Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest news from 3BL’s clients.







Editors Pick

Diversity & Inclusion

When You Realize, It’s Not Just You. – Shedding Light on Gender and Navigating Academia

Or how two professors are bringing awareness and a voice to gender issues in higher education: Erb Staffer Carolyn Kwant talks with Sara Soderstrom, Asst. Professor, University of Michigan and Maria Farkas, Asst. Professor, Department of Management, Imperial College Business School.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Finance for Vulnerable Populations: Why Blockchain Might Be a Force for Good

As is usually the case with disruptive new technology, blockchain comes with a lot of hype. While its best-known application, bitcoin, divides opinion and makes banks and governments nervous, the technology may have great potential to advance social good.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Duke Energy Earns EEI's ‘Emergency Recovery Award’ for Power Restoration Efforts in Carolinas After Hurricane Florence

Duke Energy has received the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) “Emergency Recovery Award” for the company’s outstanding power restoration efforts after Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina and South Carolina in September 2018.

Diversity & Inclusion

Northern Trust Walk 'N Talk Encourages Employees to Meet Coworkers

Health & Healthcare

Futurebuild Does Well Announcing New Strategic Partner for 2019

Futurebuild is solidifying its commitment to putting well-being at the heart of buildings and communities by announcing the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) as a strategic partner for 2019. With IWBI as a strategic partner of Futurebuild and headline partner of the new-for-2019 Interiors Hub, the importance of designing for health and well-being will be central to the agenda, showcasing the latest research, case studies and practical design guidance.

Research, Reports & Publications

Schneider Sustainability Impact 2018-2020 Has Exceeded Its Target Score of 5/10 for 2018, Achieving 6.10/10

For the fourth year, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announces its financial and non-financial results together for the fourth quarter of 2018. Each quarter, Schneider Electric publishes 21 indicators from the Schneider Sustainability Impact, measuring progress towards its ambitious sustainability commitments for 2018 to 2020, in line with the COP 21 and United Nations objectives. With a total score of 6.10 out of 10 at end-December 2018, the Group has exceeded its Schneider Sustainability Impact target of 5 out of 10 for the end of 2018.

Health & Healthcare

VIDEO | Aflac Delivers My Special Aflac Ducks™ to Pediatric Cancer Patients in Omaha

This was a big day for our little robotic duck! Aflac was thrilled to deliver My Special Aflac Ducks™ to pediatric cancer patients at Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Seeing these brave children light up with joy and excitement is what makes these deliveries so special.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

How Purpose and Culture Are Driving Sustainable, Long-Term Growth and Profitability

CEOs from institutional investor firms BlackRock and State Street released their annual guidance to companies on practices they “believe will drive sustainable, long-term growth, and profitability.” These letters were issued amidst widespread cynicism, both socially and economically, while anxious chatter continues about the role of business, capitalism, and strategic time horizons.

Diversity & Inclusion

5 Ways One Company Is Working to Boost the Health of the African-American Community

In honor of Black History Month, learn how Johnson & Johnson has made it a mission to help address disparities in healthcare—from partnering with the Black AIDS Institute to reduce HIV infection rates to improving representation in clinical trials.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CBRE Group, Inc. Earns Place on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies List

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE) was ranked #33 on Barron’s list of the 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S. The list was based on analysis of the 1,000 largest publicly held companies by market value with headquarters in the U.S.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening Encourage Communities to Apply for Youth Garden Grant Funding

As part of its Gro More Good commitment to connect 10 million children to the benefits of gardens by 2023, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is encouraging schools and not-for-profit organizations across the country to apply for funding to support their youth garden programs. The Gro More Good Grassroots Grants initiative focuses its support on garden and greenspace projects that connect more children with the life-enhancing and transformative benefits of gardening.

Innovation & Technology

Powering the Sustainable Rise of the Greater Bay Area

The Greater Bay Area is taking shape rapidly with the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Express Rail Link. These milestone infrastructure projects are the key to a new era of super-connectivity that promises exciting new business opportunities for the region.

Part of the Greater Bay Area vision is to empower the development of smart cities with advanced energy systems enabled by digital technologies. To help make that vision a reality and guide business customers towards a greener and smarter future, CLP formed a joint venture in Shenzhen in 2018 with Beijing TUS-Clean Energy, a company affiliated to China’s prestigious Tsinghua University.

Environment

Southern California Edison Files 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plan

The proposal is the first of what will be an annual submission of a Wildfire Mitigation Plan required by Senate Bill 901, which was passed last year and serves as a first step toward addressing rapidly growing wildfire challenges in California.

Energy

National Grid Seeks Approval of Revolution Wind Contract in Rhode Island

Revolution Wind will bring renewable, low-cost energy to National Grid’s Rhode Island customers and contribute to the state and Company’s shared goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Education

The Verizon Foundation Names 5g Edtech Challenge Winners and Awards a Total of $1m to Bring Classroom Solutions to Life

The ten winning organizations will receive a total of $1 million and the winning teams will get access to Verizon’s 5G Labs and support from Verizon engineers and mentors to enhance their solutions.

