ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

Mohawk Group and Groundswell Unveil smartflower™ Solar Energy Unit at North Carolina School

Nov 29, 2018 5:05 PM ET

Mohawk Group and nonprofit Groundswell have teamed up to locate a new smartflower™ solar energy unit near three Rockingham County Schools in North Carolina—a project that will bring the benefits of clean solar power to the area, create educational opportunities for students and also contribute to Mohawk’s sustainability efforts to leave more handprints than footprints.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Pro Bono as a People Strategy in Action: GSK

Nov 29, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Read about GSK's approach to tying social impact into their leadership development goals through their PULSE employee engagement program in Taproot Foundation's new report; Pro Bono as a People Strategy.

Environment

BIER Member Spotlight: Kate Krebs

Nov 29, 2018 12:00 PM ET

The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) highlights their members' beverage industry sustainability insights and ideas in their BIER Member Spotlight series on a monthly basis. These spotlights include their answers to questions about their company's sustainability achievements and strategy, practical insights from BIER, interesting facts, and more.

Events, Media & Communications

LIVE Twitter Chat on #GenerationForChange Hosted by Mars, Incorporated, Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 at Noon ET

Nov 29, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Be sure to join us for a LIVE one-hour #GenerationForChange Twitter Chat during COP24 in Poland. This virtual event will be hosted by Mars, Incorporated. Joining Mars for the December 4 chat are leaders from The Climate Group, EDF, The Nature Conservancy and Oxfam. TriplePundit and 3BL Media will moderate the chat.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Legg Mason Introduces New Global Education Benefits

Nov 29, 2018 11:20 AM ET

Legg Mason, Inc. has introduced a new educational benefit for global employees. Beginning immediately, employees can receive reimbursement for anything they want to learn.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Lockheed Martin Earns Seven ENERGY STAR Certifications, Three LEED Silver Ratings

Nov 29, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Centerplate Revs Up a New Contract Extension With Detroit’s Cobo Center

Nov 29, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Hospitality provider Centerplate has announced an early, multi-year contract extension with Cobo Center in Detroit. Managed and operated by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA), Cobo Center is one of the largest convention centers in the United States, located on the beautiful Detroit riverfront.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | Subaru of America and The ASPCA Work Together for the 2018 Share the Love® Event

Nov 29, 2018 10:00 AM ET

When we rescue pets, we build families. This happy commercial tells the story of a girl learning the power of volunteering and helping an animal find a home. We witness a young volunteer give a lonely pet attention. As she does, a younger girl joins out of curiosity.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Johnson & Johnson Earns a Top Spot on the 2018 Access to Medicine Index

Nov 29, 2018 9:35 AM ET

One billion. That's how many lives Johnson & Johnson is committed to impacting through its Health for Humanity 2020 Goals, which include a pledge to deliver innovative healthcare access to some of the world's most underserved communities and cutting-edge training programs for frontline healthcare workers.

Innovation & Technology

Why I’m Developing for Mars and Sustainable Life in Space

Nov 29, 2018 9:35 AM ET

We explore Mars for many reasons, be it the risk minimization of distributing our species across multiple planets or the fact that our population is growing at a rate that is unsustainable for our Earth’s resources.For me, it is the insatiable spirit of exploration. It is all the inventions we will create to help Earth as a result of pushing our skills to their most extreme, and it is the fact that aiming for a goal this grand has the power to draw together people from every background.

Energy

The Future Is Bright With Our Solar Powered Feed Mill

Nov 29, 2018 9:05 AM ET

We’re taking a significant step toward making our company more sustainable by using renewable energy to make a difference in the way we operate.

Our feed mill in Aurora, Missouri, not only plays an integral role in our poultry production at our Monett, Missouri, complex, but it’s now our first commercial feed mill to use solar energy.

David Young, senior manager, Live Production in Monett, had the idea to implement renewable energy in the feed mill production four years ago, and discovered solar energy was the best way to grow our business in Aurora. Solar gained us a competitive edge for the feed mill, allowing it to produce more feed while using less purchased energy. Now, he’s proud to see these benefits from going solar, thanks to the support from our Sustainability team.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Data Drives Decisions in 21st-Century Manufacturing

Nov 29, 2018 9:05 AM ET

In 21st-century manufacturing, data is king. Data analysis is often a key factor in helping business leaders make informed decisions that drive business strategy, performance and innovation. Today, Domtar uses a plant analysis and visualization tool called PARCview to monitor up-to-the-minute manufacturing data across our network of pulp and paper mills.

Energy

As Roadblocks are Addressed, Electric Vehicle Adoption Charges Ahead

Nov 29, 2018 8:25 AM ET

Electric vehicles have been touted as the next big thing in transportation ever since GM introduced the EV1 in 1996 and Toyota unveiled the Prius the following year. Now, two decades later, “big thingness” for electric vehicles may finally be within reach, with sales showing impressive numbers. Nearly 200,000 were sold in the US in 2017—up 26 percent from the year before.

