Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Environment

Awareness and Importance of Circular Economy is Growing, UPS/GreenBiz Study Finds

Apr 4, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Last week, UPS and GreenBiz launched a 2016 study titled The Growth of the Circular Economy, which captures insights from sustainability executives about perceptions of the circular economy, including key business drivers, barriers and opportunities. Here are five major takeaways from the study.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Cox Automotive Presents Barbara Cox Automotive Woman of the Year Award

Apr 4, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Cox Automotive™ presented the 11th annual Barbara Cox Automotive Woman of the Year Award to Jenell Ross, president of Bob Ross Auto Group located in Centerville, Ohio. The Bob Ross Auto Group has the distinction of being the only Buick-GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo and Fiat dealerships owned by an African-American woman.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Is the New Plastic Economy a Blueprint to Design a Circular Future?

Apr 4, 2016 10:55 AM ET

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation thinks so. In a new report issued entitled The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics, the Foundation looks at the plastics lifecycle through the lens of the circular economy and examines concrete steps that can be taken towards system-wide change.

Health & Healthcare

Understand the Past to Create a Positive Future for People with Disabilities

Apr 4, 2016 10:35 AM ET

What does the past mean for those of us trying to craft a positive future for people with disability? Understanding backwards, as Kierkegaard reminds us, creates the wisdom to move forward with a strong awareness of what we are moving away from, what we are moving towards, and what we are learning from the journey.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Rebuilding Together to Repair More Than 700 Homes During National Rebuilding Month

Apr 4, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Rebuilding Together, a leading national nonprofit in safe and healthy housing that provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs, will mark its annual National Rebuilding Month this April. Nearly 20,000 volunteers will serve in more than 700 affiliate-led rebuild projects during National Rebuilding Month.

During National Rebuilding Month, Rebuilding Together will launch a pledge drive, encouraging people across the country to support safe and healthy homes. The drive will provide safety tips that can be implemented at home and a call-to-action to provide assistance to low income homeowners.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Gary, the "Resourceful Recycler"

Apr 4, 2016 10:00 AM ET

GSK is targeting a carbon neutral value chain by 2050 and has ambitious goals to reduce carbon, water and waste in the meantime. We’ve made significant progress in the last five years. In fact, we turned a corner in 2014 and by the end of 2015, 60% of GSK sites globally sent no waste to landfill. To better understand what zero waste to landfill means in the US, I spoke with Gary, GSK Shipping Coordinator at our Marietta, PA vaccine manufacturing and packaging site. Gary has worked with GSK for nearly ten years and has led the Waste Management Committee for this site to achieve this remarkable environmental milestone. Below is a summary of our recent conversation.

Energy

Whirlpool Corporation Celebrates Its Commitment to Sustainability

Apr 4, 2016 9:00 AM ET

The majority of the environmental impact created by an appliance occurs during it's in-home use and is generally 10 to 20 times higher than the impacts created during it's production, distribution or disposal life cycle phases.

Innovation & Technology

Net Impact Announces the Forward Food Competition

Apr 4, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Net Impact announces the Forward Food Competition, an opportunity to pitch a sustainable food idea to a panel of industry experts. Applicants can submit their ideas through the Net Impact website until May 15, 2016. The Competition is supported by lead sponsor, Campbell Soup Company, and General Mills.

Energy

HP Inc. Has Pledged to Achieve 100% Renewable Electricity Usage in Its Global Operations

Apr 4, 2016 8:55 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Doubling Down on Hospitality: MGM Resorts International Celebrates Construction of UNLV's Hospitality Hall at Groundbreaking Ceremony

Apr 4, 2016 7:00 AM ET

College officials, community leaders and MGM Resorts International executives gathered on Wednesday, March 30 to break ground on “Hospitality Hall,” a 93,000-square-foot, $56 million building that will also serve as the college’s new home.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Xylem Honored by the American India Foundation

Apr 2, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, will be recognized this evening by the American India Foundation (AIF) for its long-term commitment to India’s growing economy and to helping provide greater access to water for the country’s most vulnerable communities.

Education

Top Students Compete in 27th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship

Apr 1, 2016 6:00 PM ET

Some of the best and brightest students representing 48 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will test their knowledge to win bragging rights and earn grants for their schools in a year-long academic competition culminating this weekend at the 27th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament (NCT). Nearly 200 students will participate in this unique academic tournament, to be held April 2-6 in Torrance, California. The 2016 NCT will be live-streamed Monday, April 4 starting at 12 p.m. Eastern exclusively at HCASC.com.

Social Impact & Volunteering

#GoingToBat Community Spotlight: Jason Motte

Apr 1, 2016 5:30 PM ET

Jason Motte is dominant against most opponents, but he’s still battling every day to gain the upper hand against a real-life adversary that affects almost everyone in one way or another -- cancer.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Maximize the Strategic Value of your Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

Apr 1, 2016 5:10 PM ET

Environment

Record Number of Climate Change Shareholder Resolutions Filed This Year

Apr 1, 2016 5:00 PM ET

Climate change is a big issue facing the world. It is also one of the key issues investors will consider in 2016 proxy statements.

Education

21st Century Fox Honors American Idol Legacy with School Music Grants, Over $1M Donated by 21CF to Arts Education Since 2011

Apr 1, 2016 5:00 PM ET

To commemorate the series finale of FOX's groundbreaking reality series "American Idol," 21CF and the Give a Note Foundation announced a new wave of the 21st Century Fox Give a Note Grants, which will support up to 20 under-funded music education programs at schools across the United States. The company has worked with Give a Note since 2011, donating more than $1 million to nearly 90 schools in that time. The new grants honor the series' 15-season run, over the course of which it created some of music's biggest stars and inspired millions of young people to pursue music and get involved in their schools' arts programs.

Education

Announcing Xploration Station's #StudentAstronaut Contest, Giving STEM Students the Chance to Train like an Astronaut

Apr 1, 2016 4:00 PM ET

Xploration Station, the country’s only E/I broadcast destination dedicated exclusively to STEM programming for teens and their families, announced the return of its #StudentAstronaut contest today. This will be the second iteration of the nationwide competition tied to the popular series Xploration Outer Space.

Energy

Major Brand Companies Across Industries Filing Legal Brief Supporting EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Apr 1, 2016 2:25 PM ET

Four global brand companies with significant energy footprints in nearly every state in the country are filing an amicus brief today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan aimed at reducing carbon pollution from the nation’s electric sector.

Environment

Addressing Fresh Water Deficiency

Apr 1, 2016 1:00 PM ET

For many countries, fresh water availability is an acute concern. In some cases it is the sheer number of people in one location that is triggering the deficiency, in others it is rising sea levels due to climate change and in some situations it is a particular industry, such as cotton that is causing the problem. Because of this, over 1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water and 2 million people die annually from water-related diseases.

Innovation & Technology

4 New Leaders Who Are Living Shared Value

Apr 1, 2016 1:00 PM ET

We're pleased to present you with the winners of the Shared Value Storytellers competition—four crowdsourced innovators who will present their inspiring stories at the Shared Value Leadership Summit on May 10-11 in New York.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Report Shows How Business Responds to Disasters Effectively

Apr 1, 2016 12:30 PM ET

Companies often play a critical role in managing the effects of disasters. A Unified Front: Business Partnerships for Effective Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery highlights best practices for utilizing business assets and developing strategic partnerships to help communities prepare for and recover from disasters.

Social Impact & Volunteering

#EarthMonth Profile: Cox Conserves Heroes Improve Outdoor Spaces For All

Apr 1, 2016 11:30 AM ET

April is a month to observe sustainability and encourage eco-friendly behavior. The Cox Conserves Heroes program, however, celebrates environmental volunteers all year long.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Living Cities Launches New $31 Million Blended Catalyst Fund for Social Impact Investment in US Cities

Apr 1, 2016 11:30 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Ceres’ Response to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Scoping Report

Apr 1, 2016 11:20 AM ET

Ceres president Mindy Lubber praised the members of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) on the release of their “Phase 1” report today, which lays out the scope and high level objectives for the task force’s work.

Environment

NWF Asks Americans to Pledge to Be Butterfly Heroes

Apr 1, 2016 11:15 AM ET

The National Wildlife Federation today announced the launch of Butterfly Heroes presented by Subaru with a goal of 100,000 Americans pledging to help save monarchs and other critically important pollinators in 2016.