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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Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Video | Connecting the Youngest Generations to the Earth

From healthy food access to social connectedness, gardens provide powerful benefits to communities, to families, and most importantly, to children’s lives. That’s why ScottsMiracle-Gro launched the Gro More Good initiative with a commitment to connect 10 million children to the benefits of gardens and greenspaces over the next five years.

Environment

Itron and Discovery Education Launch “Week of Resourcefulness” to Inspire Next Generation Environmental Leaders in Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability Innovation in Celebration of Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, Itron, Inc., a technology company innovating the way cities and utilities manage energy and water, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms, today announced the first annual Week of Resourcefulness – a virtual event dedicated to introducing new STEM investigation activities in K-12 education daily during the week of April 22-26.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Women and Sustainable Investing: Driving Assets and Benefitting From a Gender-Lens Approach

US SIF’s Lisa Woll on how women are moving forward with investments in sustainability-focused products and strategies with 84 percent of women expressing interest in SRI.

Energy

It's Calling Time on Carbon Emissions

Climate change no longer can be passed off as tomorrow’s problem. People only have to look out the window or turn on the news to see how the world’s weather patterns are changing at an alarming rate. Whole communities are already having to adapt to its impacts, and there are unsettling signs that the Earth’s natural ecosystems are buckling under the pressure of global warming and mankind’s general mismanagement of the planet.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Video | Watch Timberland and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance Join Farmers in the Field for Haiti’s First Commercial Cotton Harvest in 30 Years

Three representatives of global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland recently joined the Smallholder Farmers Alliance and local farmers to help harvest Haiti’s first commercial cotton crop in three decades. Since 2016, Timberland has worked with the SFA to reintroduce cotton farming to Haiti. Their goal is to create a new sustainable supply chain for cotton, while also forwarding the reforestation of Haiti and improving farmers lives.

Health & Healthcare

In Honor of Earth Day, Aramark Launches Its First Dedicated Plant-Forward Dining Concept, The Twisted Beet

Just in time for Earth Day (April 22), Aramark, the largest U.S. based food service company, is putting a twist on comfort food, with the launch of its first dedicated plant-forward dining concept, The Twisted Beet.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Patrón Partners with Leading Bars to Mark World Earth Day

“We are so proud to be bringing our sustainability credentials to the forefront of the conversation around environmental impact, this Earth Day and moving forward,” said Francisco Alcaraz, master distiller at Patrón Spirits International.

Research, Reports & Publications

Open Space, Increased Fleet Efficiency, and Water Education Are Highlights of Connecticut Water Service’s Updated Corporate Sustainability Report

Connecticut Water Service, Inc., today announced the availability of the company’s updated 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR). The update demonstrates the company’s progress and milestones in achieving its environmental and social goals.

Environment

Expert Interview With Michael Kovacich, Groundwater Remediation Expert

Michael Kovacich, CPG, CP graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1991 with a major in geology and a minor in biology. He received his Master of Science in Earth Science from Western Michigan University in 1999, specializing in contaminant hydrogeology and coastal processes.

Environment

Ingersoll Rand Shows How Making One Small Change Like Using Canvas Shopping Bags or Adjusting Thermostats Can Have Big Impact on Environment

This Earth Day, Ingersoll Rand and its 49,000 employees are making changes towards a healthier and more sustainable world and encouraging others to do the same. At sites across the globe, Green Teams are leading earth-friendly efforts like reducing office supplies, eliminating single-use plastics (straws and utensils), reducing or eliminating junk mail, removing trash bins at desks to encourage less paper, and using rechargeable batteries.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Walmart and Sam’s Club’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Campaign Aims to Achieve Big Impact Toward Hunger Relief

In communities across the U.S., one in eight Americans, or nearly 40 million people, struggle with hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To raise awareness and combat the issue, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America® and member food banks are kicking off their sixth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” (FHSC) campaign, which will run from April 22 to May 20.

Events, Media & Communications

ASCSC Community Foundation and LA Galaxy Foundation Host 13th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Earth Day Celebration at Dignity Health Sports Park

AEG’s ASCSC Community Foundation and the LA Galaxy Foundation hosted the 13th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Earth Day Celebration earlier today at Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium for more than 1,000 children and families in the surrounding communities of Carson, Calif. The event featured LA Galaxy Star Squad, LA Galaxy mascot Cozmo and the Easter Bunny, courtesy of the Southbay Pavilion Mall.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Dutch Supreme Court Rules for Chevron in Ecuador Dispute

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has ruled in favor of Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), rejecting the Republic of Ecuador’s attempts to annul decisions of an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague that ordered Ecuador to take all steps necessary to prevent enforcement of a $9.5 billion Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron anywhere in the world. The Ecuadorian judgment previously was found by the international arbitral tribunal and by U.S. courts to have been obtained through fraud, bribery and corruption.

