Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Innovation & Technology

International Committee of the Red Cross Uses AR to Show Reality of War

Mar 16, 2018 6:00 PM ET

Over the past few years, the topic of refugees has dominated the news. Despite the widespread conversation, the realities of wars in faraway places are still hard to grasp for most people. To help them better realize the effects of conflict, a few companies have recreated scenarios to give consumers a glimpse into how war affects people’s every day. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) just launched a new campaign to create an experience using today’s latest technology, allowing everyone, everywhere to immerse themselves in what is happening thousands of miles away.

Sustainable Development Goals

Global Trends Report on the Women’s Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool Launched by UN Global Compact, UN Women and IDB Invest at 2018 WEPs Forum

Mar 16, 2018 5:15 PM ET

Unleashing the full potential of women and girls by empowering them to be equal members of society has a multiplier effect on families, businesses, communities, and nations and is essential to achieving sustainable development. Today, in the spirit of advancing the crucial role of the private sector in achieving Goal 5: Gender Equality, the United Nations Global Compact, UN Women and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) joined forces to organize the 2018 Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Annual Forum — the premier event on gender equality for the private sector held each March as part of the annual session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Research, Reports & Publications

Business Sustainability 2.0: Market Transformation (Adapted from “The Next Phase of Business Sustainability” by Andy Hoffman)

Mar 16, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Education

Good Sports, FOX Sports Supports and FOX Sports "Magnify" Series Team up to Bring Sports Equipment to Chicago Youth

Mar 16, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Good Sports has teamed up with FOX Sports Supports and FOX Sports Films’ MAGNIFY documentary “Shot in the Dark,” providing sports and fitness opportunities to the youth of Chicago. Supporters of the initiative can visit www.goodsports.org/shotinthedark to personally handpick sports equipment that will be directly donated by Good Sports to the youth programs in Chicago. In addition, all donations made through the “Shot in the Dark” webpage will be matched up to $25,000 by 21st Century Fox.

Health & Healthcare

Meet the Scientist: Zaven Kaprielian, Director of Research in Neuroscience at Amgen Massachusetts

Mar 16, 2018 2:30 PM ET

I manage a team of Amgen Neuroscience Discovery Research scientists dedicated to developing new therapeutics for ALS and Parkinson’s disease. As part of this, I set the scientific strategy for my team, and identify and foster collaborations with academic labs/start-up biotech companies to strengthen our pipeline of innovative therapies and technologies. I also play a role in recruiting the next generation of Amgen scientists.

Diversity & Inclusion

VMware Diversity and Inclusion Update 2018

Mar 16, 2018 2:05 PM ET

This year, the conversation around diversity has been amplified. While progress is being made in the area of diversity and inclusion (D&I) from Hollywood to the C-suite, company diversity report releases alone won’t move the needle in our communities. Conversation – and action – need to take place every day.

Events, Media & Communications

What Purpose-Driven Leaders Can Learn from SXSW

Mar 16, 2018 1:30 PM ET

This week, individuals, executives and world figureheads convened in Austin for SXSW Interactive – a mammoth event where leaders shared ideas, solutions, innovations and a positive outlook for the future. Although the conference features a Social Impact track where activists, social enterprises and entertainers shared how they are creating solutions, the theme of Purpose extended far beyond this singular track.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Vetiver Together: Our Efforts, Continued

Mar 16, 2018 1:00 PM ET

In 2016, IFF and Unilever, in collaboration with Oxfam Great Britain, Heifer International and the Ford Foundation, launched Vetiver Together, a two-year pilot program aimed to improve the livelihoods of the vetiver farming communities, strengthen IFF’s vetiver supply chain and increase environmental conservation.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CBRE Named to Center for Companies That Care's Honor Roll for Eleventh Consecutive Year

Mar 16, 2018 12:00 PM ET

CBRE Group, Inc. announced that it has been named to Center for Companies That Care’s Honor Roll for the 11th consecutive year. Center for Companies that Care recognizes employers for outstanding workplace practices and active community involvement.

Honor Roll employers are selected for their adherence to all 10 Characteristics of socially responsible employers. Each consistently makes meaningful investments in its employees and in society through community service.

“Respect, integrity, service and excellence are the foundations of our company values, and it shows in our dedication to our clients and in the way we volunteer our time and resources in the communities we serve,” said Jennifer Ashley, Global Director of Human Resources.

Health & Healthcare

Essity Launches Essential Initiatives to Empower People Around the Globe to Overcome Hygiene Barriers

Mar 16, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Essity has gathered insights and ignited the conversation around the role and importance of hygiene in a global perspective through our Hygiene Matters initiative since 2008.

To emphasize our commitment to health as well as hygiene, we’re renaming Hygiene Matters to become the Essentials Initiative, because for us, hygiene and health are essential for improving well-being for everybody, everywhere.

Events, Media & Communications

Final 2 Weeks for Early Bird Pricing!

