Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo Names Brett Ladd As New CEO of Government for North America

Jul 18, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, today announced that Brett Ladd will serve as the new CEO of the Government for North America and will be a member of Sodexo’s North America Regional Leadership Committee. Previously, Ladd led growth and client retention initiatives as Senior Vice President of Sales for Government North America. He was a member of the executive team when Sodexo established its formal Government segment in 2002.

Environment

Carnivorous Plant Inspires Sustainable Mosquito-Control Device

Jul 18, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Nature-inspired mosquito-control device from Cornell team is finalist in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.

Green Infrastructure

Using Roads to Make Power and Toilet Paper

Jul 18, 2018 11:00 AM ET

A highway in Georgia is being used as an experiment to try out alternative uses for roads.

Research, Reports & Publications

Northern Trust Releases Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Jul 18, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) announced the release of its eighth Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. The latest report outlines key priorities for governance, citizenship and operations, employees, shared values and sustainable products / services. The report highlights achievements during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

How to Plan Your Financial Future in Your 20s

Jul 18, 2018 10:25 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sands Bethlehem Helps Plant the Seeds for a Healthier Future

Jul 18, 2018 10:15 AM ET

To provide the community with accessible horticulture, the Sands Cares and Sands ECO360 teams partnered with Penn State Extension, Lehigh and Northampton County 4-H, and the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem to build planting beds for the Lynfield Community Center in Bethlehem.

Innovation & Technology

Cisco VIDEO | Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Jul 18, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Environment

Driving Decisions With Data Dashboards: Weaving a HydroWebbed Data Dashboard

Jul 18, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Across Tetra Tech’s markets, nearly all clients share the need for actionable information that can drive decision making. Big data began bursting onto the scene some 25 years ago, inundating our information-hungry clients with megabytes and gigabytes of facts and figures that soon became a flood of petabytes and zettabytes. Managers thirsty for relevant intelligence were drowning in oceans of data, wondering what was important, what was essential, and what was urgent information.

Environment

Ørsted, GRI & CDSB on the TCFDs

Jul 18, 2018 5:00 AM ET

Ethical Corporation has just published a new briefing that delves into the role of the TCFDs in sustainability reporting and I wanted to send this across to you - you can access the report here.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Case for Cause Marketing

Jul 17, 2018 7:35 PM ET

Understand the difference between cause marketing and other CSR efforts, so you are prepared to build a sound strategy that complements your other corporate responsibility activities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Gilead Supports AIDS Walk San Francisco

Jul 17, 2018 4:30 PM ET

This year, Gilead sponsored @aidswalksf, the largest #AIDS fundraising event in Northern California. 10,000 people participated in the 10k walk, and raised more than $1.8 million to benefit HIV/AIDS support organizations in the Bay Area.

Sustainable Development Goals

VIDEO | The Water Brothers Discuss Solutions to the Algal Blooms Issue with George Barley Water Prize Contestants

Jul 17, 2018 4:25 PM ET

Recently the Water Brothers, producers of an international water-focused TV series, traveled to the Prize testing site to document ongoing research and testing. There they talked with contestants to uncover what is causing this summer’s massive outbreaks, what the risks are, and how we can solve them.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sappi Aims High With Sustainability Goals for Our Planet

Jul 17, 2018 4:10 PM ET

At Sappi North America, we are committed to operating our businesses in a sustainable manner. Together with the 2020Vision— Sappi’s global growth strategy—we use our sustainability goals program to set targets, initiate improvement actions and monitor progress.

Innovation & Technology

How to Help Enable Nonprofits with Technology

Jul 17, 2018 3:35 PM ET

Software has the power to unlock new possibilities for people, and for the planet. And yet, not everyone is benefiting equally from automation and operational efficiency. NTEN’s 10th Annual Nonprofit Technology Staffing & Investment report showed that the average technology budget of nonprofits is 5.7 percent of their total operation budget, with only 28 percent of organizations often or regularly using technology volunteers. Pro bono service learning can help enable nonprofits with technology, processes and people, giving it what it needs to thrive and ultimately bridging the growing digital divide.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Ethical Corporation Report – The Future of Digital on Reputation

Jul 17, 2018 3:00 PM ET

In today’s world of cybersecurity, automation and data the resulting disruption for business is ballooning. Companies need to adhere to higher ethical standards to ensure social purpose and reputation stays intact.

