Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Education

As Demand for Tech Skills Surges, Is College Really Right for All?

Nov 29, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Solving the National Affordable Housing Crisis With Mercy Housing

Nov 29, 2017 2:35 PM ET

Every day, millions of Americans have to sacrifice food, education, and healthcare because the cost of housing is so high. The numbers are grim: only one out of every four households who needs housing assistance gets it; more than one in four renters pays more than half of their income on housing costs; and nationwide waiting lists for affordable housing are years long. Many lists aren’t even open to new applicants because the backlog is so enormous.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Commits $50 Million to American Indian/Alaska Native Communities

Nov 29, 2017 2:15 PM ET

Wells Fargo has committed $50 million over the next five years to help address the economic, social, and environmental needs of American Indian/Alaska Native communities. The company will expand philanthropy programs, work to improve products and services that meet the financial and banking needs of American Indian/Alaska Native communities, award grants to national nonprofits serving these communities, and help create a greater awareness of their culture, history, and contributions.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The Value in Connecting Your Business Strategies Back to Business Objectives

Nov 29, 2017 2:15 PM ET

Join thinkPARALLAX and Qualcomm™ Wireless Reach®, on Wednesday, December 7 at 10 AM PST, to learn how a social impact program can benefit both business objectives and communities.

Education

Why I Traveled Almost 6,000 Miles to Attend the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility

Nov 29, 2017 2:15 PM ET

The Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility recently celebrated the graduation of their fourth class. Since the launch of the Institute in 2014, the program has attracted CSR professionals from around the region and across the country. Recently, we have seen interest from the international community. Sunday Kubba Hassan with Central Bank of Nigeria is the first international graduate from the Institute. Below, Sunday reflects on why his company decided to send him to the Institute and how he has used the knowledge he gained since graduating in 2016.

Research, Reports & Publications

Former Advisory Member of the Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability Authors Book "Sustainability - A Guide for Boards and C-Suites"

Nov 29, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Sustainability - A Guide for Boards and C-Suites is a succinct business-focused summary of how business leaders should think about the risks and opportunities associated with sustainability. The book includes the author’s insights not only from the approximately 60 board of directors meetings he has participated in, but also from the experiences of over 50 companies that have used the Corporate Sustainability Scorecard over the past 20 years.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sociology Professor Helps Students Bridge the Generation Gap With Service

Nov 29, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Finding a common thread between generations can sometimes be difficult these days. So, when one of Dr. Keith Whitworth’s students brought Cycling Without Age to his attention, he immediately jumped at the opportunity to bring the program to Texas Christian University.

Events, Media & Communications

CBS Announces Singer-Songwriter Josh Groban Will Headline the 19th Annual “A Home for the Holidays”

Nov 29, 2017 12:15 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Voya Financial Announces Fourth-Quarter 2017 Grant Recipients

Nov 29, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), today announced the nonprofit organizations that received grants in the third quarter of 2017 through Voya Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm. Voya Foundation invests in programming to help foster healthy, sustainable communities and supports local and national nonprofits with missions that advance children’s education and financial resilience.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Celebrates National Giving Day by Awarding Nearly $235,000 in Environmental Grants in Greater Cincinnati

Nov 29, 2017 12:00 PM ET

In conjunction with National Giving Day, the Duke Energy Foundation announced it is investing nearly $235,000 in 11 Ohio and Kentucky environmental nonprofit organizations. The grants will help fund environmental projects, including tree planting, water quality testing, and environmental education programs in the Ohio and Kentucky service territories.

Education

LG Launches ‘Experience Happiness’ Initiative

Nov 29, 2017 11:55 AM ET

Aiming to enrich the lives of 5.5 million youth in the United States by 2021, LG Electronics USA is launching a unique new corporate social responsibility initiative called “Life’s Good: Experience Happiness.” The science-based platform is designed to engage non-profit partners who help equip American youth with the skills for sustainable happiness.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Michael Bloomberg Landed in the Center of the Virgin Islands' Hurricane Recovery

Nov 29, 2017 11:55 AM ET

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire known for his activism on climate change and gun safety, said he had no grand scheme to become involved in hurricane recovery in the Caribbean.

But what started off as an effort to provide quick emergency assistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where his Bloomberg L.P., co-founder Tom Secunda has a home, has turned into a new kind of project for Bloomberg and his key aides, putting them at Ground Zero of efforts to rebuild the tiny U.S. territory.

