Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Highlights from the Taproot Foundation's 2018 U.S. Pro Bono Summit

May 22, 2018 1:35 PM ET

The Taproot Foundation’s U.S. Pro Bono Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from across sectors and industries with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to social change organizations. The 7th annual Summit was held in San Francisco on April 18 and 19.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Services’ Chuck Serianni Named 2018 Financial Executive of the Year by the Financial Executives International

May 22, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Education

JetBlue’s Soar with Reading® Initiative Lands in San Francisco and Oakland This Summer

May 22, 2018 12:45 PM ET

JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced San Francisco and Oakland, Calif. as the next locations to receive free book vending machines as part of its annual Soar with Reading program. This award-winning literacy initiative tackles the issue of “book deserts” and provides access to age-appropriate books to children in underserved communities. To kick off the eighth year of Soar with Reading, JetBlue also announced a new partnership with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Thinking Green As We Make Change Happen on Comcast Cares Day

May 22, 2018 12:15 PM ET

Every year on Comcast Cares Day, our employees get their hands dirty to give back to their communities – and this year was no exception. At so many of our 1,200 community service projects that were part of our 17th Comcast Cares Day, our employees and other volunteers – a record 115,000 turned out – worked to make a positive impact and inspire environmental responsibility in all we do.

Education

Teens School Peers on Distracted Driving: There's No "Fine" Time to Text

May 22, 2018 11:55 AM ET

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high school seniors Kirklin “Mack” Hopkins (17) and Kellen Stadler (18) send a clear message: A single second can have life-long consequences. Their poignant video, titled “It’s Not Fine,” is the winner of the Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge, a national driver safety public service announcement competition, using the tools of storytelling to get through to young drivers.

Diversity & Inclusion

Walmart Reaches 5th Anniversary of Veterans Welcome Home Commitment With Announcement of More Than 200,000 Veteran Hires

May 22, 2018 11:50 AM ET

Today, Walmart announced it has hired more than 200,000 veterans and promoted more than 28,000 to roles of greater responsibility since launching its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment five years ago. Recognizing the important skills and leadership abilities veterans possess, the commitment helps veterans find career opportunities at Walmart and aims to ease the sometimes difficult transition from active duty to civilian life. Walmart is now more than 80 percent of the way to reaching its goal of hiring 250,000 veterans by 2020.

Environment

4 Important Reasons Ergonomics Should Be a Priority in Lower-Risk Workplaces

May 22, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Antea Group’s blog discusses the importance of ergonomics for low-risk workplaces such as offices, warehouses and data centers.

Green Infrastructure

Ecocentricity Blog: Itty Bitty Living Space

May 22, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Chances are that by now you’ve heard of tiny homes. Back in 2014 though, that was my first introduction to them. Now, it’s apparently become a movement, and I get why.

Environment

Uganda Will Use Trees on Farms to Meet National Biodiversity Targets

May 22, 2018 10:55 AM ET

Expansion of agriculture is one of the main drivers of global deforestation and loss of habitat. Like many other countries in the world, Uganda has experienced severe deforestation, with forest cover declining by nearly 60 percent from about 5 million hectares in 1990 to just under 2 million in 2015.

Innovation & Technology

Advanced Software Design Technology Leads GM to Lighter, More Efficient Vehicles

May 22, 2018 10:45 AM ET

General Motors is committed to building efficient vehicles in a responsible manner, reducing its footprint and strengthening its communities around the world. As part of those efforts, General Motors is the first automaker in North America to use new generative design software technology from Bay Area-based software company Autodesk. The technology is key to vehicle lightweighting, or developing lighter and more efficient vehicles.

Media & Communications

CECP Continues to Advance Business As a Force for Good With Hire of New Managing Director

May 22, 2018 10:10 AM ET

CECP: The CEO Force for Good announced the addition of Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas as Managing Director, an integral part of CECP’s senior leadership team. As a CEO-led coalition of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies, CECP believes a company’s social strategy – how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers – determines a company’s success. As the former Executive Director of The Mosaic Company Foundation, Kari brings multiple years of experience in corporate social investments, company strategy, and business development.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

GreenMoney's Annual Videos Issue on ESG & CSR

May 22, 2018 10:05 AM ET

It's time for GreenMoney's 3rd Annual All-Videos Issue. We’ve selected films from innovative leaders in the interconnected worlds of Impact Investing, Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability.

Environment

VIDEO | 4th Street Farms Unites Neighbors to Revitalize a Community

May 22, 2018 9:50 AM ET

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation has helped create 1,000 community gardens across America. Here’s the story of one of those gardens, the 4th Street Farms in Columbus, Ohio.

