Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Why Don’t Americans Take More Time Off Work?

Jun 21, 2016 12:15 PM ET

You might joke that your office seems like a ghost town during the summer months, when many people take time off to go on vacation. In reality it should probably feel that way more often.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sanofi Renews Commitment to Helping Children

Jun 21, 2016 12:05 PM ET

At the Sanofi Foundation for North America our focus on helping children, especially those in need, is a platform that cuts across all Sanofi businesses and positively impacts young, sometimes fragile lives. Whether targeting the medically underserved, those born prematurely, or those struggling with cancer, we continue to support those championing such noble causes.

Environment

Ingersoll Rand Meets Department of Energy's Better Plants Goal

Jun 21, 2016 11:55 AM ET

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Program is working with leading manufacturers to improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector, and Ingersoll Rand has met its goal.

Events, Media & Communications

Learn Stakeholder Engagement Best Practices in the Extractives Industry at 2016 Responsible Extractives Summit

Jun 21, 2016 11:45 AM ET

In the extractives industry a license to operate begins with stakeholder engagement. Harry Pastuzek, Vice President, Enterprise & Community Development at PYXERA Global, will moderate a plenary panel called Strengthen a social license to operate through early & meaningful stakeholder engagement at the 2016 Responsible Extractives Summit in London.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Whirlpool Corporation Makes Newsweek's 2016 Green Rankings for Environmental Efforts

Jun 21, 2016 11:30 AM ET

This month, Whirlpool Corporation was named No. 204 on Newsweek’s 2016 Green Rankings list, one of the most reputed corporate rankings assessing environmental efforts of the 500 largest publicly-traded companies in the United States based on corporate sustainability and environmental impact.

Education

Teens: The Unacknowledged Experts in Science Education

Jun 21, 2016 11:00 AM ET

In education policy circles, we spend so much time talking about young people that we sometimes forget to listen to them. Young people can have critical insights on schools and learning that escape the researchers and policy wonks. As we adults struggle to reform science education, we could stand to learn a great deal from students who, after all, have the most to gain from our efforts.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Breeding Success Through Partnerships

Jun 21, 2016 10:45 AM ET

First Nation entrepreneur, James Walkus from the Kwakuitl Nation, has had incredible success growing his multi-generation, family-run business – James Walkus Fishing Company. Walkus started his career in the commercial fishing industry at age 15 on a leaky skiff. As the wild fish stocks began to decline in the mid 1990s he decided it was time to diversify his business and turned to aquaculture, developing a partnership with Marine Harvest Canada.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Pernod Ricard, the Leading Beverage Alcohol Group in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2016

Jun 21, 2016 10:45 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

WSJ Partners on Annual Corporate Citizenship Conference and Citizens Awards

Jun 21, 2016 10:30 AM ET

For the first time, The Wall Street Journal will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation as media partner for the annual Corporate Citizenship Conference, Purpose & Progress, and the Corporate Citizenship Awards on November 16-17, 2016.

Health & Healthcare

Nestlé Purina in the Americas: Advancing Pet Nutrition, Creating Positive Impacts for Pets and People in Society

Jun 21, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Nestlé Purina in the Americas has released its 2015 Creating Shared Value report, demonstrating how the company is making a positive impact for pets and the people who love them.

The report, available on www.Purina.com, provides an in-depth look at Nestlé Purina’s Creating Shared Value activities in 2015, focused on four key areas:

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sustainability and CSR: A Word about Terms

Jun 21, 2016 10:10 AM ET

What is CSR, what is sustainability, and why does BSR prefer to use one term over the other?

Energy

Ecocentricity Blog: Solar Juice, from Concentrate

Jun 21, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Have you ever seen the trick where someone starts a fire using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight? Concentrated solar power is like that, just way bigger.

Environment

Panel: The Money - Business Practices and Sustainability

Jun 21, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Chaired by senior journalist Zeinab Badawi. Panelists: Azita Shariati CEO, Sodexo Nordic. Dr. Michael Grosse, Executive Vice President Development & Service Operations, Tetra Pak. Matt Kovac, Executive Director, Food Industry Asia. Stefan Catsicas, Executive Vice President of Nestlé. EAT Stockholm Food Forum, June 2016. www.eatforum.org

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $17MM to Patriot Station, Helps Shortage of Affordable Housing in White City, Oregon

Jun 21, 2016 9:45 AM ET

KeyBank’s Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) group announced it will provide a total of $17MM to the Housing Authority of Jackson County (HAJC) to help develop 53 units of affordable housing for singles, couples, families and veterans making 50 percent of area median income. The development, named Patriot Station, is located in in White City, Oregon. Patriot Station participates in the VASH program, a HUD Housing Choice Voucher program that supports vulnerable, chronically homeless veterans. KeyBank provided a $9.3MM equity investment, facilitated by Beth Wirtz of Key Community Development Corporation (KCDC), and a $7.7 MM construction loan, facilitated by CDLI’s Aubre Dickson.

