Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Education

Students Realize Dreams Through Edison Scholars Program

May 8, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Hanford High School senior Keslee Green still can’t believe she’s a 2017 Edison Scholar and the recipient of a $40,000 scholarship.
“I kind of laughed in disbelief. I was like, wait a second, is this right?” she said of opening the Edison International congratulatory letter she received in the mail. “My parents were screaming.”

Environment

Meter Recycling Helps People & the Environment

May 8, 2017 12:00 PM ET

New smart meters are being installed throughout the Duke Energy service territories. These new meters can collect the same data as the old ones, but unlike the old meters that were read once a month, smart meters relay data hourly, giving customers more insight into their energy usage than ever before.

Innovation & Technology

Wearable Robotic Fashion: Tentacles, Fabric & DragonBoard 410c

May 8, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Ever since high school, I’ve had a wild fashion dream: to design a robot dress. Not just any robot dress, mind you, but an elegant gown that can do things like hug people and move with me as I wear it. Never did I imagine that by revealing this fantasy during an interview, I’d have the opportunity to inspire so many people.

Environment

Ingersoll Rand Reports Improvement on Climate Commitment at Energy Efficiency Global Forum in Washington

May 8, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, today shared progress toward its global Climate Commitment, a pledge to reduce environmental impacts from its operations and product portfolio, at the tenth annual Energy Efficiency Global Forum in Washington.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Empathy in Motion: Live!

May 8, 2017 12:00 PM ET

The RW Institute’s online course Empathy in Motion: The Power of Employee Volunteering, hosted by openSAP, was completed last month by its first cohort with rave reviews. The positive response to Changing Hearts and Minds (pt. 1), and Leading the Change (pt. 2) was unprecedented and overwhelming. The teams at SAP, Realized Worth, and openSAP would like to extend our gratitude to everyone involved in this powerful initiative.

Events, Media & Communications

Live from Shared Value Summit: Business Leaders on Social Change

May 8, 2017 11:30 AM ET

This week, FSG's Shared Value Initiative will be streaming the entire plenary program of the 2017 Shared Value Leadership Summit.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

PYXERA Global Chief Program Officer Amanda MacArthur to Speak Alongside The Rockefeller Foundation at Responsible Business Summit Europe

May 8, 2017 11:05 AM ET

Over 80 CEOs, governmental, and business leaders will join the debate at Ethical Corporation’s flagship event to push the agenda on how big brands can quantify social impact.

Health & Healthcare

Sodexo Operations Keep Calm and Maintain Continuity throughout the Storm

May 8, 2017 10:35 AM ET

With less than a month to go before the official start of the 2017 hurricane season, one organization’s employees offers a great example on how to keep customers calm and business running through the worst of storms. Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, recently recognized its employees in the northeast who went above and beyond to keep senior-center residents safe and healthy during the March blizzard. As the storm that crippled several cities across New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, Sodexo’s employees in those areas put seniors first, working long hours and even sleeping at work to make sure their residents received the care they needed.

Health & Healthcare

GOJO Blog: Go Out and Play

May 8, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Spring has finally - fingers crossed - sprung! And with the warmer temperatures, many of us are jumping at the chance to get outside to play. Spring is a time for hands-on fun from picnics to going to the playground to bike rides.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Foster Care Adoption Grows Family by Five

May 8, 2017 10:00 AM ET

The Hemmelgarn family has adopted two sibling groups (five children!) from foster care. They finalized the adoption of their youngest son on April 27. We love when siblings find their forever home together.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sharing Economy Thrives in Toronto, Reflects Success of Library of Things Movement

May 8, 2017 10:00 AM ET

With four locations and a variety of workshops and community events, the Toronto Tool Library is a pioneer of the lending and sharing movement. In April 2016, the Toronto Tool Library team raised the bar again when they launched the Sharing Depot, Canada’s first Library of Things, where members can borrow sporting goods, board games, camping equipment, children’s toys and party supplies for $50-$100 per year.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Finances Metro West Solutions Affordable Housing/Adaptive Reuse Project in Lakewood, CO

May 8, 2017 10:00 AM ET

KeyBank provides a full financing package for Metro West Solutions Affordable Housing and Adaptive Reuse Project in Lakewood, CO

Sustainable Development Goals

Bechtel's 2017 Sustainability Commitment

May 8, 2017 9:55 AM ET

Bechtel Highlights Commitment to Sustainability in 2017 Top CEOs Association Report. The Business Roundtable (BRT) is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies working to promote sound public policy and a thriving U.S. economy.

