Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest news from 3BL’s clients.

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Education

Can Creativity Be Taught?

Experts agree that creativity is critical to success in the future. But can creativity be taught? If so, how? Middle school teachers are finding answers to these questions in a program that aims to put today’s students on the path to success in tomorrow’s jobs.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

An ‘Activist at Heart’ from the Nonprofit World Joins Nestlé

Riham recently came to Nestlé after spending nearly five years working for a nonprofit. In her new role as an Employee Ambassador and Thought Leadership Manager, she will help Nestlé employees from across the company share their stories. Riham works with the communications team at Nestlé USA’s new Arlington, Virginia headquarters. We spoke with her during her fourth week on the job about what drew her to Nestlé, the transition from the nonprofit sector, and advice for others considering an industry change.

Environment

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and National Recreation and Park Association Launch ‘Parks for Pollinators’

To address the critical need to increase pollinator habitat for beneficial insects, such as honey bees, monarch butterflies and others, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) have teamed up on a new “Parks for Pollinators” campaign aimed at raising public awareness of pollinator health and encouraging local action through public parks and pollinator gardens.

Research, Reports & Publications

New SEC Search Tool Finds Inadequate Human and Workers’ Rights Disclosure in Financial Filings

Ceres and CookESG Research released a new tool for identifying corporate disclosure of human and workers’ rights risks and opportunities in annual financial filings. The tool covers more than 5,000 U.S. and foreign companies’ filings (10-K, 20-F and 40-F) to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC search tool also expands Ceres’ work to address investors’ concerns about improving the disclosure of decision-useful sustainability information in mandatory filings.

Education

Walmart’s New Education Benefit Puts Cap and Gown Within Reach for Associates

In partnership with Guild Education, a leading education benefits platform, Walmart associates will be able to access affordable, high-quality associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in Business or Supply Chain Management. Under the program, which will be made available to all Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates, Walmart will subsidize the cost of higher education, beyond financial aid and an associate contribution equivalent to $1 a day.

Education

Consumers Energy, Grand Rapids Public Schools Announce Finalists for Sixth Annual Student Art Competition

Organizers have announced the 10 finalists out of nearly 50 entries from Grand Rapids Public Schools student artists who will have their energy-related art work highlighted during this fall’s ArtPrize competition through collaboration with the school district and Consumers Energy.

Research, Reports & Publications

A Right to Water – Is Water a Human Right or a Commodity?

Is water a human right or a commodity? It’s treated like both. As water scarcity becomes more pressing, both public and private entities have had to examine their stances on how water resources should be controlled. These issues frequently arise in the developing world, where water resources and sanitation often are inadequate—but are now arising increasingly in U.S. cities, when drinking water gets contaminated or residents can’t pay their water bills.

Health & Healthcare

Good Eating

Wanting food to look appealing and taste good is a reasonable expectation. But for many people – those who suffer from cancer or a swallowing disorder known as dysphagia, for example – there are no guarantees. All of that is changing, however, thanks in part to Hormel Foods and people like Tim Garry.

Tim is part of Hormel Health Labs, where the mission is to provide nourishment for people with special dietary requirements. People who are often overlooked, he says.

Diversity & Inclusion

PNC Bank CEO Recognized for Efforts to Promote Diversity and Inclusion

On May 23, 2018, William Demchak, chairman, president and CEO of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., received the 2018 A. Leon Higginbotham Corporate Leadership Award at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Leadership Award Dinner.

Education

Caterpillar Graduates First Hiring Innovation Program Class

This program has changed me; I’m truly a different person now than I was at the start of the year.” That’s how CHIP – the Caterpillar Hiring Innovation Program – student Cole Measheaw described his five months of hands-on training at Caterpillar East Peoria during a recent graduation ceremony filled with the students’ family, Caterpillar top leadership and CHIP organizers, members of the Peoria Public Schools and even local media.

