Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Viacom Launches Campaign Backing #SeeHer Initiative

Feb 1, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Viacom on Thursday launches a year-long series of public service announcements supporting the Association of National Advertisers’ #SeeHer initiative, which aims to show a positive portrayal of women in media.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Changes to the Brazilian Labor Code (“Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho” or “CLT”)

Feb 1, 2018 2:10 PM ET

The last EHSxTECH® meeting highlighted changes to the Brazilian Labor Code that have specific health and safety requirements for home workers, effective November 2017.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Timberland and Smallholder Farmers Alliance Celebrate Haiti’s First Cotton Harvest in 30 Years

Feb 1, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Last week, smallholder farmers convened in a field on the outskirts of Gonaives, Haiti to harvest cotton for the first time in 30 years. Once Haiti’s fourth largest export crop, cotton growing stopped in the 1980s due to policies and politics of the time. Now outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland, in partnership with the Smallholders Farmers Alliance (SFA) and other companies, aims to bring cotton back as phase two of its ongoing work to help reforest Haiti and benefit smallholder farmers.

Events, Media & Communications

Announcing: DJSI - How Insights Inspire Action

Feb 1, 2018 1:15 PM ET

The aim of this workshop is to increase the participants’ knowledge about the importance of and methodology behind the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and the RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).

Education

PNC Teams Up with Google on New IT Support Professional Certificate

Feb 1, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Google and online learning giant Coursera on Tuesday unveiled a new certificate program to train Americans, including those without college degrees, for entry-level IT jobs.

Energy

Duke Energy Delivered Sunshiny Days in North Carolina in 2017

Feb 1, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

FCA Brings Passion to Our Work and to Our Community

Feb 1, 2018 11:20 AM ET

FCA embraces our responsibility to contribute constructively to the greater community. To support our belief that we can be an agent of positive change, FCA promotes a varied range of initiatives: activities to support community development, education, the environment, basic social needs, and victims of natural disasters.

Green Infrastructure

How Whirlpool Uses Local Data to Spin up Global Cleanup Plans

Feb 1, 2018 11:10 AM ET

By employing tactics to keep tabs on energy usage, water consumption and waste at manufacturing sites, Whirlpool Corporation has empowered its sustainability team to scale its impact globally and potentially save the company at least $1 million over the next two years.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Role of Corporate Transparency in a Fractured World

Feb 1, 2018 11:00 AM ET

In this new blog series, the Chief Executive of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reflects upon his experiences at the Davos Annual Meeting, its connection to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and developing ESG disclosure in order to create a shared narrative between companies and investors.

Environment

Gauging the Workability of Carbon Credits in Morocco: A Q&A with Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability Alum Dannan Hodge

Feb 1, 2018 11:00 AM ET

The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) works to improve livelihoods and spur economic growth and grassroots development in disadvantaged communities in Morocco. HAF brought in Erb alum Dannan Hodge to help with the organization’s potential carbon credit projects. Hodge’s three-week project was funded by the Land O’Lakes Farmer to Farmer initiative, organized through the International Executive Service Corp.

Education

NMSU and Sodexo Team up to Bolster Hospitality Services on Campus

Feb 1, 2018 10:45 AM ET

The quality of life for the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus community just got better. NMSU Auxiliary Services and Sodexo, our food services and facilities management service provider, announced a new initiative today that will offer hospitality services for students, faculty and staff, including an onsite concierge team, a 24-hour call center, enhanced student living and meeting and conference planning assistance.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CITGO Lemont Provides Food, Coats and Toys to Local Families During Holidays

Feb 1, 2018 10:35 AM ET

During the recent holiday season and extreme winter weather, the CITGO Lemont Refinery generously supported employee-led initiatives to provide food, clothing and toys to local families. Refinery employees lead an annual food drive prior to Thanksgiving to help local organizations fill their shelves before the holidays. This year, employees donated approximately 40 grocery bags and 30 large bins of food and delivered them to six area food pantries including, Bethany Food Pantry, Day Break Shelter, DuPage Township Pantry, Fairmont Food Pantry and Romeoville Community Pantry.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hormel Foods Partners with Operation Gratitude to Send 52,000 Letters to Troops

Feb 1, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Hormel Foods Corporation announced that it has partnered with Operation Gratitude and set a goal to send 52,000 letters of thanks to active duty service members overseas.

Through its sponsorship with the Super Bowl Host Committee, Hormel Foods is using its activation space at Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon to have attendees write letters of appreciation to deployed troops. The thank you letters will accompany 52,000 care packages sent to active duty service members by Operation Gratitude.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

REACH DII (Drive Innovation Insights) Conference Decrypts Today's Innovative B2B Practices and Reveals the Trends of Tomorrow

Feb 1, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Traceability in the procurement stage of manufacturing process is being critically and thoroughly examined by companies as the requirement to be environmentally compliant is taking center stage.

