Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar | Working More Sustainably

Oct 26, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Our Engine Center in Seguin, Texas, manufactures, tests and paints diesel engines for Caterpillar customers. These activities generate a variety of byproduct materials, the most significant of which is the process water that comes from engine hot testing. At one point, the facility produced more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater every month.

Environment

Smithfield Foods Announces Landmark Investment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Oct 25, 2018 7:00 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce, through the nationwide expansion of Smithfield Renewables, innovative projects designed to help meet its goal to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent by 2025, which it set in concert with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). This month marks the one-year anniversary of Smithfield Renewables.

Events, Media & Communications

Common Impact, SVP Boston and Impact 2030 Post Strong Results From First Citywide Day of Skilled Service

Oct 25, 2018 4:05 PM ET

Common Impact, a national leader in skills-based volunteerism, Social Venture Partners Boston, a nonprofit focused on local engaged philanthropy, and Impact 2030, a collaborative that uses corporate volunteerism to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration and skilled volunteerism through Skills for Cities Boston, which took place on September 25, 2018 at The Boston Fed.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Karen Jordan Is Making Others Mindful of Mental Health in the Workplace

Oct 25, 2018 3:50 PM ET

“Mental health isn’t just one person’s issue, it’s everyone’s issue,” says Karen Jordan.

Karen is not only the Lead of Financial Literacy at Scotiabank, she’s also the Chair of the Scotiabank Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH), one of Scotiabank’s many Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Karen wants to get the message across that mental health issues are something that happens to people. It’s something we all need to be mindful of.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Austin Students to Design the Playground of Their Dreams With KaBOOM! and GM

Oct 25, 2018 3:30 PM ET

Is that a space shuttle? No, it’s a pirate ship! Oh, wait, could it be a castle? It could be any one of these and more, as KaBOOM! makes its way to Wayside Altamira Academy (AMA), to help enhance outdoor play time, imagination and fun for pre-K to fifth grade students in Austin, Texas.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Curiosity Cube Expands Employee-Taught STEM Education Program

Oct 25, 2018 2:35 PM ET

MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canadian name of the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The company fits the profile of those that will suffer as the available pool of qualified science graduates continues to shrink. Its efforts to change that have earned MillporeSigma first place in the “Media Relations or PR Campaign” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Events, Media & Communications

How Are You Using Pro Bono as a People Strategy? | Taproot's Advisory Services Newsletter

Oct 25, 2018 2:05 PM ET

This week, social good organizations across four continents will receive pro bono services during Pro Bono Week. This annual celebration of the pro bono ethic honors thousands of professionals who volunteer their skills and expertise to support nonprofits all around the world. Pro Bono Week reminds us how crucial and important skilled volunteers are in helping to build the capacity of the social sector. By donating their time and expertise, pro bono volunteers have the chance to give back, connect with their communities, and deepen their skillsets.

Environment

Unnatural Instincts: The Trump Effort to Rollback Critical Climate Regulations Is Bad Science and Bad Business

Oct 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

The scale of these rollbacks — measured in GHG emissions, in economic costs to be paid and benefits to be lost, and in human lives — is breathtaking. These rollbacks not only reveal a bad “instinct” for science, they also show a bad sense for business.

Environment

Belvidere Assembly Plant Gives “Seed Money” to Local Conservation Area

Oct 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

About 84 miles west of Chicago is the Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area, 429 acres of pure nature available for area residents and visitors to enjoy. Managed by the Boone County (Illinois) Conservation District (BCCD), this lush recreational area is located in the same county as the FCA US Belvidere Assembly Plant.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

National Grid Volunteers Painted the Community Care Alliance Shelter in Woonsocket With the Red Sox Foundation

Oct 25, 2018 1:35 PM ET

Wally from the Red Sox visited National Grid, Red Sox Foundation volunteers, and visitors painting the Community Care Alliance Shelter in Woonsocket, RI.

Research, Reports & Publications

Arrow Electronics Wins Two Corporate Social Responsibility Awards

Oct 25, 2018 12:25 PM ET

Arrow Electronics received two 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards from Ragan’s PR Daily, recognizing organizations dedicated to making the world a better place.

