ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Apache Junction ‘Water for Living’ Drive Tops 10,000 Bottles Donated

Sep 13, 2017 2:00 PM ET

The fourth annual Water for Living drive has collected more than 10,000 bottles of water to help those in need in our community.
The drive, spearheaded this year by the United Way of Pinal County, is held each summer at several locations throughout the city with donations being distributed to area agencies.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

GM Celebrates Volunteerism With 6th Annual teamGM Cares Week

Sep 13, 2017 1:15 PM ET

More than 5,000 General Motors employees will donate time and talent to more than 225 community service projects across the United States during the company’s sixth annual teamGM Cares Week Sept. 11-15.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Aflac Earns Place on Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 7th Consecutive Year

Sep 13, 2017 1:10 PM ET

Aflac, the leading provider of voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the U.S., announced today that the company has once again captured a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America List for 2017. This is the 7th consecutive year that Aflac has qualified for this prestigious honor.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Services Named to the Prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices

Sep 13, 2017 1:05 PM ET

Republic Services, Inc., an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste, was named to both the 2017 DJSI World and North America indices for the second consecutive year. Republic is the sole recycling and solid waste collection provider included in the 2017 DJSI Indices. The rankings highlight Republic’s continued leadership in corporate governance, environmental, social and financial sustainability.

Education

GM, Black Girls CODE Celebrate Launch of Detroit Chapter

Sep 13, 2017 12:45 PM ET

General Motors and Black Girls CODE (BGC) today announced the launch of a BGC Detroit chapter with a series of hands-on and engaging activities at Detroit International Academy for Women (DIA), a Detroit Public Schools Community District school, and TechTown.

Environment

Businesses Call on Trump to Reverse Decision on Federal Flood Risk Management Rule

Sep 13, 2017 11:45 AM ET

As the devastating climate change-fueled impacts of Hurricane Irma continue to unfold, and the financial costs of Hurricane Harvey continue to escalate, a network of businesses is calling on the Trump administration to reinstate the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, known as FFRMS.

The standard requires federal agencies to take into account current and future flood risks in investment decisions related to federally-funded buildings and infrastructure, ensuring they are built to withstand growing flooding threats.

Research, Reports & Publications

Many Businesses Still Fail to Report Financial Value From Strong Environmental Performance, According to New Research From Accenture, CDP and Hermes Investment Management

Sep 13, 2017 11:15 AM ET

Four in 10 telecommunications and consumer goods companies reporting to CDP fail to capture or report any financial value from strong environmental performance, according to new research released today by Accenture (NYSE: ACN), CDP and Hermes Investment Management.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Businesses Have a Unique Opportunity to Help Communities Effectively Recover from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Sep 13, 2017 11:15 AM ET

What happens when the cameras and first responders leave the Hurricane Harvey and Irma scenes? Donations dry up quickly and the media moves on to the next big story. Unfortunately, that’s when the people and communities affected by these storms get the least community support, but need it most.

Research, Reports & Publications

Gen Z Sees Social Media Activity As More Effective Than Community Involvement According to New Research by Cone Communications

Sep 13, 2017 11:15 AM ET

Eighty-one percent of Gen Z believes they can have an impact on social and environmental issues by using social media, according to the 2017 Cone Gen Z CSR Study: How to Speak Z. The study, surveying Americans ages 13-19, examined this budding generation’s aptitude and attitudes toward company involvement in social and environmental issues – and just how they’re willing to stand up for causes they care about.

Research, Reports & Publications

TransCanada Releases 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Sep 13, 2017 11:10 AM ET

TransCanada today released its 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, providing a comprehensive update on the company’s performance on environmental, social and governance topics that matter most to the communities, Indigenous groups and stakeholders involved with or affected by our business across North America.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Reaches Major Milestone

Sep 13, 2017 11:00 AM ET

When Dave Thomas started his Foundation 25 years ago he did so with a heart that was committed to finding families for children waiting to be adopted from foster care. His vision is always close to our hearts and today we think he would be proud as the Foundation that bears his name celebrates more than 6,500 adoptions.

Sustainable Development Goals

How WGL Aligns with Sustainable Development Goals

Sep 13, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Earlier this year, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board, a consortium of businesses and other green organizations announced a new initiative to prompt companies to get behind the G20 Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. According to the CDSB, the platform will showcase those “forward-thinking businesses” that are willing to show transparency in how they address climate risk and align their operations with their investors’ expectations.

Energy

Thermo King Partnered with Fleet Equipment Magazine to Host an Industry Webinar on Transport Solar

Sep 13, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Ingersoll Rand is committed to making the world a better place to live, through sustainability and energy efficiency. Thermo King, a manufacturer of transport temperature control solutions for a variety of mobile applications and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, is helping their customers be more sustainable by developing solar panel battery chargers for transport customers.

Health & Healthcare

Chef Cat Cora Shares Her Tips on How Busy Families Can Incorporate Healthy Eating Into Their Lifestyles

Sep 13, 2017 10:35 AM ET

Iron Chef Cat Cora has six boys at home and somehow manages to make nutritious food a centerpiece in their busy lives. Cora has helped her kids discover the joys of healthy eating for themselves, and has teamed with Aramark to share her tips for how other busy families can incorporate healthy eating into their lifestyles.

Education

CITGO STEM Scholarships Help Houston Students Pursue Higher Education

Sep 13, 2017 10:30 AM ET

CITGO Petroleum Corporation awarded scholarships to 20 Houston students who plan to pursue a university-level degree in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As part of a long-term commitment to furthering STEM education across the country, CITGO granted scholarships to exceptional students who demonstrate the potential to take the STEM industry to the next level following their educational pursuits.

Sustainable Development Goals

Private Sector Has More Opportunities Than Ever to Engage at the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, Says UN Global Compact

Sep 13, 2017 10:15 AM ET

The United Nations Global Compact announced today that the private sector will be able to engage in more than 30 business-oriented forums and events at the 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), taking place from 12-25 September 2017 in New York.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Nestlé’s Parent Support Spotlight on Tessa: Time with Family Close and Far

Sep 13, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Planning, Budgeting and Data Pivotal for Smarter Utility Asset Management

Sep 13, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Amid interwoven and oft-cited concerns about reliability, cybersecurity, funding and aging infrastructure, this year’s survey results again reveal that electric industry leaders view risk-based planning, long-term budgeting and preventive maintenance as key to ensuring that asset health and reliability are sustained.

Research, Reports & Publications

Democratization of Social Investing

Sep 13, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

HanesBrands Donates More Than a Million Clothing Items to Harvey Flood Victims

Sep 13, 2017 9:10 AM ET

Hanesbrands is donating more than a million underwear and activewear items to assist victims of flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Texas and the Gulf Coast.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

After Hurricane Irma, How Power Gets Restored

Sep 13, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Mike Volrich will celebrate 30 years with Duke Energy next week, but he is still finding new opportunities. On Monday, he traveled to Florida to work a hurricane for the first time. He has worked countless ice storms and tornadoes in Indiana throughout his career, and although they have different hazards, he approaches them all with the same mindset.

Energy

Renewing a Brand Through Renewable Energy

Sep 13, 2017 9:05 AM ET

The rooftop solar market has exploded in recent years, enabling individual homeowners and small businesses to claim their turf in the transition to renewable energy. However, rooftop solar is just one of a growing number of opportunities for electricity customers to wean themselves from fossil fuels.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Top CEOs Place High Value On Corporate Ethics And Social Responsibility To Drive Business

Sep 13, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Environment

Flowering Dogwood: Spring Splendor in the Forest

Sep 13, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Flowering dogwood holds a special place in the heart of all who love trees. Perhaps this is because of its bloom — bursting forth in the dark woods or barren backyard with a promise that the dreary days of winter are over. Perhaps it is its brilliant fall leaves and bright berries, or the unusual pattern of its bark. Maybe it’s the gracefulness of its crown, or, for those who look closely, the interesting shape of its buds.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

SC Johnson’s Legacy of Environmental Leadership Commemorated by 30th Anniversary of Chloroflourocarbon Ban

Sep 13, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Forty-two years ago, SC Johnson shocked the chemical industry and set new heights for environmental responsibility, as it was the first company to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by banning chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from all its aerosol products worldwide.

In 1975, the company’s pre-emptive and voluntary action came more than a decade before the 1987 Montreal Protocol treaty designed to reduce the production and use of chemicals that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.

SC Johnson took this bold step motivated by early, yet not widely accepted, scientific research that suggested CFCs might harm the Earth’s ozone layer.