Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Energy

Consumers Energy Offers New Rooftop Solar Pilot Program for Michigan Households

Jun 2, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Consumers Energy announced that it has started a new solar energy pilot program, giving Michigan residents another option to help build a clean future for our state. Consumers Energy’s new Solar Distributed Generation (DG) Pilot program allows customers to put solar panels on the rooftops of their homes, working with industry-leading solar provider SunPower to offer Michigan customers a full-service home solar solution.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How Basil is Helping a Community Get Back to Work, Grow Local, and Save Water

Jun 2, 2017 9:05 AM ET

You probably cook with basil in your kitchen — for most of us it’s a staple herb, and not something we give much thought to as we chop it up and sprinkle it into our food. For a community in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, basil is more than just a flavor enhancer: it’s a way to reintegrate back into the community, to grow food sustainably, and sell that food locally to chefs at organizations like Nestlé Professional.

Education

How Barclays is Supporting the Inventors of Tomorrow

Jun 2, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Since its launch in 2014, MakerClub has established eight after-school clubs that introduce young people to coding, creative thinking and emerging technologies. Here, director Declan Cassidy reveals his aim to grow that number to 50 across the UK in 2017 – and tells how Barclays is supporting his team’s ambitious plans to develop the ‘inventors of tomorrow’.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

AmeriCorps Members Lend Their Hands During Habitat for Humanity Build-a-Thon

Jun 2, 2017 9:05 AM ET

As part of Habitat for Humanity’s annual AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon event, more than 350 Habitat AmeriCorps members and alumni will travel to select cities in May and June, to build, repair and landscape 22 homes.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Xylem Honored for Engaging Colleagues in Service Around the Globe

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, announced today it has been honored by Engage for Good (formerly the Cause Marketing Forum) with the Gold Halo Award in the Employee Engagement category.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Why Weatherford Rides

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

The Weatherford team joined thousands of cyclists and volunteers for the BP MS 150, a two-day fundraising bike ride benefiting the National MS Society.

Research, Reports & Publications

Vodafone Group Plc Sustainable Business Report 2017

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Vodafone Group Plc has published its Sustainable Business Report 2017, the second report under its sustainable business strategy that was launched in 2016. The strategy sets out to ensure an even closer alignment between Vodafone’s core commercial goals and the maximum possible social and economic benefit achievable as a consequence of those goals.

Research, Reports & Publications

Daimler Sustainability Report 2016 Key Figures

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Tetra Tech is #1 in Water for 14 Years

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Media & Communications

TriplePundit — On Growing Up

Jun 2, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Avid readers will have read the news. This week, TriplePundit was acquired by 3BL Media, the leading provider of distribution services for corporate social responsibility and sustainability news and content. As we whispered a sneak preview to friends and colleagues in person at the Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit last week, our team got the same response again and again – “Congratulations…. Right?”

Go ahead and pop the champagne bottles – this is tremendous news for our organization and the sustainability movement as a whole.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo-Managed Dining Services at Chapman University Wins NACUFS 2017 Loyal E. Horton Dining Award

Jun 1, 2017 10:50 PM ET

Chapman University has been recognized by the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) with a Loyal E. Horton Dining Award.

Sustainable Development Goals

HP Response to Paris Climate Agreement Decision

Jun 1, 2017 8:05 PM ET

At HP, we see this not only as our responsibility, but vital to the longevity of our business. We support the Paris Climate Agreement and the global efforts to address climate change. HP is working to ensure our business is resilient, innovating to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapting to an evolving global business and regulatory environment that supports our customers, partners and employees.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Employees Donate Personal Time to Land Rehabilitation in Nevada

Jun 1, 2017 7:20 PM ET

Last month, members of our team in Nevada took part in the Elko District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sagebrush seedling-planting project. Newmont, the National Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), the Nevada Muleys and Barrick Gold sponsored the event.

Diversity & Inclusion

AEG Launches #BetterAsOne Campaign To Support Pride Month

Jun 1, 2017 6:00 PM ET

In support of LGBT Pride Month, AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, is creating awareness around diversity and inclusion with the launch of “Better As One,” a social media campaign that underscores the organization’s belief in unity and diversity.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

The International Living Future Institute is Now Accepting Applications for the Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award

Jun 1, 2017 5:30 PM ET

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is now accepting submissions for the Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award that acknowledges Stephen Kellert's legacy as a pioneer in articulating and applying Biophilic Design principles to the built environment.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Pentair and Urban Organics Open Second Commercial-Scale, Indoor Aquaponics Farm in St. Paul, Minn.

Jun 1, 2017 5:05 PM ET

Pentair, a global leader in sustainable water solutions, and aquaponics farming innovator Urban Organics, are opening a new, 87,000-square-foot indoor aquaponics farm in St. Paul, Minn.

Environment

Statement from Keep America Beautiful Concerning Decision by United States to Withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement

Jun 1, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, believes that meaningful, lasting change is best achieved when NGOs and social service organizations, businesses, government, academia and individuals — reflecting the strength and diversity of our nation and the world — join together to take responsibility with collective action.

Today’s decision to withdraw the United States from the historic Paris Climate Agreement adds an even greater sense of urgency to our work to help create a country where every community is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, work and play.

Education

Powerful Partnership: How Technology is Expanding Access to Quality Biology Education

Jun 1, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Over the past 25 years, the Amgen Foundation has worked to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly biology education, around the world. We have a long-standing history of reaching students through hands-on science programs such as the Amgen Biotech Experience and the Amgen Scholars Program, which have reached more than 500,000 students worldwide.

Education

6 Steps for African American Families to Build Wealth

Jun 1, 2017 4:00 PM ET

The stats are troubling. According to a Pew Research Center analysis a few years ago, wealth of white households was 13 times greater than the wealth of black households.

Health & Healthcare

GOJO Blog: Easy and Simple Tips to Help You Stay Healthy This Summer

Jun 1, 2017 3:35 PM ET

Summer is a time for hands-on fun. And no matter if we are at a park or in our own backyards, there is an increase in the likelihood of us spreading germs from one person to another. In fact, it has been reported that up to 80% of infections are transmitted by the hands.1 The practice of good hand hygiene, which includes handwashing and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, like PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer, when soap and water are not available, is one of the best preventive measures we can all take to reduce the spread of germs that can cause illness.

Sustainable Development Goals

Big Minnesota Companies Among Paris Pact Supporters

Jun 1, 2017 3:25 PM ET

If President Trump withdraws the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, he will be moving against the wishes of some of Minnesota’s biggest companies. “We would be incredibly disappointed if the U.S. decides to withdraw from the agreement to which our country had committed,” Cargill CEO David MacLennan said Wednesday in a statement to the Star Tribune.

Diversity & Inclusion

An Inclusive Workplace is Good for Business

Jun 1, 2017 2:20 PM ET

We can see diversity everywhere: in life experience, education, cultural background, gender and sexual identity. In the workplace, celebrating diversity means acknowledging the many identities that make an employee unique. To accept these unique identities, we first have to understand them. Understanding is a key step in creating an inclusive environment where employees feel acknowledged and valued.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

No Barriers Youth, Wells Fargo Select 20 Teachers for Global Impact Challenge

Jun 1, 2017 2:00 PM ET

No Barriers Youth and Wells Fargo announced the selection of 20 middle and high school educators to serve as ambassadors for the Global Impact Challenge, a diversity and inclusion competition designed to spark the best ideas from students for building a world free of barriers, stereotypes and discrimination.

Research, Reports & Publications

General Motors 2016 Sustainability Report: Progress in Pictures

Jun 1, 2017 1:40 PM ET

General Motors just launched its 2016 sustainability report. Scroll through the photo gallery to learn about GM's sustainability approach, aspirations and progress.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Making Packaging Do More for the Environment: Trends to Watch for in Food and Beverage Packaging

Jun 1, 2017 1:30 PM ET

The food and beverage industry is evolving rapidly, as are available packaging options. Innovation and adaptation have become a top priority as companies strive to provide greater product value and meet consumers’ evolving demands for packaging that is convenient to use, fit for purpose, and environmentally friendly. Some of the expected packaging trends and innovation we can expect to see in 2017 are described below.