ESG News from Leading Brands

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Dropping an L-Bomb

Feb 6, 2019 9:45 AM ET

Ray Anderson succeeded in transforming the culture of Interface, and that culture shift is still felt today. Advancing sustainability is not a corporate strategy for Interface, but rather an identity.

Environment

Giving Consumers a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Sustainable Forestry

Feb 6, 2019 9:45 AM ET

With certified companies such as Procter & Gamble, the Forest Stewardship Council is advancing a strategy to help consumers understand the impacts of their purchases.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Foundation to Provide Nearly $13 Million to NonprofitsServing American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Feb 6, 2019 9:00 AM ET

To support greater economic empowerment in tribal communities, the Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded nearly $13 million to nonprofits supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities as part of a five-year, $50 million commitment to expand its focus on tribal philanthropy.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Tetra Tech’s 2018 Year in Review

Feb 6, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech’s more than 17,000 employees around the world positively impact our planet through their work on our projects and in our communities. Through our 2018 Photo Contest, employees showcased how they are making a difference through their work in the field, office, and community.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Timberland's Unwavering Commitment To Environmental And Social Responsibility

Feb 6, 2019 8:00 AM ET

The brand's dedication to making quality products is matched by an unwavering commitment to environmental and social responsibility – to make it better with respect to responsible products, protecting and restoring the outdoors, and supporting communities around the globe.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Making a Difference Globally and Locally: How We Give Back

Feb 6, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Since our company was founded in 1868, we’ve strived to strengthen the communities where we work. Beyond our core business of protecting life and health, we provide philanthropic support for health, education, housing, and through MetLife Foundation’s support of low-income individuals and communities on their journey toward financial health and well-being.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Pro Bono Perspectives Podcast: Episode 14 - Daniel Horgan, MENTOR

Feb 6, 2019 7:00 AM ET

Listen to Common Impact's new Pro Bono Perspectives podcast episode featuring Daniel Horgan, Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at MENTO and hear how he uses his experience in the private and social sector to develop unique and impactful partnerships that engage corporate volunteers as mentors and champions of the mentorship movement.

Environment

Ship of Fools: Cruise Polluters

Feb 5, 2019 4:45 PM ET

Growing up watching “The Love Boat,” some of us thought of a cruise as a romantic and exciting way to see the world. New research out of Johns Hopkins University and Stand.earth, however, indicates that cruises don’t just “set a course for adventure,” they deliver high quantities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into the air and delicate ocean habitats.

Environment

Did Facebook, Microsoft, and Google Really Just Sponsor an Event With a Climate Denial Session?

Feb 5, 2019 4:00 PM ET

Did you happen to see the story the other day; Facebook, Microsoft, and Google were high-level sponsors of the libertarian student conference, LibertyCon, which featured a session denying climate change?

Sustainable Development Goals

Sappi Reduces Solid Waste for Fifth Consecutive Year

Feb 5, 2019 4:00 PM ET

The following offers a view of our annual performance in important areas of environmental and social responsibility. We monitor key metrics for fiber, emissions, energy usage and the impact of our operations on air, water and solid waste. We use this data to set improvement goals for our operations and interactions with key stakeholders.

Events, Media & Communications

HPE Makes the List. Top Companies Using Their Social Media Platform to Promote Sustainability

Feb 5, 2019 3:30 PM ET

Corporate handles averaged 19 sustainability posts per month, with sustainability leader handles looking neglected at an average of five posts per month.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Fair Trade Gifts for Valentine's Day

Feb 5, 2019 2:20 PM ET

However you choose to express your love, you can't go wrong with a Fair Trade Certified™ gift because it says you not only care about them, but also that you care about the planet, the lives behind the product, and the impact of your purchase. These gifts, and all Fair Trade Certified products for that matter, go straight to work on community development in places like Ecuador and Côte d’Ivoire.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Aligning Business Need & Community Impact | LBG Canada Company Spotlight

Feb 5, 2019 2:05 PM ET

As we begin 2019, LBG Canada spotlights the Cenovus Decision Making Criteria. A tool created to assist a geographically dispersed community investment team with decision-making consistency by clearly outlining and identifying characteristics of a community investment opportunity to ensure both community and business impact.

Energy

NRG Energy Participates in the Business Sustainability Roundtable Challenge.

Feb 5, 2019 1:25 PM ET

"At NRG, sustainability is at the center of everything that we do. It's more than the way we do business; it's an integral part of who we are and literally at the heart of our purpose of creating a sustainable energy future."