Energy

Schneider Electric VIDEO | The Future of the Energy Economy is Diversified

May 22, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Without a doubt, today’s electricity grid is the largest and most complex machine in the world. Flying over a city at night gives one an appreciation for just how sprawling and interconnected this modern marvel is. One can think about nearly every twinkling light on the ground below as an asset connected to the grid ecosystem.

Events, Media & Communications

Anticipating Complex Challenges Ahead, Social Investment Leaders Meet to Share Best Practices and Map Strategy

May 22, 2018 9:45 AM ET

CECP: The CEO Force for Good will convene the 2018 CECP Summit: Leading Through Complexity May 22-23, 2018 in NYC, bringing together 250 corporate leaders who drive societal investment strategies at the world’s largest companies. Attendees will learn and connect with the trailblazers making big, bold moves in a complex business climate – those who are taking charge and re-defining ‘purpose’ and success for themselves. CECP is a coalition of more than 200 companies and CEOs that believes that a company’s social strategy--how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers--determines company success.

Sustainable Development Goals

Professionalising African Motorcycle Taxis: From Vitamins to Painkillers

May 22, 2018 9:20 AM ET

SafeMotos is proud to announce our new version of our smart phone application: what we believe to be the most localized piece of software ever built by an African startup. It’s been a rocky journey though, with many missteps along the way. Our hope is that we can pass on some of my lessons learned at SafeMotos to others so they can avoid some of our pitfalls.

Environment

Cisco Employees Are Earth Aware, Making a Positive Impact on the Planet

May 22, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Earth Aware is Cisco’s annual month-long volunteerism and awareness campaign in support of the sustainability and the environment. Through dozens of “green” events, such as volunteer-led tree plantings, Earth fairs, beach cleanups, recycling seminars, and more, employees took action to positively impact the planet, at work and at home.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Is the Commodity Era Over?

May 22, 2018 9:00 AM ET

I’ve recently begun to wonder if we’re moving away from the world of commodities as we’ve known them for hundreds of years. The buying, selling, trading and hedging of commodities like cocoa, grains and energy have been stalwarts of global trade. For decades, people in corporate procurement have sourced raw materials from around the world based on defined specifications and quality standards.

Diversity & Inclusion

Brands Taking Stands Newsletter, 5/22/18

May 22, 2018 9:00 AM ET

“The Big Story” in this week’s edition of the Brands Taking Stands Newsletter focuses on the issue of companies supporting LGBTQ rights. The issue continues to be a crossroads for private-public conflict, as business pushes back against public policy perceived as discriminatory.

Sustainable Development Goals

Freeport-McMoRan Invests in Skills Development for Indigenous Fish Industry Workers

May 22, 2018 8:55 AM ET

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), a Freeport-McMoRan company, has an extensive Community Economic Development program in the region where it operates in Papua, Indonesia. Mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata) commonly called ‘Karaka’ by locals in the coastal Mimika Regency of Papua, Indonesia, is a coastal fishery commodity. Karaka are large and meaty crabs, and are an economically important species of crab that are found in estuaries and mangroves.

Education

Views of the Biotech Experience From Dublin

May 22, 2018 7:20 AM ET

On one typically overcast morning in April, I stepped out of my comfort zone and headed down to the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin, to address the delegates at the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) global annual meeting. I spent the evening beforehand thinking of what I would say during the allocated five minutes. There are so many positive things to say about the ABE program, and I wanted to do it justice; the idea of speaking in front of an assembled audience of experts, and strangers, however, was a bit daunting. I feel much more comfortable in my classroom, talking to the teenagers that I meet every day in school.

Events, Media & Communications

Bloomberg Announces the New Economy Forum to Be Held in Beijing in November 2018

May 21, 2018 5:50 PM ET

Bloomberg and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) announced the New Economy Forum to be held in Beijing, China from November 6-8, 2018. The Forum will stimulate a frank conversation about the shifts in the global economy and the risks and opportunities created by a world in transition that is increasingly led by China and India, as well as the rising powers in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Climbs Fortune 500 List as Waste Management Sees Slight Dip

May 21, 2018 5:05 PM ET

Events, Media & Communications

MOD Pizza: How a Culture of “Doing the Right Thing” Is Good for Business

May 21, 2018 5:00 PM ET

MOD Pizza was founded with the goal of using business to make a positive social impact. Founders Ally and Scott Svenson realized that through the fast-casual pizza segment they pioneered, MOD could create a positive effect on the lives of their fiercely loyal employees. MOD’s hiring philosophy - that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not – continues to drive their success and gives their employees purpose.

Health & Healthcare

Nepal Validated by WHO for Eliminating Blinding Trachoma

May 21, 2018 4:45 PM ET

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it has validated Nepal as the sixth country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem. Pfizer is excited to join the global trachoma community in celebrating this important milestone, which brings us one step closer to eliminating the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness once and for all.