, energy storage systems, commercial and industrial applications, residential uses, and smart micro-grids.

Huawei Unveils New All-Scenario Smart PV and Energy Storage Solutions at Intersolar Europe 2022

“With over 30 years of R&D experience, Huawei continues to deliver industry breakthroughs in core technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and power electronics,” said Chen Guoguang. “We are thrilled to launch these groundbreaking all-scenario solutions resulting from our innovation efforts, helping accelerate PV and energy storage development.”

FusionSolar Smart PV Solution 6.0+ for Higher Yields

Huawei offers optimal Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), enhanced grid connection capabilities, and improved safety through continuous innovation in string design to address key industry challenges. The key technologies of its Smart PV Solution include:

Smart DC System (SDS): Optimizing tracking algorithm, the SDS technology increases power generation by 1.69% in a PV plant in Guangxi, China. Huawei cooperates with more than 10 brands of tracking solar panels to provide users with a better experience.
Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 4.0: The technology identifies string faults, evaluates power loss, and recommends repair solutions, completing the full online inspection of a 100 MW power plant in 20 minutes. The diagnosis enhances operation and maintenance (O&M) while increasing power generation. In Malaysia, 2,000 hours of workload is saved every year on a 30 MW project.
Smart String-Level Disconnector Technology (SSLD-TECH): After two years of R&D efforts, Huawei developed the innovative SSLD-TECH, which minimizes the safety hazards of direct current faults. Germany’s TÜV SÜD, IEC 60947-2 and China’s certifications ensure PV plant safety with proven effectiveness.
Grid Forming: Developed by Huawei, the intelligent grid connection algorithm enables a PV system to be adapted to various grid scenarios, improving its voltage and power control capabilities. At a low short circuit ratio (SCR) of 1.2, it ensures that the inverter runs at full power without derating and successfully passes through high and low voltage continuously, delivering a 30% increase in new energy access.

Equipped with DC arc detection and emergency disconnection, Huawei’s Smart PV Solution cuts off faults with high precision and fast response for enhanced safety.

Smart String Energy Storage System (ESS) for Optimal Levelized Cost of Energy Storage (LCOS)

The new Smart String ESS addresses the limited capacity, short service life, complex O&M, and high safety risks of conventional solutions. Huawei draws on more than ten years of R&D experience in energy storage systems to deliver a unique smart string structure that integrates digital, power electronics, and energy storage technologies, overcoming the limitations of lithium batteries. Smart String ESS adopts pack-level optimization, rack-level optimization, distributed cooling, and all-modular design, enabling the batteries’ full charging and discharging potential and providing optimal LCOS for PV plants.

The system offers comprehensive safety with four layers of protection covering cell-level short circuit detection, pack-level safety shutdown, rack-level overcurrent protection and fault isolation, and system-level smart fire suppression.

Residential Smart PV Solution 3.0 for a Better Life

Following the launch of the “1+3+X” Residential Smart PV Solution 2.0 in 2021, Huawei presented the upgraded “1+4+X” design this year. The integrated solution enables a smart power consumption ecosystem, featuring a smart energy controller which connects a PV optimizer, an ESS, an EV charger, and a management system. This solution enhances PV self-consumption rate to 90% from 70% in the previous generation, bringing an all-around clean energy experience to homes with lower electricity costs, active safety, and intelligent assistant.

To enable low-carbon living, Huawei has launched a new smart EV charger for residential use with easy indoor and outdoor installation, delivering convenient fast charging.

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Smart PV Solution 2.0 for a Sustainable Business

With increasing demand from enterprises to reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions, Huawei launched the upgraded 1+3 C&I Smart PV Solution 2.0 to offer customers new PV and energy storage innovations.

The new generation of the C&I Smart PV Solution comes with an all-new three-phase inverter (SUN2000-50KTL-M3), a Smart String ESS (LUNA-200kWh-2H0), which can be coupled with the 100kW power conditioning system (PCS), and a smart PV optimizer (MERC-1100W/1300W-P). It will allow companies across industries to move into a low-carbon era with optimized electricity costs, active safety, and smart O&M for an enhanced experience.

