Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest news from 3BL’s clients.

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Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Finances New Development of Mixed-Use Property Serving the Homeless and Individuals with Sensory and Mobility Impairments

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) provided Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) $6.9 million in combined construction-to-permanent loan financing for the development of Elizabeth Place Apartments, along with $5.8 million in LIHTC equity. Elizabeth Place Apartments will be a mixed-use project in downtown Anchorage, AK with commercial space and 38 units of affordable housing for those earning between 50 – 60% area median income (AMI). The project will also have 12 market rate units.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How PayPal Innovated to Engage More Employees Worldwide

The innovative change-makers in charge of PayPal's giving and volunteering program were eager to engage more employees across their global workforce. They knew their program had the potential for even more social impact, and they wanted to support their people's passions for environmental sustainability. See how they engaged more employees globally and saw tangible results in their sustainability efforts.

Research, Reports & Publications

Shining a Light on Government Support of Emerging Industries – New Research by Former Erb Postdoc Panikos Georgallis

Emerging industries depend on government support to grow, but they may be seen as threats to an incumbent industry, and they need to prove their technical feasibility and market promise. So how do emerging industries garner government support? A group of researchers led by former Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Panikos Georgallis set out to demystify the conditions under which emerging industries get government support.

Environment

General Motors' eBike Crowdsourcing Campaign Seeks Ideas From Consumers

As part of General Motors’ commitment to an all-electric future, the eBike is one of the latest electrification technologies developed to give customers more freedom to move and dream beyond the traditional vehicle.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Places That Matter: Cleveland, Tennessee

Whirlpool Corp’s plant in Cleveland, TN—also the company’s newest — is the largest employer in the county, producing cooking appliances for multiple brands. See the people and places of Cleveland in this next video in the "Places that Matter" series.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Day:100

I’ve found that whenever I start a new job, the first 100 days go by quickly and it was no different stepping into the role as the leader of the Shared Value Initiative. I spent my first few months getting immersed in all things shared value, meeting with SVI members and collaborators, and talking with practitioners and thought leaders in the field to understand our challenges and opportunities. In all these encounters there was a common thread: the belief in shared value is strong.

Environment

All Creatures Great and Small: The Vanishing Vaquita

How splendid would it be if humans could somehow find a way to truly co-exist with the rest of the planet’s creatures? This week on Sea Change Radio, we focus on two people doing what they can to protect endangered species around the globe.

Innovation & Technology

LIXIL to Pilot Household Reinvented Toilets in Partnership with the Gates Foundation

LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, today announced a new partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring what could be the world’s first “reinvented toilet” for household use to pilot in at least two markets. LIXIL will build a team of experts in technology, design, and product development from across its global commercial organization to work jointly with a sanitation technology partner to refine and test a leading reinvented toilet prototype.

Events, Media & Communications

WEBCAST | Powering Inclusion Through Solar Handprints: An Innovative Partnership

In this one-hour pre-recorded webcast, George Bandy Jr. of Mohawk Industries and Michelle Moore of Groundswell discuss their unique partnership in aligning environmental stewardship with social equity. You’ll discover how solar energy-focused, community-building initiatives can be implemented into a corporate social responsibility framework, empowering inclusion and transformation while addressing global concerns.

Events, Media & Communications

Brands Taking Stands | What’s Next: Employees Take Stands

This week's Brands Taking Stands newsletter looks at employee activism atGoogle; FedEx ends NRA partnership; UK business leaders on Brexit; and Land O' Lakes and @Purina end support of Iowa rep Steve King.

Innovation & Technology

Pro Bono As a People Strategy in Action: Adobe

Taproot has long made the case that a strong corporate pro bono program is a triple win—nonprofits receive the support they need, companies build deeper relationships with their communities, and employees have the opportunity to apply their skills in new and meaningful ways. While there is a robust foundation of evidence supporting the claim that pro bono is a powerful social impact strategy, practitioners often struggle to articulate the business case for pro bono.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Women’s Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Business: Opportunities for Growth and Impact

In 2017, the World Economic Forum reported that the global gender gap had widened for the first time. This regression stands to hit women and girls at the Base of the Economic Pyramid (BoP) hardest, as many lack independent sources of income or decision making power for themselves and their families.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

5 Ways to Share, Collaborate, and Inspire This Giving Tuesday

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving, a time to give back to our communities after Thanksgiving and the consumerism of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday is also a time to share, collaborate and inspire our employees, friends and co-workers to get involved. With Giving Tuesday less than a month away, here are 5 quick and easy ways to engage and excite!

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SC Johnson Argentina Earns 15th Best Workplace Recognition

SC Johnson Argentina today announces it has been recognized as a Best Workplace for the 15th time by Great Place to Work®. SC Johnson Argentina ranked No. 8 on the 2018 list of Best Medium-Sized Multinational Companies in the country.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SC Johnson Argentina obtiene el 15. º reconocimiento como mejor lugar de trabajo

SC Johnson Argentina anunció hoy que ha sido reconocida por Great Place to Work® como el mejor lugar de trabajo por 15.a vez. SC Johnson Argentina se posicionó en el puesto n.º 8 en la lista de 2018 de mejores empresas multinacionales medianas del país.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CSRHub - What's Changed After Ten Years of CSR Ratings: Part One

CSRHub’s ratings incorporate the input of virtually every major source of opinion about how companies treat environment, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Our patented methodology weights and combines these opinions in a way that makes them comparable both between companies and over time.

