News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest impact news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's publishing platform.

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Diversity & Inclusion

The Rainbow Railroad

More people today are living as refugees or displaced persons than at any time since the end of World War II1 and many of those seeking asylum are from the LGBTQ2+ community. In more than 70 countries around the world LGBTQ2+ people are facing extreme violence and persecution.2 They are looking for hope and a safe place to call home.

Research, Reports & Publications

Letter from Don Hall, CEO, Hallmark

J. C. Hall once said, “If a man goes into business only with the idea of making a lot of money, chances are he won’t. But if he puts service and quality first, the money will take care of itself.”

Diversity & Inclusion

"Everyone Deserves to Feel Safe": Meet a Johnson & Johnson Leader Who's Proud to Be an Ally for the LGBTQ+ Community

For Pride Month, Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President Ashley McEvoy shares how the company stands behind its LGBTQ+ employees—and why a strong culture of diversity and inclusion is crucial to successfully finding solutions for the world's greatest healthcare problems.

Environment

NRPA and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Launch Nationwide Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz as Part of Gro More Good Initiative

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation will launch Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, a program inspiring local parks to host a pollinator BioBlitz event during June in celebration of pollinator month to raise awareness and community involvement in the pollinator crisis.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Tetra Tech is #1 in Water for 16 Years

Tetra Tech is Leading with Science® to deliver innovative solutions for its clients’ most challenging water problems around the world.

Research, Reports & Publications

Edison International 2018 Sustainability Report: Leading the Transformation with Clean Energy

Cleaning the Power System: SCE is a national leader in clean energy and delivers power with only half of the GHG emissions per unit of electricity compared to the estimated U.S. average. In 2018, 46% of electricity that SCE delivered to customers came from carbon-free resources,6 more than halfway to the 80% we estimate is needed by 2030 to meet California’s climate change goals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Donates Nearly 40,000 Pounds of Protein to FeedMore WNY

Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Tops Friendly Markets joined forces to donate nearly 40,000 pounds of protein to FeedMore WNY. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2019 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour.

Diversity & Inclusion

It’s Time for the Equality Act

The month of June is LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States. Each year, Pride events are held nationwide in cities large and small, and for some people, it is the only occasion where they can be out and proud in their community. Pride festivals and parades are a celebration of the progress the LGBTQ community has made, but also a time to recognize the distance we still have to go to achieve full equality. This June, we’re excited to feature a guest post from Human Rights Campaign’s Liz Cooper.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sappi Limited's CEO Steve Binnie Reflects on North America's Year of Renewal

I would like to congratulate the Sappi North America (SNA) team on another successful year, truly embodying this year’s theme of renewal. The business underwent a significant change with the conversion of Paper Machine 1 (PM1) at the Somerset Mill to be able to produce packaging and speciality paper grades. We also commenced a project to increase dissolving pulp capacity at Cloquet. These exciting changes are part of Sappi’s global strategy to boost capacity in higher growth and higher margin product segments. Despite the inevitable disruption which accompanies such significant capital projects, the business was able to offset cost pressure in the graphic paper business, nearly doubled packaging business volumes and improved overall profitability after the conversion of Somerset PM1. Impor

Green Infrastructure

Olympic House Becomes One of the Most Sustainable Buildings in the World

In addition to receiving the LEED Platinum certification, Olympic House is the first international headquarters – and the second building overall – to obtain the highest (Platinum) level of the Swiss Sustainable Construction Standard (SNBS). It has also been awarded the Swiss standard for energy-efficient buildings, Minergie P. Olympic House is the first building to receive these three certifications, and the first in Switzerland to achieve LEED v4 Platinum.

Sustainable Development Goals

PNC Joins Ceres Company Network

The sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres announced today that the PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC) has joined the Ceres Company Network.

Environment

Adam Sobel: Science In The Eye Of The Hurricane

It’s summertime! That means county fairs, stone fruit, and hopefully a cool body of water in which to dip one’s toes. Of course, it also means record temperatures and the beginning of hurricane season. Today on Sea Change Radio we are talking weather with Adam Sobel, an atmospheric scientist at Columbia University. We discuss the difference between climate and weather, learn about the importance of accurate forecasts in the age of extreme weather, and dispel some preposterous myths about climate scientists.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sabbatical Stories: Paying It Forward

Volunteering has always played an important role in Paul Son’s life. In college, Paul volunteered as a tutor and science fair mentor at a school near the University of Washington. In 2011, Paul first experienced disaster response when he was deployed to Batrop, TX, where a fire had scorched 40,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 homes. Together, these experiences inspired Paul to spend his sabbatical doing what he does best — give back to the community.

Events, Media & Communications

Webinar: Investor Driven ESG Disclosures – State Street, SASB, MSCI

The interest from the investment community in ESG disclosures is growing at a rapid pace, with no sign of slowing down. The shift is requiring more parts of the organization to be involved, with levels of transparency being asked that simply wasn’t before. What do investors expect and how do all stakeholders push ESG disclosure forward?