Education

Brett Wigdortz, CEO of Teach First Speaks to Barclays about his Career Path

May 8, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Brett Wigdortz originally planned to take only six months out from his job as a management consultant to draw up the business plan for Teach First, the charity that strives for better education for pupils from low-income backgrounds.

Energy

Offers and Business Models Improving Life in Off-Grid Households

May 8, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Education

HP, Graham Windham and the Hamilton Connection: Changing Students' Lives With Technology

May 8, 2017 9:25 AM ET

Educators and policy-makers know that personal technology and broadband access are game-changers when it comes to improving outcomes for students – but far too many of the schools they attend lack the resources to provide them. But for students who face significant challenges in their home lives, access to technology inside the classroom can help bridge the digital divide.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Experts Forecast How to Succeed In Future Food and Beverage Sector

May 8, 2017 9:00 AM ET

The recent years have seen a major shift in people's relationship with food and drink, which have acquired a much more funcional role in​ our​ lives. ​Like in other sectors, data is key and the public want as much information as possible to make a purchasing decision.​ For that reason, the food and beverage industr​ies have to adapt to cater to new demands and needs, lest they could fall ​lag behind.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Bristol-Myers Squibb Named to Top Corporate Citizen List for Ninth Consecutive Year

May 8, 2017 9:00 AM ET

For the ninth consecutive year, Bristol-Myers Squibb ranks in the top 20 of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens, a leading benchmark for socially responsible investors and other stakeholders published by Corporate Responsibility magazine.

Environment

Xylem Watermark & Project 24 : Suplang, Philippines

May 8, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Environment

De Beers Pioneers Research Programme to Make Carbon-neutral Mining a Reality

May 8, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Carbon-neutral mining a possibility across De Beers Group's operations in five to 10 years

Sustainable Development Goals

Over 200 Global Investors Urge G7 to Stand by Paris Agreement and Drive its Swift Implementation

May 7, 2017 8:30 PM ET

Long-term institutional investors representing more than USD 15 Trillion in assets have written to G7 heads of state urging governments to stand by their commitments to the Paris Agreement at their upcoming Summit in Taormina, Italy on May 26-27.

Innovation & Technology

Business in a Box: PayPal’s ‘One-Stop-Shop’ for Small Businesses

May 6, 2017 11:30 AM ET

Starting your own business can be an exciting and rewarding experience. But we hear from small business owners time and time again that it is also very daunting. Starting an online business involves planning, making key financial decisions, and setting up an online store. And once the business is up and running, there’s cash flow to monitor, inventory to track, and the often tedious process of finding capital to grow.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Fair Trade USA’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide

May 5, 2017 7:00 PM ET

We put together this Mother’s Day Gift Guide, composed of some of our favorite Fair Trade Certified™ products. Mom will enjoy any one of these gift options, and will also love knowing that her present empowers and supports mothers and families around the world.

Diversity & Inclusion

Nike Engages Innovators to Make an Impact

May 5, 2017 6:30 PM ET

With the complex challenges facing businesses today, it’s not uncommon for them to go beyond company walls in search of real-world solutions. Now, one company is opening its doors to all types of innovators from different walks of life to create a product that meets the needs of a diverse set of consumers.

Innovation & Technology

Shrinking Emissions Through Virtualization

May 5, 2017 6:00 PM ET

The collective impact of customers using VMware’s server virtualization products is estimated to have avoided 340 million MT CO2e over the last 13 years*. Having pioneered the development of server virtualization technologies, we’ve significantly increased the operational efficiency of IT resources and reduced the number of servers needed. In fact, every server virtualized is estimated to avoid the output of 4 tons of CO2 per year.