ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bacardi Supports "Miami Is Not Plastic" Campaign Launch

Feb 6, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Bacardi came out to support the “Miami Is Not Plastic” launch event, an initiative to inspire hospitality businesses in the Miami area to reduce single-use disposable plastics in an effort to help keep our oceans clean. Local politicians, hospitality leaders, eco-friendly vendors, charitable organizations, and about 300 guests – including many Bacardi employees and business partners - came out to show their support. Bacardi had the opportunity to share its “No Straws” initiative with all attendees, as well as support the campaign’s kickoff with an open bar showcasing reusable metal straws printed with “Good Spirited” that guests were encourage to take home.

Green Infrastructure

Faster, Smarter, Greener

Feb 6, 2018 1:25 PM ET

Changing consumer behaviors are driving new economies and possibilities in a world of hyper-connectivity. But what lessons can cities, technologists and entrepreneurs take from this shift?
This excerpt from  Faster, Smarter, Greener: The Future of the Car and Urban Mobility (MIT Press), explores the factors altering the trajectory of mobility in developed economies, as well as the ripple effects of such disruption.

Media & Communications

It’s 2018 – Does Wall Street “Get It” on Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Investment? A Noted Author Explores the Question...

Feb 6, 2018 1:15 PM ET

Does Wall Street finally care about sustainability? A noted sustainability author (Andrew Winston) muses about this in the pages of the influential journal for the C-suite – the Harvard Business Review. Yes, we think – more and more asset owners and managers are getting aboard the train...but there is work to do.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Creating a Culture of Skill Sharing: Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina Spotlight

Feb 6, 2018 12:45 PM ET

The Common Impact team is looking forward to a year full of exciting project opportunities and innovation! To kick us off with some inspiration, we're bringing back a project with a talented team from Fidelity Investments and its nonprofit partner, Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina (RTF), whose mission is to support and partner with local universities, create jobs, and lift up all the citizens of North Carolina by providing a positive economic and social impact.

Environment

Yacht Converted into Mobile Science Lab with Xylem Solution

Feb 6, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Up to 15 percent of the world’s cargo traffic is handled in the Baltic Sea, making it one of the busiest areas for ship traffic in the world. As part of an EU project, a yacht has been modified with Xylem water-monitoring technology to research the environmental impact of shipping in the region.

Today the Baltic Sea is heavily trafficked by a variety of ships, including ferries, cruise ships, oil tankers, car carriers, and container and other cargo ships. Due to its narrow straights and shallow waters, the sea is difficult to navigate. In some of the major ship lanes, one large ship passes on average every ten minutes.

The ever-expanding shipping and tourism industries have led to growing environmental pressure on the waterway.

Innovation & Technology

How Drones Are Helping Traditional Industries Take Flight Into the Future

Feb 6, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Not long ago, the mere thought of drones was reserved for the military and sci-fi movies. Today, they’ve become a part of everyday conversation among friends, in the media and beyond. While drones aren’t swarming the skies yet, many companies across industries are using them more and more to increase efficiency and productivity.

“Drone technology is going to disrupt businesses,” says Elaine Whyte, head of drones (UK) at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “They’re agile, inexpensive, and rapid to respond. So, they can go and reach places that are difficult for a business to get to.”

Ultimately, implementing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will make jobs easier, safer and more cost-effective, which is a win-win across sectors.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $14.9 Million in Financing for Affordable Housing Acquisitions

Feb 6, 2018 12:00 PM ET

KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided a total of $14.9 million in Fannie Mae financing to Harmony Housing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, clean and comfortable affordable housing throughout the United States, for the acquisition of three affordable housing properties in North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sustainable Brands to Convene Global Executives at SB’18 Vancouver

Feb 6, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Sustainable Brands® reveals highlights for its upcoming global flagship conference: SB’18 Vancouver. More than 3,000 brand and business leaders will convene June 4 -7 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia to focus on how brands are updating their products and services to meet shifting consumer demands in an evolving economy.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

In the Vanguard: Fund Giants Urge CEOs to Be a 'force for Good'

Feb 6, 2018 11:45 AM ET

American markets are spinning on a carousel. As fourth-quarter corporate earnings tumble out this week, analysts are digesting every digit, leaving share prices swinging. But if Bill McNabb, chairman of Vanguard, has his way, this carousel may soon spin differently.

