Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Health & Healthcare

Alcon Cares Project 100 Commits to Reducing Cataract Blindness Globally

May 9, 2018 4:10 PM ET

Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, today announced Alcon Cares Project 100, which aims to reduce cataract blindness by providing equipment to perform phacoemulsification (or “phaco”), a key step in the cataract surgery procedure. Alcon Cares, a foundation that oversees equipment and product donations to those in need, will give 100 reprocessed Infiniti units to eligible clinics in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa over the next three years, making it one of the largest eye care equipment donations of its kind.

Health & Healthcare

A Family Legacy: Improving Global Public Health

May 9, 2018 3:40 PM ET

When Dr. Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH, joined Pfizer more than 20 years ago, planning had just begun for a new partnership to eliminate trachoma, a neglected tropical disease and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.

Responsible Production & Consumption

IES Unveils Healthy Materials Management System in Partnership With International Living Future Institute

May 9, 2018 3:20 PM ET

Finding building materials that won’t harm human health is now simpler and easier with the introduction of Red2Green (R2G), a new platform that slashes the time and effort required to pursue the ambitious requirements of the Living Building Challenge by crowdsourcing and documenting key materials health data for building and construction materials.

Research, Reports & Publications

Valvoline Releases 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, ‘Voices of Valvoline’

May 9, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV), a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, today released its 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report (CSR). The foundational pillars of corporate social responsibility at Valvoline™ continue to center on its “People, Product and Planet” approach with a strategic focus on achieving greater impact in the areas of citizenship, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Boeing Details More Than $54 Million in Grants and Philanthropic Investments

May 9, 2018 2:35 PM ET

Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced details for $54 million in grants and philanthropic sponsorships to nonprofits in the U.S. and around the globe. As part of the company’s pledge to invest in local communities following the enactment of the tax reform legislation, the investments include new or accelerated partnerships with organizations that improve STEM education, enhance transition and health services for veterans and their families, and enrich local communities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Northern Trust's Barbara Lane & Jackie Jordan Attended the Stand Against Racism Luncheon hosted by The YWCA

May 9, 2018 12:55 PM ET

Northern Trust's Barbara Lane & Jackie Jordan attended the Stand Against Racism Luncheon hosted by The YWCA in West Palm Beach Florida. The keynote speaker was Judge Marilyn Milian. Milian currently presides over the American TV series The People’s Court.

Innovation & Technology

UPS To Deploy New, State-Of-The-Art Electric Vehicles in London and Paris

May 9, 2018 12:50 PM ET

ARRIVAL will supply UPS with 35 modular, light-weight EVs with zero tailpipe emissions, 150-mile battery range and advanced safety features to make deliveries in London and Paris.

Sustainable Development Goals

How to Build an Inclusive Business

May 9, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Read the inspiring stories of Lucky, Nash, Peter and Norihiko taking you on their inclusive business journey.

Health & Healthcare

Novo Nordisk and Discovery Education Announce "Super Health, Super You" National Community Health Challenge Winners

May 9, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Novo Nordisk, a global health care leader in diabetes care and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the 2017 Super Health, Super You Community Health Challenge winners in celebration of thriving, healthy and active school communities across the United States.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

TCFD and CDSB Launch Knowledge Hub to Help Organizations Implement the TCFD Recommendations

May 9, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Today the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) announced the launch of the TCFD Knowledge Hub – a platform with relevant insights, tools and resources to help organizations implement the TCFD recommendations – at the TCFD U.S. Scenario Analysis Conference in New York.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Shared Value Summit 2018 Reflection

May 9, 2018 11:00 AM ET

When Common Impact’s clients ask me what events they should attend to understand the next generation of CSR, employee engagement and for-purpose business, I always point them to the Shared Value Initiative (SVI). SVI held its annual summit this past week in the (finally sunny!) downtown NYC, where hundreds of business, investment and social sector professionals met to hear and discuss the latest in driving a social, environmental and financial bottom line at once.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Social Value Canada Announces SROI (Social Return on Investment) Training for Calgary and Toronto

May 9, 2018 10:30 AM ET

May 30-31, 2018 in Calgary and June 13-14, 2018 in Toronto, join Social Value Canada for SROI Accreditation training. The course is a requirement for all individuals seeking accreditation by the SROI International Network.

