ESG News from Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Survey Says Aflac is Once Again a Fortune’s Most Admired Company

Mar 11, 2019 11:00 AM ET

Aflac today announced that it is once again included on Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies for 2019. With this 18th year of being voted onto this prestigious list by industry peers, the supplemental insurance company has once again demonstrated that Aflac isn’t a company that takes customer service and shareholder value for granted.

Energy

Consumers Energy Delivers $2.8 Million Incentive to General Motors for Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Flint

Mar 11, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Officials from Consumers Energy today presented General Motors with a payment worth over $2.8 million for energy-saving upgrades at the automaker’s Flint facilities that benefit the planet and Michigan’s prosperity.

“General Motors has made a commitment to sustainability, and we are pleased to work with them to take actions that are good for their customers and all of Michigan,” said Brian Rich, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president for customer experience.

Environment

Expert Interview With Dr. Eduardo Yassuda, Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Expert

Mar 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Dr. Eduardo Yassuda has extensive experience related to coastal and oceanographic engineering, modeling of hydrodynamics, water quality, and ecological processes in coastal and estuarine systems. He has been actively involved in the implementation and improvements of more than a dozen hydrodynamic and water quality models for locations worldwide.

Events, Media & Communications

Getting There: Strategies for Meeting Your 2020 Sustainability Goals

Mar 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Join us for an exclusive webinar where attendees will learn the critical first steps they can take today and through 2019 to help them make progress on carbon reduction and renewable energy acquisition.

Research, Reports & Publications

Lloyds Banking Group Helping Britain Prosper

Mar 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Lloyds Banking Group has served Britain for more than 250 years, across every community, and millions of households. Its success is interwoven with the UK’s prosperity and it aims to Help Britain Prosper by operating as a responsible, sustainable and inclusive Group.

Research, Reports & Publications

CLP Charts Path to Building the Utility of the Future in Annual Reviews

Mar 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET

The CLP Group has launched its new Sustainability Report and Annual Report, setting out how to further decarbonise and digitalise its energy business across Asia Pacific building on the strong performance in 2018.
“As part of our efforts to become a ‘Utility of the Future’, we recognise our purpose, and the need to decarbonise and digitalise our business, strengthen our cyber resilience, and attract the right talent to our workforce,” said CLP Holdings Chairman The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie and Chief Executive Officer Mr Richard Lancaster in the Sustainability Report.

Diversity & Inclusion

Hear Her Story: Q&A with Marie-Chantal Vallée, Business Analyst IT at Gildan

Mar 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Marie-Chantal shares her story from losing her job during her maternity leave to finding her fit at Gildan. Here is her story:

Diversity & Inclusion

Finding My Balance: An Unvarnished Perspective from A Working Mother, with A Dual Career Home and Young Family

Mar 8, 2019 5:10 PM ET

Bookshops and blogs are full of stories of working mums who have it all, sharing tips on how to maximize your career and family life, without sacrificing either. However the recent Guardian article, “Working mothers up to 40% more stressed,” sent a different message, one that both resonated with me and shocked me. A mother who is 40% more stressed isn’t ‘having it all.’ She’s stuffing more and more into an already very full life exerting more and more pressure on herself. That amount of pressure isn’t healthy for anyone and certainly not sustainable, so something has to change – and fast.

Diversity & Inclusion

Let’s All Help Create a #Balanceforbetter

Mar 8, 2019 4:50 PM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

10 Quotes From People on the Frontlines for Equity

Mar 8, 2019 4:40 PM ET

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global recognition of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day is also an annual call to action for accelerating gender parity, as evidenced by this year's theme, #BalanceforBetter. The theme underscores the need for gender balance in the workplace and government, gender balance in media and sports coverage, a balance in the distribution of wealth, and gender balance in all other areas of society.

Environment

Boeing to Offer Biofuel for Airlines to Fly New Airplanes Home

Mar 8, 2019 4:30 PM ET

Boeing will begin offering airlines and operators the option of powering their new commercial jet with biofuel for the flight home. The program is designed to further spur the use of sustainable aviation fuels – which cut emissions up to 80 percent – and support the aviation industry’s drive to protect the environment.

Diversity & Inclusion

She Started at the Bottom. Now, This Store Manager is at the Top of Her Game.

Mar 8, 2019 4:30 PM ET

Amanda made a career of crushing her goals. 10 years after starting as a Walmart cashier, she now manages an Arkansas Walmart supercenter. Read her full story here.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

GreenBiz19: Sustainability at a Tipping Point

Mar 8, 2019 4:00 PM ET

Operating at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability, The GreenBiz Group is a key advocate for the integration and application of sustainability into the corporate ecosystem. Whether it is convening C-Suite executives and leading NGOs on developing robust circular economy initiatives or researching new trends to develop more sustainable supply chains, GreenBiz has uniquely positioned itself at the epicenter of the corporate green movement.

