ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Points of Light Announces Top 50 Community-Minded Companies

Jun 21, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Yesterday evening, Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, announced the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. The Civic 50 provides a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills and other resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

TCS Named as One of America’s Civic 50

Jun 21, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Local Investments by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies and Foundations Advance Community Health

Jun 21, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies and their foundations around the country increased their support for community programs that promote healthier behaviors and address social determinants of health – the social factors that can negatively impact health – such as homelessness and food insecurity, according to the ninth annual “The Health of America Community Investment Report.”

Social Impact & Volunteering

Thousands of Social Change Experts Come Together in Seattle for Points of Light Conference

Jun 20, 2017 5:45 PM ET

SEATTLE, June 20, 2017 /3BL Media/ – The 2017 Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service has kicked off in Seattle. The gathering brings together more thank 2,000 civic leaders from all sectors and from 23 countries, including the United States, to spark new ideas, collaborations and citizen engagement.

Events, Media & Communications

Highlights from the Corporate Convening at Taproot Foundation's 2017 U.S. Pro Bono Summit

Jun 20, 2017 4:45 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Creating a Learning Environment Ripe for Success

Jun 20, 2017 4:15 PM ET

Today my school looks drastically different than it did at the beginning of the school year, and that is thanks to the more than 400 members of the Comcast NBCUniversal family, including dozens from their nonprofit partner City Year, who joined us on our campus in April for Comcast Cares Day. The volunteers made change happen by painting bright and colorful murals throughout the school that focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and college preparedness. The physical transformation of the school has inspired our students, where 80 percent of them are eligible for free or reduced lunch, to believe that each and every one can and will be ready for a college career when they graduate.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Whole Planet Foundation Supports Refugees with Microcredit

Jun 20, 2017 4:10 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Former Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison Empowers Youth to Explore, Connect with the World Through STEM Education

Jun 20, 2017 4:05 PM ET

Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the world’s first woman of color to go into space, served six years as a NASA astronaut. Prior to NASA, Dr. Jemison served as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia; Her international experience also includes time spent working in a Cambodian refugee camp, and with the Flying Doctors of East Africa.

Research, Reports & Publications

GOJO Shares Progress Against its 2020 Sustainable Value Goals

Jun 20, 2017 3:10 PM ET

GOJO Industries, a leading global producer and marketer of skin health and hygiene solutions and the inventor of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, announced today the publication of its sixth annual Sustainability Report. The report, What Matters Most, focuses on the company’s sustainability progress throughout 2016 and into early 2017, and highlights its first-year progress against its 2020 Sustainable Value Strategies and Goals.

Research, Reports & Publications

Cigna Releases Fourth Annual Cigna Connects Corporate Responsibility Report

Jun 20, 2017 3:00 PM ET

With the release today of its 2016 Cigna Connects Corporate Responsibility Report, global health service leader Cigna (NYSE:CI) shares the specific initiatives through which the company applies its global health services expertise, resources and innovative thinking to help solve complex societal challenges.

Diversity & Inclusion

Champion for Change: Why I’m Dedicated to Diversity

Jun 20, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Life teaches us a lot of lessons–if we’re open to them. One of the most enlightening in my life started with a seemingly mundane 20-minute drive quite a few years back. The company I was working for at the time was about to undertake a massive reorganization and overhaul its internal systems. My boss and I were assigned to a project which required us to commute together two ways every weekday for a month.

Education

Epsilon Partners with the Dallas Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge

Jun 20, 2017 2:00 PM ET

This summer, Epsilon is partnering with the Dallas Mayor’s Summer Reading Club to promote childhood engagement through reading even when they’re not in school. Reading doesn’t have to stop when summer starts! Children who read during the summer months are better prepared when school starts again in the fall, and Epsilon understands the importance of this academic readiness. Epsilon has been a supporter of this program for the past few years and is honored to serve as the presenting sponsor for a program that has such an impact on children in the Dallas community.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Guest Post: Timberland Explores Sustainable Raw Material Sources In South Africa

Jun 20, 2017 12:30 PM ET

At Timberland, our focus on sourcing the best, most responsible materials goes hand in hand with our drive to build stylish, durable products for The Modern Trail. We constantly search for materials that allow us to minimize our environmental footprint.

