Engineering Net Zero Event
April 21, 2023
ATG Green Team
Who said spring break can't be both fun and educational? ATG Cognizant was proud to host University of Montana students on our campus during their 2023 Spring Break to discuss the global business imperatives around sustainability, explore the leading technology solution in the space, and get hands-on-keyboards to generate real carbon emission footprints for UM facilities.
In addition to gaining experience with Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, students met with ATG SVP of Strategy Tom Stergios, Cognizant Chief Sustainability Officer Sophia Mendelsohn, Cognizant Head of ESG Reporting Aya Kiy, and Salesforce VP of Strategic Research Peter Coffee.
Stergios welcomed the students and set the stage for the week ahead, “The goal is for all of you to learn something about sustainability, to learn something about consulting, learn something about a technology called Salesforce Net Zero Cloud. Not only is this the buzz of Missoula, but there are a lot of people around the country and around the world that are rooting for you. The science is there. The right choices are clear. It’s now up to students like you to champion sustainable technologies and consult with global businesses to implement organizational changes that will guide the future of our planet.”
After learning about the Salesforce platform and setting up their own Net Zero Cloud Orgs, project teams got to work to create their carbon footprint reports for unique campus facilities. They presented their findings back to the larger group and answered questions from team members.
On the last day of the program, students walked a few blocks from the ATG Cognizant campus to Home ReSource, a Community Sustainability Center, to learn more about their mission and operations. They completed a few different volunteer projects to prepare the organization and grounds for the change of season.
In Their Own Words
“I had a great few days at ATG Cognizant learning about the nuances between Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, along with the importance of detailed Carbon Emissions Accounting during the Engineering Net Zero workshop. I'm looking forward seeing how these tools are utilized in the future!”
- Max McGuire
University of Montana student studying Geographic Information Science & Technologies
“People don’t buy tech, they buy profitability. They buy employee engagement. They buy supply chain visibility. They buy a business outcome.”
“We can make the world a better place as a side effect of making ourselves all healthier, happier, and richer.”
- Peter Coffee
VP of Strategic Research at Salesforce
“I am a true believer that companies, and specifically technology companies, are the center of how we are going to make economic growth sustainable. Students are part of my target audience for this message because I know you too want a stable and growing economy for your family, your community, your state, and your country. And that’s exactly why I do this work.”
- Sophia Mendelsohn
Chief Sustainability Officer at Cognizant
“One of the best things about my job right now is that the ESG space is growing all the time. The rules are being written as we speak – it’s a new frontier. The top-performing providers in this space marry a consultative advisory approach with advanced technological solutions to track and report ESG metrics. Technology is getting a lot of attention in this area due to increasing global ESG regulations.”
- Aya Kiy
Head of ESG Reporting at Cognizant
