Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Army Principles Helped This Walmart Manager Move up the Ranks

Dec 17, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Elise Hackstall no longer wears an Army uniform. But to this day, the military values she learned in her years of service still inform her identity. For Hackstall, commitment, accountability and leadership weren’t abstract principles but essential traits that propelled her through a military career at Fort Knox.

When she joined Walmart, she quickly noticed a cultural overlap. The company's four basic beliefs had plenty in common with the seven Army values she already knew, sharing an emphasis on respect and integrity.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Professions with Purpose

Dec 17, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Simone Andrews, an Associate Analyst in our RRS group within Moody’s Investors Service, grew up in Houston, Texas. She saw the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike on the Gulf Coast in 2008 and of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

How I Became Passionate About the Circular Economy

Dec 17, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Graduate school completely changed this guest author’s thoughts about sustainability issues, and equipped her with a toolkit for analyzing environmental challenges and implementing circular economy solutions.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

National Grid Wins Project of the Year, Best Water, Environment & Excellence in Safety Award of Merit

Dec 17, 2018 9:10 AM ET

Throughout the $30-million project, the team had to coordinate with the city of Gloucester, the Maritime Museum and the Coast Guard as well as National Grid, which was the project client that also owned property on the 78,970-sq-ft waterfront area.

Events, Media & Communications

Brands Taking Stands: 3BL Forum Explores Corporate Activism

Dec 17, 2018 9:10 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Food is the Most Important School Supply

Dec 17, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Every kid needs three meals a day to be healthy and do well in school. And for some kids, school is the best place to get those meals.

Sustainable Development Goals

Expert Interview With Dave George, Architecture and Engineering Program Management Expert

Dec 17, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Dave George has more than 25 years of experience in large-scale infrastructure and facility planning, design, and construction management for Department of Defense (DoD) projects, including significant work outside the contiguous United States (OCONUS). Since 2003 Dave has managed facility design and civil and utilities-related services for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Middle East District (MED). He also has managed the design of prototypical district and training center facilities for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and projects for the U.S. Air Force.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Corporate Purpose Is the Tie That Binds: CECP’s Annual Trends Report

Dec 16, 2018 6:00 PM ET

Leading companies are laser-focused on corporate purpose. They explore what their purpose is and how it translates to their people and community and bring that purpose to life through intentional practices and strategies. They use a human-centered lens for all business operations because it helps them see around corners and delivers a competitive edge. All this leads to a future-forward outlook that enables a long-term view. Within this purpose megatrend, we see five prominent themes: Employee Power, Collaborative Advocacy, Responsible Tech, Long-Term Growth Going Mainstream, and Impact Measured.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Abbott Named One of the Top Companies for Responsible Business on the JUST 100 List by Forbes and JUST Capital

Dec 14, 2018 5:20 PM ET

Abbott was recently named one of America's Most JUST Companies by Forbes magazine and JUST Capital. The list recognizes the top 100 companies in the U.S. leading the way for responsible, sustainable business.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Solving the National Affordable Housing Crisis With Mercy Housing

Dec 14, 2018 4:35 PM ET

Every day, millions of Americans have to sacrifice food, education, and healthcare because the cost of housing is so high. The numbers are grim: only one out of every four households who needs housing assistance gets it; more than one in four renters pays more than half of their income on housing costs; and nationwide waiting lists for affordable housing are years long. Many lists aren’t even open to new applicants because the backlog is so enormous. The lack of affordable housing affects millions nationwide, and people who have full time jobs are not immune: the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) notes that someone has to make $21.21 per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent. Of the people fortunate enough to receive federal housing assistance in

Research, Reports & Publications

Report: How Business Can Measure the Impact and ROI of Corporate Sustainability

Dec 14, 2018 3:30 PM ET

In partnership with the Erb Institute, Innovation Forum recently hosted a conference in Detroit that delved into the best ways to assess materiality, build a business case and deliver impact at scale.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Smithfield Foods Adds 250 Jobs in North Carolina With New Distribution Center

Dec 14, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the grand opening of its new distribution center in Tar Heel, North Carolina, which will create approximately 250 new jobs in the state. Smithfield invested more than $100 million into the over 500,000-square foot facility, about the size of eight football fields, and its blast cell cold storage capabilities at its processing facility, which will strengthen the company’s supply chain to better serve customers globally.

Diversity & Inclusion

With Girls Who Code, Viacom Develops a Pipeline of Future Tech Leaders

Dec 14, 2018 2:05 PM ET

“Ultimately, our goal is to establish a pipeline of talent and help develop the STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] skills that are vital to pursuing careers in tech,” says Viacom Chief Technology Officer Dave Kline. “We’re focused on crafting opportunities for the Girls Who Code alumni where they can explore, learn, and thrive in an all-encompassing environment surrounded by top-tier talent.”

Innovation & Technology

VMware Opens Its Discovery Center, Continuing Their Commitment to Innovation, Sustainability and Resilience

Dec 14, 2018 1:30 PM ET

From our global commitment to green building practices, to the order of magnitude our technology delivers in terms of energy and carbon emission reductions in IT, VMware aims to leave ahead a better future by weaving sustainability into everything we do, including the opening of our new VMware Discovery Center.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Study Puts Aflac in Top 5 for Workplace Culture

Dec 14, 2018 12:15 PM ET

Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at U.S. worksites, is listed as a top five company in Comparably’s 2018 list of the 50 Best Company Cultures. Comparably is a California-based culture data website that rates companies’ workplace cultures. According to Comparably, the companies on their annual Best Company Cultures list received the highest ratings by employees who provided anonymous feedback on a variety of workplace culture questions ranging from work environment and compensation to leadership.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Sysco is Committed to Seafood Sustainability

Dec 14, 2018 11:30 AM ET

In 2009, Sysco began working with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to assess and improve the sustainability of its seafood supply chain. Through this collaboration, Sysco committed in 2011 to source its top 10 Portico® brand (Sysco’s own seafood brand) frozen and further-processed wild-caught seafood species from fisheries that were either certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard, in full assessment for MSC certification or engaged in a comprehensive Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), by 2015.

Continuing its alliance with WWF, in 2016, Sysco committed to further improve the sustainability of its seafood procurement through 2020, incorporating additional elements to guide its seafood procurement practices and standards.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PT Freeport Indonesia, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Receives Top Corporate Social Responsibility Awards

Dec 14, 2018 10:50 AM ET

Business News Indonesia magazine recently presented PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) with three corporate responsibility awards for 2018. The three awards are:

Top Leader on Corporate Social Responsibility Commitment
Top Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining sector
Top Corporate Social Responsibility Infrastructure Program

Responsible Production & Consumption

Keep America Beautiful Tips for a Sustainable Holiday Season

Dec 14, 2018 10:25 AM ET

Make a difference this holiday season by taking small steps that can make a meaningful difference by reducing waste and your carbon footprint. And since it’s the season of giving, share these eco-friendly tips with family and friends!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education Announce 2019 Possibility Grant Sweepstakes

Dec 14, 2018 10:25 AM ET

The Siemens Foundation, one of the country’s premier organizations advancing STEM workforce development and education initiatives, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the launch of the 2019 Possibility Grant Sweepstakes. The $10,000 grant provides the opportunity to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education experiences and access to immersive learning for K-12 youth.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Notable Women in NonProfits 2018

Dec 14, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Carolyn Bloodworth is an effective team builder who works tirelessly to meet the basic needs of Michigan residents through Consumers Energy Foundation and Consumers Energy employee volunteers. Throughout her tenure as director of Corporate Giving at Consumers Energy, she has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for our communities in Michigan.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Merck Supports The Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN)

Dec 14, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Merck’s Office of Corporate Responsibility announced a $500,000 grant to the World Health Organization’s Expended Special Project to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN).

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whole Kids Foundation Awards Bee Hive Grants to Three Chicago Schools

Dec 14, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Whole Kids Foundation announced today that it has awarded Bee Hive Grants to three schools in Chicago with money raised from the inaugural Give Bees a Chance campaign this past summer. Grant recipients include Smyth IB World School, Genevieve Melody STEM Elementary School and Community Christian Alternative Academy. Each school will receive support for an educational bee hive on campus, providing students with learning opportunities around science, ecology, nutrition, business and agriculture.

Green Infrastructure

SCE, Car Manufacturers Share Insights on Future of EVs

Dec 14, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Building infrastructure for charging electric vehicles and educating customers about EVs are two key things electric utilities should be doing to help accelerate the adoption of electric cars in California, according to automakers who joined Southern California Edison President Ron Nichols in a recent panel discussion.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Arrow Electronics Poland Employees Help Families Through Holiday Donations

Dec 14, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Gdansk, Poland – Arrow Electronics employees in Gdansk, Poland, participated in the Noble Gift, a holiday campaign that provides aid to families in need nationwide. Through the campaign, the office sponsored a family for the holidays who lost everything in a fire, and gathered donations for their “wish list.” After raising the funds, employees shopped for and wrapped the items to be delivered to the family, which included clothing, kitchen items, a new stove, bedding, food and more.

Innovation & Technology

How Companies Can Use Data to Maximise Impact

Dec 14, 2018 9:30 AM ET

From developing an efficient clinical system in rural Kenya to providing a shareable source of clean energy in Rwanda, emerging inclusive businesses – those that engage people with less than $10 (£8) per day in purchasing power – are gathering steam. While these innovative ventures focus on providing positive impact to local communities, they also seek commercial success. Inclusive businesses can make significant improvements in the communities where they work, while pursuing the highest level of return. Integrating impact measurement and management as a practice can help them achieve this.