Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Green Infrastructure

Aiken County (S.C.) Off Road Tire Plant Achieves LEED Green Building Certification

May 14, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Bridgestone Americas, Inc., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company, today announced that its Aiken County Off Road Tire Plant (Aiken ORR), located in Trenton, S.C., has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED recognizes buildings that are designed, constructed, and operated for improved energy, environmental, and human health performance. LEED is the world’s most widely used green building program with more than 94,000 registered and certified projects in 167 countries and territories.

Environment

WWF Launches Activation Hub to Help Prevent 10 Million Metric Tons of Global Plastic Waste

May 14, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Principal Members, Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, Tetra Pak and The Coca-Cola Company, with Thought Partners Ocean Conservancy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation sign on to ReSource: Plastic to inspire action across sectors and supply chains

Research, Reports & Publications

Sanofi 2018 Integrated Report Presents Its Responsibility for the Future

May 14, 2019 5:00 AM ET

For the third year, Sanofi has published its Integrated Report, "Our Responsibility for the Future”.

This year, the report took on a shorter, bolder format. In this latest edition, we illustrate our commitments and long-term value creation for all stakeholders, giving them a clear, concise, and comprehensive vision of our business model. We also provide key information about the company, its strategy, its value creation, and its sustainable governance, as well as its financial and non-financial performance.

Innovation & Technology

Partners in Purpose: My Special Aflac Duck is Helping Kids With Cancer

May 13, 2019 5:15 PM ET

On average, children with cancer will spend 1,000 days undergoing treatment. Knowing this can be a scary and difficult time for young patients, Aflac partnered with Sproutel to develop "My Special Aflac Duck." The duck is designed to be a comfort and help children share their emotions. The robotic companion recently earned SXSW's People Choice Award in the Robotics & Hardware category in addition to previous accolades from TIME Magazine and Engadget.

Diversity & Inclusion

Inclusive Workplace Earns Aramark Three Awards

May 13, 2019 4:25 PM ET

Higher rates of workplace diversity can help companies evolve, innovate, problem-solve and be more efficient. It attracts the best talent, and helps define a company's reputation as a responsible company.

Environment

Behind the Wheel: The Goodwood Estate, in the Fast Lane for Sustainable Growth

May 13, 2019 4:00 PM ET

What does the English ancestral home to the Dukes of Richmond have in common with one of the largest capital goods companies in the world? The Goodwood Estate and CNH Industrial: two global, multi-faceted businesses with a reputation for excellence in their various fields are committed to finding new, innovative and sustainable ways of working. Nowhere does this become more apparent than on Goodwood’s own Home Farm.

Innovation & Technology

Modern-Day Nightingales: Meet Three Enterprising Nurses Who Moonlight as Inventors

May 13, 2019 3:50 PM ET

When you think about groundbreaking healthcare innovations—creations that forever changed how medicine is practiced, like the invention of sutures—chances are you first think of medical device engineers and pharmaceutical scientists brainstorming in a lab.

But there's another category of equally inventive medical professionals who work on the very front lines of healthcare: nurses.

Health & Healthcare

How Food Companies Can Make the Most of Longer Lives

May 13, 2019 3:30 PM ET

According to UN statistics, the number of people over 60 will increase to 1.4bn by 2030, from 962m in 2017, and will have more than doubled to 2.1bn by 2050. By the end of the century, the 60+ population will reach 3.1bn.

For food manufacturers, these numbers have significance beyond the growth potential they could offer. Supporting good health at all life stages is core to their sustainability missions and the vital role they can play in improving nutrition among older consumers to support healthy ageing will become more significant as the 60+ population grows.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Serving Those Who Served For Us

May 13, 2019 3:00 PM ET

The Whirlpool Veterans Association (WVA), in partnership with Blue Star Mothers, was recently able to provide local veteran Scott Spearitt with a new Whirlpool brand washer and dryer.

Environment

The Timberland® and Wrangler® Brands and the VF Foundation Support Research on Regenerative Ranching Practices to Improve Farmer Well-Being, Soil Health

May 13, 2019 2:15 PM ET

The VF Foundation and the Timberland® and Wrangler® brands today announced $150,000 in grants to researchers at seven U.S. universities, including Arizona State University and Michigan State University, that are conducting the first comprehensive research into regenerative ranching practices.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Procter & Gamble is Doing Good Every Day with Tide Loads of Hope and Relief Efforts

May 13, 2019 2:05 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Maximizing Impact for Global Disaster Relief Efforts

May 13, 2019 1:05 PM ET

At the recent Council on Foundations bi-annual conference, Leading Together, almost 1000 philanthropy leaders and business, government, and academia influencers gathered together to connect, share, and learn with one another. Celebrating 70 years, the Council on Foundations assembled a jam-packed agenda full of thought-provoking sessions, learning labs, tech bars, keynotes, as well as plenty of networking and entertainment opportunities for an event that not only educated, but truly lived up to its moniker of “Leading Together.”