Research, Reports & Publications

Dell Inc. Continues Its Commitment to Communities, People and the Environment Through 2020 Legacy of Good Report

Jun 20, 2017 12:25 PM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

PayPal’s Lauren Shanks on Pride and Diversity Programs

Jun 20, 2017 12:10 PM ET

Lauren Shanks walked down North Charles Street this past weekend sporting #LoveWins swag as she took part in Baltimore’s Pride Parade for the third year as part of PayPal’s ongoing diversity efforts. The born and bred Baltimore native is an LGBT ally who spurred PayPal’s participation in the parade in 2015.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Merck Receives the EPA's 2017 Green Chemistry Challenge Award

Jun 20, 2017 11:50 AM ET

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Merck its Green Chemistry Challenge Award for innovative technologies and state-of-the-art approaches to sustainable processes for one of our investigational products. Merck and other Green Chemistry Challenge Award recip

Education

Video: 2017 Voya Scholars Winner Paloma Perez

Jun 20, 2017 11:25 AM ET

Congratulations to Paloma Perez, who is one of five students to receive a $10,000 scholarship from Voya Scholars – a collaborative program launched by Voya Financial, in collaboration with its nonprofit partner, Scholarship America.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

What We Do In Life Matters. So Does When We Do It.

Jun 20, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Through your generosity, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has found loving families for more than 6,200 children. But the work isn’t done. Each year more than 20,000 young adults age out of foster care without being adopted. That means no one to celebrate high school graduation; no one to read the lease on their first apartment; no one to visit during the holidays.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Duke Energy Selects North Carolina Locations for Economic Development Program

Jun 20, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Duke Energy has selected six North Carolina properties for participation in the first half of its 2017 Site Readiness Program to prepare them for business and industrial development.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

2017 Top Latino Leaders to be Honored at 3rd Annual Latino Leadership Conference

Jun 20, 2017 11:00 AM ET

San Antonio, TX – The Council for Latino Workplace Equity (CLWE) an initiative under the National Diversity Council (NDC) will host their Third Annual National Latino Leadership Conference on September 21, 2017 at the Hilton San Antonio Hill Country Hotel & Spa, 9800 Westover Hills Blvd, San Antonio, TX USA 78251. This year’s theme is “Latinos in the US: Retos y Liderazgo”.

Green Infrastructure

Unreasonable Impact | The Next Generation of Rural Infrastructure: Q&A with Altaeros Energies

Jun 20, 2017 10:55 AM ET

Over half of the world’s population is still not using the internet. Seemingly something out of a science-fiction movie, Altaeros Energies has developed the world’s first autonomous aerostat system to deploy energy and communication to more people at a fraction of the cost. In other words, they have effectively created a really tall cell tower (up to 600 meters off the ground) that can provide as much mobile coverage as at least 20 ground-based cell towers. Not only that, but this tethered airborne platform can lift a lightweight wind turbine up into the sky where winds are strong and consistent, harnessing exponential amounts of clean energy.

Responsible Production & Consumption

A Taste of General Mills Podcast: Protecting Pollinators

Jun 20, 2017 10:55 AM ET

The Xerces Society is on the forefront of protecting pollinators in the U.S. and we’re proud to partner with them. In this episode, you’ll hear about their mission from Eric Lee-Mäder, who co-directs the Xerces Society’s pollinator conservation program. And you’ll find out how you can help, too.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Final Week to Apply! Submit Your 2017 Citizens Awards Nomination!

Jun 20, 2017 10:50 AM ET

Hurry, it's the final week to apply for the 2017 Corporate Citizenship Awards, held with support from media partner USA TODAY Network. Submit a nomination before June 23 to be recognized for the impact your organization makes in communities around the world.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Video: Make Volunteering Work for All Your Employees

Jun 20, 2017 10:20 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Edge Computing Promises Significant Impacts on Data Center Planning

Jun 20, 2017 10:00 AM ET

A new Black & Veatch white paper examines the emerging deployment of edge computing and its impacts on data center infrastructure planning. Developed in partnership with DCD (formerly DatacenterDynamics), the white paper analyzes drivers, use cases and strategies to prepare for the edge computing evolution.