Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

GM Makes the Most JUST Companies List

Dec 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

General Motors was named one of America’s Most JUST Companies by Forbes and JUST Capital, a nonprofit that analyzes and ranks companies based on the priorities of the American people. GM is the only automaker on the list.

Green Infrastructure

Chicago Area Reservoir to Save Estimated $114 Million in Flood and Pollution Reduction

Dec 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week celebrated the completion of the first phase of the McCook Reservoir project, a key component of MWRD’s plan to reduce flood damage and sewer overflow pollution in the Chicago area.

Environment

VIDEO | Introducing NextWave, A Cross-industry Collaboration Aimed at Developing the First Commercial-scale Ocean-bound Plastics Supply Chain

Dec 15, 2017 8:45 AM ET

Dell Inc. and Lonely Whale will form of a collaborative and open-source initiative called NextWave, convening General Motors, Trek Bicycle, Interface, Van de Sant, Humanscale, Bureo and Herman Miller. NextWave convenes leading technology and consumer-focused companies to develop the first-ever commercial-scale ocean-bound plastics supply chain. Additional supporting members of the group include UN Environment, 5Gyres Institute, Zoological Society of London and New Materials Institute.

Sustainable Development Goals

Schneider Electric VIDEO: Aligning Sustainability Goals with Climate Science

Dec 15, 2017 8:05 AM ET

A new movement has begun, with more than 300 companies coming together to lead the fight against climate change. The need for a low-carbon future has become undeniable, a conclusion supported by the Paris Climate Agreement. The expansion of an unchanged energy system, with anything close to current levels of carbon-dioxide (CO2) intensity, would likely lead to global warming in excess of 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century[1]— a crisis scientists agree would cause widespread and disastrous ecological problems.

Green Infrastructure

Hassalo on Eighth | A LEED Platinum EcoDistrict Development in Oregon

Dec 15, 2017 8:00 AM ET

In the midst of a population boom, Portland is in need of more residential space. With the city’s current infrastructure not able to keep up with that need, new private developments have to accommodate a growing population without damaging the surrounding environment. Hassalo on Eighth was conceived as an EcoDistrict—a series of buildings that share sustainable energy, water, and waste infrastructure—to ease the city’s housing squeeze, revitalize a neighborhood in need of development, and allow its tenants to reduce their carbon footprint by nearly a third.

Research, Reports & Publications

Do You Have the Right Staffing Levels to Manage Your Companies EHS & Sustainability Risks?

Dec 15, 2017 8:00 AM ET

If you answered yes to any of these questions or would just like some hard, reliable facts and data about EHS&S staffing, structure and budgets, then the National Association of Environmental Management’s (NAEM) recently published report based on data from more than 190 companies across industry sectors is perfect for you.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Freeport-McMoRan Invests in Indigenous Communities by Supporting Organic Coffee Cooperative

Dec 15, 2017 8:00 AM ET

PT Freeport Indonesia, a Freeport-McMoRan company, has sponsored a coffee farmer collective in Papua, Indonesia since 2000. For 17 years Amungme Gold coffee has been farmed and processed by indigenous Amungme farmers under the guidance of Freeport’s entrepreneur business program to meet growing demand from consumers.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Neuroscience of Corporate Goodness and Employee Engagement

Dec 15, 2017 7:45 AM ET

What does the Founder and CEO of a fast-growing Goodness software company consider his best day at work? The answer lies in the neuroscience and might be surprising. Continue reading to get the answer that also informs how companies can forge social bonds that underlie the authentic, lasting engagement of employees and customers (and how to infuse more of that ethos into the world!).

Sustainable Development Goals

British American Tobacco | Thrive: Sustainable Agriculture and Farmer Livelihoods Programme

Dec 15, 2017 7:20 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Fisk Johnson Pledges 2-for-1 Match for Donations to Salvation Army Red Kettles

Dec 15, 2017 7:00 AM ET

Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, has pledged a two-for-one personal match for all donations at Racine-area Salvation Army red kettles on Saturday, Dec. 16.

Environment

Nat Geo WILD Launches Eighth Annual Big Cat Week With Pushes to Mark the Cheetah as Endangered

Dec 14, 2017 7:45 PM ET

On December 10, Nat Geo WILD kicked off its eighth annual Big Cat Week with a week-long programming lineup of stunning and touching specials documenting the lives and plights of big cats around the world. Big Cat Week is an extension of the Big Cats Initiative (BCI), a long-term commitment from National Geographic Society to protect and tell the stories of the planet’s fiercest felines—lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers, leopards and more.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

LBG Canada Data Stories: In-Kind Contributions are a Part of Community Investment

Dec 14, 2017 6:25 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

AEG and City Year Team Up to Improve Nevin Avenue Elementary in South Los Angeles

Dec 14, 2017 5:40 PM ET

In celebration of AEG’s Season of Giving, more than 300 AEG employees from Southern California came together to participate in the company’s annual Service Day on Dec. 8 at Nevin Avenue Elementary School in South Los Angeles.

