Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Jameson® Irish Whiskey Is Giving Back to Communities by Kicking Off the Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party Tour

Mar 30, 2018 12:50 PM ET

To ensure local neighborhoods remain beautiful, safe and fun, Jameson® Irish Whiskey is teaming up with Keep America Beautiful for the Jameson Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party. One hundred percent of the proceeds from ticket sales will be used to improve and beautify community environments.

Health & Healthcare

The American Heart Association Receives A $1.7 million Multi-Year Grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation To Improve Access and Outcomes for Vulnerable Populations in Baltimore

Mar 30, 2018 12:00 PM ET

The American Heart Association today announced the receipt of a $1.7 million grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation that will address patient care across the care continuum. With this grant, the AHA will convene a task force representing the myriad of stakeholders in the patient care journey: cardiology specialty care providers, primary care providers, government, payer groups, and representatives of the patients we seek to serve. This work will complement the existing strategies being implemented through the Accountable Health Community work, spearheaded by the Baltimore City Healthy Department.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CBRE Announces Winners of 2018 Global Urban Photography Competition

Mar 30, 2018 11:00 AM ET

With more than 80,000 entries from 180+ countries, CBRE’s Urban Photographer of the Year competition’s 11th year was its largest and broadest reaching. Richard Morgan, from the United Kingdom, has been named the overall winner of the competition. Mr. Morgan’s image, “What are you looking at?” captures a fascinating street side scene in Poznan, Poland, of a group of onlookers, entranced by a tourist attraction, disrupted by one, direct stare.

In acknowledgement of all photographs submitted, CBRE will donate £10,000 to global children’s charity Plan International, CBRE’s EMEA charity partner. CBRE has been supporting Plan International since 2014, raising over £1 million to fund a program in Sierra Leone to help girls to complete their education.

Innovation & Technology

Cisco VIDEO | Ushahidi's Crowdsourcing Software Gives People a Voice in Times of Crisis

Mar 30, 2018 10:40 AM ET

When a crisis occurs, the people who are affected can use Ushahidi's open-source platform to report what is happening around them via social media, email, and text. Their reports are compiled into real-time maps, which enable others to reach and help them more quickly.

Education

Las Vegas Sands Hosts Teach for America Teachers & Alumni

Mar 30, 2018 10:40 AM ET

The national non-profit Teach for America (TFA) consists of a corps of leaders who commit to teaching in low-income schools and work to increase their students’ opportunities in life to make a meaningful impact. As a community partner with Las Vegas’ local sector, Las Vegas Sands supports this organization to provide high-need schools with diverse leaders. During a welcome dinner at Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo, Las Vegas Sands executives and TFA alumni were able to network, provide opportunities for mentorship, and discuss their experiences in the classroom and around the city with new teachers.

Environment

Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe: Michigan Deserves Clean Energy

Mar 30, 2018 10:25 AM ET

Consumers Energy has a track record of doing more than is required to ensure Michigan’s air, water and land are cleaner for future generations to enjoy.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Building Your Scorecard or Raising Your Ranking?

Mar 30, 2018 10:20 AM ET

The landscape of reporting standards, guidelines, ratings, rankings, indexes can become dizzying very quickly. The ecosystem of companies measuring and reporting on how they are a force for good in society is alive and well. The nuts and bolts of how companies accomplish reporting can be a major operational challenge, not to mention the resource investment. How will companies’ tough choices on where to focus their efforts change over the years? A counter-balance to ratings and rankings is improvements to how a company reports and measures itself, such as through a Strategic Scorecard.

Diversity & Inclusion

Want to Boost Sustainability Reporting? Hire More Women

Mar 30, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Gender equality may be the best means to meet the challenges of our time. The field of sustainability reporting is no different: the more women work in management positions, the more sustainability reporting tends to be done. Find out more about areas in which women are already making a difference, and tools for companies to advance gender equality in the workplace.

Events, Media & Communications

WBCSD Sustain Newsletter | Concrete Sustainability and Our New CEO Guide to Water

Mar 30, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Catch up on the latest news from WBCSD in this month's Sustain Newsletter!

Diversity & Inclusion

Organic India is Powering Her Potential through Whole Planet Foundation

Mar 30, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Whole Planet Foundation is proud to salute Organic India for renewing its commitment to global poverty alleviation and joining our annual $50,000 giving level. Organic India’s generosity of $160,708 to date is funding approximately 1,800 microloans to create 9,220 opportunities for microentrepreneurs and their family members to live a better life through microcredit.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | To Celebrate Their 50th Anniversary, Subaru Donated 50 Outback Vehicles to Meals on Wheels

Mar 30, 2018 9:30 AM ET

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, and in keeping with its philosophy of supporting local communities, Subaru of America is donating 50 new 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles to Meals on Wheels America, to be distributed to select Meals on Wheels programs for the delivery of nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to seniors across 39 states.

