ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Production & Consumption

GM Works to Set Sustainable Natural Rubber Tires into Motion

May 15, 2017 11:50 AM ET

Transforming the global rubber and tire supply chain to create lasting, environmentally sound sustainable rubber production requires a collaborative approach. Through an industry-first commitment to sourcing sustainable natural rubber in its tires, General Motors is helping drive the industry toward net-zero deforestation and uphold human and labor rights.

Energy

Microgrids Can Significantly Lower Operating Costs for Water Utilities

May 15, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Energy is one of the most significant operating costs for a water or wastewater utility. Microgrid implementation at certain water or wastewater utility sites can produce sustainable energy that provides significant long-term cost savings. A new white paper outlines these benefits, water utility microgrid design considerations and ideal facility criteria for utilities to get the most out of this innovative energy management solution.

Sustainable Development Goals

UN Global Compact Bulletin (May 2017)

May 15, 2017 10:45 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

De Beers Group Employees Have a Good Hair Day

May 15, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Employee volunteers at De Beers’ Venetia mine in South Africa have raised cash for the fight against cancer by having their hair sprayed or shaved.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Barclays is Helping Unleash the Green Economy in Asia

May 15, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Barclays partnership with Unreasonable Group, ‘Unreasonable Impact’, is launching its global work in Singapore, rapidly scaling up selected entrepreneurs and helping them to create thousands of new jobs while addressing key environmental issues.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Carnival Corporation Recognized for Leadership in Environmental Excellence

May 15, 2017 9:30 AM ET

All three Carnival Corporation brands that regularly visit the Port of Seattle –Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises – received maritime awards for their innovative and successful efforts in the area of environmental stewardship.

Research, Reports & Publications

Infographic | How Does Lockheed Martin Add Value to Society?

May 15, 2017 9:25 AM ET

As a global defense and aerospace company, our products and technological solutions enable our customers to protect and facilitate resilient and thriving societies. To meet the demands of our government and commercial customers, we deliver innovative, scalable solutions to the world’s most complex problems. Addressing global challenges, today and in the future, is our opportunity to provide value. Follow the connections between a global megatrend, a selection of our generation-after-next technologies and services and the sustainability value we offer.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

The Circular Economy Advantage on Bechtel Projects

May 15, 2017 9:15 AM ET

A defining characteristic of the remarkable industrial development experienced over the last 100 years has been a ‘make-use-dispose’ approach to resource utilization in industrial processes. While this ‘linear economy’ approach has resulted in enormous advances for societies, it also has created an unsustainable demand for and use of resources and materials. With global population expected to swell to an estimated 9 billion by 2050, the intelligent use of limited resources in production and consumption has become a subject of socio-political, environmental, and economic discussion.

Health & Healthcare

Workplace Workouts: Stepping Off the Corporate Treadmill, and Onto a Real One

May 15, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Awareness of the benefits of workplace exercise has spiked in recent years as studies have found that long periods of sitting can be detrimental to people’s health.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiters Find Homes for Children in Foster Care

May 15, 2017 9:05 AM ET

When you get familiar with the world of adoption, you form an appreciation for how complex it is. How many hurdles there are. And what kind of impact that has on real children, and real families.

Unfortunately, there is this idea floating around that children in foster care are simply “unadoptable.” To this idea, we say: no way. Not a chance.

Environment

Xylem Watermark & Project 24 : Run - Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

May 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Located about 60 kilometers to the west of Siem Reap is Run Village, which is home to 110 families and has a total population of 521 community members. The village has a primary school, Hun Sen Run Primary, which enrolls 229 students and employs 7 teachers. This village faces economic and food security challenges as their livelihoods depend solely on rice planting, causing some villagers to migrate to Siem Reap to find work as laborers in the construction sector.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Kzoo Awarded $100k Grant for Bronson Park Renovations

May 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

The city of Kalamazoo is getting a $100,000 grant from the Consumer Energy Foundation for renovations to Bronson Park. The Kalamazoo Department of Parks and Recreations made the announcement Tuesday in a news release. The donation brings the Bronson Park 21st Century campaign past the halfway mark of its $21 million goal and will go towards the installment of an information kiosk for visitors, the release said.