Innovation & Technology

Sands Cares Gives Students an Opportunity to Learn IT in the Hospitality Industry

Las Vegas Sands is committed to the communities in which it operates by providing financial or in-kind support through Sands Cares, its global corporate giving program. In Las Vegas, The Venetian and The Palazzo welcomed a group of 20 students from Tech Impact’s ITWorks program for a chance to meet with the Information Technology (IT) department.

Education

Voya Financial Announces Recipients of 2018 Voya Scholars Program

Voya Financial, Inc. has announced the winners of Voya Scholars — a scholarship program launched in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, Scholarship America. Voya Financial Chairman and CEO Rodney O. Martin Jr. announced the recipients of five $10,000 scholarships at Scholarship America's 2018 Dreams to Success awards dinner in Washington, D.C. The event celebrated students completing their postsecondary degrees, and honored those who have helped students achieve their educational goals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Awards $300,000 in Grants for Veteran Housing Efforts

Wells Fargo Housing Foundation's VeteranWINS program addresses veteran homelessness and sustainable housing

Health & Healthcare

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance with The Power of Science

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or the ability of a bacterium, virus, or fungus to develop resistance to the medicines commonly used to treat them, is one of the leading global public health threats today. Currently, AMR causes more than 700,000 deaths annually. If left unchecked, this number is expected to rise to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. In collaboration with the infectious disease community, we are working to develop solutions that address and help treat the serious and growing AMR crisis. Through a comprehensive approach, we are proud to be a leader in the fight against this global public health threat.

Research, Reports & Publications

State of the Low-Income Housing Finance Market 2018

New research from FSG examines the state of the low-income housing finance market in India and provides recommendations for facilitating greater scale so that even more households can to own or improve their homes. The report also includes a pragmatic set of recommendations for government to address issues, ensure robust growth and facilitate serving currently unserved/underserved segments.

Diversity & Inclusion

Interview: How Dr. Sara Brand Empowers Women Entrepreneurs via True Wealth Ventures

Sara Brand is a new partner to Whole Planet Foundation, delivering a keynote conversation at our June 2, 2018 Power Her Potential Women’s Expo. Her venture capital firm, True Wealth Ventures, is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in women-led businesses in the sustainable consumer and consumer health markets.

Research, Reports & Publications

Schneider Electric is Seeing the Rewards of Its Corporate Responsibility Performance

April and May have been successful months for Schneider Electric, ranked twice for its corporate responsibility by non-financial rating agencies; ISS-Oekom and Vigeo Eiris. With 25 years experience on conducting an annual report on sustainability in corporate management, ISS-Oekom featured Schneider Electric as leader of the Electronic Components and one of top 6 French leader companies of their sectors among with: Valeo, Peugeot, Amundi, CNP Assurances, and Sanofi on ISS-Oekom Corporate Responsibility Review 2018.

Diversity & Inclusion

Brands Taking Stands Newsletter, 5/30/18

“The Big Story” in this week’s edition of the Brands Taking Stands Newsletter focuses on the NFL’s adoption of a new policy about players’ protesting during the playing of the national anthem. The organization is in brand reputation management mode following last season’s controversy over the protests, aimed at drawing attention to social injustice by kneeling during the music instead of standing.

Events, Media & Communications

Live #CiscoChat June 4th: Making Global Problem Solving More Intuitive

How can we work together to speed the pace of social change while making it more intuitive than ever before? To find out, make sure to attend the next #CiscoChat, a live video discussion on Monday, June 4th starting at 10 am PST.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Congratulations to Northern Trust's Elaine Rogers & Mamadou Abou Sarr for Being Included on the EMpower 2018 List

Our boardrooms are lacking in diversity – there’s an absence of ethnic minority representation which has an impact at all levels of the organisation. The presence of powerful ethnic minority role models across all industries and sectors is necessary to develop a pipeline of diverse talent.

Research, Reports & Publications

$400 Million — and More — for Our Communities

Wells Fargo is fulfilling its pledge to donate $400 million to nonprofits in 2018 — or more than $1 million each day — and making significant progress on its social, economic, and environmental goals, according to its newly released 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility report.

