Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Environment

Everglades Legislation Passes Florida House

May 5, 2017 10:00 AM ET

For more than a year, we have been beating the drum about the need to come up with a solution for the water problems of South Florida. Too much tainted water from Lake Okeechobee is being diverted down the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers, leading to big problems on both coasts. Last month, the Florida Senate passed an important bill that would fund the creation of a reservoir south of Okeechobee to store much of this excess water and relieve pressure on the rivers and their estuaries. Yesterday, the Florida House Passed the bill, as well, which means that we are one signature away from making this project a reality.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Aflac's Cause Marketing is Model for Companies That Seek Purpose with Profit

May 5, 2017 9:25 AM ET

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Buffy Swinehart, Senior Manager, Cause Marketing for Aflac, on the company's Duckprints campaign to fight childhood cancer.

Health & Healthcare

How Foundation Leaders Can Create Impact in the Uncertain U.S. Health Landscape

May 5, 2017 9:15 AM ET

What could changes in health care policy mean for the work of foundations focused on health?

Environment

Replenishing California’s Underground Savings Account for Future Droughts

May 5, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Sustainable Conservation and a diverse group of private- and public-sector leaders, including General Mills, joined forces to promote a creative way to boost water supplies in California that benefits farmers, local communities and the environment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Lead the Way in Responsible Business

May 5, 2017 9:05 AM ET

The Responsible Business Awards are back for 2017 to celebrate and reward the leading sustainable and responsible businesses from around the globe. These global awards benchmark and celebrate the world’s leading CSR and sustainability initiatives.

Events, Media & Communications

Four-Time Grammy-Nominated Artist JEWEL Headlines INSPIRE, Presented by Sands Cares

May 5, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Symbolizing her own personal journey, Jewel’s upcoming performance at the Las Vegas Sands/Sands Cares INSPIRE event on May 19 is significant as much because of the artist’s transformative staying power over the past 20-plus years, as her message to the young people of the Marty Hennessy Inspiring Children Foundation, the first participant in the Sands Cares Accelerator Program, who will benefit from the event’s proceeds.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

$358,500 From Lockheed Martin Employees Support 29 Fort Worth-Area Non-Profit Agencies

May 5, 2017 8:55 AM ET

Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) AERO Club, an employee-run charity, delivered grants totaling $358,500 to Fort Worth-area agencies primarily serving children, families, healthcare and social services. The AERO Club raises funds through an annual employee charity campaign and a board of Fort Worth-based employees work with local agencies to determine the best opportunities to allocate the donations.

Research, Reports & Publications

Botswana Businesses Benefit from De Beers Investment

May 5, 2017 8:00 AM ET

De Beers Group strengthened Botswana communities in 2016 through major investment in local goods and services, according to its latest Report to Society.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Nine Investor Insights on Transparency and Disclosure

May 4, 2017 6:15 PM ET

We've accumulated investor insights regarding sustainability transparency and disclosure in our new report, Nine Top Investor Takeaways from BIER. Key areas of emphasis include the importance of materiality, the future of reporting, and potential reporting fatigue. To learn more, download the full report.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Building Opportunities for All Through Comcast Cares Day

May 4, 2017 5:55 PM ET

On Saturday, April 22, more than 150 Comcast NBCUniversal and community volunteers banded together to build a fence around the site of a future three-acre park that will be available to kids of all abilities.

Environment

Mike Bloomberg & Carl Pope Talk Climate Change on Morning Joe

May 4, 2017 5:25 PM ET

Mike Bloomberg and Carl Pope talk about the significant advances made to address climate change on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Health & Healthcare

Bringing Global Awareness to the Importance of Hand Hygiene on World Hand Hygiene Day

May 4, 2017 5:00 PM ET

May 5, 2017, marks the day that hospitals around the globe join the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness for the importance of hand hygiene.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

General Motors Sustainability Newsletter - May 2017

May 4, 2017 5:00 PM ET

GM earned the 2017 EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency.

Innovation & Technology

March for Science — Really?

