ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Lowe’s Helps to Keep America Beautiful with Volunteers and More Than $6 Million in Total Contributions

Jul 27, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, today announced the organization has received a $1 million donation from Lowe’s to support more than 35 local community service projects in 2017. Since the partnership began in 2012, Lowe’s has contributed more than $6 million and over 1,800 Lowe’s Heroes volunteers to help Keep America Beautiful improve communities. The donation this year will also support Keep America’s Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program.

Environment

TD Bank Group Named One of Canada's Greenest Employers Nine Years in a Row

Jul 27, 2017 10:15 AM ET

For the ninth year in a row, TD Bank Group was recognized as one of Canada's greenest employers by Canada's Top 100 Employers (Mediacorp Canada Inc). The award evaluates the environmental leadership of organizations based on a variety of factors, including the types of green initiatives that were developed and the degree to which employees get involved in reducing their carbon footprint.

Innovation & Technology

Maximizing Smart Grid Deployments Through Communications and Network Infrastructure

Jul 27, 2017 10:00 AM ET

By building communications networks that can more tightly integrate business drivers and goals with the day-to-day load demand for their customers, utilities are taking the initial steps toward integrating the smart grid with smart cities.

Research, Reports & Publications

Aflac Unveils 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Jul 27, 2017 9:45 AM ET

At Aflac, we try to live by this very simple rule: Everyone has the power to do good. This week, we unveiled Aflac’s 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, where we share with you how Aflac strives to be a good neighbor with good people leading the way. View the report now at Aflac.com/CSRReport. #AflacCSR

Energy

NRG Sustainability Commitments Stronger Than Ever

Jul 27, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Sustainable Development Goals

Advancing Social Goals Together: The Power of Public & Private Partnerships

Jul 27, 2017 9:35 AM ET

At the launch of the first two HP World on Wheels digital inclusion and learning labs in February, Rajiv Srivastava, Managing Director of HP India, stood side-by-side with Dr. Dinesh Tyagi, CEO, Common Service Center, India’s Ministry of Communication & Information Technology. The two men cut a symbolic red ribbon strung across the doorway of a learning lab, marking the official start of a journey that is expected to impact more than 15 million people over the next six years.

Environment

How Corporate Gardens Help Grow Employee Wellness

Jul 27, 2017 9:15 AM ET

While corporate gardens are perhaps an unconventional office perk, the potential benefits are obvious enough—fresh air, exercise, team building and, of course, food (for company employees and their communities).

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

El lado social de la minería - El legado socioeconómico de Marlin

Jul 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

La segunda entrega de nuestro tributo de cuatro partes al legado de la mina Marlin, nos enfocamos en los beneficios sociales que esta mina le ha proporcionado a la región de San Marcos en Guatemala.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Nestlé Waters N.A. Awarded First AWS Certificate in North America by SCS Global Services

Jul 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

SCS Global Services congratulates Nestlé Waters North America, the first facility in North America to earn Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Certification.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Helping Reduce Food Waste in Canada

Jul 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech’s evaluation of the potential of food waste reduction strategies in Canada was highlighted in Recycling Product News in June 2017. For a National Zero Waste Council-commissioned study, Tetra Tech and Boston Consulting identified that adopting proven actions and technologies could reduce approximately four million tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated in Canada annually. Tetra Tech’s team is Leading with Science to examine prevention and sustainable management practices for addressing the vast amount of food waste.

Research, Reports & Publications

WWF, FFAR, and Walmart Foundation Team Up with Producers to Study Food Rescue Opportunities on Farms

Jul 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the Walmart Foundation today announced a research program to maximize crop utilization and edible food recovery. With two grants from FFAR and the Walmart Foundation totaling $1.3 million, WWF will work with research teams across the country including University of California, Davis and the Global Cold Chain Alliance to identify practical opportunities for producers to increase the proportion of crops that are harvested and delivered to the highest value destinations.

Health & Healthcare

Potential Health Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption

Jul 27, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Republic Services Participates in Corvallis Community’s ‘Couch Patrol’

Jul 26, 2017 5:30 PM ET

The City of Corvallis, Republic Services and other local partners teamed up for what is locally referred to as Couch Patrol. The idea came out of a Rental Property Managers Group meeting at the Corvallis Elks Lodge last May, and has turned into a successful initiative. Local property managers and landlords, the City of Corvallis and Oregon State University are also involved in this effort to reduce the clutter on the streets and other livability issues that stem from the spring move-out (in the spring) or move-in (in the fall) of OSU students.

Environment

Prairifire Flowering Crabapple: Rose of the Tree World

Jul 26, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Not only do Prairifire flowers hold their attractive color rather than fading like some flowering trees, the bloom is also long-lasting. This is because flowers are produced both on branch spurs and from axillary buds at the base of leaves.

Diversity & Inclusion

Wells Fargo CEO Sloan Signs Diversity and Inclusion Pledge

Jul 26, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar Inc | Sustainability at a Glance

Jul 26, 2017 4:00 PM ET

What does Sustainability mean to Caterpillar? Learn more about our strategy, focus areas and how we’re performing here.

Research, Reports & Publications

Alliance Data 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report Highlights Progress in Key Performance Areas, Establishes 2020 Goals

Jul 26, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Innovation & Technology

Craft Brewery Taps Into Electricity, Creates Niche in Crowded Industry

Jul 26, 2017 3:00 PM ET

MURRIETA, Calif. — As the craft beer industry continues to grow, a small brewery in Murrieta has carved out a special niche for itself. Unlike most breweries that use natural gas, Electric Brewing Co. uses electricity to make its popular beer.

Innovation & Technology

Venture Atlanta Partners with Techstars Atlanta for 2017 Venture Atlanta Conference

Jul 26, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Environment

Nestlé Waters Factory Becomes First Facility in North America to Achieve Prestigious Water Certification

Jul 26, 2017 2:55 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Marketing and Communications Talent Drives Social Impact

Jul 26, 2017 2:45 PM ET

How can today’s nonprofits use social media to connect with the people they serve? How can they create brands that appeal to both homeless youth and millionaire donors? How can they reach the right audiences with the right messages at the right times? Those are questions that keep many nonprofit leaders up at night.

Innovation & Technology

10 Companies Making Healthy Interior Products

Jul 26, 2017 2:30 PM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Talking Sutainability Strategy and Governance with Dave Garofalo, President and CEO

Jul 26, 2017 2:05 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Fighting Hunger on College Campuses

Jul 26, 2017 1:50 PM ET

Health & Healthcare

The Rise of Health Metrics in ESG Investing

Jul 26, 2017 1:45 PM ET

Some of the world’s most sophisticated investors have been using Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data for years to help identify companies that perform well over time in the market. Their belief that high ESG scores correlate with high corporate financial performance is now supported by a large and rapidly growing body of research. Deutsche Bank’s much-discussed study, for example, found that 2,200 of ESG studies conducted between 1970 to 2015 report a positive ESG–Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) relation.