ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Aflac Japan Primary Sponsor of “Gold Ribbon Walking” Events, Enhance the Quality of Life for Children With Cancer

Oct 31, 2018 9:20 AM ET

In Japan, Aflac insures 1 out of every 4 household, and Aflac Japan is proud to be the primary sponsor of “Gold Ribbon Walking” events, which the company supports to enhance the quality of life for children with cancer and improving the cure rate.

Health & Healthcare

Bravery, Valor, and the Art of Moving Forward in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

Oct 31, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar and the Space Age Chemical

Oct 30, 2018 7:00 PM ET

Grinder burn is caused by improper grinding in the manufacturing process and can cause parts to fail prematurely. Caterpillar routinely uses an acid etch check on a variety of manufactured parts to detect any presence of grinder burn.

Sustainable Development Goals

7-Eleven’s RENEW™ Reduced Emissions Program and Customers Help Plant 100,000 Trees With The Arbor Day Foundation

Oct 30, 2018 6:30 PM ET

In one year, 7-Eleven, Inc. and its customers have planted 100,000 trees and offset 32,448 metric tons in carbon emissions through the RENEW™ reduced emissions fuel program. That is the equivalent of powering 1.6 million homes for a whole day with no environmental impact.

Environment

As Brazil's New President Threatens the Amazon, Brazilian Entrepreneurs Create a Device for Large-scale Forest Restoration

Oct 30, 2018 5:45 PM ET

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation just awarded the top prize in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize to a Brazilian team working in reforestation in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil.

Energy

eBook: Putting Energy Storage to Work for California’s K-12 Schools

Oct 30, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Battery-based energy storage is a proven technology that can enable your schools to use more self-generated solar power and help stabilize the grid, while significantly reducing district energy costs.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Six Down, Many More to Go

Oct 30, 2018 4:45 PM ET

What matters most, however, are not the conversations that we have with our guests. It’s the conversations our guests have among themselves. Those conversations are the largest part of why we host RayDay, and we can’t know even a small fraction of what comes from them.

Research, Reports & Publications

The Sustainability Imperative: Business and Investor Outlook

Oct 30, 2018 4:30 PM ET

Do investors have the information they need to adequately manage risk and identify sustainable investment opportunities? Are companies prioritizing sustainable strategies throughout their organizations? A new Bloomberg survey of U.S. and European investors and corporations, explored in this paper, seeks to uncover how these groups believe they are faring on their path towards a sustainable future.

Education

New Digital STEM-career Curriculum Takes High-school Students Behind-the-scenes With Scientists and Engineers

Oct 30, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Lockheed Martin has partnered with Discovery Education on Generation Beyond: Aviation, a digital STEM curriculum that takes students behind-the-scenes with Lockheed Martin engineers and scientists to solve real-world technology challenges, from fighting wildfires to making flight suits for military pilots safer.

Events, Media & Communications

What Doors Open When We Measure Impact?

Oct 30, 2018 3:10 PM ET

What Doors Open When We Measure Impact?

November 6th, join important dialogue to move social enterprise forward in Ontario!

Energy

Businesses Commend Gov. Cooper’s Plan to Bolster North Carolina’s Clean Energy Economy and Reduce Emissions

Oct 30, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Businesses lauded Gov. Roy Cooper for taking action to rapidly transition North Carolina to a clean energy future in a move that will benefit all North Carolina residents by strengthening the state economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Partners In Preservation: Main Streets Awards $2 Million in Preservation Grants to Sites Reflecting America’s Diverse History

Oct 30, 2018 2:30 PM ET

Today, American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America announced the winners of the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign. The 11 winning historic sites will receive a total of $1.6 million in grants to fund their respective preservation projects. At the outset of the campaign, an additional $400,000 was allocated to the 20 Main Street communities that participated in the program to increase public awareness of the importance of these historic places and build grassroots support for the participating Main Street districts.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Goodness Gains Momentum as 200 More Companies Embrace Benevity’s Innovative Approaches to Employee Engagement

Oct 30, 2018 2:30 PM ET

212 companies—including Okta, Tiffany & Co., Rackspace® and Major League Baseball—have joined Benevity's growing community of over 500 enterprise clients since this time last year.

Education

New Digital STEM-Career Curriculum Takes High-School Students Behind-the-scenes with Scientists and Engineers Working on Life-saving Technologies

Oct 30, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Lockheed Martin has partnered with Discovery Education on Generation Beyond: Aviation, a digital STEM curriculum that takes students behind-the-scenes with Lockheed Martin engineers and scientists to solve real-world technology challenges, from fighting wildfires to making flight suits for military pilots safer.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

How to Optimize Your Grants Lifecycle for a Better ROI

Oct 30, 2018 1:00 PM ET

A solid grantmaking process is key to maximizing the social impact of your funding. Here are some tips and techniques that will help you fine-tune your process, so you can better serve non-profits and measure the impact of your foundation’s efforts.

