ESG News from Leading Brands

Research, Reports & Publications

Appeal of Residential Solar Photovoltaics – Does Framing Matter?

Jan 17, 2019 10:00 AM ET

If residential solar photovoltaics (PV) were adopted more widely in the United States, they could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But consumers balk at high up-front costs, even if energy savings would later offset those costs. A group of researchers led by former Erb Research Fellow Kimberly Wolske set out to study how different framing strategies affect PV’s appeal.

Energy

Las Vegas Sands Properties Conserve Energy with LED Lighting

Jan 17, 2019 9:30 AM ET

As part of its award-winning sustainability program, Sands ECO360, Las Vegas Sands remains committed to energy conservation at all of its properties around the world. In 2011, the sustainability team embarked on replacing lighting with LED light bulbs. The sustainability team created their own in-house testing labs where thousands of LED light bulbs were tested. They became experts on the topic and established a global implementation to all properties and currently, Las Vegas’ lighting is 80% LED, Marina Bay Sands is at 71% and Sands China Ltd. properties are at 95%.

Energy

BNEF: Clean Energy Investment Exceeded $300 Billion Once Again in 2018

Jan 17, 2019 9:25 AM ET

Global clean energy investment[1] totaled $332.1 billion in 2018, down 8% on 2017. Last year was the fifth in a row in which investment exceeded the $300 billion mark, according to authoritative figures from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Diversity & Inclusion

How Tracy Oliver Strives for Diversity On and Off Screen

Jan 17, 2019 9:05 AM ET

The 1996 movie “First Wives Club” had all the trappings of a hit, with a screenplay written by the man behind “Steel Magnolias,” power producer Scott Rudin at the helm, and a cast of established female Hollywood icons.

It was ripe for a remake when Paramount Network announced it would start production on a television reboot. Marie Claire even published a piece suggesting another all-white trio of young female comedians to take the starring roles.

Tracy Oliver had a different idea.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

What The Duck? How Aflac Balances Purpose And Profit: My Q&A With Catherine Hernandez-Blades

Jan 17, 2019 8:35 AM ET

As one of America’s largest supplemental insurance companies, it’s no surprise Aflac has positioned itself at the forefront of the insurance industry, proving to the world this highly-reputable brand is here to stay. With wildly popular campaigns including the launch of the well-recognized Aflac Duck at CES, the company continues to reach new heights from its humble beginnings in the 1950s.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Arbor Day Foundation's Community Tree Recovery: Bringing Life Back to Disaster-Stricken Communities

Jan 17, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Trees play a vital role in our communities. So when natural disasters strike, the loss of trees is much more than meets the eye. The Community Tree Recovery program was created out of the great need for trees in the wake of natural disasters. Through this program, residents who lost trees in major disasters caused by wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and insects can receive free trees to plant in their yards. This work is critical for re-establishing neighborhood trees…as well as a sense of community.

Events, Media & Communications

Join Purpose-Driven Leaders at the 2019 Shared Value Leadership Summit

Jan 16, 2019 3:35 PM ET

The era of purpose-driven business is upon us: from investors to global brands to consumers and CEOs alike, seemingly everyone is talking about the importance of purpose in driving business strategy and societal well-being. How can organizations fully deliver on the promise of purpose, moving from inspirational vision to meaningful results?​

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Stephen Curry’s Custom 'Moon Landing' Shoes Help Raise $58,100 on eBay to Bring STEM Initiatives to San Francisco Bay Area Schools

Jan 16, 2019 3:00 PM ET

A pair of $58,100 shoes are helping bring new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education resources to Bay Area teachers today. The Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation and DonorsChoose.org hosted a special charitable campaign on eBay this January, auctioning off a pair of custom, game-worn “Moon Landing” Under Armour Curry 6 basketball shoes.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Cisco Named to 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

Jan 16, 2019 2:50 PM ET

As part of Cisco’s continuing commitment to gender equality, we are proud to announce our inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for 2019! The 230 member firms in this year’s index are leading the way in how they advance women in their workplaces, their products, and their communities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index Doubles in Size, Recognizing 230 Companies Committed to Advancing Women in the Workplace

Jan 16, 2019 2:45 PM ET

Bloomberg announced the launch of its 2019 Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which this year selected 230 companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality in the workplace. The index more than doubled in size from 2018 and includes firms from 10 sectors headquartered across 36 countries and regions.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Tacos with a Side of Purpose – Taco Bell® Unveils New 2019 U.S. Commitments

Jan 16, 2019 2:25 PM ET

This New Year, millions of Americans have once again committed to a fresh batch of resolutions, though it is statistically proven that most will not stick for more than a couple of weeks. While that fall-off is currently beginning for many, Taco Bell is announcing its set of New Year’s “commitments” that the brand will follow through on in 2019, and beyond. “We decided to scratch the idea of New Year’s resolutions and instead make New Year’s commitments,” said Julie Masino, President of North America at Taco Bell. “From simplifying our ingredients while improving food quality, to creating more new jobs, to improving our recycling efforts, these are just some of our promises to keep doing even better and being even better, and they are promises that we know we will keep.”

