ESG News from Leading Brands

Innovation & Technology

Duke Energy Uses Drones to Restore Power in Puerto Rico

Feb 21, 2018 4:00 PM ET

More than 220 Duke Energy workers have been working to restore power in Puerto Rico since January, and they have found a new way to string lines and navigate the challenging mountain terrain: drones.

Research, Reports & Publications

Companies in the LBG Canada Network Are Creating Impact in Community

Feb 21, 2018 3:55 PM ET

Whether they be large or small, companies in the LBG Canada network are creating impact through their investments in community, using the LBG Model.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sustainable Products Help Drive Mohawk Sales in Q4

Feb 21, 2018 1:15 PM ET

The flooring giant’s Flooring North America segment, which includes area, accent and bath rug division Mohawk Home, posted a 3% sales increase in the period, driven by products made of the company’s own sustainable fibers and treatments.

Diversity & Inclusion

Part 3: Q&A With Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader Dr. Rohini Anand

Feb 21, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Rohini Anand, PhD, is the Senior Vice President Corporate Responsibility and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo, and Chair, Catalyst Board of Advisors. In a three-part Q&A blog series, we asked Dr. Anand to share details about her pivotal role at one of the world's largest multinational corporations focusing on “quality of life services.” Below is the third and final part where we asked about what challenges she faces and what she believes the future holds for diversity and inclusion.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo’s Corporate Philanthropy Totals $286.5 Million for 2017

Feb 21, 2018 1:00 PM ET

Wells Fargo contributed $286.5 million to more than 14,500 nonprofits across the U.S. in 2017, and was named United Way Worldwide’s top workplace giving campaign for the ninth year in a row.

Research, Reports & Publications

Are Smart Cities Real?

Feb 21, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Is the smart city hype cycle over? Have concerns about cost, security and public skepticism finally won out over the benefits of efficiency, sustainability and public safety? It is fair to consider whether the futuristic visions of hyper- connectivity and advanced livability, enabled by accessibility to vast streams of data, can withstand the very real concerns that municipalities cannot afford the technologies behind smart city projects.

Sustainable Development Goals

New Indicators in the SDG Compass

Feb 21, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Understanding how companies contribute to solving the great sustainability issues of our time is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDG Compass tool shows companies how they can align their strategies, measure and manage their contribution to reaching the SDGs, and put sustainability at the heart of their business strategy.

Research, Reports & Publications

Well Living Lab Announces 3-year Research Plan to Study Effects of Indoor Surroundings on Health and Well-being

Feb 21, 2018 12:20 PM ET

The Well Living Lab today announced an extensive three-year scientific research plan to identify how indoor environments effect five significant facets of people’s lives: health, performance, stress and resiliency, sleep and comfort. Studies will examine these factors for homes, workplaces and independent living communities. A critical component of the research is the interplay of elements such as sound, lighting, temperature and air quality, all of which can be altered in various combinations to uncover positive, neutral and negative effects on people.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Great Place to Work and Fortune Name VMware One of the Best Workplaces for Giving Back

Feb 21, 2018 12:00 PM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Farmers, Ranchers Set to Gain New Market Opportunities for Improving Soil Health

Feb 21, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Today, a national coalition convened by the Noble Research Institute announced its intent to create a new voluntary environmental services market that benefits agricultural producers and improves the environment for society at large.

Research, Reports & Publications

T. Rowe Price Releases 2016–2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Feb 21, 2018 11:00 AM ET

T. Rowe Price has released its 2016–2017 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, which is available at troweprice.com/CSRreport. The report details how CSR is an integral part of the firm’s culture and interwoven through its business, as demonstrated in how it invests for clients, associates, and communities.

Health & Healthcare

Healthy Kids Make Healthy Adults

Feb 21, 2018 11:00 AM ET

A ground-breaking study called EarlyBird was set up to explore the biology of growing children, how metabolic disorders develop in childhood and their consequences in adulthood. I lead the Nestlé team that is involved in this research.

