Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

An Estimated $970,000 Raised for Charity at the 2018 Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k

Jun 25, 2018 11:45 AM ET

More than 6,700 people took part in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k, raising an estimated $970,000 for 70 local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This brings the grand total since 2007 to over $8 million.

Environment

WATCH | How Consumers Energy Will Cut Out Coal Burning by 2040

Jun 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sands China's Responsible Gaming Team Training Program

Jun 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Sands China Ltd. delivered its annual Responsible Gaming Team Training Program at The Venetian Macao’s Adelson Advanced Education Center as part of the company’s continuing efforts to make Responsible Gaming education a top priority.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Realizing Women’s Full Financial Potential

Jun 25, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Globally, women influence or control more than 25 percent of wealth, but a lack of access to affordable financial products and services can hold them back. BNY Mellon helps increase women’s financial inclusion to improve their lives, communities and society.

Once women establish a financial footprint by opening checking or savings accounts, they can build their financial empowerment through the use of payment systems and loans, which help women achieve financial health and enable them to mitigate risk and plan and save for the future.

The more women realize their full potential as independent and empowered financial agents, the more improvements will be evident in local health and educational outcomes, along with expansions in entrepreneurship and greater overall financial security.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Pizza Hut: All Chicken Will be Raised Without Antibiotics by 2022

Jun 25, 2018 10:15 AM ET

About a year from making the switch on its signature product, Pizza Hut announced Tuesday (June 19) a plan to step into a wing category all its own. By 2022, the YUM Brands! chain said it will serve chicken raised free of antibiotics important to human medicine (per World Health Organization). This includes all chicken, including its WingStreet Wings. Just about a year ago, Pizza Hut completed the removal of antibiotics from its chicken for pizza. The move will make it the first pizza company to commit to an antibiotic-free policy for chicken wings, Pizza Hut claims.

Environment

Ocean Plastics Top Agenda for G7 Leaders – But Giant Consumer Brands Can Take the Lead

Jun 25, 2018 10:05 AM ET

At Sustainable Brands, we spoke with Virginie Helias, vice president of global sustainability for P&G, to hear how the Cincinnati-based CPG company will attack the ocean plastics crisis as part of a progressive ESG agenda that also includes dialog with consumers about responsible consumption.

Health & Healthcare

SC Johnson Entomologists Outline Three Tips to Help Prevent Mosquito Bites During Summer

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Known for taking the fun out of picnics, trips to the beach and other outdoor activities, mosquitoes especially earn their annoying reputation during warm summer months. Marking the start of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, the mosquito experts from the SC Johnson Institute of Insect Science for Family Health are offering three useful tips to help protect you and your family from mosquito bites.

Health & Healthcare

Les entomologistes de SC Johnson présentent trois conseils pour prévenir les piqûres de moustiques au cours de l’été

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

On sait que les moustiques gâchent le plaisir des pique-niques, des visites à la plage et d’autres activités à l’extérieur; elles méritent bien leur réputation agaçante lors des mois chauds de l’été. Pour marquer le début de la Semaine nationale de sensibilisation du contrôle des moustiques, les spécialistes des moustiques du SC Johnson Institute of Insect Science for Family Health offrent trois conseils utiles pour aider à vous protéger, vous et votre famille, contres les piqûres de moustiques.

Sustainable Development Goals

Farming Up: Modern Biology Will Maximize the Potential of Vertical Controlled-Environment Agriculture

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on Vertical Farming as a pre-summit event at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco. I had the pleasure of joining key leaders from this promising new industry to discuss the role that plant science and technological innovations may play in optimizing yields and delivering valuable products. My message was simple: Partnerships between seed companies and vertical controlled-environment producers, and the application of modern biology tools to create custom germplasm, will be key to enabling these new and exciting production systems, just as they are in today’s most commonly-used fruit and vegetable production systems.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Circularity: A New Way of Thinking, A New Business Model

Jun 25, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Circularity is embedded in the way we do business at Schneider Electric because of the inherent ROI. Having circularity built into our business operations and processes, we realize more efficient resource management and a resilient supply chain, while enhancing our customer’s loyalty by providing an end of life commitment to reuse and decommission products; further turning waste into worth.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem Watermark & Project 24: San Isidro, Puerto Rico

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

San Isidro is one of the most populated barrios in Puerto Rico, but a lack of access to safe drinking water in the community was made worse by Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year.

Planet Water Foundation’s AquaTower system, supported by Xylem, will provide a vital resource for this resilient community to support their water needs as their rebuilding process continues.

Energy

The Marlton Hotel

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The design flexibility combined with the high performance and energy efficiency of the LG VRF solution thoroughly addressed the building’s requirements in a cost-effective manner without sacrificing comfort. For nearly the same cost as a traditional system, The Marlton Hotel now has a highly reliable, energy-efficient HVAC solution that delivers comfort and conveniences for its guests.

Environment

MillerCoors and Global Water Center Achieve World Firsts in Water Stewardship

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certifier of environmental claims, has certified that MillerCoors Milwaukee Brewery and the Global Water Center conform with the requirements of the Alliance for Water Stewardship International Water Stewardship Standard (AWS Standard), the first-ever comprehensive global standard for measuring responsible water stewardship across social, environmental and economic criteria.

