Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Sustainable Development Goals

UN Global Compact Bulletin (July 2018)

Jul 13, 2018 12:40 PM ET

The UN Global Compact Bulletin is designed to keep participants up to date on news, actions you can take, resources and events. Participants are encouraged to look to this monthly communication for important information. Please note that actions and events are intended for Global Compact stakeholders, unless otherwise indicated. The Bulletin is published in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

Research, Reports & Publications

NRG Energy's 2017 Sustainability Report in Context

Jul 13, 2018 12:40 PM ET

We’re focused on creating value for our shareholders today and into the future. To do so, we must stay abreast of the greatest forces of change in our industry and adapt our business accordingly. As part of that effort, we’ve identified national and global trends most relevant to NRG.

Sustainable Development Goals

Ahead of SDG Business Forum, UN Global Compact Urges Private Sector to Fuel Acceleration of Sustainable Development at National Level

Jul 13, 2018 12:05 PM ET

The United Nations Global Compact — together with its partners ICC and UN DESA — will next week (on 17 July) host more than 600 representatives from the private sector, civil society, Governments and the UN at the third annual SDG Business Forum. Held as part of the UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the SDG Business Forum provides a unique platform for business to interact with key stakeholders, share their perspectives and showcase their efforts in support of the 2030 Agenda.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford Teams Up with Actress Lauren Potter for Special Olympics Unified Sports Challenge

Jul 13, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford participated in the first-ever ESPN | Special Olympics Unified Sports Challenge, held Sunday, July 1, 2018, at the University of Washington’s Husky Ballpark. Ashford was among an exclusive group of executives who competed with employees, celebrities and Special Olympics athletes in multiple Unified Sports challenges – all to raise money for Special Olympics and the Seattle community. Holland America Line was a presenting sponsor for the Seattle Art Mural project of the Special Olympics USA Games.

Innovation & Technology

3 Ways Drones Are Proving More Useful Than Ever Imagined

Jul 13, 2018 11:20 AM ET

As drones grow stronger, faster and smarter, new iterations seem to be emerging month by month — each one designed and trained for a different vocation. They’re going way beyond their initial work in the military or meteorology, and plowing into delivery and logistics, the energy industry and farming. Much of this growth is being fueled by artificial intelligence. AI enables the newest generation of drones to not only perceive data, but also to interpret and act on it.

Environment

Marina Bay Sands and the World Wide Fund for Nature: Working Together on Ocean Conservation Stewardship

Jul 13, 2018 11:20 AM ET

To raise sustainability standards within Asia’s hospitality industry, Marina Bay Sands has partnered with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Singapore. Together, they are focusing on seafood and ocean conservation with goals including positive initiatives in responsible seafood, aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs), and enhanced green meeting packages.

Environment

New Report: Forests are Key to Combating Looming Water Crisis

Jul 13, 2018 10:45 AM ET

A new report released today at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York suggests that successfully managing the world’s forests will be key to ensuring safe and sustainable water supplies for all.

Education

Curiosity Cube Encourages Youngsters to Learn About STEM

Jul 13, 2018 10:20 AM ET

LARAMIE – Children and parents got more than fireworks this Fourth of July week as they participated in educational science experiments about the human body with the arrival of the Curiosity Cube.

Events, Media & Communications

How to Be Profitable and Sustainable Operating with Finite Resources

Jul 13, 2018 10:10 AM ET

The Earth’s resources are finite, but human possibilities are not. Continuing to operate in this reality requires BOLD IDEAS, and leading companies are rising to the challenge by looking at how to manage natural resources differently, how to measure them more accurately, and how to develop products and processes that use them more efficiently. Schneider Electric estimates that commercial technologies for buildings, industrial processes and electricity production alone could move the date at least 21 days

Social Impact & Volunteering

Consumers Energy Helps Light Up the City of Jackson, MI

Jul 13, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Over 40 Consumers Energy employees, residents and police officers hit the streets to help a neighborhood in Consumers Energy’s hometown of Jackson, Mich., on Thursday night – the start of an effort to promote public safety and a strong community.

Responsible Production & Consumption

It's Time for the World to Start Caring about Coconuts

Jul 13, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Coconut water alone is projected to generate $4 billion in revenue between 2015 and 2019. It's reported that the global demand for coconut is growing at a rate of more than 10 percent each year. So coconut is booming, but where's it all coming from? And an even bigger question: can the people growing it keep up with the craze?

