Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

KIRO7 and the Trust for Public Land Announce Mark Boyar as Seattle’s 2017 Cox Conserves Hero

Oct 24, 2017 1:00 PM ET

KIRO 7, and The Trust for Public Land, today named Mark Boyar as Seattle’s 2017 Cox Conserves Hero. Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Boyar’s nonprofit beneficiary, will receive $10,000. Boyar was among the three finalists who were nominated by the public then chosen by local judging panels to compete in an online vote for the title of Seattle’s Cox Conserves Hero.

Research, Reports & Publications

Companies Strengthen Social Investment Strategies, Reinforce Commitments to Stakeholders Despite Continued Global Uncertainties

Oct 24, 2017 1:00 PM ET

An in-depth analysis of 2016 corporate giving and employee engagement data from the world’s largest companies.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

GM Earns Global Leadership in Water Conservation

Oct 24, 2017 12:35 PM ET

Managing company water in a sustainable way can drive both business and community value. CDP, a nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform, listed GM on its Water A-List for effective water management practices implemented around the world.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Orange, Black ... and Green? Tips to Make Halloween Less Wasteful

Oct 24, 2017 12:30 PM ET

We know Halloween can be a sweet holiday, as well as a frightfully wasteful one with all of the disposable decorations, packaging and costumes that come with the season. At Keep America Beautiful, we know it doesn't have to be that way!

Environment

Three Strategic Options for Managing Acquired Environmental Liabilities

Oct 24, 2017 12:25 PM ET

After working with more than 10,000 contaminated sites and hundreds of client portfolios, Antea Group offers its perspective on the pros and cons of 3 strategic options for managing acquired environmental liabilities.

Environment

Can 365 Years of Climate History Help Prevent Crises in East Africa?

Oct 24, 2017 12:00 PM ET

For a long time, a majority of African countries have not been proactively mitigating the negative impact of drought and flood events. As a result, relief initiatives are often too late to stem the loss of lives and other social and economic impacts. To address this challenge, and assessing tree-based data from 1665 through 2014, scientists developed the TANA chronology, a historic dataset named after Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile River running through Ethiopia.

Health & Healthcare

The Power of Precision Medicine, Personalized Care & A Brave Kid: Beorn’s Story

Oct 24, 2017 11:35 AM ET

To accurately diagnose disorders, TGen relies on a Dell-designed high-performance computing (HPC) solution to quickly run extremely complex algorithms that analyze multiple terabytes of genetic and molecular data on a patient. The right amount of server performance, storage capacity, network bandwidth and availability are all critical.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Ecolab Named to CDP Water Leadership List

Oct 24, 2017 11:30 AM ET

Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, was named to the Water A List by CDP, the nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform. The A List is comprised of 73 global companies that were recognized for their efforts to manage water more sustainably. Ecolab is among 10 percent of companies participating in CDP’s water program to be named to the Water A List.

Education

CITGO and Ocean Exploration Trust Select E. K. Key Elementary Teacher as 2017 CITGO Nautilus Ambassador

Oct 24, 2017 11:30 AM ET

Katherine Gertz, a fourth-grade science teacher at E. K. Key Elementary in Sulphur, Louisiana, was selected to be a 2017 CITGO Nautilus Ambassador. In August, she joined fellow Ambassadors aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus to study the central California coast alongside scientists and engineers as part of the Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET) Community STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

UN Migration Agency and Responsible Business Alliance Sign Agreement to Combat Forced Labor and Exploitation

Oct 24, 2017 11:30 AM ET

UN Migration Agency and Responsible Business Alliance Sign Agreement to Combat Forced Labor and Exploitation

Responsible Production & Consumption

When Seedling Met Soil: A Coffee Bean Origin Story

Oct 24, 2017 11:15 AM ET

Nestlé has been on-the-ground in Colombia for nearly 75 years, building relationships with farmers like Nescafé Plan farmer Luz and her community. Luz is a sixth generation farmer who took over the family coffee farm with her brother. When she and her brother took over the farm, their coffee trees were dying from rust. Nestlé worked with the family to overhaul the farm and plant a new disease-resistant Castillo variety of coffee plant. It was a fresh start that was incredibly needed and now they’re helping to provide the highest-quality beans through Colombia’s National Coffee Federation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Pro Bono Challenge Spotlights: CHIP Indy

Oct 24, 2017 11:15 AM ET

The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) mobilizes, advocates, and empowers community collaboration towards ending homelessness and fosters an effective system of homelessness prevention and intervention in the greater Indianapolis area. Their goal is to make homelessness rare, short-lived, and recoverable.