Energy

Republic Services and NJR Clean Energy Ventures Turn New Jersey Brownfield into Green Energy with Completion of New 13 Megawatt Solar Project

Jul 17, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Republic Services and NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV), the clean energy subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, today celebrated the completion of a 13 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted commercial solar project constructed on the former South Brunswick Landfill Superfund site. Comprised of more than 36,000 solar panels, the project will provide enough clean energy to power 1,360 homes annually. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon calculator, it will also reduce emissions by approximately 14,000 tons, equivalent to removing 2,700 cars from the road each year.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons Among Top Grocers Supporting Ethical Charter for Produce Industry

Jul 17, 2018 12:35 PM ET

A new framework for responsible practices in fresh produce and floral supply chains has been unveiled in a joint partnership between the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh Produce Association, and several of the industry's top grocers have voiced their support for the undertaking.

Green Infrastructure

Meet Georgia's Solar Road

Jul 17, 2018 12:30 PM ET

People usually think of highways as polluted eyesores, but an 18-mile stretch of road in rural Georgia is working to change that perception.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Life in Plastic

Jul 17, 2018 11:30 AM ET

So what is the balance point between the good that plastic does and the bad? Honestly, I don’t know. But the more educated we can be about plastics, the better. #plasticpollution #Ecocentricity

Environment

Creating Business Value With Supply Chain Sustainability: What You Need to Know and Where You Need to Focus

Jul 17, 2018 11:20 AM ET

Antea Group blogs about the 3 stages by which you can create value in your supply chain to bring increasing value to your organization.

Environment

Mongabay | Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration: The Fastest Way to Restore Trees to Degraded Landscapes?

Jul 17, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) of trees made headlines several years ago when 5 million hectares of Niger were found to have re-greened via the practice. FMNR is the encouragement of regeneration (and then management) of trees and shrubs that sprout from stumps, roots, and seeds found in degraded soils, such as those currently under agricultural production.

Sustainable Development Goals

Plant Breeders Turn to The Seed Library for Genetic Resources

Jul 17, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Plant varieties come from a diverse set of seeds. When plant breeders need genetic resources, where do they go? The Seed Library!

Media & Communications

“Total Impact Valuation” – Monetizing the Enterprise’s “Cost-Benefit Analysis” of Impact on Society? This is for CEOs –Advice From The Conference Board

Jul 17, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Today’s question for corporate CEO’s: Have you examined your company’s “Total Impact Valuation,” a new approach being advanced by The Conference Board, wherein the enterprises’ impact on society is monetized (cost/benefit evaluated and value attached)?

A small group of companies is doing these exercises. Think of their efforts to date as expanding the usual reporting of “Input/Output” to seriously consider (1) Outcomes, (2) Impacts, (3) Cost and Benefit to Society (and to the company).

This appears to us to have the potential to take corporate sustainability reporting to expanded (new) levels for at least the publicly-traded large caps - that is, if enough investors jump aboard the concept and ask for the information.

Sustainable Development Goals

5 Steps You Can Take Today to Start Measuring Your Business Impact

Jul 17, 2018 10:40 AM ET

Impact measurement can be challenging if you have never done it before and don’t know where to start. Even the savviest professionals sometimes find it hard to choose between various tools, methodologies and frameworks available. Truth is, knowing what impact you’re making doesn’t have to be complicated. We have identified a few simple things anyone can do to kickstart impact measurement.

Research, Reports & Publications

Simplifying the Switch to Green Chemistry

Jul 17, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Global industries are redefining their core business strategies by adopting greener chemistry practices that are reinventing supply-chain ecosystems to design models that create value for all stakeholders – including the planet. By simply adopting greener chemistry practices, whole industries have seen positive benefits ranging from novel innovations, reduced operational waste and costs, to increased market presence by differentiating themselves amongst their competitors.