There is a disparity in the amount of sunlight that states within the continental United States are exposed to. Yet, just because a state has a high potential for solar energy power production does not mean that the state is utilizing it to its full potential. When analyzing states’ solar energy use it is important to take into consideration both the states’ potential as well as actual solar energy usage. This dashboard seeks to answer which states are effectively using solar energy they have access to, and which could do better in capturing this available sunlight. In essence, is sunlight exposure a limiting factor of an individual state’s solar energy production, or are there ways to overcome this natural disadvantage and still lead the nation? Investigation regarding current and proposed policy also provides further insights within this subject matter.

Maize, rye, soy, sugarcane, sunflower, summer wheat, winter wheat – these are just a few crops that can go into our bread. They are some of 16 important crops worldwide that are crucial to the global economy in terms of food security and biofuel, Crop suitability is measured by the ability of the land to grow 16 crops, as mentioned above, that are the most important globally.

In a continuation from dashboard earlier this month on US plastics, this week we analyze where and who makes plastics resins in the European Union. By knowing who makes what and where, the European Union can accelerate its transition to sustainable plastics.

Please click on our dashboard and see where and who makes the plastics resins used in the EU.

• You can easily trace a PET bottle back through its production line.
• You can also our filters to determine what companies are producing which plastics, where they are made, and what are the majority of types of plastics that are being produced.

To make this easy to use, we start with the products we use each day, and then show how they are made.

Since 1950, companies have made more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic, the equivalent of 2 billion African elephants. Discarded packaging accounts for 46% (158 million tonnes) of total annual plastic waste generation (Geyer 2020 and UNEP 2021). Most plastic packaging waste comes from household waste. Waste plastic packaging is polluting our oceans, air, and land.

For this dashboard, we sought to visualize the pathway our plastics take from the source to our homes. In our dashboard, you can use the filters to determine things like what companies are producing the plastics and what are the majority of types of plastics being produced. To connect it to your own life, we identified end products that are created by basic, intermediate chemicals, and resin products in plastic production.

The U.S. economy has a high level of regional specialization and economic complexity. This is clear when assessing direct greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions by Congressional districts. According to the U.S. EPA data, 75% of 2.3 billion metric tons of direct CO2e emissions released in 2020 are from Republican districts.

There are 441 congressional districts within the U.S., including 6 non-voting districts. Of the 19 districts that exceeded 19 million metric tons of CO2e, all but two were Republican-led districts.

There are 435 U.S. House of Representatives up for election this fall. A key measure to consider is the toxic chemical legacy in each congressional district and these elected leaders’ voting records. Recent U.S. EPA data shows that 82% of toxic chemicals released into the environment occurred in congressional districts lead by Republicans.

According to the U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), 3.1 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released in the U.S. in 2020. The mandatory TRI program tracks the management of regulated toxic chemicals in the U.S. that threaten human health and the environment.

These toxic chemicals are often used in the composition and the making of our clothes, children's toys, pots, pans, automobiles, and plastics.

Market forces, civil society, policymakers, ESG investors, engaged corporations, and technological innovation led the way in the 7.63 percent reduction of CO2 emissions in the U.S. between 2010 and 2019.

This impressive number hides regional variations that corporate executives, investors, and policymakers must fully understand so the U.S. can maintain its momentum towards achieving public- and private-sector carbon emissions reduction goals by 2030.

Our analysis discusses the need for policymakers and corporate executives alike to incorporate regional emissions variations – from 11 mtCO2 in the Northeast to 20 mtCO2 in the Midwest – into modeling their pathways to achieving overall net-zero emissions commitments.

Russia’s war on Ukraine has resulted in unspeakable and horrific human rights abuses, thousands of civilian casualties, and devastated and destroyed communities and economic infrastructure throughout Ukraine directly impacting global economic and food security. Responsible Alpha assessed 3,400 equity positions equal to $100 billion and 85% of Russia's market capitalization to determine the institutional investors exposed to Russia and their ESG Human Rights policies, UN Global Compact participation, and TCFD commitments.