Corporate Responsibility

Sustainable Brands® recently opened submissions for its internationally recognized startup business competition Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO). Co-sponsored by Makersite and the RISN Incubator at Arizona State University, the competition will culminate at SB’18 Vancouver, June 4-7, with venture finalists presenting their early operational plans to business leaders and investors in the Sustainable Brands community.

World Water Day (March 22) provides a stark reminder that fresh water is our most precious natural resource. WWF points out that 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water, 2.7 billion face water scarcity for at least one month of the year, and 2.4 billion are exposed to waterborne illnesses due to inadequate sanitation. The range of threats to groundwater and surface water is mind-numbing – industrial pollution, agricultural run-off, sedimentation, land conversion, to name a few. Now, water security is at even greater risk as a result of climate change. This short article describes this connection, then points to one of the positive developments on the water front – the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), the first comprehensive global benchmark for responsible water stewardship.

The non-profit MGM Resorts Foundation is gearing up for the 12th annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) on August 27 and 28 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The mission of the two-day event is to provide women, and men who attend, the developmental tools they need to continuously advance their lives and careers.

Unilever CEO Paul Polman spoke at CECP's CEO Investor Forum in February about the need for prioritizing long-term value. While he's seen progress over the last decade, he has yet to have an investor ask him on an earnings call about topics like sustainability or diversity.

In a recent ground-breaking webinar on “Activating the SDGs into business operations”, 3 senior leaders from Dell, Tetra Pak, and the University of Cambridge shared their experiences and strategies to successfully integrate the SDGs into business strategy.

This Saturday, March 24th at 8:30pm local time, World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour will sweep the globe. Millions of people, cities and businesses across the world will switch off their lights for one hour to show support for taking action to fight climate change.

The Electrolux Group today published its latest Sustainability Report, For the Better, with facts and figures showing progress and achievements in key areas during 2017: reduced carbon emissions, improved energy and water consumption within manufacturing and products as well as increased use of recycled plastics.

In Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake, piles of plastic bottles littering the island mushroomed into mountains. Bottled water and other supplies shipped in to help Haitians wound up everywhere — in canals, on beaches and lining the streets. Now, those bottles are finding a second life as printer cartridges.

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, it launched a devastating, ongoing humanitarian crisis. Government agencies stepped in, supported by the Red Cross, NGOs and community organizations, to meet the needs of thousands of people left without food, shelter, clean water, or basic supplies. A team of Avery Dennison employees also stepped up, collecting 176 boxes of water, canned food and medicine to be sent to people in need.