Recognizing the accomplishments of African Americans within the green space is important because sustainability of our planet requires inclusion. We need everyone—all their ideas, passion and commitment to move forward on this collective journey toward a better future. If we truly desire to have an impact on our sustainable future, we need all races and cultures to engage and align traditional values with innovation. Highlighting diverse accomplishments will empower others to join us on this journey.

As we settle into the new year, we find ourselves reflecting on the state of corporate pro bono, the exciting ways in which the field has evolved over the last year, and what's ahead in 2019. Taproot's Advisory Services team recently conducted an inaugural study of companies doing pro bono as a way to understand industry-wide trends and share out key observations.

Equileap, a global organization seeking to accelerate gender equality in the workplace, has ranked the largest companies in the United States in terms of commitment to gender equality. General Motors ranked second in gender equality among companies in the S&P 100 Index and was the only leading U.S. company with no overall gender pay gap (less than 3 percent).

Wells Fargo increased its philanthropic impact in 2018 by donating $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits to help communities and people in need. The company has been committed to local communities throughout its 167-year history and has increased its philanthropy 25 times over the past 28 years.

Nestlé announced today that it is joining forces with other industry partners to build a fully recyclable, compostable fiber cup as part of the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge.

This announcement follows a series of initiatives and concrete steps taken by Nestlé to accelerate action to tackle plastic waste, in line with its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

GRI and the United Nations Global Compact have announced their continued partnership to develop best practices for corporate reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empowering businesses to prioritize SDG targets and measure and report on progress.

Tetra Tech has been named as a finalist for the prestigious Franz Edelman Award, which recognizes the ways that operation research and analytics are improving how people live and work around the globe. This nomination recognizes Tetra Tech’s partnership with the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in Kentucky to implement real-time control (RTC) software to manage the city’s sewer network. The Edelman Award is the highest award in operation research and analytics. This year’s finalists include IBM; Microsoft; the Boston School Board; the Spanish National Aviation Authority; and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest producers of electricity.

At SCS Global Services, we take pride in conducting comprehensive assessments and offering best-in-class service. In this video, we follow SCS Forester Francis Eaton as he verifies a forest carbon offset project in Northern California.

Have you ever wondered what a smart city looks like? Well, you can have a glimpse into the future now by going to the second floor of CLP’s office in Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong’s oldest districts.

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies roster, carrying last year’s momentum around WELL full force into 2019. The list honors businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture. IWBI leads the global movement to transform our buildings and communities to help deliver health and wellbeing for all.