ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Building a Volunteering Program that Really Works

Mar 24, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Volunteering at work can be a great force for social change and increase retention and employee engagement in your company. Whether companies are giving their employees time off to work on specific projects, defined as “paid release/volunteer time off” programs, or teams are getting together to tackle an issue at a local non-profit, giving time within the workplace has been growing over the last decade, despite multiple changes in our world and citizens finding their voice to make a difference.

Environment

Did You Hear That Whir? It was the Sound of Republic Services Southern Nevada Recycling Center Rooftop Solar Energy System!

Mar 24, 2016 1:10 PM ET

Over 1,750 solar panels harness the renewable energy source, generating 933,162 kilowatts of energy per year, which constitutes more than 15% of the buildings power consumption. ‪#‎recyclemore

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Forbes Magazine Rates CBRE Group, Inc. 15th on America’s Best Employers List

Mar 24, 2016 12:05 PM ET

Environment

Antea Group Case Study: Business Implications of Scarce Resources

Mar 24, 2016 11:30 AM ET

A flagship production facility faces significant water limitations poised to impact production and growth targets. The facility is currently the largest water user in the community and has plans to expand capacity. The total cost of water is increasing rapidly. In addition, water availability and allocation is also a contentious social issue. The company faces various water allocation scenarios, including the implications of compounding events such as severe droughts.

Research, Reports & Publications

CEO Doug Oberhelman's Message in the 2015 Sustainability Report

Mar 24, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Sustainability doesn’t ever go out of style or focus at Caterpillar, even when we face difficult business conditions. We know it’s essential for economic growth – and growth is essential to our business. Whether we are in an up or a down cycle, we seize the opportunity to develop even more efficient solutions for our customers and within our operations.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Tipping Point: Creating Opportunities for Women in Business

Mar 24, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Empowering women and increasing representation of female leaders in tech, the media, business and – even entertainment – is absolutely vital. In honour of Women’s History Month, Bloomberg hosted a series of events to celebrate and elevate women in the workplace. Emerging women entrepreneurs and technologists, as well as journalists, TV personalities, filmmakers and business leaders joined us in London, San Francisco and New York for networking, discussions and media training workshops.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Chicago Regional Recycling Project Aims to Recover Clean, In-Demand Plastic Materials from Area Hospitals

Mar 24, 2016 10:55 AM ET

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC), in collaboration with SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI), announced today the launch of a multi-hospital plastics recycling project in Chicago. Focused on non-infectious plastic packaging and products collected from clinical areas of hospitals, the project seeks to demonstrate a viable business model for recycling healthcare plastics. The target goal is to recycle 100 tons of plastics over the project duration.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Merck Foundation Awards Grant to American Cancer Society for Program to Improve Access to High-Quality Cancer Care in Underserved Communities

Mar 24, 2016 10:40 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Good and Growing Middle-Skill Jobs Exclude Women, New Report Shows

Mar 24, 2016 10:15 AM ET

Women hold only a third of positions in growing middle-skill jobs that pay at least $35,000 or as much as $102,000 per year, according to a new report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). These middle-skill jobs, which require a high school education but not a college degree, pay a living wage and can serve as a stepping stone to a higher-paying career for women workers, who now serve as the sole or co-breadwinner in half of American families.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SCS Global Services Wins Prestigious Sustainability Achievement Award

Mar 24, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Refed Proposes $18B Plan to Solve America’s Food Waste Problem

Mar 24, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Americans throw away a staggering amount of food each year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that over one-third of the vegetables and fruit bought annually by Americans are wasted.

Research, Reports & Publications

NN Group's 2015 Annual Report: Accelerating Change

Mar 24, 2016 6:00 AM ET

The 2015 Annual Report provides an integrated review of the performance ofNN Group. It consists of three distinct sections – Annual Review, Financial Report and Sustainability Supplement.The report provides extensive information on NN Group’s strategy, financial and non-financial performance and future prospects, in a way that reflects the economic, environmental and social contexts in which our company operates.