Smart Micro-grid Solution for Clean and Reliable Power Supply

Huawei launched the Smart Micro-grid Solution to support the seamless online transition of medium-voltage off/on-grid changeover. Compared to traditional power generation from oil, Huawei’s solution cuts LCOE by more than 50%. It effectively reduces power outage loss, helping to achieve zero-carbon generation and eliminate the energy divide.

Long-term Investment to Enable Continuous Innovation

Focusing on the PV sector for more than ten years, Huawei FusionSolar strives to overcome challenges across industries through continuous R&D and innovation. With its carbon-reducing solutions applied globally, the company integrates digital, AI, and cloud technologies to promote the smart development of the PV and energy storage industries.

As the president of the ENSTO-E grid code expert team and a member of IEC and UNE standard organizations, Huawei has submitted over 600 standard proposals and participated in developing more than 80 standards, making a significant contribution to the PV industry. In response to the global energy transformation toward renewable power, Huawei continues to innovate in collaboration with customers and partners to accelerate the adoption of new energy.

Committed to offering best-in-class products and services, Huawei will create more value for customers by further strengthening its leading technologies in string inverters, smart string energy storage systems, grid connection, and PV plant digitalization, helping build a sustainable, low-carbon future for the world.

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May 11, 2022

Le Stockage Distribué OceanStor de Huawei est désigné comme un choix des clients de 2022 Gartner Peer Insights pour les systèmes de fichiers distribués et le stockage d’objets

SHENZHEN, Chine, 11 mai 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Gartner Peer Insights a reconnu le stockage distribué Huawei OceanStor comme un choix des clients dans le rapport 2022 Gartner Peer Insights « La voix du client » : Systèmes de fichiers distribués et stockage d’objets. Avec un score de 4,9 points sur 5 sur la plateforme annuelle Gartner Peer Insights, le stockage distribué Huawei OceanStor s’est classé premier parmi tous les fournisseurs mondiaux.

Gartner Peer Insights est une plateforme d’évaluation en ligne des logiciels et services informatiques. Les avis sont rédigés et lus par des professionnels de l’informatique et des décideurs technologiques du monde entier. Elle comprend plus de 380 000 avis vérifiés d’utilisateurs finaux qui ont l’expérience de l’achat, de la mise en œuvre ou de l’utilisation de produits ou de services sur plus de 360 marchés. Chaque année, les fournisseurs ayant obtenu des évaluations élevées de la part des clients sont nommés Choix des clients par Gartner Peer Insights, ce qui aide les responsables informatiques à prendre des décisions d’achat plus éclairées.

Au 31 janvier 2022, les produits et solutions de stockage distribué Huawei OceanStor avaient reçu de nombreuses critiques positives de la part de clients du monde entier et de divers secteurs, tels que la finance, les transporteurs, la fabrication, l’énergie, les médias, la santé et l’éducation. Ces critiques couvrent tous les aspects, depuis l’architecture du système, la fonctionnalité du produit et le déploiement jusqu’à l’O&M, le service et le support. Toutes ces critiques soulignent la façon dont les clients mondiaux pensent du stockage distribué Huawei OceanStor en termes de position dans l’industrie, d’échelle de déploiement et de maturité d’utilisation commerciale.

« Nous sommes très reconnaissants à nos clients de partager leurs opinions sur Gartner Peer Insights. Notre seul objectif est de fournir des solutions et des produits qui rendent nos clients heureux », a déclaré M. Wang Yidong, président de Huawei Distributed Storage Domain. « Nous continuerons à nous concentrer sur les besoins de nos clients et à fournir des produits et des solutions de stockage distribué efficaces et fiables afin de garantir des services innovants dans chaque secteur. »

Confirmant cette orientation client, un architecte industriel a déclaré : « Nous sommes profondément impressionnés par l’attitude de travail centrée sur le client des ingénieurs de Huawei. Le produit lui-même est très réactif, facile à utiliser pour les données non structurées et très évolutif. »

« Nous avons besoin d’un nouveau type de stockage pour remplacer le stockage centralisé traditionnel. Après le test POC, nous avons constaté que la fiabilité et l’évolutivité du stockage distribué Huawei peuvent être réalisées. La capacité de stockage peut être étendue rapidement et les fonctions de l’interface de gestion sont complètes », a écrit un directeur technique informatique du secteur de la finance.

