Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

British American Tobacco is the Tobacco Industry Leader in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)

Sep 25, 2017 1:25 PM ET

British American Tobacco is the tobacco industry leader in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and the only tobacco company to feature in both the Europe index and the prestigious DJSI World index.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals Turn Two: the Future of Pro Bono for Ending Hunger

Sep 25, 2017 1:15 PM ET

As a founding member of Impact2030, and on the 2nd anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Taproot is committed to seeing progress made toward this ambitious global agenda. Specifically we’re interested in SDG2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Education

Fueling Future Generations with VMware

Sep 25, 2017 1:00 PM ET

VMware technologies bring inspiring, engaging and equitable educational experiences to students throughout the country and globe. They do so by empowering school districts to break down barriers and build stronger, smarter connections that both streamline and invigorate learning. From providing small rural districts in the Midwest the ability to construct a robust virtual school cooperative to delivering personalized instruction to 53,000 students in one of California’s most diverse communities, VMware technology is fueling the future.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

From Boston to Birmingham: 25 Historic Main Street Districts Across America Vie for $2 Million in Grants Decided by Public Vote During Partners in Preservation Campaign

Sep 25, 2017 1:00 PM ET

American Express and The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Main Street America, announced today that Partners in Preservation is headed to Main Street. Partners in Preservation is a community-based partnership to raise awareness of the importance of preserving historic places and their role in sustaining local communities. This year’s program, Partners in Preservation: Main Streets, will award $2 million in grants to Main Street districts in need of preservation support across America.

Diversity & Inclusion

Mazda and Chase Partner With Operation Homefront to Host Military Appreciation Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Sep 25, 2017 12:15 PM ET

JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mazda North American Operations and non-profit Operation Homefront partner with to surprise two military families with a brand new Mazda vehicle and one with a mortgage-free home donated by Chase, for their selfless service to their county. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Don DeGuzman and Marine Sergeant Ricardo Mendez were elated to learn they weren’t just at Mazda Raceway for an exciting weekend of racing, they were there to be honored in a very special way for their courageous service to our country.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Peeking Behind the Corporate Curtain With CSRHub’s Cynthia Figge

Sep 25, 2017 12:05 PM ET

In the just released interview with Rick Wartzman, Cynthia Figge, CEO of CSRHub, speaks about Why It Makes Sense For Companies To Be Socially Responsible. The Bottom Line podcast puts a spotlight on companies that are advancing social progress, and draws out insights into some of the most pressing issues of our time. You can listen to this dynamic and in-depth conversation on Capital and Main, here or below.

Innovation & Technology

#TechstarsATL: Get to Know 2ULaundry

Sep 25, 2017 11:30 AM ET

2ULaundry is the new way to do laundry and dry cleaning that gives people the time back to do what matters most. Guided by an unwavering commitment to the perfect customer experience and an obsessive passion for quality, 2ULaundry operates with a simple goal in mind: to help people maximize every moment of every day. Customers receive exclusive access to a full suite of offerings including: flat rate laundry and dry cleaning prices, free pickup and delivery, one business day turnaround, and more.

Education

UNICEF Stops Traffic to Campaign for Children in Conflict Zones

Sep 25, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Stunts have long been in marketers’ playbooks as a way to grab consumers’ attention and highlight a specific product or service. Recently however, we’ve seen an influx of cause-related stunts– from 2 Chainz’s pink Trap House to KIND’s giant pile of sugar in downtown New York City. This week, New Yorkers witnessed a stunt, which took advantage of the large city stage and a particular moment in time, bringing an underrepresented issue to light and sparking conversation with a broad audience.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Trane CleanEffects Named First Whole Home Air Cleaning System to Earn asthma & allergy® Certification

Sep 25, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) has announced that the CleanEffects™ whole home air cleaner from Trane®, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, is the first whole home air cleaning system to earn its asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program mark.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PANDORA Wins at World-class Jewellery Awards

Sep 25, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

American Express ranked #1 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace

Sep 25, 2017 10:30 AM ET

For the 11th year, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption surveyed the nation’s employers in search of those with the best adoption benefits. The Foundation compares financial reimbursement and paid leave given to new adoptive parents. This year, there is a new company atop the list.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Aflac | From a Successful Regional Brand to a Company That Serves More Than 50 Million People

Sep 25, 2017 10:25 AM ET

Dan Amos has been chief executive officer for Aflac for more than 26 years. In fact, he is the second longest tenured CEO at the same company in the Fortune 200, behind only Warren Buffett. Over 26 years Dan has learned a few things about leadership, managing risk and why it is important to treat employees with respect and dignity.

Health & Healthcare

The Culture of Food Safety | Handwashing

Sep 25, 2017 10:00 AM ET

When it comes to personal hygiene, handwashing is one of the most important steps in preventing the spread of pathogens and cross-contamination.

