ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

Ecocentricity Blog: David and Goliath

Oct 3, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Think about the energy that you use each day. Utility-generated electricity, gasoline-fueled mobility, and heat from natural gas are probably the largest sources, and each is powered by fossil fuels. If you wanted to “cut the cord” on these energy needs, how could you possibly do it?

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Visa Named Among Leading Companies for Political Disclosures

Oct 3, 2017 12:15 PM ET

Visa’s commitment to transparency in political disclosures has led to the company being named a “Trendsetter” on the 2017 CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability, one of the most comprehensive rankings of the political disclosures and accountability practices of leading public companies in the U.S.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Case Study: Sustainability Reporting Helps Direct Focus and Generate Savings

Oct 3, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Read how LM Wind Power is using the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards to create positive change, drive continuous improvement and generate savings.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

DC Scores Names Volkswagen Group of America Executives to Its Board of Directors

Oct 3, 2017 12:00 PM ET

DC SCORES took another big step towards expansion by bringing eight corporate leaders onto its Board of Directors. These leaders, and the 14 Board members they are joining, are charged with growing DC SCORES sustainably and responsibly to serve every child in DC in need of a team.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Chase Operation Homefront, and the Scott Brothers Present Mortgage-Free Home to Military Family

Oct 3, 2017 12:00 PM ET

JPMorgan Chase & Co., Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable, and secure military families, recently partnered with TV personalities, entrepreneurs, and authors, Drew and Jonathan Scott, and Asian Real Estate Association of America Education Foundation to present and award a military family with a mortgage-free home donated by Chase.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Chatbot Partners with Viacom’s LISTEN Campaign to Combat U.S. Addiction Crisis

Oct 3, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Stndby, an innovative new messaging platform, customized for the LISTEN campaign, launched today to connect those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction to essential resources for prevention, treatment and recovery. By texting “LISTEN” (547836) on their mobile devices, users can begin a safe and anonymous online dialogue with Stndby’s chatbot to receive personalized help, including information about nearby treatment and rehabilitation facilities, addiction support group meetings, and other means of assistance.

The product’s unveiling dovetails with the efforts of LISTEN, a national campaign by global media company Viacom, to break down the shame and stigma attached to addiction and kick-start a conversation focused on solutions.

Environment

Why Water Security Is the Future of Water Stewardship

Oct 3, 2017 11:20 AM ET

Antea Group believes that water stewardship is not the end game — it’s the kick-off, and the actual winning touchdown is water security.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Cargill Cocoa Promise Report Charts Clear Path Toward Cocoa Sustainability

Oct 3, 2017 11:10 AM ET

Cargill today published its third report on the progress and achievements of the Cargill Cocoa Promise, our commitment to sparking a more sustainable cocoa sector for generations to come.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Voya Financial Named a 2017 "Great Place to Work"

Oct 3, 2017 10:45 AM ET

Voya Financial, Inc. announced today that it has been certified as a 2017 Great Place to Work by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work® — the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures — for the second consecutive year.

Health & Healthcare

WELL in the UAE: Trailblazing Towards a Happier, Healthier Future

Oct 3, 2017 10:25 AM ET

If you spend just a few days in Dubai, it’s clear how critical real estate has been to the city’s economic success and population: construction cranes scatter the sky, huge billboards advertise new homes from mega developers and model communities representing dozens of acres dominate the lobbies of many buildings. Yet real estate has also contributed to some of the biggest health and safety challenges that face Dubai and the broader Middle East today.

Sustainable Development Goals

HPE and PwC Expand Partnership to Power Future Cities

Oct 3, 2017 10:20 AM ET

On September 12, 2017, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) announced a new project with long-time strategic partner, PwC, to jointly create a Center of Excellence (CoE) in Kolkata, India, to advance development for future cities. Together, HPE and PwC are capitalizing on the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape to create opportunities for city administrators to optimize their assets and provide citizen-centric services.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Empowering Entrepreneurs: Interview with Rene Geneva, Powering Independence through Solar

Oct 3, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Rene Geneva has worn multiple (and stylish!) hats over the years. We have benefitted from Rene’s generosity since the late 2000s and now that she is starting her own Indiegogo Campaign, she is once again investing in a future without poverty through Whole Planet Foundation.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability: Just as Bright, with Less Bleach

Oct 3, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Getting your supplier to help you use less of their product may seem counterintuitive, but that is exactly what Domtar’s procurement team did with our pulp bleaching chemical supplier. And thanks to the strategic partnership we have built with them, they agreed to help us.