Environment

Certification Bodies Field Test China's New National Forest Stewardship Standards (NFSS)

Jul 13, 2018 10:00 AM ET

SCS Global Services and other third-party certification bodies joined representatives from WWF China, IKEA, the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the Fujian University of Agroforestry in mid-June for field trials of the new Chinese National Forest Stewardship Standards (NFSS). The certification bodies were calibrating interpretations of the new standard, which will be used to conduct all Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) evaluations in China once it is approved.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Cisco VIDEO | Mobile Surveys Save Millions of Dollars While Saving Lives

Jul 13, 2018 9:10 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

Finding America’s Healthiest Communities

Jul 13, 2018 9:05 AM ET

To showcase the communities in America that are doing the best job of improving residents’ health through strategic partnerships, expanded public health assessments and education programs, the Aetna Foundation and U.S. News & World Report released the Healthiest Communities inaugural ranking in March 2018.

Events, Media & Communications

As Tariffs Roil Markets, Brands Make Their Voices Heard

Jul 13, 2018 9:05 AM ET

From General Motors and Harley Davidson, large corporations to mid-sized and small businesses, companies have voiced their opposition. Trade groups have sounded the alarm: “The administration is threatening to undermine the economic progress it worked so hard to achieve,” said Tom Donohue, president of the US Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of Republican economic policies in announcing a campaign to oppose the administration’s tariffs.

Green Infrastructure

Driving Decisions With Data Dashboards: Helping Houston Recover From Hurricane Harvey

Jul 13, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Across Tetra Tech’s markets, nearly all clients share the need for actionable information that can drive decision making. Big data began bursting onto the scene some 25 years ago, inundating our information-hungry clients with megabytes and gigabytes of facts and figures that soon became a flood of petabytes and zettabytes. Managers thirsty for relevant intelligence were drowning in oceans of data, wondering what was important, what was essential, and what was urgent information.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem Watermark Partners with Habitat for Humanity in Houston After Hurricane Harvey

Jul 13, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Ten Blockchain Events You Won't Want to Miss

Jul 12, 2018 4:55 PM ET

Here are ten upcoming blockchain events you won’t want to miss.

Research, Reports & Publications

Making HP as Green as It Can Be: What We Did in 2017

Jul 12, 2018 4:25 PM ET

From products to offices to manufacturing, HP’s commitment to sustainability affects every aspect of our business. Here’s what we achieved in just one year.

Diversity & Inclusion

Aflac CEO Dan Amos Among 50 Best CEOs Focused on Diversity

Jul 12, 2018 4:10 PM ET

Aflac CEO Dan Amos has ranked No. 16 on Comparably​’s list of 50 Best CEOs focused on diversity!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Habitat for Humanity: Creating ‘a Safer Place to Sleep at Night’ for Millions of People

Jul 12, 2018 3:30 PM ET

After four decades of helping families build or improve a place they can call home, Habitat for Humanity® has realized that a house is more than walls, a roof, a floor, and a door. Creating opportunities that enable people to improve their living conditions can lead to positive changes like improved health, better education outcomes, and the ability to make forward-looking choices.

Diversity & Inclusion

When Untapped Potential Meets Access to College

Jul 12, 2018 3:00 PM ET

In some communities around the world, people shy away from discussing mental health and behavioral issues. But one college student has decided to tackle these topics head-on — and make a career out of it. Jacklyn Garote, who is from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, hopes to be a leader in the field of psychology. She’s currently majoring in psychology, planning to also major in sociology, and aspires to be a licensed therapist and psychology researcher.

Environment

Ceres: Clean Energy Opportunities Align With Investment Fundamentals

Jul 12, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Now that clean energy has gone mainstream, there is an array of existing and emerging opportunities to scale up clean energy investments while also meeting investors’ risk-return requirements. Across asset classes, clean energy opportunities are available that align with investment fundamentals such as long-term risk diversification. Savvy investors are now moving to understand the expanding opportunities in the clean energy sector, recognizing that this market is growing in terms of the breadth and quality of available opportunities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Scotiabank - "The Price of Equality"

Jul 12, 2018 2:10 PM ET

Scotiabank’s campaign, the “Price of Equality” has gained a lot of attention globally, where it successfully addressed the gender wage gap in Peru, known to be the highest in Latin America.

Education

Creating Strong Bridges to Biotech: Professional Development in Action

Jul 12, 2018 1:25 PM ET

School is out for summer – or almost – for most high school students globally. But for some teachers, the learning is going to continue. Around the world, Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) sites are gearing up for their professional development institutes, or PDIs. These multi-day workshops train high school teachers in the ABE curriculum, directly giving them experience with the hands-on biotech labs they’ll run in their classrooms when school resumes in the fall.