Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Drink, Dance, Donate: How Viacom Gave Back and Got Down for the 8th Year in a Row

Dec 19, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Each year, Give Back and Get Down focuses its attention on one or two specific causes—last year, we gave back to individuals and families affected by domestic violence, and partnered with Safe Horizon and Sanctuary for Families.

This year’s focus: transforming the lives of underserved youth.

Environment

Kenyan Farmers Reap Economic, Environmental Gains from ABCDs of Agroforestry

Dec 19, 2017 9:40 AM ET

Less than a decade ago, the hills of Tuiyobei village in Kenya’s Rift Valley were nearly bare, with few trees or shrubs beyond the coffee plantations that yielded very little. The rain was sporadic, temperatures were rising, and crop yields and livelihoods were deteriorating. High deforestation triggered by increasing demand for firewood, lumber and charcoal had degraded the ecosystem.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Video: Smithfield Foods: Food Safety and Quality

Dec 19, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Consumers put their trust in Smithfield every time they eat one of our products. That’s why the safety and quality of our foods is fundamental to our success as a company, underscoring our mission to provide “Good food. Responsibly.®”

Energy

UPS Pre-Orders 125 Tesla Electric Trucks

Dec 19, 2017 9:35 AM ET

UPS today announced it has placed a reservation for 125 of Tesla’s new fully-electric Semi tractors. The new tractors will join UPS’s extensive alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle fleet, comprised of trucks and tractors propelled by electricity, natural gas, propane and other non-traditional fuels.

Social Impact & Volunteering

FCA Foundation Announces $500,000 Grant in Support of United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Innovative Solutions to Ending Childhood Hunger

Dec 19, 2017 9:30 AM ET

The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US LLC, today announced a $500,000 grant to United Way for Southeastern Michigan. The grant will help United Way implement two primary strategies to ensure that more children have access to and participate in child nutrition programs throughout the school year and during the summer.

Innovation & Technology

What’s Next on a Random Walk Down Facebook Lane

Dec 19, 2017 9:10 AM ET

What is Facebook thinking? We live in a values laden society. To presume that those values can be discounted and ignored and factored out of the algorithmic equation ignores the current reality of our society and world. It is still people who are using the platform and people are imperfect.

Environment

Dell, General Motors Convene the 'NextWave' of Marine Plastics Management

Dec 19, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Dell, General Motors, Trek Bicycle, Interface, Van de Sant, Humanscale, Bureo and Herman Miller are partnering to form NextWave, an initiative to develop a commercial-scale ocean-bound plastics supply chain. The industry groups are supported by The Lonely Whale and U.N. Environment.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

This e-Card Helps to Power Rural Homes (And Their Holiday Decorations)

Dec 19, 2017 8:45 AM ET

Sustainable Development Goals

Top 5 Things You Shouldn’t Miss From HPE Living Progress in 2017

Dec 19, 2017 8:25 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sanofi Continues Adopt-a-Family Tradition for 23rd Year

Dec 19, 2017 8:10 AM ET

Earlier this week, employees from Sanofi Pasteur got the chance to be Santa Claus to more than three-dozen area families as part of their 23rd annual “Adopt-a-Family” holiday drive.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

“Man’s Best Friend” Takes on New Meaning Thanks to the Avalanche Dogs of Wasatch Backcountry Rescue

Dec 19, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Outdoor enthusiasts hold few people in higher regard than the brave men and women who provide medical aid on the slopes – and sometimes these professionals are assisted by another kind of hero, who leads the way and finds the rescue. Thanks to nonprofit Wasatch Backcountry Rescue’s (WBR) International Dog School, dogs around the country receive the intense training required of avalanche rescue dogs.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

She’s Keeping Farming in the Family

Dec 19, 2017 8:00 AM ET

This post is from Rachel Bork, a global process associate manager in the Sourcing division at General Mills. When she’s not working her day job, Bork is involved in the succession planning of her 5th generation family farm in Minnesota. While most farm kids who are in their early 30s are looking to escape the farm, Bork is hoping to ramp up her involvement and someday take over the operation.

Health & Healthcare

The Importance of Partnership in Feeding Our Nation’s Kids

Dec 19, 2017 8:00 AM ET

During the holiday season thoughts often turn to gift giving, decorations and holiday treats. But it’s also a time to think of others, and those who have less. Even in our nation of plenty, 1 in 6 children in the United States struggle with hunger.

