ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Supporting a Global Workforce

Jan 10, 2019 8:20 AM ET

Working together is our model for success. And no partner is more important to Medtronic than our employees. We work hard to fulfill the fifth tenet of our Mission — to recognize the dignity and the personal worth of all employees. We value an inclusive and diverse global workforce and strive to advance employees’ professional growth, support their health and wellness, and reward them with competitive compensation, benefits, and recognition.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Protects Carolinas' Waterways With $800,000 in Grants

Jan 9, 2019 4:40 PM ET

Energy

Solar Decathalon 2.0

Jan 9, 2019 4:35 PM ET

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. Bob Bissen imagines a Solar Decathalon 2.0.

Innovation & Technology

In 2019, Businesses Will Need to Embrace Sustainability, or Risk Being Left Behind

Jan 9, 2019 4:20 PM ET

What would you do if you only had 12 years to stop catastrophic climate change? At COP 24 in Poland earlier this year, 200 nations formed plans to collectively tackle this issue, and their message is clear: as nations, we will go beyond our commitments and ambitions from the 2015 Paris Agreement to further reduce emissions and tackle one of the world's greatest challenges.

Health & Healthcare

Innovative My Special Aflac Duck™ Helping Lift Spirits for Thousands of Children with Cancer

Jan 9, 2019 2:45 PM ET

One year after being introduced to Americans at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, My Special Aflac Duck, a robotic comfort provider modeled after the famed Aflac Duck, is helping provide comfort and joy to thousands of children across the country. With more than 100 hospitals and childhood cancer care facilities in the United States registered to order ducks, to date, 2,063 have been distributed to children facing cancer. My Special Aflac Duck is Aflac's latest innovation in its 24-year commitment to children with cancer.

Innovation & Technology

P&G Combats 'Mass Disruption' With Slew of Digital-First Products at CES

Jan 9, 2019 1:20 PM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Treasurer Summer, City of Chicago to Speak at #RBSNY Next March 18-19

Jan 9, 2019 12:50 PM ET

A leading US Treasurer, Kurt Summers, City of Chicago will share the stage with the Mayors of Hoboken and New Bedford to discuss the role of cities in the fight against climate change. Treasurer Summers runs 100% of Chicago’s corporate investments through an ESG filter and will be providing valuable insight on how to deliver the city of the future.

Research, Reports & Publications

CECP Launches 2019 Industry-Defining Giving in Numbers Survey

Jan 9, 2019 12:10 PM ET

CECP: The CEO Force for Good is celebrating the launch of the 14th annual Giving in Numbers Survey, the unrivaled leader in benchmarking on corporate social investments, in partnership with companies. The survey is open to companies with revenues of US $2 billion or more, including companies not yet affiliated with CECP.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Positive NRG: Corporate Philanthropy at NRG

Jan 9, 2019 11:55 AM ET

PositiveNRG, our corporate philanthropy program, enriches the communities we serve by supporting initiatives that address education, human welfare, the environment, and health and wellness.

Education

Nurturing Teachers and Giving Back in Puerto Rico

Jan 9, 2019 11:40 AM ET

Héctor L Ayala-Del-Río recently received an unexpected thank you card: It was from a local high school science teacher, explaining that she was having a challenging time in her classroom, but how a recent event that Ayala-Del-Río and his team organized made all the difference. She had attended an Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) teacher appreciation event at the Caguas Science Center, and the act of being recognized “made her feel that everything was worth it and that she should keep going,” says Ayala-Del-Río of the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao.

Environment

Catherine Homsey: Conscious Shopping

Jan 9, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Hawesville Water Conservation Efforts Earn AF&PA Award

Jan 9, 2019 11:15 AM ET

The American Forest & Paper Association recently recognized our Hawesville Mill in Kentucky for its water conservation efforts with a 2018 Leadership in Sustainability Award. Hawesville water conservation efforts will save nearly 3.2 million gallons of water per day.

Energy

Clean Energy Is Key to This Michigan Congregation’s Environmental Commitment

Jan 9, 2019 11:00 AM ET

“We need to sacrifice to mitigate climate change”: The Adrian Dominican Sisters have poured efficiency savings into renewable energy.

“Sacrifice” is not a word Sister Corinne Sanders takes lightly.

It’s taken on additional meaning the past two years as the Adrian Dominican Sisters have worked to fight climate change.