Research, Reports & Publications

Vancity Publishes 7th Integrated Annual Report

May 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Vancity’s latest integrated Annual Report, Vancity in 2016: building on our values, demonstrates how being firmly rooted in local communities can deliver strong financial returns. It can be viewed at annualreport.vancity.com.

Research, Reports & Publications

The Inner Workings of De Beers Group's Report to Society

May 15, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Producing a 56-page report summarising what we did last year seems like it should be a pretty straightforward task. However, some of the unpublished figures that sit behind the Report to Society shed just a little light on what is a major undertaking.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Call for Nominations: GRI’s Governance

May 14, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Inclusiveness and multi-stakeholder representation are foundational features of GRI, fundamental to form a global perspective and advance our mission towards sustainable development. This is thoroughly reflected in our governance structure: every year we renew our search for global representation and a broad range of perspectives to enable us to carry out our mission.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Instagram Gets Candid About Mental Health

May 12, 2017 7:40 PM ET

Although mental health has been a taboo topic in the past, over the last year, many companies have started to tackle wellness in a more holistic way. Just last month, Kaiser Permanente debuted an ad featuring a surprising spokesperson for mental health: Stephan Curry. This May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, one more unexpected voice is jumping into the wellness conversation.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Cone Communications Recognized at Holmes Report SABRE Awards

May 12, 2017 7:30 PM ET

Cone Communications, a public relations and marketing agency, was named a winner at this year’s Holmes Report SABRE Awards. Cone was awarded top honors in the Community Relations category and also received recognition as a finalist in three other categories.

Education

All-Star Evan Longoria goes yard for Literacy

May 12, 2017 6:35 PM ET

All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria has been a fixture with the Tampa Bay Rays since 2008 when as a rookie he helped the club reach its first World Series.

Innovation & Technology

Bechtel-Sponsored Teams Compete and “Dream Big” at FIRST® Robotics World Championships

May 12, 2017 3:55 PM ET

Reflecting its ongoing commitment to advancing STEM-related opportunities for students, Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction, sponsored and mentored 17 high school teams to compete in the 2017 FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championships late last month.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep Massachusetts Beautiful and TripAdvisor Team Up to Spruce Up Ridge Hill Reservation

May 12, 2017 3:25 PM ET

An army of volunteers from TripAdvisor’s Needham headquarters turned out on May 5 to remove plants from the grassland meadows just inside the entrance to Needham's Ridge Hill Reservation with the help of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful.

Events, Media & Communications

Pre-Summit Sessions Available for 2017 Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit!

May 12, 2017 1:30 PM ET

This year’s Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit will include brand new features, including interactive pre-summit sessions on June 26. Registration for these sessions is open, so sign up today when you register for the Summit!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Leveraging the Buying Power of Cities: New City Accelerator Uses Innovation to Increase Procurement and Economic Opportunity

May 12, 2017 11:30 AM ET

Accelerating economic development remains one of the top priorities for mayors around the country, with an increasing focus on intentionally targeting socioeconomic issues, such as income inequality. Seventy-five percent of mayors highlighted economic development in their 2016 State of the City address, according to the National League of Cities, with 22 percent looking specifically at providing greater support to small businesses and 17 percent mentioning businesses owned by women and people of color.

Environment

Putting Rights of Way to Work for Wildlife

May 12, 2017 11:15 AM ET

Duke Energy manages the land over which more than 30,000 miles of transmission lines traverse – that’s more than enough to circle the globe. With that much property to manage, the company has focused on how to put it to work for imperiled wildlife. Utility rights of way can serve as valuable corridors for threatened wildlife.

Health & Healthcare

Novartis Access and Government of Pakistan Sign Memorandum of Understanding

May 12, 2017 11:10 AM ET

Novartis reaches agreement with Pakistan to supply medicines that address the rapid rise of chronic illness among poor people in the world's sixth most populous nation. Novartis Access medicines will be made available to the poorest population in Pakistan through hospitals under the Prime Minister’s National Health Insurance Program.

Education

Challenged with STEAM, Students Mix Creativity with Innovation

May 12, 2017 11:00 AM ET