ESG News from Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

VMware Named As One of 2019's Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

Jan 28, 2019 10:20 AM ET

VMware was named as one of “2019’s Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.” The Global 100 ranks large corporations on their performance of reducing carbon and waste, gender diversity among leadership, revenues derived from clean products, and overall sustainability.

Education

FCA US Launches Student Loan Refinancing Benefit with CommonBond for Business™ to Help Employees Tackle Student Debt

Jan 28, 2019 10:15 AM ET

FCA US announced today that it has added a student loan refinancing program to its package of benefits offered to salaried employees. The program is being offered in partnership with CommonBond For Business, the student loan benefits platform from financial technology company CommonBond. FCA US salaried employees with student loan debt, as well as employees with federal government-backed Parent PLUS loans, are now eligible to refinance these loans through the program with preferred terms.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Schneider Electric Named One of the Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2019

Jan 28, 2019 10:15 AM ET

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been included in the World’s Most Admired Companies, according to the 2019 list published by Fortune. This year, the company ranks fifth in the electronics industry, maintaining its strong position from 2018. The achievement reflects its growing reputation as an all-round achiever in its industry, pursuing innovation with a strong focus on sustainability and inclusion for all.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Johnson & Johnson Among FORTUNE Magazine's 2019 'World's Most Admired Companies'

Jan 28, 2019 10:10 AM ET

Environment

The Simple Idea That Could be the Answer to our Plastic Problem: Reusable Packaging

Jan 28, 2019 10:05 AM ET

Part of the magic of Loop is reusable packaging, designed in partnership with the brand owners to be not just durable, but "counter-worthy" — attractive enough to keep in plain view, in the words of Virginie Helias, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Procter & Gamble. "You want to show it to your friends." But, she adds, the appeal is not just aesthetic: "It's also the fact that it's a better premium experience for people."

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Finances $50.4 Million for the Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing in Boulder, CO

Jan 28, 2019 10:00 AM ET

KeyBank announced today $50.4 million in total combined financing for a tax-exempt bond transaction to support Koelbel & Company’s construction of Diagonal Crossing. Diagonal Crossing is a 105-unit garden-style apartment community that is income-restricted for families earning at or below 60% AMI in Boulder, CO.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Bruins to Host 3rd Annual BFit First Responder Challenge

Jan 28, 2019 10:00 AM ET

The Boston Bruins and the Boston Bruins Foundation announced today that the Third Annual BFit First Responder Challenge powered by National Grid will take place Sunday, January 27, 2019 at TD Garden, starting at 9:00 a.m. This one of a kind event invites first responders from all over New England to participate in a course throughout TD Garden.

Sustainable Development Goals

The SDGs Drive Innovation in the Energy and Infrastructure Sectors: Saipem Shows How

Jan 28, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Adopted in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put forth a roadmap for addressing the world’s most pressing social, environmental and economic challenges by 2030. Unlike their predecessors, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs explicitly call on business to play a role in tackling global challenges like access to energy and clean water.

Environment

Sculpting a Future for E-Waste

Jan 28, 2019 9:45 AM ET

Teenage artist Zayd Menk believes that in a perfect world, there’d be no waste.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Support for Sustainable Investment Decisions

Jan 28, 2019 9:05 AM ET

We’ve seen sustainability move from buzzword to business imperative as people, companies and governments increasingly seek to make environmentally and socially conscious investments.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

'Giving Back' Can Build Stronger Customer Ties

Jan 28, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Say the words “corporate social responsibility,” or CSR, and what may come to mind are multinational corporations taking action on global issues like climate change or public health. While that is certainly part of what is happening under the larger CSR umbrella today, businesses of all sizes are increasingly embracing good corporate citizenship as part of their standard operating procedure and discovering ways to do good within their own communities and professional networks.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

What Larry Fink’s 2019 Letter Means for the Future of Business

Jan 28, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Here are our four main takeaways from this year's letter from BlackRock's Larry Fink to CEOs.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Paradise Not Lost: Wells Fargo Grant Helps California Communities Rebuild After Camp Fire

Jan 28, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Six years after opening his auto repair shop in Paradise, California, Brad Jenks II felt like life was good. Business was steady, and he and his wife Julie could clearly see a future with fewer long hours and more family vacations.

