Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Environment

The 4 Critical Steps to Climate Leadership

Dec 4, 2018 12:05 PM ET

Business leaders can no longer afford to look the other way on climate change. The recent National Climate Assessment revealed that regional economies and industries dependent on natural resources are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – as are energy systems. Warmer climates will increasingly disrupt international trade, prices, and supply chains, and costs could reach hundreds of billion dollars per year by the end of the century. Climate change doesn’t just threaten ecological balance, it threatens corporate balance sheets.

Sustainable Development Goals

BCtA News Bite November 2018

Dec 4, 2018 12:05 PM ET

Only one month remains of 2018, but we are feeling invigorated after an eventful three months since our last News Bite and looking forward to the year ahead! Important themes for us over the past few months have been human rights, women's economic empowerment and digitalisation. Read more below about activities in these areas - and thank you to all of you who participated in and supported them. Looking forward, we're also really excited to share the findings of our State of Inclusive Business Survey - more on this below.

Innovation & Technology

VIDEO | Building Bridges Between Hope and Possibility

Dec 4, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Technology holds great promise to improve lives – consider how every second in India, three people experience the Internet for the first time. Or how video collaboration units enable patients at family health clinics in rural areas in Africa to connect to specialists at larger medical centers. Yet technology can do little if a person lacks access to basic needs.

At Cisco, making a difference and improving lives around the world has been core to who we are for over 30 years. We have consistently leveraged our technology to solve real business and social problems, and ultimately to build bridges to new possibilities.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

5 Keys to Attracting and Keeping Socially-Mindful Employees

Dec 4, 2018 11:05 AM ET

According to a survey of nearly 1,600 United States employees by America’s Charities, companies that build effective workplace giving and volunteering programs have a significant leg up when it comes to attracting talent

Energy

Schneider Electric se compromete con la creación del primer centro franco-argentino de excelencia para la capacitación técnica en las especialidades que se requieren en el campo de la eficiencia energética

Dec 4, 2018 10:50 AM ET

Schneider Electric, que lidera la transformación digital de la gestión de la energía y la automatización, junto con su Fundación y bajo la égida de la Fundación de Francia, firmaron una carta de intención con el Ministerio de Educación Nacional y Juventud de Francia y el Ministerio de Educación, Cultura, Ciencia y Tecnología de Argentina, para la creación de un centro de excelencia destinado a la capacitación técnica en las especialidades requeridas en el campo de la eficiencia energética.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics and Keep America Beautiful Announce 2018 Hefty® EnergyBag® Grant Recipients

Dec 4, 2018 10:45 AM ET

Dow and Keep America Beautiful announced they have awarded two $40,000 grants to organizations in Cobb County, Ga., and Lincoln, Neb. The grants will expand a recently launched Hefty® EnergyBag® program in Cobb County and help to establish a new start-up program in Lincoln.

Innovation & Technology

How Data Privacy Regulations Affect Nonprofits—And What They Can Do

Dec 4, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Even organizations focused on public benefit regularly collect and store users’ personal information. This means that rules like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply to nonprofits and social good organizations as much as private-sector companies. In fact, nonprofits, philanthropic groups, and foundations are potentially exposed to even greater risk in the event of a data breach or theft, as the reputations they’ve painstakingly cultivated can be tarnished overnight.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

How Bloomberg LP Has Led the Way in Supporting Material ESG Data

Dec 4, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Curtis Ravenel, Global Head, Sustainable Business and Finance, Bloomberg LP and SASB Foundation Board Member recently talked to SASB about Bloomberg's leadership in the space, our role in bolstering the adoption of SASB standards, the value of SASB standards in the European market, and the harmonization of SASB with the framework put forward by the FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Diversity & Inclusion

Arrow Electronics Hosts Diverse Students from Five Colorado Universities

Dec 4, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Making Good Happen at Work on #GivingTuesday

Dec 4, 2018 10:05 AM ET

The Common Impact team had the pleasure of spending #GivingTuesday in Boston with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation for the first-ever Making Good Happen at Work conference in Boston. The conference brought together leaders from the corporate, nonprofit and public sectors for an interactive conversation on creating and tending an effective employee service and giving program.

Energy

VIDEO | Mohawk Group and Groundswell Unveil smartflower™ Solar Energy Unit in Eden, NC

Dec 4, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Mohawk Group and nonprofit Groundswell have teamed up to locate a new smartflower™ solar energy unit near three Rockingham County Schools in North Carolina—a project that will bring the benefits of clean solar power to the area, create educational opportunities for students and also contribute to Mohawk’s sustainability efforts to leave more handprints than footprints. The smartflower technology was unveiled on Nov. 29 at a special event in Eden, N.C., which is also the home of Mohawk’s historic Karastan woven carpet plant.

Environment

Practitioner Spotlight--Todd Gift

Dec 4, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Antea Group highlights Todd Gift, its environmental remediation consultant based in Austin, TX.

