The Greening of Detroit: Working to Create Healthy Urban Communities Through Trees, Education, and Jobs
Established in 1989, The Greening of Detroit is a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire sustainable growth of a healthy urban community through trees, green spaces, healthy living, education, and job opportunities. To date, it has planted 147,000 trees and trained more than 1,000 people through its five-year-old workforce development program. Putting trees in the ground is job one for the organization, but it also is involved in stormwater management and providing landscaping services to residents and businesses in the communities they serve. President Lionel Bradford has been with the nonprofit since 2010 and is proud of its 35-year history. SBN Detroit interviewed Bradford about the organization’s programs, impact, and future. Q: What was the impetus to begin The Greening of Detroit? A: For years Detroit was known as the Paris of the Midwest, partly because of the tree canopy cover the city used to have. Between 1950 and 1980 Detroit lost over a half million trees due to Dutch Elm Disease, urbanization, and neglect due to financial struggles. In 1989, The Greening of Detroit was founded to reforest the city of Detroit. Since its inception, 147,000 trees have been planted throughout the city. We also started a youth employment program as a way to educate and take care of these trees. Our Green Corps Summer Youth program at its height employed 200 high school students. That number decreased due to COVID-19, but it’s coming back up. In a nutshell, our organization has two main pillars: workforce development and green infrastructure. Q: What are you currently working on in terms of tree planting? A: We are in the third year of a five-year strategic plan where we are looking to plant 20,000 trees throughout Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, and train 300 individuals who have barriers to employment. This plan fits into a larger initiative we are involved in called the Detroit Tree Equity Partnership. This is a collaboration with American Forest, DTE Energy, and the City of Detroit in which we are planning to plant 75,000 trees over the next five years. There is a buzz in the city right now in terms of trees. We’ve done a lot of engagement and outreach. Recently we conducted a 500-tree giveaway, and there were still cars lined up after we gave away the last tree. It’s great to see this. Q: What is your involvement with the Walter Meyers Nursery? A: Walter Meyers is a tree nursery on 72 acres in Rouge Park that for years went untouched. In 2004, The Greening of Detroit – with the city’s permission – took over managing that property to serve as a training ground for our adult workforce development. We have used it as an outdoor classroom setting. In 2017, we put together a master plan to turn it back into a working nursery operation. As an organization, we are looking for ways to generate revenue for our training programs and to plant our trees. We want to control our destiny and cut down the carbon footprint involved in having trees shipped in. We have planted over 4,000 trees in the nursery and harvested our first 200 trees last year. The goal is to get to a point where we are selling 5,000 trees annually to municipalities, the City of Detroit, and the community. Q: What sustainable impact do you think this brings? A: In addition to creating green infrastructure in the city, community engagement is at the heart of what we do. Our job is to get trees in the ground, but we do not want to impose our will. We want to be invited into communities. Not only do we want residents to have a say, but we also want them to be a part of the work. This is a model that speaks volumes in terms of sustainability, and it’s held up across the state and the country. Q: How does The Greening of Detroit impact businesses? A: We engage and work with business owners in the communities we are involved in. Many of them bring us in to green their properties. The more green space we can add for businesses, the more it helps aesthetics and foot traffic. Green space and economic development go hand in hand. Also, from an economic standpoint, our education program puts people into jobs doing work around the city, which enhances the economic viability of Detroit as well. Q: In what other ways does the organization create green infrastructure in the city? A: Stormwater management. We have installed three major bioretention ponds around the city that hold up to a million gallons of water. These are in Rouge Park, Chandler Park, and Eliza Howell Parks. We also work with residents and businesses to replace impervious surfaces with green infrastructure through our Land + Water WORKS Coalition. Q: You have an adult workforce program from which over 1,000 Detroiters have graduated in the past five years. How does this work? A: This is a six-week program called the Detroit Conservation Corps. Sixty percent of those who have graduated were previously incarcerated. We are passionate about helping that population get credentials and secure jobs that pay decent wages. We work with a network of businesses looking to employ, most from the tree care and landscaping industries. These companies work in tandem with our advisory committee to help us build our curriculum and help with job placement. We have hired a small percentage of our trainees ourselves. Q: What is the future of The Greening of Detroit? A: Community engagement will always be a focus. We also are rebuilding our environmental education. These programs fell by the wayside before and during COVID-19, but we are working to get into schools, facilitate field trips, and educate our youth. We truly believe that getting the Meyers Nursery operations up and running is key for us moving forward. It will be important for us to generate our revenue. I’m proud we’ve been able to sustain the organization for 35
Valeo – Aiming for Carbon Neutrality by 2050
In 2021, global automotive supplier Valeo committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. With $21 billion in sales and 109,900 employees in 29 countries, Valeo has a presence in Troy, Auburn Hills, and Highland Park. SBN Detroit interviewed Valeo Group CAP50 Director Zobeida Gutierrez about the company’s sustainability efforts globally and its impact on Southeast Michigan. Q: Tell us about the CAP50 project. A: Championed by CEO and President Christophe Périllat, Valeo’s global decarbonization plan primarily focuses on 156 production plants. However, our actions extend to our design centers and Valeo Service activities around the world. I have worked for Valeo for thirty years in a variety of positions, including roles in quality in operations, supplier quality, project management, and special projects. I am now the global lead for Valeo’s CAP50 decarbonization plan, and I support other sustainability and circular economy initiatives within North America. Q: What are the specifics of the plan? A: This is our action plan to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2050 across the entire Valeo value chain. Valeo has set 2030 near-term CO2 reduction targets validated by SBTi (Science Based Target initiative) Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emission absolute value reduction of 75% and Scope 3 upstream and downstream reduction of 15% from our 2019 baseline. This goal translates to removing 8.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Since 2019, we have removed 4.4 million metric tons as of the end of 2022, confirming the effectiveness of our CAP 50 plan. The second reduction target integrates benefits realized from electrification within our product portfolio, accounting for a 45% CO2 emission reduction due to avoided emissions at third parties as compared to the 2019 CO2 emissions footprint baseline. Q: What actions are you taking to achieve this? A: Our framework includes all three scopes as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 1 targets direct emissions coming from our operations. We are currently investing to get our top 100 CO2 emitting sites Energy Management ISO 50001 certified to ensure they are focusing on energy efficiency to drive a 30% reduction in energy consumption by 2030. We are also switching to LED lights, eliminating fuel, oil, and natural gas use, installing solar panels at our sites, and introducing energy-efficient equipment. Scope 2 focuses on indirect greenhouse gas emissions incurred by our energy suppliers. Our low-carbon electricity procurement supports the increase of renewable energy capacity projects. Our internal target is to secure 50% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2025 and 80% by 2030. Valeo has committed to investing $436 million to support Scope 1 and Scope 2 actions. Scope 3 involves indirect greenhouse gas emissions within our supply chain, upstream and downstream. Upstream efforts target indirect emissions incurred by our suppliers, and downstream efforts target indirect emissions incurred by the use and end-of-life of our products. For Scope 3 upstream, we launched a sustainability assessment questionnaire to evaluate our supply chain sustainability maturity level. We also align our suppliers’ greenhouse gas emissions targets with ours – a reduction of 75% for Scope 1 and Scope 2 and 15% for Scope 3 Upstream emissions vs. their baseline year. Our suppliers are also required to cascade these targets throughout their entire supply chain. Our transportation levers within Scope 3 include greener fuels, optimization of filling rates for trucks, multimodal scenarios such as replacing airfreight with train or truck, and the use of returnable and greener packaging. For Scope 3 downstream, Valeo is accelerating its technological roadmap and cementing its global leadership in the electrification market. Currently, 60% of our portfolio supports EVs. We are researching and validating greener materials and designing more energy-efficient, lighter, and greener products. No reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is too small. Every Ton of CO2 reduced counts. Even if it’s simply balancing HVAC systems in our buildings to save energy, simple things can add up to several tons of CO2 emissions reductions. Q: How is your team structured to support the goals and initiatives? A: It starts at the top. Our board of directors has set targets and reviewed achievements related to sustainability and climate change since 2016. In addition, since 2020, a director has been responsible for monitoring corporate social responsibility issues. The Chief Sustainability Officer position within Valeo aligns with the Corporate Vice President of Sustainable Development and External Affairs, who works in partnership with the Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Strategy. Sustainability topics are therefore under the direct oversight and management of the CEO. Our human resources, health, safety, and environmental, ethics and compliance, research and development, and operations departments (purchasing, quality, projects, industrial) all contribute to