ESG News from Leading Brands

Research, Reports & Publications

Grid Mod Sees Gaps in Progress; Blueprints Needed for Those Lagging Behind

Sep 26, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Grid modernization is getting into gear across the country as electric utilities continue to work to automate distribution and smarten the grid. Buoyed by validating data, states such as California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts are leading the way, providing blueprints for other regions to follow.

Innovation & Technology

The Reliable Power Solution Behind Data Centers

Sep 26, 2018 9:55 AM ET

Protecting and encrypting data is a sought-after resource in the digital age—and data centers are vital in keeping tech platforms and companies online and customer information safe.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Coffee in Crisis: How to Take Action

Sep 26, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Americans drink a LOT of coffee — more than 400 million cups each day. Meanwhile, more and more people across the globe are drinking coffee as consumption grows in China, India, and beyond. This has led to the development of a vast commodity market worth $200 billion each year — one that will at least double by 2050, according to World Coffee Research. So, it may come as a surprise that amidst this prosperity, coffee farmers are facing a crisis that threatens their basic livelihoods.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Working Mother Magazine Names Astellas Among 100 Best Companies in the U.S. Across All Industries

Sep 25, 2018 8:20 PM ET

Astellas was named one of the 2018 "100 Best Companies" by Working Mother magazine for its commitment to establishing a corporate culture supportive of working moms and their families.

Events, Media & Communications

LIVE Twitter Chat on #PeopleBehindPalmOil with Golden Agri-Resources on October 3rd, 2018

Sep 25, 2018 7:05 PM ET

Be sure to join us for a LIVE 1-hour Twitter Chat with global palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), Nestlé, WBCSD, and TriplePundit on #PeopleBehindPalmOil.

Environment

Future Fleets: How Clean Air Innovations are Driving Smarter, Healthier Cities

Sep 25, 2018 5:35 PM ET

When you picture a city bus, an animal control van or a waste management truck, you’re probably not thinking about a high-tech, mobile urban sensing platform, about saving millions of lives, or about the smart city of the future. At least not yet. But a new initiative in Houston is turning public fleets into the rolling eyes and ears of the city, and enabling these vehicles to revolutionize the way air pollution is monitored, measured – and ultimately addressed across the United States.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PNC Named Among Working Mother’s 2018 “100 Best Companies”

Sep 25, 2018 5:35 PM ET

Working Mother revealed its annual list of the 2018 “100 Best Companies” today, celebrating companies that lead in the areas of female career advancement, paid parental leave, childcare assistance, benefits and flextime. This marks the seventeenth year that PNC Financial Services Group has been included in this list.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Fair Trade USA Celebrates National Coffee Day With #JustOneCup

Sep 25, 2018 5:30 PM ET

Saturday, September 29th is National Coffee Day and Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, has launched its #JUSTONECUP campaign to remind coffee drinkers of the the importance of choosing Fair Trade.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Future of the Historic Preservation Movement: Connecting People With Places

Sep 25, 2018 4:55 PM ET

Historic preservation may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of activism, but it actually is one of the longest-running and most successful activist movements in the United States. One of its first successes was the preservation of George Washington’s Headquarters Site in Newburgh, New York in 1850. Another was Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia in 1858.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Named to Working Mother “100 Best Companies” List for 20th Year in a Row

Sep 25, 2018 4:15 PM ET

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) has been named to the 2018 Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies” list for outstanding leadership in establishing programs, policies and a culture that supports working families.

Education

Sustainable Development in the Classroom: How Changing the World and STEM Connect

Sep 25, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Since the dawn of formal education, students have been looking up from their work and asking, “Why do I need to know this?”

To prepare young people today for the jobs of tomorrow, we need them to understand how they will use the knowledge and skills they are acquiring in the classroom within the context of future careers. For more than 15 years, Discovery Education has been doing just that, empowering educators around the world with tools to reimagine K-12 education and make what students learn in class relevant to a successful life beyond their school walls.

Events, Media & Communications

Climate-Related Financial Disclosures – A Finance and Business Point of View on TCFD

Sep 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

World Environment Center and the Institute for energy, ecology and economy (DFGE) are hosting a webinar on October 12th (9:00AM EST / 3:00 PM CEST) exploring how the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Task Force on Climate - Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are affecting the business world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

HanesBrands Completes Annual Fundraising Campaign for the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Increasing Its Cumulative Giving to More Than $6 Million

Sep 25, 2018 1:05 PM ET

HanesBrands and its employees raised more than $345,000 in its annual headquarters campaign to support the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

HanesBrands and its headquarters employees, the largest corporate giver to the Arts Council, have donated more than $6 million to the organization to support the arts since initiating their support nearly 20 years ago.

