ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Production & Consumption

Introducing the 42BELOW® Lemon Soap Science Series

Sep 20, 2017 9:50 AM ET

The “Lemon Ladies” are back! Check out the latest episodes of our planet saving, recycled cocktail lemons soapy scheme including the one where the Lemon Ladies reveal what's in our secret soap recipe.

Diversity & Inclusion

Advancing Gender Equality

Sep 20, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

VIDEO | Behind-the-Scenes: Mohawk Group’s Lichen Collection

Sep 20, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Mohawk Group’s award-winning Lichen Collection is the world’s first floor covering to achieve Living Product Challenge Petal Certification from the International Living Future Institute.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Online Home Furnishings Retailer The Mine Makes a Commitment to Habitat for Humanity ReStores Valued at $1 Million

Sep 20, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Habitat ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell building materials, appliances, new and gently used furniture, and home accessories at a fraction of the retail price. With nearly 900 Habitat ReStores across the U.S., proceeds allow Habitat to help more families build and improve their homes.

Responsible Production & Consumption

INTERVIEW: Yosemite Has A Trash Problem. What's Being Done About It?

Sep 20, 2017 9:10 AM ET

Yosemite National Park has a trash problem. The more than 4 million people who visit every year and those that live in Yosemite leave 2,200 tons of garbage there annually.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The Next Quarter Century’s Organic Marketplace: Insights from Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg

Sep 20, 2017 9:05 AM ET

The overall organic sector has followed the same impressive trajectory. According to the "Natural Foods Merchandiser", in 1992 organic sector sales were $1.54B. Organic food sales have enjoyed double-digit growth every year since the 1990’s, topping out at $47B in 2016 and on pace for another roughly 10 percent growth this year, when they will likely cross the $50B mark. The organic sector now makes up about 5 percent of US retail food sales and Growing.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sands ECO360 | Hosting Green Meetings and Events

Sep 20, 2017 9:00 AM ET

With a few simple steps, we can help transform an event into a sustainable gathering. Many of our facilities have been awarded third-party environmental certification, providing a robust foundation for a successful sustainable meeting.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Up to $5 Million in Aid Committed by VSP Global to Support Victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Sep 20, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Eye care and eyewear are not usually top of mind following a natural disaster, but rebuilding your life in the aftermath when you can’t see clearly can make it even more difficult. VSP Global is committed to providing access to care at all times, but in times of crisis, that focus is amplified. To help, VSP Global has committed up to five million dollars in relief efforts. This includes partnering with VSP network doctors whose businesses have been damaged to help them return to providing eye care and eyewear for community members in need.

Diversity & Inclusion

21st Century Fox Celebrates Female Athletes by Donating Portion of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Ticket Sales to Women’s Sports Foundation

Sep 20, 2017 8:30 AM ET

To mark the release of Battle of the Sexes, the new Fox Searchlight film about the legendary tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, parent company 21st Century Fox will donate a portion of ticket sales to the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by King to empower female athletes. For every ticket sold on opening weekend, the company will donate 79 cents to WSF, representing the 79 cents that women in the United States earn on average for every dollar paid to men. The donation reflects both organizations’ commitments to both ensuring equality in the workplace, and continuing to expand opportunities for women in sports of all ages.

Sustainable Development Goals

A Force for Good: A Conversation With RBIS Sustainability Hero, Michael Colarossi

Sep 20, 2017 5:35 AM ET

With Sustainable September now underway, an opportunity to elevate the importance of sustainability on a global scale, and the release of our 2014-2016 sustainability report All of Us, Every Day, we caught up with our own Michael Colarossi, vice president of Innovation, Product Line Management, and Sustainability.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

De Beers Bus Deal Is Just the Ticket for Venetia

Sep 19, 2017 9:30 PM ET

The mine, working with VM Diamond Transport, wants to bring in businesses owned by historically disadvantaged South Africans to become 40 per cent shareholders in two bus companies soon to be established in Musina and Blouberg in the Limpopo Province.

Education

LA Galaxy and The Partnership for A Healthier America Team up for a Second Year in Support of “Drink Up” Initiative to Encourage Water Consumption Across Los Angeles

Sep 19, 2017 6:45 PM ET

The LA Galaxy and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a non-profit organization that works with the private sector to make healthier choices easier for busy parents and families, and an official partner of the club, are teaming up for a second year. The partnership will help bring water consumption awareness to Hispanic communities across east Los Angeles through Drink Up’s “H20 Claro,” campaign and various community events.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sappi North America's Environmental Responsibility: Energy and Emissions

Sep 19, 2017 5:30 PM ET

We approach environmental responsibility from a holistic perspective grounded in life cycle thinking—looking carefully at raw material use, energy generation, manufacturing and the end of life of our products. We work across the supply chain to drive chaNge within our spheres of influence.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $15.1 Million in Financing to Harmony Housing for Affordable Housing Properties in North Carolina and Texas

