Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Sustainable Development Goals

Akoin Team Discuss Blockchain & SDGs during General Assembly Week

Oct 10, 2018 12:55 PM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

New Blueprint for An Inclusive Future of Work

Oct 10, 2018 12:10 PM ET

magine you’ve been working as an accounting clerk or on an assembly line or in a textile factory for the past 20 years. You’re great at your job and you’ve honed your craft skills over the years. Lately you’ve been seeing signs of change, noticing colleagues shifting roles, and reading increased news coverage of automation.

What are your options? Work harder, longer hours, faster? Start looking for new roles? Develop new skills? Where to start? Our new report Inclusive Future of Work: A Call to Action tackles these questions head on.

Environment

IPCC Report Reveals Urgent Need for CEOs to Act on Climate

Oct 10, 2018 11:55 AM ET

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a sobering report this week detailing the dramatic effects of climate change and the immediate steps we need to take to make significant progress on limiting warming in the future. The report makes it clear that apathy and inaction are no longer viable options. Unprecedented action is needed by both the public and private sector to transform our energy, transportation and other systems around the world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods and Feed More Unveil New Tractor-Trailer to Expand Distribution in Rural Counties in Central Virginia

Oct 10, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Feed More, a hunger-relief organization serving 34 cities and counties in Central Virginia, unveiled a new refrigerated tractor-trailer to support the organization’s efforts to improve product distribution to the eight localities in the southern region of their service area, where almost 25,000 individuals are food insecure. The tractor-trailer was funded through a $180,000 gift from the Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

We Are Only Half As Good As We Want to Be

Oct 10, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Despite people giving $400 billion most Americans are only half as charitable as they intend. To help bridge that gap, progressive and purpose-driven brands are adopting new strategies to engage their people in more social impact.

Media & Communications

Breaking Through The PDF: 4 Trends in CR Reporting

Oct 10, 2018 11:20 AM ET

Today, reporting on corporate responsibility continues to rise, with 85 percent of companies in the S&P 500 Index publishing reports.To stand out from the sea of reports, leading companies are innovating new ways to communicate progress and increase transparency. As reporting season comes to a close in 2018, here are four ways leaders are standing out.

Environment

Consumers Energy Demonstrates Commitment to the Environment; Releases Endangered Blanding’s Turtles into Enhanced Wetlands

Oct 10, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Consumers Energy released three endangered Blanding’s turtles back to a Saginaw area wetland on Thursday, Sept. 27. The rare turtles – two adults and a juvenile -- were rescued from a right-of-way where Consumers Energy was installing Phase 2 of the Saginaw Trail Pipeline and cared for by a herpetologist employed by the company.

Research, Reports & Publications

Nobel Award Recognizes How Economic Forces Can Fight Climate Change – Andy Hoffman in the Conversation

Oct 10, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Yale economist William Nordhaus has devoted his life’s work to understanding the costs of climate change and advocating the use of a carbon tax to curb global warming.

Education

Arrow Electronics Presents Colorado Educators with Prestigious “Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning” Award

Oct 10, 2018 10:55 AM ET

Arrow Electronics presented Sean Wybrant and Scott Fuller with The 2018 Succeeds Prize for Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning during a celebration honoring Colorado public schools and educators in Denver.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Allstate Foundation Encourages Youth Empowerment with Good Starts Young Program

Oct 10, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Research shows that for a young person to succeed in life, social and emotional learning skills are as – if not even more important – than academic achievement. With these skills, youth are empowered to succeed and become our future leaders.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Whole Planet Foundation Launches Annual Poverty Is Unnecessary Project

Oct 10, 2018 10:05 AM ET

This October, Whole Planet Foundation celebrates its global impact on poverty and the partners who further its mission. In 2005, Whole Foods Market® launched Whole Planet Foundation, its non-profit dedicated to global poverty alleviation in communities around the world where the company sources products.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Global Reporting Initiative Co-launches Impact Management Project

Oct 10, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Key organizations in impact management and standard setting, have joined forces to bring impact investing into mainstream finance.

Events, Media & Communications

Corporate Activism and the Future of Sustainable Business

Oct 10, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Due to the accelerating "CEO Activism," or "Corporate Activism," trend, employees are demanding for companies to demonstrate what their values are and what they mean by integrity.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Introducing Sysco Earth Plus® - Planet-Friendly, Everyday Essentials

Oct 10, 2018 10:00 AM ET

As part of our ongoing commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, we're excited to announce Sysco Earth Plus®, planet-friendly, non-food solutions for operators looking for a wide range of reliable and environmentally responsible products.

