Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Energy

Sustainability Defined Podcast

Feb 12, 2019 12:00 PM ET

What is energy efficiency and why is it even important? What are some examples of energy efficient best practices?

Diversity & Inclusion

Aflac's Teresa White and Audrey Boone Tillman Honored Among 2019 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America

Feb 12, 2019 11:30 AM ET

As advocates of diversity and inclusivity, we are excited to celebrate the achievements of Aflac U.S. President Teresa White and General Counsel Audrey Boone Tillman, honorees on Black Enterprise’s 2019 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America list. We are continuously inspired by their strong leadership and commitment to making a positive influence on future generations.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Better Business for All: Six Ways Companies Can Integrate Human Rights

Feb 12, 2019 11:10 AM ET

Over the past decade, we have seen a remarkable rise in the value placed on human rights in the private sector – from a scenario where the ambitions of the business community and human rights advocates seemed irreconcilable, to one in which stakeholders have begun to approach a shared understanding of the risks, challenges, and opportunities involved.

Innovation & Technology

How Data Visualization Can Accelerate Environmental Progress

Feb 12, 2019 10:50 AM ET

The first time I spoke at a conference about air pollution, the venue was right beside a daycare—a well-regarded chain, no doubt with significant waiting lists. But on the outside, the facility was steps from onramps to a bridge and a major highway, where horns blared and buses and trucks idled at the lights.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Green for Growth: Why Green Manufacturing is Crucial for a Low-Carbon Future

Feb 12, 2019 10:35 AM ET

Climate change is indisputable, as well as its impact on our planet’s invaluable but finite resources. Indeed, this is one of the most pressing paradoxes of our time: How do we strive for industrial growth while also being mindful of the traditional environmental impact of productivity?

We must find the right balance. Everyone feels this urgency. The world is on a fast track to consume four Earths’ worth of resources by 2050. A recent United Nations report also warned that CO2 emissions must be cut nearly in half by 2030 to safeguard the planet from additional threats of climate change. Take note: that is just 10 brief years.

Without a doubt, the time for change is now.

Energy

HUBweek Change Maker: Dean Seavers

Feb 12, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Dean Seavers joined National Grid in 2014 as U.S. President of National Grid. Dean’s career as a value creator has included leadership roles at GE, United Technologies, and Tyco. He led GE Security, a $2 billion product and technology group, and he also led a $4 billion global services portfolio for United Technologies.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sysco Proudly Supports No Kid Hungry's Taste of the Nation

Feb 12, 2019 9:30 AM ET

Sysco proudly serves as co-presenting sponsor of Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry – one of the country’s premier culinary events. Each year, this ultimate foodie event brings together top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists in 20 cities across the nation, all with one goal in mind: to raise funds and awareness to end childhood hunger in America. Attendees can sip and sample gourmet creations from each host city’s foremost culinary talent and participate in truly unique food, travel and lifestyle auctions – all while raising funds for No Kid Hungry.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Doing Goodr

Feb 12, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Had you stopped by Atlanta’s Trinity Towers on the morning of Nov. 28, you’d have found precious little evidence of what was about to take place. Until noon, the senior residence’s activity room and adjoining kitchen were still, awaiting the arrival of a bevy of volunteers from Hormel Foods and Goodr.

Then the midday magic began to unfold. In came a truckload of food from Kroger and other purveyors, as well as can after can of Dinty Moore® beef stew. Workers began buzzing about, creating a popup grocery store of well-organized (and picture-perfect) presentations of fresh produce, bacon, roasts and other food items. Those in the kitchen went about the task of ladling beef stew into stockpots and slow-cookers, a treat for the seniors, not to mention the reason for the event.

Energy

Doing the Right Things in a Transforming Business World

Feb 12, 2019 8:45 AM ET

Lena Low learned the importance of doing the right thing early in her career when she worked with an emergency medical assistance company that flew teams out to help victims of the 2002 Bali bombing and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
As news of the disasters broke, she watched in admiration as her colleagues headed to the airport with no thought of the cost of the operation but only one objective in mind: to save lives.

“I worked with company founders, doctors and nurses who have very high professional standards and believe doing the right thing matters more than revenue or profit because people’s lives are at stake,” she recalls.
It is a lesson Singapore native Lena has carried with her into her current role as Senior Director for Customer and Business Development at CLP Power.

Research, Reports & Publications

Essity and CE100: Report on Renewables Materials Role in a Circular Future

Feb 12, 2019 8:45 AM ET

In the latest paper, launched at CE100 Acceleration workshop in Dusseldorf on April 18, 2018, Essity set out both the opportunities and challenges that face renewable materials today, and our shared vision for the future. Essity also showcased what they are already doing, such as Tork PaperCircle, which is a great example of how Essity contributes to circular society.

Education

Intel’s Tech Learning Lab Offers a Virtual Education, on Wheels

Feb 12, 2019 8:30 AM ET

In addition to going on excursions via VR, students could check out powerful PCs, including OMEN by HP gaming laptops, desktops, accessories, HP Chromebooks and smart whiteboards. They also learned in immersive, hands-on workshops, including one where they had the chance to code their own drone flight path.