Our research shows that by monitoring children during crucial stages of their development, we can accurately identify those at risk of developing metabolic disorders, better understand how these diseases develop and hopefully, eventually intervene nutritionally to prevent the onset of these conditions.

Environment

Practitioner Spotlight--Owen McKenna

Feb 21, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Read about Antea Group’s Owen McKenna, a sustainability practitioner based in the Marlborough, MA office.

Environment

Relay Education is Leading the Way in Energy Literacy Across Canada

Feb 21, 2018 10:10 AM ET

The transition to 100 per cent renewable energy is underway across Canada. In 2018, 15,000 youth will participate in Relay Education's renewable energy workshops as part of this national energy shift.

Research, Reports & Publications

Erb Institute Student, Jim Gawron, Part of Research Team on Maximizing the Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles

Feb 21, 2018 10:05 AM ET

ANN ARBOR—The added weight, electricity demand and aerodynamic drag of the sensors and computers used in autonomous vehicles are significant contributors to their lifetime energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study.

Environment

Sustainable Business: A Conversation With TD's Chief Environment Officer

Feb 21, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Each year, the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit brings together industry leaders to talk about sustainable business and finance. This year, TD's Chief Environment Officer, Karen Clarke-Whistler, participated as a panelist and her perspective was included in the TD-Bloomberg Sustainability Dialogues – a report that captures the insights and learnings from the conference.

Sustainable Development Goals

Empowering Women Coffee Farmers in Colombia Through Inclusive Business

Feb 21, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Spanish coffee company Supracafé integrates women farmers into its value chain, training them in effective cultivation techniques to build their skills and increase economic independence.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: We Should Start a Book Club!

Feb 21, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Whether it’s from a sense of being nostalgic or old-fashioned, I’m not ready to see the end of page-turners. I still choose physical books over digital ones, and I bet I’m not alone.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Team Members at Sands Bethlehem Adopt a Family for the Holidays

Feb 21, 2018 9:10 AM ET

Local families received some extra joy in December thanks to a holiday initiative at Sands Bethlehem. Through a continued partnership with Donegan Elementary, students who were identified as part of a ‘family in need’ were ‘adopted’ by a Sands Bethlehem department. Departments shopped, wrapped and gifted presents to the identified families.

Media & Communications

Companies, Students, Farmers, Activists Unite to Grow the Fair Trade Movement

Feb 21, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Global Fair Trade advocacy organization Fair Trade Campaigns will host a multi-stakeholder gathering of Fair Trade supporters in Washington D.C. this March 23-25. The conference, which will focus on tangible pathways for growing the Fair Trade movement, will bring together a diverse and active audience - from Fair Trade farmers, workers, and artisans to NGOs, students, activists, and companies. Over 250 campuses and communities from Fair Trade Campaigns' U.S. network will be represented, as well as Fair Trade stakeholders from across the globe.

Innovation & Technology

Solar Panels, Electric Vehicle Charging Coming to Jackson Via Consumers Energy

Feb 21, 2018 8:50 AM ET

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

VIDEO | Better Business for a Healthier Planet: Cisco and the Circular Economy

Feb 21, 2018 8:35 AM ET

By repairing our products, we reuse components, reduce waste, and save raw material. We embrace a circular economy strategy.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Bechtel Recognized for Innovation Leadership

Feb 21, 2018 8:25 AM ET

Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), announced today it has been named a winner in the 2018 BIG Innovation Awards presented by the Business Intelligence Group. The company was recognized for its enterprise-wide approach to innovation.

Environment

VIDEO | Landscape Restoration in Ethiopia Brings Watershed to Life

Feb 21, 2018 8:05 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Whole Planet Foundation Launches Annual Prosperity Campaign in Whole Foods Market

Feb 21, 2018 8:00 AM ET

On March 1, Whole Planet Foundation launches its Annual Prosperity Campaign to alleviate poverty around the globe for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – living in communities where Whole Foods Market® sources products. This year’s campaign goal is to raise $3 million to increase the foundation’s current reach of 72 countries and 16 U.S. cities.