ESG News from Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Take the Chance - Opportunities Await Outside Your Comfort Zone

May 18, 2017 1:20 PM ET

This month, we are featuring Peggy Abkemeier Alford as part of our Women Leaders of PayPal series. Peggy is PayPal’s Global Head of Cross-Border Trade and was recently named SVP, Human Resources – People Operations.

Health & Healthcare

Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Lyft Join Forces to Increase Access to Health Care in Communities with Transportation Deserts

May 18, 2017 1:15 PM ET

In an effort to address the community effects of social determinants of health, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) today announced a first nationwide partnership with Lyft to ensure Americans are not missing vital health care appointments simply because they lack reliable transportation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Transformative Employee Volunteering with Chris Jarvis & Angela Parker, Realized Worth Co-Founders

May 18, 2017 12:55 PM ET

In this episode of the Champions for Social Good Podcast, Jamie Serino speaks with Chris Jarvis and Angela Parker, Co-Founders of Realized Worth, a consulting firm focused on the design and implementation of employee volunteering programs

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sustainability Reporting with the GRI Standards

May 18, 2017 12:35 PM ET

What is sustainability reporting and how does the practice benefit organizations and stakeholders? This animation answers these questions and more. Visit the GRI website to download the first global Sustainability Reporting Standards, and make an important contribution towards a more sustainable world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Artists Announced for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2017

May 18, 2017 12:10 PM ET

New Contemporaries is pleased to announce this year's selected artists with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The panel of guest selectors comprising Caroline Achaintre, Elizabeth Price and George Shaw has chosen 47 artists for the annual open submission exhibition.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Inclusion Works — Opportunities for Those with Disabilities

May 18, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Internally, we create job opportunities and promote inclusion through frameworks like the Reaching Blue Heights talent pipeline program, Disability Career Fairs, and Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). Out in the world, we show up and speak out.

Events, Media & Communications

3 Reasons to Say Yes to the Upcoming AIHce 2017 Conference and Expo in Seattle

May 18, 2017 11:50 AM ET

This year's AIHce Conference and Expo is being held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on June 4-7, 2017. Antea Group offers 3 great reasons why you should attend the conference.

Innovation & Technology

FIRST Robotics & NRG Energy: Featuring the Brains Behind the Bots

May 18, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The students of FIRST Robotics are creative, energetic, ambitious, and ready to take the #STEM world by storm. Learn more: nrg.com/first

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

MetLife Foundation and Sesame Workshop Launch “Dream, Save, Do” in Egypt

May 18, 2017 11:00 AM ET

MetLife Foundation and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educa- tional organization behind Alam Simsim, launched a new multimedia global initiative today called “Dream, Save, Do: Financial Empowerment for Families.”

Diversity & Inclusion

Voya Financial: A Culture of Inclusion and Giving

May 18, 2017 10:45 AM ET

As a Senior IT Release Manager for Voya Financial, Erin Andrews coordinates and manages the work of business analysts, developers, and quality assurance analysts from start to implementation to delivery of technical changes across a range of applications for the company.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CITGO Lemont Refinery Receives Safety Award from Manufacturing Association

May 18, 2017 10:30 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Igniting Opportunity for Cape Town’s Youth

May 18, 2017 10:05 AM ET

South Africa is home to some of the world’s best universities, but the average young South African likely won’t step foot on any of the country’s prestigious campuses. The legacy of apartheid has perpetuated an economic and education system inaccessible to the vast majority of youth. According to the Public Council of Higher Education in South Africa, only 16 percent of black South Africans go to college—the country is 80 percent black. Access to tertiary education has emerged as a common issue of discourse in South Africa’s political and social landscape as students across the country protest rising tuition costs and unequal access.

Green Infrastructure

Infrastructure Week 2017: Keys to Digital Grid Strategy

May 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Infrastructure Week allows us to reflect on the modernization needed to drive the new digital grid. A comprehensive view of the infrastructure elements needed to create a more efficient and sustainable energy landscape should include communications networks and embedded computing. Utilities, technology vendors and community leaders will need to work in collaboration to ensure all elements are considered for the digital grid to thrive.

