Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VSP Vision Care and Prevent Blindness Launch ‘Clicks for Kids’ to Enhance Access to Vision Screenings and Eye Exams for Head Start Children

Oct 16, 2017 8:00 PM ET

Healthy vision is essential to a child’s ability to learn, play sports or carry out daily tasks, and receiving eye care early on can help to detect problems that could impair eyesight for life. VSP Vision Care and Prevent Blindness launched Vision to Share: ‘Clicks for Kids' as a way to help bridge the gap in access to care for a population whose need for eye care is often unmet. With every click or share, VSP will donate $1, up to $20,000 in total, so that Head Start children ages 3, 4, and 5 years old, in 25 underserved communities across the United States, have increased access to vision screenings and comprehensive eye examinations, and treatment as needed before they enter school.

Sustainable Development Goals

Employee Engagement and the Sustainable Development Goals, November 2-3, 2017, at Inside Out

Oct 16, 2017 7:10 PM ET

Sue Stephenson, Interim CEO and Executive Committee Vice Chair of IMPACT 2030, will speak to "Why the SDG's are an Opportunity to Engage Employees" at the upcoming Toronto conference Inside Out: A Transformative Approach to Community Investment.

Inside Out is a future-looking conference designed to advance the practice of how companies invest in community. As many companies today are seeking ROI through community investment, participants of the conference will have the opportunity to explore how business priorities such as diversity and inclusion, employee wellness, and employee engagement can be advanced through community investment.

Media & Communications

CSR Expert Alison DaSilva Shines a Light on Gen Z at Share.Like.Buy Conference

Oct 16, 2017 6:50 PM ET

Alison DaSilva, executive vice president at Cone Communications will join marketing experts as a speaker at the Share.Like.Buy conference on October 18-19. The two-day event will explore the latest marketing trends for Millennials and Gen Z in a unique setting at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Media & Communications

The Fair Trade Difference Campaign Launch

Oct 16, 2017 6:00 PM ET

Today we release a powerful 5-minute documentary video to kick off the Fair Trade Difference campaign and pledge drive. The purpose of the video and two-week campaign is to tell the story of Fair Trade in full color, and to inspire commitment to shopping Fair Trade by signing a pledge.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Nestlé USA Commits to Higher Standards of Welfare for Broiler Chickens by 2024

Oct 16, 2017 5:45 PM ET

Nestlé’s purpose is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future and this extends to the treatment of animals in our supply chain. We are today pledging that by 2024, we will strive to source all of the broiler chickens we use as ingredients for our U.S. food portfolio from sources meeting a higher standard of animal welfare, building on our global Commitment on Farm Animal Welfare.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

AEG’s StubHub Center Foundation and LA Galaxy Foundation to Host 11th Annual Treats-N-Suites Halloween Bash at StubHub Center on Friday, Oct. 20

Oct 16, 2017 5:30 PM ET

AEG’s StubHub Center Foundation and the LA Galaxy Foundation announced today that StubHub Center will host the 11th annual Treats-n-Suites Halloween Bash on Friday, Oct. 20 from 4 - 6:30 p.m. PT, and will feature appearances by select LA Galaxy players.

The sold-out Treats-n-Suites event will host 1,500 children ages 2-11 for a series of Halloween-themed activities including trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, a costume parade and contest, hay rides, face painting, as well as the Wildlife Learning Center's Wildlife Safari Meet and Greet, which will feature a series of wild and exotic animals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Costa Cruises to Support the “Pink Is Good” Project on Its Ships

Oct 16, 2017 5:15 PM ET

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Costa Cruises will once again be joining forces with the Umberto Veronesi Foundation to support the Pink is Good project, which aims to beat breast cancer for good by promoting prevention and supporting research activities every year.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Ismaili Muslim Leader Gathers 2,500 Volunteers for Hurricane Harvey Response

Oct 16, 2017 5:00 PM ET

As devastating as Hurricane Harvey has been, it continues to bring people together around one common goal: help Houston. When Murad Ajani saw the toll Harvey took on his hometown, he seized the moment to bring together a community of more than 2,500 volunteers to help with recovery efforts.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Walmart Foundation Commits $500,000 to Operation Homefront to Support Military Families Impacted by Recent Hurricanes

Oct 16, 2017 4:30 PM ET

The Walmart Foundation is committing $500,000 to Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance program to help meet the unique and urgent needs of military families affected by the 2017 hurricane season.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Four Trends for Optimism on World Food Day

Oct 16, 2017 4:15 PM ET

Feeding the world is a mounting challenge for our food system, as climate change impacts collide with burgeoning population growth. And more mouths to feed means demand is rising globally for resource-intensive meat, just as water scarcity and challenges such as deforestation accelerate. But today on World Food Day, I see exciting trends that give me hope. The food sector is beginning to step up. More and more food companies are doing their part to tackle urgent sustainability challenges, while also ensuring our long-term global food security.

Environment

GEEP Collaborates with Canada's Big Five Banks to Host a Personal Household E-Waste Recycling Event in the GTA From October 17th - 19th

Oct 16, 2017 3:55 PM ET

In support of Waste Reduction Week, GEEP (Global Electric Electronic Processing) is pleased to work together with the five major Canadian banks (BMO, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank and TD) to build awareness and educate consumers and companies alike about the environmental impacts of electronic waste also referred to as e-waste.

