Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Media & Communications

Sustainability Pays, Says Wal-Mart & Some of Its Suppliers in PBS Newshour Interviews

Sep 29, 2017 1:35 PM ET

As part of the PBS series, "Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change," the network's NewsHour reported on how a few large U.S. companies are doing their part to meet climate change challenges...and prospering...even as the Trump White House continues to move toward withdrawal from the historic Paris Agreement (COP 21).

The efforts of the giant retailer Wal-Mart Stores are highlighted in the broadcast. Wal-Mart stresses that it is striving to be recognized as a corporate leader in the "fight against climate change."

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How SASB Is Helping JetBlue, Investors Get on the Same Page About Materiality

Sep 29, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Earlier this year, JetBlue released its 2016 environmental and sustainability report, accompanied by a white paper produced according to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standard for the airline industry, which covers material environmental, social and governance (ESG) information of interest to investors.

With the release of the report and white paper, JetBlue became one of the first companies — and the first airline — to report according to SASB’s intensive standards.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Provides $1.7 Million Grant to UNC School of Medicine to Fund Program Streamlining Afib Care & Education for Underserved Populations

Sep 29, 2017 1:00 PM ET

UNC School of Medicine cardiologist Anil Gehi, MD, will use a $1.7 million grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to further innovate a care model, launched in 2015, that reduced hospitalizations for patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib) presenting in the emergency room by more than 30 percentage points in its first year.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Abbott Expands Disaster Relief, Providing $4.25 Million to Help Families Affected by Hurricane Maria, Earthquakes in Mexico, Other Recent Hurricanes

Sep 29, 2017 12:45 PM ET

To help families affected by recent disasters, Abbott and its foundation the Abbott Fund are providing $4.25 million in donated products and grants to support hurricane and earthquake relief. Most recent efforts focus on Hurricane Maria and earthquakes in Mexico.

Education

Cargill’s Global Scholars: Getting Ready to Change the World

Sep 29, 2017 12:30 PM ET

For a week this summer, 67 bright young students from six countries around the world gathered at Cargill’s offices in Amsterdam for a leadership seminar that would prepare them to be future leaders and decision-makers in the world of food and agriculture.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Gildan Awarded FUNDAHRSE CSR Seal for 10th Consecutive Year

Sep 29, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Gildan received the CSR Seal awarded by the Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility in Honduras (FUNDAHRSE) for the 10th consecutive year. This year, 65 companies received the award, with Gildan being the only apparel company to receive this distinction 10 years in a row.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

BNY Mellon Included on Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for Fourth Consecutive Year

Sep 29, 2017 11:40 AM ET

BNY Mellon has maintained its leadership status in corporate social responsibility (CSR), appearing as the only U.S. diversified financial company on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the fourth consecutive year. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) were the first global indices tracking the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide and provide an integrated assessment of economic, environmental and social criteria with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Infographic: GRI – Small Non-Profit, Big Impact

Sep 29, 2017 11:00 AM ET

ver our 20-year journey, GRI has created an outsized impact on the global economy, environment and society. With currently fewer than 100 employees, GRI engages companies, financial institutions, governments, labor organizations, civil society and citizens from around the world in the mission to build an equitable, inclusive and sustainable future. Infographic presents the key figures on GRI's impact.

Environment

Addressing Climate: What's the Big Deal?

Sep 29, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Over the last two years, we’ve sharpened our pencils on the glide path to 2025. Let’s be honest: it isn’t easy or obvious. There are many business hurdles and operational challenges to realizing this goal. But our commitment to making progress has not changed. Why? Because long term, it makes sense for our business and it makes sense for the planet. We want to position our company to have access to quality ingredients at a cost that we can afford into the future. All of this depends on a healthy planet.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Habitat for Humanity and Bank of America Kick Off Fourth Global Build

Sep 29, 2017 10:35 AM ET

Habitat for Humanity and Bank of America are partnering for the fourth consecutive year on a Global Build that will engage bank employees and local Habitat organizations around the world.

Between Sept. 30 – Oct. 7, approximately 2,500 employee volunteers (#BofAVolunteers) will join their local Habitat organizations to help build, rehab or repair homes and revitalize neighborhoods in more than 90 communities in six countries, including the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Maria Menounos Debuts “Maria's Greek Kitchen” at Fenway

Sep 29, 2017 10:20 AM ET

Aramark, Fenway Park’s food and beverage partner, and Emmy-winning Maria Menounos, have partnered and opened a new “pop-up” concessions concept at Fenway Park, featuring Menounos’ healthy and authentic Greek family recipes. The opening of “Maria’s Greek Kitchen” marks a return of sorts to Fenway for Menounos, who grew up in nearby Medford, MA, attended Emerson College in Boston, and sold sausages behind a cart outside Fenway Park, before and after Red Sox games.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Mohawk Receives Three GreenStep Honors from Floor Covering Weekly

Sep 29, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Mohawk Industries received three GreenStep awards from Floor Covering Weekly, including the inaugural People award, which was presented to George Bandy, vice president of Sustainability, for his leadership in providing environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions to the organization and its customers.

