Case Study

The introduction of the Natural Capital Protocol last year provided businesses with an important tool for businesses to measure their impacts and dependencies on natural resources. Now, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Natural Capital Coalition are making it even easier for businesses to understand their relationships with nature with the launch of the Natural Capital Protocol Toolkit.

At Aflac, we try to live by this very simple rule: Everyone has the power to do good. This week, we unveiled Aflac’s 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, where we share with you how Aflac strives to be a good neighbor with good people leading the way. View the report now at Aflac.com/CSRReport. #AflacCSR

Some of the world’s most sophisticated investors have been using Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data for years to help identify companies that perform well over time in the market. Their belief that high ESG scores correlate with high corporate financial performance is now supported by a large and rapidly growing body of research. Deutsche Bank’s much-discussed study, for example, found that 2,200 of ESG studies conducted between 1970 to 2015 report a positive ESG–Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) relation.

In the past few years, global efforts such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have demonstrated the tremendous progress that can be achieved through collective action. To drive this effort, Bechtel has launched a suite of 2030 enterprise-wide goals and targets.

NRG follows the GRI Framework to report on issues of importance to the company and its stakeholders. As part of a re-evaluation of our sustainability strategy, 
in 2013, we engaged a third party to facilitate a formal assessment to determine these key issues. Our initial assessment identified 49 issues as important to stakeholders and the NRG business.

Our commitment to recognize, respect and leverage each other's differences and similarities extends beyond the mine and into the communities where we operate.

Energy and sustainability initiatives are often managed independently due to departmental divisions. These barriers are often fueled by inconsistent data and a lack of visibility and yield missed opportunities. In leading companies, these departments are becoming tightly integrated, working together in support of the company’s core goals and initiatives. We call this Active Energy Management.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) published 8 Business Cases for the Circular Economy illustrating how companies can accelerate growth, enhance competitiveness and mitigate risk through circular solutions.

Building the world’s most sustainable office building involves leveraging the best and the latest technologies. The Edge in Amsterdam, head office of Deloitte Netherlands knows this first hand. Using a range of Schneider Electric offers, including its SmartStruxure™ solution, they have succeeded in setting a new global benchmark for energy efficient commercial office environments while prioritizing the satisfaction and well-being of its employees. Special recognition to the valued partners who also helped make The Edge a success: HC Groep, OVG Real Estate, PLP Architecture, HC Barcol Air, Deerns, and Homij Bosman Combinatie (HBC).

To speed the search to cure diseases, genomics leader HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology generates enormous amounts of DNA data in its research labs. To tackle petabytes of information, they partnered with HPE to design flexible, high-performance systems and connectivity solutions that support intensive research, collaboration, and analysis. The powerful technology is helping HudsonAlpha’s scientists deliver on the tremendous promise of genomics to drive medical breakthroughs including ground-breaking research into Zika and other deadly diseases.