ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

How U.S. Bank Makes Community Possible

Dec 9, 2016 8:20 AM ET

Earlier this year, our client U.S. Bank launched the Community Possible Relay complete with a mobile baton, or what became known as the Big Blue Bus. The goal was to promote volunteerism and inspire 153,000 volunteers both inside and outside the bank. This represents 1,000 volunteers for each year the bank has been in business!

Social Impact & Volunteering

Marina Bay Sands Supports The Purple Parade

Dec 9, 2016 8:15 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Here’s The Beef: Wendy’s Joins the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

Dec 9, 2016 8:10 AM ET

We recently took another step in our long-time commitment to sourcing quality beef responsibly by joining the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Their goal is simple – to work together with lots of different stakeholders to sustain responsible beef production for years to come. One of our team members who lives and breathes quality beef every day is also one of our rising stars, Manager of Quality Assurance for Beef, Sarah Wells. Sarah is one of the most upbeat and optimistic people you’ll ever meet. Fortunately, she loves to travel because we keep her on the road all the time. She’s an expert in meat science and animal care, and she taught at the collegiate level before joining Wendy’s two and a half years ago.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The Missing Link: Rewarding Tenant Engagement In Sustainability Benchmarking

Dec 9, 2016 8:05 AM ET

A common theme amongst various sustainability benchmarking frameworks, such as the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), is the weight placed on working with tenants. More specifically, landlords are now expected to capture and report on tenant energy use if they wish to achieve top scores.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sodexo and American Red Cross Partner in New Hampshire and Vermont for Disaster Response

Dec 8, 2016 7:30 PM ET

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, and the American Red Cross in New Hampshire and Vermont have entered into a partnership to provide disaster clients of the Red Cross in that region with meals during times of disaster response.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Big Bet Philanthropy: How More Givers Are Spending Big and Taking Risks to Solve Society's Problems

Dec 8, 2016 5:40 PM ET

David Dornsife recalls the first time he took his wife, Dana, to see the work they were funding to provide water to people in Africa, traveling to a village with no wells in Ghana in 2001. "People had scabies all over their faces," he says. "It was hard to talk with them because there were flies everywhere."

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Capital BlueCross Annual Secret Santa Program Provides 600 Gifts for Local Children in Need

Dec 8, 2016 5:10 PM ET

Capital BlueCross employees today packed up hundreds of gifts to send to children in need this holiday season. The company's annual "Secret Santa" program provides gifts to children, from infants to teenagers, who otherwise may not have something under the tree.

Education

Closing the College Gap

Dec 8, 2016 4:30 PM ET

For most of the last century, the United States led the world in educational attainment and the economic and social mobility of its people. As our advantage has been slipping in recent decades, leaders from the President to philanthropists have set goals for boosting the percentage of Americans who complete some form of college, so more Americans are prepared for the rigors of the workplace and being engaged members of society.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Film Festival Spotlight: 2016 Fan Favorite Winner Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dec 8, 2016 4:00 PM ET

Watch the 2016 Fan Favorite winner Thermo Fisher Scientific, which won for its video titled, "Give Us Hope."

Education

Ten to Watch: Lela Okromelidze

Dec 8, 2016 3:40 PM ET

Lela Okromelidze grew up in the Eurasian country of Georgia, which after years of fighting following the fall of the Soviet Union, didn’t always provide the educational opportunities of many other countries.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

2017 Buick Envision AWD Earns 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for Safety Rating by NHTSA

Dec 8, 2016 3:35 PM ET

The 2017 Buick Envision AWD compact SUV has earned a five-star overall vehicle score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — an accolade achieved by every Buick model rated for two consecutive model years.

Events, Media & Communications

International Volunteer Day Sends a Reminder on the Power of Volunteerism to Drive Sustainable Development

Dec 8, 2016 3:00 PM ET

Celebrating the power of volunteering, leaders from the private, public and social sectors convened at the International Volunteer Day Forum and Awards Celebration on December 5, in Washington D.C. Organizations such as Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), Building Bridges Coalition (BBC), PYXERA Global, Partners of the Americas, International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), Service Year, and Impact 2030 represented the myriad ways that the power of volunteering can be brought to bear to meet this century’s global development and security challenges. The Forum encouraged the new Congress and incoming Presidential administration to prioritize effective volunteer programs and policies.

