Business Briefs: Nokian Tyres gets emissions reduction targets approved

Staff photo by Erin O. Smith / Alexander Buharov, the curing supervisor, works on a curing machine during the grand opening event for the Nokian Tyres production plant Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Dayton, Tennessee. At full production, the plant is expected to produce 4 million tires annually.
Staff photo by Erin O. Smith / Alexander Buharov, the curing supervisor, works on a curing machine during the grand opening event for the Nokian Tyres production plant Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Dayton, Tennessee. At full production, the plant is expected to produce 4 million tires annually.

Nokian Tyres, which has a new tire production plant in Dayton, Tennessee, is the first tire company to have its emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.

The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from Nokian Tyres' operations are consistent with reductions required to keep climate warming to 1.5°C, what's needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change, the Finland-based company said.

"We have already witnessed a practically snowless winter in Southern Finland and are committed to doing our part in saving winters for future generations. During the last six years, we have already reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, and the work continues," said Nokian Tyres President and CEO Hille Korhonen.

The Science Based Targets initiative is a collaboration between CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies' targets.

Microsoft to add 1,500 jobs in Atlanta

Microsoft announced Friday it will invest $75 million and create 1,500 jobs in Atlanta.

The software company signed an greement to occupy the Hines' Atlantic Yards development at Atlantic Station in Midtown where Microsoft will work on artificial intelligence and cloud services.

"We are excited that a global leader like Microsoft Corp. is expanding its investment in Georgia with tech jobs that will be truly beneficial to the company and our state," Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement.

Microsoft plans to operate a "client-facing" workplace at Atlantic Yards with a focus on artificial intelligence and cloud services, state officials said in a release.

Microsoft will be moving in next door to Macy's.

Trump bars Huawei from U.S. technology

The Trump administration issued new rules Friday that will bar Huawei and its suppliers from using U.S. technology and software, a significant escalation in its battle with the Chinese telecom giant and one that will likely inflame tensions with Beijing.

The rule changes will prevent companies from selling chips to Huawei that are made with U.S. manufacturing equipment or based on designs that are the product of U.S. software and technology, the Commerce Department said. Companies can apply for a license to continue supplying products to Huawei, but the administration said the presumption will be to deny those requests.

The move seemed aimed at inflicting further damage on Huawei, which continues to rely on U.S.-made machinery and software designs to make the chips for its smartphones and tablets, as well as the companies that supply it. The Trump administration has singled out Huawei as a threat to national security, saying its gear should not be trusted because it is beholden to the Chinese government, an accusation the company has denied.

The measure comes on top of several restrictions taken against Huawei in the past year. The administration added the Chinese telecom giant to an "entity list" last May, barring exports of U.S. products to Huawei and 114 of its affiliates unless suppliers had first obtained a license.

In a statement Friday, the Commerce Department said Huawei had tried to "undermine" its previous restrictions by using U.S. software and technology to make its own semiconductors and purchasing products from foreign foundries that use U.S. equipment.

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