ESG News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest environmental, social and governance news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's distribution platform.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Two Months Without Aid

Action Against Hunger

Events, Media & Communications

AB, EMIA and Societe Generale Host the Impact and Blended Finance Conference

AllianceBernstein

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Closes $24.5 Million in Financing for the Renovation of 647 Affordable Housing Units in the Bronx

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) recently closed $24.5 million in total financing for the Gilbane Development Company’s acquisition and renovation of two New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties, Highbridge Franklin and Twin Parks West, to preserve 647 units of permanent affordable housing in the Bronx, NY.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $70 Million in Combined Financing for 241 Units of Affordable Seniors Housing in Lacey, WA

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided $70 million in combined construction and permanent loan financing to AVS Communities for the Reserve at Lacey, a 241-unit affordable housing property serving seniors aged 55 or older who earn 60% of the area median income (AMI). Reserve at Lacey is in Lacey, WA.

Diversity & Inclusion

Celebrating International Day of Education Focused on Inclusion and the Future of Work

January 24, 2019, marks the first International Day of Education. The United Nations established this global day to acknowledge the essential role quality education plays in advancing the Sustainable Development agenda and in building sustainable and resilient societies. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all is not only one of the 17 Global Goals (SDG 4)—it is a catalyst for the success of the other 16 SDGs.

Innovation & Technology

Johnson & Johnson Announces Research Study with Apple Watch to Help Improve AFib Outcomes Including Stroke Prevention

Johnson & Johnson to collaborate with Apple to assess impact of wearable technology on earlier detection of AFib, improved diagnosis and patient outcomes

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Nonprofit Board Service Builds More Effective Business Leaders

Alice Korngold, President and CEO of Korngold Consulting LLC, has recently released the results of her study 2018 Nonprofit Board Leadership Study in partnership with IMPACT2030, a private sector collaboration with the United Nations, corporations and nonprofit organizations.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Tyson Foods to Deliver 85 Tons of Food – More Than 685,000 Meals – to Help Federal Workers

Tyson Foods, Inc. plans to donate more than 85 tons of food – or more than 685,000 meals – to the Washington, D.C. area to help those in need, including federal workers affected by the partial government shutdown. Social service agencies are experiencing increased demand for assistance in the weeks after the government shutdown, so the company is making deliveries to a food bank, a community kitchen and a non-profit group that supports military service members and their families.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

eBay’s Retail Revival Expands to Canada

eBay, together with the Halifax Regional Municipality, announced the launch of Retail Revival, a program designed to help small and medium-sized retailers harness the power of ecommerce and global trade. This eBay program, the first of its kind in Canada, is supported by all three levels of government.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Launches Recovery and Rebuilding Effort in Paradise, California, and Surrounding Towns

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced that the company will provide an additional $3.25 million in financial resources to residents, small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Butte County, California, to address critical housing and economic challenges that remain after devastating wildfires spread across the county last year.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Consumers Energy Offers Assistance for Federal Employees in Michigan Impacted by Government Shutdown

Consumers Energy is committed to helping Michigan residents stay safe and warm this winter which includes assisting federal government employees in Michigan who are affected by the ongoing shutdown. The company is encouraging customers who face hardship due to this ongoing shutdown to contact Consumers Energy immediately for assistance – which may include flexible payment arrangements or extensions that provide more time to pay a bill.

Education

The American Heart Association and the National Football League Work With Discovery Education to Take Students on a Virtual Field Trip Inspired by Super Bowl LIII

Getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day through moderate-to-vigorous and bone strengthening exercise is what is recommended for school-aged kids according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

The Best 2018 Sustainability Articles From UPS Longitudes

Diversification was the sustainability story of 2018 according to the UPS thought leadership blog Longitudes. Catch up with the top five sustainability articles from last year to see why we’re so excited by progress in the sustainability movement – and the innovations yet to come.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Whirlpool Corporation Named a Best Employer for Diversity in 2019

Whirlpool Corporation has been named a Best Employer for Diversity 2019 by Forbes. The list recognizes companies that embrace diversity and inclusion and the valuable role it plays in attracting talented employees and building strong business.

Environment

High Value Found in Small Changes

Small changes can add up to big savings and Bristol-Myers Squibb knows that very well. Since 2015, the company has identified hundreds of opportunities to reduce emissions and energy and water consumption, equating to more than $11 million in cost savings.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Nine Signs You Need to Refresh Your Social Impact Approach

Few companies of any size would let marketing or operations coast for a year or two without strategic review. A lack of regular planning is an equally big risk when it comes to social impact initiatives. And, considering brands with a high sense of purpose have experienced a brand valuation of 175% over the past 12 years, failure to keep up could put you at a significant disadvantage.