Diversity & Inclusion

How Scotiabank is Taking Action on Gender Equality

Jan 16, 2019 2:00 PM ET

Scotiabank has been named to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. The GEI is the world’s only comprehensive investment-quality data source on gender equality, which recognizes internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Scrap Culture: Sustainable Design Practices in a World of Waste

Jan 16, 2019 1:50 PM ET

Welcome to SCRAP CULTURE, a new CEU where we explore sustainable design practices in a world consumed with waste. Today we live in a world that creates more waste than it does reduce, reuse or recycle. Designers in all disciplines are trying to address this through the exploration of new materials and production processes, creating a new design language and landscape that moves beyond industry or craft.

Want to attend a CEU? Connect with your local Mohawk Group rep to get started!

Environment

Procter & Gamble is Proud to be a Founding Member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

Jan 16, 2019 1:35 PM ET

Plastics have changed the world. However, the rapid growth of middle-class and industrial economies has drastically increased the world's plastic consumption in recent decades – and infrastructure development has not kept pace. The result is a dramatic increase in plastic waste.

Responsible Production & Consumption

From Field to Fork: Tyson Harnesses ag Tech for Sustainable Food Production

Jan 16, 2019 1:20 PM ET

Nearly one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from agriculture and deforestation, but if we continue with business as usual agriculture could become the world’s largest contributor to climate change. That’s because feeding a growing population takes a toll on the earth, including outsized impacts on our soil, water and climate.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

General Motors Selected for 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Recognizing Commitment to Advancing Women in Workplace

Jan 16, 2019 1:00 PM ET

GM has been selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.

Media & Communications

World Environment Center Partners With Better World Leadership to Advance Nonprofit Board Service: Preparing Business Leaders to Implement Sustainability

Jan 16, 2019 12:30 PM ET

The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Better World Leadership (BWL) to prepare business leaders to implement sustainability. BWL studies provide evidence that nonprofit board service is an effective pathway for companies seeking to grow shareholder value by advancing diversity and inclusion, developing human capital for innovation, and helping to achieve global goals for sustainability.

Energy

Black & Veatch-Designed Microgrid Actively Powering Shell Technology Center in Houston

Jan 16, 2019 12:00 PM ET

A Black & Veatch-designed microgrid at Shell’s Technology Center in Houston, Texas, is actively powering part of the campus while serving as a critical research tool for Shell International Exploration & Production Company, Inc.’s work to explore the next generation of clean power and distributed energy technologies.

Education

A Journey From West Philadelphia to Cambridge in Pursuit of Understanding the Human Brain

Jan 16, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Ask Ivan Simpson-Kent who his early idols were and he would give a surprising response: criminals. This is despite growing up in a dangerous neighborhood in West Philadelphia, where he lived across from drug dealers, often heard gunshots at night, and nearly daily stories of people, mostly youth, getting murdered. “I perceived these criminals as invincible outlaws going against the limits society had placed upon them,” he says.

Health & Healthcare

Do Heart Disease, Diabetes or Prostate Cancer Run in Your Family Tree? Experts Share How You Can Help Reduce Your Risk

Jan 16, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Webinar | Join UPS, Optoro, and Sustainable Brands TODAY for “How Circular Thinking is Transforming Sustainable E-Commerce”

Jan 16, 2019 11:25 AM ET

Today you can join UPS, Optoro and Sustainable Brands for the “How Circular Thinking is Transforming Sustainable E-Commerce” webinar

Responsible Production & Consumption

Empowering West African Women Through Ethical Manufacturing

Jan 16, 2019 11:15 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

5 Corporate Social Responsibility Trends to Watch in 2019

Jan 16, 2019 11:15 AM ET

2018 proved to be an active year in Corporate Social Responsibility with issues related to sustainability, globalization, advocacy on social issues and multiple natural disasters in the forefront.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Preventing Wood Fiber Loss Improves Efficiency — and the Bottom Line

Jan 16, 2019 11:15 AM ET

Most New Year’s resolutions are meant to improve some aspect of life. Here at Domtar, we’re making resolutions to improve our manufacturing operations. Two of our pulp and paper mills are actively working to reduce wood fiber loss and increase efficiency in 2019. Beyond the immediate costs of lost production, wood fiber loss causes additional issues at a mill’s effluent treatment plant, where the mill has to spend even more time and money to process the additional fiber and produce sludge that is provided to local farmers as a soil amendment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Alliance Data Selected for 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Recognizing Commitment to Advancing Women in the Workplace

Jan 16, 2019 11:10 AM ET

Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, today announced that it is one of 230 companies selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.