Environment

TD Bank Supports Urban Forestry with 2016 TD Green Streets Grant Recipients

Mar 23, 2016 5:30 PM ET

TD Bank supported more than 20 projects throughout Canada, the United States, and Leeds and Luxemburg with more than $50,000 in grants for innovative urban forestry projects, as part of the 2016 TD Green Streets program.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Barclays Helps UK Start-Ups Take Flight

Mar 23, 2016 4:30 PM ET

Environment

Extending The Life of Your Electronics: One Good Pair of Shoes

Mar 23, 2016 4:10 PM ET

A friend of mine recalls growing up having just one good pair of shoes, which was intended to last until he outgrew them and handed them down to a littler brother. No, he’s not an octogenarian, and no, he did not grow up in extreme poverty. One very serviceable pair of shoes is all one really needed, and so his family put the emphasis very squarely on quality versus quantity.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

ACCP Welcomes New Board of Directors

Mar 23, 2016 4:00 PM ET

ACCP welcomed Board members to new leadership roles and six new Directors on March 23, 2016 at ACCP: The Conference 2016 in San Diego, CA.

Environment

Will the World's Next Wars be Fought Over Water?

Mar 23, 2016 4:00 PM ET

California’s ongoing drought is one sign that we have entered some uncharted and uncomfortable territory. Of the fears that have risen alongside a warming planet, perhaps none have attracted more attention than the "water wars" hypothesis.

Environment

A Drink to Water Conservation

Mar 23, 2016 3:55 PM ET

The drought in California – home to almost 40 million people and a $54 billion agricultural industry – has helped raise awareness of the value of water. Since the first World Water Day, on March 22, 1993, water has increased in its prominence on the international stage as the recognized lifeblood of society and the environment upon which we depend. Water scarcity and the wise use of this resource are more pertinent than ever.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

JetBlue Named Top 10 Place to Work in Forbes’ ‘America’s Best Employers of 2016’ List

Mar 23, 2016 3:45 PM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Welcome to The Square Deal

Mar 23, 2016 3:40 PM ET

Education

Meet Harvard University's 2015 Amgen Scholars: Alaina Bever & Alexi Choueiri

Mar 23, 2016 3:30 PM ET

“I grew up in Seattle and chose to attend a small, undergraduate university in my hometown because of the biomedical opportunities found among Seattle’s many research institutions and hospitals.

Environment

The Only Alternative to Water Is Water: Blue Peace for the 21st Century

Mar 23, 2016 3:20 PM ET

Until a year ago, serious tensions were mounting in northeastern Africa. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia were confronted over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the border of Ethiopia and Sudan. Ethiopia had started building the dam, claiming its rights to use waters of the Nile River within its territory. Egypt, “the gift of the Nile” objected, fearing that the dam would obstruct the flow of the river to its fields.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

#MillionPossibilities: Celebrating Helping One Million People See

Mar 23, 2016 3:15 PM ET

More than two billion people worldwide, including many in the U.S., lack access to proper vision care due to income, distance or disaster.

VSP launched Sight for Students, our first Eyes of Hope program, in 1997 to ensure that all school-aged children had access to quality vision care. Today, Eyes of Hope has evolved and expanded to support communities around the globe through initiatives that bring access to eye care, education, and disaster relief to places where they’re needed most.

This year, we’re celebrating a big milestone: providing one million people in need with no-cost eye care through Eyes of Hope programs, including Sight for Students and VSP Mobile Eyes.

Research, Reports & Publications

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Publishes 2015 Annual Report and Corporate Responsibility Report

Mar 23, 2016 3:00 PM ET

With publication of its 2015 Annual Report and Corporate Responsibility Report, Verizon today demonstrates how the company is leveraging the power of its technology and network to solve critical needs and drive social change in key areas, including education, health care, domestic violence and sustainability.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Celebrating More than 4,500 Commitments to Volunteerism

Mar 23, 2016 2:10 PM ET

We’re thrilled that 4,527 AT&T employees are President’s Volunteer Service Award winners for 2015!