Innovation & Technology

5 Best Practices of Design Thinking Companies Can Use to Ensure Data Privacy

Nov 29, 2018 8:15 AM ET

As online security and user experience simultaneously become two of the most important topics for modern companies, GDPR compliance by companies is a must. There is an art to creating a high-quality user experience while also adhering to this new regulation, and it begins with design thinking.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

New National Research Shows Most U.S. Students Feel Unprepared Without Social and Emotional Skills

Nov 29, 2018 8:00 AM ET

A new report from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) made possible by The Allstate Foundation, shows 77 percent of recent high school students believe their schools could have done a better job of helping students develop key social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Crucial SEL skills, such as empathy and confidence, can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on academic performance and overall well-being.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Land Remediation Restores Soil Conditions at El Sauzal

Nov 29, 2018 6:35 AM ET

Land management practices in the mining process can take an environmental toll on the soil around a mine site. Tillage, stripping and removal of native vegetation can alter the living and nutrient conditions of soil organisms, and result in a degradation of their microenvironments, particularly with a reduction of soil biotics, both in biomass and diversity.

Yet proven successful remediation techniques utilized by experienced erosion control specialists can restore the land back to the original state before mining operations commenced. Such was the case at Goldcorp’s El Sauzal mine, located in the municipality of Urique Chihuahua, Mexico.

Diversity & Inclusion

Restoring Land and Increasing Resilience Needs Women

Nov 29, 2018 2:00 AM ET

Almost two dozen representatives from Ghanaian development agencies working in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in northern Ghana gathered in the city of Bolgatanga on 13 November 2018 for a training workshop on Social and Gender Dynamics and their Importance for Improving Resilience and Livelihoods.

Environment

Mark Schapiro: Reaping What You Sow

Nov 28, 2018 7:20 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Taking Safety Seriously: Sappi Hires EMTs On-Site at Somerset Mill

Nov 28, 2018 4:30 PM ET

When you work in a remote location, every second counts in an emergency. An ambulance typically takes eight to ten minutes to reach the Somerset Mill location, so early intervention can provide the best possible outcome.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Subaru Helps Save the Lives of Pets During 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show

Nov 28, 2018 3:50 PM ET

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced it will be hosting a pet adoption event during the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Through a partnership with Best Friends Animal Society’s No Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative, the adoption event is aimed at finding pets great homes in the Los Angeles (LA) community. The first-of-its-kind event will be held inside the Los Angeles Convention Center at the Subaru exhibit, located in the West Hall, Booth 102, where attendees will have the opportunity to adopt and take home a new dog.

Education

TCS and Discovery Education Bring Computational Thinking to 5,100 Educators and 300,000 Students in 2017-2018 School Year

Nov 28, 2018 2:50 PM ET

Tata Consultancy Services, (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, have far surpassed joint goals for the first year of Ignite My Future in School (IMFIS). During the 2017-2018 school year, IMFIS reached 5,100 teachers and 300,000 students, gaining strong momentum against a five-year vision to engage 20,000 teachers and one million students.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Measure the Chain: Tools for Managing GHG Emissions in Agricultural Supply Chains

Nov 28, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Measure the Chain: Tools for Assessing GHG Emissions in Agricultural Supply Chains provides companies with an assessment of tools and methods to better manage and disclose Scope 3 emissions generated by food system suppliers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whirlpool Corporation Launches #AgelessTechnology to Bridge Widening Technology Gap in the Middle East

Nov 28, 2018 1:40 PM ET

As technology evolves rapidly, the gap in access to technology platforms and utilization rates among generations has been growing. Furthermore, interaction between the younger and older generations has been diminishing as a result of changing communication behavior among young adults.

Environment

Simple Tips to Make the Holiday Season More Environmentally Friendly

Nov 28, 2018 1:00 PM ET

With parties, decorations, gift giving and travel, Americans generate 25 percent more waste than average between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day – equating to almost 1,000 pounds of trash per household. However, roughly 80 percent of what is thrown away during the holidays can be recycled or repurposed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The experts at Republic Services, an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal, encourage consumers to incorporate simple environmentally responsible practices into celebrations and family gatherings to minimize waste.

Research, Reports & Publications

Stock Market Reactions to Long-Term Plans Measured for First Time

Nov 28, 2018 12:45 PM ET

Institutional investors act when they hear how companies will create value over the long-term. In a new study, The Economic Significance of Long-Term Plans published by KKS Advisors and CECP’s Strategic Investors Initiative (SII), an abnormal change in market returns and an increase in trade volume is observed after that company’s CEO presented a long-term plan to institutional investors. This is the first time the reaction to a CEO-presented long-term plan has been quantified and is early evidence that the audience of institutional investors find the information in these presentations decision-relevant.