Green Infrastructure

Mohawk’s Glasgow Showroom Awarded Prestigious LEED® Gold Certification

Mar 30, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Mohawk Industries announced today that it has been awarded LEED® Gold certification for its renovated showroom at the Glasgow, Va. commercial carpet tile manufacturing facility. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community and home project types, the rating system provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

Sustainable Development Goals

Expert Interview with Mark Oven, Energy Sector Development Expert

Mar 30, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Mark Oven’s life’s work has been dedicated to improving energy in developing countries. He has been at the forefront of energy project implementation since 1986. Mr. Oven has provided oversight and quality control on more than 20 major projects for various government agencies and development organizations, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, International Development Bank, and Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

VMware Named an Employer of Choice by the Australian Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA)

Mar 29, 2018 7:00 PM ET

VMware Australia has been awarded the Australian Government's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer of Choice citation for the fourth year in a row!

Responsible Production & Consumption

Guest Post: Timberland Shares Collaborative Approach at Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Summit

Mar 29, 2018 5:00 PM ET

I recently had the pleasure to attend Ethical Corporation’s 6th Annual Responsible Business Summit in New York City. The event, touted as the premier brand-focused forum on responsible business in the U.S., brought in 90+ speakers over two days with rich dialogue focused on driving transformational change for society and industry.

Education

Trane Joins the Department of Energy’s Race to Zero Student Design Competition

Mar 29, 2018 4:30 PM ET

Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, will join other industry experts as a sponsor of the fifth annual U.S. Department of Energy Race to Zero Student Design Competition (Race to Zero).

Diversity & Inclusion

Whirlpool Corporation CEO Commits to the Catalyst® CEO Champions For Change Pledge

Mar 29, 2018 4:30 PM ET

Whirlpool Corporation CEO Marc Bitzer has announced plans to become the newest member of the Catalyst® CEO Champions For Change. This public confirmation to increasing Whirlpool Corporation's female representation in executive and senior-level positions helps to ensure accelerated inclusion of women, including women of color, in senior roles during the next five years.

Energy

Tried-And-True Methods for the C-Suite to Cut Energy Costs

Mar 29, 2018 4:20 PM ET

For many executives, the myriad of ways in which to enact energy savings are too varied and not succinct enough to be actionable. Here, we present four different tried-and-true methods for saving on energy expenditures.

Media & Communications

MGM Resorts International Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination With Donation to National Civil Rights Museum

Mar 29, 2018 4:00 PM ET

MGM Resorts International, (NYSE: MGM) parent company of Gold Strike Casino Resort, donated $150,000 to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The funds will support the Museum’s programming surrounding the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, which took place at the Lorraine Motel, now the location of the National Civil Rights Museum, as well as enhancements of the museum’s physical plant.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

AEG Teams up With Young Storytellers to Host the “Big Show” at L.A. LIVE’s GRAMMY Museum

Mar 29, 2018 4:00 PM ET

AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company in the world, and Young Storytellers, a nonprofit organization that develops creative learning behaviors through the art of storytelling, recently teamed up to mentor a group of students from Hollenbeck Middle School in Boyle Heights, Calif. through Young Storytellers Script-to-Stage program.

Research, Reports & Publications

French Translation of the GRI Standards Now Available

Mar 29, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Companies whose main working language is French can now access the GRI Standards in French. The translation appears after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Innovation & Technology

Fostering a Secure Tomorrow (FAST) Launches with Congressional Briefing

Mar 29, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

HanesBrands Earns 11th United Way Campaign Excellence Honor, Raising $1.97 Million to be Donated In 2018

Mar 29, 2018 2:25 PM ET

HanesBrands announced today that the company and its employees have pledged $1.97 million this year to the United Way of Forsyth County and surrounding communities, earning the United Way’s 11th campaign excellence award.

Energy

Duke Energy Using North Carolina-based Renewable Natural Gas in First-of-its-kind Project

Mar 29, 2018 1:00 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 29, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- A Duke Energy power plant is using renewable natural gas from North Carolina-based hog farms to produce electricity – the first application of the technology from in-state farms.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods and Food Lion Partner to Donate Easter Meals to Families in Need

Mar 29, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc., and Food Lion have partnered for the second annual Easter Eats donation, a Food Lion Feeds initiative to provide Easter meals to families facing hunger. Together, Smithfield and Food Lion delivered a total of 300 Easter meal bags each containing a Smithfield ham and an assortment of sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, cornbread stuffing, carrots, brown gravy mix, and more.

Part of Smithfield’s and Food Lion’s shared mission to alleviate hunger and address food insecurity across the country, the Easter Eats donation served families in need at two donation events: one in southeastern Virginia and the second in central West Virginia.