Mar 16, 2018 11:30 AM ET

We're in the FINAL two weeks of Early Bird pricing to attend the 2018 Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit May 9—10 in Washington, D.C.! Register before March 30 to get the lowest rates.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Fighting e-Waste with Dell Corporate Savvy and Art

Mar 16, 2018 11:15 AM ET

A mix of Dell’s international e-waste recycling and the very expert Benjamin Von Wong’s artistic skills can make a big point about a big issue. E-waste is one of the big new plagues in the environment, and it MUST be managed well.

Education

Taco Bell Partners With Guild to Expand Education Support to Its Entire System of Team Members

Mar 16, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Taco Bell today announced that it’s partnering with Guild Education to provide education support for all 210,000 team members in its system of 7,000 restaurants in the U.S. As one of Guild’s largest partners to offer education benefits across its entire system, Taco Bell team members will have access to personalized college advisors and tuition discounts for thousands of classes, certificates and degrees from day one of their career at Taco Bell.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland X Thread: Meet Mirlande

Mar 16, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland recently released three new Timberland X Thread men’s footwear styles for spring, made with Thread’s recycled Ground to Good™ fabric. Each product made with Thread™ fabric supports a vibrant network of dignified jobs in the developing world - jobs for Haitian entrepreneurs like Mirlande Joseph.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

PYXERA Global Announces New Board Members

Mar 16, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Washington DC (March 16, 2018) PYXERA Global is pleased to announce that Ladan Manteghi, Global Partner Network Director at the Social Progress Imperative, and Kavilash Chawla, Partner at Baton Global has joined its board of directors.

Social Impact & Volunteering

A Beautiful Shiver in the River ’18 from Keep Virginia Beautiful

Mar 16, 2018 11:00 AM ET

The folks at Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) had to admit it. They were a bit nervous prior to KVB's 2018 "Shiver in the River." In late January, Virginia's James River was well above flood stage because of several weeks of rainy weather. But after 10-plus days of gorgeous weather, the James receded, and hundreds of volunteers flocked to Historic Tredegar for the 4th Annual Shiver in the River.

Environment

Water is Life. Let’s Take Care of It Together.

Mar 16, 2018 10:30 AM ET

At Nestlé, we unequivocally believe that access to water is a basic human right. Everyone, everywhere in the world, has the right to clean, safe water for drinking and sanitation. According to the UN this corresponds to 50 to 100 litres per person per day. This is of the highest priority to individuals, communities and the planet. Water security is a global problem, but it is felt locally. We believe that water challenges can therefore best be addressed by working with all stakeholders in local and regional communities. To address scarcity issues, we are working together with communities where we operate to sustain and improve local watersheds. We are also helping communities to develop their own resources on a set of shared terms.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SC Johnson Germany Named Best Workplace for 13th Time

Mar 16, 2018 10:30 AM ET

SC Johnson Germany has been recognized as a 2018 Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work® Institute. The organization ranked 17 on the list of companies with 50 to 500 employees in the country.

Research, Reports & Publications

Schneider Electric WHITEPAPER | Nothing Will Change for the 1.06 Billion People Living Without Access to Energy if Adequate Local Skills Are Not Developed

Mar 16, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Education

Scotia Launches Chirpy’s Kiddy Cricket Manual

Mar 16, 2018 10:05 AM ET

President of Cricket West Indies Dave Cameron wants over 300,000 children in the Caribbean to benefit from the Kiddy Cricket Scotiabank Chirpy’s Classroom Adventure Academic Manual.

Environment

Showing Our Support for Global Recycling Day on March 18th

Mar 16, 2018 10:00 AM ET

We work closely with 160 partners in 70 countries around the world on improving recycling, using a market by market approach.

Diversity & Inclusion

How ‘Hidden Figures’ Inspires Women in STEM Fields

Mar 16, 2018 10:00 AM ET

In my role at JetBlue, I see firsthand how important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are to shaping future generations of leaders. Most of the critical functions of JetBlue require STEM, including aircraft flight, repair, and routing.

Yet the aviation industry still lacks women in technical and analytical positions, a trend that is seen throughout the aviation sector. Women pilots, for instance, represent less than 7% of the commercial pilot population, and women represent less than 3% of all mechanics, according to 2015 data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sustainable Development Goals

How Businesses Can Do More to Promote Human Rights: Interview With Caroline Rees

Mar 16, 2018 10:00 AM ET

The topic of human rights in the context of businesses has been on the rise the past 20 years, initiated by the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. In this blog post, GRI's Chief Executive Tim Mohin sits with Caroline Rees, President and Co-founder of Shift (a non-profit organization working to help governments and companies implement the UNGPs) about how businesses should manage their human rights impacts, sustainability reporting, the SDGs and more.

Diversity & Inclusion

My Working Day: Making Fintech Ideas a Reality at Barclays Eagle Lab

Mar 16, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

How HP Is Supporting Female Leaders in India

Mar 16, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Nearly half of India’s 1.3 billion people are women. Yet women comprise only one-third of HP employees in India—and just 15 percent are managers. When HP’s Nanditha Seetharamaiah learned about this inequality, she decided to do something about it.