Sustainable Development Goals

The Future of Plant Breeding Depends on the Pipeline of Breeders

Aug 3, 2018 12:05 PM ET

On the day that the Bayer acquisition of Monsanto was finalized, I was speaking at the 50th anniversary celebration of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics (PBPG) program – where I earned my M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the 1980s.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Donates $75,000 to Fund Life-Saving Technology

Aug 3, 2018 11:20 AM ET

Energy

Committed Towards Conservation of the Planet

Aug 3, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Venkat Garimella, vice-president, Access to Energy and CSR, Schneider Electric India, shared how the largest nongovernment renewable energy initiative in the Sundarbans came into being.

Environment

Cactus Flats Wind Facility in Texas is Operational

Aug 3, 2018 10:30 AM ET

The electricity and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by the facility are being sold under two separate power purchase agreements with General Mills and General Motors. Both companies have the option to keep or sell the associated RECs.

"As we are seeing an increase in renewable energy adoption in the U.S., we saw an opportunity for our commerce to support and enable the greening of the grid," said General Mills EVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer John Church. "We see the potential for wind energy to have a positive environmental impact. Cactus Flats is one of many initiatives we have underway to get us closer to reaching our climate commitment."

Events, Media & Communications

Business 2018: Values Matter, More Than Ever

Aug 3, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Taking the “right” positions in business can be as difficult as foreseeing future growth and profitability at a time of maximum political uncertainty and market disruption. The hard work of getting it right is illuminated by some recent examples of major companies getting it wrong in areas of major concern.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Microfinance vs. Informal Finance: A Fair Comparison?

Aug 3, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Mars CMO: Marketing Industry Making Good Progress on Diversity

Aug 3, 2018 9:00 AM ET

In an interview with James Wright for CNBC, Andrew Clarke, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Mars discusses the work being done by marketers to boost diversity and protect endangered animals.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem and Planet Water Foundation Provide 5,000 with Clean Water Access in Cambodia

Aug 3, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Thanks to Xylem Watermark, five rural schools in Siem Reap Province of Cambodia now have clean water access for the first time. Over the course of five days in June, AquaTowers and hygiene education were provided to primary and secondary schools that, before now, only had access to untreated, contaminated well water, causing many to suffer from waterborne illnesses. After school hours, the doors will open for the community members to access the clean water, which means that over 5,000 people will benefit from the AquaTowers.

Education

Freeport-McMoRan’s PT Freeport Indonesia Partnership Fund Supports Education for Indigenous Schoolchildren in Papua

Aug 3, 2018 8:05 AM ET

PT Freeport-Indonesia’s Partnership Fund for Community Development (LPMAK) provides educational facilities and support for local community members.

The LPMAK sponsors the children of the seven local indigenous tribes near the PTFI operations to attend boarding school. Children from ages 6-11 live in dormitories at the Taruna Papua Boarding School, which was built with funding from the LPMAK. Currently the Taruna Papua Boarding School has 412 students enrolled and residing there. This is just one of four boarding schools the LPMAK has provided for Papuan schoolchildren in the Mimika Regency and Central Java.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Employers - How Many Hours of Volunteer Time is the Right Amount?

Aug 2, 2018 7:00 PM ET

Analytics show that more DwH time doesn't increase participation. It may lead to the opposite!

Executive champions, communications, celebrating impact - these features of world-class programs are more likely to increase participation than more or unlimited days.

Environment

U.S. Recycling Companies Face Upheaval From China Scrap Ban

Aug 2, 2018 5:40 PM ET

U.S. companies that collect waste for recycling are weighing higher prices and other changes to their operations since China upended the industry when it stopped accepting much of the scrap material Americans have been shipping there for decade.

Education

The JetBlue Foundation and Project Scientist Empower the Next Generation of Girls in STEM

Aug 2, 2018 3:45 PM ET

JetBlue today announced the latest collaboration between the JetBlue Foundation and Project Scientist to introduce science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and aviation careers to girls from traditionally under-represented communities. Project Scientist’s STEM Expedition Summer Academy is geared towards girls ages four to 12 and includes behind-the-scenes looks at STEM-focused companies and college programs. During these summer camps, girls learn directly from women in STEM fields.

Education

Middle School Educators Across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Learn New Strategies for Integrating Innovative Computational Thinking Approaches into Classroom Learning to Better Prepare Students For 21st Century Careers

Aug 2, 2018 3:10 PM ET

Tata Consultancy Services, a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the Charlotte-based leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, this week announced the Charlotte, N.C. launch of their Ignite My Future in School (IMFIS) initiative.