Then the Camp Fire roared into town and tore through Northern California. Visit Wells Fargo Stories to watch the video.: https://stories.wf.com/paradise-not-lost-wells-fargo-grant-helps-california-communities-rebuild-camp-fire.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Deloitte Podcast: Episode 3: Learning in the Flow of Work

Jan 28, 2019 8:50 AM ET

It may be time to rethink everything you thought you knew about corporate learning.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

U.S. Conference of Mayors, Wells Fargo Announce 2019 CommunityWINS® Grant Program

Jan 28, 2019 8:30 AM ET

The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Wells Fargo today announced the 2019 CommunityWINS® grant program, aimed at accelerating neighborhood revitalization, economic development and job creation in municipalities across the U.S.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland, Journeys, and the Student Conservation Association Take Urban Greening to Los Angeles

Jan 28, 2019 8:30 AM ET

On the third and final stop of Timberland’s three-city 2018 urban greening tour, close to 100 volunteers transformed a vacant lot in Los Angeles into a resident-driven urban farm to benefit the local homeless population. Volunteers from Timberland, Journeys, members of the local community and the Student Conservation Association joined efforts to bring green space to this urban area.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How General Mills Sustainably Sources Food Ingredients From Around the World

Jan 28, 2019 8:00 AM ET

To produce enough food to feed an increasingly hungry world, we must take care of the people who are raising the crops as well as the land, water and air needed for them to thrive. As a global food company that relies on ingredients from around the world, we pay careful attention to the impact of agriculture on our environment and the ability of farmers to be successful.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

It’s Time to Take Control of Your Data: 3 Easy Ways to Own Your Online Presence

Jan 28, 2019 8:00 AM ET

You might be asking yourself what ‘taking control of your data’ really means or why it’s important. As the COO of Norton LifeLock, I often hear “I’ve got nothing to hide on my phone” and “I don’t care who sees my browser history.” I quickly point to the 143 million Americans who were affected by cybercrime in 2017; that’s more than half of the U.S. adult online population.

Diversity & Inclusion

Interview with Sami Ayass, Landfill Gas Project Manager

Jan 28, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Sami Ayass is a project manager based in Tetra Tech’s Diamond Bar, California, office and is part of the company’s Waste Management Practice, focusing on methane gas services. He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and is a self-taught and certified Civil Professional Engineer in California and Texas.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Secures $37.1 Million in Combined Financing for Multifamily Workforce Property in Orlando

Jan 28, 2019 8:00 AM ET

KeyBank announced today $37.1 million in total combined financing to support the refinancing of Castilian Apartments in Orlando, FL by Dominium, one of the largest affordable housing development and management companies in the United States.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Closes $24.5 Million in Financing for the Renovation of 647 Affordable Housing Units in the Bronx

Jan 25, 2019 4:50 PM ET

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) recently closed $24.5 million in total financing for the Gilbane Development Company’s acquisition and renovation of two New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties, Highbridge Franklin and Twin Parks West, to preserve 647 units of permanent affordable housing in the Bronx, NY.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $70 Million in Combined Financing for 241 Units of Affordable Seniors Housing in Lacey, WA

Jan 25, 2019 4:30 PM ET

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided $70 million in combined construction and permanent loan financing to AVS Communities for the Reserve at Lacey, a 241-unit affordable housing property serving seniors aged 55 or older who earn 60% of the area median income (AMI). Reserve at Lacey is in Lacey, WA.

Diversity & Inclusion

Celebrating International Day of Education Focused on Inclusion and the Future of Work

Jan 25, 2019 3:00 PM ET

January 24, 2019, marks the first International Day of Education. The United Nations established this global day to acknowledge the essential role quality education plays in advancing the Sustainable Development agenda and in building sustainable and resilient societies. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all is not only one of the 17 Global Goals (SDG 4)—it is a catalyst for the success of the other 16 SDGs.

Innovation & Technology

Johnson & Johnson Announces Research Study with Apple Watch to Help Improve AFib Outcomes Including Stroke Prevention

Jan 25, 2019 2:10 PM ET

Johnson & Johnson to collaborate with Apple to assess impact of wearable technology on earlier detection of AFib, improved diagnosis and patient outcomes

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Nonprofit Board Service Builds More Effective Business Leaders

Jan 25, 2019 2:05 PM ET

Alice Korngold, President and CEO of Korngold Consulting LLC, has recently released the results of her study 2018 Nonprofit Board Leadership Study in partnership with IMPACT2030, a private sector collaboration with the United Nations, corporations and nonprofit organizations.