Valeo’s sustainable development policy, and each business group assigns CAP 50 champions. Q: What are your biggest challenges? A: Our biggest concern – which is not unique to Valeo – is the lack of renewable energy capacity. The world needs to triple global renewable capacity from 2022 levels by 2030, which must reach 11,000 gigawatts in line with the International Energy Agency’s net zero emissions by 2050 scenario. Also, there is a need for stronger domestic policies and international support, most notably in clean energy investment in emerging and developing economies. Q: What are the biggest opportunities? A: Electrification acceleration. The introduction of electric vehicles is an opportunity, not only for cars but also for micromobility. Another opportunity is preserving our resources by creating a circular economy. Valeo has created the 4R Circle, which is our plan for Robust Design, Remanufacturing, Repair, and Recycling aimed at reducing the use of raw materials and preserving the planet’s resources by giving our products extended life and recyclability options. Q: How is the work you are doing impacting Southeast Michigan? A: In June 2022, we signed a contract with energy supplier DTE Energy to contribute 100% of renewable energy usage at our Michigan locations (Troy, Auburn Hills, and Highland Park) starting in April 2024. This contract is for 20 years, and it demonstrates Valeo’s commitment to supporting renewable energy projects
Dunamis – Creating Solutions for Energy Efficiencies While Working to Bring Opportunities to Communities of Color
Dunamis Clean Energy Partners LLC is a green-energy firm specializing in electric vehicle charger and LED lighting manufacturing; energy efficiency and energy management services; and environmental service solutions for municipal, commercial, and industrial clients. Owner and CEO Natalie King has led Dunamis to become a multimillion-dollar corporation with over 135 employees throughout Southeastern Michigan. SBN Detroit interviewed King about the company, the vision, and Dunamis’ impacts. Q: Tell us about Dunamis. A: Essentially, it’s two companies – Dunamis Clean Energy Partners and Dunamis Charge. I launched Clean Energy in 2012 as an energy-efficiency firm providing consulting services for energy management and solutions. We work with commercial and industrial properties, helping them to integrate energy-efficient solutions, reduce their carbon footprints and decrease operating costs. I created Dunamis Charge in 2018, and we are focused on manufacturing best-in-class EV infrastructure products and charging stations. A focus here is economic development and job creation for underserved communities that are underemployed and have been historically impacted by environmental issues. Charge is a startup and is currently ramping up. I anticipate hiring 150 employees by 2025. Q: How did the company originally come to be? A: It’s been a 360 journey. I started in law in 1999 and thought I would end up as an environmental lawyer. But life happened, and I joined a firm that needed me in their corporate practice. But I always had a passion for the environment and how it impacts communities of color disproportionately. Ultimately, it trained me for business and spurred my entrepreneurial spirit. I had an opportunity to cofound a solar company in 2007, and I acted as general counsel. It reignited my interest in the energy field concerning the environment. I also did a lot of business development and loved it. Eventually, when it came time to shift, I did not want to go back to law, so I started Dunamis in 2012. An overarching goal of mine is to bring opportunities to communities of color that may not even know anything about this space. I believe in being good at what I do while doing good. I felt I wanted to spread the message to underserved and underdeveloped communities that there is a great opportunity here. Q: What services do you provide, and how have these evolved? A: We started lighting manufacturing in 2015, and, ultimately, that’s how we developed the concept that we could do EV chargers. That experience with manufacturing. We wanted to vertically integrate the company while doing energy auditing. Most times lighting is a component of the audits and we thought – why not come up with great solutions for our customers? So, our LED lighting product line is custom-built and project-oriented. We began to drill down into lighting prospects for horticulture and focus on commercial growers, and we developed a highly efficient LED lighting solution for that industry. In terms of our environmental side, we are a Tier 1 provider to DTE Energy. We also provide industrial cleaning services for power plants. It’s a pivot in our business and has helped growth and focus concerning clean energy technology. We started Dunamis Charge in 2018 and have a 33,000-square-foot facility on the east side of Detroit that is outfitted and ready for production. Q: How do you think these services impact Southeast Michigan businesses? A: I think it’s important for Southeast Michigan to see representation that looks like our communities. I think our business impacts the entrepreneurs who have a dream but may not know how to get there. If someone is stepping out, he or she can see there is someone else who’s done it. I believe that representation matters. An American-made product also shows we can compete with the world to create best-in-class products that are used around the world. We don’t have to source products from China or overseas, we have the ability, smarts, and