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.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kohler Co. Celebrates Virginia Tech’s FutureHAUS Win at the 2018 Solar Decathlon

Kohler Co. is proud to have supported the winning Virginia Tech team in its champion finish at the Solar Decathlon, an international competition to build the best solar home. The team, which beat out 27 other universities and 15 teams from 11 countries, incorporated Kohler plumbing products and technologies in its first-place.

Diversity & Inclusion

Paula Chou, Mechanical Designer: How Her Passions Shaped Her Career

Paula Chou is a mechanical designer with Glumac, A Tetra Tech Company, based in Irvine, California. She works on the sustainable design of HVAC projects for architects and owners of building construction. Paula has a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering. We talked with Paula as part of our #TtInspires campaign celebrating the passion of Tetra Tech employees. Follow #TtInspires on social media for more stories.

Education

Sodexo Brings Famed Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Pizza to Gonzaga University

Sodexo, in partnership with Wolfgang Puck, the chef who made artisan pizza famous, has fired up the ovens at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. Wolfgang Puck Pizza is the latest brand to join Gonzaga University’s dining options.

Green Infrastructure

The Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Unveil Tree Cities of the World Programme

The Arbor Day Foundation along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today unveiled their Tree Cities of the World Programme, an initiative to recognize communities across all continents that meet core standards for the care and planning of community trees and forests.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Talking Mine Closure With Chris Cormier, Former Vice President, Reclamation and Closure

Mine closure and reclamation are key components in the life cycle of a mine. To us, how we leave our mine sites and how we start them are equally important. Until recently, Chris Cormier was our VP of Reclamation and Closure, but this year he made the jump from mine closure, to opening a new mine at our Coffee Mine Project in the Yukon as the Mine General Manager. Before his transition to Coffee, we asked him how 2017 helped shape Reclamation and Closure at Goldcorp.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Statement From Natalye Paquin, Points of Light President and CEO, in Honor of President George H.W. Bush

President George H.W. Bush was a kind, compassionate and humble man; a leader who believed in service for the betterment of society. As he aptly put it, 'any definition of a successful life must include service to others.' The call to serve your country and your fellow man – both of equal value – was a centerpiece of his presidency and his life. It was from the White House that he founded Points of Light, which has evolved into the largest nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the power of individuals to create change. Today because of his work, Points of Light is an enduring part of his legacy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

PayPal Surpasses $98M in Platform Donations on Giving Tuesday

PayPal has proudly partnered with #GivingTuesday and its founding organization, the 92nd Street Y, since its inception in 2012, supporting charitable giving by creating safe, secure and convenient touch-points for customers to contribute to their favorite charities online. Year-after-year we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community as millions of global customers turn to our platform to connect with and give to the causes they care about most. In 2012, PayPal processed approximately $16 million in donations on the first #GivingTuesday. In 2015, we set a Guinness World Record by raising more than $45 million, the highest amount raised online for charity in a 24-hour period. And last year, we enabled more than 715,000 people to contribute $64 million to their favorite causes.

Research, Reports & Publications

Erb Featured Business Sustainability Case Study | What is Water Worth?: Nestlé Walks a Fine Line

Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé S.A., is confronted with an Internet firestorm after a comment made by his predecessor, Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, in a 2005 interview resurfaces. In the interview Brabeck-Letmathe calls the human right to water an “extreme solution.” Bulcke must make recommendations to lay the foundation for the company’s future direction relevant to water use at its shareholder meeting the next day.

Energy

Smartflower Provides Clean Energy from the Ground Up

Mohawk Group and nonprofit Groundswell have teamed up to install a new smartflower solar energy unit near three Rockingham County Schools in North Carolina — a project that will bring the benefits of clean solar power to the area, create educational opportunities for students and contribute to Mohawk’s sustainability efforts.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation Increase Commitment to California Wildfire Relief and Announce Funding for Homeless Services

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation today increased to $1 million their commitment to support California wildfire relief efforts, including shelter services for evacuees, and announced an additional $1 million from the Walmart Foundation to help address the increased needs of the local homeless population affected by the Camp Fire. This brings Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s total commitment to more than $2 million for local organizations responding to the impacts of the most recent California wildfires and the growing homeless population in the community.

Events, Media & Communications

Sustainable Finance Week in New York: Dec 3-7

Bloomberg will convene the first ever Sustainable Finance Week in New York City December 3-7 to accelerate the adoption of sustainable finance practices. Anchoring Sustainable Finance Week is the Bloomberg Global Responsible Investing Forum powered by Nuveen, an organization with over five decades of responsible investing leadership.

Diversity & Inclusion

Men Still Outnumber Women in STEM Fields. The Girl Scouts is Trying to Change That.