Education

Meet Amgen Scholars Alumni Joel Orlando Hernández Ramos

Feb 5, 2019 12:25 PM ET

Ever since I was a little kid I was interested in science and thought of becoming a scientist. However, it wasn’t until high school that I realized what biotechnology is and that I wanted to major in that field. I became interested by attending a college talk at my current university about all the majors they offer. Ever since that moment, I started seeking extracurricular courses to learn more about biotechnology and to start gaining knowledge about it.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

CEO & Co-Founder of Selah Freedom to Speak About Importance of Eradicating Sex Trafficking and Exploitation

Feb 5, 2019 12:20 PM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Hallmark Provides Opportunities for Diverse Students to Build Their Skills for Future Careers in the Entertainment Industry

Feb 5, 2019 12:15 PM ET

Through the support of several entertainment industry organizations, Crown Media Family Networks provided opportunities for diverse students to intern with the company. In 2017, Crown Media partnered with the National Association of Multi- Ethnicity in Communications, Women in Cable Telecommunications, the Emma Bowen Foundation and, for the first time, a full-year partnership with the T. Howard Foundation.

Energy

Why Disney World is Betting on Clean Energy

Feb 5, 2019 11:35 AM ET

“Environmental stewardship and conservation were engrained in The Walt Disney Company from the beginning,” Angie Renner recently told me. Angie is an Environmental Integration Director at Walt Disney World Resort, and today she says the company is investing in new technologies and renewable energy projects that have thus far cut greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half. Why? Because as a Bloomberg story just noted, warmer temperatures are already impacting the “the comfort and health and well being of [the resort’s] customers.”

Environment

Stay in the Know: 12 Top EHS and Sustainability Accounts to Follow on Social Media

Feb 5, 2019 10:40 AM ET

Antea Group recommends 12 EHS and sustainability social media accounts that offer on-the-ball coverage of emerging trends, news, and insights.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Multi-Year Effort Launches to Help Millions of Financially Vulnerable People Build Savings & Economic Opportunity

Feb 5, 2019 10:15 AM ET

MetLife Foundation and Commonwealth announced a new project, Making Wealth Common: Extending Financial Opportunity for All, which aims to reverse this trend beginning with over 300,000 financially vulnerable Americans.

Health & Healthcare

Cooking Up Fun: With Hands-on Classes and Shiny New Kitchens, Children’s Museums Around the Country Are Teaching Kids to Eat Healthy and Try New Foods

Feb 5, 2019 10:05 AM ET

Across the country, children’s museums are aiming to teach their young visitors about food science, nutrition and agriculture by offering cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes that are fun for the whole family. All children can benefit from learning about where their food comes from and how to make healthy snacks and meals, but these programs are especially beneficial for picky eaters.

Health & Healthcare

Napa Valley Unified School District Transforming School Food With Get Schools Cooking Grant

Feb 5, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) has set the table for transitioning to scratch cooking with the opening of a new centralized kitchen expected to open early February. The kitchen is another step in the District’s drive to provide healthier school food – a commitment that was bolstered last summer by receiving a Get Schools Cooking grant valued at nearly $200,000.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Special Olympics Receives Check from Albertsons

Feb 5, 2019 10:00 AM ET

“Albertson's Grocery managers presented the organization with a $15,000 check. "Every dime that we receive makes the difference to our athletes. When you increase that to 15 thousand dollars from one organization, it's great." Priscilla Dowse said.”

Media & Communications

Davos 2019: The Conversation in Switzerland Ripples Out to The Rest of the World – News, Commentaries, Reports, Initiatives, For Your Consideration

Feb 5, 2019 10:00 AM ET

The world leadership gathering in Switzerland in winter every year – we see this in the “Davos meetings” in the many news report datelines – are part of the World Economic Forum (WEF) broad activities -- this is the WEF’s annual meeting. Heads of state, CEOs, invited thought leaders, leading academics and journalists, politicians of all persuasions, NGOs, heads of multilateral heads (Christina Lagarde, International Monetary Fund)…they were all gathered there this year.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Ingersoll Rand to Receive World Environment Center’s 2019 Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development

Feb 5, 2019 9:00 AM ET

The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 35th annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ingersoll Rand, Michael W. Lamach, will accept the Gold Medal Award on Thursday, May 16, 2019, during the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C.