Sustainable Development Goals

Expert Interview With Terri Stiffler, Resettlement Expert

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Terri Stiffler began her professional career as an electrical engineer in the defense industry. She changed jobs, moving into the environmental and international development field to pursue her passions of protecting the environment and improving the lives of those less fortunate around the world.

Research, Reports & Publications

Royal Mail Group Publishes Its 2017-18 Corporate Responsibility Report

Jun 25, 2018 5:00 AM ET

Royal Mail’s vision is to be recognised as the best delivery company in the UK and across Europe. In an increasingly challenging and competitive marketplace, Royal Mail has continued to put the principles of corporate responsibility at the centre of our business strategy. Royal Mail believes that this holds the key to delivering sustainable value for our shareholders, now and in the future.

Diversity & Inclusion

Brands Align Values With #FamiliesBelongTogether

Jun 22, 2018 5:45 PM ET

The topic of immigration proved to be a hot-button issue in early 2017 when protests broke out at airports across the country decrying the Muslim Ban. This week, the immigration policy has once again dominated the media and divided the country as stories and images of families begin separated at the U.S.-Mexico border surfaced. However, despite the controversy, brands were prepared to take a vocal stand and support the #FamiliesBelongTogether outcry in a variety of ways that align with their company values and missions.

Innovation & Technology

Three Things You May Have Missed: GM Moves Quickly, Safely to Lead in Future of Personal Mobility

Jun 22, 2018 3:50 PM ET

Over the last several years, General Motors has made considerable progress towards realizing our vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Those efforts were advanced recently with three key announcements over a brief, seven-day period.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Agricultural Community Is Buzzing to Protect the Bees

Jun 22, 2018 2:00 PM ET

If you eat, you need bees. In fact, one in three bites of our food relies on honey bee pollination. This, naturally, means that farmers rely on honey bee pollination. With increasing food demands due to population growth, we all need modern agriculture to be successful. That success requires healthy honey bee colonies.

Diversity & Inclusion

On World Refugee Day: An Opportunity to Change the Narrative

Jun 22, 2018 2:00 PM ET

In 2016, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a #WithRefugees campaign and petition and to date, almost two million people have pledged their support. With World Refugee Day this month, the UNHCR hopes to continue to build momentum for this petition, which encourages decision makers to ensure three basic goals: that every refugee child gets an education, has somewhere safe to live, and can work or learn new skills to support their families.

Research, Reports & Publications

Erb Featured Business Sustainability Case Study | Dell: Upcycling Ocean Plastics Through Supply Chain Innovation

Jun 22, 2018 1:45 PM ET

This case focuses on Dell’s efforts to develop an open-source, scalable, and cost-effective supply chain capable of delivering ocean plastics waste to its production facilities, and potentially to those of partnering companies through a consortium. Piyush Bhargava, vice president of global operations at Dell and leader of Dell’s Ocean Plastics Initiative, must deliver a strategic plan for how to proceed with the initiative but has three primary challenges: (1) how to deliver “additionality”, (2) how to operationalize an ocean plastics supply chain at scale, and (3) how Dell should approach developing a consortium to ensure meaningful demand for the material.

Environment

Subaru Supports National Park Foundation Pic Your Park Instagram Contest

Jun 22, 2018 1:20 PM ET

A new Instagram contest launched by the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, is inviting park goers – amateur and experienced – to submit pictures of themselves in national parks for the chance to win a variety of prizes. The contest, called Pic Your Park, is open now through September 28.

Green Infrastructure

Mohawk Builds on Commitment to Sustainability with New Living Products at NeoCon

Jun 22, 2018 12:55 PM ET

The majority of designers and manufacturers recognize the need to incorporate sustainable practices into the way they do business, and many do a commendable job. But there are those who go above and beyond to embrace the strictest policies and accreditations because they know it is difficult but vital work.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sands for Singapore Charity Festival

Jun 22, 2018 12:45 PM ET

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) held its fifth annual Sands for Singapore Charity Festival in 2017 with overall results again surpassing previous years’ efforts. A primary initiative for Sands Cares in Singapore, the week-long festival raised S$3.9 million (USD $2.8 million) for local community charities and welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to its various events. Since 2013, Sands for Singapore has raised more than S$20 million (USD $14.7 million).

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

United Nations Development Programme Announces ‘The Lion’s Share’ Fund With Founder Finch and Founding Partner Mars to Tackle Crisis in Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare

Jun 22, 2018 11:15 AM ET

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FINCH and founding partner Mars, Incorporated today announced an initiative aimed at transforming the lives of animals across the world by asking advertisers to contribute a percentage of their media spend to conservation and animal welfare projects.

The initiative, a fund called The Lion’s Share, will see partners contribute 0.5 percent of their media spend to the fund for each advertisement they use featuring an animal. Those funds will be used to support animals and their habitats around the world. Mars is the first advertising partner in The Lion’s Share.

Education

How to Train Today’s Students to Be Tomorrow’s Tech Workforce

Jun 22, 2018 11:00 AM ET

At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, people had no idea how machines would change their lives. Today, as we’re poised at the precipice of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we can relate. Although predictions differ, most experts agree tomorrow’s workers must have a new skill set to thrive.