Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Mark Holden: Collaboration on criminal justice reform works

May 30, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Last year’s landmark criminal justice reform happened because people from all walks of life united for a common purpose: to lift up people seeking to improve their lives and communities. This year, there are “more and more opportunities” for even more reforms in states across the country, Koch Industries Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mark Holden said during a panel at the 14th annual John Jay/Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America. Moderated by The Marshall Project editor Bill Keller, the panel also featured Justice Action Network Executive Director Holly Harris and Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof.

Research, Reports & Publications

CapitaLand Publishes Its 10th Edition of Integrated Global Sustainability Report: We See a Sustainable Future

May 30, 2019 5:00 AM ET

CapitaLand recognises that the long-term success of its business is closely intertwined with the health and prosperity of the communities it operates in. CapitaLand continually integrates sustainability as part of its global business.

As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact’s (UNGC) commitment, CapitaLand adopts UNGC’s universal principles on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, to create a positive impact aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).

Green Infrastructure

Consumers Energy Launches New Electric Vehicle Charging and Customer Rebate Program

May 29, 2019 5:15 PM ET

Consumers Energy today announced the launch of PowerMIDrive, a multi-year program to make it easier for owners of electric vehicles to charge their vehicles and to ensure the electric grid is prepared to capture the benefits for our customers from the growing electric vehicle market.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Prepare for 2020 with Schneider Electric's Interactive Sustainability Goal-Setting Guide

May 29, 2019 5:05 PM ET

Take your energy and sustainability programs to new heights. Companies with publicly-stated energy- and carbon-reduction targets innovate and advance. And, according to recent research, they see value beyond efficiency and cost reduction. It’s time to make a commitment. Get started today with these resources and the interactive sustainability goal-setting questionnaire.

Diversity & Inclusion

Building Equality with The CBRE Ally Program

May 29, 2019 3:50 PM ET

The Ally Program at CBRE supports the LGBTQ community to enrich the lives of everyone, inside and outside of the workplace. In addition, The Ally Network group also provides an open-minded support system for conducting business while addressing the personal requirements of our LGBT community.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Scotiabank Bolsters Employee Engagement with "Way We Work" Initiative

May 29, 2019 3:00 PM ET

At our headquarters in Toronto, Canada, our Way We Work (W3) initiative is bolstering employee engagement by creating innovative Activity-Based Working environments, referred to as “Ecosystems.” Activity-Based Working provides employees a flexible work environment with a variety of work stations for each activity they engage in during the day. State-of-the-art tools and technology make for a high degree of mobility and connectivity within the workspace. Without assigned desks, Scotiabankers are empowered to choose how, when and where they work, based on what makes them, their teams and colleagues most effective.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Ending Homelessness in Silicon Valley

May 29, 2019 2:40 PM ET

Santa Clara County is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, yet it has the 3rd highest rate of chronic homelessness. This statistic is a stark reminder that homelessness does exist in our backyard. Destination: Home’s work is predicated on the Housing First model, aimed at getting homeless individuals and families into housing quickly, and then providing sustainable support systems built for long-term success. With support from Cisco beginning in 2018, Destination: Home launched the Supportive Housing and Innovation Fund to enable the private sector to strategically and seamlessly partner with local government, leverage public funding, and share in a joint approach to prevent and end homelessness.

Environment

The Ramez Naam Plan For De-Carbonization, Pt. 1

May 29, 2019 2:10 PM ET

Education

Charlotte Engineering Early College's Inaugural Graduates Focus on the Future With Help From the Duke Energy Foundation.

May 29, 2019 2:10 PM ET

Evan West and Kira Marsh, members of the Charlotte Engineering Early College’s (CEEC) first graduating class of fifth-year students, have a lot in common. West and Marsh were co-valedictorians of their class. They have perfect 4.0 grade point averages in their UNC Charlotte courses. And they both will continue their educations at UNC Charlotte, thanks to generous scholarships from the Duke Energy Foundation.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The Case Construction Equipment Plant in Burlington, U.S.A and the CNH Industrial Agriculture Facility in Harbin, China Achieve Bronze Level Designation in World Class Manufacturing

May 29, 2019 2:05 PM ET

The CASE Construction Equipment manufacturing facility in Burlington, U.S.A. and the CNH Industrial agricultural equipment plant in Harbin, China have both achieved Bronze status in the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) program. This important milestone for CASE, Case IH and New Holland Agriculture, global brands of CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI/MI: CNHI), represents further tangible proof of the Company’s commitment to the pursuit of world-class manufacturing excellence.

Environment

The Billionaire Inspired “Climate Karma Tax”: Part II

May 29, 2019 2:05 PM ET

Has the carbon tax been effective at lowering global GHG emissions? In a word no, but maybe it’s not the tax itself that’s flawed but rather that it’s never been properly targeted at the people who are holding back progress.