The Arts Council uses the donations to fund more than 30 organizations that create more than 800,000 arts experiences in Forsyth County.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo Named as Top 10 Company Most Praised by NGOs

Sep 25, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to quality of life, was named as a top-ten company most praised by NGOs (non-governmental organizations) for its leadership on environment issues, human rights and animal rights in the second quarter of 2018 by global research and strategy consultancy, SIGWATCH. Sodexo was specifically commended for its pledge to source only cage-free eggs by 2025.

Innovation & Technology

How Corporate Foundations and CSR Initiatives are ‘Being the Change’

Sep 25, 2018 12:35 PM ET

Alliance Data’s Corporate Responsibility team implemented a 50|50 initiative aimed at achieving equal representation of men and women in their Epsilon Bangalore business in India. In partnership with the Smile Foundation, the company launched a unique referral program and committed to sponsoring a young girl’s education for five years for every successful female hire.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

SC Johnson Celebrates 30 Years on Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies List

Sep 25, 2018 12:20 PM ET

SC Johnson today announces it has been named to Working Mother magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies for the 30th year. Reaching this milestone, the company becomes one of just six global companies and the only Wisconsin-based company to be included on the list 30 times or more.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

City on the Rise

Sep 25, 2018 12:15 PM ET

Subaru recently moved its corporate headquarters to Camden not solely because of the Grow New Jersey program, but because it wanted to be a part of Camden’s transformation. Tom Doll, president and CEO of Subaru of America revealed his excitement over the big move, citing the company’s “Love Promise” campaign, a commitment to being a positive influence on the communities it serves.

Environment

Three Strategic Options for Managing Acquired Environmental Liabilities

Sep 25, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Antea Group discusses the pros and cons of 3 strategies that companies can use to tackle their acquired environmental liabilities.

Health & Healthcare

Two Young Cancer Patients Help Aflac CEO Dan Amos Ring the NYSE Opening Bell

Sep 25, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Earlier this month, two young patients from the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta joined Aflac executives to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Education

Scotiabank Vision Achievers Programme Fuels Growth of SME Sector

Sep 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Media & Communications

The Swoosh Heard ‘Round the World

Sep 25, 2018 11:25 AM ET

Taking a knee made Nike stand up.

As brand activism becomes commonplace – even expected – it’s an optimal moment to unpack the factors that spur companies to stand up for something that matters.

Enter Nike and Colin Kaepernick, with a contentious new campaign and profound tagline: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” As swooshes burn, #boycottnike takes over social feeds, memes proliferate, and thought pieces ignite conversation, one might wonder: Why, Nike, why?

Responsible Production & Consumption

Take a Tour of Mohawk Group’s Factory—and Its Sustainability-Minded Business Strategy

Sep 25, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Nature offers us myriad shades of green to consider, from artichoke to fern to mint. For companies that want to be sustainable, there are just as many shades of green to explore. Mohawk Group, a $9.5 billion commercial-flooring company, has tried on lots of them.

“We’ve been through many phases in sustainability,” says Jackie Dettmar, a 30-year Mohawk employee currently serving as vice president of design and product development. “Recycled content. Cradle to cradle. Reducing one’s environmental footprint,” she enumerates. “That was the bandwagon, and we jumped on. It wasn’t wrong, but our decisions were driven by external factors. After a while, we decided we wanted something more holistic, something that felt like ours.”

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

VIDEO | Deloitte Demonstrates a New Mindset for Action in Its 2018 Global Impact Report

Sep 25, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Deloitte is demonstrating a new mindset for action, redefining what success looks like, challenging expectations, blurring boundaries and responsibilities, and setting an example for others to follow.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to Receive Hunger Is Donations Made at Local Albertsons Stores

Sep 25, 2018 11:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is excited to be selected as a charity partner for Albertsons Companies Foundation to receive donations from the annual Hunger Is campaign to eradicate childhood hunger. All donations made at local Albertsons stores will be used to support the F

Energy

LG’s Industry-Leading Solar Panel Modules Featured at 2018 Solar Power International

Sep 25, 2018 10:45 AM ET

LG Electronics USA is underscoring its role as one of the top two providers to the U.S. residential market* at the 2018 Solar Power International Conference (Sept. 25-27), where the company will showcase it broad line of high-efficiency panels and unveil all-new energy storage solutions.