ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

GM’s Distribution and IT Centers Star in Energy Efficiency

Mar 2, 2016 12:05 PM ET

Eleven General Motors facilities have earned ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy efficiency from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These buildings, which include seven parts distribution centers, a global headquarters office and three IT innovation office centers, have optimized their buildings to leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Foundation and ‘The Financial Inclusion Challenge’ Seek Best Solutions for Financial Access Across Asia

Mar 2, 2016 12:00 PM ET

MetLife Foundation announced today, its exclusive sponsorship of the second year of The Financial Inclusion Challenge.

Diversity & Inclusion

Fox Celebrates Black History Month with 25th Anniversary Screening of "The Five Heartbeats"

Mar 2, 2016 10:00 AM ET

On February 26th, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and parent company 21st Century Fox sponsored a special 25th anniversary screening and Q&A for the iconic 1991 film "The Five Heartbeats," hosted by the Writers Guild of America, West's Committee of Black Writers. The event was held in celebration of Black History Month, bringing together people of color from across the industry, including 50 current students at Ghetto Film School Los Angeles, of which 21st Century Fox is a co-founder.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

The Search is On for Local SDG Pioneers

Mar 2, 2016 9:10 AM ET

UN Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo announces the search for local business leaders and change-makers in every region of the world who are demonstrating how business can be a force for good.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Regenerative Business Mentors Visit First Green Bank

Mar 2, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Sustainable Brands Seeks Entrepreneurs for Startup Business Competition

Mar 2, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Sustainable Brands® recently opened submissions for its internationally recognized startup business competition Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO). Presented and sponsored for a fifth year by Target, the competition culminates at SB’16 San Diego, June 6-9, with venture finalists presenting their early operational plans to business leaders and investors in the Sustainable Brands community. Mission-driven entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply before March 25.

Diversity & Inclusion

#WomensHistoryMonth: Insights from Women Leaders at Cox

Mar 2, 2016 9:00 AM ET

In celebration of Women's History Month, three of Cox's women leaders took a few moments to share their insights and help others.
Great companies never change who they are - their soul or their core values. Cox businesses lean on our values and have created environments where different perspectives and ideas are allowed to flourish. This

Social Impact & Volunteering

YouthBuild Students From U.S., Mexico and El Salvador Cross International Borders for First Prudential YouthBuild Global Service Day

Mar 2, 2016 8:30 AM ET

Bound by their common lack of opportunity and struggles to get a quality education and job training, seventy YouthBuild students from Arizona, Mexico and El Salvador met in San Luis today for the program’s first transnational event. YouthBuild students and graduates joined together to build walls for two green homes that will be owned by low-income families.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Jimmy Kimmel and Chevrolet Unite to #DayItForward

Mar 1, 2016 5:30 PM ET

Teachers at Whaley Middle School in Los Angeles were starting an online campaign to raise significant funds for necessary supplies when Chevrolet and Jimmy Kimmel Live! surprised them by stepping in.

Health & Healthcare

Versaic Delivers Solution to Streamline Medical Affairs for Pharmaceuticals

Mar 1, 2016 5:15 PM ET

Versaic, a leading provider of grant and donation management solutions, has designed and deployed systems for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies to streamline processes in Medical Affairs including Investigator Initiated Studies (IIS) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) grants.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Trevor Plouffe Inspires Action Team Captains During Second Conference Call of the School Year

Mar 1, 2016 5:00 PM ET

Joining the second Action Team conference call of the 2015-2016 school year, Trevor Plouffe stressed the importance of inspiring others to take active roles in their communities.

Education

Inspiring Future Engineers

Mar 1, 2016 5:00 PM ET

Recently, a few Southern California Edison engineers met with the Charging Champions, a team of middle and high school students building a robot to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition this spring.

Environment

Bard CEP to Host Live Webinar Weds., 3/2 at Noon on Renewables, Efficiency and Carbon Pricing

Mar 1, 2016 4:15 PM ET

On March 2nd, the Bard Center for Environmental Policy will be speaking with Rachel Cleetus, Lead Economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists about Renewables, Efficiency and Carbon Pricing.

Responsible Production & Consumption

IHOP and Applebees Will Serve Cage-Free Eggs

Mar 1, 2016 4:00 PM ET

DineEquity, the parent company of IHOP & Applebees, is committed to going 100 percent cage-free in its egg supply chain.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Meeting the Gold Standard in Corporate Sustainability

Mar 1, 2016 2:45 PM ET

Fact is, organizations like TransCanada in the energy sector have been operating in a socially responsible way for decades. We just haven’t been very good at telling people about it.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JetBlue Launches Charity Capsule Wardrobe Accessories

Mar 1, 2016 2:05 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MGM National Harbor President Honored As Minority Business Leader

Mar 1, 2016 2:00 PM ET

Lorenzo Creighton doesn’t just lead. He makes history.

Diversity & Inclusion

Astellas Promotes Catherine Wertjes to Head of Ethics & Compliance

Mar 1, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Astellas today announced the promotion of Catherine Wertjes to Head of Ethics & Compliance, with responsibility for ethics and compliance, anti-bribery and anti-corruption initiatives worldwide, effective April 1, 2016. She will be based at Astellas' headquarters for the Americas in Northbrook, Illinois and report to Yoshirou Miyokawa, Chief Compliance Officer.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KKR Portfolio Companies Get New Green Solutions Platform

Mar 1, 2016 12:30 PM ET

As Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues continue to grow in importance for mainstream investors, KKR’s pioneering environmental initiative provides the resources and tools necessary for its participating private equity portfolio companies to determine materiality and the means to measure it.

Events, Media & Communications

Timberland and VF Corporation Talk Sustainability Collaboration at GreenBiz ‘16

Mar 1, 2016 12:30 PM ET

During GreenBiz’s 2016 conference in Scottsdale last week, Stewart Whitney, president of Timberland and Letitia Webster, senior director of sustainability at VF Corporation, shared how a collaborative effort led to strengthened sustainability practices after VF’s acquisition of Timberland in 2011.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The North Face Expands Made In The U.S.A. “Backyard Project” Collection

Mar 1, 2016 12:00 PM ET

In its second year, The Backyard Project has scaled production nearly 15x, tapped new partners across the U.S.A. and evolved production to bring eco-preferred fashion to more consumers

Diversity & Inclusion

How I became a techie: Frances Chen

Mar 1, 2016 12:00 PM ET

“I wasn’t afraid of any math or science problem.” —Frances Chen

Environment

Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable Highlighted in Pacific Institute Sustainability Synthesis Report

Mar 1, 2016 11:45 AM ET

A new synthesis report, interactive tool, and special collection (Incentive-Based Instruments for Water Management) from the Pacific Institute and the Foundation Center features BIER.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Junior Achievement of New Jersey Presents a 2015 Top Business-Education Partner Award to Quest Diagnostics

Mar 1, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Each year, Junior Achievement of New Jersey (JANJ) recognizes the top 20 organizations that take a leadership role through volunteer engagement and make a major financial contribution to the JA mission in New Jersey.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

National Black Farmers Association Opens 2016 Scholarship Application Period

Mar 1, 2016 10:15 AM ET

The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) Scholarship Program today opened the application period for 2016 scholarships. The application site, https://scholarsapply.org/blackfarmersassociation, will remain open from March 1 to May 2, 2016, or until 100 applications have been received, whichever comes first.

Funded through a grant from the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, the program provides scholarships of up to $5,000 to students pursuing agriculture-related study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.