Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

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

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Environment

Measure For Measure: Aclima’s Davida Herzl

Galileo said we should, “Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so.” This week on Sea Change Radio, we take a look at two ways that people are trying to apply that wisdom to climate change. First, we speak to Davida Herzl, the CEO and co-founder of Aclima, a San Francisco-based company that refers to itself as a “FitBit for the planet.”

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Base Camp

Here’s the plan. The next seven blog posts will be a guided tour up the Seven Fronts of Mount Sustainability, Ray Anderson’s famous zero-footprint metaphor.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Idaho Homeownership to Get Boost with Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT Program

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), NeighborWorks® America, NeighborWorks Boise and NeighborWorks Pocatello today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT® program for the state of Idaho with a $3.55 million investment by Wells Fargo to boost homeownership.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Major Leaguers Alex Bregman and Jake Marisnick Offer Tips and Encouragement to Autistic Youth in Harlem

New York baseball fans weren’t too pleased with Jake Marisnick late last week after he threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the final out in the Houston Astros’ win over the Yankees, but the jeers turned to cheers the following morning when he and teammate Alex Bregman shared their love of the game with a group of autistic kids at a ballfield in Harlem.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Technology for Human Rights: UN Human Rights Office Announces Landmark Partnership with Microsoft

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday announced a landmark five-year partnership with Microsoft Corp. As part of the agreement, Microsoft will provide a grant of $5 million (USD) to support the work of the UN Human Rights Office. This represents an unprecedented level of support from a private-sector organization.

Sustainable Development Goals

Twelve Trillion Reasons to Be a More Sustainable Company

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define a world that promises a flourishing future for human civilization on spaceship Earth. Some companies already embrace the SDGs as their aspirational environmental and social goals. Other companies hesitate, in case attaining some or all the goals’ 169 associated targets by 2030 would be at the expense of company success. There are 12 trillion reasons why their hesitation is unjustified.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

3 Ways to Move Your Company Toward the Circular Economy

It’s no secret that Earth’s natural resources are diminishing at an increasing rate. According to the Global Footprint Network’s estimate, human demand on our planet’s ecosystems is projected to exceed what nature can regenerate by about 75 percent in the next three years. Considering we only have one Earth, we need to reinvent how we use its resources before it’s too late.

Social Impact & Volunteering

A Whole Lot of Good: Making the Case for More Pro Bono and Skills-Based Volunteering in the Workplace

Let’s get real: It’s fairly easy for us to pull up to our desks each morning, put our heads down, and not look up till it’s time to go home in the evening. After all, in our rapidly-changing, quickly-moving, information-overloading world, there’s a lot of work to get done.

Responsible Production & Consumption

GM Drives Demand for Sustainable Natural Rubber

Through an automotive industry-first commitment to sourcing sustainable natural rubber in its tires, General Motors is helping drive the industry toward net-zero deforestation and uphold human and labor rights. The company will develop a set of purchasing requirements, with the intent that the entire automotive industry will join in the movement and together help transform the rubber supply chain.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Finalists Named for Virginia’s 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes Program

Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land are recognizing volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing shared outdoor spaces. Finalists for Virginia’s Cox Conserves Heroes program were announced today, and the public is being asked to vote now through Tuesday, June 6.

Energy

Infrastructure Week 2017: Pathways to Sustainability and Reliability Converging

As an industry, we can no longer merely ponder renewable energy’s march on the power grid. It's here, and customers are increasingly demanding it.

Events, Media & Communications

Northern Trust Participates in “On the Table 2017” to Raise Awareness of Mental Health and Addiction

On the Table 2017 is an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust, working in partnership with The Kennedy Forum to engage thousands of people in conversations about mental health and addiction.

Health & Healthcare

World Malaria Day

Malaria is a major public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Transmitted to humans by mosquito bites, this disease kills a child every two minutes in this part of the world.

Media & Communications

Encouraging News & Opinion Coming Out of Ceres Gathering in San Francisco -- Progress in Corporate Sustainability Continuing!

Water scarcity, resource depletion, climate change impacts... these were top-of-the-agenda items at the annual Ceres Conference convened last week in San Francisco. These of course are pressing challenges for the domestic and global business communities, for investors and various stakeholders. While there are many aspects to these issues to consider, the takeaway from the conference is that the focus on sustainability is good business (and good for business).