And there's a chance it could grow into a Bloomberg specialty as coastal communities and islands like these cope with increasingly extreme weather.

Innovation & Technology

The Possibility Report: Changing the Way We Connect

Nov 29, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The second theme in The Possibility Report series, CONNECT explores the emerging technologies that can bring us closer together, even when we’re far apart (geographically and mentally), and bring more people into the loop.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Voya Financial Awarded Corporate Secretary Magazine’s Corporate Governance Award for Best Ethics and Compliance Program for the Second Consecutive Year

Nov 29, 2017 10:45 AM ET

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Corporate Secretary Magazine for the second year in-a-row,” said William M. Welch II, chief compliance and ethics officer. “At Voya, we are proud of our values. Our commitment to doing the right thing is a business imperative that begins with our board of directors and extends to every Voya employee.”

Environment

Republic Services Offers Five Easy Tips to Help Make the Holiday Season More Environmentally Friendly

Nov 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET

This holiday season, Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) encourages consumers across the country to incorporate environmentally responsible practices into celebrations and family gatherings with five simple tips.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Our Global Employee Advantage

Nov 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Environment

'Recycling Is Our License to Operate': How Tetra Pak Is Hoping to Package-up a New Wave of Sustainability Innovation

Nov 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET

From cutting food waste to ending hunger, Tetra Pak is getting excited about some big-picture sustainable thinking.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Serving the Poor in a Transformative Way at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington

Nov 29, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social service agency offering services in 21 counties and seven independent cities in northern and central Virginia that comprise the Diocese of Arlington. The mission of Catholic Charities is to serve the most vulnerable and poor of mind, body, and spirit by offering programs that help clients recognize their abilities, develop self-sufficiency, and maintain dignity.

Environment

VIDEO | Domtar Sustainability: Everything About Biomaterials Is Looking Up!

Nov 29, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Before there was a word “biomaterials,” there were biomaterials.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

The Magic of Money and Other Cautionary Tales

Nov 29, 2017 9:05 AM ET

It began with a magic trick. My father’s friend would pull a quarter out from behind my ear and then make it disappear again. This became an apt metaphor for my relationship with money: one moment there and the next moment gone, feeding two powerful feelings about money: insecurity and lots of fear about never getting it back.

Environment

Infographic: Smithfield Foods Environment Sustainability Report Highlights

Nov 29, 2017 9:05 AM ET

In 2016, we took our environmental stewardship efforts to the next level in what was widely heralded as an ambitious first for our industry: a far-reaching greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal across our entire supply chain, from feed grain to packaged bacon. We have pledged to reduce our absolute GHG emissions by 25 percent by 2025, which will cut emissions by more than 4 million metric tons (or the equivalent of removing 900,000 cars from the road).

Media & Communications

Houston, Texas Commits to Anti-Trafficking and Fair Trade

Nov 29, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Fair Trade Campaigns is proud to announce Houston’s designation as the first Fair Trade Town in the state of Texas, the second largest Fair Trade Town in the United States. Houston is also the first major city to announce a zero tolerance human trafficking policy in city service contracts.

Research, Reports & Publications

500th Cat® Certified Rebuild

Nov 29, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Fifteen years after Caterpillar, Cat® dealer PT Trakindo and customer PT Freeport Indonesia signed a strategic alliance agreement, the group celebrated its 500th Cat Certified Rebuild in 2016.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sands China Responds to Typhoon Hato with Relief Efforts

Nov 29, 2017 8:55 AM ET

In the aftermath of recent typhoons, Sands China Ltd. contributed toward various disaster relief efforts aimed at Team Members and the wider community with transportation, technical and professional support, SME support, and long-term assistance. Sands China pledged to donate $8.4 million – $3.7 million from Sands China and a $4.7 million contribution from the Adelson Family Foundation – to assist with longer term relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in Macao.

Diversity & Inclusion

Sharing Insights: Bringing a Customer-centric Focus to the Financial Inclusion Community

Nov 29, 2017 8:35 AM ET

Customer centricity is a win-win strategy no matter who your clients are; but for institutions looking to serve financially vulnerable populations around the world, such wins can have a tremendous positive impact on the economic livelihoods and future prosperity of their customers. To help these organizations overcome the challenges of modernizing strategies to be more customer-focused, The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) – an initiative of the World Bank, and MetLife Foundation partner – looks to thought leaders in the field, like MetLife, to share their expertise.