ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

WATCH: Children's Miracle Network LIVE-athon Raises Funds for Children’s Hospitals

Mar 24, 2019 10:00 AM ET

CHANGE kids’ health. CHANGE the future. Stephen tWitch Boss & Allison Holker joined Aflac partner Children's Miracle Network Hospitals for an unforgettable night of inspiring stories and performances to raise vital funds for children’s hospitals.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

30 Years Later, Investors Still Lead The Way On Sustainability

Mar 23, 2019 6:00 PM ET

Thirty years ago, a massive Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled nearly 11 million gallons of oil into the pristine Prince William sound off Alaska’s coast, affecting 1,300 miles of coastline. It was the worst oil spill in the history of the United States. Local ecosystems were devastated, hundreds of thousands of birds and fish were killed, and the corporation was hit with more than a half billion dollars in liabilities.

Health & Healthcare

VIDEO | Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Ambassador Chloe Davison Gives A Behind-the-Scenes Peek at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Mar 23, 2019 11:00 AM ET

In honor of #ChildrensHospitalsWeek, look at this behind-the-scenes peek at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Ambassador and childhood cancer survivor Chloe Davison.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Video | Seventh Generation is #FundingHerFuture through Whole Planet Foundation

Mar 23, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Seventh Generation has donated $550,000 to alleviate poverty through microcredit with us and has pledged $50,000 in 2018. Their giving over time has created approximately 16,800 microloans and more than 96,900 opportunities for microentrepreneurs around the globe.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Providing More Health Providers in South Los Angeles

Mar 23, 2019 10:00 AM ET

Dr. Yulsi Lili Fernandez Montero grew up in a medically underserved community like Compton, California, and knew she wanted to practice medicine in a similar community when she finished medical school. Today she is a family medicine and addiction medicine doctor practicing with the MLK Community Medical Group in Compton. However, she said the decision to practice in this type of community can be difficult for many doctors.

Diversity & Inclusion

When it Comes to Diversity and Inclusion, Strategies are Better Than Intentions

Mar 22, 2019 5:25 PM ET

In 2018, Northern Trust Asset Management acted to increase equity security trading commissions with minority brokers, setting and achieving targeted commission amounts in our largest fund range. We broadened the scope of our engagement with minority brokers toward utilization of sell-side research.

Environment

The Ripple Effect: Local Water Action Means Global Impact

Mar 22, 2019 4:45 PM ET

Water is important to Intel – it is necessary for semiconductor manufacturing and it plays a large part in our relationship with local communities. As a company, we’ve been investing in water conservation projects and setting ambitious water conservation goals for close to two decades, saving close to 64 billion gallons of water since we started tracking our progress in 1998. Although we continue to invest millions of dollars each year to conserve water and increase our water use efficiency, our water needs are growing along with company growth and manufacturing complexity. This led us to ask – what else should we be doing? The answer was to look at the bigger picture – beyond our own operations – and examine how Intel impacts the watersheds where we operate.

Environment

Drip By Drip: How We Solve the Global Water Scarcity Crisis

Mar 22, 2019 2:40 PM ET

As the global population continues to rapidly grow, the demand for fresh water is growing with it. Even without accounting for shifting weather patterns driving regional droughts like those seen recently in California and the Horn of Africa, demand for fresh water for agricultural, industrial and municipal use is predicted to increase by 50% globally between 2000 and 2030.

However, the supply of water is not keeping pace with demand. By 2030, scientists project there will be a 40% gap between the expected need for and availability of water.

This situation is unsustainable. If we are to support a growing, increasingly demanding world, we must tackle the water scarcity crisis –so where can we find the water we need?

Environment

Drinking Nasty Swamp Water (to save the world)

Mar 22, 2019 2:10 PM ET

While I'm normally a physics guy, got to give the chemists out there props on this one.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Kohler and World Vision Bring Safe Water to Thousands in Honduras

Mar 22, 2019 1:45 PM ET

Nearly 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed water worldwide*. To encourage positive change and create meaningful impact, a combination of partnership and innovation is imperative to address pressing water and sanitation issues. Since 1996, Kohler Co., a global leader in the plumbing industry, and World Vision, a leading humanitarian organization, have collaborated frequently to provide access to clean, safe water in communities around the world.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PRWeek U.S. Awards 2019: The Winners

Mar 22, 2019 1:30 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Maria Christina Annaloro Leads Responsible Gaming Ambassador Program at Las Vegas Sands

Mar 22, 2019 1:00 PM ET

Las Vegas Sands has a best-in-class, global responsible gaming program that aims to reduce gambling risk and improve social safeguards to help our guests make informed choices. The program is designed to directly reach and help patrons before a problem develops, including Team Member training, 24/7 Ambassador assistance, self-limit options, prominent signage for resources, and partnerships with organizations that support this cause. The Responsible Gaming Ambassador program was developed with leading experts to provide support at the right time for our patrons.

Environment

Albertsons and Safeway Find Innovative Ways to Go Green

Mar 22, 2019 1:00 PM ET

At Albertsons Companies — the parent company of 20 supermarket banners across the U.S. — environmental stewardship is paramount. The food and drug retailer is committed to integrating sustainable practices into everyday business.

