News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest impact news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's publishing platform.

Focus for maximum impact

Focus™ is 3BL’s premier product, a comprehensive suite of proprietary tools and expertise to optimize your impact programs with precision and purpose.

Discover Focus

Smarter impact communications

Power your message with data, insights and confidence

Find out more at 3BL.com

Research, Reports & Publications

Once Reserved for Critical Infrastructure, Distributed Energy Resources Come to the Masses

From a municipal airport in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to a school district in Salinas, California, microgrid projects are popping up across the country, fueled by the desire for energy cost savings, sustainability, reliability and resilience. Applications of this technology, which typically includes renewable energy, energy storage, fossil-fueled generation and load management, can be spotted in critical infrastructure installations such as data centers, military installations, college campuses, office parks and airports. But given microgrids’ unparalleled ability to deliver backup power during an outage and reduce energy costs for a broad swath of the market, these early examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Subaru Share the Love® Event Returns for Its Eleventh Consecutive Year in 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced the return of its annual Share the Love event in 2018. Eleven years running, this year’s Share the Love event marks the third consecutive year there will be no cap placed on the total donation from Subaru of America to its Share the Love charitable partners.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

LG Recognized as Industry Leader in Dow Jones Sustainability Index

LG Electronics has been named 2018 Industry Leader by the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). This top ranking in the highly competitive consumer electronics category follows LG’s track record of four consecutive years of recognition as a DJSI Industry Group Leader.

Innovation & Technology

Webinar | A Drone May Save Your Life One Day

Despite the convenience of instantaneous food delivery or the wonder of flying cars, we should not lose sight of the tremendous social change powered by today’s technology advances. Drones and autonomous systems, for example, are creating unforeseen opportunity to make a positive impact in the world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sysco Employees Provide Nearly 100,000 Meals During Hunger Action Month

September was Hunger Action Month! Associates at our Enclave and Cypress campuses were given the opportunity to volunteer with various hunger organizations across the Houston area.

Media & Communications

Whirlpool Corporation’s ‘Places that Matter’ Project Focuses on Places and People

Southwest Michigan — more specifically the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph — houses Whirlpool Corporation’s global and North American headquarters, as well as several technical, research and customer service facilities. The area is also the focus of the first episode of the “Places that Matter” photojournalism project launched this fall from the corporate newsroom at Whirlpool Corporation.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Aramark CEO Eric Foss Appointed to Back on My Feet National Board of Directors

Back on My Feet, the national nonprofit organization committed to addressing homelessness, has announced that Eric J. Foss, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aramark, has joined its national board of directors.

Back on My Feet combats homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources in 12 cities across the country, including Philadelphia, Aramark’s headquarters city.

Innovation & Technology

African Financial Technology Startups Move Beyond Payment Services

If mobile money was the first phase in the development of digital finance in Africa, the next phase of digital financial services on the continent will focus on lending, insurance and wealth management

In “Beyond Payments: The Next Generation of Fintech Startups in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the venture capital firm Village Capital, and their reporting partner, PayPal, tip their hat to M-Pesa and mobile money in Africa, but say that there’s a wave of innovation still to come.

Research, Reports & Publications

Astellas Details Progress and Commitment to Patients and the Community in the Company's Americas 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report Card

Astellas today issued its third-annual Americas Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report Card. The Report Card, which can be found here, outlines the company's progress made during Fiscal Year 2017 to fulfill its commitments to patients, employees and the communities where we work and live.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

A Dream Job for a Coffee Lover

As one of the world’s largest coffee producers, we know how to make a good cup of java. We also know that we can make an incredible impact in growing coffee sustainably. The work we do to help coffee farmers grow healthy beans — and dramatically improve their incomes — is one of the many reasons I’m proud to work at Nestlé. Because of our size, the way we source coffee beans can really make a difference in the lives of growers and in the health of the environment.

Sustainable Development Goals

Los Angeles Middle School Enters a New Era of Innovative Learning

Daniel Webster Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has just begun a transformation to a new era of learning. Last spring, the school won a nationwide contest, and ultimately was given the opportunity to take part in Verizon Innovative Learning, the signature program of the Verizon Foundation. This week, Daniel Webster got the first taste of what being a Verizon Innovative Learning school means, as students were treated to an immersive virtual reality field trip.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Fair Trade USA and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Partner to Pilot the Fair Trade Add-on to Some ASC Certified Farms

Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the leading certification and labelling program for responsible aquaculture, have signed an MOU to pilot Fair Trade USA’s requirements in some ASC-certified fish farms. Through this collaboration, the organizations will implement Fair Trade USA’s innovative model of responsible business and conscious consumption in certified fish farms adhering to the robust environmental and social criteria of the ASC standard. The pilot will also examine how the Fair Trade program can work as a ladder towards ASC certification within the framework of ASC’s newly formed “Improver Programme.”

Education

Meet Aby Rodriguez, an Amgen Biotech Experience Alumni

Eleven years ago, Aby Rodriguez participated in a life-altering experience. A student at CROEM, a public boarding school in Puerto Rico that specializes in science and math, Rodriguez conducted biotech experiments for the first time through the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE).

Environment

Conservation in Cities

The Conservation Fund is a national nonprofit working to create innovative solutions that make environmental and economic sense while meeting the unique needs that American communities are facing – creating access to fresh, healthy food, mitigating sea level rise, preserving corridors for wildlife to roam, protecting clean water, investing in small, natural resource-based businesses, and helping cities protect and conserve green space as they plan for growth. Since 1985, we’ve demonstrated our passion for the American landscape by protecting more than 8 million acres of wildlife habitat, working forests and farms, parks, historic sites and favorite places across the United States.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Alliance Data Uses Data Science to Help Nonprofit Connect More Citizens with Community Resources

At Alliance Data, we’re always looking for ways to give back. So, when a local nonprofit needed a better way to measure their impact, a group of our specialized data analysts jumped at the chance to use their knowledge and skills to help.

Energy

General Motors Named EPA National Top 100 Green Power User

General Motors Arlington Assembly has earned a spot on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Top 100 List of the largest green power users. The plant’s No. 76 ranking in the Green Power Partnership recognizes GM’s efforts to power all its global facilities with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Developing Nonprofit Leaders Through Skills-Based Volunteering

At Common Impact, we’ve seen first-hand how leveraging skills-based volunteering to create intentional and thoughtful development opportunities for nonprofit staff can solve this challenge. Skilled volunteerism can be a great way to invest in talent, without having to seek the funding for it.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Las Vegas Sands Offers Real World Experience to Students Around the World

Las Vegas Sands has made a commitment to helping people thrive and advance in the hospitality industry, whether through courses offered to over 45,000 Team Members worldwide, but also students living in the regions where the company operates.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Schneider Electric Ranked in the Top 15 Companies in the World for Gender Equality, According to Equileap

Each year non-profit organization Equileap ranks global companies for their progress towards gender equality. In Equileap’s 2018 index, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, secured the 15th rank overall and 1st in the “Industrial Sector”.

Media & Communications

WEBINAR: When Staying Silent Isn’t an Option: If, When and How to Take a STANCE on Divisive Issues

Nike’s bold move to make Colin Kaepernick the face of “Just Do It.” Levi’s announcement that “Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear of gun violence.” Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO stating its new gun control policy “isn't going to make everyone happy.” Over the last year, we have seen many companies take risks around divisive issues - with varying degrees of success or failure. Today, most companies are struggling with if and how to use their voice, scale and reach to engage on issues.

Environment

How to Create a More Sustainable (and Resilient) Supply Chain: 4 Steps to Take & Missteps to Avoid

Antea Group’s blog explains what to do and what not to do to create a more sustainable and resilient supply chain.

Media & Communications

State of Corporate Sustainability, Greenbiz Releases Latest Update -- Top Lines: (1) We Are Making Progress and (2) There Are Still Challenges

It’s three-quarters of the way through the year 2018 – what is the state of the Sustainability Profession? John Davies, writing in GreenBiz (he’s VP & Senior Analyst), shares some interesting highlights gained through the firm’s recent report with us this week.

Health & Healthcare

Albertsons Companies Pharmacies Release Online Education Tools With Aim to Vaccinate 1.5 Million People This Flu Season

To bolster the public’s awareness about flu vaccinations and the fact that many insurance plans will cover most or all of the cost, Albertsons Companies pharmacies have fully revamped their informational consumer flu websites with new features, easier navigation, and interactive

Social Impact & Volunteering

Alexion Employees Serve Local Communities During 2018 Day of Service

Our employees from around the globe brought passion, smarts and tons of fun to this years’ Global Day of Service. From rebuilding schools, to helping students improve their resumes and making bread for underserved communities, we’re thankful to have such an inspiring team.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

CSRHub’s Bahar Gidwani Talks About ESGHub Bloomberg App With Proactive Investors

CSRHub co-founder and CTO, Bahar Gidwani was recently interviewed by Christine Corrado of Proactive Investors about CSRHub and the new ESGHubTM app on the Bloomberg App Portal.

ESGHub provides subscribers with the ability to compare metrics from Bloomberg and CSRHub at the portfolio level and drill down on the details associated with more than 9,000 companies.

Latest Campaigns

  1. AEG's Commitment to Social Impact and Volunteerism
    AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...
  2. Southwire Giving Back
    Our neighbors depend on us, just as we depend on them, so we are committed to improving the quality of life in the communities in which we work. At...
  3. Carbon Footprint
    We are accelerating our efforts to help build a low-carbon economy and avert the worst impacts of climate change. Our goal to reduce our GHG emissions...
  4. Environmental Sustainability
    As sustainability leaders, we implement our sustainability strategy across all company activities along the entire value chain, from raw materials to...
  5. Corporate Social Responsibility
    Corporate Social Responsibility
  6. International Paper | HEALTHY & ABUNDANT FORESTS
    Vision 2030 Goal: Lead forest stewardship efforts globally
  7. Sustainability Report
    Our latest Sustainability Report highlights recent accomplishments and progress toward achieving goals in the environmental, social and governance...
  8. Social Impact at Mastercard
    At Mastercard, we’re powering economies and empowering people, building a sustainable economy where everyone prospers.
  9. Kingfisher Around the World
    The SCS Kingfisher certification mark is showing up on an increasing number of products around the world. It differentiates companies that are making...
  10. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  11. IWBI | WELL Building Standard
    Our built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively...
  12. Leading ESG & Sustainability Stewardship
    The new CNH continues on its longstanding path of excellence in sustainability, which is recognized by the foremost authorities.
  13. Green Mountain Energy Commitment to Sustainability
    At Green Mountain Energy Company, we share our customers’ commitment to the environment and sustainability. We are inspired by the success that we...
  14. 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...
  15. 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...