Education

Embracing Chaos: Disruption as a Catalyst for Change

Feb 1, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Disruption – disaster or opportunity? The 2008 global recession was a milestone, profoundly affecting every aspect of the economy, with repercussions extending to the present. The military term “VUCA” sums up the situation: “volatile, uncertain, complicated, and ambiguous.” Sodexo was no exception; it was clear that we needed to reassess, innovate, and deliver new service solutions to help our clients cope with the new reality.

Diversity & Inclusion

IFF Launches Employee-powered Diversity & Inclusion Vision, Mission; IFF CEO joins CEO Action Pledge

Feb 1, 2018 9:30 AM ET

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) (Euronext Paris:IFF), a leading innovator of sensory experiences that move the world, has announced its new diversity and inclusion (D&I) vision and mission. Created by an empowered global employee resource group (ERG), the Company’s statements reflect the values and priorities of both the employee base, as well as its leadership. Simultaneously, IFF CEO and Chairman Andreas Fibig has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

Sustainable Development Goals

Ten New Markets Earmarked as Opportunities to Boost Lagging Sustainable Development Goals

Feb 1, 2018 9:30 AM ET

According to a new Global Opportunity Report from DNV GL, Sustainia and the United Nations Global Compact, renewed efforts are required to ensure four of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals do not miss their 2030 targets. The Global Goals addressed in the report are Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Action and Goal 14: Life Below Water.

Environment

Rush2Recycle Plans to Recover More Than 40 Tons of Stadium Waste

Feb 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Aramark is teaming with the NFL and PepsiCo, along with U.S. Bank Stadium partners, for a landmark sustainability project at Super Bowl LII – Rush2Recycle -- aimed to recover more than 90% -- more than 40 tons -- of stadium waste on game day. The project is part of the NFL’s initiative to reduce the environmental impact of Super Bowl LII activities and leave a “green” legacy throughout the area.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $3 Million in Financing for Ammon Affordable Housing Property

Feb 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) has provided a $3 million construction loan with 9% LIHTC financing for the acquisition and rehabilitation of Peterson Park, an existing 39-unit USDA Rural Development affordable housing property, located in Ammon, ID, that will add one additional unit upon renovation. The property is comprised of five, two-story buildings, with units reserved for tenants earning between 30-60% area median income (AMI). The project will benefit from a Rental Assistance Contract for all 40 units.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Essity Ranked One of the World's 100 Most Sustainable Companies

Feb 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The ranking is based on publicly disclosed data from 2016 based on up to 17 key performance indicators (KPIs) covering environmental, social and governance relative to company peers. A total of 5,994 publicly listed companies with gross revenue of minimum USD 1 billion have been analyzed, encompassing all sectors and industries. The global 100 companies come from 22 countries, where Essity is one of five Swedish companies on the list.

Education

Do You Know a Young Problem Solver? The AT&T and Imagination.org Inventor's Challenge Is Back

Feb 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Every year, we see new inventions that solve problems and entertain. 2017 brought us a smartphone with face recognition, an electric vehicle for the masses and a stress-relieving toy everyone from your 5-year-old to your grandmother was obsessed with, seemingly overnight.

Social Impact & Volunteering

In the World: Teaching Tech Skills to Refugees

Feb 1, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Gabriel Abebrese and Gunnar Schoenig both volunteer with the charity App Camps, which gives young people, including refugees, the skills to start a career in tech. The two Barclaycard employees tell us about the satisfaction they get from helping the young people grow in skills and confidence – and how some are already earning money from their ideas.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Why Data Privacy Day Is Every Day: A Q&A With Our Top Privacy Experts

Feb 1, 2018 8:30 AM ET

In recognition of International Data Privacy Day, which celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday, we invited four Alliance Data and its businesses’ privacy subject matter experts to share some thoughts about why data privacy is so central to the company’s values and obligations, as well as some of the changing trends around privacy.

Health & Healthcare

Five Food Trends for 2018

Feb 1, 2018 8:10 AM ET

Rainbow bagels, unicorn food and milkshakes as big as a person’s head are so yesterday. What will be on plates over the next 12 months? As 2018 arrives, culinary leaders at Sodexo, the leader in Quality of Life Services, have named their food trends for the year. Kevin Cecilio, Sodexo’s senior director, culinary innovations, believes these five trends will be on the table over the next 12 months.

Green Infrastructure

A Sustainable Solution for Food Waste: Transforming Waste Products Into Energy in Michigan

Feb 1, 2018 8:00 AM ET

With food waste from local manufacturing threatening to overwhelm available waste treatment capacity in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the City has begun a project to convert that waste to energy. Tetra Tech is leading the design phase of a $38-million waste-to-energy biodigester as part of the city’s goal of using 100-percent renewable energy to power city buildings by 2025. Biodigesters combine organic waste with microorganisms in air-tight tanks, creating a biogas that produces energy to power and heat buildings.