News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest impact news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's publishing platform.

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Social Impact & Volunteering

Learning From Real-life Examples: Collaborating to Design a Boys & Girls Club Playbook

Last week, we partnered with Stanford Social Innovation Review, Charles Schwab and Boys & Girls Club of America to host a webinar around creating long-term sustainable partnerships, or what we refer to as sticky relationships. As a follow up to our webinar, our Senior Consultant, Season Eckardt sat down to reflect on the role she played to deepen the impact of this partnership and help Boys & Girls Club chapters across the US operationalize a common strategic vision.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Foundation and Verb Announce Winner of Financial Innovation Competition

MetLife Foundation and Verb announced Onward Financial as the first place winner of the Inclusion Plus competition in the United States. The competition was open to entrepreneurs, non-profits and other social impact organizations focused on addressing the financial health needs of low- to moderate-income Americans. Standing out among more than 150 entries, Onward Financial received a $100,000 grant from MetLife Foundation.

Energy

Nestlé Waters North America Signs Renewable Energy Agreement with ENGIE Resources

Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA), together with ENGIE Resources, today announced that they have signed a renewable energy agreement through which ENGIE will supply over 50 percent of the energy needed for NWNA’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Texas. With this agreement, NWNA operations in Travis, McLennan, Dallas, and Harris counties will be supplied by renewable wind energy from the Midway Wind Farm in San Patricio County, Texas, supporting Nestlé’s global goal to transition to 100 percent renewable energy use in its operations.

Sustainable Development Goals

Kids Innovate, Explore and Create in Free STEM Workshops in Verizon Stores

Verizon offers free Innovative Learning labs in 36 stores across the United States. It is part of the company’s commitment to invest $400 million from 2012 to 2023 to bring tech education programs to millions of students. The Verizon Innovative Learning labs offer technology-focused lessons created by Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a leading educational nonprofit that empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Health & Healthcare

Aflac Donates $1.5 Million for Childhood Cancer Research and Meets Their 2018 Giving Goal

As part of Aflac’s annual giving for childhood cancer, Aflac donates $2 to The Aflac Foundation, Inc. – up to $1.5 million – whenever someone posts or shares on social media using the hashtag. Well, this year we have officially reached our 2018 giving goal! Because of YOU, our dream of living in a world without childhood cancer is that much closer.

Events, Media & Communications

Pro Bono Week 2018: Leaders for the Future

When Taproot was founded in 2001, we knew our mission to drive social change through pro bono service didn’t have to start from scratch. The legal profession in particular served as an example of the potential that can be realized when you engrain an ethic of service into an industry and build programs and resources so nonprofits can leverage it. But outside of the legal profession, that type of access to pro bono services for the nonprofit sector was still rare.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Dow, Keep America Beautiful to Award Up to Another $100,000 in Hefty® EnergyBag® Grants in 2019

The Dow Chemical Company is again teaming up with national nonprofit and long-standing collaborator Keep America Beautiful to award up to $100,000 in grants for organizations to establish Hefty® EnergyBag® programs in their communities. The Hefty® EnergyBag® program, led by Dow and Reynolds Consumer Products, offers an innovative approach to diverting hard-to-recycle plastics, such as chip bags, standup pouches, candy wrappers and juice pouches, from landfills and converting the materials into valuable resources.

Innovation & Technology

What New U.S. Data Privacy Laws Mean for Business

The frequency and intensity of data breaches are on the rise worldwide. More than 4.5 billion records were compromised in the first half of 2018, a 133 percent increase over last year, according to Gemalto’s Breach Level Index. Numbers like these make consumers understandably wary of sharing their personal information with companies, and they also represent a significant risk for the world’s top firms.

Energy

Walmart, EDP Renewables Announce Three Wind Energy Power Purchase Agreements

Walmart and EDP Renewables (EDPR) have announced three power purchase agreements (PPA) that will enable the construction of three new utility-scale wind farms – developed, owned and operated by EDPR – in the states of Illinois and Indiana.

Events, Media & Communications

Millennials, Gen Z, and the Future of Business

Millennials are expected to make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025, and Gen Z to make up 40% of global consumers by 2020. You’ve read the statistics, and you know that these generations buy products that align with their values and demand jobs with purpose.

Diversity & Inclusion

Young Engineers Choose Careers at Nekoosa Mill

October is Manufacturing Month, giving a spotlight to career opportunities for young engineers and others who are the next generation of the manufacturing workforce. Sophie Justinak and Tracy Wawrzyniec, employees at our Nekoosa Mill, recently made the transition from successful interns to full-time engineers, thanks to Domtar’s support for interns and emphasis on job readiness.

Responsible Production & Consumption

PMA and United Fresh Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices Gains First Endorsement from Third-Party Certifier

SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certification body and standards developer, is pleased to announce its endorsement of the Ethical Charter on Responsible Labor Practices, a joint initiative of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association. The Charter establishes baseline principles for the ethical treatment of workers in the global fresh produce and floral industries.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

CenterPoint Energy Offering 2,000 Free Trees to Houston Residents Through Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program

CenterPoint Energy is providing 2,000 free trees to residents in Houston through Energy-Saving Trees, an Arbor Day Foundation program that helps conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting.

Health & Healthcare

Video: Tackling Mental Health in the Workplace

Sarah Boddey, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, EMEA & APAC, from Northern Trust, speaks about the things that have worked & the barriers faced when tackling mental health in the workplace.

Green Infrastructure

Cisco Employees Spend a Week Going Green

The leaves on the trees may no longer be green, but Cisco employees are! Despite the changing of the seasons, employees across Cisco spent last week participating in local, environmentally-friendly activities to reduce their carbon footprints.

Education

"What Were You Meant to Be?" Andrew Hoffman Challenges Students at Loyola Convocation

On August 24, 2018, Andrew J. Hoffman, the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan, delivered the Convocation Address at Loyola University Chicago to 3,250 students and 250 faculty members.

Innovation & Technology

Energy Star Certified LG Gram Laptops Rated as Top Performers

Premium, high-performance 2018 LG gram® laptops from ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year LG Electronics are ranked at the top of the charts in the ultrabook category across the 13-, 14- and 15-inch screens sizes by a leading U.S. consumer product publication.

ENERGY STAR certified LG gram computers are engineered with efficient power supplies for those long nights in the library, epic movie marathons and everything in between. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, depending on how it’s used, an ENERGY STAR computer uses about 60 percent less energy without sacrificing quality or performance.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Bloomberg Joins UK Movement to Change How Workplaces Think and Act Around Mental Health

Today, Bloomberg L.P. Chairman Peter T. Grauer signed an employer pledge with Time to Change, the growing social movement run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which is changing how people across the UK are thinking and acting with regards to mental health problems. By signing, Bloomberg is committing to change the way we think and act around mental health in the workplace.

Education

AEG and Pepperdine University Unveil Classroom and Educational Programming at STAPLES Center

Innovating to meet the demand for graduate and undergraduate level educational offerings in the sports and entertainment industries, AEG and Pepperdine University are proud to debut a branded classroom within the iconic STAPLES Center, home to four professional sports franchises and more than 250 events a year.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Mohawk Industries Goes Pink for Breast Cancer at Corporate HQ in Georgia

Employees at Mohawk Industries recently took part in their company-wide Pink Out to rally in support of Susan G. Komen. The annual event is part of the flooring manufacturer’s annual observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and took place at the corporate headquarters in Calhoun, Ga. Each year, employees come together to learn more about the company’s corporate partnership with the organization and receive updates on the latest initiatives and monetary amounts donated back to Susan G. Komen since 2001.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Bacardi on Sustainability in Packaging: ‘We’ve Learned a Lot About the Importance of Addressing More Than Just Weight’

In 2014 Bacardi set out a goal to reduce its packaging by 10%, but says that since then it’s learned that sustainability in packaging is about a lot more than weight.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sysco Virginia Donates Major Gift to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

Sysco Virginia has made a major gift to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, committing at least $38,000 over two years to support food bank operations as part of their Nourishing Neighbors program.

Each year, the Food Bank provides more than 21 million meals to hungry children, seniors, and families through a network of partner food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters, as well as several nutrition programs.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Boston Neighborhood Welcomes a New Nonprofit and a New Food-Forest Garden

Volunteers from Boston’s Dorchester area will gather to plant fruit trees to complete the set-up for the new H.E.R.O. Nurturing Center Inc. Hope Garden (H.E.R.O. is for Hope, Empathy, Redemption, Oasis), on Geneva Avenue, October 25 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. The former vacant lot will serve as a community garden, food forest and gathering space for the neighborhood.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Points of Light Releases Global Family Volunteering Research Findings, Underwritten by The Walt Disney Company

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, released the “Global Volunteerism Journey Report,” a first-of-its-kind study that examines the similarities and differences in family volunteering from five countries around the world. Underwritten by The Walt Disney Company, the study was commissioned to assess the global state of volunteerism and key barriers to overcome, identify solutions and opportunities to increase family volunteering, and understand the best ways to communicate opportunities.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

How NRG Keeps Its Supply Chain Sustainable

In today’s global economy, virtually no organization is fully vertically integrated. This makes sustainability relevant across a company’s entire value chain. After setting an ambitious goal addressing downstream avoidance of customer greenhouse gas emissions, NRG is one of the first in its sector to include its supply chain as part of its sustainability commitments. This makes strong business sense because sustainable supply chains are inherently more efficient, transparent and resilient.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Communities and People
    Employees are our most valued resource and are at the center of everything we do. Their talent, diversity, and commitment are crucial to our...
  2. AEG's Commitment to Sustainable Operations
    AEG's sustainability initiatives are designed to reduce our consumption of the planet’s limited resources. Through our comprehensive sustainability...
  3. Tapestry I The Power of Our People
    We aim to foster a culture of purpose and fulfillment at Tapestry by embedding equity, inclusion and diversity throughout our organization, and...
  4. 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...
  5. Kingfisher Around the World
    The SCS Kingfisher certification mark is showing up on an increasing number of products around the world. It differentiates companies that are making...
  6. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  7. Goals That Inspire: Positive Social Impact
    Through our Goals That Inspire we strive to make a positive difference in our communities by relying on our ability to understand their needs and then...
  8. Enriching Women's Lives
    60 years ago, Mary Kay Ash created an unparalleled opportunity for women to define their own successes and control their own futures. Her vision of...
  9. International Paper | HEALTHY & ABUNDANT FORESTS
    Vision 2030 Goal: Lead forest stewardship efforts globally
  10. Recognition of our Company
    As the leading sports and live music company in the world, we recognize our responsibility to provide industry leadership and to conduct our business...
  11. PotlatchDeltic 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report
    PotlatchDeltic’s 2024 corporate responsibility accomplishments include: Forests: Planted nearly 29 million seedlings and protected 7,880 miles of...
  12. Climate Stabilization
    SCS is working to advance climate accounting and reporting based on the latest climate science to help stabilize climate below temperature thresholds...
  13. Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
    The vision of Paris 2024 Paris 2024 will see a new vision of Olympism in action, delivered in a unique spirit of international celebration. We will...
  14. 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...
  15. PSEG People & Communities
    PSEG is committed to improving the lives of our customers, our employees and the diverse communities we serve throughout New Jersey and Long Island...