Research, Reports & Publications

INFOGRAPHIC: Environmental Stewardship at Smithfield Foods

May 9, 2018 10:25 AM ET

Learn more about Smithfield’s ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its progress toward its 2020 environmental targets in its 2017 Sustainability Report at smithfieldfoods.com/environment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

How Taiwanese Companies Are Responding to the Sustainable Development Goals

May 9, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Climate change is a global challenge, and financial, supply chain and other related risks derived from climate change are among the top of the list of potential major impact risks. Taiwanese companies, like many global companies around the world, are beginning to realize the severity of the situation. Taiwanese businesses are using the Sustainable Development Goals to help guide progress and business operations for the future.

Education

Arrow Electronics Funds Teacher Training in Colorado's Cherry Creek School District

May 9, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Arrow Electronics is expanding its support of innovation in the Cherry Creek School District by helping to fund a new teacher-training initiative. In June, the district will begin partnering with the Buck Institute for Education to train 550 teachers across all grades and several disciplines on how to teach project-based learning.

Social Impact & Volunteering

VIDEO | Garden Time Provides Incarcerated Individuals Hope for the Future

May 9, 2018 9:25 AM ET

We’ve seen firsthand how gardens transform communities, but even more so, people’s lives. Here’s the story of one of those gardens, Garden Time in Providence, Rhode Island.

Education

HP Education Solutions Increase Access to Quality Learning Around the World

May 9, 2018 9:25 AM ET

Around the world, hundreds of millions of people lack access to quality learning opportunities, including 264 million children living in communities where basic educational resources are unavailable. To address this inequity, HP is working with other companies, nonprofit organizations, and governments to create technology solutions that can connect individuals to educational opportunities wherever they live.

Diversity & Inclusion

capABLE, an Employee Resource Group at Consumers Energy

May 9, 2018 9:15 AM ET

capABLE, an employee resource group at Consumers Energy, aims to remove barriers, open minds, and create pathways to meaningful work for current and future employees of all abilities.

Green Infrastructure

WELL Story: Francesca Galeazzi, Team Leader for Sustainability & Simulation at Arup

May 9, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar Helps Customers Build a Better World

May 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is illustrating how it’s helping customers build a better world in the company’s recently published 2017 Annual Report and Sustainability Report.

Events, Media & Communications

SCS' Stanley Mathuram to Speak at International Sustainable Cities Conference

May 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Green building professionals, building owners, architects, specifiers and manufacturers convene this coming weekend in San José, Costa Rica, May 17-18, for a conference featuring the latest updates in environmental and sustainability innovation in the building sector. One of the industry’s best-known third-party certification and standards experts, Stanley Mathuram of SCS Global Services, will be among the featured presenters at this year’s International Sustainable Cities Conference (CICS 2018), sponsored by the Green Building Council of Costa Rica (GBCCR).

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem Hosts Second Annual “Make Your Mark 30 Day Challenge”

May 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22 and Earth Day on April 22, Xylem hosted the second annual Make Your Mark 30 Day Challenge, a month-long event that encourages employees to engage in efforts to solve global and local water and environmental issues. The 30 Day Challenge is a signature event of Xylem Watermark, the company’s corporate citizenship platform aimed at providing and protecting safe water resources in communities in need and educating people about water issues. This year, 1700 employees volunteered in more than 190 water-related activities across 93 Xylem sites, including leading students through water presentations and water monitoring, and building water towers in communities that lack access to clean drinking water.

Sustainable Development Goals

Cerro Verde, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Supports Micro and Small Enterprise Development

May 9, 2018 8:30 AM ET

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde (SMCV) contracted with Cáritas Arequipa to educate and train a group of Uchumayan women in Arequipa, Peru, in Cosmetology. The program required 300 hours of coursework and practical training. In December 2017, 26 Uchumayinas graduated from the program, and were supplied with cosmetology and salon supplies in order to be able to start their own businesses with the necessary tools.

Diversity & Inclusion

GLAAD Media Awards Honor ‘This Is Us,’ ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ and More From 21CF for Outstanding LGBTQ Storytelling

May 9, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Three television projects from 21st Century Fox businesses took home top honors at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on May 5, including Twentieth Century Fox Television’s This Is Us, FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and National Geographic’s Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric. The awards recognize media and entertainment for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community, as well as the issues that affect their lives.

Events, Media & Communications

World Business Leaders to Share New Sustainable Vision in June

May 9, 2018 5:00 AM ET

Ethical Corporation is delighted to confirm that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment UK Government and CEOs from; United Nations Global Compact, Allianz, L’Oréal, Oxfam, VF Corp, LEO Pharma, GRI, Hermes Investment, American Institute of AI, KEMET Corporation, IIRC will share their visions for a sustainable and transformational business at the 17th Responsible Business Summit Europe (London, 13-14 June).