Whether you’re a leader in fast-growing company, a corporation, or nonprofit, here are telltale signs you should refresh your social impact initiative.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Xylem Supported Safe Water Project Earns Top Ranking in Manchester City’s Annual Cityzens Giving Campaign with More Than 450,000 Votes

Xylem announced that the Safe Water project it is supporting in Bangalore garnered more than 450,000 votes from players, partners and football fans around the world – earning top ranking in Cityzens Giving’s fifth annual campaign. Cityzens Giving is the global community initiative of Premier League champion football team and Xylem partner, Manchester City. This year’s campaign distributed £400,000 donated by City Football Group, parent of Manchester City, and its partners to six urban football projects run by young people, for young people. Fans around the world voted for how the funding should be divided between the six projects. Bangalore’s Safe Water Project, Water Goals, which focuses on improving access to safe, clean water for over 5,000 children in the area, was the most popular.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CIT Bank Renews Partnership with a New Grant for First-Time Homebuyer Assistance

CIT Bank, N.A., the banking subsidiary of CIT Group Inc., today announced it has awarded a $400,000 grant to the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) to help lower-income Angelinos achieve the American Dream.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Put Off Procrastination: CSR Is Good For Employees And The Business

A recent Aflac study found that 69 percent of employees believe it is extremely or very important for U.S. companies to act socially responsible. So, a strong CSR effort helps companies increase employee happiness and retain top talent. Clearly, HR managers already recognize the need and want for CSR, because in that same survey, 80 percent of workers in HR roles said that CSR is extremely or very important.

Environment

P&G Joins TerraCycle’s Loop – an Environmentally Friendly and Convenient E-Shopping Platform – With 11 Household Brands

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announced the introduction of reusable, refillable packaging on some of its most popular products as part of a new effort that aims to change the world’s reliance on single use packaging and disposable waste. Additionally, new “collect and recycle” circular solutions that help eliminate waste were also introduced as part of a partnership with LoopTM, a circular e-commerce platform developed by international recycling leader TerraCycle. Many of P&G’s largest global brands, including PanteneTM, TideTM, CascadeTM and Oral-BTM will participate in this innovative platform later this year.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Celebrating Family and Helping Others to Create Theirs

Congratulations to the Martin Family who is celebrating nine years of being a forever family! Did you know that you can adopt a child of any age from foster care? The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption focuses on finding forever families for the children who have been in foster care the longest. This includes teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs.

Energy

Cadillac Shows Brand’s First Fully Electric EV

Cadillac has revealed the brand’s first EV, the first model derived from GM’s future EV platform. Cadillac will be at the vanguard of the company’s move toward an all-electric future.

Environment

Subaru of America Continues Sponsorship of the Philadelphia Flower Show for the 18th Consecutive Year

Today, Subaru of America, Inc. has announced that, for the 18th year in a row, it will serve as the premier sponsor of the Philadelphia Flower Show. This annual show is produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and will run from March 2nd to the 10th. The nation's largest and longest-running horticultural event will return to Philadelphia with this year’s theme honoring "Flower Power." The theme pays tribute to the enormous impact of flowers on people’s lives, as well as celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival and the era of "Flower Power."

Events, Media & Communications

GRI’s Governance Bodies Welcome New Members in January 2019

After a busy yet productive nomination process, the Global Reporting Initiative has announced the newest members to its different governance bodies. Together with the current members, they will help safeguard due process throughout the organization, and strengthen the multi-stakeholder approach that characterizes GRI through their expertise and experience.

Diversity & Inclusion

Data, Technology, and Women’s Economic Empowerment

Our economic empowerment programs connect underserved people to skills, meaningful employment, financial products and services, and opportunities they need to thrive and develop careers.

With the strategic support of Cisco, partners like Living Goods and Opportunity International make it possible for people to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and for their communities through new uses of data and technology. But those solutions — more common than ever in today’s digital economy — aren’t always equitably accessible to one of our largest populations — women.

Green Infrastructure

INFOGRAPHIC: 42 Years of Tree City USA

With the support of our members and partners, the Tree City USA program has strengthened and sustained urban forests across the country. From the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf Coast, more than 153 million Americans are living in Tree City USA towns and cities that pay particular attention to tree planting, management, and care.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Aligning Business Need & Community Impact | LBG Canada Company Spotlight

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.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Building a Sustainable Future | Decarbonizing the Built Environment
    The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of carbon emissions and nearly 50% of the consumption of natural resources. The industry stands at a...
  2. Kingfisher Around the World
    The SCS Kingfisher certification mark is showing up on an increasing number of products around the world. It differentiates companies that are making...
  3. Building a Sustainable Future | Decarbonizing the Built Environment
    The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of carbon emissions and nearly 50% of the consumption of natural resources. The industry stands at a...
  4. Cascale Events
    Cascale organizes and participates in a series of events, leveraging its position as a global convener of close to half the sector to bring together...
  5. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  6. Local Communities
    The principals of living and working in synergy with the communities in which we operate, as well as collaborating on projects that benefit those...
  7. Building a Sustainable Future | Circular Economy
    Our economy can work in harmony with our society and the environment. At Saint-Gobain North America, we are reimagining design and construction to...
  8. Building More Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains, Today and Into the Future
    More and more companies are looking to measure and mitigate the full scope of their greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with changing regulations...
  9. Responsible Investing
    Responsible Investing
  10. Principal Financial Group: Employee Engagement
    Talented employees are the heart and soul of our company. We believe development inspires individuals to engage, empower, and embrace a growth mindset...
  11. KeyBank's Community Investment
    In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...
  12. Environmental Leadership
    Meeting the world’s growing demand for chemicals that play a critical role in our daily lives requires Chemours to grow while reducing our...
  13. Building a Sustainable Future | Decarbonizing the Built Environment
    The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of carbon emissions and nearly 50% of the consumption of natural resources. The industry stands at a...
  14. GoDaddy | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
    Diverse teams build better products — period. At GoDaddy, we make apps and services that our worldwide community of entrepreneurs can relate to. Our...
  15. GoDaddy Sustainability News & Reports
    GoDaddy's ESG reporting shows our progress in building a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive society and outlines areas for future growth.