Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

FCA Community: Creating Connections to Battle Mental Illness

Oct 25, 2018 11:05 AM ET

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a person dies by suicide every seven hours in the state of Michigan and it is the 10th leading cause of death in the state.

“A lot of people think they can beat mental illness on their own, so they suffer in silence or take their own lives,” explains Jazmyne Kincaid, FCA US employee at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. “I hope to be a helping hand to someone struggling with a mental illness and share with them the resources around us that can help guide them toward health.”

Environment

Planting Trees on a Stony Hill: A Story With Pictures

Oct 25, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Owens Corning Introduces First Formaldehyde-Free Perimeter Fire Containment System in North America

Oct 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) has introduced the first and only formaldehyde-free perimeter fire containment system available in North America. This advanced solution made with Thermafiber® Firespan® and Safing™ mineral wool insulation delivers tested and proven fire resistance performance to help commercial architects, specifiers and contractors build safer and energy-efficient buildings.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Survey Shows Deep Concern About Affordable Housing

Oct 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

More than 40 percent of government officials say the lack of affordable homeownership is a national crisis, and 33 percent called affordability a serious challenge, according to a new survey from Wells Fargo and the Governing Institute.

Innovation & Technology

The Business and Societal Case for Privacy

Oct 25, 2018 9:30 AM ET

American companies experienced nearly 500 data breaches in 2016 alone, and governments around the world are beginning to require more from private firms when it comes to protecting user data.

Most notably, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became enforceable in May of this year. The new regulation requires companies to, among other things, receive consent from users in order to store their personal data—and it applies to all companies that serve European citizens, whether the company is based in Europe or not.

While compliance with a new regulation often seems burdensome to global firms, data shows that the type of privacy policies required under the GDPR echo a rising clarion call from consumers.

Energy

Decarbonize, Decentralize and Democratize: Investing in a More Just Energy Future

Oct 25, 2018 9:15 AM ET

At Sunwealth, we invest in a sustainable future by financing diverse renewable energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen local resilience and bring the benefits of renewable energy to under-served communities. Since 2014, we have financed over 70 solar installations on rooftops and in open spaces. We are poised to invest over $12 million in solar energy and storage projects in 2018, more than double our 2017 investment. We have a 2019 pipeline of over $40 million in new solar projects that will provide 20 megawatts of solar power across 50 communities.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CR Magazine Presents 2018 Responsible CEO Awards at 3BL Forum: Brands Taking Stands--The Long View

Oct 25, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Six C-suite Leaders Recognized at Leading CSR Industry Event, 3BL Forum: Brands Taking Stands--The Long View

Health & Healthcare

13 Ways to Help Prep a Child With Autism for Back-to-School Season

Oct 25, 2018 9:05 AM ET

The end-of-summer has arrived, and while most kids aren't thrilled with the prospect of going back to school, the transition can be especially tough for those with autism. Three experts share their best tips for making the process smoother—for children of all ages.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway Project Wins Canadian Consulting Engineer Award of Excellence

Oct 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech was part of a team that planned and designed the award-winning Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) to connect communities along Canada’s Arctic Coast.

Innovation & Technology

Cerro Verde, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Supports Local Agricultural Businesses

Oct 25, 2018 8:35 AM ET

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde has an Agricultural Development Program for farmers in the Yarabamba and Uchumayo Districts of Peru that provides services to business owners including education and information on warehouses and greenhouses.

Cerro Verde has model farms and demonstration plots for education. Farmers raise laying hens, ducks, and guinea pigs. Many local farmers also grow culinary herbs and succulents, as well as fruits, potatoes and quinoa.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Increase CSR Participation with Positive Actions

Oct 24, 2018 7:30 PM ET

Wondering how to create even more purpose and inclusion in your workplace? Get the scoop on how to go beyond giving, volunteering and grantmaking to create next-level engagement through your #CSR program through positive actions.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Taste Radio: Marcus Samuelsson + Paul Rice of Fair Trade USA

Oct 24, 2018 6:00 PM ET

Taste Radio talks with acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Fair Trade USA founder and CEO Paul Rice about what makes food great and how businesses are driving change throughout the industry.

Diversity & Inclusion

Nickelodeon Proudly Supports National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Oct 24, 2018 5:30 PM ET

Jonathan Rodriguez went from being an extremely shy kid in Burbank High’s Animation Program to intern at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio to artist on Nick’s hit show, The Loud House. Hear the accounts from his family, instructors and Nickelodeon mentors that believed and invested in him on his incredible journey.

Nickelodeon proudly supports National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Research, Reports & Publications

Words in Action

Oct 24, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Martin Currie, the active equity specialist and steward of US$17 billion of assets under management, has unveiled its inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.

Social Impact & Volunteering

eBay and NASCAR Launch First Joint Charity Sale

Oct 24, 2018 3:30 PM ET

eBay and NASCAR today launched their first joint charity sale giving fans the opportunity to bid on autographed memorabilia and once-in-a-lifetime racing experiences.

Today through Nov. 1, fans can visit eBay.com/NASCAR and bid on 20 items including a chance to see who wins the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series live at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the chance to be a VIP at the 2019 Daytona 500.

Health & Healthcare

VIDEO | Mohawk's Royce Epstein Shares Her Personal Experience with Breast Cancer

Oct 24, 2018 3:15 PM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Bacardi Raises the Bar with Distinct Corporate Responsibility Programs

Oct 24, 2018 3:05 PM ET

With its commitments to alcohol responsibility, disaster relief efforts, women’s empowerment, and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, Bacardi Limited solidified its position as a socially and environmentally responsible leader, as demonstrated in the company’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report. As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Bacardi’s CR efforts are fueled by its expanded “Good Spirited” platform.

Research, Reports & Publications

Microsoft Works to Empower People, Strengthen Communities, and Protect Our Planet

Oct 24, 2018 3:00 PM ET

As Microsoft pursues its mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, there is great opportunity for their customers, partners and company.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Path to Affordable Homeownership

Oct 24, 2018 2:30 PM ET

In Washington, D.C., available real estate is a rare commodity, and this is especially true in areas east of the Anacostia River. Wards 7 and 8 are considered “the last real estate to develop,” said Bill Winston, chief performance officer of MANNA, Inc., a local nonprofit developer of quality, affordable housing in Washington, D.C. As a result, the area has become more desirable to for-profit developers — and a big concern for the residents living there, he said.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Helps Strengthen North Carolina Nonprofits With Over $800,000 in Grants

Oct 24, 2018 1:40 PM ET

Duke Energy is strengthening nonprofit capacity building efforts and supporting other strategic community initiatives by investing $849,000 in 23 organizations across North Carolina.

Environment

Washington Post’s Greg Sargent on the American “Uncivil War”

Oct 24, 2018 1:30 PM ET

It’s election season. To say that the political atmosphere is polarized understates the wormhole into which the US has fallen. We have a president who tells easily disprovable lies without compunction, and a party of elected officials who line up behind him, drafting off his autocratic slipstream.

Environment

INFOGRAPHIC | American Forest Foundation Partnership Extends Conservation Efforts

Oct 24, 2018 12:50 PM ET

Domtar products are part of everyday living for people around the world, and the forests where our products originate are home to a wide range of wildlife. That’s why protecting both habitats and resources is so important to us. Our conservation efforts are a foundational part of our sustainability philosophy of responsibility, efficiency and engagement.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CEO Dan Amos Awarded Key to the City in Columbia, South Carolina, for Aflac's Work With Pediatric Cancer Patients

Oct 24, 2018 12:20 PM ET

After a successful delivery of My Special Aflac Duck™ to pediatric cancer patients at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, Aflac CEO Dan Amos was awarded the Key to the City of Columbia, South Carolina, by Mayor Steve Benjamin. He was recognized for his work leading corporate responsibility efforts in Columbia and across the country.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Follow the Kit: The Builds

Oct 24, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Las Vegas Sands and long-time partner, Clean the World, have hosted hygiene kit builds every year since 2014. The first year, the large volunteer effort brought in a total of 100,000 hygiene kits for populations in need. The kit builds have expanded into a global event in the US, Macao, and Singapore and support the company’s active approach on community relief and disaster preparedness efforts through Sands Cares, the company’s global corporate giving and community engagement program.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Humana Foundation Invests More Than $2.5 Million in Baton Rouge and San Antonio Initiatives

Oct 24, 2018 11:20 AM ET