Innovation & Technology

T. Rowe Price Sponsors Local Cybersecurity Programs to Grow Baltimore's Cybersecurity Workforce

Feb 6, 2018 11:30 AM ET

T. Rowe Price Group (NASDAQ-GS: TROW) announced today that the firm’s information security team made financial contributions to two local cybersecurity programs in an effort to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research specifically in cybersecurity. University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Center for Cybersecurity received $60,000 and Loyola Blakefield received $25,000.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

New Animation: GRI Competitive Business Program for SMEs

Feb 6, 2018 11:30 AM ET

GRI's newly established Competitive Business Program is tailored to help SMEs to break into global value chains by improving transparency around their sustainability impacts. This two-minute animation will list the many benefits of corporate responsibility for SMEs, and how GRI can help them become more competitive.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Kate Remsen Inspires a Greener Viacom With “Eco-Lodeon”

Feb 6, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Events, Media & Communications

2018 Global Pro Bono Summit Gathers Innovators of the Field in Mumbai

Feb 6, 2018 11:05 AM ET

The Taproot Foundation, together with BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and local host iVolunteer, will convene the 6th annual Global Pro Bono Summit February 6 – 9 in Mumbai, India. “Pro bono is an increasingly valuable resource for our global communities,” says Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald, Taproot’s Chief External Relations Officer. “The Global Pro Bono Summit offers a unique opportunity to bring together cross-sector leaders eager to innovate and expand the ways in which pro bono can be used to create social impact.”

Education

Is Professional Online Education on Sustainability the New Trend?

Feb 6, 2018 10:45 AM ET

Increasingly, Sustainability Training originates WITHIN companies and organizations, using flexible online training to improve corporate-wide sustainability and financial performance.

Diversity & Inclusion

Part 2: Q&A With Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader Dr. Rohini Anand

Feb 6, 2018 10:40 AM ET

"Making Every Day a Better Day through Diversity and Inclusion" is Sodexo’s award-winning initiative. What is unique about this initiative and the work Sodexo is doing in diversity and inclusion?

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Don't Forget the Elephant

Feb 6, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Why does biodiversity matter? The answer is because the African elephant isn’t unique. Countless species on Earth form an integral and necessary part of their ecosystems.

Innovation & Technology

Arrow Electronics’ SAM Car Spotlighted in the International Corporate Citizenship Film Festival

Feb 6, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Arrow Electronics is showcasing its award-winning SAM Car project in the International Corporate Citizenship Film Festival. The festival, which honors excellence in corporate citizenship, relies on public voting to determine a “fan favorite” and finalists in each of its three company-size categories.

Events, Media & Communications

Small Business Owners Descend on Washington to Advocate for Small Businesses With Goldman Sachs CEO, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg

Feb 6, 2018 10:20 AM ET

More than 2,000 small business owners will descend on Washington for the first-ever 10,000 Small Businesses Summit: The Big Power of Small Business from Feb. 13-14. They will charge Capitol Hill with more than 2,000 small business owners to chart a path for growth and share their experiences and insights with policymakers. Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, and founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg, among numerous other industry leaders and policymakers, will also participate in the Summit.

Environment

Oil Spill Response Planning: Looking Forward to 2018

Feb 6, 2018 10:10 AM ET

Antea Group blogs about regulations requiring railroads to write oil spill response plans when they are transporting crude oil or other flammables.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

IFF Recognized on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies List

Feb 6, 2018 10:05 AM ET

NEW YORK, N.Y., (February 6, 2018) – International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF), a leading innovator of sensory experiences that move the world, was named to Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies, an index launched in February 2018. It joins the ranks of 99 other leading companies, assessed by performance in key stakeholder categories.

Diversity & Inclusion

BCtA Webinar Recap | Women’s Economic Empowerment: The (Inclusive) Business Case

Feb 6, 2018 9:45 AM ET

On Tuesday 30 January 2018, we hosted an engaging conversation on the role business has played and can play in empowering women economically – whether through the development of appropriate goods and services or through job creation and income generation opportunities.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Cooler Return Program Is a ‘Win-Win’ for Lab

Feb 6, 2018 9:30 AM ET

As a believer in the coexistence of science and the environment, the Glaunsinger Lab at the University of California-Berkeley takes a proactive approach to its efforts to recycle and reuse coolers needed for the storage and shipment of temperature-sensitive reagents, chemicals and kits.

Events, Media & Communications

National Park Foundation & HanesBrands Kick Off New Partnership Supporting America’s National Treasures

Feb 6, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Perfectly timed for #TravelTuesday, the National Park Foundation and HanesBrands announced a new partnership to inspire people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national parks and community-based programs. As the newest National Park Foundation partner for the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement, HanesBrands’ support will benefit America’s National Park System.

Education

Canada 2067: Formidable Challenges (and Opportunities!) Ahead

Feb 6, 2018 9:10 AM ET

My personal awakening to what a good science education could look like happened in Canada, in my 10th grade physics class with Mr. Burt at Westmount High School in Montreal in the early 90's. I started high school in Brazil and had already taken a year of physics, but frankly, had not learned much through the experience. After a brief lecture on basic properties of waves, Mr. Burt broke us into groups and asked that we explore the concepts he had just taught us using ripple tanks. While I regret to say that is probably as much physics I know to this day, I remember vividly changing the speed and strength of the waves and being fascinated to see, first-hand, that what sounded like complicated science was within my grasp.

Innovation & Technology

The Character of Our Technology

Feb 6, 2018 8:00 AM ET

In consideration of technology's exponentially growing impact on our lives, it has never been more essential to get clear on the character of technology we want. And for that, we must be willing to make hard choices grounded in the fierce defense of the values we hold dear.