Sep 19, 2017 5:00 PM ET

KeyBank Real Estate Capital has provided a total of $15.1 million through a Fannie Mae credit facility for the acquisition of five affordable housing properties in North Carolina and Texas by Harmony Housing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, clean and comfortable affordable housing throughout the United States.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Comcast NBCUniversal Makes Additional $1 Million Cash Donation to Hurricane Relief Efforts

Sep 19, 2017 4:05 PM ET

These cash donations, combined with in-kind support and funds raised through local NBCUniversal telethons for both hurricanes Irma and Harvey, raise Comcast NBCUniversal’s total contributions to almost $20 million.

Comcast also has launched an On Demand feature on Xfinity TV that makes it easy for the company’s more than 22 million video customers to support hurricane relief by either saying "Hurricane Relief" into their Xfinity X1 voice remote or clicking on the "Donate Now" screen and choosing to donate in the amount of either $1, $5 or $10.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

AEG Partners With Nautica Malibu Triathlon to Raise More Than $24,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Sep 19, 2017 4:00 PM ET

AEG, the leading sports and live entertainment company in the world, partnered with Nautica Malibu Triathlon for the second consecutive year to raise more than $24,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in conjunction with the 31st annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox at Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif. on Sunday, Sept. 17.

Sustainable Development Goals

One Year in, PepsiCo Reports Progress Against Performance With Purpose 2025 Goals

Sep 19, 2017 4:00 PM ET

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) reported progress towards its ambitious Performance with Purpose 2025 Agenda sustainability goals, announced last year. The company improved performance against goals in each of the Agenda's three focus areas – Products, Planet and People – while returning over $7 billion cash to shareholders during the same year.

Research, Reports & Publications

What Makes a Strong Leader in Sustainability?

Sep 19, 2017 3:35 PM ET

Work in sustainability entails immense challenges, and much of the area is uncharted. To navigate it, strong leadership is essential. For the twentieth year in a row, the GlobeScan-SustainAbility survey Sustainability Leaders has sought to answer that question by tracking the opinions of qualified experts and practitioners from government, NGOs, companies and institutions from all over the world.

Health & Healthcare

A Collaborative Approach to Solving Global Health Issues

Sep 19, 2017 3:00 PM ET

In today’s ever-changing healthcare environment, new and creative solutions are needed to accelerate advances in global health and development. Pfizer is responding to this new global picture by focusing on locally driven and collaborative approaches that aim to break down healthcare access barriers, address the health needs of individuals and support long-term capacity building.

Sustainable Development Goals

UNIDO, HP Inc. and the HP Foundation Extend Partnership to Promote Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in Developing Countries

Sep 19, 2017 2:25 PM ET

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), HP and the HP Foundation have renewed their partnership to further foster entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for young men and women in developing countries through technology-related learning.

Environment

Performance in Watershed Context: Why It Matters and How to Approach It

Sep 19, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Discover why performance in watershed context matters and learn about Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable’s work to develop a practical tool. Since our inception, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has been focused on enhancing water stewardship inside and outside the beverage sector.

Innovation & Technology

Bettering the Lives of Citizens, One Tech Solution at a Time

Sep 19, 2017 12:30 PM ET

It’s critical to Americans’ well-being that government services are fast and reliable. We need tax returns filed and processed within minutes; automatic renewal of forms of ID; and immediate care if we get sick. To keep essential government services operating at top efficiency, there is an urgent need to rethink the processes and methods which occur behind the scenes, and ensure better public service for taxpayers

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

U.S. Chamber Foundation Announces Finalists for the 2017 Corporate Citizenship Awards

Sep 19, 2017 12:15 PM ET

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today named the 24 finalists for the 2017 Corporate Citizenship Awards. For the 18th year, and with media partner USA TODAY Network, the awards will honor businesses and chambers of commerce from around the world for positive social and community initiatives.

Energy

The New ‘3Ps’ of Sustainability: Pragmatism, Perseverance and Passion

Sep 19, 2017 12:15 PM ET

In sustainability, we often talk about the “three Ps” of the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. At GM, we use it as a framework to evaluate our performance as a company and leverage it to develop solutions to a variety of societal and environmental challenges.

As corporate citizens, it is our responsibility to protect our customers and the communities where they live. We also strengthen our business by operating this way. In the case of renewable energy, we save $5 million annually while delivering cleaner air to communities.

Environment

Socially Sustainable: Antea Group Employees Get Their Hands Dirty

Sep 19, 2017 11:55 AM ET

Read about how Antea Group employees volunteered to help clean up a river, plant vegetables, stock a food bank and more at our latest blog.