Education

PNC Bank and Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Reveal the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery

Dec 4, 2018 9:55 AM ET

The new art installation in the Kauffman Center’s Plaza Lobby showcases hundreds of handprints created by local pre-school students at Growing Futures Early Education Center in Overland Park, Kan. and United Inner City Services St. Mark Center in Kansas City, Mo. PNC Bank created the gallery in partnership with the Kauffman Center and the two early education centers, as part of an effort to inspire great futures for local children through memorable arts experiences.

Energy

Podcast: Clean Energy is the Future and National Grid is Ready to Lead us There Today

Dec 4, 2018 9:55 AM ET

John Pettigrew, CEO of National Grid PLC, is focused on transforming utilities to become greener, more efficient, and technological to prepare for an uncertain future of climate change, customer needs, and an uncertain political environment. National Grid, which operates electric and gas utilities in the United States and Great Britain, is driving the conversation around carbon usage and the implementation of clean energy technology.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Corporate Social Responsibility: Being a Force for Good in an Era of Employee Activism

Dec 4, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Social activism has transformed America over the past two years. From the Women’s March to the NFL; from Net Neutrality to hurricane relief. And the sort of activism Americans are demonstrating has moved beyond marches, social media hashtags, and town hall meetings—it has entered the workplace.

Diversity & Inclusion

Tonya Berry Named VP of Operations Performance at Consumers Energy

Dec 4, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Consumers Energy, a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million people in Michigan, named Tonya Berry as its new vice president of operations performance. Starting on Nov. 16, 2018, Berry will be responsible for improving work management processes within the gas and electric groups.

Health & Healthcare

VIDEO | My Special Aflac Duck​™ Brings Smiles and Laughter to Children's Hospital

Dec 4, 2018 9:35 AM ET

The room was filled with smiles and laughter during the My Special Aflac Duck​™ delivery at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital​ in Columbia, South Carolina. The delivery followed more than 18 months of child-centered research aimed at creating a caring companion for children with cancer.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Quincy Girl Scouts Troops Recycle, Earn Bronze Award

Dec 4, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Two Quincy Girl Scouts troops have been working on their Bronze Award, completing their Girls Scouts Journey; making a “Take Action” plan, and executing the project.

Diversity & Inclusion

New Paper Outlines Paths to Promote a More Inclusive Society Through Corporate Social Engagement

Dec 4, 2018 9:25 AM ET

CECP: The CEO Force for Good today published a new white paper exploring how companies are integrating diversity and inclusion (D&I) into their corporate citizenship and responsibility priorities, Diversity & Inclusion in Corporate Social Engagement. With support from the Walmart Foundation, CECP led this year-long inquiry with the goal of identifying and sharing actionable insights and best practices that corporate leaders can learn from and apply in their own companies. CECP is a coalition of more than 200 companies and CEOs that believes that a company’s social strategy--how it engages with key stakeholders including employees, communities, investors, and customers--determines company success.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sands Cares Honored with Governor’s Award in Nevada

Dec 4, 2018 9:05 AM ET

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas was recognized for their community service through Sands Cares, the company’s corporate giving and Team Member engagement program, at the 2018 Governor’s Points of Light Awards in October. Sands Cares integrates the company’s philanthropic work worldwide including financial giving, Team Member volunteerism, and in-kind support while making an impact in the areas we care about most: our people, planet, and communities. Seven awards were given out by Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison at the annual awards ceremony including Sands Cares in Las Vegas for the Corporate and Business Volunteer Program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Q&A with Mark Almeida of Bureau van Dijk

Dec 4, 2018 9:05 AM ET

For me, the way to think about Moody’s is that we’re an information company. No matter how you slice what we do, we’re all about providing information and insight to as many people as we possibly can.

Environment

Business Calls for Strong Guidelines and Increased Climate Ambition at COP24

Dec 4, 2018 9:00 AM ET

At COP24, business is calling on government to create a just transition to net zero, participation in the Talanoa Dialogue, and strong Paris rulebook guidelines.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Humana Foundation Contributing More Than $2 Million to 30+ Organizations Through New Louisville Community Relations Program

Dec 4, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana for the past 37 years, is awarding grants to 30+ nonprofit organizations in Louisville as part of the foundation’s new Community Relations program. The $2 million in grants is in addition to $7 million the Humana Foundation is contributing to other organizations in seven cities, as part of its new Strategic Investing initiative.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | Hanes' Partnership with Invisible People Brings Comfort to America’s Homeless

Dec 4, 2018 8:55 AM ET

Mark Horvath, founder of Invisible People, explains why he believes a simple pair of white socks can make a dramatic difference in the lives of the estimated 3.5 million men, women and children that sleep in shelters, transitional housing and public places not meant for human habitation.

Research, Reports & Publications

Video: David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, Perspective on P&G Citizenship Efforts

Dec 4, 2018 8:45 AM ET

We made significant progress in each area of P&G’s Citizenship work in fiscal year 2018, and we continue to actively build Citizenship into how we deliver our business results.