Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Cognizant U.S. Foundation, Walmart.org and Microsoft Philanthropies Partner to Increase Inclusion in the Technology Sector through Computer Science Education

Nov 20, 2019 12:00 PM ET

The investment in CodePath.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding the pipeline of underrepresented populations in technology, will enable the organization to triple the number of two- and four-year colleges participating.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Leading With Diplomacy: My Never Stand Still Conversation With Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

Nov 20, 2019 12:00 PM ET

Madeleine Albright was the first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State. She was also Ambassador to the United Nations and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Domtar Embraces New Forest Management Standard in Canada

Nov 20, 2019 11:40 AM ET

Domtar is strengthening our commitment to sustainability with a pledge to pursue new Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certification standards for the Canadian government lands that we manage in the Wabigoon and Trout Lake forests.

Responsible Production & Consumption

“We Are Suffering”: Can Price Increases Alone Save Cocoa Farmers?

Nov 20, 2019 11:15 AM ET

Hope has been scarce these last few years in Côte d’Ivoire, which produces 40 percent of the world’s cocoa. In the 2016/17 cocoa harvesting season, the market price for cocoa dropped by more than 30 percent from $1.36 to now $0.86 per pound.

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar's Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

Nov 20, 2019 11:00 AM ET

Caterpillar has operational targets for an increased reliance on alternative and renewable energy and alternative/renewable power generation. Read more about Caterpillar's 2020 energy-related goals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Scotiabank Supports Artificial Intelligence Research at University of Alberta

Nov 20, 2019 10:40 AM ET

Scotiabank announced a donation of $1.25 million to the University of Alberta this morning, to fund the Scotiabank Artificial Intelligence Research Initiative in the Department of Computing Science.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Knowledge without Borders: Reflecting on a Decade of Intellectual Philanthropy

Nov 20, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Over the past decade, Partners in Food Solutions has assisted and trained more than 1,500 early-stage food companies in Africa to improve food safety, packaging, processing, marketing, and more.

Environment

Are You Prepared for an EHS Audit?

Nov 20, 2019 10:25 AM ET

Antea Group shares tips on preparing for an EHS compliance audit, from identifying the applicable regulations to impressing the auditor.

Energy

Kimberly-Clark to Manufacture its Kleenex®, Scott® and Other Iconic Brands in North America with Renewable Energy

Nov 20, 2019 10:25 AM ET

Kimberly-Clark, General Mills and Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. broke ground this week on the Maverick Creek Wind Project in Eden, Texas. When completed, Maverick Creek will power the production of Kimberly-Clark’s essential products...

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

New Ceres Report Calls on Corporate Boards to Oversee Sustainability Risks As Global Climate and Water Crises Worsen

Nov 20, 2019 10:00 AM ET

A new report released today by the nonprofit organization Ceres calls on corporate boards to systematically and explicitly oversee environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in order to keep their businesses resilient in the face of growing global climate and water crises.

Environment

Lyft Makes All Rides Carbon Neutral, But That’s Only the Beginning

Nov 20, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Founders John Zimmer and Logan Green say they started Lyft with the intention of transforming the transportation industry for the better, starting with one of the most problematic modes of travel: personal vehicles.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Ecocentricity Blog: The Climate-Circular Economy Nexus

Nov 20, 2019 9:30 AM ET

These dire facts are why the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Materials Economy conducted this study. They wanted to show that scaling the circular economy is a necessary condition to reversing global warming, and they are right.

Education

Baltimore Ravens Announce Leadership Institute

Nov 20, 2019 9:15 AM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Rox Opens World’s First Multidisciplinary Research and Training Institute Focused on Girls

Nov 20, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX), today announced the grand opening of the ROX Institute, a multidisciplinary research and training institute that is focused on girls, located in Columbus, OH.

Environment

Building Resources for Echoing Green’s Leadership Development Framework

Nov 20, 2019 8:45 AM ET

In addition to partnering with American Express, which is funding our overall LDF work, we have partnered with Moody’s, which is supporting the loan-readiness component of our fundraising guidance. Through this sponsorship, Echoing Green will increase our capacity to support Fellows in becoming loan-ready. This includes access to information and mentorship from Moody’s through their Reshape Tomorrow initiative.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Cash Deposits Can Make a Meaningful Impact on Communities

Nov 20, 2019 8:30 AM ET

Because public and private equity investing garner most of the attention of impact investors, the liquid “cash” portion of the portfolio is often overlooked despite the availability of a variety of socially impactful options that may even yield better returns at a lower risk than traditional approaches.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Imlay City Team Turns Garden Dream into Reality

Nov 20, 2019 8:20 AM ET

The school garden project is a perfect fit for ScottsMiracle-Gro’s new Gro More Good initiative, which is all about providing resources and community support to inspire more kids to garden and connect with the outdoors.

Diversity & Inclusion

A Q&A with Lee Jourdan, Chief Diversity Officer at Chevron

Nov 20, 2019 8:15 AM ET

Chevron, a global energy corporation involved in the oil, natural gas and geothermal energy industries, is building a different kind of energy source of its own—a diverse talent pipeline.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Supply and Demand: The Business Case for Full Transparency

Nov 20, 2019 8:00 AM ET

The expectations on companies to be transparent about their ways of working are greater than ever before. Nowhere more so than in the area of supply chain management.

Environment

Subaru Owners Take On Yosemite Facelift

Nov 20, 2019 8:00 AM ET

3,334 volunteers gathered 14,126 pounds of trash. Meet some of the Subaru owners who helped give Yosemite a facelift.

Education

How Today’s STEM Education Leads to Tomorrow’s Female Founders

Nov 19, 2019 7:00 PM ET

Qualcomm loves to make long, industry-changing bets. It’s why we created STEM engagement programs, like Thinkabit Labs, that encourage students to pursue STEM careers in the future.

Sustainable Development Goals

Emissions at Sappi: Meeting Aggressive Goals to Lower Impact on Environment

Nov 19, 2019 5:10 PM ET

Each year we survey our performance in important areas of environmental and social responsibility by monitoring key metrics for fiber, emissions, energy usage and the impact of our operations on air, water and solid waste.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

eBay and Vans Team Up to Host Charity Auction to Commemorate Vans Checkerboard Day

Nov 19, 2019 4:50 PM ET

As part of the auction, Vans has tapped ambassadors from around the world to create custom, one-of-a-kind footwear and backpacks designed to inspire creative self-expression.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Northern Oregon Homeownership to Get $7.1 Million Boost

Nov 19, 2019 4:45 PM ET

Wells Fargo and Company (NYSE: WFC), NeighborWorks® America, and its network member Portland Housing Center today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT program will expand to the city of Portland and Multnomah County this December.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Catherine Hernandez-Blades is Aflac’s Golden Duck

Nov 19, 2019 4:40 PM ET

Hernandez-Blades’s leading-edge environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program has led to the invention of the award-winning social robot known as My Special Aflac Duck, helping pediatric cancer patients in the US and Japan find comfort and joy