Education

Atlas Copco Exposes Teenage Girls to Working Environment & Future Career Options

Jun 21, 2016 9:30 AM ET

In acknowledgment of the importance of empowering young women for the promotion of socio-economic growth in South Africa, Atlas Copco invited 24 Grade 11 and 12 learners from Lethukuthula Secondary School, situated in Katlehong on the East Rand to share sound advice and career planning with the young ladies.

Environment

Arbor Day Foundation Celebrates 60 Millionth Tree Planting

Jun 21, 2016 9:30 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is commemorating the planting of the 60 millionth tree in our nation’s forests.

Diversity & Inclusion

FACES of Olive Garden | Jenifer French

Jun 21, 2016 9:25 AM ET

Meet Jenifer French, director of operations for Olive Garden’s Houston division, who leads nine restaurant teams and 1,000 people.

Education

Cerro Verde, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Graduates 178 Women Business Owners From the Dreambuilder Program

Jun 21, 2016 9:15 AM ET

More than 170 entrepreneurs from different districts of the Arequipa region of Peru successfully completed the DreamBuilder program in April 2016, which is funded by Freeport-McMoRan Inc., Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Responsible Production & Consumption

BACARDÍ® Crafts Wooden Sunglasses Made From Recycled Oak Rum Barrels

Jun 21, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

Perfecting Access Through Embedded Sustainability, Pooling Resources and Consolidating Expertise

Jun 21, 2016 6:10 AM ET

Anthony Gitau is Country Head of Novartis Access and Familia Nawiri in Kenya. In his current role, Anthony Gitau is in charge of implementing and scaling up the two social business programs of Novartis in Kenya. These are meant to empower people living at the base of the pyramid to take control of their health and to give them access to quality affordable healthcare services and products. Anthony tells his story about his passion for working on affordable access programs on EFPIA Blog.

Research, Reports & Publications

SABMiller Sustainable Development Report 2016; Embedding Prosper into the Business

Jun 21, 2016 5:00 AM ET

SABMiller’s Sustainable Development Report 2016 provides an update on progress against its sustainable development ambition, Prosper, and highlights how this contributes to the SDGs.

Events, Media & Communications

20th Century Fox Partners with Save the Children for Emergency Preparedness PSA Campaign Featuring 'Ice Age' Movie Characters

Jun 20, 2016 8:00 PM ET

20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have partnered with Save the Children for a new emergency preparedness PSA campaign featuring the beloved characters from the upcoming animated adventure Ice Age: Collision Course. The campaign encourages parents to create In Case of Emergency (ICE) cards for their children so that families can quickly reunite after an emergency. Ice Age: Collision Course will open in theaters everywhere July 22.

Education

EU Conflict Minerals: An Agreement Has Been Met

Jun 20, 2016 7:35 PM ET

On June 15th, the European Union (EU) agreed on terms for the long-pending conflict minerals regulation. As one of the largest economic bodies in the world, The EU was hard pressed to develop a regulation that would make companies perform due diligence on their supply chains, ensuring that they responsibly source 3TG (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold), or conflict minerals.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Bilingual Volunteers Needed! Help Fairfax CASA Overcome Language and Cultural Barriers

Jun 20, 2016 7:15 PM ET

Sara had fallen into the wrong crowd during her time at a local high school. When she entered foster care, she was struggling with substance abuse issues and gang involvement. Sara was placed in a group home, miles away from her family (which had no transportation to visit her), where she was being treated for substance abuse, but the home had no Spanish speaking staff. She continued to receive therapy and substance abuse treatment services in English, to no avail. Having a language and cultural barrier between them, the social worker and all involved could not communicate effectively with her.

Responsible Production & Consumption

New Palm Oil Risk Tool Released by World Resources Institute

Jun 20, 2016 6:00 PM ET

Global Forest Watch, an initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI), has recently released a palm oil risk tool that maps deforestation risk for palm oil mills worldwide. The PALM Risk Tool (Prioritizing Areas, Landscapes and Mills) assigns a risk rating to approximately 800 palm oil mills. Satellite data is used to identify deforested and fire treated areas. Mills that have heavily deforested regions within a 50 kilometer (31 mile) radius are assigned higher risk ratings; this is also the maximum distance that palm fruit can be transported in usable condition.