Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

#NuggsForCarter and Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets Make Twitter’s “Year on Twitter” List

Dec 5, 2017 1:05 PM ET

Carter Wilkerson is still the reigning Twitter king for getting the most retweets of all time, surpassing Ellen DeGeneres and her celebrity friends’ infamous Oscar-Selfie. The best part of this whole thing? Carter is a wonderful young man from a great, supportive family. While the attention was almost overwhelming, he responded the only way he knew how: by remaining his true self. He took the opportunity and the fame and paid it forward by raising money and awareness for both foster care adoption and breast cancer research. Both causes benefitted significantly because Carter thought more about others then he did himself, and that’s something that is all too rare in today’s world. We can all learn from his example.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Want to Try Something New in 2018?

Dec 5, 2017 1:05 PM ET

Driven by both necessity and opportunity right now, Taproot Foundation partners across the nonprofit, for-profit, and philanthropic sector all seem to be asking themselves one thing: “How can we be better?”

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Your Gift Allows Siblings Grow Up Together

Dec 5, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Robbin and Steven hadn’t considered adopting two children. But when Rachel, a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter, told them about Dawson and Dalton, they knew they had to keep the boys together.

Diversity & Inclusion

Peter Grauer on Gender Parity, Diversity in the Boardroom

Dec 5, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Peter Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, and founding chairman of the U.S. 30% Club, discusses gender parity and diversity in the boardroom with Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu on "Bloomberg Markets."

Energy

Ingersoll Rand: How to Use IoT to Become More Energy Efficient

Dec 5, 2017 12:00 PM ET

According to a Berg Insight report, by 2021 nearly 55 percent of all households in the U.S. are expected to be “smart” homes. Smart, connected thermostats can now do far more than just monitor temperatures – they can adjust humidity levels, turn on and off lights, lock and unlock doors, check security cameras and more.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Greenville Whirlpool Workers Support Darke County Food Pantries

Dec 5, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Whirlpool Corporation employees in Greenville, OH donated more than $21,000 to local food pantries.

Environment

Porcupine Gold Mines Reduces Fresh Water Use from Porcupine Lake to Almost Zero

Dec 5, 2017 10:30 AM ET

As one of the oldest operating mines in Canada, Porcupine Gold Mines (PGM) has been an integral part of the Timmins, Ontario community since 1910. Part of its community commitment includes placing a high priority on water conservation and preservation to reduce its environmental impact.

Green Infrastructure

Let's Use the Right-Of-Way in a Smarter Way

Dec 5, 2017 10:30 AM ET

Right-of-way farming joins a bevy of sustainable initiatives along the Ray C. Anderson Memorial Highway in Georgia.

Having a stretch of highway named in your honor is a big deal. But the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation dedicated to realizing the legacy of the late green business pioneer, has opted to take the highway memorization process one giant step further.

Diversity & Inclusion

Bacardi General Counsel Marlene Gordon Joins Advisory Board for Women of the Vine & Spirits™

Dec 5, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Family-owned Bacardi announces Marlene Gordon, general counsel for Bacardi in North America, joins Women of the Vine & Spirits™ as an Advisory Board member for the United States. In this role, Gordon will contribute her experience and insight to the organization’s efforts to support and advance opportunities for women in the alcohol beverage industry.

Established in 2015, Women of the Vine & Spirits is guided by both a U.S. and European Advisory Board and led by Deborah Brenner, founder and president. Comprised of leaders from every segment of the industry, the Advisory Board works to collectively advocate for industry support of talent development and gender-diverse teams.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1 Are Viacom’s NAACP Image Award Nominees

Dec 5, 2017 9:45 AM ET

We’re thrilled to report that Viacom’s brands have just been nominated for a total of 16 NAACP Image Awards across BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1. The awards honor outstanding achievements of people of color and those who promote social justice in the arts, and we couldn’t be more proud of our nominees — see the list below. Winners will be announced at a live ceremony on Martin Luther King Day (Monday, Jan. 15).

Research, Reports & Publications

Ceres, Global Investors With $6 Trillion in AUM Release First-Ever Toolkit for Managing Water Risks in Investment Portfolios

Dec 5, 2017 9:20 AM ET

The first-ever, comprehensive, online toolkit for investors to evaluate and understand water risks was released today by the sustainability nonprofit organization, Ceres, along with an analysis of water risk in major global indices.

The Ceres Investor Water Toolkit was produced in partnership with more than 40 members of the Ceres Investor Water Hub, a working group of more than 90 global institutional investment firms within the Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk and Sustainability. Members producing the toolkit collectively manage $6 trillion in assets.

Research, Reports & Publications

Resilience in a Box – Resources and Tools for Business Resilience & Preparedness

Dec 5, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Developed in partnership with The UPS Foundation, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Disaster Resistant Business (DRB) Toolkit Workgroup, Resilience in a Box is based on best practices and designed to educate newcomers on business resilience. These resources will guide companies toward addressing preparedness issues while building in flexibility to handle potential business interruptions.