Un commentaire d’un directeur technique du secteur de la fabrication a déclaré : « Huawei a de l’expérience en matière de produits de stockage distribué. Le stockage est stable avec différents réseaux. Et j’aime l’idée de la plateforme unifiée. »

Spécialement conçu pour accueillir des données de masse, le stockage distribué Huawei OceanStor offre des services de stockage diversifiés pour le calcul haute performance (HPC), l’analyse de données volumineuses, la vidéo, le dépôt/sauvegarde et l’archivage de contenu, la virtualisation et les pools de ressources en cloud. Il aide les entreprises à libérer pleinement la valeur des données de masse.

Pour plus d’informations sur Gartner Peer Insights « La voix du client » : Systèmes de fichiers distribués et stockage d’objets, visitez le site Web suivant : https://www.gartner.com/reprints/huawei-technologies-co-ltd—p-s?id=1-29NQP06P&ct=220408&st=sb

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May 11, 2022

US Consumer Prices Slow in April; Inflation Still High

U.S. consumer price growth slowed sharply in April as gasoline prices eased off record highs, suggesting that inflation has probably peaked, though it is likely to stay hot for a while and keep the Federal Reserve’s foot on the brakes to cool demand.

The consumer price index rose 0.3% last month, the smallest gain since last August, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. That stood in sharp contrast to the 1.2% month-to-month surge in the CPI in March, which was the largest advance since September 2005.

But the deceleration in the CPI is probably temporary. Gasoline prices, which accounted for most of the pull back in the monthly inflation rate, are rising again and were about $4.161 per gallon early this week after dipping below $4 in April, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine is the main catalyst for the surge in gasoline prices. The war has also driven up global good prices.

Inflation was already a problem before Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine because of stretched global supply chains as economies emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic after governments around the world injected large amounts of money in pandemic relief and central banks slashed interest rates.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged the pain that high inflation was inflicting on American families and said bringing prices down “is my top domestic priority.”

The Fed last week raised its policy interest rate by half a percentage point, the biggest hike in 22 years, and said it would begin trimming its bond holdings next month. The U.S. central bank started raising rates in March.

In the 12 months through April, the CPI increased 8.3%. While that was the first deceleration in the annual CPI since last August, it marked the seventh straight month of increases in excess of 6%. The CPI shot up 8.5% in March, the largest year-on-year gain since December 1981.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer prices gaining 0.2% in April and rising 8.1% year-on-year.

While monthly inflation will likely pickup, annual readings are likely to subside further as last year’s large increases fall out of the calculation, but remaining above the Fed’s 2% target at least through 2023.

China’s zero tolerance COVID-19 policy is seen putting more strain on global supply chains, driving up goods prices. Prices for services like air travel and hotel accommodation are also seen keeping inflation elevated amid both strong demand over the summer and a shortage of workers.

Solid gains in rents, airline fares and new motor vehicle prices boosted underlying inflation last month.

Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI picked up 0.6% after rising 0.3% in March. The so-called core CPI increased 6.2% in the 12-months through April. That followed a 6.5% jump in March, which was largest gain since August 1982.

Source: Voice of America

May 11, 2022

Uzbek Cotton Industry Greets End of 13-Year Global Boycott

Uzbek cotton farmers are celebrating the lifting of a 13-year-old international boycott of their product following a finding that the cautiously reform-minded government is no longer using organized forced labor to harvest the economically vital crop.

The decision will open the door to long-closed markets for one of the world’s biggest cotton producers, including major American clothing retailers such as Amazon, Gap, J.Crew, Target and Walmart.

