Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Smithfield Foods Veteran Highlight: John Fineran

Nov 6, 2017 8:40 AM ET

“Serving in the military has made me a better person, someone who is not afraid to speak his mind and take on challenges,” says John Fineran, 37, a territory manager assistant for Smithfield’s Hog Production Division in West Central Iowa. “That has certainly helped me in my work.”

Environment

First Nation Elders Visit De Beers Mine to Taste the Fish

Nov 6, 2017 8:30 AM ET

The event is one of the ways the company seeks to gain traditional knowledge as part of the mine’s environmental monitoring programme. A dozen lake trout were caught from Kirk Lake by elders from Behchoko and Lutsel K’e, who were accompanied by a member of the mine’s environment team. Kirk Lake is about 20km downstream from the mine site.

Health & Healthcare

How to Avoid Scary Situations in Food Processing

Nov 6, 2017 8:05 AM ET

The food manufacturing industry is subject to regulations and scrutiny that few other industries are: social pressure is ever-present, as news of infection or disease outbreak caused by food-borne pathogens strikes an uneasy nerve in consumers. Manufacturers can be subject to tremendous backlash if they do not take the proper steps to ensure their manufacturing facilities are appropriately equipped to prevent and mitigate the risk of food contamination.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

EMEA President, Teresa Parker, Named on Financial News’s 11th List of the 100 Most Influential Women in Finance

Nov 6, 2017 8:05 AM ET

A leadership shakeup in January 2017 handed Parker responsibility for Northern Trust’s asset servicing, asset management and wealth businesses, as well as regulatory affairs, across EMEA.

Research, Reports & Publications

Marathon Petroleum Corp. Expands Safety and Greenhouse Gas Data Reporting

Nov 6, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) has released its 2017 Citizenship Report, which includes expanded data on safety, greenhouse gas emissions, process safety events, waste generation and more.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Named to Working Mother “100 Best Companies” List for 19th Year in a Row

Nov 6, 2017 8:00 AM ET

MetLife, Inc. has earned a spot on the 2017 Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies” list for outstanding leadership in programs, policies and a culture that supports working families.

Green Infrastructure

New State-of-the-Art Office Building in Brooklyn, New York

Nov 6, 2017 5:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech provided consulting engineering services to create an innovative, flexible, and comfortable office space in Brooklyn, New York.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Burger King Shaves to Show Support for Movember

Nov 3, 2017 6:30 PM ET

November marks the start of the hairiest month of the year: Movember. During this annual event hosted by the Movember Foundation, men across the world grow out their ‘staches to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. This no-shave-November, one company is helping change the face of men’s health by changing their own.

Social Impact & Volunteering

SMCAA, Whirlpool Volunteers Team up to Fight Hunger

Nov 3, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Members of the Whirlpool Women's Network made up the majority of volunteers during a recent event at the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (SMCAA), where several dozen people helped pack boxes full of non-perishable food items for low-income seniors and families.

Health & Healthcare

Jens’s Story​: ​The Power of Precision Medicine, Personalized Care & A Brave Kid

Nov 3, 2017 4:40 PM ET

Jens Hildreth is a fun-loving 8-year-old. He smiles a lot. He is on the move – a lot. And he asks questions – a lot! Sam, when is the kid’s library open? Hey Bill, when is your partner coming to the security desk? Jens seems to know everyone at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (HDVCH) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How to Make Your Employees Feel Safe When Volunteering

Nov 3, 2017 4:40 PM ET

Volunteering is typically a major component of company culture and corporate social responsibility (CSR). And encouraging your employees to dedicate their time to bettering the community can benefit your team both personally and professionally. Not only can it build teamwork and skills, but it can also allow your employees to end the day feeling good about themselves. However, not all volunteer opportunities are located in safe areas.

Energy

Duke Energy’s Plan to Strengthen South Carolina’s Energy Grid Will Create Jobs, Grow the State’s Economy

Nov 3, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Duke Energy is investing $3 billion over roughly the next 10 years in South Carolina to strengthen the energy grid and provide a major boost to the state’s economy for years to come.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Bristol-Myers Squibb Opens New Child Development Center in Lawrence, N.J.