By leveraging our supplier’s chemical expertise and our process knowledge, we identified opportunities to improve chemical efficiency through audits at all of our mills with bleach plants.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Responsible Investing: Past, Present and the Next 25 Years

Oct 3, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Sustainability Joins the Mainstream - Thanks to vocal consumers, shareholders and responsible investment firms, a growing number of companies are now promoting their sustainability, workplace and other social achievements as essential aspects of their brands. At the same time, many corporate leaders have come to realize that pursuing social responsibility can reduce litigation and reputational risk, while also improving innovation and efficiency. In addition, recent academic studies have demonstrated that investing in companies with strong ESG profiles can improve portfolio returns.

Environment

Tetra Pak Publishes 2017 Sustainability Report in Accordance With GRI

Oct 3, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Tetra Pak today published its 2017 Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s annual progress and key achievements in the areas of environmental performance, social responsibility and corporate governance. For the first time since it started publishing a Sustainability report in 2004, the company has adopted Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, the most widely-used international framework for measuring and communicating sustainability performance.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

I'm His Mom. I Show Up.

Oct 3, 2017 10:00 AM ET

My son, Jeremiah, was in foster care for more than 10 years. Eight of those years were spent as a “freed” child - a child to whom no one had any parental rights… a child we often describe as “waiting.” He moved 33 times before he came to our house, and most of those moves were from one institutional placement to another. He spent his time waiting in places where he was hurt, inconsistently medicated and asked to repeat the ninth grade five times. He waited in places where there were no birthday parties, no stories before bed and no trips to the supermarket to pick out your favorite cereal. When I met him at age 16, he had a bruise on his face from a restraint at a residential facility. The restraint had happened months earlier, but the bruise was still visible. The staff person who inflict

Innovation & Technology

The 42BELOW® Lemon Soap Science Series Continues…

Oct 3, 2017 9:45 AM ET

The Lemon Ladies provide an in-depth cross-examination of the process that turns your old lemons into brand new soap and how you should use it.

Diversity & Inclusion

PNC’s 2017 Working Mother of the Year

Oct 3, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Each of this year’s Working Mother 100 Best Companies is invited to honor a mom employee who exemplifies the passion, leadership and resilience that make devoted parents great workers. PNC is happy to introduce you to Jill Gateman, our PNC Working Mother of the Year.

Research, Reports & Publications

Tetra Pak Sustainability Update 2017

Oct 3, 2017 9:00 AM ET

“As I travel around our global markets, I am regularly impressed by the innovative and wide-ranging ways in which Tetra Pak people are helping deliver on our brand promise: PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD™” says Dennis Jönsson, CEO & President at Tetra Pak. “It is a promise that extends beyond our long-held commitment to protect food, capturing too our undertaking to protect people, both inside and outside the company; and to protect futures: the planet’s, our customers’ and our own. It is a promise that ensures sustainability is not an isolated function within Tetra Pak, but rather an integral part of the decisions we make and the actions we take, right along our value chain.”

Green Infrastructure

Expert Interview With Carol Hufnagel, Wet Weather Infrastructure Expert

Oct 3, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Carol Hufnagel, PE, is Tetra Tech's National Wet Weather Practice Leader. She has worked on combined sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary sewer overflow (SSO), and stormwater projects for more than 30 years.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Nestlé’s Parent Support Spotlight on Tyler: Building Your Relationship as a New Dad

Oct 3, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Nestlé’s Parent Support Policy has only been in place a year, but it’s already making a difference in the lives of employees like Tyler.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Gildan Partners With Sans Soucie to Give New Life to Hosiery Waste

Oct 3, 2017 8:00 AM ET

A pioneer, innovator and seamstress with both the vision and skill to repurpose textile waste, Katherine Soucie has won awards worldwide for her ability to turn previously discarded materials into comfortable, stylish and contemporary garments and textiles. Gildan talks to Katherine about the intersection of her art and business and how being a Canadian designer is a strong sense of identity and pride.

Social Impact & Volunteering

CITGO Announces Donation of 50,000 Barrels of Diesel to Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

Oct 2, 2017 7:45 PM ET

CITGO Petroleum Corporation, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., announced today that it will donate up to 50,000 barrels of diesel to Puerto Rico. The donation is to assist the federal, state and local authorities in providing services to those afflicted by Hurricane Maria’s devastating path.

Social Impact & Volunteering

More than 500 Astellas Employees Give Back to Local Communities Across the U.S. For Changing Tomorrow Day – the Company’s 8th Annual Global Day of Service

Oct 2, 2017 6:35 PM ET

Last Thursday, more than 500 Astellas employees on two continents left their offices, rolled up their sleeves and helped their communities. They were supporting Changing Tomorrow Day— a global effort to contribute time and resources to building stronger communities. Across the United States, employees carried their passion for helping others by volunteering at service projects to improve wellness facilities for patients and their families, bring books to children of all ages and beautify cultural institutions.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Bloomberg's New European Headquarters Rated the Most Sustainable Office Building Design

Oct 2, 2017 5:15 PM ET