Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Education

Financial Literacy: For Kids, Adding Dollars and Sense

Apr 19, 2017 4:10 PM ET

On the eve of the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) initiative called Talk With Our Kids About Money Day, they and 29 other teams from Hilltop and from Burlington’s St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School gathered at the competition to share projects about the value of money.

Environment

Environmental Due Diligence Considerations for Retail Fuel Outlet Transactions

Apr 19, 2017 3:35 PM ET

Environmental liabilities and risks associated with retail fuel outlet transactions can take various forms but primarily revolve around 3 areas - subsurface contamination issues, regulatory compliance issues, and business risks. Antea Group helps you take a closer look at what you need to know to protect yourself.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Barco and Wendy’s – A Shared Commitment to Improving the Lives of Children

Apr 19, 2017 3:30 PM ET

Barco, Wendy’s uniform supplier, has not only been a great supplier to our system, but a great partner to our brand charity of choice, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® (DTFA). Barco started their Hats Off program several years ago and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Wendy’s crew hat is donated to the DTFA. Their founder, Michael Donner, is also on the DTFA’s Supplier Advisory Council. Everyone at Wendy’s is thankful to have Barco as a partner on our journey to find forever families for children in foster care.

Environment

El Lago Named “Green Power Community” in Texas by U.S. EPA

Apr 19, 2017 3:30 PM ET

The city of El Lago, Texas, has been designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a “Green Power Community.” El Lago, the only city in Texas to currently hold this recognition, is collectively using more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually from Green Mountain Energy.

Energy

Podcast: What’s Next for Green Energy?

Apr 19, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Today’s infrastructure, with its aging roads, bridges and ports, is arguably the largest hurdle for alternative fuels and the energy sources of tomorrow. Efficiency, technology and scale are also major barriers to the wider adoption of green energy.

Environment

Campbell Soup Company, Church & Dwight, Henkel, Nestlé Waters North America, RB, Unilever, and Ocean Spray Join How2Recycle® Label Program.

Apr 19, 2017 1:35 PM ET

At the Walmart Sustainability Milestone Summit event today, Campbell Soup Company, Church & Dwight, Henkel, Nestlé Waters North America, RB, and Unilever all announced that they will be joining the How2Recycle® label program to educate consumers how to recycle packaging correctly.

Environment

Caribou Cookies Help ‘Bring Back the Wild’ in Northern Alberta

Apr 19, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Eight-year-old Emily was happy to roll-up her sleeves and make some serious dough – cookie dough that is – to help protect her favourite animal, the woodland caribou.

Environment

AEG to Host Earth Day Collection Drive in Downtown Los Angeles

Apr 19, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

National Rebuilding Month: Preserving Affordable Housing

Apr 19, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Rebuilding Together preserves existing affordable housing by providing free home repairs, which often enables low-income senior homeowners to age in place in a home that is safe, healthy and affordable.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

1 Employee Benefit That Will Give Your Company a Competitive Edge

Apr 19, 2017 12:25 PM ET

Since the Industrial Revolution, companies have offered employee benefits and perks to compete for and retain top talent. Common employee benefits that companies offer (and employees expect) include, health insurance, retirement plans, stock options, and paid leave.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Learning How to Lead Together: A Conversation with Vikki Spruill, President & CEO of the Council on Foundations (COF)

Apr 19, 2017 12:20 PM ET

Champions for Social Good Podcast: Jamie Serino speaks with Vikki Spruill, President of COF about how foundations can collaborate and leverage resources to magnify impact and advance social good.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How Purina Made Fetch Happen [Again]

Apr 19, 2017 12:00 PM ET

As an older dog, life can sometimes be a little ruff. Around age 7 I felt myself slowing down — it took me a little longer to find the stick, or to realize there was a squirrel nearby which needed my help being swiftly directed towards a tree.

Environment

SCA Presents “Bees in the Boardroom” to Kick off Earth Week Activities

Apr 19, 2017 12:00 PM ET

SCA welcomed Suzanne Matlock of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild to educate its Philadelphia-based employees on the important role that bees have in sustainability.

