Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Learn More About MetLife's Impact Investments

Jul 24, 2018 10:05 AM ET

MetLife Investment Management, MetLife’s institutional asset management platform, manages $587.3 billion for MetLife’s general account and institutional investors, such as pension plans and insurance companies. We define impact investments as those that generate social or environmental benefits while also providing financial returns.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Former Gap Inc. Executive Bobbi Silten to Lead Global Initiative That Is Unlocking Business’ Power to Catalyze Social Change at Scale

Jul 24, 2018 10:00 AM ET

FSG and the Shared Value Initiative are pleased to announce that former Gap Inc. executive Bobbi Silten will lead the Initiative as Managing Director, effective July 30, 2018.

Research, Reports & Publications

Fifteen Luxury Companies Collaborate to Develop New Roadmap for Resilient Luxury Sector

Jul 24, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Fifteen leading luxury companies today launched a new report outlining opportunities and recommendations for the luxury sector to address the global challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, new technologies and automation, and rising economic inequality.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Barclays Employee Takes Banking Skills Into Volunteer Mountain Rescue

Jul 24, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Lee Faulkner works in risk management for Barclays and volunteers with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, a voluntary organisation in South Wales. Lee talks us through his typical week – from searching for a missing person on the Brecon Beacons to helping rescue injured walkers – and how it feels for the team to have been recognised by Prince William.

Environment

P&G Is Working to Help Halt the Flow of Plastic into the World’s Oceans

Jul 24, 2018 9:20 AM ET

P&G is proud to be a founding partner of Circulate Capital a new venture to invest in solutions to ocean plastic. This new investment firm will help create the infrastructure to help prevent ocean plastic and will concentrate efforts in South and Southeast Asia

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

50 Farms and No Regrets

Jul 24, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Iroquois Valley Farms has reached a milestone: This spring we added the 50th farm to our portfolio. Our farmland REIT — honored as a “Best for the World” company from B Labs — provides secure land tenure for 35 farm families working nearly 9,000 acres of farmland. More families will be joining the Iroquois Valley Farms fold soon.

Diversity & Inclusion

Walmart Supports Future Leaders Through $2 Million in Funding to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Jul 24, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Today, Walmart announced $2 million in grants to organizations working to expand internship opportunities for diverse youth populations, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). The grants build on previous Walmart funding to the two nonprofits, bringing the company’s total investment to more than $6 million over the last several years. The funding will help provide career pathways on Capitol Hill for students and young professionals through education and hands-on experience in the nation’s capital.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CSD Learns, Wells Fargo Launch Financial Education Series for the Deaf Community

Jul 24, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) Learns and Wells Fargo & Company announced the launch of an online financial education series for the deaf community. The first two courses, “Dealing with Debt” and “Getting Started with Investing,” are available free of charge at CSDLearns.com to all deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind individuals in the U.S. as well as their teachers and service providers.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Abbott Named Corporate Citizen of the Year

Jul 23, 2018 8:30 PM ET

Abbott is honored to be named the Executives’ Club of Chicago’s 2018 Corporate Citizen of the Year. This award reflects Abbott’s commitment to building stronger communities around the world, and recognizes the significant impact Abbott employees have made through hands-on volunteering and employee giving.

Education

Peñasquito’s Education Strategy Builds Capacity and Competence in Communities

Jul 23, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

How This Sustainable Yarn System Is Changing the Flooring Industry

Jul 23, 2018 4:05 PM ET

We are proud to introduce everyone to Heathered Hues, our new sustainable high-performance color yarn system developed to give our soft surface products a more natural and variegated, wool-like effect.

Research, Reports & Publications

America’s Pledge Outlines Bottom-Up Opportunity Agenda for U.S. State, City and Business Action on Climate

Jul 23, 2018 4:00 PM ET

The America’s Pledge report provides a ten-part opportunity agenda for bottom-up climate policies and programs to help deliver America’s Pledge under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Health & Healthcare

Aflac Partners with National Dance Marathon Leadership Conference for Corporate Social Responsibility Education

Jul 23, 2018 2:50 PM ET

In 2018, Aflac joined the Miracle Network Dance Marathon movement as partners for the annual Dance Marathon Leadership Conference (DMLC). DMLC fosters collaboration by sharing resources, best practices, and trends in peer-to-peer fundraising for participants involved with Dance Marathon programs at over 300 colleges and universities throughout North America.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Let Local Partners Lead

Jul 23, 2018 2:05 PM ET

On June 11, Paraguay became the first country to be certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in more than 40 years. This is the latest in a series of triumphs for global efforts to combat infectious diseases. In December, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative reported a 99 percent reduction in annual polio cases since 1988. Between 2000 and 2016, the WHO estimates that new HIV infections fell 39 percent and, although still a leading cause of death worldwide, tuberculosis claimed 53 million fewer lives due to better diagnosis and treatment.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

David Beckham Kicks Off Sixth Annual Sands for Singapore Charity Festival

Jul 23, 2018 1:35 PM ET

Sands for Singapore is the annual charity festival organized by Marina Bay Sands to raise awareness of partner charities and raise funds for them through a series of events. David Beckham, Sands Global Ambassador and international sports star, announced the sixth annual festival will begin August 24 through August 26 at a special launch event.