Environment

Promoting Sustainably-Managed Woodlands One Parcel at a Time

Sep 29, 2017 10:15 AM ET

It’s a little-known fact that more than 75 percent of forestland in the southeastern region of the United States is owned by private woodland owners. Most people assume that this swath of the Appalachian Mountains is either federally held or the property of corporations in the business of making and selling wood-fiber based products such as writing paper, diapers, and paper towels.

Health & Healthcare

Wellness at Work Goes Mainstream

Sep 29, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Hosted in London, Wellness17 built on the foundations of WORKTECH to further explore all the facets that affect wellness within the workplace, from the impacts of technology and job design to workplace culture and best practices for supporting mental health.

Environment

With Hope That Plastic Will Be Eliminated, Man Starts 'Papers Be Green' Business in Tunisia

Sep 29, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

The Circadian System: Aligning the Body’s Internal Clock

Sep 29, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Environment

The Sustainable Coffee Challenge Partners With Coffee Industry Innovator Nespresso

Sep 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET

The Sustainable Coffee Challenge today welcomed Nestlé Nespresso SA (Nespresso) among its 83 partners who are seeking to make coffee the world's first sustainably grown commodity.

Environment

Land Restoration for Peace and Profit

Sep 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Land degradation is at the nexus of a vicious spiral which links low land productivity and biodiversity loss with poverty, hunger, instability and insecurity.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

INFOGRAPHIC | Bacardi's Commitment to Being a Responsible Corporate Citizen

Sep 29, 2017 9:50 AM ET

Bacardi's commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen is guided by its values of Trust, Passion, Caring and Excellence. Check out the company’s corporate responsibility (CR) one-pager to see how the largest privately held spirits company in the world approaches CR.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Bringing Hope

Sep 29, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Hormel Foods has been a partner of Convoy of Hope for several years, sending resources to help the group stage community events that give people an opportunity to get services otherwise out of their reach. “Groceries and even haircuts,” says Kelly Braaten, manager of external communications for Hormel Foods.

The relationship expanded recently when the company jumped at the chance to stock Convoy of Hope’s warehouse shelves, giving the group much-needed supplies for its disaster-relief program.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

How Dell Is Addressing Responsible Mineral Sourcing

Sep 29, 2017 9:35 AM ET

If you’re a frequent Direct2Dell reader, you’ve likely heard about Dell’s 2020 Legacy of Good Plan and our mission to use our technology and expertise to improve our communities and planet. You’ve maybe even read about our recycled carbon fiber initiative or our new program to intercept ocean-bound plastics for use in our packaging.

Diversity & Inclusion

Suppliers Stir Up Fresh Perspectives

Sep 29, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Variety isn’t merely the spice of life — it’s also healthy for our business. Every day across Comcast NBCUniversal, our thousands of suppliers with diverse ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds contribute unique perspectives that help us better serve customers and viewers.

We continually invest in creating new and greater opportunities for diverse-owned companies to work with us. In 2016, Comcast NBCUniversal’s spending with diverse suppliers topped $3 billion, and we participated in more than 100 national, regional, and local supplier diversity outreach events across our footprint.

Energy

Pentair Pool Owners Surpass 12 Billion Kilowatt Hours Saved With Energy Efficient Pool Pumps

Sep 29, 2017 9:30 AM ET

With the close of the summer pool season, global water company Pentair has surpassed energy savings of 12.7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) since 2005 with its energy efficient pool pumps—helping pool owners save $1.4 billion in energy costs and conserve enough energy to power 1.3 million U.S. homes for one year.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Carlsberg Aims to Produce Beer with Renewable Energy

Sep 29, 2017 9:30 AM ET

When someone takes a swig from their favorite beer, they may not realize that brewing beer is an energy intensive process. But brewing companies that desire to reduce their carbon emissions are well aware. Carlsberg Group, a global brewer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, has set a lofty goal of powering its breweries with only renewable energy by 2022. Call it the company’s "100 percent renewables by 2022 goal."

The 170 year-old company has a new program called Together Towards Zero, launched this summer. The program is a means to meet its pledge to achieve zero carbon emissions at its breweries by 2030. By that same year, Carlsberg aims to have reduced the carbon footprint of putting a beer in its customers' hands by 30 percent.

Sustainable Development Goals

How to Power a Sustainable Future: The Latest Version of UN Global Sustainability Yearbook

Sep 29, 2017 9:25 AM ET

Are you part of the energy (r)evolution? Get connected with Global Sustain’s annual yearbook, which includes contributions from leading orgs — UN Conference on Trade and Development, Stanford University, World Energy Council, and others.