2229 Billionaires have amassed approximately 9 Trillion dollars by creating a rigged system that enriches themselves while plundering the planet. How can we incentivize those self proclaimed, “big-brained problem solvers” to aggressively address climate change? Here’s an idea – set new rules to the game so that the faster they fix it, the more of their wealth they keep.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Nominations for Ethical Corporation Awards Close 3rd June

May 29, 2019 2:00 PM ET

The submission deadline for Ethical Corporation’s 10th Annual Responsible Business Awards is drawing ever closer and we’re still on the hunt for the ground-breaking initiatives that have brought sustainability to the fore over the past year.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

As Tornadoes and Floods Continue, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart.Org Announce Additional Commitment for Disaster Relief in the Midwest and South, Bringing Total Support to $500,000

May 29, 2019 2:00 PM ET

In response to the record floods and tornados that have continued to impact Midwestern and Southern states this spring, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart.org have committed to provide an additional $150,000 in support through cash and product donations, building on earlier commitments in March and early May and bringing the total support commitment to $500,000.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Essity Invests in Sustainable Alternative Fiber Technology

May 29, 2019 1:35 PM ET

Essity, a leading global hygiene and health company with a commitment to a circular society, will invest approximately MSEK 400 in a sustainable alternative fiber facility at its tissue manufacturing plant in Mannheim, Germany. This investment will enable the company to produce high quality consumer and professional hygiene tissue products from wheat straw, a renewable resource that is an agricultural by-product. This process is a circular innovation that will improve the overall environmental impact of tissue products produced there. Production is set to begin in the second half of 2020.

Education

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? Thoughts on Soccer Goals, Social Impact, and Surgical Errors

May 29, 2019 1:25 PM ET

This question is so fundamental, and yet too often it’s not even asked by those funding and working towards social impact.

We assume it was asked and answered by someone else at some earlier time, or that this initiative with its holistic approach to the whole person can’t be reduced to a single or even set of metrics. Or maybe it’s that we simply don’t have the time and resources to build that data-driven culture that allows us to adjust our strategy and actions based on whether our indicators of success are flashing green or red.

Events, Media & Communications

Exploring the Second Track at the Reporting 3.0 Conference: The Journey

May 29, 2019 1:00 PM ET

Following up on the previous release on The Village track at the 6th International Reporting 3.0 Conference, this release focuses on laying out the second track, The Journey. This track is dedicated to the Transformation Journey Program (TJP) that took place over the past half-year at ING in Amsterdam, John Hancock / Manulife in Boston, and Erasmus University in Rotterdam, with a 2-day workshop on each of the following four phases: The Basecamp, Planning the Route, The Climb, and The Mountain Top. Participants from high-impact organizations in all of these Programs will share their experiences, particularly elaborating on specific pilot implementations of transformational practices, programs, and policies.

Social Impact & Volunteering

More Than Half of U.S. Adults Are Unsure About How to Recycle: PepsiCo Recycling Is Changing That…Starting in K-12 Classrooms

May 29, 2019 12:50 PM ET

PepsiCo Recycling today announced that, through the Recycle Rally – a free program designed to educate and instill recycling behaviors at K-12 schools across the United States – nearly 10 million pounds of waste material was diverted from landfills during the 2018-19 academic year. Since launching in 2010, Recycle Rally has facilitated collections of close to 500 million recyclable containers.

Environment

Facility Response Plan Exceptions & Alternatives

May 29, 2019 11:35 AM ET

Antea Group blogs about how an oil storing facility can use modeling to develop a Facility Response Plan that is cost-effective.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Can Cereal Save the Planet? This Sustainable New Grain May Bowl Over the Industry

May 29, 2019 11:35 AM ET

Several years ago, Maria Carolina Comings, a General Mills executive who presides over the company's organic brands (Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and Epic) was approached by a professor with the University of Minnesota's Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics about a new grain it was researching and developing. It's a grain that held great promise, he said, and could positively impact the environment.

Research, Reports & Publications

Purpose Messages Evoke Greater Attention, Arousal and Emotion, According to First-of-its-Kind Biometrics Research by Porter Novelli/Cone

May 29, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Americans are more likely to have a positive image of (89%), trust in (86%) and be loyal (83%) to brands that lead with Purpose, according to the 2019 Porter Novelli/Cone Purpose Biometrics Study. This first-of-its-kind biometrics study, examines not only what consumers say they will do to support responsible brands, but also how they feel and physically react when exposed to Purpose-driven messaging.

Innovation & Technology

Arrow Electronics Joins Forces with Apps & Girls to Foster Technology Innovation in East Africa

May 29, 2019 11:25 AM ET

Arrow Electronics has teamed with Apps & Girls to bridge the tech gender gap in East Africa, by helping girls and young women expand their information technology skills. Apps & Girls provides coding training and entrepreneurship skills to girls in secondary schools in Tanzania. The social enterprise also offers mentorships to girls to create tech startups, connects them with jobs and internships and promotes their work to customers, partners and potential funders.

Media & Communications

S&P 500® Index Companies’ ESG/Sustainability, Responsibility Reporting Hits 86% For Year 2018 – Latest G&A Institute Research Results…

May 29, 2019 11:00 AM ET

For the eighth year, the G&A Institute research team has examined the ESG, Sustainability, Responsibility & Citizenship disclosure and reporting practices of the S&P 500® Index companies and determined for year 2018 that 86 percent of the almost 500 public companies were publishing reports in various formats for public viewing.

Responsible Production & Consumption

LG "Making An Eco Friendly Home" on The Lifestyle List

May 29, 2019 10:55 AM ET

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year LG Electronics USA has joined forces with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the 2019 “Flip Your Fridge” campaign. Replace your old refrigerator with a new LG ENERGY STAR certified model to save energy, save money and help protect the planet. Learn more about the environmental benefits of responsibly recycling and upgrading your refrigerator as a part of the EPA's "Flip Your Fridge" campaign.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nespresso Unite to Revive Coffee Farming in El Rosario, Nariño

May 29, 2019 10:45 AM ET

The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nespresso today announced a pilot program to help revitalize coffee production in the municipality of El Rosario, in the Nariño Department of Colombia.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Rational Hope

May 29, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe understands how important it is to walk the line between knowing the science of climate change and articulating a positive vision for the future, and she does that well. As she said in her TED Talk, “What we need to fix this thing is rational hope.”