talent to do it here. The timing is impeccable because of the huge investment OEMs have made and the government is making in EV technology and infrastructure. We have the ability to innovate and create and build products like we’ve been doing for years – why not build the next legacy of products in Detroit? I’m hoping that is what Dunamis represents. I’m a city girl born and raised and educated in Detroit. We can breed talent here and create here and create jobs here for our community. Q: Who are your customers? A: DTE is our major customer, and Wayne State University and Bedrock on the energy management side. We work with a lot of small and midsized warehouses for energy auditing and lighting retrofitting. Q: In what ways do you think Dunamis impacts sustainability in Southeast Michigan? A: I believe we have played a great role in assisting our customer base by creating solutions that are not just typical solutions for energy efficiency. We’ve been able to provide comprehensive energy management services to our customers that change the way they operate as a whole. I’m very proud we’ve been able to provide this service. In addition, our own footprint matters. We are located in Southeast Michigan and are committed to carbon neutrality. Everything we do, and all our vendors also have to have sustainability goals and sustainability practices concerning packaging, how they deliver, their systems, etc., to ensure we are reducing the carbon footprint in every aspect. I’m hoping we can be an example here for municipalities, businesses, etc., to consider energy management solutions in every area. Q: Being a native Detroiter, you talk about the importance of giving back to the city. How do you think your company does this? A: It goes back to representation. Having representation as a minority-woman-owned company that has been built from the ground is important to me. And also, being a resource to others who may be motivated by that. It also goes back to economic development and workforce development. I believe we are in a fourth industrial revolution right now. Trillions of dollars
DTE Energy’s Agenda for Mitigating Climate Change
SHAWN PATTERSON, VP, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY, DTE ENERGY, AND MEMBER OF THE SBND LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, SHARES HIS PERSPECTIVE ON MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE AS A TOP PRIORITY. When you’ve been in business a while, you come to understand that there is no such thing as “just business.” What we do impacts our communities, our customers, and our world. That’s part of why, at DTE Energy, we’ve built sustainability into our plans for the future to help ensure that we’re going above and beyond for what matters most. CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN ERA-DEFINING ISSUE Climate change is one of the defining issues of our era. That’s why last fall, DTE Electric unveiled our 2022 CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan, our proposal to fundamentally transform the way we produce electricity in our state, accelerating coal plant retirements and investing in cleaner Michigan-made energy – including wind and solar parks – to accelerate reductions in carbon emissions. These plans include MIGreenPower which gives both business and residential customers the opportunity to support clean energy infrastructure right here in Michigan without needing to install or maintain it themselves. Michigan businesses have already gotten involved in this program in a big way. Corporate leaders Ford and Stellantis made two of the largest renewable energy purchases ever from a utility in the U.S. in 2022, adding more than 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy to their automotive operations. This, combined with more than 85,000 residential enrollees, the MIGreenPower program is on pace to avoid as many as three million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, helping create a cleaner future for all. While natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels, we offer ways for customers to offset their natural gas usage, too, with the Natural Gas Balance program. For a small fee, the program uses carbon offsets to protect forests across the Upper Peninsula and support the advancement of non-fossil fuels with renewable natural gas. This program is designed to play a role as we aspire to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. ENERGY EFFICIENCIES We also strive to help the businesses that support our communities with ways to make their operations more energy efficient. With our business energy advisors, business owners can find the right energy-efficient solutions for their operations. From business-specific tips and changes to technologies to help make it easier, we are here to guide our customers toward a more energy-efficient way of doing business. But carbon reduction isn’t the only thing we’re working on. We also strive to build a Michigan-based set of suppliers. DTE has invested nearly $18 billion with Michigan-based suppliers since 2010, creating and sustaining 65,000 Michigan jobs. As a founding member of Pure Michigan Business Connect, we recognize the importance of connecting with local suppliers and we require that most new bids include at least two Michigan companies. Sustaining local businesses as well as our environment are key components to building a better future for all of Michigan. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates on sustainable business practices in and around Detroit.
