Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Energy

Unreasonable Impact: The Power to Transform 100 Million Lives by 2020: Q&A with d.light

Apr 17, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Energy is essential to generate a livelihood and improve quality of life. Over one billion people around the world, though, continue to live without access to electricity, the majority of them in Africa and Asia. According to the World Bank, nearly another three billion people rely on wood or other biomass for cooking and heating, which produces air pollution that causes millions of deaths every year.

Green Infrastructure

Shanghai Tower | Tallest Building in China Serves as Benchmark for Sustainable Design

Apr 17, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Providing engineering support for the tallest building in China that serves as a benchmark for sustainable design

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whole Foods Market Commissions Official Fiesta Medals

Apr 17, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Every city has a signature festival. Albuquerque has hot air balloons, Pasadena has the Tournament of Roses. And San Antonio has Fiesta! Fiesta, celebrating it’s 125th anniversary, is the Party With a Purpose and the funds raised by official Fiesta events provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year.

Energy

The Future of the Digital Water Utility

Apr 17, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

#NationalParkWeek: Cox Conserves Heroes Creating and Preserving Parks

Apr 15, 2017 11:30 AM ET

For many people, their happiest childhood memories were experienced at a community park or local playground. Parks and outdoor recreation play a significant role in early childhood development as well as the overall well-being of our eco-system. However, park care and maintenance is an ongoing effort that relies heavily on the involvement of community stewards.

Sustainable Development Goals

Working to Make Coffee the World’s First Sustainable Agricultural Commodity

Apr 15, 2017 10:00 AM ET

At Fair Trade USA we have long worked with a diverse range of stakeholders to deliver on our mission to empower farmers and workers around the world.Recently a new ally, the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, has emerged to help build a shared space for organizations to come together, share lessons and build a vision for coffee to become the world’s first sustainable agricultural commodity.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Luc Robitaille, President of the LA Kings, Honored as Keynote Speaker at YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ 59th Annual Good Friday Breakfast

Apr 14, 2017 9:45 PM ET

AEG’s President of the LA Kings, Luc Robitaille, addressed community leaders and elected officials from every region of Los Angeles at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles as the keynote speaker of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ 59th Annual Good Friday Breakfast.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

StubHub Center Foundation and LA Galaxy Foundation Host Sold-Out 11th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Apr 14, 2017 7:30 PM ET

AEG’s StubHub Center Foundation and LA Galaxy Foundation hosted the 11th Annual Easter Egg Hunt for more than 1,000 children and families from surrounding communities at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

Social Impact & Volunteering

All Star Andrew McCutchen Making a Difference in Pittsburgh

Apr 14, 2017 7:10 PM ET

‘Cutch’ took home the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player honors and has been elected to the NL All-Star team five times in his career, however, perhaps the most significant accolade he has received is the 2015 Roberto Clemente Award. The award, which shows a player’s sportsmanship, community involvement and contributions to his respective team, is voted on by the fans and members of the media.

Media & Communications

Wendy's Chicken Nuggets Spark Retweet Battle with Ellen Degeneres

Apr 14, 2017 4:55 PM ET

Wendy’s to donate $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption when Carter Wilkerson's tweet break’s Ellen Degeneres's retweet record.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Hearts Unite in Service: Newlyweds Aid Refugees on Humanitarian Honeymoon

Apr 14, 2017 4:10 PM ET

Ethan Zohn and Lisa Heywood Zohn kicked-off their marriage with a humanitarian mission to aid Syrian refugees in Northern Greece, raising $45,000 to support a large refugee camp.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Fighting Cancer at the Summit

Apr 14, 2017 3:40 PM ET

Larry Ward climbs mountains to combat cancer. In the last five years, he and his team – who refer to themselves as Climbing for Cancer – have reached the top of the tallest mountains in nearly all 50 states.

Social Impact & Volunteering

National Rebuilding Month: Critical Accessibility Features

Apr 14, 2017 3:05 PM ET

Less than four percent of single-family homes have three of the most critical accessibility features of universal design, which includes zero-step entrances, extra-wide hallways and single-floor living. Rebuilding Together affiliates nationwide are working to make homes safer and more accessible for homeowners.

Health & Healthcare

Sodexo Healthcare Shares Learnings on How to Improve Patient Experience Through a More Strategic Approach to Administrative Rounding

Apr 14, 2017 1:55 PM ET

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, hosts a discussion forum for healthcare leaders on patient experience management at the Becker’s Hospital Review 8th Annual Meeting on April 18th, in Chicago, Ill. Leveraging expertise developed in working with nearly 3,000 healthcare providers, Sodexo executives will discuss key learnings on how to enhance patient experience and drive patient value through more strategic data collection, careful attention to operational details and quality patient interactions.