Diversity & Inclusion

How Viacom is Working to Weave Diversity and Inclusion Into Its DNA

Jan 9, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Diversity and inclusion are words that are used a lot these days. But what do they really mean? Are they just talking points? Window-dressing to create a better image? Just a way to claim “political correctness”? Or do they go to the core of corporate culture and practices? For a rapidly growing number of businesses, it’s the last question that’s producing an emphatic answer of “yes!” Because in today’s America—and around the globe—diversity and inclusion are the keys to long-term success for any company seeking to appeal to customers and audiences in a time of rapid demographic, generational, societal, and attitudinal change.

Environment

An EHS Checklist for Low-Risk Technology Facilities

Jan 9, 2019 10:25 AM ET

Use Antea Group’s EHS checklist to measure your tech company’s EHS performance and preparedness.

Energy

Ecocentricity Blog: Challenge Accepted

Jan 9, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Recently, one particular gauntlet was thrown down by an unlikely challenger, and it was a weighty one at that. About a month ago, Xcel Energy became the first major utility in the United States to commit to providing 100% carbon-free energy to its customers by 2050.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Truckers, General Mills, Feeding America Look to Rescue Good Food From a Bad End

Jan 9, 2019 10:00 AM ET

The U.S. wastes edible food at an alarming rate. Each year, about 72 billion pounds of otherwise consumable foodstuffs never make it onto store shelves, according to estimates from Feeding America, a large hunger-relief group. Annually, that amounts to roughly 40 percent of all food in the US, the group said. Those figures don’t include the volumes of food that spoil either at rest or in transit. Nor does it cover the mountains of scraps thrown away every day by hotels, restaurants, consumers and the like.

Environment

VIDEO | Subaru's WinterFest Expands Green Event Practices for 2019

Jan 9, 2019 9:05 AM ET

At Subaru, our passion for the outdoors never hibernates. That’s why we created Subaru WinterFest, a one-of-a-kind concert and mountain lifestyle tour featuring live music, Subaru swag, free snacks and beverages, daily giveaways, gear demos, dog activities at select stops and much more at some of the nation’s top resorts. Gather your tribe, head to WinterFest and make memories that last forever. Discover more information about Subaru's use of sustainable practices during WinterFest.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Medtronic Foundation Recognizes 12 Bakken Invitation Honorees for Driving Positive Change in Healthcare

Jan 9, 2019 9:00 AM ET

The Medtronic Foundation today announced 12 individuals from around the world as recipients of the 2018 Bakken Invitation. This Medtronic Foundation program recognizes and connects people who “live on, give on and dream on” through their advocacy, contributions to innovation and volunteerism after overcoming health challenges with the help of medical technology.

Sustainable Development Goals

Business Leaders Make Their Predictions for 2019

Jan 9, 2019 8:15 AM ET

What will happen in 2019 at the intersection of business and society? As our team in the Business & Society Program looked ahead to the new year, we realized the best answers lie in our network of business leaders and academics. From Artificial Intelligence to worker voice to lifelong learning, these diverse predictions impart a powerful sense of possibility, even in facing some of the world’s toughest challenges in the new year.

Research, Reports & Publications

Self-Driving Vehicles Could Reach Critical Mass Sooner Than Expected, Black & Veatch eBook Concludes

Jan 9, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Black & Veatch’s new eBook was developed to help all stakeholders understand and plan for AVs. The free download provides an analysis of market and societal factors accelerating AV adoption and the infrastructure requirements needed to enable this transportation evolution.

Environment

Tetra Tech Offers Wildfire Awareness Training Australia-wide

Jan 9, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech is providing volunteers, employees, and contractors across Australia—who may be exposed to bushfire risks in their duties or activities—with formal training on how to maintain awareness of and respond safely to bushfires to support resilience.

Sustainable Development Goals

Arbor Day Foundation's Replanting Our Nation's Forests

Jan 9, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Our forests are a treasured legacy providing the very necessities of life itself — clean air, healthy drinking water, a tolerable climate, and so much more. But these majestic lands are threatened by insects, disease, and devastating wildfires. We are thankful for our dedicated Foundation members, corporate sponsors, and partners who continue to respond to the need for replanting.

Energy

Why Clean Energy Investments Should be Part of Your Risk Management Strategy

Jan 8, 2019 4:05 PM ET

There’s a new way to approach energy risks that should interest business leaders who navigate today’s changing economy.The message for anyone struggling with limited energy options is that applying pressure on state and national lawmakers is good for business and our economy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Helping Children Recover With The Healing Tree

Jan 8, 2019 4:00 PM ET

For nearly two decades, Ideas that Matter has been a cornerstone in Sappi North America’s corporate responsibility efforts. By supporting the work of designers who are creating print communications to help solve complex social issues, Ideas that Matter is an important participant in the design for social good movement.