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Michael Bloomberg On Climate Change, the Power of Government, and Why He's Still Hopeful About the Future

In the last few months Bloomberg has doubled down in particular on his initiatives to fight climate change, with a new book (Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet), a new role at the UN, and a global “covenant” among mayors that he’s leading.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Impact at Work: Communities in Schools San Antonio Project Spotlight

Common Impact has partnered with JPMorgan Chase since 2014 on the Virtual Service Corps (VSC), a skills-based volunteering program where employees utilize their talents and expertise virtually to support JPMorgan Chase’s nonprofit grantees in building capacity to serve the community. Recently, a team of JPMorgan Chase technologists supported Communities In Schools of San Antonio (CIS-SA), a San Antonio-based nonprofit dedicated to keeping kids in school and helping them succeed in life. The JPMorgan Chase volunteers worked with CIS-SA to assess their technology infrastructure and create a set of recommendations for improvements.

Education

CITGO and the Ocean Exploration Trust Award Mini-Grants to Fund STEM Education Efforts in Houston

As part of the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline program, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is partnering with the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) to award science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mini-grants to educators dedicated to sharing ocean exploration with students. Two Houston-area schools, Olle Middle School and South Early College High School, are receiving funding through the OET Community STEM Mini-grant program to help engage and excite students through unique STEM experiences and encourage them to seek STEM careers.

Environment

PNC’s Environmental Performance: Infographic

PNC’s Performance and Innovation Group is responsible for developing and executing on the strategy to reduce the company’s energy and water consumption and carbon emissions.

Health & Healthcare

Investing in Scale

In 2012, the Barry and Marie Lipman Family Prize named iDE as its inaugural prize winner. Each year, the top award is given to one organization that exemplifies leadership and innovation in the social sector, with a special emphasis on impact and transferability of practices. The Prize recognized iDE’s unique, market-based approach to addressing the global challenge of poor water and sanitation. Two other honorees, Komaza and MedShare, were also recognized in 2012 as game-changing organizations.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Road Fleets Demand More Sustainable, Low-Carbon Fuels for Freight

BSR's new Sustainable Fuel Buyers' Principles aim to help companies drive economic growth and emissions reductions.

Environment

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Tetra Pak Uses More than one Third Renewable Electricity​

Tetra Pak announced that it now uses renewable electricity for more than a third of its total annual consumption worldwide. This is up from 22% in 2015.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Better World Leadership: Noted Business Author Alice Korngold to Partner with the World Environment Center to Conduct Nonprofit Board Leadership Study with Leading Companies

Alice Korngold, President and CEO of Korngold Consulting, and author of two highly acclaimed books on board governance, service, and global problem-solving, is evaluating how nonprofit board service provides a unique opportunity for companies to develop their employees as leaders. The study will also show how companies can enhance nonprofit board-matching services for their employees.

Events, Media & Communications

Reporting 3.0 Conference Explores Future of Integral Information Systems in Data Blueprint Segment

With the 2017 Reporting 3.0 Conference at KPMG Headquarters in Amsterdam just two weeks away (on May 30-31), we take our next step deeper into the Program after last week’s survey of the first segment of the Conference focused on the Reporting Blueprint. This week, we explore the Conference’s second segment, focused on the Data Blueprint.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Charities Miss Out on More Than £80M a Year by Only Accepting Cash Donations

To help charities adapt to evolving consumer behaviours, Barclaycard recently led a trial of 100 portable donation boxes, the first in the market to accept both Chip and PIN and contactless donations including those made by wearable and mobile devices.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem’s “Make Your Mark 30-Day Challenge” Spurs Over 4,000 Employee Volunteer Hours and Raises Community Awareness of Water and Environmental Issues

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, Xylem launched a month-long volunteer challenge that extended through Earth Day on April 22 for Xylem colleagues across the globe to highlight the importance of water and environmental issues.

Latest Campaigns

  1. CARE Corporate Partnerships
    CARE works with corporate partners globally to invest in innovative, scalable, impactful, community-based solutions.
  2. Collective Action
    Cascale shares updates on its efforts and initiatives geared toward activating its ecosystem to develop and scale solutions that drive collective...
  3. 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...
  4. Community Impact
    The communities where Chemours operates are also where we live, work, and play, and our mutual success is one and the same. We have a vested interest...
  5. 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...
  6. Principal Financial Group: Employee Engagement
    Talented employees are the heart and soul of our company. We believe development inspires individuals to engage, empower, and embrace a growth mindset...
  7. Approach: Our Recipe For Good Growth
    At Yum!, being a good corporate steward is a fundamental commitment and an important part of our success. Our Global Citizenship & Sustainability...
  8. Technology for Good
    We believe that technology, when thoughtfully and strategically applied, can bring positive, lasting change to people’s lives and communities and...
  9. KeyBank: Responsible Banking
    Everyone’s financial journey is different. We make intentional efforts to meet the individual needs of clients and communities through a diverse range...
  10. 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...
  11. 2025 Wesco International Sustainability Report
    Our Sustainability Approach: Wesco’s 2025 Sustainability Report, which demonstrates our commitment to furthering sustainability, innovation and...
  12. 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...
  13. 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...
  14. 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...
  15. 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...