Education

Ignite My Future in Schools 2019 Community Nights Kickoff

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Discovery Education partnered in 2017 to develop a one-of-a-kind transdisciplinary approach to education that would transform the way students across America learn. The program, Ignite My Future in School (IMFIS), encourages students and educators nationwide to adapt computational thinking as foundational skill for 21st century success.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

P&G Sponsors Documentary on Extreme Poverty

Procter & Gamble Co. is sponsoring a National Geographic television series on efforts to combat extreme poverty, which will include digital, social media and print components. The goal is to align P&G more closely with the concept of social responsibility.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Shawn Mendes Partners With eBay and Grammys for Charity

Starting today, fans will have a chance to bid on Mendes’ VIP meet-and-greets at one of his upcoming concerts, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Grammy Museum and Musicares, the Recording Academy’s philanthropic arm.

Events, Media & Communications

Don’t Miss These 7 CSR & Sustainability Conferences in 2019

Make time for professional development, remain on top of key CSR & sustainability trends and stay connected with your peers by attending these promising events.

Environment

Are B Corps the Future of Business OR Just Another “Elite Charade for Changing the World”?

Having just read the book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by former New York Times columnist, Anand Giridharadas, and mostly agreeing with it, I thought that it would be interesting to read a critique by Jay Coen Gilbert, the co founder of the movement for Certified B Corporations, which happened to fall into the crosshairs of Giridharadas’ criticism.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Lockheed Martin Employees Awarded for Excellence at BEYA STEM Conference

Thirty-one Lockheed Martin employees were awarded for their excellence in science, technology and workforce innovation at the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM Global Competitiveness Conference, February 7-9 in Washington D.C.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Expanding Sustainability Through Partnership

It is a hot, dry August day, but Steve Lawler of the Mower Soil and Water Conservation District just made it rain 1 inch on the Krell family farm. On one small corner of the farm, anyway. He is demonstrating how different soil management techniques retain rainwater. If that sounds dry, it’s because the subtext is the interesting part — better rainwater retention means more nutrients stay in the soil. For farmers, that translates to better yields.

This demonstration is part of a Cedar River Watershed Partnership farm event, where a coalition of private, public and nonprofit groups addresses challenges to water resources in the Cedar River Watershed, like flooding and sedimentation.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Companies Of All Shapes & Sizes Invest In Community

Amazing that the three questions that launched the LBG Model in 1992 remain top of mind, 26 years later. All industries, corporate structures, areas of focus and size.

Education

Supporting Transformative Change in Science Classrooms Across America: A New Report from the National Academies Sponsored by Amgen Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York

How do we make change happen in education? Not just one teacher engaging more students, or one school increasing student achievement, or one state legislating smaller class sizes, but transformative change that shifts the entire system to a new equilibrium?

Innovation & Technology

New ARĪV eBikes From GM Are Available for Preorder

GM announces ARĪV as the name of its new eBike brand, which includes two innovative, integrated and connected eBikes: the Meld, a compact eBike, and the Merge, a folding eBike. The name ARĪV was selected as part of a global crowdsourcing campaign announced in November 2018.

Latest Campaigns

  1. IWBI | Workplace Wellness
    A WELL Certified™ project has the potential to add measurable value to the health, well-being and happiness of people in the buildings. It can also...
  2. AEG's Commitment to Social Impact and Volunteerism
    AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...
  3. Collective Action
    Cascale shares updates on its efforts and initiatives geared toward activating its ecosystem to develop and scale solutions that drive collective...
  4. KeyBank: Responsible Banking
    Everyone’s financial journey is different. We make intentional efforts to meet the individual needs of clients and communities through a diverse range...
  5. Integrated Tools
    Cascale shares updates on its efforts to align the industry on a common language to describe sustainability performance to reduce duplication and...
  6. Katrina 20th Anniversary
    This year marked the 20th anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Katrina, one of the worst, deadliest and most costly natural disasters to ever...
  7. ESG Recognition
    While our commitment to being a responsible corporation is not dependent on recognition, it is a great validation of our work when external...
  8. EVP Campaign
    Driving awareness of DP World’s Employee Value Proposition across the Americas, showcasing the company’s purpose-driven mission, talent strategy, and...
  9. Aflac Stories
    Get a closer look at the people, products and stories that make Aflac the company we know today.
  10. America's Charities Employee Engagement & Social Responsibility
    More than ever, retaining and recruiting employees is a top priority for companies. Aware of the link between workplace giving and employee engagement...
  11. KeyBank Foundation: Helping Communities Thrive through Education, Workforce Development, and Service
    KeyBank Foundation helps build thriving communities by supporting organizations and programs that foster thriving students and a thriving workforce...
  12. Scotts Miracle-Gro | Environment Improvement
    Earth's beauty and resources should be appreciated now and preserved for generations to come. Discover the stewardship initiatives underway to protect...
  13. Sustainable Products and Innovation
    Ongoing research into innovative solutions enables CNH’s brands to manufacture products that respect the environment while satisfying customers’...
  14. AEG's Commitment to Social Impact and Volunteerism
    AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...
  15. Growth Through Sustainability
    Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator with a clear purpose to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. See how embedding...