Client News Feed

Home is the Key to a Safe Place to Play for Jimmella

Social Impact & Volunteering

Living in a home safe enough for her children to play in the yard is something that Lanay and her family are still getting used to. It’s a good feeling.

Five Practical Steps for Conflict Minerals Due Diligence and SEC Disclosure Published by CFSI

Research, Reports & Publications

Five Practical Steps for Conflict Minerals Due Diligence and SEC Disclosure Published by CFSI

Childcare Critical to Military Families

Social Impact & Volunteering

At the Armed Services YMCA we have heard these and many other examples of why childcare is so important. It can especially make a huge difference in the lives of our young military families. We offer many programs designed to help meet the challenges of military life, but few are as needed as childcare.

National Rebuilding Month: Aging in Place

Social Impact & Volunteering

Did you know most homeowners desire to age in place? The combination of rising costs, fixed income and inadequate housing prevents them from doing so.

Jeremy Miller on California’s Water Troubles

Environment

California’s soggy winter and spring belie its long-term water prospects. While it’s true that the Golden State is experiencing record rainfalls, California’s water problems have far from evaporated.

Etsy Global Headquarters Achieves Living Building Challenge Petal Certification

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Etsy envisioned its new global headquarters as an opportunity to instigate change, to set a new standard for sustainable construction and design in a renovation project, and to create a space that reflected its values, especially those related to community, craft, and sustainability.

More Stranded Assets

Environment

Much attention has been paid to the concept that global warming will cause a dramatic drop in the value of carbon
reserves. A major shift towards non-carbon-based energy and non-carbon feedstocks for chemical processes could “strand” assets tied to oil drilling, coal mining, and fracking activities. Various groups have tried to quantify the downside risk to energy companies, if the response to climate change occurs.

However, there are other assets that climate change could strand. And, there are other sustainability trends that could result in stranding other types of assets. Both corporate managers and investors should probably examine these risks, too.

Medtronic Seeks Runners from Around the World Benefitting from Medical Technology for 2017 Global Champions Team

Health & Healthcare

Medtronic plc, the global leader in medical technology, today announced applications are now open for the 2017 Medtronic Global Champions team. Medtronic Global Champions is a new program that recognizes athletes who have persevered through life-changing health conditions and have returned to active life with the help of medical technology and solutions.

Barclays’ Head of Charities Kathleen Britain on Helping Not-for-Profits Become Future-Proof

A holistic approach across the three sectors of wealth, corporate and investment helps address the specific challenges of the charity sector, says Kathleen Britain, Head of Charities for Barclays Wealth and Investment Management.

Automation: How Business Can Lead a Sustainable Transition

Innovation & Technology

Adopting these four practices can help companies facilitate a smooth transition to automation.

Third-party Green Certifications Give DIY Projects Environmental Authenticity

Responsible Production & Consumption

By Erin Vaughan, Modernize.com (Reprinted with permission by SCS Global Services)

If you buy a product that claims to include “50 percent more recycled material,” how do you know how much “50 percent more” really is? Did the manufacturer go from 20 percent post-consumer materials to 40 in its newest offerings? Or is the manufacturer simply obscuring the fact that its recycled content increased from just one percent to two? Herein lies the problem with unverified advertising claims.

The word for it is greenwashing, the corporate practice of touting vague or misleading environmental claims for a product. Greenwashing is nothing new—the idea has been floating around since the late 1980s since green marketing claims emerged as a major force in the marketplace.

How GSH is Ending Homelessness in Fairfax through a Combination of Affordable Housing and Support Services

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Today’s fair market value of an average two-bedroom apartment in Fairfax County is $1,750/month. That means, a family must have $70,000 in income for housing at this level. Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services (GSH) estimates that 10,000 households in Fairfax County are cost-burdened by their housing, meaning they spend more than 35% of their income on housing.

Sweet Siblings

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

This sweet sibling group of three was adopted after three years in foster care. Here at the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, we treasure stories like this, when brothers and sisters find their forever family, together.

Ecocentricity Blog: That's a Big Pothole

Green Infrastructure

Fortunately, Atlanta has a robust public transportation system and an intelligently-designed network of roadways to allow for a seamless modification of traffic flows without increased congestion. Unfortunately, none of that previous sentence is true.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keep America Beautiful Award 41 Grants to Improve Recycling in Public Parks

Environment

As Americans head to their favorite public park, beach or playground this spring, many will find new recycling bins helping keep those treasured spaces clean thanks in part to a significant grant by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) in partnership with national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful.

UN Global Compact Bulletin (April 2017)

Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Global Compact Bulletin is designed to keep participants up to date on news, actions you can take, resources and events. Participants are encouraged to look to this monthly communication for important information. Please note that actions and events are intended for Global Compact stakeholders, unless otherwise indicated. The Bulletin is published in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian.

Dear Financial Services CEO: Where are the Women?

For an industry that prides itself on mastering risk management, finding value and uncovering arbitrage opportunities, I think the financial services sector is falling flat. Why? Because most firms are overlooking one of the biggest investment opportunities ever: women.
An overwhelming body of research supports the business case for gender equality. Companies with more women in leadership have higher returns on capital, greater innovation, increased productivity, and higher employee retention and satisfaction.

City Evolution | Creating Smarter Cities

Green Infrastructure

As millions of people move into cities every week, this puts a huge strain on space, city resources, energy requirements, and infrastructure cost. Cities are being forced to evolve to meet this increased demand, or collapse under the pressure. This is leading to an increase in the number of Smart City projects — smart grids, networked LED street lights, public Wi-Fi, water management, etc. — that are being implemented around the world, with the number of initiatives nearly doubling over the past few years.

We Give Back As A Team: Cards For Hope By The Marina Bay Sands Sales Team

Social Impact & Volunteering

Executive Director of Sales, Ailynn Seah, participated in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) recycling project organized by SCRAP at a Green Meeting Industry Council event two years ago in San Francisco.

De Beers’ New Diamond Mine Picks up its Third Award

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

De Beers’ Gahcho Kué mine, which has just begun full commercial production, has won its third major award.

How Do You Design a Building for the Future?

Green Infrastructure

As the building industry changes, architects, engineers, and developers must look forward and plan for the impact of workplace trends and disruptive technology on the commercial real estate industry. So how do you design a building for the future? Our advice: integrate IT services and connectivity infrastructure in the planning process for all commercial developments and redevelopments.