The U.S.-based Cotton Campaign, a coalition of more than 300 businesses and organizations, initiated the boycott in 2009. At that time, it said, the Uzbek authorities were “forcing over 1 million children and adults, including medical staff, public sector employees and students, to pick cotton every year during the harvest.”

The boycott ended after the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, a Cotton Campaign partner, reported this spring that it found “no systemic or systematic, government-imposed forced labor during the cotton harvest” in 2021.

Despite the Uzbek Forum’s finding of discrete incidents of forced labor in several regions, the Cotton Campaign said, “This historic achievement comes after years of persistent engagement by Uzbek activists, international advocates and multinational brands, together with a commitment by the government of Uzbekistan to end its use of forced labor.”

The campaign now urges end users to conduct human rights due diligence at all stages of production — at cotton farms, spinners, fabric mills and manufacturing units — and ensure to have “credible, independent mechanisms in place for forced labor prevention, monitoring, grievance and remedy.”

The Cotton Campaign also fights state-sponsored forced labor in Turkmenistan, which it defines as “one of the most closed and repressive countries in the world.”

It says the authoritarian government there every year “forces tens of thousands of public sector workers to pick cotton in hazardous and unsanitary conditions and extorts money from public employees to pay harvest expenses.”

Jonas Astrup, the International Labor Organization technical adviser in Tashkent, told VOA that freeing Uzbek cotton “from systemic forced and child labor is a political victory for the country.”

“They did not get rid of the boycott to please the international community but for Uzbekistan itself. Responsibility and accountability ultimately lie with the Uzbek people for how and whether they trust the system and how and whether the government can deliver for its citizens,” he said. “But it’s time to seize economic benefits of job creation, economic growth, attracting trade and investment to the country.”

Astrup said the biggest root cause of forced labor “was the state quota system for cotton production and official complicity in it. That has been changed but will take time, of course. But the system of production quotas for provinces, districts and farmers has gone away, and this is really the key.”

The ILO has been monitoring child labor in Uzbekistan since 2013 and forced labor since 2015. It has a network of 17 independent civil society activists, including former political prisoners, who will continue to use tested tools and methodology.

“We have helped inspections grow from 200 to 400 labor inspectors. They are now issuing an annual report with data that is useful for policy and business decisions. They have the mandate to issue fines, investigate violations and submit cases for criminal prosecution,” Astrup said.

Astrup sees the end of the boycott as especially timely as Uzbekistan weathers the impact of sanctions on Russia, a key trading partner.

“We can help Uzbekistan credibly develop its textile and garment industry and give assurance to international brands and retailers that they can start placing orders,” he said.

Astrup added that the ILO and its partners will establish a Better Work Uzbekistan program, focusing on social dialogue mechanisms at factories and cotton-textile clusters, including collective bargaining and bringing employers and workers to the table with government to promote reforms.

Human rights advocates, meanwhile, are calling on the Uzbek government to accelerate reforms and adhere to its international obligations.

Speaking in Tashkent, Bennett Freeman, a Cotton Campaign co-founder and former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, said Uzbekistan’s next challenge is “to open space for civil society and to create the enabling environment essential for responsible sourcing that will attract global brands and protect labor and human rights.”

Hugh Williamson, director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, said Tashkent must lift restrictions on activists and NGOs “to enable them to monitor forced labor and ensure this terrible abuse does not return.”

Tanzila Narbayeva, Uzbekistan’s Senate chair who has led efforts to end forced and child labor, admits the country still faces enormous problems.

“Ensuring human rights and freedom, specifically labor rights, is one of the priorities in our development strategy,” Narbayeva told VOA.

“First, we will strengthen our legal basis, synchronizing our laws with international standards. We will continue reforming agriculture and must also develop our institutions, including a solid monitoring system to base policy on reliable data and research,” she said.

Narbayeva said Tashkent hears international calls for an independent civil society. She said the government is processing registration applications and conducting a discourse with nongovernmental groups.

“We want a pro-active civil society which closely works with relevant international organizations. There will be grants for NGOs, funding for anti-forced labor advocacy and promoting rights in the workplace,” she said.

Source: Voice of America