Research, Reports & Publications

Schneider Electric Has Become One of the Few CAC 40 Companies Going Beyond Legislation to Achieve Emission Reduction Targets

Dec 5, 2017 8:55 AM ET

The sustainability reporting performance of the CAC 40 , evaluated by Ecoact -- the climate expert firm -- examines the extent and quality of the carbon and sustainability measurement, reporting and reduction by France’s 40 largest companies using publicly available information.

Sustainable Development Goals

WBCSD's Panorama Podcast | Non-financial Reporting – What Is It, and Why Is It So Important?

Dec 5, 2017 8:15 AM ET

Environment

World Soil Day: Reflecting on Soil Health’s Growing Recognition

Dec 5, 2017 8:15 AM ET

The Soil Health Partnership has built a network of 111 farmers across 12 states, from North Dakota to Maryland. These farmers have raised their hands to join in learning about how a little science and soil health can help improve cropping system resiliency, economic performance and environmental outcomes (water quality, air quality, and biodiversity).

Research, Reports & Publications

Business Leaders Leveraging Community Investment as an Opportunity to Drive Innovation, Vibrant Workforces: New Study

Dec 5, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Canada's leading corporations widely recognize the business opportunity in putting their brands and resources behind worthy causes, and many plan to increase their community investments, according to a new study issued by Imagine Canada and LBG (London Benchmarking Group) Canada. The 2017 Corporate Community Investment Leadership study expects corporate giving will advance in 2018, driven by economic growth, heightened appreciation of community investment, customer expectations and high rates of employee interest.

Education

Here’s How You Can Join Computer Science Education Week in 2017

Dec 4, 2017 7:55 PM ET

As Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies, wrote on the Official Microsoft Blog last month, “Learning to think critically through coding is the single most important step students can take to prepare themselves to fully participate in, and benefit from, the digital economy.”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MGM MACAU Receives Global Recognition for its Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking

Dec 4, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Thomson Reuters Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the world’s biggest news and information provider, selected MGM MACAU as a top 15 global finalist for the “Stop Slavery Award” this month.

The esteemed award recognizes companies that have taken concrete steps to eradicate forced labor from their supply chains. MGM MACAU was identified for its best practices and continued leadership in combating human trafficking across the globe.

Research, Reports & Publications

The Role of the Private Sector in Women's Economic Empowerment

Dec 4, 2017 4:40 PM ET

The Global Business Coalition for Women’s Economic Empowerment (GBCforWEE) brings together a group of major multinational corporations - who were first convened in 2014 by Professor Linda Scott, Emeritus DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, as part of the Corporate summit on women's economic empowerment - to discuss how better to include women in the world economy.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Reopening Dirty Truck Loophole Is Bad for the Economy and Public Health

Dec 4, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Testifying today at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) hearing on repealing the glider provisions in the Phase 2 national fuel economy standard for heavy-duty vehicles, Carol Lee Rawn, Transportation Program Director at Ceres, made the following statement:

“Repealing the glider emission requirements would have a detrimental impact on both the economy and environment. The proposed changes would undermine the competitiveness of the U.S. freight truck industry, is contrary to business interests, and would increase harmful emissions and healthcare costs.”

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

PayPal Community Donates $64 Million on #GivingTuesday

Dec 4, 2017 4:15 PM ET

At PayPal, we are motivated and united by a central mission: to democratize financial services so that as many people and businesses as possible can join and thrive in the digital economy. That’s a big mission. It’s challenging to achieve, and progress can sometimes be difficult to measure. Yet one of the more demonstrable areas is the impact that PayPal has on charitable giving. I am thrilled to share that $64 million was donated to charities and non-profits via the PayPal platform on #GivingTuesday. This is a 33% increase over donations in 2016, and includes donations originating from 175 different countries.

Environment

SC Johnson Takes Action to Save Racine Area Water

Dec 4, 2017 4:00 PM ET

SC Johnson today announced a donation of $35,000 to the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network. The donation will support Root-Pike WIN’s restoration projects, with the goal of significantly reducing runoff pollution, flooding issues, and habitat degradation that threaten Racine, Wisconsin area streams and Lake Michigan.

Events, Media & Communications

Early Bird Pricing for Living Future 18

Dec 4, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Celebrate 12 years of innovation with us at Living Future 2018 in Portland, Oregon from May 1-4. Register before December 6, 11:59 PM PST, and take $100 off your ticket for this year’s 3-day conference highlighting Authenticity + Action.

Environment

Healthy Food Starts with Healthy Soil

Dec 4, 2017 2:30 PM ET

A life cycle assessment of Nestlé Purina U.S. showed that our biggest environmental impact happens before the ingredients even reach our production facilities. Since we don’t own the farms or fisheries where our quality ingredients are grown or raised, we partner with growers and organizations along the supply chain to address challenges together.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Ecocentricity Blog: Giving a Better Gift

Dec 4, 2017 1:30 PM ET

There is so much that is good about this time of year. That said, sometimes the holidays can turn into forced consumerism, and that isn’t good. So please give to others, but give mindfully.