Events, Media & Communications

NH Liquor Commission & Jack Daniel’s Share How to Celebrate Responsibly This Holiday Season

Dec 8, 2016 2:45 PM ET

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey are offering tips and techniques to emphasize safe and responsible alcohol consumption specifically for the 2016 holiday season. The award-winning Live Free & Host Responsibly campaign offers holiday-themed food and drink recipes, along with responsible entertaining techniques and videos that can be found at www.LiquorandWineOutlets.com/responsibility.

Health & Healthcare

Michael Bloomberg Continues His Life-Saving Leadership in Global Fight Against Tobacco

Dec 8, 2016 2:35 PM ET

Former New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg announced today that he is committing an additional $360 million to the global fight against tobacco use, bringing his total commitment to nearly $1 billion.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) Releases Latest Reporting Conflict Minerals Reporting Template

Dec 8, 2016 12:00 PM ET

One of the most important efforts to trace whether conflict minerals are entering global supply chains is the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) developed by the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI). The template is periodically updated to reflect new smelters, changes in regulations and other changes in the global supply chain network. CFSI has now released the CMRT version 4.20, which is now integrated into Source Intelligence’s robust SaaS platform to provide customers the most efficient and comprehensive data collection, validation and reporting system.

Education

'He Named Me Malala:' 21CF's Yearlong Campaign to Support Girls' Education

Dec 8, 2016 12:00 PM ET

In June 2015, Fox Searchlight and National Geographic announced the release of the documentary He Named Me Malala, sparking nearly a year's worth of efforts on the part of 21st Century Fox to make a difference in the global issue of girls' access to education. The film, directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim, follows the life of Pakistani education activist and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai who survived an assassination attempt in 2012 for her outspoken advocacy.

Environment

Whirlpool Corporation Breaks Ground on Latest Ohio Wind Power Generation Project at its Marion Manufacturing Facility

Dec 8, 2016 11:45 AM ET

Whirlpool Corporation is breaking ground today on a project to build three wind turbines to help power its Marion, Ohio manufacturing facility. The three turbines will deliver wind generated power directly to the plant and when fully completed, are expected to provide approximately 19% of the total power consumption of the facility.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Allegion Americas supports Habitat for Humanity with dedication of nine new homes in Mexico

Dec 8, 2016 11:45 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Using Employees’ Skills, Toyota Financial Services and UnitedHealth Group Build Stronger Communities

Dec 8, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Giving back: it’s an action that can be carried out in countless ways. For some, giving back means volunteering in their community. For others, it means donating money or goods to those who need it most. For Civic 50 sector leaders Toyota Financial Services and UnitedHealth Group, employees give back by exercising their corporate know-how and investing their time and talent in communities to provide the biggest impact.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Futuregrowth: Allocating Capital to Renewable Energy Investments

Dec 8, 2016 11:05 AM ET

While the debate over the use of nuclear power continues, the renewable energy sector is quietly forging ahead and independent power producers are adding much-needed capacity to the grid. Since the Department of Energy (DoE) embarked on its alternative energy drive in 2012, capital investments in renewables have totalled almost R200 billion.

South Africa has some of the best natural resources available for solar and wind power. This, together with a reputationally strong and well-run independent power procurement programme, has created opportunities for institutional investors like Futuregrowth − who is now a leading funder of the programme.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Guest Blog: A Forever Family Unlocks the “Warm Fuzzies”

Dec 8, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Family. Love. Comfort. Connection. HOME. Each of these words fill our hearts with warm fuzzies, but what about those who don’t have any positive lasting experiences with any of those same words?

Health & Healthcare

Huggies Created the "No Baby Unhugged" Program to Ensure that all Babies Receive a Huggies Hug

Dec 8, 2016 10:35 AM ET

We created the No Baby Unhugged program to ensure that all babies receive a Huggies hug.
Watch why we believe in hugs and why all babies deserve a hug inspired by yours.

Education

Scotiabank Encourages Changemakers at Ryerson University

Dec 8, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Coming Together To Monetize Sustainability

Dec 8, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Leaders often struggle to understand which choices are best when it comes to making investments in sustainability. One way to ease this struggle is to enable a stronger business case development and associated analyses of both tangible and intangible benefits connected to these investments. In response to this challenge, FEMSA Foundation and Antea Group founded the Monetization Working Group (MWG) in March 2014.

Education

Karren Brady: LifeSkills Powered by Barclays and Inspiring Young People

Dec 8, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Baroness Karren Brady is passionate about helping young people reach their potential. As Ambassador for the LifeSkills programme and chair of the LifeSkills Advisory Council, she has met thousands of young people taking their first steps into the world of work – and says she’s inspired by their determination.