Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Responsible Production & Consumption

Consumers Buy From Companies That Take a Stand

Dec 7, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Nearly two-thirds of consumers globally (63%) prefer to buy goods and services from companies that stand for a shared purpose that reflects their personal values and beliefs, and are ditching those that don’t, according to new research from Accenture.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

From “Disclose” to “Disclose What Matters”: The Growing Role of Investors in Sustainability Reporting

Dec 7, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Investors have a growing role in sustainability reporting. Their actions are key to encouraging reporters to move towards disclosing what matters. They have an interest in better performance along with other stakeholders, as it brings higher returns. One way to promote that is by ensuring that the companies they invest in are transparent about the effects they have on the economy, society and the environment. The virtuous circle in which transparency reinforces good performance will result in benefits to the investors, better off societies and less damage to the environment.

Education

Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education Introduce St. Louis Educators to Computational Thinking Strategies Through Professional Development Training

Dec 7, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Tata Consultancy Services, (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, launched the Ignite My Future in School Day of Discovery Techcademy for local teachers at Education Plus in St. Louis, Mo.

Innovation & Technology

Q&A With Mark DeAndrea: Domtar’s BioMaterials Innovation Team

Dec 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Petroleum is derived from plant and animal matter that has been underground, under extreme heat and pressure, for millennia, slowly becoming fossil fuel. At Domtar, we can now achieve the same result in less than a day at a pulp mill, where we break down wood into cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives — materials that are renewable and managed sustainably, without releasing sequestered CO2 into the atmosphere.

Our BioMaterials Innovation team is looking for ways to leverage our asset base, including but not limited to our mills and our biomass supply chain.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Pro Bono as a People Strategy in Action: Deloitte

Dec 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Read how Deloitte is driving talent development and retention through their social impact programs in Taproot Foundation's new report; Pro Bono as a People Strategy.

Environment

Balancing Energy Trilemma in Low Carbon Transition

Dec 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

As the United Nations climate change summit opened in Poland this week, delegates of almost all countries in the world are expected to set out how to implement the Paris Agreement and report the nations’ progress.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Why Your Startup Should Create Impact, Not Advertising

Dec 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Environment

The 4 Critical Steps to Climate Leadership

Dec 7, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Last month, Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, pledged to install manure lagoon covers and digesters on 90 percent of its hog finishing capacity in three states. The commitment includes Smithfield’s own operations, contract farms, as well as opportunities for other integrators to join. This will help Smithfield exceed its goal of reducing supply chain greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025.

Diversity & Inclusion

Legg Mason Hosts Day of Understanding to Address Bias and Advance Diversity and Inclusion in Asset Management Community

Dec 7, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Legg Mason will engage its employees in an open conversation to drive greater understanding and an appreciation of differences.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Accenture Research Shows Support for Brands That Take Stands

Dec 7, 2018 8:15 AM ET

Highlights of Accenture's new report detailing outcomes of their survey of 30,000 consumers.

Diversity & Inclusion

Women + Opportunity = Success

Dec 7, 2018 8:05 AM ET

“I always remember, one of the first loans that I ever made was to a woman who was starting out a frozen hors d’oeuvres company,” says Riley, Executive-Vice President at Scotiabank. “She had some seed capital from her father and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this woman’s going to make a go of it!’ And she did. She did an amazing job building the business. You knew that the commitment was there.”

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Turning $50 Into a Small Business Owner’s Dream Come True

Dec 7, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Celeste Phillips believes that working for someone else forces you to put your own dreams on hold. But working for yourself, she said, allows you to fulfill your dreams. That’s why she started Big LuLu’s Trucking LLC, a construction and hauling company in Pittsburgh. Before starting her own business, Phillips said she knew people who owned dump trucks, so she learned the business from them.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Partners With Related Companies and Provides $87 Million in Financing for the Revitalization of Two Affordable Housing Developments in Cincinnati

Dec 7, 2018 8:00 AM ET

KeyBank Real Estate Capital and KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) have provided a total of $87 million in financing to Related Companies, for the acquisition and rehabilitation of more than 400 affordable housing units in Cincinnati, OH.

