Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Media & Communications

Sustainable Mutual Funds Investing Ratings

Jun 25, 2018 2:45 PM ET

The 20th Century concept of “mutual funds” investment debuted before the stock market crash of October 1929; in 1924 the Massachusetts Investors’ Trust in Boston was created with State Street Investors’ Trust as the custodian. That fund opened to public investment in 1928. That same year the Wellington Fund (offering both bonds and equity) opened for business.

Health & Healthcare

Farm to School Impact Continues to Grow in Canada with 33 More Schools to Receive Grants

Jun 25, 2018 2:25 PM ET

Farm to Cafeteria Canada (F2CC) and Whole Kids Foundation (WKF) are thrilled to announce that a second round of Farm to School Canada grants, valued at up to $10,000 each, will be delivered to 33 schools across British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland, bringing more of the local harvest into the minds and onto the plates of students across the country.

Events, Media & Communications

Whirlpool Opens Consumer Experience Center

Jun 25, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s largest major appliance maker, has added a consumer experience center to the World of Whirlpool, its 60,000-square-foot showcase for the trade in Chicago.

Research, Reports & Publications

Xylem Highlights Its Continuing Commitment to Global Sustainability in Its Annual Sustainability Report: “The Opportunity of a Lifetime”

Jun 25, 2018 1:05 PM ET

Xylem, a leading global water technology company, published its 2017 Sustainability Report: "The Opportunity of a Lifetime,"which outlines its commitment to partnering with customers and communities to pioneer new approaches to help solve the major water challenges of our time. The report also spotlights Xylem’s progress over the past year to advance its sustainability goals.

Education

Introducing Global Problem Solvers: The Series

Jun 25, 2018 1:05 PM ET

GPS: The Series engages students with a team of teens from around the globe who use technology to solve real-world problems. The mission of the series is to inspire students to become global problems solvers — global citizens ready to thrive in an increasingly connected and digital future by thinking like entrepreneurs, innovating like technologists, and acting as social change agents.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VSP Global and GLAM4GOOD Join Forces to Expand Access to Critical Resources

Jun 25, 2018 12:55 PM ET

A charitable collaboration, first developed through Hurricane Harvey outreach, is now taking formal shape in a year-long effort to provide access to comprehensive eye exams, prescription glasses, beauty and fashion items where they are needed most. VSP Global, which includes the nation’s largest not-for-profit vision benefits company, and GLAM4GOOD, the award-winning empowerment platform and non-profit organization, announced today that they are joining forces to make a greater impact in the communities they serve.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Historical Dodge//SRT and Barrett-Jackson ‘The Ultimate Last Chance’ Auction Scores $1 Million for the United Way

Jun 25, 2018 12:40 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Meet Susan Goodsell, Member of the Aflac Green Team

Jun 25, 2018 12:35 PM ET

Meet Susan Goodsell, a member of the Aflac Green Committee who uses her communication skills to help promote Aflac’s environmental sustainability initiatives through education, community activities and volunteerism.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Wells Fargo Donates $500,000 for Jacksonville Revitalization Efforts

Jun 25, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced a total of $500,000 in donations to five local nonprofits to help revitalize Jacksonville neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT® program.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

An Estimated $970,000 Raised for Charity at the 2018 Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k

Jun 25, 2018 11:45 AM ET

More than 6,700 people took part in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k, raising an estimated $970,000 for 70 local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This brings the grand total since 2007 to over $8 million.

Environment

WATCH | How Consumers Energy Will Cut Out Coal Burning by 2040

Jun 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sands China's Responsible Gaming Team Training Program

Jun 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Sands China Ltd. delivered its annual Responsible Gaming Team Training Program at The Venetian Macao’s Adelson Advanced Education Center as part of the company’s continuing efforts to make Responsible Gaming education a top priority.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Realizing Women’s Full Financial Potential

Jun 25, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Globally, women influence or control more than 25 percent of wealth, but a lack of access to affordable financial products and services can hold them back. BNY Mellon helps increase women’s financial inclusion to improve their lives, communities and society.

Once women establish a financial footprint by opening checking or savings accounts, they can build their financial empowerment through the use of payment systems and loans, which help women achieve financial health and enable them to mitigate risk and plan and save for the future.

The more women realize their full potential as independent and empowered financial agents, the more improvements will be evident in local health and educational outcomes, along with expansions in entrepreneurship and greater overall financial security.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Pizza Hut: All Chicken Will be Raised Without Antibiotics by 2022

Jun 25, 2018 10:15 AM ET

About a year from making the switch on its signature product, Pizza Hut announced Tuesday (June 19) a plan to step into a wing category all its own. By 2022, the YUM Brands! chain said it will serve chicken raised free of antibiotics important to human medicine (per World Health Organization). This includes all chicken, including its WingStreet Wings. Just about a year ago, Pizza Hut completed the removal of antibiotics from its chicken for pizza. The move will make it the first pizza company to commit to an antibiotic-free policy for chicken wings, Pizza Hut claims.

