ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Subaru Encourages Dog Lovers Everywhere to Enjoy the Great Outdoors with Their Dogs as Part of REI #OptOutside Movement

Nov 16, 2016 4:40 PM ET

Today, Subaru of America announced that, through its partnership with REI, it is bringing together two passions of Subaru drivers, the outdoors and pets, to invite dog lovers everywhere to #OptOutside with their four-legged friends on Black Friday. Subaru is encouraging millions across the country to #OptOutside with their pets and share their outdoor adventures on social media leading up to and on Black Friday itself.

Social Impact & Volunteering

A Nonprofit Guide to Quantifying the Value of Pro Bono

Nov 16, 2016 4:00 PM ET

Corporate skills-based volunteerism is on the rise. Today, 54% of companies are offering skills-based volunteering opportunities for their employees. This is good news all around. Good news for companies who are seeing tangible talent development returns; good news for employees who are reporting higher levels of engagement with their company and their community; and good news for nonprofits who are leveraging this influx of talent to build their capacity to serve.

Energy

GM Makes its Largest Green Energy Purchase to Date

Nov 16, 2016 3:45 PM ET

General Motors has made its largest renewable energy procurement to date, purchasing enough wind power to equal the electricity needs of 16 of its U.S. facilities, including business offices in Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, a major assembly and stamping complex in Arlington, Texas, and 13 parts warehouses east of the Mississippi River.

Research, Reports & Publications

Domtar’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions are Less than Half the Average Producer in Asia

Nov 16, 2016 3:15 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Books Can Help End the Illiteracy Cycle in Our Country and Open Doors for Children

Nov 16, 2016 2:50 PM ET

Kids across the country are headed back to school, but statistics say that more than 10 million children living in poverty in the U.S. do not have books to call their own. With 8,000 students dropping out of high school every day, the time to end the illiteracy cycle in our country is now, and Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) is working to do just that.

Environment

U.S. Chamber Foundation Launches New Project: “Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for A New Economy”

Nov 16, 2016 2:00 PM ET

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today launched a new project, “Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for A New Economy.” Focused on breaking through the current 34 percent recycling barrier in the United States, the project will provide a scalable model for improving recycling and recovery rates in order to help communities, cities, and businesses achieve their circular economy and sustainability goals.

Energy

National Grid Joins Nationwide Effort To Raise Awareness Around Utility Customer Scams

Nov 16, 2016 1:35 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How a Disciplined Asset Management Strategy Can Directly Lead to a Better Quality of Life

Nov 16, 2016 1:20 PM ET

Every organization has a mix of assets on its balance sheet. These probably include infrastructure, human resources, financial assets, as well as some “intangibles.” The key to an organization’s success is getting the most value out of each one.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

A Bold Vision for the Future

Nov 16, 2016 1:10 PM ET

At Prevent Child Abuse America, we focus on delivering great childhoods to all children. We know that if we want the next generation of American leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to be as successful as they can be, we need to ensure that all children are raised in safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments. We work every day to build a future in which no child is ever abused or neglected.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Jake Peavy and Volunteers of America Upgrade Veterans Transitional Home

Nov 16, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Arrow Electronics Highlights Startup and Small Biz Support Services at Annual Denver State of Small Business Event

Nov 16, 2016 12:50 PM ET

Arrow Electronics Chief Digital Officer Matt Anderson lent his expertise to a panel on how startup companies and small businesses can access capital and go-to-market resources at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Denver Metro Small Business Development Center annual State of Small Business event earlier this month.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Child-Focused Recruitment: What is It and Why Does It Work?

Nov 16, 2016 12:30 PM ET

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption exists for one reason: To dramatically increase the number of children adopted from foster care. Currently there are more than 130,000 children in the U.S. and Canada waiting for permanent loving homes.

Environment

HPE Stands with More Than 365 Other Leading Businesses Reaffirming Strong Support for the Paris Agreement

Nov 16, 2016 12:15 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Tis’ the Season to Give Cheer

Nov 16, 2016 12:00 PM ET

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and while it’s a season of giving gifts to family and friends, it’s also a season of giving gifts to the people and causes that need it most. Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sanofi Recognized by “Patents for Humanity” Program

Nov 16, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Sanofi announced today that the U.S. Commerce Department’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recognized the company in the prestigious “Patents for Humanity” program. Sanofi has been chosen for an Honorable Mention for its sustained commitment to develop the investigational anti-malarial compound Ferroquine.

