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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Events, Media & Communications

Advisory: On Monday May 14th US Department of State and the World Environment Center to Host Webinar on ‘Power to Grow’

On Monday, May 14, 2018 at 3:30 PM EST, the US Department of State and the World Environment Center will host a webinar and Q&A on ‘Power to Grow.’

Power to Grow is a search to discover and reward non-profit organizations empowering micro-enterprises in Central America. Awardees will receive a prize of up to $43,000 to execute their proposed project, partnership with a member organization of La Red de Innovación e Impacto working towards a shared goal, and a comprehensive training and support package to improve their business skills. Applications are open until 11:59 PM (EST) on May 14, 2018.

Events, Media & Communications

Aviso: Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, Embajada de los Estados Unidos en El Salvador y World Environment Center harán un webinar sobre ‘El Poder de Crecer’

El día lunes 14 de mayo del 2018 a las 3:30 PM EST, el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos hará un webinar con sesión de preguntas y respuestas sobre ‘El Poder de Crecer’.

El Poder de Crecer busca identificar y premiar a organizaciones sin fines de lucro que están empoderando a micro emprendimientos en Centroamérica. Los ganadores recibirán hasta USD 43,000 para ejecutar su solución propuesta, además de una alianza con una organización miembro de La Red de Innovación e Impacto con el fin de trabajar juntos hacia el mismo objetivo y un paquete completo de asesoría y capacitación para mejorar sus capacidades de negocio. El plazo de las aplicaciones es hasta el 14 de mayo del 2018 a las 11:59 PM (EST).

Research, Reports & Publications

Making Insulin-Producing Cells Unrecognizable

Over the past 20 years, JDRF has driven amazing progress in beta cell transplantation for type 1 diabetes (T1D). As we have seen, in a small subpopulation of people living with T1D, transplantation of beta cells can be, literally, a life-saver. Unfortunately, though, they require long-term immunosuppressive treatments, and most of those beta cells will be gone at two years, rendering these people insulin-dependent again. One avenue to overcome this is to produce the beta cells from stem cells, which have been modified to be immune to a cellular attack. In other words, making insulin-producing beta cells unrecognizable to the immune system. That’s what Elad Sintov, Ph.D., is trying to do, with a JDRF postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

Events, Media & Communications

Chelsea Handler, Ashley Judd, Chelsea Clinton Talk Cultural Change for Women at the Inaugural Bloomberg Business of Equality Summit

Like a lot of women, Chelsea Handler is disheartened that sexism and harassment are still such widespread issues, but she thinks the cultural shift toward doing something about it has a specific source.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Why You Should Be Using Cause Marketing

Like other CSR elements, Cause Marketing efforts can directly influence your bottom line. Consumers are asking companies to support social and environmental issues, taking action towards areas that may not be relevant to everyday business operations.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Companies Have to Rethink Their Role in Society

Beyond Philanthropy’s benchmarking study on Corporate Citizenship Engagement of the DAX 30 companies shows that German corporations are actively engaged in society beyond their economic activity; nevertheless, they should do more than just reducing their negative impacts on society and environment or contributing cash donations to NGOs.

Sustainable Development Goals

Strategy for Agroforestry Development in Vietnam

In Vietnam, agroforestry has been practised for a long time, however, its widespread adoption remains limited owing to a range of factors. Building on previous work to address barriers to adoption, a workshop was held on 5 April 2018 in Hanoi, in which participants agreed that a long-term strategy for the development of agroforestry throughout the country was needed to address national and international commitments.

Environment

No More Pen and Paper: Leak Detection and Repair for the Digital Age

How often have you used your phone today? You checked email, watched the news, shared a photo with friends, all while going about your day-to-day life. Mobile technology bridges the gap between the virtual and real worlds, making many tasks flow together.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland’s Global Stewards Convene to Set Strategy for Employee Engagement in Service and Sustainability

Timberland’s Global Stewards recently convened in the Dominican Republic for annual training to inspire and equip the team to drive the brand’s service and sustainability agenda worldwide. The team of 28 dedicated and passionate employees from 19 different countries volunteer, above and beyond their regular job responsibilities, for a two-year term to serve as ambassadors of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to their location. The Stewards’ role is to drive service, forward Timberland’s environmental agenda, create business value, ensure accurate reporting, and to pay it forward by leaving detailed notes on best practices and lessons learned for future Stewards who follow in their footsteps.

Energy

“Clean Trillion” Investment Goal in Sight and Achievable, New Ceres Report Says

As global clean energy transition takes hold and the market matures, a new Ceres report released today finds that the “Clean Trillion” – the goal of an additional $1 trillion investment in clean energy per year through 2050 needed to keep global temperature rise below 2-degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change – is eminently feasible.

Research, Reports & Publications

HP Inc. Survey Reveals Sustainability Tops List of Incentives for Office Workers

In a new survey from HP Inc. focusing on more than 3,000 office employees in Mexico, U.S. and Brazil, sustainability rises to the top as the most important employer offering. HP revealed the results as part of the company’s 2018 Americas Innovation Summit.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Honoring Heroes

When Ryan Bennie mentioned that he and his fellow firefighters “need a break,” he was saying a mouthful. Ryan was front and center during the Northern California wildfires that erupted in October 2017, racking up more than $9 billion in damages and taking dozens of lives along the way.

“It’s hopefully my career fire,” he says.

In addition to serving as a California firefighter and training captain for the Napa County Fire Department, Ryan heads up the Napa County Firefighters Association, a nonprofit organization that supports area fire departments with training and other services. On March 26, Ryan was on hand to accept a donation of 2,000 pounds of CytoSport products in honor of the association and the work of Napa Valley firefighters.

Research, Reports & Publications

Smithfield Foods 2017 Sustainability Report: Innovative Prime Fresh Packaging Video

Our new Prime Fresh line uses proprietary, minimalist packaging, which uses 31 percent less packaging than the conventional tubs that hold other pre-sliced deli meats. This provides a host of sustainability benefits such as fewer transportation miles (due to more product able to fit on trucks) and less waste sent to landfill.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Merck Named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List

Corporate Responsibility Magazine has ranked Merck #22 on its 19th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens list. The list recognizes the standout environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of public companies across the United States.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Arbor Day Foundation Partners With TD and Sustainable Brands on Tree Planting to Beautify Vancouver Park

The Arbor Day Foundation in collaboration with TDBank Group and Sustainable Brands are planting trees and doing clean-up at Stanley Park, Vancouver's first, largest and most well-known urban park on June 4. The tree planting will be done by volunteers attending the 2018 Sustainable Brands Conference — SB'18 Vancouver — which is being held in Downtown Vancouver June 4-7, 2018. The new trees are part of the City of Vancouver’s commitment to plant 150,000 trees by 2020. To sign up for this event please click here.

Research, Reports & Publications

Strengthening Communities: Vancity Publishes 8th Integrated Annual Report

Vancity’s latest integrated Annual Report, Strengthening Communities, shows how Vancity exists solely for the benefit of our members and the communities in which they live and work. It can be viewed at annualreport.vancity.com.

Research, Reports & Publications

Sustainability: L’Oréal Accelerates Its Transformation in 2017

Following Earth Day on April 22, L’Oréal publishes the 2017 Progress Report on its sustainability programme Sharing Beauty With All. The report shows significant progress, as much on sustainable innovation as on the company’s commitment to fighting climate change.

Diversity & Inclusion

Important Dialogue - Community Investment Has a Role to Play in a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy

Join LBG Canada companies on June 5, 2018 in Calgary, as we discuss community investment's role in a diversity and inclusion strategy. Kelly Lendsay, President & CEO of Indigenous Works, joins panelists that include leaders influencing corporate thinking on abilities, LGBTQ inclusion, Action 92 and Indigenous inclusion, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Energy

Investor Momentum Builds With Majority Votes on Climate and Sustainability at Kinder Morgan

Shareholders delivered historic majority votes at Kinder Morgan today, with global investors helping pass key climate and sustainability resolutions, Ceres said in a statement. Kinder Morgan is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Social Activism and Community Engagement: A Conversation With Darrin Goss, President & CEO of Coastal Community Foundation

Social media activism, community engagement and leveraging philanthropic capital to advance change locally - Rachel Hutchisson of Blackbaud and Darrin Goss of the Coastal Community Foundation discussed these topics and more on the Champions for Social Good podcast.

Health & Healthcare

Alcon Cares Project 100 Commits to Reducing Cataract Blindness Globally

Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, today announced Alcon Cares Project 100, which aims to reduce cataract blindness by providing equipment to perform phacoemulsification (or “phaco”), a key step in the cataract surgery procedure. Alcon Cares, a foundation that oversees equipment and product donations to those in need, will give 100 reprocessed Infiniti units to eligible clinics in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa over the next three years, making it one of the largest eye care equipment donations of its kind.

Health & Healthcare

A Family Legacy: Improving Global Public Health

When Dr. Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH, joined Pfizer more than 20 years ago, planning had just begun for a new partnership to eliminate trachoma, a neglected tropical disease and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.

Responsible Production & Consumption

IES Unveils Healthy Materials Management System in Partnership With International Living Future Institute

Finding building materials that won’t harm human health is now simpler and easier with the introduction of Red2Green (R2G), a new platform that slashes the time and effort required to pursue the ambitious requirements of the Living Building Challenge by crowdsourcing and documenting key materials health data for building and construction materials.

Research, Reports & Publications

Valvoline Releases 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, ‘Voices of Valvoline’

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV), a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, today released its 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report (CSR). The foundational pillars of corporate social responsibility at Valvoline™ continue to center on its “People, Product and Planet” approach with a strategic focus on achieving greater impact in the areas of citizenship, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Boeing Details More Than $54 Million in Grants and Philanthropic Investments

Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced details for $54 million in grants and philanthropic sponsorships to nonprofits in the U.S. and around the globe. As part of the company’s pledge to invest in local communities following the enactment of the tax reform legislation, the investments include new or accelerated partnerships with organizations that improve STEM education, enhance transition and health services for veterans and their families, and enrich local communities.

Latest Campaigns

  1. AEG's Commitment to Social Impact and Volunteerism
    AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...
  2. Southwire Giving Back
    Our neighbors depend on us, just as we depend on them, so we are committed to improving the quality of life in the communities in which we work. At...
  3. Carbon Footprint
    We are accelerating our efforts to help build a low-carbon economy and avert the worst impacts of climate change. Our goal to reduce our GHG emissions...
  4. Environmental Sustainability
    As sustainability leaders, we implement our sustainability strategy across all company activities along the entire value chain, from raw materials to...
  5. Corporate Social Responsibility
    Corporate Social Responsibility
  6. International Paper | HEALTHY & ABUNDANT FORESTS
    Vision 2030 Goal: Lead forest stewardship efforts globally
  7. Sustainability Report
    Our latest Sustainability Report highlights recent accomplishments and progress toward achieving goals in the environmental, social and governance...
  8. Social Impact at Mastercard
    At Mastercard, we’re powering economies and empowering people, building a sustainable economy where everyone prospers.
  9. 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...
  10. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  11. IWBI | WELL Building Standard
    Our built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively...
  12. Leading ESG & Sustainability Stewardship
    The new CNH continues on its longstanding path of excellence in sustainability, which is recognized by the foremost authorities.
  13. Green Mountain Energy Commitment to Sustainability
    At Green Mountain Energy Company, we share our customers’ commitment to the environment and sustainability. We are inspired by the success that we...
  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. GoDaddy | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
    Diverse teams build better products — period. At GoDaddy, we make apps and services that our worldwide community of entrepreneurs can relate to. Our...