Environment

Kimberly-Clark’s Environmental Services Leader Reflects on the Importance of Earth Day

Responsible, sustainable, measurable. Buzz words or action verbs? For me, those are fighting words. As more companies join the fight to protect our natural resources, Earth Day serves as a reminder that those who use natural resources also have an obligation to foster responsible use.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Israel is Keen to Tap Into the Momentum of Rising Global ESG Investment

The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment processes and decision-making is on the rise globally. The responsible investing market is worth almost $23 trillion, representing around half of all assets managed in Europe and more than a third in the U.S, according to JPMorgan Chase. Nearly every market in the world has its eye on ESG-focused or socially responsible investment (SRI). Israel is no exception. The Israeli market, albeit small on an international scale, is intensely linked with global markets. Israel has earned a reputation for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, attracting multinational companies.

Research, Reports & Publications

WeWork: Oil Money and the Challenge of Achieving Carbon Neutrality

WeWork, a company that provides shared workspaces, has taken a stand on sustainability. It has committed to carbon neutrality by 2023, and it has stopped serving meat to its employees as well as reimbursing them for meals that contain meat—because of concerns about the environment and animal welfare.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Gildan Answers Fashion Revolution’s Call-to-Action for Greater Transparency

Gildan is participating in the Fashion Revolutions’ #whomademyclothes campaign, a global movement working to elevate transparency in the clothing industry and change the way clothes are sourced, produced and consumed.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Kingsport, Tennessee, Paper Mill Drives a Century of Growth

At Domtar, we’re a proud part of the communities where we operate. We not only produce pulp, paper and personal care products in our facilities, but we also support vocational education, environmental sustainability and civic and recreational programs that enhance daily lives for our neighbors. Often, a pulp and paper mill was central to the development of these communities, and decades, or even a century later, that same mill remains one of the area’s largest employers. All of this is true of our Kingsport Mill, located in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

BNY Mellon: A History of Service

The 2019 Global Pro Bono Summit, hosted by Taproot Foundation, will take place in New York City this May. Leading up to this gathering, Taproot will be releasing a series of profiles featuring movers and shakers of the pro bono movement, from companies with cutting-edge programs to individuals working towards a more engaged society to nonprofits tapping into pro bono service as a way to deepen their impact on the communities they serve.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

JUST Capital Names PayPal a Win-Win Company

PayPal has been named a “Win-Win” company by JUST Capital. This honor recognizes PayPal’s continuous investment in its employees and its commitment to transparency in disclosing its policies for gender pay equity, paid time off, parental leave, day care services, and career development.

Environment

Recycle IT Day: How Cisco Tackles E-Waste

Global e-scrap dumping—it’s a serious environmental and public health issue. To help address this critical concern, Cisco hosts Recycle IT Day every year, and has done so since 2002. Around the world, Cisco locations act as collection points for employees to drop off e-scrap like end-of-life electronics from their home or work to be recycled by Cisco, free of charge.

The 2019 Recycle IT Day will take place on Tuesday, April 23 at Cisco offices around the world. We have 162 sites participating this year—20 more than last year.

Research, Reports & Publications

General Mills Global Responsibility Report Highlights Employee Engagement, Progress Against Planet Commitments, and Food Security

General Mills released its 2019 Global Responsibility Report, outlining the company’s approach to creating environmental, social and economic value in the countries where it operates. The progress made by General Mills in 2018 demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to protect and restore the resources upon which its business and communities depend, with an increased focus on advancing regenerative practices across its supply chain.

Environment

Miami Beach Kicks Off Plastic Free Initiative In Hopes Of Helping Environment

“We have made a commitment to eliminate one billion straws worldwide from our operation,” said Ned Duggan with Bacardi. “We are encouraging people to sip without straws and the mantra we are trying to use is “the future doesn’t suck.”

Innovation & Technology

Consumers Energy Passionately Supports the Robotics Revolution

Ellen Green signed up for her high school robotics team because she’s competitive and likes to be involved – not because she was looking for a career.

But Green fell in love with industrial engineering while leading Notre Dame (Pontiac) Prep’s team to success and championships in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competitions.

We support FIRST Robotics—which held its national championship in Detroit in 2018 in the first year of a three-year contract—because it creates interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields among Michigan students like Green. In 2018, our foundation contributed more than $450,000 for FIRST Robotics teams at elementary, middle and high school levels across the state.

Research, Reports & Publications

Whirlpool Announces Emissions Reduction of 7% and Water Consumption Reduction of 10% From 2017-2018

Whirlpool Corp. recently released its 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s progress in 2018. Among the milestones mentioned, the company announced it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7% from 2017 to 2018 in Whirlpool plants.

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. Sustainability Report
    Our latest Sustainability Report highlights recent accomplishments and progress toward achieving goals in the environmental, social and governance...
  7. Social Impact at Mastercard
    At Mastercard, we’re powering economies and empowering people, building a sustainable economy where everyone prospers.
  8. 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...
  9. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  10. 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...
  11. Leading ESG & Sustainability Stewardship
    The new CNH continues on its longstanding path of excellence in sustainability, which is recognized by the foremost authorities.
  12. 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...
  13. 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...
  14. 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...
  15. SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights
    Highlighting the top news, commentary, and research for the week coming from SHQ. The highlights newsletter also spotlights one profiled organization...