Sustainable Development Goals

Three Key Steps: Grow Your Business, Not Your Footprint

Jul 23, 2018 1:30 PM ET

With the recent launch of our 2017 Sustainable Impact report, we reflect on how we are contributing to a more efficient, circular, and low-carbon economy and how we can continue to strengthen our business in 2018 and for the long-term. Here are three top learnings from our progress.

Diversity & Inclusion

JetBlue March in NYC Disability Pride Parade in support of Reaching Blue Heights Initiatives

Jul 23, 2018 1:05 PM ET

On July 15, JetBlue marched in the NYC Disability Pride Parade in support of JetBlue’s Reaching Blue Heights initiatives. Hosted by Disability Pride NYC, the parade’s purpose is to promote inclusion, awareness, and visibility of people with disabilities, and to redefine public perception of disability. This is JetBlue’s fourth time participating in the parade.

Health & Healthcare

Novartis Renews Drug Donation of Egaten® (Triclabendazole) Until 2022, Reaffirming Its Commitment to the Fight Against Liver Fluke

Jul 23, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Novartis reaffirms its commitment to the fight against liver fluke (fascioliasis), signing a renewed memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) to extend its drug donation for Egaten® (triclabendazole) until 2022. Egaten is currently the only treatment for fascioliasis recommended by the WHO and is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

Sustainable Development Goals

Bold ideas for South Africa’s Development at World Economic Forum

Jul 23, 2018 12:45 PM ET

Education

Traveling Science Lab 'Curiosity Cube' Comes To Laramie 

Jul 23, 2018 12:10 PM ET

Pharmaceuticals and biosciences company MilliporeSigma is stopping in Laramie this week to showcase its “Curiosity Cube.” What used to be a 22 by 10-foot shipping container is now a mobile science lab with interactive experiments. The Curiosity Cube allows kids to experience different technologies like high-tech microscopes, virtual reality, and 3D printers.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Starbucks and McDonald’s Unite to Push Industry Toward More Sustainable Packaging

Jul 23, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Last week, coffee drinkers learned about Starbucks’ latest sustainability initiative – a plan to phase out single-use straws by 2020. But Starbucks isn’t the only fast-food icon exploring ways to lessen its environmental impact. Together, McDonald’s and Starbucks distribute a combined 4 percent of the world’s 600 billion single-use cups annually. And, while the two fast food giants have been making strides toward sustainability separately for years, McDonald’s announced that it will be joining forces with the coffee icon to tackle an issue that outweighs the brands’ rivalry.

Education

An Amazing Way to Add STEAM to Girls’ Career Dreams

Jul 23, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Learning becomes deeper and longer lasting when it involves creativity, discovery and community. That’s why I’m so excited to help support Walmart and the Walmart Foundation in their giving efforts. Through my job as a senior grant manager for the Walmart Foundation, I get to be part of helping organizations like the Scott Family Amazeum, who are working to break down the intimidation factors of STEAM in hopes of inspiring the next generation of engineers, coders, scientists and beyond.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

A Letter From Connie L. Lindsey And Michael G. O’Grady of Northern Trust

Jul 23, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Northern Trust values corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an essential element of our mission and culture. Our stakeholders expect us to be responsible stewards of the company’s resources, balancing appropriate levels of prudence and risk to create value. We take that responsibility seriously, as demonstrated through our commitment to Achieve Greater through our CSR strategy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Reporting Live from Where News Happens

Jul 23, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Even before Hurricane Maria touched down in Puerto Rico in September 2017, many feared the damage would be enormous. When the storm reached landfall, those fears were confirmed, and it was obvious that people’s lives on the island would be changed forever.

Seeing the devastation firsthand, our NBC News teams knew that covering the story piecemeal from afar wasn’t going to be enough — the story was too big and too important. As we do whenever major news stories hit, we embedded ourselves on the ground to help audiences understand what was happening on an island literally in the dark.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem’s Morton Grove Team Cleans Lincoln Creek

Jul 23, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The team from Xylem Watermark in Morton Grove, IL has been hard at work in their local community. Twenty-five Watermark volunteers recently helped clean up a section of Lincoln Creek, which carries water away from Downtown Milwaukee. While doing so, they helped monitor water quality and shared their data as part of the EarthEcho Water challenge. In addition to 30 garbage bags of trash, the team also removed an automobile bumper and two shopping carts, highlighting the importance of keeping our waterways clean.