Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Environment

General Motors Corporate Responsibility Newsletter - November 2015

Nov 2, 2015 2:10 PM ET

General Motors Corporate Responsibility Newsletter

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

LG Electronics Receives Top Honor From U.S. Green Building Council New Jersey Chapter

Nov 2, 2015 1:20 PM ET

The U.S. Green Building Council New Jersey Chapter (USGBC NJ) honored LG Electronics USA for “outstanding achievement and best practices in green building and sustainability.”

Events, Media & Communications

LIVE Global Engagement Broadcast

Nov 2, 2015 1:15 PM ET

On the morning of November 12, tune in for a live broadcast from the Knight Studio at the Newseum from 10am-1pm EST. Go to www.pyxeraglobal.org on the day of the broadcast to tune in.

In a series of conversations and flash chats, we’ll amplify for a global audience the key lessons and commitments of the previous two days. If you register to attend the Forum today, you’ll have the chance to be live in the studio with us!

Deirdre White, PYXERA Global’s CEO, kicks off the program alongside Sheryl WuDunn, author ofA Path Appears and Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation, to talk about the implications of the Global Goals.

Innovation & Technology

8 Expert Tips: Cyber Security on a Nonprofit Budget

Nov 2, 2015 12:20 PM ET

Cyber crimes cost the global economy more than $445 billion annually, and the cost is only expected to continue to rise. For the business community, that cost can have a material impact, but for nonprofits with extremely limited budgets, every dollar used toward cyber security is a dollar that can’t be used to make an impact on the community. Nonprofits are increasingly being targeted by hackers, so security awareness is just as important for their operations as any other business.

Innovation & Technology

Food Safety in China

Nov 2, 2015 12:15 PM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Helping Small Businesses 'Start, Stabilize, and Grow'

Nov 2, 2015 12:00 PM ET

A nonprofit in Jackson, Mississippi, will use a $2 million grant from Wells Fargo to support commercial lending, outreach, and technical assistance programs for minority- and women-owned and led small businesses.

Environment

First for Georgia: Solar Powered EV Station Unveiled at West Point Visitor Information Center

Nov 2, 2015 11:30 AM ET

A sustainable first: Solar EV charging station connects Atlanta, GA and Montgomery, AL for EV drivers

Diversity & Inclusion

FCA Foundation Names National Black Farmers Association Scholarship Winners

Nov 2, 2015 11:15 AM ET

The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, and the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) today awarded more than $87,000 in scholarships to support the development of a new generation of African American farmers.

Environment

An Ocean Friendly Makeover

Nov 2, 2015 11:00 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Volunteers Impact 500,000 on Global Aramark Building Community Day

Nov 2, 2015 11:00 AM ET

Nearly 8,000 Aramark employees touched the lives of half a million individuals and families in 15 countries during Aramark Building Community Day (ABC Day) in September. Associates participated in more than 300 projects that inspired families to lead healthier lives and helped youth and adults gain job skills.

Education

A Group of Tween Girls Use a Competition to Launch Hello Navi, an App Designed To Help Their Blind Classmate

Nov 2, 2015 10:30 AM ET

The Verizon Innovative App Challenge asks kids for their ideas for apps that can change the world. One group of middle-schoolers created just that.

Events, Media & Communications

Harvard’s Eccles on the UN SDGs – They Are “Good for Business”

Nov 2, 2015 10:15 AM ET

After months of study, deliberation and negotiation, members of the United Nations task force charged with establishing “Sustainable Development Goals” can take a bow -- all 193 member nations have signed on to the goals, which address a wide range of ESG issues, such as solving hunger and poverty issues, addressing inequalities, dealing with climate change issues, creating more “sustainable cities,” and encouraging “more responsible” consumption.

Responsible Production & Consumption

REI Skips Black Friday and Opts Outside

Nov 2, 2015 10:15 AM ET

Last week, REI sent an email to its 5.5 million co-op members, notifying them that, for the first time, REI would be closing its doors on Black Friday. As part of the #OptOutside campaign, the outdoor retail giant will be closing all 143 locations and instead giving its employees a paid day off.

Environment

Whalesafe Project on Board Costa Cruises' Ships to Raise the Awareness of Guests to the Conservation of Sperm Whales

Nov 2, 2015 10:10 AM ET

The Whalesafe Project, co-funded by the European Union’s Life+ Program with the involvement of partners including the Università degli Studi di Genova (Department of Physics and Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Life), Costa Edutainment, Genoa Maritime Directorate, Savona Harbor Master’s Office and Softeco who have joined forces for the conservation of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), has come on board Costa Cruises’ ships.

Energy

GM’s Energy Stars: Tom Quinn, Spring Hill Manufacturing

Nov 2, 2015 10:10 AM ET

All this week, we will be recognizing employees from our U.S. facilities who have helped GM realize $435 million in energy savings by reducing energy intensity by 40 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 41 percent over the last 20 years.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Volunteerism: Enhancing Our Corporate Culture

Nov 2, 2015 10:00 AM ET

Energy

Take Away Light and You Take Away Opportunity

Nov 2, 2015 10:00 AM ET

The occasional power outage in a developed country can feel like a spontaneous vacation day; an opportunity to disconnect from the constant deluge of digital life. Only in rare circumstances will a power outage last longer than a few hours, and in most cases communities are equipped to respond immediately to the underlying issue.

Events, Media & Communications

Inaugural "Media Literacy Week" in the U.S. November 2nd thru 6th, 2015

Nov 2, 2015 10:00 AM ET

The launch of Media Literacy Week (#MediaLitWk) in the U.S. is being held November 2-6, 2015. The mission of Media Literacy Week is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education today. Sponsored by Trend Micro and hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Media Literacy Week U.S. is the first event of its kind in the U.S. This important inaugural event has the support of 85+ partnering organizations and dedicated, passionate media literacy experts and practitioners across the nation.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Targeted Philanthropy Can Drive Better Business Results

Nov 2, 2015 9:45 AM ET

Corporate brand is not just about what you do, it’s about who you are as an organization. I’ve talked before about how that brand has become a key to attracting and keeping your workforce. One of the crucial components to a company’s brand centers on the choices it makes in the world of philanthropy. It’s not just a question of sharing wealth in a responsible way, but about choosing those with whom you share it in a way that reflects the values held by your company and its employees.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Let's Act Now to Disrupt the Pipeline to Prison

Nov 2, 2015 9:45 AM ET

Why does America imprison 2.3 million people, a higher percentage of its population than any other free society on earth? And why does this group disproportionately represent African-American and Hispanic men? In large part, it is because the public defense system in this country is constitutionally inadequate.

Energy

ITIC Automotive Test Bed Offers Wireless Charging as a Service

Nov 2, 2015 8:20 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

$75 Million Wells Fargo Program Supports Diverse-Owned Small Businesses with Loans, Grants to CDFIs

Nov 2, 2015 8:15 AM ET

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) are getting a $75 million boost from Wells Fargo's new Diverse Community Capital program. The three-year program will provide grants and lending capital to CDFIs that support diverse-owned small businesses.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Veteran Jobs Mission: New Name, New Goal for Hiring One Million U.S. Military Veterans

Nov 2, 2015 8:10 AM ET

The 100,000 Jobs Mission today announced a new goal and name for the coalition of companies committed to employing U.S. military Veterans. Beginning today, the coalition will be renamed the Veteran Jobs Mission and commit itself to collectively hiring a total of one million military Veterans. This new commitment reflects the coalition’s longstanding commitment to support Veterans and their families.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

All the Ways to Follow the #BSR15 Conference

Nov 2, 2015 8:00 AM ET

The BSR Conference 2015 kicks off on November 3. Here are five ways you can follow the conversation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Edison Volunteers Help Install Smoke Detectors

Oct 30, 2015 6:30 PM ET

You’re at home, fast asleep at 2 a.m. Down the hall, a lit candle falls to the ground and ignites a fire. You’re woken by a blaring smoke alarm and jump out of bed.