​Rooted in the 4 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Renew - Sysco Earth Plus® is protecting the Earth, Plus delivering value to our customers.

Research, Reports & Publications

Once Reserved for Critical Infrastructure, Distributed Energy Resources Come to the Masses

Oct 10, 2018 10:00 AM ET

From a municipal airport in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to a school district in Salinas, California, microgrid projects are popping up across the country, fueled by the desire for energy cost savings, sustainability, reliability and resilience. Applications of this technology, which typically includes renewable energy, energy storage, fossil-fueled generation and load management, can be spotted in critical infrastructure installations such as data centers, military installations, college campuses, office parks and airports. But given microgrids’ unparalleled ability to deliver backup power during an outage and reduce energy costs for a broad swath of the market, these early examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Subaru Share the Love® Event Returns for Its Eleventh Consecutive Year in 2018

Oct 10, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced the return of its annual Share the Love event in 2018. Eleven years running, this year’s Share the Love event marks the third consecutive year there will be no cap placed on the total donation from Subaru of America to its Share the Love charitable partners.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

LG Recognized as Industry Leader in Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Oct 10, 2018 9:30 AM ET

LG Electronics has been named 2018 Industry Leader by the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). This top ranking in the highly competitive consumer electronics category follows LG’s track record of four consecutive years of recognition as a DJSI Industry Group Leader.

Innovation & Technology

Webinar | A Drone May Save Your Life One Day

Oct 10, 2018 9:25 AM ET

Despite the convenience of instantaneous food delivery or the wonder of flying cars, we should not lose sight of the tremendous social change powered by today’s technology advances. Drones and autonomous systems, for example, are creating unforeseen opportunity to make a positive impact in the world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sysco Employees Provide Nearly 100,000 Meals During Hunger Action Month

Oct 9, 2018 6:15 PM ET

September was Hunger Action Month! Associates at our Enclave and Cypress campuses were given the opportunity to volunteer with various hunger organizations across the Houston area.

Media & Communications

Whirlpool Corporation’s ‘Places that Matter’ Project Focuses on Places and People

Oct 9, 2018 6:00 PM ET

Southwest Michigan — more specifically the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph — houses Whirlpool Corporation’s global and North American headquarters, as well as several technical, research and customer service facilities. The area is also the focus of the first episode of the “Places that Matter” photojournalism project launched this fall from the corporate newsroom at Whirlpool Corporation.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Aramark CEO Eric Foss Appointed to Back on My Feet National Board of Directors

Oct 9, 2018 4:10 PM ET

Back on My Feet, the national nonprofit organization committed to addressing homelessness, has announced that Eric J. Foss, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aramark, has joined its national board of directors.

Back on My Feet combats homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources in 12 cities across the country, including Philadelphia, Aramark’s headquarters city.

Innovation & Technology

African Financial Technology Startups Move Beyond Payment Services

Oct 9, 2018 3:10 PM ET

If mobile money was the first phase in the development of digital finance in Africa, the next phase of digital financial services on the continent will focus on lending, insurance and wealth management

In “Beyond Payments: The Next Generation of Fintech Startups in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the venture capital firm Village Capital, and their reporting partner, PayPal, tip their hat to M-Pesa and mobile money in Africa, but say that there’s a wave of innovation still to come.

Research, Reports & Publications

Astellas Details Progress and Commitment to Patients and the Community in the Company's Americas 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report Card

Oct 9, 2018 2:40 PM ET

Astellas today issued its third-annual Americas Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report Card. The Report Card, which can be found here, outlines the company's progress made during Fiscal Year 2017 to fulfill its commitments to patients, employees and the communities where we work and live.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

A Dream Job for a Coffee Lover

Oct 9, 2018 2:35 PM ET

As one of the world’s largest coffee producers, we know how to make a good cup of java. We also know that we can make an incredible impact in growing coffee sustainably. The work we do to help coffee farmers grow healthy beans — and dramatically improve their incomes — is one of the many reasons I’m proud to work at Nestlé. Because of our size, the way we source coffee beans can really make a difference in the lives of growers and in the health of the environment.

Sustainable Development Goals

Los Angeles Middle School Enters a New Era of Innovative Learning

Oct 9, 2018 2:30 PM ET

Daniel Webster Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has just begun a transformation to a new era of learning. Last spring, the school won a nationwide contest, and ultimately was given the opportunity to take part in Verizon Innovative Learning, the signature program of the Verizon Foundation. This week, Daniel Webster got the first taste of what being a Verizon Innovative Learning school means, as students were treated to an immersive virtual reality field trip.