Sustainable Development Goals

Hy-Vee Extends Arbor Day Foundation Partnership with $100,000 Donation

Oct 25, 2018 12:00 PM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation announced today that it has extended its partnership with Hy-Vee, Inc., a supermarket chain in the Midwest. For the third year in a row, Hy-Vee presented a $100,000 donation to support tree plantings and reforestation projects around the communities it serves.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Duke Energy Named One of the World’s Best Employers by Forbes

Oct 25, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Duke Energy has been named to Forbes magazine’s 2018 list of the World’s Best Employers. Duke Energy is one of only nine electric utilities in the U.S. to make the list.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Two Women Fought to Save Their Former Home

Oct 25, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Rufaro Jenkins still fondly remembers celebrating her daughter’s first birthday at her home at Parkway Overlook Apartments in Washington, D.C. — along with the birthdays, proms, and graduations of the other kids who lived there. She and other residents were forced to relocate when poor living conditions and failed inspections closed the buildings in 2008. Even so, Jenkins and others have fought for the last 10 years to bring the apartment community back to life — and keep it affordable

Energy

Renewable Energy Projects

Oct 25, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Being a steward of our Blue Planet requires responsible landfill management. To us, that involves more than capturing landfill gas — a byproduct of waste decomposition in landfills. It means prioritizing renewable energy opportunities whenever possible, from harnessing landfill gas at active landfills to capturing the power of the sun, and converting previously unused resources into power for homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and our collection vehicles.

Environment

A Flyover of Recent Drone Developments in EHS

Oct 25, 2018 11:55 AM ET

Antea Group presents the short history, unique capabilities, advantages, and FAA regulations surrounding the use of drones in the EHS workplace.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

125 Advocates Join the Poverty Is Unnecessary Project

Oct 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund members are donating $25,000 each to alleviate global poverty; the Poverty Is Unnecessary Benefit & Live Auction will celebrate the impact of this work by Whole Planet Foundation and its supporters.

Environment

Finalists Named in $10 Million Race Against Toxic Algae

Oct 25, 2018 11:15 AM ET

After more than two years of testing their technologies in laboratories and in the Lake Simcoe watershed, the four finalists in The George Barley Water Prize – a $10 million incentive award to find a new technology capable of removing phosphorus from water supplies – were announced today at the Epic Hall of the Toronto Reference Library.

Innovation & Technology

Atonix DigitalTM Launches New Asset and Data Management Software Lineup

Oct 25, 2018 11:15 AM ET

The role of data analytics is evolving. No longer just a way to measure and inform plant operators about established systems, data is now an end-to-end solution – guiding an organization across the entire infrastructure and asset lifecycle: Planning. Building. Operating.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

FCA Community: Creating Connections to Battle Mental Illness

Oct 25, 2018 11:05 AM ET

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a person dies by suicide every seven hours in the state of Michigan and it is the 10th leading cause of death in the state.

“A lot of people think they can beat mental illness on their own, so they suffer in silence or take their own lives,” explains Jazmyne Kincaid, FCA US employee at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. “I hope to be a helping hand to someone struggling with a mental illness and share with them the resources around us that can help guide them toward health.”

Environment

Planting Trees on a Stony Hill: A Story With Pictures

Oct 25, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Owens Corning Introduces First Formaldehyde-Free Perimeter Fire Containment System in North America

Oct 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) has introduced the first and only formaldehyde-free perimeter fire containment system available in North America. This advanced solution made with Thermafiber® Firespan® and Safing™ mineral wool insulation delivers tested and proven fire resistance performance to help commercial architects, specifiers and contractors build safer and energy-efficient buildings.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Survey Shows Deep Concern About Affordable Housing

Oct 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

More than 40 percent of government officials say the lack of affordable homeownership is a national crisis, and 33 percent called affordability a serious challenge, according to a new survey from Wells Fargo and the Governing Institute.

Innovation & Technology

The Business and Societal Case for Privacy

Oct 25, 2018 9:30 AM ET

American companies experienced nearly 500 data breaches in 2016 alone, and governments around the world are beginning to require more from private firms when it comes to protecting user data.

Most notably, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became enforceable in May of this year. The new regulation requires companies to, among other things, receive consent from users in order to store their personal data—and it applies to all companies that serve European citizens, whether the company is based in Europe or not.

While compliance with a new regulation often seems burdensome to global firms, data shows that the type of privacy policies required under the GDPR echo a rising clarion call from consumers.

Energy

Decarbonize, Decentralize and Democratize: Investing in a More Just Energy Future

Oct 25, 2018 9:15 AM ET

At Sunwealth, we invest in a sustainable future by financing diverse renewable energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen local resilience and bring the benefits of renewable energy to under-served communities. Since 2014, we have financed over 70 solar installations on rooftops and in open spaces. We are poised to invest over $12 million in solar energy and storage projects in 2018, more than double our 2017 investment. We have a 2019 pipeline of over $40 million in new solar projects that will provide 20 megawatts of solar power across 50 communities.