Client News Feed

Strengthening GRI’s Leadership: New Members Join GRI’s Board

The Global Reporting Initiative is welcoming three new directors to the GRI Board, reinforcing GRI’s positioning in key regions and constituencies. Ms. Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Mr. Jack Ehnes, and Dr. Jianzhong Lu, will join the GRI Board of Directors for a first 3-year term on 1 January 2019.

Insights and Updates From the 2018 National Tanks Conference

Environment

Antea Group brings you the new trends and regulatory requirements discussed at the National Tanks Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Sweeten the Holidays with the 2018 Aflac Holiday Duck

Health & Healthcare

Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States and a committed corporate ally in the cause to help defeat childhood cancer, today introduced its 2018 Aflac Holiday Duck. One hundred percent of net proceeds from sales of the limited-edition plush at select Macy’s nationwide and online benefit The Aflac Foundation, Inc. and will be distributed to participating hospitals across the country providing treatment and care to children with cancer.

America’s Charities Launches New Way to Give Back Just in Time for the Giving Season

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Just in time for the holiday season and #GivingTuesday (known as the international day of giving), America’s Charities, which inspires employees and organizations to support causes they care about, unveiled their new Quick Start Solution today. Meant for employers who want to support their employees and the communities in which they work, the Quick Start solution is easy to set-up, effortless to use, and offers a turn-key solution for employers who don’t have a ton of time or resources to invest in their CSR efforts.

Microfinance Helping Micro, Small and Agro-businesses Grow in Kazakhstan

KMF, a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization, joins Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to expand access to financial products and services for 40,000 new micro-, small- and agrobusiness customers across Kazakhstan by the end of 2018. KMF also commits to ensuring at least half of its new clients will be women, and will actively engage potential clients from rural areas.

SC Johnson South Korea Named Best Workplace for Second Year in a Row

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SC Johnson South Korea today announces it has been recognized as a Best Workplace for the second consecutive year by Great Place to Work®. Out of 187 participating companies, SC Johnson South Korea is one of 33 companies named to the 2018 list of Best Workplaces in the country. The placement in this year’s rankings is attributed to high scores in the Trust Index.

CSRHub - What's Changed After Ten Years of CSR Ratings: Part Two

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

In 2008 CSRHub began measuring performance in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Using ten years of history, we are now starting to answer questions such as:

Now Available Online: CR Magazine Brands Taking Stands Issue

Events, Media & Communications

Digital Version of CR Magazine’s 3BL Forum: Brands Taking Stands Edition Now Available Online!

Supporting the Troops in Las Vegas

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Each month, the Las Vegas United Service Organizations (USO) hosts two Deployed Family Dinners for spouses and children who have a family member that is actively deployed. The USO Las Vegas helps provide a home away from home and a sense of community for more than 32,200 active duty troops, more than 4,700 National Guard personnel, Reservist, and their families based in Southern Nevada.

In the Mountains of China and Ethiopia Lies a Joint Future

Sustainable Development Goals

On 12 October 2018, a delegation of scholars and academic leaders from Ethiopia’s Mekelle University arrived at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan Province, China.

Their visit was part of a broader effort on behalf of the Institute and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) to expand their Mountain Futures Initiative to other montane communities and research centres.

Xylem Employees Build and Install 18 Benches for Turkey Creek Nature Preserve’s Outdoor Classroom

Social Impact & Volunteering

Last Saturday, Xylem employees concluded a year-long project with a local nonprofit in Pinson, AL, where they built and installed 18 benches and created an outdoor classroom for students to learn and engage with nature. The organization—Turkey Creek Nature Preserve—provides educational programming for thousands of students each year. The programs focus on science, history, and social sciences that meet STEM and the Alabama State Department of Education College and Career-Ready Standards. With Xylem’s help, the organization now has a beautiful new classroom that will make an impact in the its ability to continue to teach kids for years to come.

Whirlpool Corporation Gives Kelley School Students at IU Experience ‘Beyond the Classroom’

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whirlpool Corporation has found an interesting way to engage with students at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University — by having them participate in a Habitat for Humanity house build on campus. The build is the ninth one that Whirlpool Corp. has sponsored at the campus.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship in the Dominican Republic

Diversity & Inclusion

Gildan has launched a new initiative in the Dominican Republic entitled "La Comunidad Emprende" (The Community Startup). Co -funded by the Canadian Embassy and in partnership with the Batey Relief Alliance, the program aims to empower women and young people, providing training, guidance and the encouragement to pursue their own business.

The Arbor Day Foundation and Kohler Co. Announce a New Tree Planting Partnership

Sustainable Development Goals

The Arbor Day Foundation and Kohler Co. announced today a new tree planting partnership aimed at expanding the tree canopies of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and the City of Maywood, Wisconsin. Kohler Co. employees will kick off the partnership on November 8, 2019 with an inaugural planting of 70 trees at the Maywood Environmental Park.

Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Provides $62,000 Grant to the Gila Watershed Partnership in Arizona

Environment

Freeport-McMoRan Foundation recently awarded the Gila Watershed Partnership in Arizona a $62,000 grant to improve and double the size of the Gila Native Plant Nursery in Safford, Arizona.

Leveraging Our Scale to Make a Positive Impact Where We Live and Work

Research, Reports & Publications

Our commitment to sustainability is integrated into every aspect of our business. Our global programs and initiatives, spread across 100+ sites in 30 countries and supported by approximately 200,000 employees, exemplify our strategy from thought into action. We leverage our scope and scale to advance the broader development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and progress our five Sustainability Cornerstones; People, Communities, Environment, Innovation, and Integrity.

KeyBank Finances New Development of Mixed-Use Property Serving the Homeless and Individuals with Sensory and Mobility Impairments

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) provided Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) $6.9 million in combined construction-to-permanent loan financing for the development of Elizabeth Place Apartments, along with $5.8 million in LIHTC equity. Elizabeth Place Apartments will be a mixed-use project in downtown Anchorage, AK with commercial space and 38 units of affordable housing for those earning between 50 – 60% area median income (AMI). The project will also have 12 market rate units.

How PayPal Innovated to Engage More Employees Worldwide

The innovative change-makers in charge of PayPal's giving and volunteering program were eager to engage more employees across their global workforce. They knew their program had the potential for even more social impact, and they wanted to support their people's passions for environmental sustainability. See how they engaged more employees globally and saw tangible results in their sustainability efforts.

Shining a Light on Government Support of Emerging Industries – New Research by Former Erb Postdoc Panikos Georgallis

Research, Reports & Publications

Emerging industries depend on government support to grow, but they may be seen as threats to an incumbent industry, and they need to prove their technical feasibility and market promise. So how do emerging industries garner government support? A group of researchers led by former Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Panikos Georgallis set out to demystify the conditions under which emerging industries get government support.

General Motors' eBike Crowdsourcing Campaign Seeks Ideas From Consumers

Environment

As part of General Motors’ commitment to an all-electric future, the eBike is one of the latest electrification technologies developed to give customers more freedom to move and dream beyond the traditional vehicle.

Places That Matter: Cleveland, Tennessee

Whirlpool Corp’s plant in Cleveland, TN—also the company’s newest — is the largest employer in the county, producing cooking appliances for multiple brands. See the people and places of Cleveland in this next video in the "Places that Matter" series.

Day:100

I’ve found that whenever I start a new job, the first 100 days go by quickly and it was no different stepping into the role as the leader of the Shared Value Initiative. I spent my first few months getting immersed in all things shared value, meeting with SVI members and collaborators, and talking with practitioners and thought leaders in the field to understand our challenges and opportunities. In all these encounters there was a common thread: the belief in shared value is strong.

All Creatures Great and Small: The Vanishing Vaquita

Environment

How splendid would it be if humans could somehow find a way to truly co-exist with the rest of the planet’s creatures? This week on Sea Change Radio, we focus on two people doing what they can to protect endangered species around the globe.

LIXIL to Pilot Household Reinvented Toilets in Partnership with the Gates Foundation

Innovation & Technology

LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, today announced a new partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring what could be the world’s first “reinvented toilet” for household use to pilot in at least two markets. LIXIL will build a team of experts in technology, design, and product development from across its global commercial organization to work jointly with a sanitation technology partner to refine and test a leading reinvented toilet prototype.

Brands Taking Stands | What’s Next: Employees Take Stands

Events, Media & Communications

This week's Brands Taking Stands newsletter looks at employee activism atGoogle; FedEx ends NRA partnership; UK business leaders on Brexit; and Land O' Lakes and @Purina end support of Iowa rep Steve King.