Energy

Weatherford Addresses Material Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues

Sep 25, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Weatherford considers material Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues to be those which pose the greatest potential risk to our business, and are important to our key stakeholders including our employees, customers, and shareholders. In 2016, we strengthened our existing process for assessing materiality by canvassing a broader range of internal and external stakeholders and extending sustainability issues across the whole value chain.

Events, Media & Communications

The Best Rates for the BSR Conference 2017 Have Been Extended to September 29

Sep 25, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Microsoft President Brad Smith has joined our already exciting line-up of plenary speakers at the BSR Conference 2017, and we want you to be there! We have extended our best registration rate deadline for BSR17. You can still save up to US$350, but it won’t last long—rates will increase this Friday.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sands ECO360 | Expanding Stakeholder Engagement

Sep 25, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Working in unison with our stakeholders, we can really make a meaningful difference – multiplying our positive impacts both now and into the future.

Environment

One Way Dell is Helping to Save the Monarchs

Sep 25, 2017 9:25 AM ET

The Monarch butterfly and its multigenerational migration is truly a wonder of nature. Already, those butterflies born up in Canada and the northern U.S. are making their way down to central Mexico, where they will arrive in November. Their flightpath gets funneled through Central Texas. No single butterfly makes the whole round trip – the Monarchs I will soon see are at least four generations removed from those who started their journey in their pine-oak winter home in the highlands on the border between Michoacan and the State of Mexico. This home is a World Heritage Site and was only rediscovered by scientists in 1975.

Innovation & Technology

Microsoft Philanthropies Donates $1B in Cloud Tech to Nonprofits, Aims to Triple Impact

Sep 25, 2017 9:05 AM ET

The demands on nonprofits are perhaps greater today than ever. That’s why, in early 2016, Microsoft Philanthropies committed to donating $1 billion in cloud computing resources, over three years, to help 70,000 nonprofit organizations digitally scale their impact and serve the public good. Today, we’re proud to share that nonprofit demand for cloud solutions has dramatically exceeded our expectations. We have reached our original goal a year early and donated cloud services to more than 90,000 nonprofits.

Environment

Can State Parks Keep Waste out of Landfills?

Sep 25, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Sustainability Coordinator Margaret Wilson said, for a long time, Grand Teton was like most state parks – they didn’t have money or staff to devote to recycling. Then they joined the Zero Landfill Initiative – a pilot project to try and divert most of the waste generated inside national parks. Wilson said part of that is educating tourists.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

GRI: 20 Years of Driving Global Change

Sep 25, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Today, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) marks its 20th anniversary and charts a refreshed course to help even more businesses use sustainability reporting to create the conditions for sustainable development. To do this, GRI will focus on improving the quality of sustainability reporting, providing preliminary reporting guidance on sustainability topics that are new to the corporate reporting field, increasing reporting among small and medium-sized enterprises and promoting harmonization in the corporate reporting landscape.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JPMorgan Chase Commits $10 Million to DC

Sep 25, 2017 9:00 AM ET

JPMorgan Chase & Co. today unveiled a $10 million, three-year investment to help drive inclusive economic growth in underserved Washington, D.C. neighborhoods, most notably in Wards 7 and 8. This long-term commitment is the firm’s third investment in a major U.S. city. It combines the firm’s business expertise and collaboration with local business and community leaders to invest in four key drivers of inclusive growth: jobs and skills, minority-owned small business expansion, neighborhood revitalization and financial health.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Embracing Sustainable Commuting: 2017 International Bike to Work Week Challenge

Sep 25, 2017 9:00 AM ET

As part of Tetra Tech’s Sustainability Program, the company challenges employees from around the world to park their cars and cycle to work each May.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Xylem Volunteers Clean Up Local Parks and Creeks in Texas Trash-Off

Sep 25, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Twenty Xylem employees partnered with Keep Brazos Beautiful (KBB), an organization in Bryan, TX that works to educate and engage Brazos County citizens on the importance of keeping the community clean, green, and beautiful.

Environment

Can We Put a Price on Forest Conservation? TD and Nature Conservancy of Canada Look at the Natural Capital Value of Forests

Sep 25, 2017 8:30 AM ET

This week marks National Forest Week (September 24-30), a time to reflect on the value of our forests and learn more about the impact this natural resource has on our environmental, social and economic well-being.

Earlier this year, TD Bank Group and Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) released a report that examines the role of forests in Canada – and the value that they provide to us.

Environment

Bartlett Tree Experts to Become Professional Partner for Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA® Program

Sep 25, 2017 8:00 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation announced today an expanded professional partnership with Bartlett Tree Experts in conjunction with the Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program. Now in its tenth year, Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program boasts 344 campus participants receiving recognition for their commitment to tree care and management and a cumulative investment of $48.5 million nationwide to ensure healthy canopies on their campuses nation-wide.