Research, Reports & Publications

UPS: Sustainability Reporting Helps Find Efficient Ways to Do Business

Aug 2, 2018 3:00 PM ET

UPS was one of the first in their industry to publicly disclose environmental, social and governance information in their annual reporting, and currently holds sustainability information to the same standards as the company’s financial information. Find out why reporting is seen as an important tool for UPS's business.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Codifying a ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ Culture

Aug 2, 2018 2:35 PM ET

As children, we are taught the value of helping others, doing what is right and looking out for one another. In business, these values can be demonstrated through corporate social responsibility (CSR), a term used to describe how a company shares its business’ culture, values and ways of giving back.

Health & Healthcare

CVS Health Commits $10 Million to American Cancer Society in Support of Cancer Patient Services and Breakthrough Research

Aug 2, 2018 2:30 PM ET

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced a pledge to contribute a minimum of $10 million to the American Cancer Society through in-store fundraising over the next three years and to serve as the official retail pharmacy partner of the nation’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Mohawk Group’s Nutopia Collection Brings Biophilic Inspiration to Wayfinding

Aug 2, 2018 2:10 PM ET

Nutopia, one of our newest Living Products, explores natural effects in urban settings for a new take on biophilic patterns. The unique carpet tile collection meets the most stringent sustainability requirements while offering a multitude of wayfinding and branding opportunities.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Helping Samsung Save Water and Improve Operations in Texas

Aug 2, 2018 2:00 PM ET

At its plant in Austin, Texas, Samsung produces chips that go into mobile devices. Precise temperature and humidity control are essential to the fabrication of semiconductors, which is why these facilities have large chiller operations. They also consume significant amounts of Ultra Pure Water (UPW) and generate substantial wastewater.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Getting Over the Hump

Aug 2, 2018 12:10 PM ET

So where did we land? Our team continues to align with our internal stakeholders, but also moves forward with clarity about the requests and how we can tap things that are already at our fingertips. We’ve paired that with a commitment to work through any other challenges that come up in partnership. The reality is that the possibility of what we can do is powerful and big. We can put a stamp on the industry that fundamentally changes our impact from this point in time forward, all around the world, by being present and bringing our colleagues along for the journey.

Health & Healthcare

How to Boost Industrial Safety and Productivity with a “Culture of Clean”

Aug 2, 2018 12:05 PM ET

Industrial workers aren’t afraid to “get down and dirty” on the job – but they’ll be happier, safer and more productive if their work environments are equipped to be kept as clean as can be.

This requires more than a once-in-a-while initiative of posters and pamphlets encouraging your workforce to be mindful of the mess. If you want to take full advantage of the business-building benefits of a cleaner work environment, it takes a new corporate mindset, from the corner office to the shop floor. Here are three key steps that will take you a long way down this often-overlooked path to a safer, more productive workplace.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Grow North Announces Inaugural Food, Ag, Ideas Week

Aug 2, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Grow North is launching the first-ever Food, Ag, Ideas Week on October 8-12, 2018. The event will convene diverse perspectives and communities to create a more interconnected, dynamic and competitive ecosystem for food and agriculture entrepreneurship and innovation. Panels, speakers, startup showcases and experiences will address industry-leading topics across sustainable agriculture, food innovation and tech, and food and society.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Nevada Homeless Alliance and Fresh Start Mobile Showers

Aug 2, 2018 11:40 AM ET

Las Vegas Sands (LVS)and Clean the World unveiled the first-of-its-kind service in Las Vegas to help the homeless population in July 2017. The Sands Cares Fresh Start Mobile Showers Powered by Clean the World is a traveling hygiene unit that visits locations serving those experiencing homelessness to provide showers, hygiene supplies and other resources available to them. Made possible by a more than $200,000 grant from LVS, the mobile hygiene unit has provided over 5,000 showers and travels to community partner locations, Monday through Friday.

Environment

Investors and Businesses Decry Proposed Rollback of Tailpipe Emissions and MPG Standards

Aug 2, 2018 11:00 AM ET

In response to the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards, influential investors and business leaders are raising concerns that the change will undermine the global competitiveness of the U.S. auto industry.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

“Closing the Loop”: A Close Look at Circular Economy

Aug 2, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Circular economy has gained considerable momentum in the past couple of years. It entails a restorative and regenerative ap­proach by design and aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times (The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2015).

Green Infrastructure

'The Ray': The Smartest Road in the U.S. Is Hidden Away in Rural Georgia

Aug 2, 2018 11:00 AM ET

The Ray is a nonprofit foundation that is looking to make transportation safer and cleaner in the United States, one small patch of road at a time. We got a look at The Ray and the foundation's work during a press trip with automaker Kia. The South Korean automaker has a large presence in Georgia.