May 4, 2017 4:30 PM ET

How is it possible that in America, on the 47th anniversary of Earth Day, it was concluded that our situation was so dire that what was needed was not just a march for aggressive climate policies, but rather a “March for Science” itself?

One cannot help but notice history repeating itself as we enter a new era: a Second Scientific Revolution.

Innovation & Technology

DuPont Tate & Lyle: A Blueprint for Successful Innovation in Industrial Biotech

May 4, 2017 3:30 PM ET

Welcome to DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, where our mission is to provide customers with a competitive advantage by offering improved, higher-performing ingredients from a petroleum-free, sustainable and renewable source. Our 1,3-propanediol serves as the building block for ingredients that enhance people’s lives, protect the environment, and reduce the world’s dependence on petroleum.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Muskegon Food Hub Pilot Is Step Toward Cross-lake Agriculture Shipping

May 4, 2017 3:20 PM ET

Muskegon is taking the first bite out of its plans for a food hub that uses rail, highways and the Muskegon Lake deep water port. The Muskegon Food Hub pilot was launched on Tuesday, May 2.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Fatherly Names VMware One of the 50 Best Places to Work for New Dads

May 4, 2017 3:20 PM ET

At VMware, we believe that family comes first. So, we’re proud to announce that our organization has been named one of the 50 Best Places to Work for New Dads by Fatherly, a digital lifestyle guide for young parents.

Research, Reports & Publications

Cox Enterprises Releases 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

May 4, 2017 2:30 PM ET

Sustainable Development Goals

Keeping Bees Warm in Winter

May 4, 2017 2:30 PM ET

We are dependent on even the smallest of creatures such as butterflies, wasps, and flies – and particularly bees, to pollinate the crops which provide us with a third of all our food, and a world without them would be devastating. Bees also play an important role in Goldcorp’s reclamation process, as they are able to pollinate and improve our replanting efforts.

Education

Above and Beyond: How to Differentiate from your Competitors

May 4, 2017 2:05 PM ET

The business realm can be frustrating. Trends fluctuate, consumer demands vary, and competition is fierce. Proven success is cultivated based on how well a business plans strategically, analyzes trends, and, most importantly, differentiates from their competitors.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Employee Exemplifies Caring Value by Saving a Life

May 4, 2017 1:20 PM ET

Some extraordinarily good things happen on airplanes. Originally trained as a nurse, Gursharan (Sharan) Kaur Sidhu took action when a fellow passenger was in distress. Sharan, Kimberly-Clark Professional Business Capability Manager for Malaysia and Indonesia, was traveling from Jakarta, Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur after a distributor conference.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Crowdsourcing Helps Teachers Make a Difference

May 4, 2017 1:05 PM ET

Duke Energy is partnering with DonorsChoose.org to help teachers in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina fund projects that support literacy programs and foster a growing interest in science and technology fields.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Major League Baseball Players Continue to Provide Releif in Haiti

May 4, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti last October and left thousands of families in dire circumstances, but the Major League Baseball Players Trust’s efforts to bring medical aid to the hardest hit areas of the impoverished country are continuing this spring.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CSX Again Named a Best Corporate Citizen

May 4, 2017 12:00 PM ET

CSX Corporation (Nasdaq:CSX) recently was named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine's list of Best Corporate Citizens for 2017. The company ranked 55th in its fifth appearance on the list and was the only railroad within the top 100.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

AccountAbility CEO, Sunny Misser, Honored as the 2017 Distinguished Alumni for Excellence in Industry by Lehigh University

May 4, 2017 12:00 PM ET

AccountAbility CEO, Sunil (Sunny) Misser, was honored as the 2017 Distinguished Alumni for Excellence in Industry by Lehigh University. Mr. Misser was invited to deliver the keynote public lecture, Responsible Business – Rebuilding Trust and Creating Value, on Thursday, April 20, 2017 as part of the Lehigh Industrial and System Engineering’s annual Spencer C. Schantz Distinguished Lecture Series.