Energy

'The More We Train, the Better We Get': How We Prepare for Emergencies

Oct 16, 2017 3:30 PM ET

We've spent more than 65 years growing our network of reliable energy infrastructure across North America – and our commitment to safe operations knows no borders. Being prepared for the rare cases when something does go wrong with our pipelines or power generation facilities is part of that commitment.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Leading the Way: Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Pro Bono

Oct 16, 2017 3:15 PM ET

The Taproot Foundation is gathering leaders from across sectors for the first-of-its-kind leadership convening—Leading the Way—on Tuesday, October 24, at the Google Community Space in San Francisco.

Taproot’s invitation-only convening will focus on pro bono as a unique tool for personal and professional development through experiential learning, both for the volunteer and the nonprofit professional who benefits from pro bono.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Why Giving Opportunity Matters

Oct 16, 2017 3:15 PM ET

This week, Comcast NBCUniversal is launching our annual Employee Giving Campaign for United Way and I am grateful to be part of it. Comcast has been partnering with United Way since shortly after the company’s founding more than 50 years ago, and our relationship continues to strengthen our local communities with each passing year. Last year, money pledged by our employees across our company helped fund over 5,000 nonprofits in more than 1,300 local communities. In Denver, that meant providing mentoring to over 1,000 young people; in Atlanta, it meant assisting 75 mothers with housing and financial coaching; and in Washington, D.C., that funding provided medical supplies to over 2,500 people in need.

Environment

The Business of Climate Change: Supply Chain Continuity Risks and How to Proactively Manage Impact

Oct 16, 2017 3:15 PM ET

Antea Group can help food and beverage companies determine their supply chain risks and put a strategy in place to avoid costly business consequences.

Energy

Bechtel | Powering More Than Clean Energy

Oct 16, 2017 3:05 PM ET

The new 778-megawatt Stonewall Energy Center in Loudon County, Virginia provides the electricity the community needs while protecting its water, wildlife, and other natural resources. More than 778,000 homes in Virginia and Washington DC will be powered by the clean energy this plant produces.

Education

Subaru of America President Joins Children’s Book Author in Encouraging Camden Students to Develop a Love of Science

Oct 16, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Thank You for Coming

Oct 16, 2017 2:00 PM ET

I call RayDay our environmental family reunion. That makes you the family! Thank you for spending your Sunday afternoon with us, and I hope you came away inspired.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Provides an Additional $850,000 for California Wildfire Relief

Oct 16, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced today that it is making an additional $850,000 available for relief efforts related to wildfires in California. Additionally, through October 23, customers who wish to support the American Red Cross’ California wildfire relief efforts may do so by using any Wells Fargo ATM in California and selecting the option to donate. There is no fee for this service and 100% of contributions will be sent to the American Red Cross.

Innovation & Technology

Global Organizations Align on Societal Engagement Trends, Seeing Commonalities From Asia to Europe and Africa

Oct 16, 2017 1:15 PM ET

Further reinforcing world-wide trends seen over the last year among some of the world’s largest companies, affiliates of the Global Exchange, a network from CECP: The CEO Force for Good, have identified four key areas of focus taking root: Levering Assets, infusing Purpose throughout the business, broader support of the Sustainable Development Goals, and Digital Adoption and Integration in multiple areas.

Health & Healthcare

The Five Senses Matter for Quality of Life

Oct 16, 2017 12:45 PM ET

We get all of our information about the world around us through our five senses, but as we age our senses often diminish. It’s not just that we lose our hearing or have worsened eyesight. Senses of touch, taste and smell can weaken as well. These sensory changes alter the way we experience the world and ultimately impact quality of life.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

PayPal & Kiva: Help Entrepreneurs Around the Globe

Oct 16, 2017 12:00 PM ET

A rising tide of financial empowerment creates meaningful value for all. At PayPal, we believe in the combined power of technology and compassion to create life-changing opportunities for those who need it most. For more than a decade, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with the nonprofit micro-lending pioneer Kiva, to enable loans to people and entrepreneurs who do not have access to capital or traditional financing. These small, crowd-funded loans not only help build businesses, they create jobs, opportunities and stronger economies. We’ve seen the powerful impact this has on the livelihoods of families, neighborhoods and communities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Merck Makes $3 Million Charitable Donation to Support Swim Across America

Oct 16, 2017 11:35 AM ET

To help support innovation in cancer research, Merck today announced that the company will make a $3 million charitable contribution to Swim Across America. Established 30 years ago, Swim Across America, a national nonprofit organization, was founded with the purpose of granting the proceeds from its benefit swims to fund cancer research and clinical trials.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

The ROI of CSR, a Conversation With Leor Rotchild, Executive Director of CBSR

Oct 16, 2017 11:35 AM ET

In this episode of the Champions for Social Good Podcast, Leor Rotchild, Executive Director of Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, speaks about the influence of CSR on investors and stock price.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Northern Trust Ranked a 2017 Responsible Company by CR Magazine

Oct 16, 2017 11:15 AM ET

Northern Trust’s guiding principles of service, expertise and integrity are the foundation of our business. They drive our corporate responsibility strategy, developing and executing innovative, sustainable and ethical business practices, building on our role as a socially responsible corporate citizen, supporting our diverse communities, and creating value for all stakeholders.