The good news is that here at Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, we know that childhood hunger is a solvable problem. Together with partners like Nestlé, we can ensure more kids are getting the nutritious food they need each day.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods and Vons Join Forces to Donate More Than 38,000 Pounds of Protein to Feeding San Diego

Dec 19, 2017 7:55 AM ET

Smithfield and Vons representatives presented the donation to Feeding San Diego at an event that raised awareness of hunger’s impact in the local community. Members from all three organizations discussed the significance of protein donations in helping the nearly 400,000 individu

Sustainable Development Goals

National Geographic Society Board of Trustees Awards Over $4 Million in Grants to Fuel Work of Scientists, Educators, and Explorers

Dec 19, 2017 7:45 AM ET

The National Geographic Society recently approved more than $4 million for 111 grants, further strengthening the 21CF partner’s commitment to investing in science, exploration, conservation, storytelling, education, and technology. These awards complete the annual grants cycle, with over 600 grants totaling nearly $12 million awarded in 2017 to help address the planet’s most critical issues in fighting for a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Green Infrastructure

IWBI™ and APTA VITAE Trust Join Forces to Advance the WELL Building Standard™ in Italy

Dec 19, 2017 7:35 AM ET

The International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) and APTA VITAE Trust today announced a collaboration to advance health and wellness in buildings and communities in Italy through the WELL Building Standard™ (WELL™). The aim of the collaboration is to foster awareness among Italian and Mediterranean stakeholders of the importance of healthy buildings and to facilitate the adoption of WELL in Italy.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Sustainable Growth: Barclays Launches New Range of Green Finance Products

Dec 19, 2017 7:10 AM ET

Barclays has become the first UK bank to launch a range of green finance products to help its corporate clients fund low-carbon projects and investments.

Media & Communications

NH Liquor Commission & Jack Daniel’s Encourage Customers to Celebrate Responsibly This Holiday Season

Dec 19, 2017 7:00 AM ET

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey are encouraging responsible alcohol consumption and service during the 2017 holiday season through their award-winning Live Free & Host Responsibly campaign.

Events, Media & Communications

Be on Stage at the 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit!

Dec 19, 2017 6:00 AM ET

It’s that time of year again – the Shared Value Initiative is seeking proposals for the 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit's popular Storytellers speaking opportunities and the NEW for 2018, Solutions Salons. Each year Summit attendees join over 400 leaders from companies, nonprofits, and governments to start innovating the real business solutions that our world urgently needs.

Events, Media & Communications

Corporate Leadership, Social Progress

Dec 18, 2017 3:30 PM ET

As the wild ride of 2017 comes to an end, we reflect on a year that was replete with loss and pain, but also a year when leading corporations have stepped up on major social issues.

Through CECP’s collaboration with 200+ companies, hundreds of monthly inquiries and discussions, proprietary surveys, and conversations with leading experts and on-the-ground practitioners, we see six trends as companies lead during these uncertain times.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whirlpool Tool Makers Donate Bikes to Needy Children

Dec 18, 2017 2:45 PM ET

Whirlpool Corporation employees in Ohio collected enough money to purchase and donate dozens of bikes for children in need this holiday season.

Health & Healthcare

Merck for Mothers 2017: A Year in Review

Dec 18, 2017 12:35 PM ET

As 2017 draws to a close, we wanted to reflect and celebrate the progress we've made – alongside our partners and maternal health champions – toward creating a world where no woman dies while giving life. We can end preventable maternal deaths in our lifetime, but we can't do it alone. We want to thank all who have supported our initiative this year, from championing quality health for mothers across the globe, to partnering together to find inventive solutions to move the needle on this global challenge.

Media & Communications

Harvard Business Review – Increased Focus on Corporate Sustainability, Convening CEOs for Critical Conversations on the Theme

Dec 18, 2017 12:15 PM ET

Harvard Business Review is one of the most powerful of external influences for the corporate C-suite. Ideas, concepts and themes appearing in the pages (digital and print) of HBR create important initiatives in American companies. HBR editors are focusing these days on corporate sustainability in various dimensions.

Environment

To Boldly Go to the Next New Frontier, Look Down

Dec 18, 2017 12:00 PM ET

We support the recent Noble Research Institute announcement. To date, General Mills has invested almost $3 million to support soil health research and practices. Together with The Nature Conservancy, Soil Health Partnership, Soil Health Institute and other industry leaders, we are striving to implement practices on more than 50 percent of U.S. farmland.

Innovation & Technology

Podcast | UPS Longitudes Radio: You Want to Return That Bad Gift … What’s Next?

Dec 18, 2017 11:10 AM ET

In this episode of Longitudes Radio, Toby Moore, the leader of Optoro, the reverse logistics company, explains how an innovative returns approach creates return customers. Listen to the podcast, then subscribe to Longitudes Radio so you’ll be among the first to know about new episodes.