Events, Media & Communications

Sustainable Brands Reveals Final Program Details for SB’18 Vancouver

Sustainable Brands® recently announced final program details for SB’18 Vancouver, running June 4-7 at Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, British Columbia. Programming this year will take place on the mainstage, through breakout sessions and workshops, and in the Activation Hub, the central networking and collaboration hub of the conference.

Research, Reports & Publications

Multipliers of Prosperity: Below the Surface

Consumer debt has reached record highs amid an economy that, on the surface of things, looks more robust than at any point since the Great Recession. Unemployment is at historic lows, and wages are up, leading to many optimistic interpretations of current debt trends. Yet signs continue to point to the fragility of many families’ finances. Costs of healthcare, housing, and food have all risen faster than increases in income. Debt in collections appears on one-third of all consumer credit reports.

Diversity & Inclusion

Arrow Electronics Celebrates SAM Car Project on National Autonomous Vehicle Day

In honor of National Autonomous Vehicle Day, Arrow Electronics is celebrating the success of its Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM) Car Project, which has broken barriers to mobility for the disabled community.

Green Infrastructure

Health and Wellness: One of the Cornerstones of Green Buildings

Architects, designers, and contractors are now commonly engaged in new construction, renovation and redesign projects intended to have smallest environmental and climate footprint possible. The factors that contribute to “green buildings” are fairly intuitive: energy efficiency and alternative energy sources, reduced water consumption, utilization of recycled materials, and low-emitting building materials and maintenance products. One of the cornerstones of this movement is the push for “healthy buildings,” addressing occupant health, comfort, and wellness. After all, the building’s primary function is to serve its occupants’ needs. As one would expect, it’s the details that matter, and risks abound. Fortunately, there are multiple rating systems and certifications available to help.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Cascale Governance
    Cascale shares updates from its Board of Directors who serve as the principal governing body and are responsible for setting the strategic direction...
  2. Growth Through Sustainability
    Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator with a clear purpose to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. See how embedding...
  3. KeyBank's Community Investment
    In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...
  4. PNC: Commitment to Early Childhood Education
    We're focusing on early learning to help children succeed. Research has shown that the first five years of a child's life is critical to long-term...
  5. AEG Celebrates Inclusion
    At AEG, we embrace inclusion and strive to create a workplace where our employees feel welcomed, valued and respected for the viewpoints, ideas...
  6. Cascale Events
    Cascale organizes and participates in a series of events, leveraging its position as a global convener of close to half the sector to bring together...
  7. Sustainability
    Leading the logistics sector towards a more sustainable future by investing in innovative green technologies, enhancing operational efficiency, and...
  8. Nasdaq Pulse Reports and Surveys
    Nasdaq believes it is critical to keep our pulse on the evolving needs of corporates across the globe, as we continuously advance our value...
  9. ESG Voices: Short Podcasts Addressing the Opportunities and Challenges of ESG
    This podcast series takes a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges of ESG and what it means for businesses and communities through interviews...
  10. GoDaddy | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
    Diverse teams build better products — period. At GoDaddy, we make apps and services that our worldwide community of entrepreneurs can relate to. Our...
  11. Local Communities
    The principals of living and working in synergy with the communities in which we operate, as well as collaborating on projects that benefit those...
  12. KeyBank's Community Investment
    In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...
  13. Healthy Spaces Podcast: Season 5
    Welcome to Season 5 of Healthy Spaces by Trane Technologies, the podcast where experts and disruptors explore how climate technology and innovation...
  14. Biomimicry and Ray of Hope Accelerator
    The Ray C. Anderson Foundation has partnered with the Biomimicry Institute to create the Ray of Hope Accelerator, designed to bring commercially...
  15. Drive for MPC
    At Marathon Petroleum, our professional truck drivers share one common vision: no accidents, no injuries, and no harm to the environment. We’re proud...