THE ALDO GROUP PURSUES ITS COMMITMENT TOWARDS CLIMATE ACTION

The Canadian company is currently participating in the World Climate Summit and has recently renewed its climate neutral certification for the fourth year running.


MONTREAL, Nov 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Climate issues are more crucial than ever, and the ALDO Group is dedicated to maintaining its commitment to building a low-carbon future. In addition to announcing the renewal of its climate neutral certification for a fourth consecutive year, the company is currently participating in the 11^th World Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland. A few weeks ago, the Canadian fashion footwear company also joined We Mean Business, an international coalition of more than 600 companies calling upon the leaders of the world’s largest economies to reinforce their climate action objectives during the G20 and COP26 discussions.

“Inspired by the COP21 in Paris 6 years ago, we made a decision in 2018 to become the first climate neutral fashion footwear company. This year’s COP will be a critical meeting - there is massive worldwide support for bold action on climate change. We hope that our participation will contribute in a small way to a very big global challenge,” said David Bensadoun, CEO of the ALDO Group.

World Climate Summit: Rallying the Fashion Industry’s Stakeholders

On November 8 at 10 a.m. (GMT), Jonathan Frankel, Senior Vice-President of APS at the ALDO Group, will join the panel Lead by Example - Harnessing Innovation Towards a Carbon Neutral Fashion & Textile Industry to discuss how the fashion industry can work towards reducing its environmental footprint and how collaboration between manufacturers, designers and consumers is key to reach carbon neutrality.

“The long-term sustainability of the global fashion industry requires systemic change that goes beyond the capabilities of any one company. We cannot fight this problem alone. We strongly believe in collaboration, and that is why we wanted to take part in this unifying event,” said Jonathan Frankel.

Well aware that the fashion industry has an impact on global warming, the ALDO Group intensified its climate actions in recent years. The organization is also a member of multi-stakeholder associations that promote partnerships for concerted industry-wide actions, such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Fashion Pact and the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (UNFCCC).

The ALDO Group’s Journey Towards Reducing Its Carbon Footprint

In 2018, the ALDO Group became the first fashion footwear and accessories company in the world to be certified climate neutral for its corporate stores, offices and distribution centres. The organization then reinforced its environmental commitment by also having eCommerce shipments and product transportation certified climate neutral.

In 2020, the company reduced carbon emissions from its operations by 74% compared to 2013. This year, it carried forward its sustainability journey by continuing to reduce its net emissions and compensating the unavoidable ones through a combination of nature-based forest conservation and clean energy projects. And for the fourth consecutive year, the ALDO Group has received its climate neutral company certification from the South Pole Group - a leading provider of global sustainability solutions and services with a transparent and rigorous certification process.

“It’s very exciting to see the ALDO Group continuing to make progress on climate action. The company has demonstrated industry leadership and we congratulate them on their commitments and ever-increasing ambition,” said Renat Heuberger, CEO and co-founder of South Pole.

Having achieved significant reductions for its operations’ emissions, the ALDO Group has been addressing other important issues: from waste management to its positive impact on local communities, from teaming up with partners to improve their social and environmental footprint to promoting diversity and inclusion. In terms of products, the company aims to continue introducing more innovative low impact materials in its collections and to increase its use of recycled materials, such as polyester. The company is also working to decarbonize it supply chain by working closely with its suppliers.

It is also important to remember that in 2019, the ALDO Group joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Its GHG reduction targets are therefore in line with climate science.

Member of the We Mean Business Coalition

Recognizing the need for collective climate action, the ALDO Group signed the We Mean Business coalition’s open letter earlier this month. Ahead of the crucial G20 and COP 26 summits, more than 600 companies from around the world called on the leaders of the world’s largest economies to do their utmost to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C and to reinforce their objectives. The signatories represent sectors ranging from energy and transportation to fashion and construction.

To read the letter and consult the list of companies who signed it, please visit https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/g20-2021/#letter-block.

For more information about the ALDO Group’s commitment to sustainability, please visit https://responsibility.aldogroup.com/.

About the ALDO Group
The ALDO Group is a world-leading creator and operator of desirable footwear and accessory brands. With a presence in over 100 countries around the world, the organization operates under two signature brands, ALDO and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO. The ALDO Group is also an industry-recognized wholesale distributor and third party sourcing provider of fashion footwear, handbags and accessories. In addition to its head office in Montreal, the ALDO Group has international offices in Europe and in Asia. Guided on a daily basis by its purpose A journey to create a world of love, confidence, and belonging, the ALDO Group is simply unique. For more information, visit www.aldogroup.com.

Media Contact:
press@aldogroup.com


SOURCE : ALDO Group

AGC BIOLOGICS APPOINTS JEAN-BAPTISTE AGNUS AS CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER

Seattle, Nov 2 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), today announced Jean-Baptiste Agnus has been appointed as the company’s Chief Business Officer (CBO). In this position, he is responsible for strategic leadership over all aspects of the company’s global business development and sales and marketing teams.  

