Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Environment

How Soil Sparked a New Sustainable Ag Movement

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

For three weeks every month, Ray Archuleta captivates audiences with a few handfuls of soil. He begins with two clumps, dropping them into water. The soil from a farm where the soil isn’t tilled holds together, while the tilled soil immediately disperses, indicating poor soil structure. Next, volunteers from the audience — mostly farmers and ranchers — pour water over a soil that grew a variety of crops, and it runs right through. A sample of tilled soil that grew only corn is like a brick, and the water sits on top. Water is the most precious resource for growing crops, and having a soil unable to absorb water is crippling for farmers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Defending the Rights and Benefits of American Veterans

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

AMVETS enhances and safeguards the entitlements for all American Veterans who have served honorably and continues to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the communities where they live through leadership, advocacy and services.

They do this by advocating for alternative medical practices suitable to the veteran’s needs, the recognition of diversity within the veteran community, and further accountability within the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Environment

Building Local Capacity Through HCV Training in Chiapas

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

With the objective of sharing best practices and developing the capacity of future assessors in High Conservation Value (HCV), PepsiCo and FEMEXPALMA, in collaboration with Proforest, have carried out a HCV course from October 2-6, 2017 in Palenque, Chiapas.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo’s Support of Military Members, Veterans Surpasses $100 Million

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

In honor of Veterans Day Nov. 11, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced that it has donated more than $100 million since 2012 to support military service members, veterans and their families through financial education, career transition and housing initiatives.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Rabobank and UN Environment Announce New Billion-Dollar Partnership to Kickstart Climate Smart Agriculture

Nov 9, 2017 8:50 AM ET

Rabobank and UN Environment announced the creation of a new one-billion-dollar facility to finance sustainable agriculture using a combination of public and private funding. Together they also invite other interested financial institutions to sign up and work actively with global food companies to put this into practice.

Environment

Why Community Forests are Key to Solving Challenges of Urban Living

Nov 9, 2017 8:40 AM ET

What comes to mind when you think of forests? Do they conjure feelings of tranquility, scenic landscapes, and wildlife? Or maybe you think of the great outdoors? Although these sentiments are commonly tied to forests, there is another type of forest that is rarely talked about but is key in responsible forestry: community forests. As the world becomes more urban, now is the time to invest in healthy community forests.

Diversity & Inclusion

Business Value of Pro Bono: Cultivate Your Workforce

Nov 9, 2017 8:35 AM ET

Pro bono service is a powerful way to drive social change. Yet, many corporate employees looking to bring pro bono service to their company struggle to get buy-in from leadership and other key stakeholders. Although these stakeholders may understand the social value of pro bono, they don't always see the business value.

Sustainable Development Goals

INFOGRAPHIC: Ahead of Schedule, Schneider Electric Celebrates the Accomplishment of 2017 Target at COP23

Nov 9, 2017 8:35 AM ET

To mark COP23, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, is re-enforcing its aim to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Environment

Arbor Day Foundation Draws Industry Leaders at Partners in Community Forestry Conference in the Wake of Natural Disasters

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation will hold the 2017 Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on November 15–16. The conference is one of the largest urban forestry gatherings of its kind and attracts leading experts from around the world to share the latest practices and lessons in city forest management and citizen engagement.

Health & Healthcare

Subaru Loves to Care Wrap Up

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

To wrap up #SubaruLovestoCare, our June initiative where Subaru retailers deliver blankets to provide comfort and warmth to those fighting against cancer, we delivered blankets to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper University Health Care.

Environment

Pilot Program at Grand Teton National Park Informs Future of Composting in Teton County

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

As part of the Zero-Landfill Initiative, Teton County is making great inroads with new composting waste removal efforts. The Zero-Landfill Initiative is a collaboration between Subaru of America, Inc., National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the National Park Service (NPS) and park concessioners to reduce the amount of visitor-generated waste that national parks send to the landfills. Collaborators spent the summer targeting the one material that is believed to comprise up to 40 percent of Teton County’s waste stream - food. Capturing and composting non-edible food waste is the next major step in the County’s efforts to significantly reduce waste going to landfills.

Sustainable Development Goals

Tetra Tech Celebrates Achievements at Uganda Learning Event

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech celebrated five years of achievements by the Feed the Future Uganda Agricultural Inputs (Ag Inputs) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at the Activity’s Close-out Learning Event in Kampala, Uganda, in September 2017. The Activity worked to increase farmers’ use of high-quality agricultural inputs and decrease the prevalence of counterfeit inputs in Uganda.