Environment

Don’t Be a Tardigrade: Private Sector Solutions for Ensuring a Freshwater Future

Oct 30, 2018 1:00 PM ET

While the private sector must double down on its ambitions to achieve rapid decarbonization of the global economy, it must, at the same time, do everything in its power to protect the freshwater resources that are essential to all human and economic activity.

Research, Reports & Publications

Corporate Giving Increased for a Third Consecutive Year, up 15% Since 2015

Oct 30, 2018 1:00 PM ET

In the largest, most robust, industry-leading, and internationally-recognized research of corporate social investment, CECP: The CEO Force for Good, in association with The Conference Board, found in their annual Giving in Numbers: 2018 Edition report that leading corporations are intensifying efforts to meet key societal needs around the world.

Energy

Duke Energy Aims to Expand Solar Power to Non-residential Customers Without Large Upfront Investment

Oct 30, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Duke Energy wants non-residential customers to have another option to install solar power on their premises. The company recently filed to be a certified solar lessor with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC). Duke Energy Clean Energy Resources (DECER), a non-regulated affiliate of Duke Energy, will build, own and operate on-site solar facilities that will allow customers to access renewable energy without a large upfront investment. DECER is not financially supported by either Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress, Duke Energy's operating companies in the Carolinas.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Timberland’s Fall Fest Celebrates Service, Company Culture and the Season

Oct 30, 2018 12:50 PM ET

Eight employees who volunteer to serve on Timberland’s “Culture Club” planned this year’s Fall Fest celebration. The Club’s mission is to plan and execute small scale events throughout the year to bring a bit of fun into the workplace.

Energy

Secure. Affordable. Responsible. With Renewables, Have All 3

Oct 30, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Global institutions today face what is known as the energy “trilemma”—the need to balance energy security with energy that is both affordable and environmentally responsible. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) currently projects that world energy consumption will increase 28% by 2040. Simultaneously, the energy delivery system around the world is expected to undergo massive disruption in the forms of decentralization, digitization, and decarbonization.

Futureproofing energy supply has become a predominant goal for managing risk and resilience for a majority of companies.

An enormous opportunity exists for organizations with distributed energy load to act by acquiring renewables.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Humana Foundation Invests $1.84 Million to Address Social Determinants of Health in Knoxville and Jacksonville

Oct 30, 2018 12:00 PM ET

The Humana Foundation is investing $1.84 million to address social determinants of health in two communities – Knoxville, Tenn., and Jacksonville, Fla.

In Knoxville, the Humana Foundation will invest $1,020,000 in the Truck2Table pilot program and is partnering with InterFaith Health Clinic and Catapult 4D to address East Tennessee health barriers.

Environment

Smithfield Addresses the Hog Industry’s Vulnerability to Climate Change

Oct 30, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

New Study on Financial Inclusion, the 2018 Global Microscope, Shows Countries in Latin America and Asia Provide the Best Environments for Financial Progress

Oct 30, 2018 11:30 AM ET

The Global Microscope on Financial Inclusion, now in its 11th year, is a benchmarking index that assesses the enabling environment for financial access in 55 countries. The 2018 Global Microscope underscores the evolving landscape of financial inclusion itself. This year’s index was completely revised to take a forward-looking focus on digital financial services, and to address the critical role of financial inclusion envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kohler Co.’s Innovation For Good Program Recognized as Changemaker with 2018 Mahatma Award

Oct 30, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Kohler Co. has been presented with a 2018 Mahatma Award for Social Good for its “Innovation for Good” (IfG) efforts. Laura Kohler, Senior Vice President-Human Resources, Stewardship & Sustainability for Kohler Co., accepted the award on behalf of IfG and Kohler Co. in New York City during the recently held UN General Assembly.

The Mahatma Awards for Social Good spotlight changemakers and are awarded annually to individuals or organizations committed to addressing complex social issues like safe water, sanitation, disease, poverty and hunger.

Kohler’s Innovation for Good program is an innovation incubator focused on developing and implementing sustainable business solutions to address some of the most pressing problems related to safe water, safe sanitation and reliable power.

Health & Healthcare

Helping Nonprofits Within the Food System Tap Into Pro Bono

Oct 30, 2018 11:10 AM ET