Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Billy Cable - 2018 Aflac CSR Hero

Aug 28, 2018 10:50 AM ET

One year ago, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas, and led to historic flooding. Lisa Bates, an independent agent licensed to sell Aflac products, and her family – including her 10-month-old daughter – were stranded and in need of help.

Sustainable Development Goals

Coffee Entrepreneur: How Ne​scafé Helped Wasiu Get Started

Aug 28, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Nescafé is helping thousands of young people in Central and West Africa by allowing them to run their own street vending business.

If a vendor wants to become an operator, Nescafé provides training on how to run a business, teaching the sellers about management, hygiene, quality and safety, as well as helping them to secure access to a supply of clean boiling water.

Environment

Great Plains Grassland Loss Slows Overall, While South Dakota Conversion on the Rise

Aug 28, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Last year, 1.7 million acres of grasslands were lost across the Great Plains to crop production, according to new research from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). While stark, this number represents an overall decrease in conversion from 2016, with 800,000 less acres plowed, benefiting the critical ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and rural communities who rely on these intact grasslands. However, the region of South Dakota that was once hit hardest by the Dust Bowl has experienced a dramatic increase in plow-up over the past year.

Environment

World Water Week: Companies Must Look Beyond Own Operations to Enhance Water Stewardship

Aug 28, 2018 10:05 AM ET

The cornerstone for effective water management is to know one’s impacts. GRI has released an updated standard on water and effluents, with an emphasis on water stewardship. Developed with a working group of highly accomplished water experts, the standard has a basis in the Sustainable Development Goals and represents the best practice in reporting on water across the value chain.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bacardí se une a Lonely Whale para erradicar uso de plástico

Aug 28, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Como parte de su compromiso con la sociedad, Grupo Bacardí se une a Lonely Whale, la galardonada organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a presentar ideas que impacten positivamente la salud de nuestros océanos, anunciando la campaña internacional de concientización social #TheFutureDoesntSuck o #ElFuturoNoSorbe en español.

Green Infrastructure

Thailand Kicks Off WELL Journey with Strong Market Traction for Healthy Buildings

Aug 28, 2018 10:05 AM ET

The International WELL Building Institute celebrated the most recent stop of its WELL Journey in Bangkok, Thailand, with much fanfare by bringing together a diverse group of local stakeholders committed to promoting healthy buildings and healthy communities in the country.

Social Impact & Volunteering

President and Mrs. Carter in Indiana to Build New Habitat for Humanity Homes Alongside Future Homeowners and Hundreds of Volunteers

Aug 28, 2018 10:00 AM ET

President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter have donned their hardhats and lifted their hammers for their 35th work project with Habitat for Humanity. Building alongside volunteers and future homeowners, the Carters are helping to build 22 new, affordable homes this week in what will become an all-Habitat neighborhood in Mishawaka. With additional construction projects throughout the year, a total of 41 homes will be built, renovated or repaired in Mishawaka and South Bend as part of the 2018 Carter Work Project.

Environment

Global Teams Come Together to “Beat Plastic Pollution”

Aug 28, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Every day, General Motors employees play an important role in helping us build stronger communities as we work to achieve a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. That is especially true on World Environment Day (WED), when our global teams rally during the month of June to amplify environmental outreach activities in their facilities or communities. Each year our sites share their WED plans with the global network and employees have a chance to vote on the most creative and impactful WED outreach activities related to environmental safety and conservation.

Innovation & Technology

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Construction Industry

Aug 28, 2018 9:15 AM ET

The idea that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robots will take our jobs and eventually conquer the world makes for a great summer blockbuster, but this fear of AI-robot overlords is grossly exaggerated.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

10 Takeaways from Barclays’ Green Frontiers Conference

Aug 28, 2018 8:55 AM ET

Barclays’ first green finance conference, held at London’s Royal Geographical Society, brought together speakers from business, finance and government to explore how innovation and investment can tackle climate change.

Health & Healthcare

Bringing Healthcare to Remote Communities: eHealth Centers

Aug 28, 2018 8:35 AM ET

HPE is delivering an affordable and rapidly deployable digital healthcare solution for remote and underserved communities in India and the Philippines. We are working in a ground-breaking partnership with multiple healthcare providers, NGOs, and government organizations.
HPE eHealth Centers pair online training materials for remote healthcare workers with diagnostic tools that capture vital statistics on a cloud-based application.

Green Infrastructure

GeoKrete® Geopolymer Awarded "Reduced Carbon Footprint" Certification

Aug 28, 2018 7:00 AM ET

Quadex LLC, a division of the Vortex Companies recently announced that its GeoKrete® Geopolymer mortar has received Reduced Carbon Footprint Certification by SCS Global Services, an internationally recognized sustainability certification body. GeoKrete was evaluated for its lower overall carbon footprint as it relates to potential greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use and end-of-life.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

VMware Named #17 on Fortune's "Change the World" List

Aug 27, 2018 6:40 PM ET

VMware has been named to Fortune Magazine's fourth annual "Change the World" list; a ranking of companies that are able to identify and tackle a problem, such as climate change, health care access, or hunger, while also thriving as a business.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Feeding America Asks Supporters to Take Action to End Hunger

Aug 27, 2018 5:05 PM ET

This September, Feeding America and our nationwide network of food banks will mobilize across all 50 states in an effort to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month™ is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 41 million Americans, including nearly 13 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.

Diversity & Inclusion

Equalizing Opportunity Benefits Everyone, Every Day

Aug 27, 2018 3:20 PM ET

August 26, 2018, marked 98 years since the U.S. passed the 19th Amendment granting the right to vote to women. It was also the 48th anniversary of the Women’s Strike for Equality demonstrations that elevated the women’s rights movement. And August 26 was Women’s Equality Day, proclaimed by the U.S. Congress in 1971 as the date to celebrate progress and recognize the continued fight for equal rights and privileges for all citizens, regardless of gender.

Environment

Leading the Fight Against Climate Change Like a Woman

Aug 27, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Ten years ago, one question had Radhika Lalit re-evaluating her career path.

At the time, Lalit was working for a non-profit that devised solutions for sustainable agriculture in the Himalayas. As she conversed with local villagers to learn of the problems they are faced with when farming, one woman turned and asked her, point blank: “What are you going to do to help?”

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Chrysler Brand Joins Forces With No Kid Hungry to Help End Childhood Hunger

Aug 27, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Chrysler brand is teaming up with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign that is focused on ending child hunger in America today. Chrysler’s support will help No Kid Hungry continue its work to improve the lives of families across the country by ensuring children have the food they need to succeed.

Events, Media & Communications

What Do You, Mickey Mouse and Social Sector Leaders Have in Common?

Aug 27, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Join leaders from the social, private and public sectors at bbcon October 9th-11th, and learn all you need to know to bring your CSR program into 2019.

Events, Media & Communications

#WeAreWELL: Sara Hickman, Sustainability Director at RDC-S111

Aug 27, 2018 1:25 PM ET

We sat down with Sara Hickman to discuss the importance of equitable communities and how recent technology advancements are making it easier to build with intention and impact. Sara is the Sustainability Director/Senior Associate for RDC-S111, Inc., the holding company of brands, Retail Design Collaborative and Studio One Eleven.

Diversity & Inclusion

Nestlé Purina Has Built One of the Best Companies for LGBTQ Workers. Here’s How.

Aug 27, 2018 11:45 AM ET

For three years now, the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ civil rights group in the U.S., has awarded Nestlé Purina with a perfect score on its Corporate Equality Index. The organization’s national benchmarking survey scores businesses on their corporate policies and practices relating to the LGBTQ community.

While we are proud of our perfect score, we’re prouder of the hard work we’ve done to become a welcoming, inclusive employer.

We do this because it’s the right thing to do from a moral and business perspective. We firmly believe that all employees — regardless of their sexual or gender identity — deserve to feel welcome at work.

Health & Healthcare

How These Charlotte Employers Are Making Strides in Health, Wellness

Aug 27, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Domtar was among the 22 Charlotte area employers winning Healthiest Employers of Greater Charlotte honors.

Energy

Contextualizing Global Energy Poverty

Aug 27, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Access to modern sources of energy is fundamental to eradicating poverty and spurring economic growth. Energy touches every aspect of a household’s quality of life. Without access to electric lighting, kids huddle around smoky kerosene lamps to study at night—endangering both their health and education. Lack of refrigeration and gas or electric cooking also impacts a family’s health as it hinders food preservation, makes it harder to purify water, and brings more smoky pollutants into the home. And without electricity for charging phones and starting businesses, many people are falling further and further behind both informationally and economically.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

From Farm to Fork: Strengthening Direct Sales Between Smallholders and Consumers in Cusco, Peru

Aug 27, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Strengthening links between smallholder farmers and consumers is complex; there are many factors to be considered and many people who need to work together. In Cusco, southeastern Peru, substantial work has been done to enhance agroecological production but not much to improve direct sales between smallholders and consumers.

Health & Healthcare

First Class of the East African Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program Graduates

Aug 27, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

What’s Your Healthy Commitment?

Aug 27, 2018 11:00 AM ET

At Humana, one way we improve the health of our communities is by thriving together with our healthcare partners.