Green Infrastructure

Infographic | UPS Solutions for Urban Logistics

May 13, 2019 12:40 PM ET

How is UPS delivering more sustainable logistics in cities? Through new technologies, innovative last-mile solutions, and stakeholder partnerships. See UPS’s approach to city solutions:

Health & Healthcare

Pfizer Utilizes Framework to Enable Quicker, More Effective Response to Major Societal Issues

May 13, 2019 12:00 PM ET

We live in challenging, often contentious times, with political, cultural and environmental issues constantly brewing. Companies across industries face the daunting task of appropriately responding to issues and news on a regular basis, and to help guide our responses at Pfizer, we developed our Social Framework – a way to determine if, when, how and why we will address a societal issue.

Media & Communications

Webinar: Overcoming Roadblocks to Enterprise-wide Efficiency

May 13, 2019 11:45 AM ET

Energy efficiency dominates corporate energy investments, with 93 percent of companies using efficiency technologies today. While technology is an enabler, companies are struggling to accelerate energy conservation results portfolio-wide. Funding is perceived to be a top barrier, but CapEx is only the tip of the iceberg. Today's global executives face difficult questions to solve...

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Donates More Than 41,000 Pounds of Protein to Harvesters—the Community Food Network

May 13, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc., in partnership with Price Chopper, donated more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Harvesters—The Community Food Network. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour and provided a generous donation to Harvesters in support of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

Environment

4 Benefits of Partnering With Antea Group for UST Training

May 13, 2019 11:10 AM ET

Antea Group offers UST operator training courses across more than 40 states and U.S. territories, and we’re in the process of developing others.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Secret Album Reveals How a Powerful Truth Changed a Family Forever

May 13, 2019 10:00 AM ET

The Secret Album is part of HP's original documentary project, History of Memory, which celebrates the power of printed photos. Visit History of Memory to see more.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Renewing GRI’s Governance

May 13, 2019 9:45 AM ET

GRI, provider of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework, has launched a global search to find new members for its decision making and advisory functions.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

General Mills Covington Plant Donates Over $250k to Organizations

May 13, 2019 9:35 AM ET

As part of General Mills’ Hometown Grant Program, 19 community organizations in Covington and the surrounding area have received more than $250,000 in grant money.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Thermo King Drives Reduction in Food Waste and Insecurity by Committing Nearly $500,000 in Additional Grants to Food Banks Nationwide

May 13, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Forty percent, or nearly $200 billion of food in the U.S. goes to waste each year. Making this statistic harder to comprehend, 40 million people struggle with hunger, and 12 million of them are children. To address this sensless epidemic, Thermo King, the leader in transport temperature control solutions for a variety of mobile applications and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, has committed nearly $500,000 to expand its social sustainability program, We Move Food™.

This latest commitment catapults the program’s total giving to nearly $750,000 in just two years resulting in more than 5.7 million meals for people in need.

Diversity & Inclusion

Interview With Priyanka Varshney, Electrical Engineer-in-Training

May 13, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Priyanka Varshney is an electrical engineer-in-training working on nuclear energy at Tetra Tech and based in Pickering, Ontario. With her interest in clean energy, she enjoys exploring opportunities to bring advancements to the energy sector and spark conversations with industry experts about technological impacts on the sector.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

The Arbor Day Foundation Honors Friends of Grand Rapids Parks

May 13, 2019 9:00 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation has announced today that Friends of Grand Rapids Parks has been awarded the Foundation's 2019 Spirit of Arbor Day Award. This award recognizes an organization or community that fulfills the Foundation's mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees through programs and activities that have been implemented within the past five years. The award will be presented at a reception in honor of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks on May 20 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Grand Rapids Downtown.

Research, Reports & Publications

Building a More Sustainable Bank: Santander UK Publishes New Strategy

May 13, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Santander UK has launched a new strategic framework for Sustainability with the release of its 2018 Sustainability Report. The Sustainability strategy reflects Santander’s ambition to be a responsible bank and to further integrate social and environmental considerations into business decisions. This report highlights the importance of transparency in responding to key environmental, social and governance issues and how Santander is bringing its purpose to life – to help people and businesses prosper.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Siegrist Awarded AHAM Emerging Leader Award

May 10, 2019 8:30 PM ET

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) honored multiple home appliance industry professionals for exceptional contributions to the industry during AHAM’s 2019 Annual Member Meeting from April 27-30 in Washington, D.C. One of those individuals was Laura Siegrist, senior manager, Government Relations for Whirlpool Corporation, who was recognized with the Emerging Leader Award for contributions to federal advocacy for the home appliance industry.