Mitigating Climate Risks to Michigan’s Forestry Industry
More than half of Michigan is forested, with 20 million acres making up a vital part of the state’s landscape. Millions of acres of Michigan forest land are used to produce timber, a renewable and sustainably managed resource that supports many industries. The forests also provide other values, including wildlife habitat and watershed protection, and also help to sustain biodiversity. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the state’s forest products industries provide direct employment to almost 42,000 people, leading to $13.4 billion in economic output. Since 2014, jobs directly provided by forest products industries have increased by 9.7%. SBN Detroit spoke with DNR state forest planning and operations manager David Price about the impacts of climate change on Michigan forests, the trickle-down effect, and what can and is being done to mitigate risk. Q: How is climate change impacting forestry in Michigan? A: Forests have always been associated with Michigan. They’re a huge part of our social and economic fabric. Our forests support direct forestry jobs and also many other secondary industries. Trees are also important to our general well-being, mental health, and recreational pursuits. They help to regulate the global climate, absorbing a substantial portion of the fossil-fuel carbon emissions we humans produce. Climate change is driving concerns about forest health and productivity in many ways. Michigan is growing warmer and wetter, and there are projections that by the end of the century, the climate will be more like present Arkansas. Cold winters control and kill off certain insects that can be harmful to trees. Warmer winters mean these insects can be more persistent and harmful. Combine that with the fact that warmer weather can stress certain tree species and make them more susceptible to drought and less resistant to insects and disease, and we have a big problem. In Michigan, a good example of this is the hemlock woolly adelgid. We’ve been battling to contain this insect because it’s threatening to kill our hemlock trees along the coast of Lake Michigan. Cold winter weather helps to control the scale of this insect that spreads fungal disease, and warmer winters directly correlate to less winter mortality. There are operational considerations that climate change is causing as well. If the ground does not freeze, it’s significantly harder to harvest timber without causing extensive damage to the soils, potentially contributing to sediment moving into streams and wetlands. In Michigan, we have indigenous species such as red and jack pine, aspen, and boreal – spruces and firs – that are at the southern-most extent of their natural range in Michigan and they are not able to move quickly and adjust as the climate changes. A potential decline in the health and productivity of these tree species due to climate change will harm the values that they provide, including timber production, wildlife habitat, and carbon storage. An excellent example of this is the potential decline of jack pine forests in the northern Lower Peninsula which would cause a loss of habitat for the Kirtland’s warbler, a bird that is endemic to Michigan, recently removed from the endangered species list and proposed to be the new state bird of Michigan. So, as you can see, climate change is affecting our forest health and productivity in several ways. Q: What are the implications regarding business and the economy in Southeast Michigan? A: Michigan has a robust $22 billion forest-products industry. Most of the timber is harvested in northern Michigan, but secondary manufacturing occurs throughout the state, including Southeast Michigan. Many are surprised that Wayne County itself generates over a billion dollars in the forest products industry. The county’s paper products industry supports over 2,800 jobs alone. Think about sawmills in northern Michigan that then distribute products that are then sold at Menards, Home Depot, etc. This directly contributes to home construction in Southeast Michigan, which is also a huge industry. The bottom line is, maintaining a healthy and productive forest throughout the state is directly related to the economy in Southeast Michigan and the economy of the entire state. Q: What can be done to mitigate the risk to our forests, and what is the DNR doing about this? A: This is a million-dollar question. The happy news is that we can do things to change the outcome and the DNR has many initiatives in place. One simple thing we can do is plant trees. There is a lot of vacant land in northern Michigan that used to be forested. These areas are prime for reforestation. Planting trees is a great way to utilize nature for removing carbon from the atmosphere, and it’s underutilized in the state. The DNR plants over six million trees per year, most replacing forest that’s been harvested. The DNR has also initiated The Big Wild Forest Carbon Project, the first project in the nation to leverage the carbon storage capacity of trees on state forest lands. This pilot project captures carbon that is sequestered in trees and generated carbon credits. DTE Energy purchased the first decade of carbon offset credits to be used in their commercial natural gas programs. On a smaller scale, we are working offsetting power usage at our fish hatcheries through solar energy. We are also working with a company called Circle Power to develop two utility-scale solar energy projects on brownfield sites in the Upper and northern Lower Peninsulas. The DNR also partners with Michigan State University for some important research projects. First, we are evaluating assisted tree migration, which is a climate change adaptation strategy that involves moving trees or their genetic material from a known location to an area where they are presently well-adapted to an area where they are not currently present or prevalent, but where the trees may be better adapted to future climate under climate change projections. We are experimenting with new species and genetics of species and also identifying seed sources that may be better climate adapted to Michigan in the future to help the forest to