Environment

The Reclamation and Biodiversity Research Center at PT Freeport Indonesia, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Supports Agricultural Programs in Papua

Dec 7, 2018 7:05 AM ET

The Reclamation and Biodiversity Research Center at PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) was established in 1995 as a way to restore the ecological function of the area near the operations known as the tailings deposition area. Tailings are the finely ground mineral rock that remain from the mining process after the economically valuable minerals have been removed from the ore.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Morgan Stanley Partnered With Taproot Foundation to Host Fifth ScopeAthon With 10 Non-Profits

Dec 6, 2018 5:05 PM ET

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) today announced 44 employees participated in the firm’s fifth ScopeAthon event this year to help 10 nonprofits build actionable plans to tackle a mission-critical challenge.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Helping Corporations Give Every Day for 75 Years

Dec 6, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Last week included Giving Tuesday, a day when individuals, foundations and corporations are encouraged to support their favorite causes during the holiday season. Designating the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a day of giving has been a hugely successful way of focusing attention on the wide variety of charitable institutions in the country, and it’s also been a great way of promoting the idea of giving on-line.

Diversity & Inclusion

Investments to Promote a More Inclusive Society

Dec 6, 2018 2:25 PM ET

It is undeniably a divisive time in the United States with growing inequality, polarization of the political spheres, heightened racial tensions, and acts of extremist violence. We are all longing for greater empathy and tolerance. CECP is proud to mark the Day of Understanding by launching a new White Paper, Diversity & Inclusion in Corporate Social Engagement, as one step we, together with our companies, are taking to further embrace difference and build more inclusive cultures in our companies and communities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

BLOG | ScottsMiracle-Gro Foundation Supports Coastal Restoration and Hurricane Resilience in Texas and Florida

Dec 6, 2018 1:35 PM ET

ScottsMiracle-Gro Foundation environmental partners in Texas and Florida recently reported on their accomplishments in the past year. In addition to the normal challenges of engaging youth in coastal restoration, both program sites had to cope and adapt after experiencing severe hurricanes.

Sustainable Development Goals

Battling a ‘Mountain of Hunger’ With Every Meal

Dec 6, 2018 1:30 PM ET

During the cold, winter months, Christina Harris is glad she isn’t forced to choose between heat and food for her family. Each day, her children, along with nearly 1,700 others in their area, get a hot meal through Kids Café, a program of Feeding the Valley Food Bank in Midland, Georgia. Watch the video.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Keep America Beautiful Celebrates Its 65th Anniversary by Lighting Up Broadway

Dec 6, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the iconic national nonprofit community improvement organization, is lighting up Broadway this holiday season in celebration of its 65th anniversary.

Diversity & Inclusion

Calling All Creative Types: It’s Time to Embrace Your Inner Computer Scientist!

Dec 6, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Symantec is celebrating Computer Science Education Week, which raises awareness about the need to elevate computer science education at all levels and to underscore the critical role of computing in all careers.

Today, we’re featuring a guest post by Alice Steinglass, President of Code.org, one of Symantec’s nonprofit partners. Code.org is dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities.

Innovation & Technology

CBRE Report: Autonomous Vehicles Expected to Fundamentally Reshape U.S. Office Market by 2030

Dec 6, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Infiltration of AVs will expand location options for companies, making proximity to commercial centers and public transit less critical when it comes to attracting top talent

Health & Healthcare

Mohawk Expands Air.o Soft Flooring Line as Market Growth Increases and Hypoallergenic Benefit Resonates Strongly with Consumers

Dec 6, 2018 11:30 AM ET

For consumers who value a hypoallergenic floor, Mohawk’s 100% recyclable Air.o soft flooring has resonated in a major way after a successful initial market launch that will see an expansion of four additional styles in 2019 to meet growing popularity demands.

Diversity & Inclusion

Wells Fargo Sparks Diverse Small Business Growth Across U.S. by Fulfilling $75 Million Lending and Grant Commitment

Dec 6, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced it has exceeded its initial $75 million commitment for the Wells Fargo Works for Small Business: Diverse Community Capital program by awarding $13 million in lending capital and grants to 19 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in the latest round of the program. The CDFIs, which are nonprofit financial institutions, use the funds to deliver affordable financial products to diverse small business owners who do not typically have access to conventional financing.

Innovation & Technology

Circular Economy Helps IT Build Toward Sustainability

Dec 6, 2018 11:20 AM ET