If sustainability is so “in,” why aren’t more people buying ethically made clothes? The past few decades have changed the shape of the apparel industry. A few iconic media scandals over child labor and sweatshop labor have made Western shoppers sensitive to certain social responsibility topics. People are willing to pay 5 percent more for a product to ensure that it was made under ethical working conditions. The rise of conscious consumption has created new consumer markets in which labels like fair trade, organic and “made in USA” comingle and overlap.

Since 1978, NeighborWorks® America has focused on creating opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities. With a network of more than 245 of the nation’s best community development organizations, we tackle some of the nation’s biggest housing and community development challenges in low- and moderate-income communities.

As a company committed to reducing water intensity across its global operations by 15 percent by 2020, General Motors is constantly looking for innovative ways to conserve water and increase efficiencies. This mindset has led the automaker to adopt a circular economy approach to maximizing water reuse in water-stressed regions, such as Mexico.

Electric utilities across the country are seeing an industry change, driven by evolving customer demands and technological advancements. This change looks different and is occurring at different paces in different states, but there are commonalities as new technologies such as battery storage, electric vehicles and smart meters become increasingly available and affordable.

On March 23, Merck Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier received the Ronald H. Brown American Journey Award. The award, given annually, honors outstanding Americans who exemplify the vision and transformative ideals of Ron Brown, the first African-American U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Decoding Cancer, a comprehensive biology and genetics education program launched in 2016, provides standards-aligned, interactive classroom resources to students and families nationwide to help them understand the “science behind cancer.”

One of the biggest players in the sustainability game is Bacardi, which has championed the approach since the beginning of the company, more than 155 years ago.

The Bermuda-­based group launched an ambitious environmental sustainability initiative called Good Spirited, with specific goals in sourcing, packaging and operations. The firm cut its greenhouse-­gas emissions intensity in half in 2016 – more than a year earlier than its end­-of­-December-2017 target.

GRI and the Swedish International Development Agency are embarking on a new joint program, which includes a partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights. This new phase has a specific focus on ​poverty alleviation, equality and human rights, and will stimulate responsible business towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Arrow Electronics has teamed with Silicon Valley non-profit New Story to help complete the first low-cost, 3D printed house for humanitarian purposes. The nonprofit, which focuses on providing safe homes for people living in inadequate housing around the world, plans to print a small concrete test home later this year in rural El Salvador.