Research, Reports & Publications

MetLife 2018 Global Impact Report: Protecting the Environment

From energy efficiency and green buildings to volunteer projects and responsible investments that benefit the environment, we work to reduce our footprint and build resiliency in a changing world. Continuous improvement is a mantra at MetLife. This outlook guides our efforts to decrease our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions through carbon reduction and operational efficiency programs, water reduction strategies, recycling and reuse efforts, and more. To drive success, we set strong operational goals and collaborate with our employees and supply chain business partners.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Co-op Community Spaces Program | LBG Canada Company Spotlight

Community spaces are what bring people together. In trying and often dividing times, they can be a source of joy and connection. However, the level of capital funding required to bring these long term projects to life can be difficult to fundraise for.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

In a New Economic Era, Employee Fulfillment Is the New Employee Engagement

According to a new report Making work more meaningful: Building a fulfilling employee experience, published by CECP: The CEO Force for Good, Imperative, and PwC, the early days of a “Fourth Industrial Revolution” require a new standard for the employee experience around higher meaning and fulfillment at work. A staggering majority of employees believe that achieving fulfillment at work is possible – 96% of those surveyed.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Mobile Money Meets Traditional Microfinance in Kenya

In recent years, there’s been a lot of buzz, and skepticism, about Sweden’s efforts to move to a cashless economy. Other countries are following suit. In the place of physical cash, these economies are increasingly using credit, debit, and mobile payments for financial transactions. One central criticism of cashless economies is that the reliance on technology will exclude vulnerable populations – those who are most likely to be unbanked or have low digital literacy or technology access.

Research, Reports & Publications

Getting to Know You: ESG, Investor Relations and Corporate Sustainability

Communicating new topics to investors often requires new operational processes, personnel, and data; disclosure can work as an organizational forcing function. Corporations are wrestling with this in the context of sustainability and long-termism.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Shoot for the Stars and You’ll Get to the Moon

Each of us has the power to make a difference through our actions as employees, consumers, parents, and members of our communities. How do we make a difference? How do we contribute and create sustainable value for all our stakeholders? What I’ve learned on this journey is that each of us has choices to make in order to balance our personal and professional lives; oftentimes, the two intersect.

Environment

Business Leaders Urged to Set More Ambitious Climate Targets in Effort to Limit Global Temperature Rise to 1.5°C

A broad coalition of business, civil society and UN leaders today issued a call to action for private companies to make their critical and necessary contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

Education

JetBlue Expands Its ‘JetBlue Scholars’ Employer-Sponsored College Degree Program with New Master’s Degree Pathways

JetBlue today announced plans to expand its JetBlue Scholars program to include pathways for crewmembers to earn master’s degrees at discounted and affordable rates. The current program provides access to online courses and personalized coaching for crewmembers pursuing undergraduate degrees from Thomas Edison State University, with JetBlue covering most of the costs. The addition of the Master’s Pathways and new partnerships will allow crewmembers to pursue master’s degrees through five regionally accredited institutions including City University of New York School of Professional Studies, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Thomas Edison State University, University of Maryland University College and Western Governors University.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Annie’s Cereal Package Uses Recycled Plastic, but It’s the Consumer Messaging That Wins for Innovation

Annie’s started looking at the market for recycled materials, and learned a major source of recycled HDPE plastic came from old milk jugs. Then the idea almost formed itself: Annie’s saw an opportunity to close a loop in consumers’ minds, and turn milk jugs into the packaging for cereal that people pour milk over in the morning.

Environment

Worth a Second Look: Why It Might Be Time to Shake up Your Approach to PSM

Prevent accidental releases of hazardous chemicals, re-evaluate how OSHA’s PSM standard applies to your organization and how well you are currently doing.

Media & Communications

For the Board Room and C-Suite, Questions and Advice From the Harvard Business Review and ESG and Sustainability

Attorney Silda Wall Spitzer and John Mandyck, CEO of Urban Green Council, writing in Harvard Business Review explain that while “some” board members have become increasingly “sustainability/ESG fluent” many companies [still] don’t expect their directors to understand sustainability or ESG and don’t provide board room education on the subject matter.

Latest Campaigns

  1. 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...
  2. Southwire Giving Back
    Our neighbors depend on us, just as we depend on them, so we are committed to improving the quality of life in the communities in which we work. At...
  3. Carbon Footprint
    We are accelerating our efforts to help build a low-carbon economy and avert the worst impacts of climate change. Our goal to reduce our GHG emissions...
  4. Environmental Sustainability
    As sustainability leaders, we implement our sustainability strategy across all company activities along the entire value chain, from raw materials to...
  5. Corporate Social Responsibility
    Corporate Social Responsibility
  6. International Paper | HEALTHY & ABUNDANT FORESTS
    Vision 2030 Goal: Lead forest stewardship efforts globally
  7. Sustainability Report
    Our latest Sustainability Report highlights recent accomplishments and progress toward achieving goals in the environmental, social and governance...
  8. Social Impact at Mastercard
    At Mastercard, we’re powering economies and empowering people, building a sustainable economy where everyone prospers.
  9. Kingfisher Around the World
    The SCS Kingfisher certification mark is showing up on an increasing number of products around the world. It differentiates companies that are making...
  10. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  11. IWBI | WELL Building Standard
    Our built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively...
  12. Leading ESG & Sustainability Stewardship
    The new CNH continues on its longstanding path of excellence in sustainability, which is recognized by the foremost authorities.
  13. Green Mountain Energy Commitment to Sustainability
    At Green Mountain Energy Company, we share our customers’ commitment to the environment and sustainability. We are inspired by the success that we...
  14. KeyBank's Community Investment
    In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...
  15. GoDaddy | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
    Diverse teams build better products — period. At GoDaddy, we make apps and services that our worldwide community of entrepreneurs can relate to. Our...