Events, Media & Communications

2018 CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year

Oct 24, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year competition is the largest of its kind, celebrating the richness and diversity of city life around the world by challenging both amateur and professional photographers alike to capture the essence of the urban environment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kohler Associate Named Premier HR Leader

Oct 24, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The World HRD Congress recently conducted a research study to identify talented leaders as well as recognize excellence in processes. With this endeavor, the human resource development organization sought to identify the top human resources leaders in Pune. Candidates were identified based on their contributions, interactions with industry professionals and their roles and responsibilities.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

New York City Homeownership to Get $8.3 Million Boost

Oct 24, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), NeighborWorks® America and its network member, Neighborhood Housing Services of New York, Inc., today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT® program is coming to the New York City area with an $8.3 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost homeownership in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens. This will be Wells Fargo’s 55th LIFT program event in the U.S.

Environment

Loss of Great Plains Grasslands Puts Critical Ecosystems at Risk

Oct 24, 2017 10:35 AM ET

The Great Plains lost about 2.5 million acres of previously intact grassland to crop production between 2015 and 2016, according to a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Across the US and Canada, the loss of grasslands undermines soil health and degrades water quality for downstream communities, while threatening iconic species, including songbirds and water-associated birds, and is driving the decline in the region’s native pollinators.

Green Infrastructure

First Look at the New Bloomberg HQ: Why Norman Foster's Design Is a Triumph

Oct 24, 2017 10:25 AM ET

Not many will mourn the passing of Bucklersbury House and Temple Court. Designed in 1953 for a site next to the Mansion House and completed five years later, they set the architectural direction for the post-war City of London. At 14 and 15 storeys high, they were the first office buildings to break the 100ft height limit, entirely ignore the street pattern and prioritise parking at the expense of pedestrians.

Education

Learning to Thrive in a New Environment: the Perspective From Cambridge

Oct 24, 2017 10:15 AM ET

On a surprisingly sunny Sunday afternoon, 21 students from 17 different countries all arrived in Cambridge. Each of us came from a unique background, armed with distinctive outlooks on life, but we all shared the same unequivocal curiosity and passion that science demands. The earlier arrivals amongst us (including me) formed a welcome party for those yet to come, taking the time to introduce ourselves.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability: Driving Forward Using the Rear-View Mirror

Oct 24, 2017 10:15 AM ET

You wouldn’t drive forward using only your rear-view mirror. Yet for years that is how many companies, including Domtar, managed safety—using only indicators of past performance to chart a future course.

Today, we have begun steering to improved safety performance using forward-looking safety techniques— addressing potential safety hazards before they result in an injury.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Announcing the Visa Foundation Alongside Inaugural Grant to Women’s World Banking

Oct 24, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Today marks the launch of the Visa Foundation, which has been established as part of Visa’s larger social impact strategy to prioritize the growth of micro and small enterprises around the world, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Reflections From a Field Builder: The Next 25 Years of SRI Investing

Oct 24, 2017 10:10 AM ET

The Sustainable, Responsible Impact Investing field has grown from $639 billion in assets in 1995 to $8.72 trillion in 2016. It will be very surprising if the next decade does not bring continued expansion in assets and in the types of investors who control those assets, as well as further growth in the products and services available.

Innovation & Technology

Integrated Drone Solution Enhances Utility Asset Data

Oct 24, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs announced today that they have launched an end-to-end asset management inspection solution leveraging drone technology for global energy clients. Aeryon’s commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) hardware, software and services enable the capture of critical infrastructure condition data that is integrated by Black & Veatch into utility’s existing enterprise asset management (EAM) systems. This streamlined solution speeds inspection times, reduces inspection costs and accelerates the integration of data into EAM systems.

Diversity & Inclusion

Love Has No Labels: Five Ways to Prevent Bullying

Oct 24, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Wells Fargo joins the Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels campaign to explore ways to create a more accepting world.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

GRI’s Collaboration With PRI Boosts Responsible Investment and Action Towards the SDGs

Oct 24, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Stella McCartney Commissions First-Ever LCA for Manmade Cellulosic Fibers

Oct 24, 2017 9:40 AM ET

Luxury fashion label Stella McCartney has released the results of a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental performance of ten different raw material sources of manmade cellulose fiber (MMCF). Conducted by third-party certifier SCS Global Services (SCS), the study examined a broad range of environmental issues.