Environment

Agroforestry and Land Health in Malawi

Africa has over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land but remains a major food importer. Even though agricultural production has grown by 130% over the past 30 years, with 18 Sub-Saharan countries halving the proportion of hungry people, more needs to be done. Soil is Africa’s most important natural resource: healthy and fertile soils are the cornerstones of food security.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sysco Corporation Celebrates 2018 Supplier Excellence Awards and Names General Mills Foodservice Supplier of the Year

Each year, Sysco recognizes our suppliers for their commitment, support and partnership through the Supplier Excellence Awards. Congratulations to the Supplier of the Year, General Mills Foodservice and Broker of the Year, CORE Group, for their exceptional performance in delivering on our Vision of being our customers’ most valued and trusted business partner.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Tools to Power Small Business Lending

By providing a more holistic view to banks and empowering entrepreneurs, we seed the conditions for economic growth and create opportunities for responsible lending that can revitalize underdeveloped neighborhoods and underserved communities. We see how greater access to credit can deliver the economic benefits that stem from creating more jobs and higher wages. It’s why we’re more committed than ever to supporting an inclusive financial system that works for all.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Forbes and Statista Names Hallmark Among its Best Employers for Women

The nation’s top employers for women know that cultivating a culture that’s beneficial to women is an ongoing process. Even Hallmark—where 83% of employees, 40% of senior managers and 75% of board members are women—must work at it every day. “This practice of diversity and inclusion doesn’t have an endpoint,” says Philip Polk, vice president of diversity and inclusion at the Kansas City, Missouri-headquartered business. “It’s a journey that continues as our workforce continues to evolve.”

Energy

Paving the Way for Our Future Transportation Network While Using Less Energy

The steadily increasing number of electric vehicles available provide cleaner options with lower operating costs. Autonomous vehicles, when they arrive, will undoubtedly reshape our daily routines. And ride-hailing and transit payment apps will continue to influence how many people interact with the transportation system. All of these technologies need to evolve in concert.

Environment

Symantec Slashes GHGs by More Than 30% in Just Three Years

We recognize the urgency with which society must collectively act to mitigate the threat of climate change. At Symantec, we continue to promote a low carbon future by reducing resource use across our operations, engaging our employees, and taking part in industry initiatives to transition to renewable clean energy.

Research, Reports & Publications

The New Power Grid: Obligations in the Era of Change

To effectively map out the current and future states of power delivery, it’s imperative to discuss what the landscape looked like in the past. Understanding the evolution of any industry typically requires a healthy dose of historical context, and making sense of today’s energy grid is no exception.

Sustainable Development Goals

Introducing CoLab

While the world is changing for the better, in alignment with the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it’s not changing anywhere near fast enough.

Energy

How Market Levers for Clean Energy Development are Continuing the Trend Toward Renewables

It seems that with or without federal-level support, market forces will continue to promote growth in low-carbon technologies. Customers large and small are voicing—with their wallets—that renewables continue to be economically and environmentally attractive and the power sector is responding.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Growth Through Sustainability
    Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator with a clear purpose to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. See how embedding...
  2. Principal Financial Group: Employee Engagement
    Talented employees are the heart and soul of our company. We believe development inspires individuals to engage, empower, and embrace a growth mindset...
  3. Approach: Our Recipe For Good Growth
    At Yum!, being a good corporate steward is a fundamental commitment and an important part of our success. Our Global Citizenship & Sustainability...
  4. Technology for Good
    We believe that technology, when thoughtfully and strategically applied, can bring positive, lasting change to people’s lives and communities and...
  5. KeyBank: Responsible Banking
    Everyone’s financial journey is different. We make intentional efforts to meet the individual needs of clients and communities through a diverse range...
  6. Cascale Governance
    Cascale shares updates from its Board of Directors who serve as the principal governing body and are responsible for setting the strategic direction...
  7. 2025 Wesco International Sustainability Report
    Our Sustainability Approach: Wesco’s 2025 Sustainability Report, which demonstrates our commitment to furthering sustainability, innovation and...
  8. Growth Through Sustainability
    Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator with a clear purpose to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. See how embedding...
  9. KeyBank's Community Investment
    In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...
  10. PNC: Commitment to Early Childhood Education
    We're focusing on early learning to help children succeed. Research has shown that the first five years of a child's life is critical to long-term...
  11. AEG Celebrates Inclusion
    At AEG, we embrace inclusion and strive to create a workplace where our employees feel welcomed, valued and respected for the viewpoints, ideas...
  12. Cascale Events
    Cascale organizes and participates in a series of events, leveraging its position as a global convener of close to half the sector to bring together...
  13. Manufacturing Excellence
    A collection of stories highlighting the people and places of Whirlpool Corporation's manufacturing sites throughout the world.
  14. Tork, an Essity brand
    Tork is an Essity brand. Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. Wherever there is a need for wiping, drying, cleaning or polishing...
  15. Nasdaq Governance Solutions
    Boards need reliable solutions—and people—to facilitate major decisions, advance strategic vision, and drive stakeholder value. Nasdaq Governance...