“Jean-Baptiste is an experienced leader who has spent his career helping to build successful biopharmaceutical companies. He brings extensive experience in guiding companies through strategic business development initiatives, and understands how to navigate the changing dynamics and complexities of our industry," said AGC Biologics Chief Executive Officer, Patricio Massera. “We are excited to have him on our global leadership team as our new CBO.  We look forward to leveraging his experience as we continue to innovate and realize the full potential of our development and manufacturing capabilities.”  

Mr. Agnus brings more than 20 years of experience in biopharmaceuticals and contract development and manufacturing. He joins AGC Biologics after three years with Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, where he led the company’s strategic vision of its worldwide sales and marketing activities. Prior to that, he worked for 13 years at Novasep, and held a number of business development leadership roles with increasing responsibility both in Europe and the U.S.  While there, Mr. Agnus most recently held the position of Head of Sales & Business Development North America, where he led both small molecule API and biologics contract manufacturing services. Prior to his experience at Novasep, he was the Business Manager at Isochem in the SNPE group.  

“I am very excited to be joining the AGC Biologics team. I believe this company has a great business model, vast capabilities and a talented global team, which uniquely positions it to be a leader in the CDMO space,” said Mr. Agnus. “The recent investments and growth in cell and gene therapy capabilities and capacity, in particular, are preparing AGC Biologics for a bright and fruitful future. This industry continues to evolve and innovate, and this company’s network of global facilities and employees puts it in a position to provide a cost-effective, reliable and timely suite of services that can bring life-changing treatments to market.” 

Mr. Agnus joins at a critical time for AGC Biologics, as the company has seen record-level growth over the last several years. The company invested in expanding its services and capabilities in the cell and gene therapy space, and now has a network of sites on three continents that support the needs of biologics and cell and gene therapeutics developers.  

For more information on AGC Biologics’ global services and capabilities visit www.agcbio.com.     

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HKSTP adds Fintech unicorn Nium as partner company

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 -- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has announced the addition of a global Fintech unicorn, Nium, as a partner company to HKSTP’s thriving Fintech ecosystem.

HKSTP Chief Executive Officer, Albert Wong said: “The addition of such a world-class leader is a sign of strength for Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech scene, and proof of the city’s allure as a global Fintech hub.”

“Growing adoption of API-driven solutions among Hong Kong’s financial institutions are fuelling rapid development of Fintech startups, like Nium, and igniting growth for next-generation financial technologies into the GBA and beyond.”

Nium is opening its new office at InnoCentre to leverage Hong Kong’s growing Fintech opportunities as well as the huge GBA market potential for seamless application programming interface (API)-based payments services.

The high-growth Fintech startup connects consumers, corporations and financial institutions to the world’s payment infrastructure through a single API for fast, low-cost international transfers, according to a statement.

HKSTP has already connected Nium with a number of Fintech API players in Hong Kong to accelerate service development and business growth.

Through collaboration with industry leaders and tech startups at InnoCentre, Nium can instantly plug into the Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech ecosystem and ride the wave of API-based financial services sweeping across Hong Kong and the GBA.

Nium will leverage Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre, a regulatory leader, a transportation and trade centre, and a world-class international I&T hub to power its regional expansion plans.

The HKSTP Fintech ecosystem can fuel Nium’s growth journey by providing the ideal environment for API innovation, connections to deep Regtech and Fintech expertise, as well as integration to the GBA.

More details at www.hkstp.org. 

-- BERNAMA

OKEX LAUNCHES NEW ADVANCED TRADING MODE FOR CRYPTO TRADERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- OKEx has announced the launch of a new advanced trading mode for professional and institutional traders — portfolio margin — as part of its efforts to build the world’s most powerful trading platform for crypto traders.

According to a statement, the new trading mode is available on the platform's web and API versions for high-volume traders, effective Nov 1.

Portfolio margin on OKEx is designed for high-volume professional traders, including market makers and institutions, looking to substantially reduce their capital requirements.

The mode offers traders — and especially market makers for cryptocurrency futures and options — significantly reduced margin calculation. Notably, OKEx sees this new feature as a way to address the current problem of fragmented liquidity across crypto options markets.

A risk management system similar to portfolio margin — standardised portfolio analysis of risk, or SPAN — was first pioneered for traditional finance participants by the world's largest derivatives exchange, CME Group.

With the release of the new portfolio margin mode on OKEx, the platform is leading the way in the cryptocurrency industry by introducing this powerful tool for capital efficiency enhancement and risk management.

OKEx's version of this trading mode stands out from competitors by allowing for multiple-currency portfolio margining — meaning that a trader can open derivatives positions with significantly reduced margin requirements across multiple currencies at the same time.

With its new portfolio margin mode, alongside industry leading liquidity, OKEx, founded in 2017, is showing its commitment to providing the most advanced tools and best possible trading experience for its customers.