Research, Reports & Publications

Ross Professor: There's Something Terribly Wrong With How We Make Decisions About Climate Change

Mar 22, 2019 1:00 PM ET

For over two decades, Joe Árvai has studied how we actually make choices — compared to how we think we make them. It will come as no surprise to even the most casual observers that the gulf between them can be large. In a recent study, Árvai and Douglas Bessette of Michigan State University found a clever way to measure this phenomenon. Motivated by the “ethical oil” debate in Canada, they designed a study that would allow drivers to view a menu of gasoline options from different countries.

Innovation & Technology

Students in 20,000 Classrooms Learn to Hack-Proof Their Life

Mar 22, 2019 12:30 PM ET

At Scholastic, we see literacy as the key to learning and achievement and, in addition to publishing and selling books, we develop educational content for teachers. We provide teachers with free materials that fill critical resource gaps, build classroom libraries, and make it easy to engage and educate students. We offer thousands of grab-and-go lesson plans, discussion guides, extension activities, and teacher tool-kits. We often team up with companies on these materials and are thrilled to have recently launched #CyberSmarts, a new collaboration with Norton LifeLock and Symantec.

Diversity & Inclusion

Hallmark Leader Profiles | Q & A With Stacey Paine About the Path for Women Leaders

Mar 22, 2019 12:25 PM ET

Hallmark sits down with Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation President Stacey Paine to discuss how women’s leadership has progressed over the course of Stacey's time at Hallmark.

Diversity & Inclusion

Voices at Viacom: "What Can People Like Me Do to Facilitate Change?"

Mar 22, 2019 12:00 PM ET

Javier Royal, an attorney for Business and Legal Affairs, was inspired to create spaces for people of color after an interaction during a Spark panel with Elaine Welteroth.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Schneider Electric Wins 2019 Climate Leadership Award for Organizational Leadership

Mar 22, 2019 12:00 PM ET

The Organizational Leadership award not only recognizes the company’s own comprehensive greenhouse gas inventories and aggressive emissions reduction goals, but also its internal response and engagement of its employees, partners, and supply chain to commit to carbon neutrality.

Diversity & Inclusion

Fly Women: An Interview with JetBlue's Latoya Stacey Johnson

Mar 22, 2019 11:30 AM ET

For Women’s History Month, JetBlue and the JetBlue Foundation are teaming up to profile some of our amazing female Crewmembers with various Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) backgrounds who are leaving their mark on the industry. In this spotlight, we are highlighting Latoya Stacey Johnson, Analyst Strategic Planning.

Social Impact & Volunteering

El Abra, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Graduates Women Business Owners from the Dreambuilder Program

Mar 22, 2019 11:20 AM ET

Entrepreneurs from Calama, Alto El Loa, María Elena and Tocopilla in Chile recently finished the Dreambuilder training program and received their diplomas.

Environment

Kimberly-Clark and Deltares Use Science-Based Tools and a Local Approach to Bring Collective Action at the Basin Level

Mar 22, 2019 11:15 AM ET

In 2018, after a three-year drought, Cape Town, South Africa, became the first major city to come within days of running out of water. As “Day Zero” approached, residents were limited to 50 liters of water a day. Businesses had to evolve processes to reduce water usage.
The Kimberly-Clark Epping mill is located just outside of Cape Town. The company knew that if Cape Town ran out of water it would be a threat to the business. Even more, it would be a threat to the surrounding community and Kimberly-Clark’s employees’ way of life.

Environment

General Mills Announces Regenerative Land-Use Goal: 1 Million Acres by 2030

Mar 22, 2019 11:15 AM ET

General Mills committed Monday to expanding regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 on one million acres of land used to source its food ingredients. The Golden Valley-based food company is starting with oats grown in the U.S. Northern Plains and southern provinces of Canada, and will partner with both organic and conventional farmers and suppliers of wheat, corn and sugar beets over the next decade. The commitment includes at $500,000 grant to Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit organization that conducts on-farm training programs for growers implementing the practices. Regenerative agriculture is an umbrella terms for a suite of land management practices aimed at improving the health of the soil, which is seen as way to combat climate change.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Xylem and Manchester City F.C. Partner to Deliver Clean Water Towers, Training and Education to Communities in Bangalore, India

Mar 22, 2019 11:00 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

Sustainability Director Reflects on Walmart's Hunger Relief Milestones

Mar 22, 2019 11:00 AM ET

As the world’s largest grocer, Walmart is relentless in our commitment to making healthier food more accessible to our customers. In 2015, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed to helping provide 4 billion meals to people in need and provide nutrition education to 4 million people by 2020.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Conway Center Revolutionizes Affordable Housing in Washington, D.C.

Mar 22, 2019 10:45 AM ET

Just a few years ago, Simone Scott lost her job, lost her home, and suffered a seizure while pregnant, all in a short period of time, leaving her, her young son, and newborn daughter homeless. But after learning about the nonprofit So Others Might Eat, or SOME, Scott received housing and support, allowing her to get back on her feet. Today, she is enjoying her new home at SOME’s Conway Center and hopes to give back to others like herself as a wellness consultant.