Diversity & Inclusion

Journey to Acceptance: Parents of Hate Crime Victim Speak Out

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Today the name Matthew Shepard is synonymous with gay rights, but for most of his life, he was simply Judy Shepard’s eldest son, “Matt”. In October 1998, one pivotal event in the small college town where he lived would change the world forever.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

ScriptDrop and Albertsons Hurricane Relief Efforts to Be Covered on 'Success Files,' Hosted by Rob Lowe

Nov 9, 2017 7:55 AM ET

"After Hurricane Harvey, we had patients who were struggling to meet their basic needs, so partnering with ScriptDrop to deliver their prescriptions to their homes was an easy decision and allowed our patients to stay healthy and focus on recovery efforts," says Mark Panzer, Albertsons Companies Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Health and Wellness.

Sustainable Development Goals

As Trump Steps Back From Climate Talks, Coke and HP Move In

Nov 9, 2017 7:45 AM ET

Business leaders from Coca-Cola, Citigroup, HP and Microsoft are set to join those from Ingersoll-Rand Plc, Target Corp., Johnson Controls Inc. and other companies to emphasize their climate commitments. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event on the role businesses play facilitating dialogue on climate. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy plans to describe how clean-energy technology can be deployed globally to help satisfy carbon-cutting goals.

Education

Arrow Electronics Funds Educational Indiegogo Campaign STEMosaur

Nov 8, 2017 7:30 PM ET

Arrow Electronics today flash funded CogniToys, the innovators behind the STEMosaur Indiegogo campaign. The funding, announced on National STEM-STEAM Day, provides the technology startup with critical seed money to help them turn their entrepreneurial dream into a reality.

STEMosaur is a smart, educational toy that engages children in interactive play while building their coding and engineering skills. Children are encouraged to assemble the toy, which comes equipped with an easy-to-use coding panel that teaches coding basics.

Energy

Cool Effect’s Smart Vision of How to Improve the Planet – One Carbon Credit at a Time

Nov 8, 2017 3:55 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Celebrating Safety at Sappi's Cloquet Operations

Nov 8, 2017 3:30 PM ET

A redoubled focus on increasing awareness through daily safety communications is ongoing. Critical safe behaviors have been defined with front-line leaders providing observations and corrective feedback. At Somerset, union and management leadership are meeting regularly and working collaboratively to drive safety improvements.

Social Impact & Volunteering

LA Galaxy Foundation and LA Food Bank Team Up to Feed Los Angeles

Nov 8, 2017 3:15 PM ET

AEG’s LA Galaxy Foundation joined the fight against hunger and food insecurity in Los Angeles through weeklong support of Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Throughout the week of Oct. 9, LA Galaxy staff members and fans collected more than 700 pounds of food and prepared and distributed nearly 4,000 meals to children, families, seniors and individuals in need throughout the Los Angeles area.

Education

Examining the Value of Traditional Campus Services in an Increasingly Technology-Centric World

Nov 8, 2017 3:15 PM ET

Technology has had a dramatic and undeniable impact on almost every facet of modern life, and higher education is no exception. From how lectures and course materials are delivered to the immense wealth of learning resources that are available from anywhere at any time, technology has enabled greater access to education than ever before.

Research, Reports & Publications

New From Ecotone Publishing: Creating Biophilic Buildings

Nov 8, 2017 3:00 PM ET

A visually-rich, case study-filled book from ILFI CEO Amanda Sturgeon, FAIA showcases how design can regenerate life.

Diversity & Inclusion

FCA Foundation Supports Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Heroes Night’ Concerts for U.S. Armed Forces Veterans and Their Families

Nov 8, 2017 2:25 PM ET

The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, today announced $180,000 in support for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the 2017-2018 concert season. The funding will support a number of DSO initiatives for veterans in southeast Michigan, including underwriting special $10 tickets for veterans to attend “Heroes Night” concerts performed in Orchestra Hall.

Green Infrastructure

Expatriate Workers and Sustainable Development on the Alba Potline 6 Project

Nov 8, 2017 2:10 PM ET

By the time Bechtel’s Alba Potline 6 Aluminum project in Bahrain reaches peak construction in mid-2018, there could be more than 10,000 skilled craft workers on site. Like most construction projects in the Middle East, Alba will rely to a large extent on the commitment and dedication of expatriate workers, from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other countries.

Research, Reports & Publications

Market for Digitalization in Energy Sector to Grow to $64bn by 2025

Nov 8, 2017 2:10 PM ET

Digitalization in the energy sector is shifting towards services for distributed renewables and the connected home and away from technologies for fossil fuel operation and maintenance today as per new research released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The market for digitalization is set to grow to $64bn by 2025.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Agriculture in the Anthropocene: The Challenge is the Solution

Nov 8, 2017 1:40 PM ET

The world’s farmers not only must feed a growing population, but also cope with a rapidly changing climate.