Environment

PepsiCo Embraces Science-based Targets in the Fight Against Climate Change

May 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

PepsiCo has confirmed that its ambitious new target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction has been verified and approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative as being in line with what climate science says is necessary to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius. The global food and beverage company has committed to work to reduce absolute GHG emissions across its value chain by at least 20 percent by 2030.

Energy

Colorado Dam Expansion to Substantially Improve Water Supply, Reliability

May 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Black & Veatch has been selected to provide program management services to Denver Water on the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project.

The project is a major component of the utility’s comprehensive strategy to deliver safe, reliable water service and provide resilience to its system in the face of future threats including floods, wildfires and the potential impacts of climate change. The expansion will more than double current reservoir capacity and improve water supply dependability for the 1.4 million people Denver Water serves in the metro area.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Michigan Theatre to Save $20,000 a Year Via Consumers Energy Help

May 18, 2017 9:25 AM ET

While maintaining its historic feel, the Michigan Theatre of Jackson is embracing a flair for the future.Consumers Energy has donated more than $230,000 in energy efficiency products since 2013, including replacing the theater's boiler for $195,000 in 2016.

Environment

Cargill and Heineken Employees Give Up Their Saturday to Help Litter-pick

May 18, 2017 9:20 AM ET

A group of Cargill employees collected 20 bags of litter from the brook near their place of work. The Big Tidy Up took place along Yazor Brook in Hereford and then continued on to Red Barn Drive, Grandstand Road, Widemarsh Common, Yazor Brook cycle path and Yazor Road.They also put up bird and bat boxes, sparrow houses and bee shelters and sowed wild flower seeds.

Sustainable Development Goals

HP Australia Achieves Significant Recycling Milestone

May 18, 2017 9:15 AM ET

HP Australia has become the first organisation in the country to have recycled 10 million print cartridges via its partnership with Cartridges for Planet Ark. Cartridges for Planet Ark’ (C4PA) is an innovative recycling program that provides Australians with a free, easy-to-use and environmentally-accredited way to recycle their printer cartridges with a zero waste to landfill commitment. HP is a founding member of C4PA, which was created in 2003.

Sustainable Development Goals

Unreasonable Impact | Water Scarcity, Micro-Entrepreneurship, and War: Q&A with Desolenator

May 18, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Among the many crises bearing down on our collective horizon, perhaps none is so uniquely threatening to populations worldwide as that of water scarcity. Tomorrow morning, more than one billion people will wake up without access to clean water, a number that is only expected to quadruple by 2030.

Research, Reports & Publications

Leonardo Sustainability and Innovation Report 2016, a Commitment to a Responsible Business Conduct

May 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Leonardo, formerly known as Finmeccanica, top player in Aerospace, Defence and Security, releases the 2016 Sustainability and Innovation Report, the first with the new brand.

Diversity & Inclusion

Advice for Women Going into Mining, from De Beers Group's Liezl Maritz

May 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Environmentalist Liezl Maritz explains why she works at Namdeb and offers advice for women going into mining…

Education

Meet Amgen Scholars Alumni Alex B. Munster

May 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

To learn more about the Amgen Scholars Program, please visit our website and check out the #AmgenScholars hashtag on Twitter.

Education

Wells Fargo Launches ApprenticeshipUSA Program for Veterans

May 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

In honor of National Military Appreciation Month, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced it has launched its ApprenticeshipUSA program for veterans. A Department of Labor program, ApprenticeshipUSA offers companies the tools needed to develop a highly skilled workforce and provides veterans the opportunity to earn a salary while learning additional skills necessary to succeed in high-demand civilian careers. In addition to ApprenticeshipUSA, Wells Fargo offers other veteran career transition initiatives, including the Veteran Employment Transition (VET) Internship Program, American Corporate Partners mentorships, and scholarships and emergency grants through Scholarship America.

Events, Media & Communications

International Living Future Institute Kicks off Living Future unConference in Seattle

May 17, 2017 8:50 PM ET

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) today kicked off the 2017 unConference, a sold-out gathering of 1,000+ experts in green building, place making and regenerative design who are celebrating the “Genius & Courage” of a movement that is fast gaining momentum.

Innovation & Technology

Powering Today’s Mobile Economy

May 17, 2017 7:00 PM ET

Raj Subramaniam, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at FedEx Corporation, anticipates mobility as an agent of remarkable opportunity for connecting and empowering people across the planet.