Social Impact & Volunteering

From 200 to 100,000 Volunteers: Here is the Story of Comcast Cares Day

Apr 14, 2017 1:35 PM ET

The lasting impression volunteering leaves is often told through the account of one person spending their time making a difference for another. One person showing up on one day could make all the difference in someone else’s life.

Diversity & Inclusion

How Diversity Powers the Power Rangers

Apr 14, 2017 1:20 PM ET

The Power Rangers, the children’s television staple that launched in 1993, is the story of five young people trained to fight the forces of evil—all while wearing colorful costumes. But for an entire generation, it was much more than that. It was one of the few representations of a racially diverse team on television.

Innovation & Technology

GM Announces More Than 1,100 Jobs to Expand Cruise Automation Self-Driving Operations in California

Apr 14, 2017 12:15 PM ET

General Motors today announced that it will add more than 1,100 new jobs and invest $14 million in a new research and development facility for Cruise Automation in San Francisco. These investments will allow Cruise Automation to expand development of self-driving technologies that will transform personal mobility.

Energy

Shifting to a Digital Grid Forces System-Wide Grid Modernization

Apr 14, 2017 12:10 PM ET

We are at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, defined by its velocity and volume, scope and scale, and systems impact. The foundation of this new era is squarely built upon the success of the "digital grid." The first three revolutions—defined by the introduction of steam and mechanization, electricity and computing, respectively—all had profound societal impacts, but they lacked the exponential rate of technological breakthroughs and complexity that define the fourth.

Research, Reports & Publications

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Releases 2016 Sustainability Report

Apr 14, 2017 12:00 PM ET

FCA today announced the release of its 2016 Sustainability Report at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

The FCA 2016 Sustainability Report communicates to stakeholders the most relevant social, economic and environmental topics addressed by the Group, and progress toward achieving long-term targets. FCA’s global activities support the transition toward a circular economy and contribute to achieving the aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative.

Environment

Timberland Celebrates Earth Week with Daily Challenges for Employees

Apr 14, 2017 12:00 PM ET

While global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has an ongoing commitment to protect the outdoors, Earth Day season brings with it a range of initiatives to engage employees in the company’s environmental agenda. This year, beyond hosting Earth Day service events worldwide for employee volunteers, Timberland’s global headquarters in Stratham, New Hampshire will launch its second annual Earth Week, April 17-21. This five day effort encourages employees to reduce their individual and collective environmental footprints.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Ride with Purpose

Apr 14, 2017 10:50 AM ET

At a glance, they seem like an odd couple. One is an on-demand ridesharing firm and the other a nonprofit committed to restoring the earth’s essential ecosystems. But connected they are thanks to an ingenious collaboration made possible by VMware. The effort — a win, win, win for all three partners — brings to life VMware’s mission to be a force for good in the world.

Diversity & Inclusion

Investing in Entry-Level Talent: Retention Strategies that Work

Apr 14, 2017 10:15 AM ET

That's how much voluntary entry-level turnover cost the U.S. retail industry in 2016. And turnover rates are rising across industries from healthcare to banking.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Building a Township Tech Hub

Apr 14, 2017 10:05 AM ET

This is part two in a series highlighting the SAP Social Sabbatical for global engagement in Cape Town, South Africa, which focused on bridging the digital divide in the city’s most underserved communities. Stay tuned for part III, out next week. Read part one here.

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Climbing the wooden staircase to the top of Lookout Hill, one finds sweeping panoramic views of the Cape Flats area skirting Cape Town. Khayelitsha, the second-largest and fastest-growing township in South Africa, sprawls to the east; the township of Mitchell’s Plain rolls to the west. At the base of the hill, strategically situated between these two underserved communities, is the Khayelitsha Bandwidth Barn, a startup incubator and accelerator serving community entrepreneurs.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Arrow Electronics Employees Support Rose Andom Center for Victims of Domestic Violence

Apr 14, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Arrow Electronics values working with organizations that find innovative ways make people’s lives better. The Denver-based Rose Andom Center is one such organization.

Environment

Domtar and the Rainforest Alliance Host Landowner Event

Apr 14, 2017 9:15 AM ET

More than 70 woodland owners interested in the future health of forestland, biodiversity and the planet recently learned about sustainable woodland management at a daylong event hosted by the Rainforest Alliance and Domtar at our Kingsport Mill in Tennessee. As more consumers of fiber-based products demand goods from well-managed forests, land certification becomes critical.