Diversity & Inclusion

Major League Baseball Players Association Supports Universal Declaration of Player Rights

Dec 14, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Executive Director and 14-year Major League Baseball veteran, Tony Clark, joined executives from some of the world’s leading player associations in unveiling the Universal Declaration of Player Rights (the Declaration) to protect players from ongoing and systemic human rights violations in global sport.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

In Search of the Most Community-Minded Companies in the Nation, Points of Light Launches Survey for the 2018 Civic 50

Dec 14, 2017 3:30 PM ET

Washington, D.C. (Dec. 14, 2017) – This week, Points of Light opened the survey for the 2018 Civic 50, an annual initiative that recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year. Now in its sixth year, the Civic 50 provides a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Northern Trust Sponsors Akola Jewelry Displays

Dec 14, 2017 2:05 PM ET

Northern Trust announced today that it is supporting Akola, a nonprofit jewelry brand, by funding in-store displays with an app at select Neiman Marcus stores.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sustainability (and Dinosaurs) Come to Life Every Day at VMware Costa Rica

Dec 14, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Gleaming in a soft bluish light, the Tyrannosaurus Rex greets visitors with something close to a smile. Made entirely of recycled materials, including flattened plastic cups, it stands as a testament to ingenuity, creativity and a generous heap of good humor.

Events, Media & Communications

Representing U.S. Mike Bloomberg Joins One Planet Summit on 2nd Anniversary of the Paris Agreement

Dec 14, 2017 12:55 PM ET

On December 12th, 2017, two years to the day after the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement, global leaders convened at the One Planet Summit in Paris to strengthen the world’s collective commitment to climate action. French President Emmanuel Macron, joined by the President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, led discussions on the progress we’ve made so far, and the imperative action we must continue to ensure the health, safety, and future of our planet and global community.

Innovation & Technology

Avnet Sponsors The Not Impossible Awards Recognizing Emerging Technologies That Improve Lives

Dec 14, 2017 12:35 PM ET

Avnet today announced its title sponsorship of The Not Impossible Awards, which recognizes the breakthrough achievements of innovators who share the Not Impossible Labs mission to create inventive technology that improves the well-being of others.

Energy

Carbon Offsets Help Salesforce Go Net Zero 33 Years Early

Dec 14, 2017 12:25 PM ET

In 1998, when Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, Dee and Richard Lawrence, along with their daughter Skye, headed south, to help with the country’s recovery efforts and wound up starting a cookstove project that greatly reduces carbon pollution. Eighteen years later, the Lawrences founded Cool Effect to fund carbon-reducing projects around the world.

Diversity & Inclusion

Solutions for All: How One Canadian Bank is Developing Technology to Drive Accessibility

Dec 14, 2017 11:50 AM ET

As Vice President of Design, Digital Banking, at Scotiabank, Pamela Hilborn is tasked with developing unique technology solutions that can meet the needs of the Bank’s diverse customer base — including those with disabilities.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Whole Planet Foundation | Dispatch From the Field – Crediting Field Officers

Dec 14, 2017 11:30 AM ET

It’s the season of gratitude and a time to celebrate the impact of 2017. Whole Planet Foundation wants to acknowledge the achievements of our microfinance partners’ field officers, who are often the main point of contact between a microfinance organization and the entrepreneurs financing their businesses with microloans. In 2014 we piloted a new Field Officer Appreciation Award in the Africa & Middle East region of our work and this year, the foundation awarded its fourth year of awards to nominated field officers. In total, this region currently includes 28 partner institutions.

Sustainable Development Goals

Marina Bay Sands Tackles Sustainable Farming with WWF Partnership

Dec 14, 2017 10:35 AM ET

As part of an effort to raise sustainability standards within Asia’s hospitality industry, Marina Bay Sands has partnered with World Wide Fund for Nature in Singapore (WWF). Together, they will focus on seafood and ocean conservation with goals including positive initiatives in Responsible Seafood, Aquaculture Improvement Projects (AIPs), and Enhanced Green Meeting Packages.

Environment

CITGO Continues Restoration Work in Lemont Quarries

Dec 14, 2017 10:30 AM ET

The CITGO Lemont Refinery, in partnership with The Conservation Foundation and the Village of Lemont, continued their environmental restoration project in the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area (HQRA) this past October. Volunteers worked together to remove invasive plant species in visible areas by trimming trees and removing invasive brush.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful Becomes First Keep America Beautiful River-Based Affiliate

Dec 14, 2017 10:30 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, today announced Keep Tennessee River Beautiful (KTnRB) became its first certified river-based affiliate. Keep Tennessee River Beautiful will focus on the waterways adjacent to the 652-mile Tennessee River, which flows through three states – Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky.