Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Energy

As Roadblocks are Addressed, Electric Vehicle Adoption Charges Ahead

Nov 29, 2018 8:25 AM ET

Electric vehicles have been touted as the next big thing in transportation ever since GM introduced the EV1 in 1996 and Toyota unveiled the Prius the following year. Now, two decades later, “big thingness” for electric vehicles may finally be within reach, with sales showing impressive numbers. Nearly 200,000 were sold in the US in 2017—up 26 percent from the year before.

Innovation & Technology

5 Best Practices of Design Thinking Companies Can Use to Ensure Data Privacy

Nov 29, 2018 8:15 AM ET

As online security and user experience simultaneously become two of the most important topics for modern companies, GDPR compliance by companies is a must. There is an art to creating a high-quality user experience while also adhering to this new regulation, and it begins with design thinking.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

New National Research Shows Most U.S. Students Feel Unprepared Without Social and Emotional Skills

Nov 29, 2018 8:00 AM ET

A new report from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) made possible by The Allstate Foundation, shows 77 percent of recent high school students believe their schools could have done a better job of helping students develop key social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Crucial SEL skills, such as empathy and confidence, can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on academic performance and overall well-being.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Land Remediation Restores Soil Conditions at El Sauzal

Nov 29, 2018 6:35 AM ET

Land management practices in the mining process can take an environmental toll on the soil around a mine site. Tillage, stripping and removal of native vegetation can alter the living and nutrient conditions of soil organisms, and result in a degradation of their microenvironments, particularly with a reduction of soil biotics, both in biomass and diversity.

Yet proven successful remediation techniques utilized by experienced erosion control specialists can restore the land back to the original state before mining operations commenced. Such was the case at Goldcorp’s El Sauzal mine, located in the municipality of Urique Chihuahua, Mexico.

Diversity & Inclusion

Restoring Land and Increasing Resilience Needs Women

Nov 29, 2018 2:00 AM ET

Almost two dozen representatives from Ghanaian development agencies working in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in northern Ghana gathered in the city of Bolgatanga on 13 November 2018 for a training workshop on Social and Gender Dynamics and their Importance for Improving Resilience and Livelihoods.

Environment

Mark Schapiro: Reaping What You Sow

Nov 28, 2018 7:20 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Taking Safety Seriously: Sappi Hires EMTs On-Site at Somerset Mill

Nov 28, 2018 4:30 PM ET

When you work in a remote location, every second counts in an emergency. An ambulance typically takes eight to ten minutes to reach the Somerset Mill location, so early intervention can provide the best possible outcome.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Subaru Helps Save the Lives of Pets During 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show

Nov 28, 2018 3:50 PM ET

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced it will be hosting a pet adoption event during the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Through a partnership with Best Friends Animal Society’s No Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative, the adoption event is aimed at finding pets great homes in the Los Angeles (LA) community. The first-of-its-kind event will be held inside the Los Angeles Convention Center at the Subaru exhibit, located in the West Hall, Booth 102, where attendees will have the opportunity to adopt and take home a new dog.

Education

TCS and Discovery Education Bring Computational Thinking to 5,100 Educators and 300,000 Students in 2017-2018 School Year

Nov 28, 2018 2:50 PM ET

Tata Consultancy Services, (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, have far surpassed joint goals for the first year of Ignite My Future in School (IMFIS). During the 2017-2018 school year, IMFIS reached 5,100 teachers and 300,000 students, gaining strong momentum against a five-year vision to engage 20,000 teachers and one million students.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Measure the Chain: Tools for Managing GHG Emissions in Agricultural Supply Chains

Nov 28, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Measure the Chain: Tools for Assessing GHG Emissions in Agricultural Supply Chains provides companies with an assessment of tools and methods to better manage and disclose Scope 3 emissions generated by food system suppliers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whirlpool Corporation Launches #AgelessTechnology to Bridge Widening Technology Gap in the Middle East

Nov 28, 2018 1:40 PM ET

As technology evolves rapidly, the gap in access to technology platforms and utilization rates among generations has been growing. Furthermore, interaction between the younger and older generations has been diminishing as a result of changing communication behavior among young adults.

Environment

Simple Tips to Make the Holiday Season More Environmentally Friendly

Nov 28, 2018 1:00 PM ET

With parties, decorations, gift giving and travel, Americans generate 25 percent more waste than average between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day – equating to almost 1,000 pounds of trash per household. However, roughly 80 percent of what is thrown away during the holidays can be recycled or repurposed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The experts at Republic Services, an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal, encourage consumers to incorporate simple environmentally responsible practices into celebrations and family gatherings to minimize waste.

Research, Reports & Publications

Stock Market Reactions to Long-Term Plans Measured for First Time

Nov 28, 2018 12:45 PM ET

Institutional investors act when they hear how companies will create value over the long-term. In a new study, The Economic Significance of Long-Term Plans published by KKS Advisors and CECP’s Strategic Investors Initiative (SII), an abnormal change in market returns and an increase in trade volume is observed after that company’s CEO presented a long-term plan to institutional investors. This is the first time the reaction to a CEO-presented long-term plan has been quantified and is early evidence that the audience of institutional investors find the information in these presentations decision-relevant.

Innovation & Technology

With 5G Around the Bend, Black & Veatch e-Book Presses: Start Planning Now

Nov 28, 2018 12:25 PM ET

As tech shorthand for fifth-generation cellular wireless, 5G is on the horizon and promises unprecedented speeds and capabilities that could transform the way we live, work and play. But 5G also presents considerable complexities in technology deployment and how stakeholders should get ready to benefit from 5G digitalization.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | Hanes National Sock Drive Raises Awareness of Homelessness in America

Nov 28, 2018 12:05 PM ET

Hanes is entering its ninth year of working to raise awareness of this issue and bring comfort to those who need it most by supporting agencies fighting homelessness in every state – and you can help.

Environment

National Climate Assessment Report: Time Is Running Out...

Nov 28, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Late last week on the heels of the Thanksgiving holiday, the federal government released the second volume of its Fourth National Climate Assessment. The report details the present and future impacts of climate change in the U.S. by sector and by region.

The main finding? Climate change is already having economic and health impacts across the nation, and time is running out to prevent or minimize even the very worst impacts.

Energy

The Relationship Between Weather and Energy Prices

Nov 28, 2018 11:55 AM ET

When it comes to natural gas and electricity prices, weather plays a crucial role. Heat waves are often cited as having pricing implications— but it’s not just hot weather. More often, it is the severe cold or massive storms that impact supply and demand, which can potentially lead to fluctuations in energy prices.

Health & Healthcare

Introducing Healthy Environments: A Multi-Category Flooring Collection Inspired by the Desert Southwest

Nov 28, 2018 11:50 AM ET

Mohawk Group believes healthy environments nurture the positive connections that allow patients and care providers to thrive, and we are committed to innovating flooring solutions for optimum health and wellness.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Scotia NextPlay Cup Thrills Youths

Nov 28, 2018 11:50 AM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Brands Taking Stands | A Movement, Not a Moment, Say Corporate Leaders

Nov 28, 2018 11:45 AM ET

What business strategists, and those of us who report on their projections, are on the lookout for is a trend that becomes much more than a cultural snapshot. We’re talking about a defining idea of the zeitgeist that carries large, long-lasting consequences for society as well as for business—in a phrase, a movement--not a moment.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Lockheed Martin Employees Make a Difference During “Month of Giving”

Nov 28, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Lockheed Martin employees participated in over 60 volunteer events, donated more than 170,000 volunteer hours and raised more than $8.2 million for 3,885 charitable organizations during the company’s fifth-annual “Month of Giving” in October.

Events, Media & Communications

Bloomberg to Convene Inaugural Sustainable Finance Week in New York in Collaboration With Nuveen and Others

Nov 28, 2018 11:20 AM ET

Bloomberg will convene the first ever Sustainable Finance Week in New York City in early December to accelerate the adoption of sustainable finance practices. Anchoring Sustainable Finance Week is the Bloomberg Global Responsible Investing Forum powered by Nuveen, an organization with over five decades of responsible investing leadership.

Green Infrastructure

4 Cities Using Transportation Data to Be Sustainable and Inclusive

Nov 28, 2018 11:20 AM ET

A number of cities have demonstrated additional and unexpected benefits from tracking transportation data - here are four examples of cities making the most of their transportation data for sustainable benefits.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

National Grid Took Home a Cannes Corporate Media & TV Award and the 2018 GlobalTrend Video Award

Nov 28, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

What Makes a Good Sustainability Leader? Research by Former Erb Postdoc Judith Walls

Nov 28, 2018 11:00 AM ET

What kind of leader can move companies toward better social and environmental performance? Research has shown that evaluating certain individual traits can help identify the leaders of tomorrow who will have the tools to address the serious sustainability challenges businesses face today. Former Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Judith Walls describes these traits in “The Power of One: Leadership and Corporate Sustainability,” recently published in The European Business Review.