Maggie, Carys and about two dozen other Girl Scouts were participating in a workshop at Northern Trust’s Loop office on a Saturday morning earlier this month to earn their cybersecurity badges. Girl Scouts earn badges or other awards once they’ve explored a topic or learned a new skill. The cybersecurity badges, introduced for girls in kindergarten through fifth grade earlier this year, are part of an effort from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America to increase participation in STEM fields, which have long been dominated by men.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

As JetBlue For Good Month Wraps, Airline Encourages Its Customers and Crewmembers to Keep Up the Good Work throughout the Year

JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) celebrated November as JetBlue For Good Month. Aligned with the airline’s mission of Inspiring Humanity®, JetBlue gave back in many meaningful ways in the air, on the ground and in the community. Throughout this third annual month-long celebration of volunteerism, JetBlue encouraged its customers and crewmembers to participate in good deeds and acts of service both big and small.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CyberGrants Announces Record Breaking #GivingTuesday

CyberGrants, the global leader in Agile Social Impact technology, is thrilled to announce another record breaking #GivingTuesday. Nearly one-third of all corporate giving and grantmaking is processed via CyberGrants, so their results are a good barometer for the corporate world’s impact on Giving Tuesday.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Filer Township Receives Grant for Magoon Creek Park Improvements

A combined $16,000 grant from the CMS Energy and Consumers Energy foundations has leveraged more than $70,000 in additional funding to improve public use of a little-known treasure on Lake Michigan in Manistee County’s Filer Township.

Local leaders announced a list of improvements planned for 2019 to the Magoon Creek Natural Area, a 97-acre park with 2,300 feet of Lake Michigan frontage owned by Filer Township.

Environment

BLOG | ScottsMiracle-Gro Foundation-Funded Research Shows 95% of Americans Support Pollinator Protection

A national poll conducted in 2018 by ScottsMiracle-Gro Foundation partner the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) revealed that 95% of Americans believe communities should make special efforts to create designated areas that support the health and growth of pollinators.

Energy

4 Ways Energy Companies Are Changing for the Future

From hydro plants to solar farms and the power poles in between, Duke Energy employees are finding innovative ways to make the energy they deliver cleaner and more reliable. Since 2005, Duke Energy has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 31 percent, and by 2030, the company aims to reach a 40 percent reduction.

Health & Healthcare

VIDEO | Aflac CSR Hero Amanda Gordy Brings Hope to Families Facing Illness

Amanda Gordy knew that Aflac was involved in helping the childhood cancer community, but it was not until her own daughter, Tynsley, was diagnosed with leukemia that she realized just how much. Today, Tynsley is out of treatment and Amanda is devoted to helping other families facing similar battles.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hunger Isn’t Where You Think It Is

Through December 31, you can leave non-perishable goods at any of the 5,700 Wells Fargo U.S. branch locations, or at a Mobile Pop Up food bank in nine cities across the country.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whole Planet Foundation Partners Raise $206,500 for World’s Poorest Entrepreneurs

Whole Planet Foundation’s annual Poverty Is Unnecessary Project provides opportunity for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – to take a microcredit loan and create or expand a home-based business for the opportunity to lift themselves and their family members out of poverty through their own hard work and creativity. Whole Planet Foundation supports impoverished entrepreneurs through microfinance partners in the United States and 74 other countries around the world.

Sustainable Development Goals

How Mosaic Is Working to Help Feed a Growing and Hungry World

The UN estimates that the global population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050. The Mosaic Company is helping farmers to replenish nutrients in their growing soil in a sustainable way, to keep up with the growing demand.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Essity ESAVE Celebrates its 10th Anniversary - So Much More Than Just an Energy Savings Program

This year, we celebrate ten years of ESAVE – Essity's energy savings program. However, its more than just a program, it's about a way of working.

Events, Media & Communications

Get the Practical Knowledge You Need to Overcome Sustainability Reporting Challenges

Join GRI's 3rd annual Reporters' Summit in February 2019, in Arizona. Take advantage of the early fee and register now!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Giving Back Has Always Been a Part of Scotiabank's Culture

Giving back has always been part of Scotiabank’s culture. We have been proud to play an active role in United Way giving campaigns for well over half a century.

Research, Reports & Publications

Companies Now Required to Speak Out on ESG Issues: New Research

The report defines the Brands Taking Stands movement succinctly: “A growing roster of Blue Chip companies are using their powerful voices to urge continued U.S. support of the Paris Climate Agreement, to strengthen gun control laws, to fight immigration laws that would negatively impact Dreamers, to champion diversity and inclusion, and to protect LGBTQ rights, among other hot-button and often political issues.”

Latest Campaigns

  1. Responsible Investing
    Responsible Investing
  2. 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...
  3. 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...
  4. 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...
  5. 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.
  6. IWBI | WELL Building Standard
    Our built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively...
  7. Sustainable Products and Innovation
    Ongoing research into innovative solutions enables CNH’s brands to manufacture products that respect the environment while satisfying customers’...
  8. Tork, an Essity brand
    Tork is an Essity brand. Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. Wherever there is a need for wiping, drying, cleaning or polishing...
  9. Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)
    The business landscape is reorienting itself and you can almost hear priorities shifting toward change-readiness and the bigger picture. And in this...
  10. 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...
  11. 2025 Global Inclusive Growth Summit
    This annual event hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth will explore how we can build strong growth and economic opportunity for all...
  12. KeyBank: Responsible Banking
    Everyone’s financial journey is different. We make intentional efforts to meet the individual needs of clients and communities through a diverse range...
  13. 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...
  14. FedEx | Delivering for Good
    Doing what we do best for those who need it most. When disaster strikes, and there’s not a moment to lose, our people mobilize the FedEx global fleet...
  15. Forests
    Managing our forests sustainably and protecting water, wildlife, and species at risk.