Green Infrastructure

Holland Board of Public Works Offering 300 Free Trees to Residents through Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program

Feb 12, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW), partnering with the City of Holland, is providing 300 free trees to HBPW electric customers through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. This program helps communities across the United States save energy and expand their tree canopies.

Research, Reports & Publications

Walgreens Boots Alliance Releases New Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Feb 12, 2019 4:00 AM ET

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) today published its 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which showcases the company’s global sustainability initiatives to prevent opioid abuse, support cancer patients and their families and address malnutrition and other health issues in communities around the world.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Ikea Jumps on Circular Bandwagon With Leasing Strategy

Feb 11, 2019 5:35 PM ET

2019 may be the year the concept of circular economy goes mainstream. And there’s good reason circular is catching on, even beyond the clear environmental benefits.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Donates $300,000 for Kansas City Housing, Education and Community Resources

Feb 11, 2019 4:30 PM ET

Wells Fargo donates $300,000 in NeighborhoodLIFT® program local initiative grants to nonprofits to support housing, education and neighborhood improvement for Kansas City residents

Education

A Local Boston Scientist Making a Big Impact in a Global Biotech World

Feb 11, 2019 1:00 PM ET

“My teacher is amazing. This is my second year speaking English for the first time, and she has provided me with help to improve my English skills while learning biological concepts and lab skills. She promotes multiculturalism and diversity, and she deserves some recognition for her hard work.” -Student of Mary Jo Renear at East Longmeadow High School in Western Massachusetts

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Millennials New Frontier: A Career in Financial Services

Feb 11, 2019 11:45 AM ET

The companies that are winning at attracting millennials are nailing it on culture and values. My own career path is a perfect example of this. I left a large mutual fund company in Boston to join a sustainable investing firm in New Hampshire because its focus on investing for both performance and impact resonated with me personally. At Impax, we have above-average representation of millennials on staff and on leadership teams, and that is a direct reflection of the fact that my generation wants to succeed at something we believe in.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

National Geographic, P&G and Global Citizen Announce ACTIVATE, a Multiplatform Storytelling Partnership and Documentary Series to Drive Action around Global Challenges Connected to Extreme Poverty

Feb 11, 2019 11:45 AM ET

National Geographic and Procter & Gamble today announced ACTIVATE, a new multiplatform storytelling partnership and six-part documentary series co-produced by Global Citizen and RadicalMedia. Premiering globally fall 2019 on National Geographic in 172 countries and 43 languages, the ACTIVATEseries — bolstered by custom content distributed across National Geographic’s unrivaled social, digital, linear and print channels — will focus on extreme poverty, inequality and sustainability issues to mobilize global citizens to drive meaningful and lasting change.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

From Dialogue to Action: My Lessons from Davos

Feb 11, 2019 11:15 AM ET

I recently returned to the US after a week of thoughtful dialogue and action at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the annual meeting of WEF, an international organization focused on public private cooperation and engaging world leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The Forum in Davos was an important platform to advance our vision and learn from leaders across food, business, policy and non-profit sectors. At Tyson Foods we have a unique ability to make a difference—our scale provides us both with an opportunity and responsibility for impact.

Environment

Sustainability School: The Traveling Trainers Leave Their Mark By Teaching the Principles of Leave No Trace

Feb 11, 2019 11:10 AM ET

Since 1999, Subaru has partnered with LNT on the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program, which consists of four groups of two educators who crisscross the country in Subaru vehicles teaching people to appreciate the outdoors responsibly. Working with everyone from the general public to nonprofit organizations to governmental agencies, the trainers educate via programs ranging from hour-long workshops to intensive two-day field courses.

Environment

Michael Washburn Appointed Food & Beverage Segment Leader

Feb 11, 2019 10:45 AM ET

Antea Group announces the appointment of Michael Washburn, Senior Consultant, to lead its Food & Beverage Segment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

FCA US Quality Engineer Earns 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Gerald Johnson Legacy Award

Feb 11, 2019 10:20 AM ET

U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine awarded its 2019 Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Gerald Johnson Legacy Award to Tanya Foutch, Quality Engineering Supervisor, FCA US LLC.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Timberland and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance Celebrate Haiti’s First Commercial Cotton Harvest in Three Decades

Feb 11, 2019 10:15 AM ET

“Our work with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance to reintroduce cotton growing touches on each of Timberland’s key commitments – to create responsible products, protect the outdoors and serve communities around the world,” said Atlanta McIlwraith, Timberland’s senior manager community engagement and communication.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Green Bond Assessments Scale to New Markets

Feb 11, 2019 10:05 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Arrow Electronics and We Care Solar Win 2019 Edison Award for Innovative Solar Suitcase Technology

Feb 11, 2019 9:30 AM ET

Arrow Electronics and nonprofit We Care Solar have won a 2019 Edison Award for Solar Suitcase 3.0, a portable solar-powered battery unit that can bring electricity to a remote, off-grid medical clinic throughout the night.