Innovation & Technology

Taproot Foundation and NetSuite.org Release a Hands-On Playbook for Companies to Pair Software Product Donations with Pro Bono Service to Maximize Social Impact

Nov 16, 2016 11:30 AM ET

Today at the Social Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley, a global convening of thinkers, practitioners, and leaders in the social impact sector, Taproot Foundation and NetSuite.org are releasing an easy-to-use Product Donations + Pro Bono Service Playbook. This playbook is designed for companies interested in combining pro bono service—donated professional expertise from their employees—with a product donation program, in order to maximize the social impact of their programs.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

United Way of Lake County Strengthens Program Providing At-Risk Children With Access to Care

Nov 16, 2016 11:00 AM ET

United Way of Lake County will expand its high-impact program, Success By 6 Home Visiting, which provides at-risk children with early intervention services and healthcare to ensure they reach age-appropriate developmental milestones, with the support of a $25,000 contribution from Baxter International.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Engaging in the Movement: Leveraging Technology for Good

Nov 16, 2016 10:40 AM ET

Andrew Troup, Director of Corporate Giving & Engagement Strategy at MicroEdge + Blackbaud, explains how the technology you use every day can contribute to greater social good.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Election Weighs Heavily as Sustainable Business Execs Gather in DC

Nov 16, 2016 10:35 AM ET

Congress returned to work Monday for a lame duck session following last week’s election. Today, hundreds of corporate social responsibility (CSR) executives head to Washington hoping their sustainable business missions are not up-ended by a Donald Trump presidency.

The elephant in the room at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's 2016 Corporate Citizenship Conference is whether campaign rhetoric turns into policy, and whether business leaders will stay the course on ambitious social impact and environmental initiatives.

I will be attending the conference, themed “Progress and Purpose,” and will provide updates for 3BL Media during the two-day event. Here’s a link to the agenda, which can be followed on Twitter using the hashtag #USCCFPurpose.

Environment

Carnival Corporation Recognised for Environmental Excellence

Nov 16, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Three of Carnival’s brands, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, which regularly visit the Port of Seattle, were all praised for their environmental stewardship and programs that go above and beyond regulations and industry standards.

Environment

HP and Staples: A Decade of Recycling Collaboration

Nov 16, 2016 10:15 AM ET

When HP unveiled the HP Planet Partners program 25 years ago, the idea behind it was simple: make it free and easy for customers to recycle their used HP cartridges or any brand of used computing equipment.

Research, Reports & Publications

Medtronic Releases FY16 Integrated Performance Report

Nov 16, 2016 10:10 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

How 4G is Helping Taiwan Achieve its Smart City and Educational Objectives

Nov 16, 2016 10:10 AM ET

Video games. Computers. TV. Children today spend so much time indoors using electronic media that they lack the physical fitness, concentration and social skills of previous generations. Some findings conclude that too much time indoors is directly correlated with decreased academic performance.

Environment

America’s Great Plains Lost More Habitat in 2014 than the Brazilian Amazon: WWF Report

Nov 16, 2016 10:05 AM ET

In 2014 the Great Plains lost more acres of grasslands than the Brazilian Amazon lost to deforestation, according to a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Fifty-three million acres of America’s Great Plains have been lost since 2009, threatening important and iconic species like grasslands songbirds, the monarch butterfly, and native bumble bees.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

American Cancer Society and CVS Health Foundation Award Grants to Help 20 Colleges and Universities Go Tobacco-Free in Largest Initiative of Its Kind

Nov 16, 2016 10:00 AM ET

The American Cancer Society and the CVS Health Foundation today awarded grants to 20 U.S. colleges and universities as part of their Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative (TFGCI), a $3.6 million multi-year program intended to accelerate and expand the adoption and implementation of 100 percent smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies. The announcement coincides this week with the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout.