ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Taste of the NFL Helps Kick Hunger

Feb 6, 2018 8:00 AM ET

General Mills teamed up with Taste of the NFL on Saturday night to raise awareness and money to kick hunger during the busy “Big Game” weekend.

We were the event’s presenting sponsor. The annual gathering is a super-sized fundraiser that brings together restaurant chefs and former professional football players representing the 32 cities with pro football teams in the U.S., for a night designed to raise money for designated Feeding America affiliated food banks in those cities, as well as other select hunger relief organizations.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

More Than a Dress: The 15th Annual Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards

Feb 6, 2018 8:00 AM ET

This month, I have the privilege of presenting an award at the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards, where we at Mars Symbioscience, makers of CocoaVia® dietary supplement, are the lead sponsor for the third year in a row. Before I don my own red dress at this glamorous event, (thankfully picked out by my 18-year old daughter on a rushed Sunday afternoon shopping trip,) I find myself reflecting on what this award means to me as a business leader, a woman, a friend, and a mother.

Research, Reports & Publications

Novo Nordisk Releases Integrated Annual Report 2017

Feb 6, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company specialising in diabetes, obesity and other serious chronic diseases, published its Annual Report 2017 online today at novonordisk.com/annualreport. It is the company's fourteenth integrated annual report accounting for the company's financial, social and environmental performance.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bridgestone Elevates Standards in Sustainable Procurement Practices; Launches New Policy for Suppliers and Partners

Feb 6, 2018 4:00 AM ET

Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone), the world’s largest tire and rubber company, today announced a new Global Sustainable Procurement Policy to help identify and evaluate qualified suppliers, promote best practices, and serve as a communication and improvement tool for the industry. The policy reflects a company commitment to procurement programming that drives action to realize long-term environmental, social and economic benefits.

Energy

New Exxon Report Is a Step Forward for Investor Disclosure on Climate Change, but Falls Short on Detail

Feb 5, 2018 8:20 PM ET

A new climate report released by ExxonMobil, which explores the risks the company would face in a low-carbon transition, represents “a significant step forward for institutional investors who have long engaged with the company on climate change but falls short on key details,” Andrew Logan, director oil and gas at Ceres, said today in a statement.

The report, 2018 Energy & Carbon Summary, “adopted a whole new climate-related frame,” Logan added, “providing the clearest accounting yet of how Exxon is—and is not—planning for a low-carbon future.”

Responsible Production & Consumption

Miami is Not Plastic

Feb 5, 2018 4:05 PM ET

To participate in #MiamiIsNotPlastic, restaurants, bars, marinas and other establishments need to commit to replacing single use disposable plastic items with ocean-friendly alternatives such as recycled paper, bamboo, stainless steel or glass.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Hormel Foods Leads the Way

Feb 5, 2018 3:45 PM ET

Hormel Foods is proud to be recognized as one of the best companies in the world each year, and 2017 proved to be no exception. From our top-notch sustainability initiatives to our diversity and inclusion efforts and workplace culture, Hormel Foods received accolades from numerous organizations.

“Hormel Foods recognizes that good business and good stewardship go hand in hand, and we are proud to produce quality food responsibly for people around the world,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “We appreciate all of the recognition we receive — especially those that focus on our legacy of integrity and corporate citizenship.”

Events, Media & Communications

LBG Canada & The Works Design Present: The Top Ten Tips for Effective Reporting Webinar

Feb 5, 2018 3:40 PM ET

London Benchmarking Group (LBG) Canada and The Works Design Communications partner to bring you The Top Ten Tips for Effective Community Investment Reporting. On Thursday, February 15th, 2018 community investment professionals interested in enhancing their external corporate reporting with data are encouraged to attend this web-based discussion. The webinar will include key reporting trends with examples of 'best-in-class' reports backed by the use of salient data.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sanofi Pasteur Young Professionals Building Community

Feb 5, 2018 2:20 PM ET

The MILL (Millennials Influencing Learning and Leadership) ERG works to drive innovation and sustainable competitive advantage for the business by highlighting generational value and developing young leaders.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Why It's Time to Align Retirement Funds With Sustainability Goals

Feb 5, 2018 2:05 PM ET

In 2017, Bloomberg announced that it was the first U.S. domiciled company to become a U.N. PRI signatory as a corporate pension plan sponsor (it was a signatory since 2009 as a service provider). It took about four to five years to get key decision-makers comfortable including an ESG-themed fund in the lineup, said Lee Ballin, head of sustainable business at Bloomberg, an effort led by the Global Benefits Team to align the investment and retirement committee; senior business leaders; legal counsel; the professional development team and investor and retirement consultants.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CIT Partners With the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department to Support Affordable Housing

Feb 5, 2018 1:05 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Salvation Army Program Helps Veterans Find Jobs, Get a New Start

Feb 5, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Energy

Safety Matters: Carrying Out Safety in Our Every Day

Feb 5, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Every company pursues a strong safety culture. But what do we mean by safety culture, and how do we strengthen ours? Simply put, safety culture is our shared beliefs and perceptions about safety. For us, safety extends far past our work sites. At TransCanada, we are to determined to see our employees make safety the highest value in their everyday lives.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Scotiabank Proudly Supports the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure

Feb 5, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Scotiabank today proudly announced its support of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Goldcorp and FLSmidth Win Mining Award for EcoTails

Feb 5, 2018 12:15 PM ET

Goldcorp and FLSmidth have been recognized for their co-development of EcoTailsTM, as the joint winners of the Mining Magazine Editor’s Award 2017, an award given annually to celebrate outstanding new technologies, innovations and initiatives within the mining sector.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Services Recognized as One of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies in RobecoSAM’s Sustainability Yearbook 2018

Feb 5, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) is pleased to announce that the Company has been recognized with the Gold Class Award in the recently released 2018 RobecoSAM’s Sustainability Yearbook, a comprehensive ranking of the world’s most sustainable companies. Only eight North American companies achieved this top-tier status, and Republic is the sole recycling and solid waste services provider to earn the Gold Class standing.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Costa Cruises to Halve Food Waste on Board Its Ships Thanks to the “4GOODFOOD” Program

Feb 5, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Costa Cruises has today unveiled its 4GOODFOOD program, whose aim is to halve food waste on board the Italian company's ships by 2020. The starting point for the project is recognizing the value of food. The food experience is a key part of the cruise and the relevant figures are quite staggering: some 54 million meals a year are prepared on board the members of the Costa fleet.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Firms Learn That As They Help Charities, They Also Help Their Brands

Feb 5, 2018 10:50 AM ET

There is a desire by companies to show customers and employees that they are not just interested in profits, but that they care about the state of the world. And saying so is not enough. So determined are they to show impact — the latest buzzword in philanthropy — that they are marshaling metrics to prove it.

Consider Subaru of America. In the first nine months of 2017, 512 employees have volunteered their time for 105 events for 46 different organizations.

Green Infrastructure

Delos | Health Promotion and Financial Investment: Sarah Clarke and David Palin From Mirvac

Feb 5, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Mirvac has turned their new Sydney headquarters at 200 George Street into a living lab outfitted with sensors that collect building data on everything from vibrations to façade temperature. The space reflects the group’s passionate curiosity in sustainable, healthy buildings – and their desire to transform knowledge directly into action. We spoke to both Sarah Clarke, Group General Manager, Sustainability and Reputation and David Palin, Sustainability Manager who explain how continuous learning, transparency, and trust are helping them stand out as leaders in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Changing Lives One Child at a Time

Feb 5, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Children enter foster care because they are abused and neglected. The children waiting to be adopted deserve our best efforts to find them a family. Little Wesley waited nearly three years in foster care, but today he and his family are celebrating their future! The Holbrooks adopted Wesley and now he never has to wonder again who will help him with his homework and who will pick him up after school. He will have someone to wave to when he crosses the stage at graduation and his children will have grandparents.

Research, Reports & Publications

An Unprecedent Study on French People’s Opinion on Philanthropy

Feb 5, 2018 9:45 AM ET

On October 2017, Admical, a Paris-based NGO and the French Local Authority of the Global Exchange, published a first-of-its-kind study in partnership with the institute of studies Kantar Public, which aimed to understand French people’s opinion on philanthropy. How do we measure the awareness of corporate and individual philanthropy in France, how do people perceive philanthropists, and how can we understand the expectations on this subject?

Energy

Digital Tech Helps Electric Utilities Improve Customer Sustainability—And Their Own

Feb 5, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Electric utilities and other power networks are in a unique position when it comes to improving sustainability. That’s because they have the ability to not just control their own carbon footprint but also promote more efficient, sustainable energy use for consumers. They can improve sustainability and decarbonize to mitigate climate change while still supporting their consumers’ growing needs ranging from smooth, efficient integration of electric vehicles into the grid to better energy accessibility.

Innovation & Technology

Case Study Snapshot: U.S. Postal Service Case Study

Feb 5, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Asif Ansari, Manager of Environmental Compliance and Risk Management, explains how the United States Postal Service evaluated its unique software requirements, and selected a path to best meet its needs.

Green Infrastructure

Non-Profit Donates Funds, Research Toward Improving Transportation

Feb 5, 2018 9:30 AM ET

The Trustees of the Atlanta-based Ray C. Anderson Foundation have granted an additional $2 million to The Ray over the next two years, to fund important research, pilot projects and emerging technologies with the potential to shape the transportation infrastructure of the future.

Education

Samsung Challenges Students Around the World to Tackle Sustainable Development Issues Through STEAM Skills

Feb 5, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today brought teachers and students from 5 countries together at the United Nations to find solutions for sustainable development issues around the globe. As part of the Global Classroom STEAM Challenge, the student teams partnered with international counterparts over the past 10 weeks to develop solutions to issues in their respective communities. Today, at an event at the United Nations headquarters, the teams presented their proposed solutions to a panel of government leaders, non-governmental organizations, educators and corporate leaders.