Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Smithfield Foods Earns National Honors for Sustainability Achievements

Jul 9, 2018 2:25 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Named One of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion

Jul 9, 2018 2:15 PM ET

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced it has been named to the 2018 Disability Equality Index® “Best Places to Work” by the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). This is the second time MetLife has been recognized for its efforts to ensure an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities.

Media & Communications

Taproot Foundation Launches New Website

Jul 9, 2018 1:10 PM ET

It is more imperative than ever to connect nonprofits and social change organizations with the resources they need to serve their communities. To ensure organizations can easily access this support through pro bono service, the Taproot Foundation has launched a brand new, easy-to-use website at https://www.taprootfoundation.org.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

WATCH | Las Vegas Sands Raises Critical Funds, Heightens Awareness and Inspires At-Risk Youth at Charity Concert Featuring Grammy Award-Winning Artist Jason Mraz

Jul 9, 2018 12:15 PM ET

The second annual INSPIRE charity concert brought in Jason Mraz fans and charity supporters from across the country to raise funds for Sands Cares Accelerator Program members: the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF) and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY).

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Infographic | Sustainability at UPS

Jul 9, 2018 11:25 AM ET

This infographic from the 2017 UPS Sustainability Progress Report shows how how UPS shapes their sustainability strategy.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

First Nations Oweesta Corporation and Wells Fargo Launch $500,000 Program for Native Americans

Jul 9, 2018 11:00 AM ET

First Nations Oweesta Corporation and Wells Fargo & Company today announced a $500,000 home down payment assistance program aimed at increasing U.S. homeownership opportunities for Native Americans.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Augmented Reality Brings History to Life

Jul 9, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Fourteen-year-old Abby Blunt hardly knows what the world was like before smartphones — but technology is helping her with that. During a recent trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., Abby roamed the “Tower of Faces” section of the main exhibition, smartphone in hand, eyes glued to her screen.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Expanding Access to Social Investing Opportunities

Jul 9, 2018 10:25 AM ET

BNY Mellon expands access to social investing strategies, which generate returns while addressing social and environmental concerns.

Education

Big Impact in Bio: Identifying Biosignals to Improve Women’s Health

Jul 9, 2018 10:20 AM ET

From an early age, Suzanne Rohrback had a unique insight into the need for science to bridge gaps in medical care. Her big brother is autistic and growing up, Rohrback remembers thinking there were no good options for him – unmedicated, he could be unpredictably violent and medicated, he would be zombie-like. “But we don’t understand enough about what goes wrong in this condition to have created a better solution,” she says.

Environment

Companies Take on Climate Change with "We Mean Business"

Jul 9, 2018 10:15 AM ET

The We Mean Business coalition was formed to organize a critical mass of the business world to make progress on climate change. With its no-nonsense brand name, formidable numbers, and world-class leadership, the coalition is poised to be a dominant player in directing businesses toward taking stands on strategies and practices that define climate change as a business opportunity, not just an environmental disaster.

Innovation & Technology

“Feed a Fever” Takes on New Meaning for Tech-Inspired Students of Color

Jul 9, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Green Infrastructure

A Second Act for the Parking Garage

Jul 9, 2018 10:05 AM ET

If ride-sharing and driverless taxis reduce individual commuting, parking facilities could be repurposed as office space, apartments, gyms and more.

Sustainable Development Goals

We Can’t Afford Simplistic, Binary Thinking When It Comes to Food Production

Jul 9, 2018 10:00 AM ET

As head of R&D for a major vegetable seed company, I get to travel around the world to meet with farmers and many other veggie-loving stakeholders from across the food chain. Thanks to events hosted by our seed brands, De Ruiter and Seminis, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with vegetable suppliers, grocery retailers, restaurateurs, renowned chefs, food writers/bloggers, and other stakeholders. I have also had wonderful opportunities to speak at many culinary or “foodie” events.

Events, Media & Communications

Join 3BL Media for “Responding to Disaster: IBM and Bechtel Partner to Address Resiliency,” July 11 at 2 p.m. ET.

Jul 9, 2018 9:55 AM ET

Join 3BL Media for “Responding to Disaster: IBM and Bechtel Partner to Address Resiliency,” July 11 at 2 p.m. ET. This free webcast is aimed at corporate responsibility practitioners, policy makers, NGOs, and others engaged in disaster preparedness.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Consumers Energy Named ‘Most Trusted Brand’ Among Midwest Utilities for Business Customers

Jul 9, 2018 9:45 AM ET

An independent national survey has named Consumers Energy as a “Most Trusted Brand,” ranking it as a top utility in the Midwest and in the top 15 in the nation among providers of electricity and natural gas according to business customers.

Environment

Restoring Degraded Tropical Dryland in Extreme Conditions: The Case of Sumba Island

Jul 9, 2018 9:40 AM ET

Restoring degraded land is a major global challenge made more urgent by a changing climate, warming world, increasing shortage of arable land and an exploding human population. The tropical regions of Earth have been historically among the wettest and most fertile, producing the familiar images of lush landscapes of thickly forested hills and valleys of rice fields. Yet large areas of the tropics are dry, deforested, degraded and unproductive. The island of Sumba in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Nusa Tenggara Timur is one such case.

Energy

Making the Case for Connecting Efficiency and Sustainability Teams

Jul 9, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Many companies face internal barriers such as siloed departments or expertise that prevent them from reaching their energy and sustainability potential. To clear these hurdles, organizations are starting to integrate how they buy and use energy with sustainability initiatives, an approach that maximizes investments, delivers greater returns and builds more robust, viable operations.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Tetra Tech’s Engineers Without Borders Tranquilla Norte Water Supply Project

Jul 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

With support from Tetra Tech’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Grant Program, the EWB Sacramento Valley Professional Chapter is developing a sustainable water distribution system for the 3,000-person community of Tranquilla Norte, Panama. The community’s existing system, which was installed by the government in the 1980s to serve 150 homes, does not provide adequate supply for the current 950 connections. The system’s flow is limited during peak hours, and households furthest from the four springs that serve as the community’s water source often receive poor-quality water, or none at all. These water supply challenges lead residents to purchase bottled water or travel to homes at higher elevations that have more reliable access.

Research, Reports & Publications

Naturgy, the New Brand for Gas Natural Fenosa

Jul 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The new company, simple, agile and dynamic committed to sustainability, publishes its corporate responsibility report and focuses on its most vulnerable clients.

Naturgy is a multinational group and a leader in the energy sector, a pioneer in integrating gas and electricity with a balanced mix of businesses which supply gas and electricity to almost 18 million clients and operations in more than 30 countries.

Innovation & Technology

Zooming Toward Success: Goldcorp Closes Deal With Acoustic Zoom

Jul 6, 2018 3:35 PM ET

We are proud to announce our US$1million investment in Acoustic Zoom, an advanced geophysics company specializing in innovative seismic solutions. Acoustic Zoom was awarded the top prize at #DisruptMining 2018, after placing as a semi-finalist in #DisruptMining 2017. As part of the investment, our own Sergio Espinosa, Director of Geophysics, will join Acoustic Zoom’s board of directors. A US$150,000 pilot program will also launch this summer at Goldcorp’s Red Lake Gold Mines, testing the technology in a real-world scenario.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Sappi Measured Success for Its People in 2017

Jul 6, 2018 3:00 PM ET

At Sappi North America, we are committed to operating our businesses in a sustainable manner. Together with the 2020Vision— Sappi’s global growth strategy—we use our sustainability goals program to set targets, initiate improvement actions and monitor progress.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Empowering Washington, D.C., Residents Through Academic Scholarships

Jul 6, 2018 3:00 PM ET

The 2017 fall semester was about to start, but Lillian Copeland was still uncertain about how she was going to pay her college tuition. The rising sophomore and Washington, D.C., native had been accepted as a transfer student at Spelman College in Atlanta, but she needed more money.

Health & Healthcare

WATCH | Cara Mund, 2018 Miss America and CMN Ambassador, Shares Thoughts on My Special Aflac Duck

Jul 6, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Cara Mund, Miss America 2018 and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Ambassador, shares why My Special Aflac Duck™ is a comforting companion for children facing cancer.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland Partners With TutorMate for Micro-Volunteerism

Jul 6, 2018 2:25 PM ET

This week, outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland shared its newest approach to employee volunteerism – which can be completed in just around a half hour.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Häagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees

Jul 6, 2018 12:25 PM ET

If you’ve ever wanted a bee’s-eye view of what life is like for the planet’s hardest working pollinators, then check out the new virtual reality video experience “The Extraordinary Honey Bee“ developed for Nestlé’s Häagen-Dazs brand.