-- BERNAMA

 NTHU-DAICEL TIE FIVE-YEAR JOINT PROJECT TO INTEGRATE INNOVATIVE MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and the well-known Japanese chemical company DAICEL, have announced a five-year joint project to integrate an innovative microfluidic system developed by scholar Kitamori Takehiko into the chemical manufacturing industry.

Total investment in the project is 450 million Japanese yen (approximately NT$110 million), and its potential to reduce energy consumption while lowering the production of carbon and waste is expected to set a new standard for sustainability in the chemical industry. (NT$100 = RM14.92)

Prof Kitamori, a world-renowned pioneer in microfluidic and nanofluidic technology and the former vice president of the University of Tokyo, has been serving as the Yushan Honorary Chair Professor of the Institute of Nanoengineering and Microsystems, Department of Power Mechanical Engineering at NTHU since 2020.

Kitamori explained it could be quite difficult to instantaneously mix several large barrels of chemicals with different temperatures and reaction speeds, and there might even be an explosion if the materials were not handled carefully.

Thus, the preferred way of blending chemicals is by passing it through a microchannel, which makes it possible to precisely control the amount of raw materials used, as well as the mixing sequence and conditions, thereby optimising the quality of the final product.

Kitamori said the aim of the project was to reduce the size of chemical production equipment, so that what was currently produced by a factory measuring 20 x 20 metres can be miniaturised into a system only two square metres in size.

What’s more, such a system would use less energy and materials, making it less expensive, and would also produce less carbon, according to a statement.

Years ago, when DAICEL president Ogawa Yoshimi heard about the microfluidic technology developed by Kitamori, he was deeply impressed, and is now highly pleased that DAICEL is going to integrate this innovative technology into its operations.

He is also looking forward to cooperating with NTHU in introducing this epoch-making manufacturing process to the world, which he also sees as a way of promoting sustainability and the circular economy.

-- BERNAMA

SHOPSTREAM MAKES SINGAPORE DEBUT AFTER SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG LAUNCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- The Livestream focused marketplace is launching its APP ‘Shopstream360’ in Singapore following a successful launch in Hong Kong.

According to a statement, brands and creators can engage consumers through interactive livestreams that are connected to a ‘one-click’ shopping experience.

On the path to a global roll-out, Singapore marks the second city on the company’s aggressive expansion plan. Shopstream makes it easy for creators to monetise their influence by creating their personalised storefront with featured products from official stores where consumers can shop instantly.

Shopstream is a livestreaming focused technology company that delivers a unique live shopping experience. Designed for small to established businesses that are serving both local and worldwide consumers, the company has engineered a seamless integration of livestream, user interaction and ecommerce CRM features.

Shopstream believes consumers want to live better and shop better quality goods. “The marketplace brings high quality masterclasses, entertainment and shopping in one destination App,” said Joe Cheung, Chief Technical Officer.

Brands can use the platform to set up their Shopstream online stores, manage livestream and engage with audiences. Service providers can also embrace the ‘Pay to view’ functionality to share expert content or entertainment. Shopstream’s Singapore official brand Ambassador Dawn Sim, fitness and wellness expert joins the marketplace.

As part of the launch activity, Shopstream has thematic events throughout the month of November uniquely tailored to the Singapore market and the food segment is naturally a significant component.

One of the key pillars for Shopstream is a mission to use livestreaming to help inspire better business strategies and showcase solutions that bring positive climate change as well as helping NGOs to bring more awareness to their causes.

-- BERNAMA

COME 2026, OPEN BANKING-FACILITATED PAYMENTS TO EXCEED US$116 BILLION - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- A new Juniper Research study has found that the value of global payment transactions facilitated by Open Banking will exceed US$116 billion in 2026, from just under US$4 billion in 2021. (US$1 = RM4.146)

This extraordinary growth rate of over 2,800 per cent over the next five years will be driven by increasing user awareness of Open Banking features, supported by greater deployment within Europe, as vendors build on PSD2 (Second Payment Services Directive) APIs to deliver expanding services, according to a statement.

The research identified Open Banking-facilitated payments, where payments are made directly from bank accounts, as a growing threat to the dominance of cards within eCommerce.

While card payments are well established, leveraging permissioned access to bank accounts can reduce fraud risks due to strict KYC (Know Your Customer) rules.

The research recommends payment providers partner with Open Banking API providers to reduce risks of disintermediation.

The new research, Open Banking: Key Opportunities, Vendor Strategies & Market Forecasts 2021‑2026, found Europe would account for over 75 per cent of Open Banking payments users globally in 2026; demonstrating the headstart that PSD2 has given this market.

However, the report recommends that API vendors look beyond regulatory minimum requirements to develop advanced use cases such as aggregation of additional products, including loans, credit cards and mortgages, as awareness builds.

In addition, the research found recent governmental support within the US would stimulate the growth of Open Banking, and the market will require payment players to develop new capabilities quickly to capitalise.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA