At the National Farm to School Network, we know that school gardens grow more than just plants. Gardens at schools create positive learning environments, increase students’ willingness to try new fruits and vegetables, and serve as a valuable tool for engaging young learners in a number of academic subjects. This blog is one in a series that will focus on National Farm to School Network and Hawthorne Gardening Company’s work to bring more indoor gardens to more schools.

We recently reviewed the ESG coverage status for the 8,686 companies in the MSCI ACWI (All Country World Index). The ACWI is a popular benchmark for many investors, because it includes approximately 85% of the global opportunities for equity investment. We felt it would be useful to see how much ESG information is currently available on the companies on this type of broad index.

“The results from the White Oak Pastures’ LCA turns conventional wisdom about beef on its head,” Shauna Sadowski, senior sustainability manager for the natural and organic business unit at General Mills, told 3p.

Our first Outside Voice is Tensie Whelan, a professor at the New York University Stern School of Business and former president of Rainforest Alliance. She leads NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business. Whelan believes climate change is among the greatest environmental challenges we face, with immediate and future consequences that we cannot ignore. She recently spoke with our Outside Voice team about the work of corporations, governments, activists and individuals that can help or harm efforts to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures.

For Rich Reyher, transitioning to clean energy isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a necessary investment in our future. As Senior Director of Global Data Center Services, Rich oversees PayPal’s data centers worldwide—and understands the high-magnitude of energy these buildings consume. He’s determined to run these energy-hungry buildings with completely renewable resources.

Congratulations to our friends at the University of Georgia​ who participated in the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals​ Dance Marathon​. Not only did they celebrate with Miracle families, dance and participate in team building activities, but they also raised more than $1.1 million for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta​! Great work and thank you for letting My Special Aflac Duck​® join in on the fun!

Local officials will join Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) students, staff, and Board of Trustees, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture and Education Center - a LEED-Silver certified and planned Net Zero Energy greenhouse - on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m.

Tetra Tech won the prestigious Franz Edelman Award, which recognizes the ways that operation research and analytics are improving how people live and work around the globe. This accolade, which was announced at the INFORMS gala on April 15, 2019, recognizes Tetra Tech’s partnership with the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in Kentucky to implement real-time control (RTC) software to manage the city’s sewer network.

A concerted cleanup effort among governments, citizens, NGOs and businesses over the past few years is helping to improve waterways and oceans around the world. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, recently visited the Philippines and Panama to see firsthand the advancements being made to save the oceans from plastic waste.

Symantec’s global commitments to the planet include engaging employees in protecting the environment and partnering with others to leverage our collective impact. Our Green Teams, employee volunteer teams located in offices across the world, help educate fellow employees about personal behavior changes that can save energy, water, reduce waste, and better the environment. Global Green Teams’ grassroots initiatives help us translate our global commitments into action.