Energy

PaperWorks Invests $3.5 Million to Maximize Wabash, Indiana Plant Efficiency; Earns Duke Energy Incentive

Apr 19, 2017 11:10 AM ET

PLAINFIELD, Ind., April 19, 2017 /3BL Media/ – PaperWorks Industries has made a strategic investment of approximately $3.5 million to reduce its energy consumption at its Wabash operations. The result earned the company a $1.13 million incentive payment from Duke Energy’s Smart$aver® Custom program, which helps reduce the purchase and installation costs of high-efficiency equipment.

Environment

Pfizer’s Progress on 2020 Waste Reduction Goals

Apr 19, 2017 11:00 AM ET

In alignment with the global sustainable development goals, Pfizer has committed to reduce its total hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal by 15 percent by 2020.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: It's Finally Here!

Apr 19, 2017 10:30 AM ET

I believe that the essence of the book is captured in a question that Paul asked me years ago, and which he continues to ask people: Is climate change happening to us, or for us?

Environment

Invasion of the Lionfish Snatchers

Apr 19, 2017 10:20 AM ET

Perhaps it’s cold comfort but it turns out that we human beings are not the only species on earth hell-bent on destroying our own habitat. We share that ignominious honor with the venomous, carnivorous, and highly invasive lionfish.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep America Beautiful Rallies Grassroots Volunteers for Great American Cleanup Earth Day Events Nationwide

Apr 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading nonprofit that envisions a country in which every community is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, will rally thousands of volunteers at events across the country on and around Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, as part of its annual Great American Cleanup.

Research, Reports & Publications

Qualcomm Sustainability Report: Limitless Opportunities to Create the Future

Apr 19, 2017 10:10 AM ET

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the 2016 Qualcomm Sustainability Report, which details key accomplishments from the past year of our sustainability journey.

In particular, I am excited about our new 2020 sustainability goals – a set of milestones to keep Qualcomm on track to realize our 2030 sustainability vision. Specifically, by 2020, we aspire to accomplish the following objectives.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Amgen Staff Partner With Mountains Restoration Trust To Give Back

Apr 19, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Recently, over 100 Amgen employees from the Device & Final Drug Product Technologies team worked with Mountains Restoration Trust to plant California native trees on the Potrero Creek Restoration Project in Newbury Park.

Energy

Epic Investment Trends in Smart Distribution Systems

Apr 19, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Historically, most utility capital investments focused on regulated generation and transmission assets that provided the basis for customer rates structures and returns. But the growing interconnectivity within utility assets and electric distribution networks now requires a more holistic approach to planning, and many regulators are requiring utilities to invest in distribution under similar reliability mandates to those governing generation and transmission markets.

Environment

Walmart Launches Project Gigaton to Reduce Emissions in Company’s Supply Chain

Apr 19, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Today, during Walmart’s annual Milestone Summit, the company launched a sustainability platform inviting suppliers to join Walmart in committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their operations and supply chains. Dubbed Project Gigaton, this initiative will provide an emissions reduction toolkit to a broad network of suppliers seeking to eliminate one gigaton of emissions, focusing on areas such as manufacturing, materials and use of products by 2030.

Innovation & Technology

Consumers Energy Sponsors Michigan FIRST Robotics State Championship

Apr 19, 2017 9:30 AM ET

The FIRST Michigan robotics state championship [took place] at Saginaw Valley State University on Saturday, April 15, and Consumers Energy sponsor[ed] its efforts.The competition brings together students interested in STEM-based careers–those with interests in science, technology, engineering and math. A total of 160 teams will be competing in Saginaw for the opportunity to advance to the world competition, set to be held in St. Louis, Missouri later this month.

Environment

Communities Across the Country Prepare to Celebrate the 145th Arbor Day

Apr 19, 2017 9:30 AM ET

April 28, 2017 marks the 145th celebration of Arbor Day. A holiday established in 1872 in Nebraska City to inspire people to plant trees, it became a legal holiday in 1885.

Diversity & Inclusion

Yum! Grows Female Leadership at Women’s Foodservice Forum Conference

Apr 19, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Last week, 39 team members from Yum! and our brands attended the Women’s Foodservice Forum’s (WFF) Annual Leadership Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. The WFF’s Annual Leadership Development Conference is a mix of educational sessions and speakers that aims to provide attendees with the tools they need to chart out their own career paths, as evidence to the WFF’s mission to advance women leaders, driving growth for individuals and organizations.