Nov 3, 2017 3:50 PM ET

Most mornings Jodi Thrasher drops her two pre-school children off at the new, state-of-the-art, Bristol-Myers Squibb Child Development Center in the new campus on Princeton Pike in Lawrence Township, N.J., before reporting to work. Jodi is the Strategy and Operations Lead at the company and knowing her kids are safe, in an onsite learning environment, enables her to focus on her work – helping deliver life-saving and enhancing medicines to patients with serious diseases.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Dennis White, CEO & President of MetLife Foundation Honored by The Trust for Public Land

Nov 3, 2017 3:15 PM ET

Last month, MetLife Foundation and its President and CEO, Dennis White, were honored with the Parks for People Award by The Trust for Public Land (TPL). The award honors public or private partners who champion the organization's land-for-people work in cities – ensuring that land is conserved and parks are created, particularly in neighborhoods of greatest need, so that residents can enjoy nature and have access to active recreation close to home.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Ingersoll Rand Awarded Leadership Status in CDP’s Annual Climate Change Report

Nov 3, 2017 3:00 PM ET

The annual Global Climate Change Report from CDP awarded Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, leadership status with a final letter grade of A-. The report and grading award is based on analysis of the current state of corporate climate action.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | eBay Everyday Heroes: Reflections of Trinity Helps Tackle Hunger

Nov 3, 2017 2:25 PM ET

According to a recent report by Feeding America, 5 million seniors over the age of 60 in the United States struggle with hunger. Inspired by this need, Reflections of Trinity sells goods on eBay to stock its food pantry.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women at YWCA

Nov 3, 2017 1:15 PM ET

One in three women will experience some form of gender-based violence. Women and girls of all ages, income levels, racial and ethnic communities, sexual orientations, and religious affiliations experience violence in the form of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, trafficking, and stalking. Getting help is a challenge for most survivors of gender-based violence, but for women of color, immigrant women, and other women with marginalized identities, the challenges are even greater. In our work to eradicate violence, we put these intersections at the forefront.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Fix (Don't Flush) the Estate Tax

Nov 3, 2017 12:30 PM ET

The Estate Tax is on the chopping block in this second Gilded Age, yet there is probably no aspect of the U.S. tax code more aligned with the values that the Founding Fathers risked their lives for than the law taxing inherited wealth. Recirculating this wealth, either voluntarily or through taxation is fundamental to a healthy economic metabolism, as we know from the study of all regenerative systems. It’s not ideological.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Delta Reaches 250th Home Build with Habitat for Humanity and Aeroméxico

Nov 3, 2017 11:45 AM ET

Wrapping up this week, Delta and Aeroméxico volunteers built the 250th home in Mexico as a part of the 14th Global Build with long-standing partner Habitat for Humanity. A supporter of local Habitat organizations since 1995, Delta became a national partner in 2006. Through the national partnership, Delta volunteers have helped build or rehabilitate a total of 253 homes in 12 countries around the world.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Nestlé to Source Only Cage-Free Eggs by 2025

Nov 3, 2017 11:35 AM ET

Our purpose is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. This includes ensuring decent welfare standards for animals that are reared for the ingredients used in our products.

To help drive welfare improvements for egg-laying hens, our goal is to use only cage-free eggs for all of our food products globally by 2025. This includes all shell eggs and egg products (e.g. whole egg powder and liquid, egg white powder and liquid) directly sourced as ingredients by Nestlé.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Creating World-Changing Brands with Humanity at the Center

Nov 3, 2017 11:15 AM ET

BBMG is thrilled to welcome Samantha Wilson as Managing Partner! Sam joins BBMG after 23-years at Wolff Olins, where she most recently served as a Global Principal and helped re-imagine some of the world’s most iconic brands from GE to Spotify to Product (RED).

A “world traveler, sous chef, ‘zoo keeper,’ city dweller and tomato farmer,” Sam is on a mission to redefine what successful business looks like by designing brands with humanity at the center.

Social Impact & Volunteering

What Does Pro Bono Mean for Leadership Development?

Nov 3, 2017 11:05 AM ET

At Taproot Foundation’s leadership convening Leading the Way, participants across the corporate, philanthropic, and social sector dug into how to use pro bono as a leadership development strategy. Whether it’s practicing intelligent risk-taking, increasing effective communication, or deepening an organization’s inclusivity, pro bono strengthens leaders and their organizations.

Environment

GRI November Podcast Out

Nov 3, 2017 11:00 AM ET

With the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 taking place in Germany early November, this month's GRI podcast features an interview with Munich Airport telling about their innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We also have a report from our Regional Hub China, and a round-up of the latest sustainability news.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

General Motors Sustainability Newsletter - November 2017

Nov 3, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Managing company water in a sustainable way can drive both business and community value. CDP, a nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform, listed GM on its Water A-List for effective water management practices implemented around the world.

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar Utilizes Simulation to Reduce Paint Waste

Nov 3, 2017 11:00 AM ET