Environment

Ocean Plastics Top Agenda for G7 Leaders – But Giant Consumer Brands Can Take the Lead

Jun 25, 2018 10:05 AM ET

At Sustainable Brands, we spoke with Virginie Helias, vice president of global sustainability for P&G, to hear how the Cincinnati-based CPG company will attack the ocean plastics crisis as part of a progressive ESG agenda that also includes dialog with consumers about responsible consumption.

Health & Healthcare

SC Johnson Entomologists Outline Three Tips to Help Prevent Mosquito Bites During Summer

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Known for taking the fun out of picnics, trips to the beach and other outdoor activities, mosquitoes especially earn their annoying reputation during warm summer months. Marking the start of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, the mosquito experts from the SC Johnson Institute of Insect Science for Family Health are offering three useful tips to help protect you and your family from mosquito bites.

Health & Healthcare

Les entomologistes de SC Johnson présentent trois conseils pour prévenir les piqûres de moustiques au cours de l’été

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

On sait que les moustiques gâchent le plaisir des pique-niques, des visites à la plage et d’autres activités à l’extérieur; elles méritent bien leur réputation agaçante lors des mois chauds de l’été. Pour marquer le début de la Semaine nationale de sensibilisation du contrôle des moustiques, les spécialistes des moustiques du SC Johnson Institute of Insect Science for Family Health offrent trois conseils utiles pour aider à vous protéger, vous et votre famille, contres les piqûres de moustiques.

Sustainable Development Goals

Farming Up: Modern Biology Will Maximize the Potential of Vertical Controlled-Environment Agriculture

Jun 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on Vertical Farming as a pre-summit event at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco. I had the pleasure of joining key leaders from this promising new industry to discuss the role that plant science and technological innovations may play in optimizing yields and delivering valuable products. My message was simple: Partnerships between seed companies and vertical controlled-environment producers, and the application of modern biology tools to create custom germplasm, will be key to enabling these new and exciting production systems, just as they are in today’s most commonly-used fruit and vegetable production systems.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Circularity: A New Way of Thinking, A New Business Model

Jun 25, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Circularity is embedded in the way we do business at Schneider Electric because of the inherent ROI. Having circularity built into our business operations and processes, we realize more efficient resource management and a resilient supply chain, while enhancing our customer’s loyalty by providing an end of life commitment to reuse and decommission products; further turning waste into worth.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem Watermark & Project 24: San Isidro, Puerto Rico

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

San Isidro is one of the most populated barrios in Puerto Rico, but a lack of access to safe drinking water in the community was made worse by Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year.

Planet Water Foundation’s AquaTower system, supported by Xylem, will provide a vital resource for this resilient community to support their water needs as their rebuilding process continues.

Energy

The Marlton Hotel

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The design flexibility combined with the high performance and energy efficiency of the LG VRF solution thoroughly addressed the building’s requirements in a cost-effective manner without sacrificing comfort. For nearly the same cost as a traditional system, The Marlton Hotel now has a highly reliable, energy-efficient HVAC solution that delivers comfort and conveniences for its guests.

Environment

MillerCoors and Global Water Center Achieve World Firsts in Water Stewardship

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certifier of environmental claims, has certified that MillerCoors Milwaukee Brewery and the Global Water Center conform with the requirements of the Alliance for Water Stewardship International Water Stewardship Standard (AWS Standard), the first-ever comprehensive global standard for measuring responsible water stewardship across social, environmental and economic criteria.

Sustainable Development Goals

Expert Interview With Terri Stiffler, Resettlement Expert

Jun 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Terri Stiffler began her professional career as an electrical engineer in the defense industry. She changed jobs, moving into the environmental and international development field to pursue her passions of protecting the environment and improving the lives of those less fortunate around the world.

Research, Reports & Publications

Royal Mail Group Publishes Its 2017-18 Corporate Responsibility Report

Jun 25, 2018 5:00 AM ET

Royal Mail’s vision is to be recognised as the best delivery company in the UK and across Europe. In an increasingly challenging and competitive marketplace, Royal Mail has continued to put the principles of corporate responsibility at the centre of our business strategy. Royal Mail believes that this holds the key to delivering sustainable value for our shareholders, now and in the future.

Diversity & Inclusion

Brands Align Values With #FamiliesBelongTogether

Jun 22, 2018 5:45 PM ET

The topic of immigration proved to be a hot-button issue in early 2017 when protests broke out at airports across the country decrying the Muslim Ban. This week, the immigration policy has once again dominated the media and divided the country as stories and images of families begin separated at the U.S.-Mexico border surfaced. However, despite the controversy, brands were prepared to take a vocal stand and support the #FamiliesBelongTogether outcry in a variety of ways that align with their company values and missions.