Diversity & Inclusion

Video | Building an Inclusive Company in a Diverse World: Part 2

Mar 8, 2019 3:45 PM ET

From the time I initially shared our ambition, we at Schneider Electric have been making progress in changing the way we work to achieve that cultural shift.

Diversity & Inclusion

Meet Five Inspiring Women Innovators Who Are Improving Lives on International Women’s Day—and Every Day

Mar 8, 2019 3:00 PM ET

This International Women’s Day and every day, we have the responsibility and opportunity to break down gender barriers that stifle progress and hinder innovation. It’s up to all of us to #balanceforbetter.

Environment

Ash Kalra + Stefan Kalb: Saving Food and Forests

Mar 8, 2019 1:30 PM ET

What can we do to be better citizens, better consumers and better advocates for the planet? Fighting waste and saving forests are a good place to start.

Diversity & Inclusion

Sysco Celebrates International Women's Day 2019

Mar 8, 2019 1:30 PM ET

Advancing gender equality in the workplace is an important part of Inclusiveness, one of our Sysco Values. It is also a key business imperative that helps us better reflect our customers and communities. International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Recognized first in 1911 in Europe, International Women’s Day is now observed around the globe in support of advancing gender equality.

Diversity & Inclusion

AEG Celebrates International Women’s Day

Mar 8, 2019 1:00 PM ET

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, is raising awareness about the need for gender balance in the workplace through a social media campaign, #WomenStrong.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Black & Veatch Water and Wastewater Report Provides Insight into Water Rates in Top 50 U.S. Cities

Mar 8, 2019 12:45 PM ET

Today, Black & Veatch Management Consulting releases its 2018-19 50 Largest Cities Water & Wastewater Rate Survey to help the market better understand how utilities are charging for water and wastewater services in a way that ensures revenue stability while balancing concerns over affordability.

Diversity & Inclusion

Meet the Lockheed Martin Women of the F-35

Mar 8, 2019 12:40 PM ET

In 1942, Mary G. Ross, changed the course of history by becoming the first female engineer at Lockheed Martin – paving the way for the next generation of female engineers. At the time, working as an engineer within the aerospace industry was a near-impossible achievement for women. Yet through determination, tenacity and undeniable talent Ross quickly made her indelible mark, making especial contributions to the P-38 Lightning.

Diversity & Inclusion

Better the Balance, Better the World

Mar 8, 2019 12:05 PM ET

Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. We notice gender-balance’s absence and celebrate its presence in boardrooms, governments, media coverage, and in the tech industry. And, every person, government and company has a part to play in building a gender-balanced world. At Symantec, supporting the U.S. State Department’s TechWomen program is one way we work towards #BalanceforBetter. TechWomen connects and supports female “Emerging Leaders” in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas Hosts First Women in Hospitality Summit

Mar 8, 2019 12:05 PM ET

In December of last year, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas hosted the property’s top female executives for the Women in Hospitality Summit led by Dr. Susan Fleming. The first-ever summit was established as a means for female executives to be exposed and enlightened to various methods of attaining higher positions within the company and also guiding and mentoring their departments.

“After having Dr. Fleming speak at a Leadership Speaker Series the year prior, we thought the extended course being offered by Cornell Executive Education would be an exciting opportunity for leadership development,” said Anna Schmid, vice president of arena partnerships.

Diversity & Inclusion

Changemakers Address Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity at Spirit Forward London

Mar 8, 2019 11:40 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Clean and Green: Duke Energy Issues Second Green Bond

Mar 8, 2019 11:35 AM ET

Duke Energy Progress, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), has completed its first issuance of $600 million in green bonds that will finance eligible green energy projects, including the development, construction and procurement of solar generation in the Carolinas.

Diversity & Inclusion

H.R. 5050 Puts Women Entrepreneurs on the Path to Parity

Mar 8, 2019 11:30 AM ET

Given that the number of women-owned businesses has grown at nearly four times the rate of men-owned firms over the past 20 years[1] — 28.5% vs. 7.5% — it’s nearly incomprehensible that just 30 years ago a woman needed a male cosigner to obtain a business loan. That all changed in 1988 with the passage of H.R. 5050, the Women’s Business Ownership Act, a piece of landmark legislation that is the bedrock for policies, programs and public/private initiatives that continue to support businesswomen today.