ESG News from Leading Brands

Research, Reports & Publications

Consumers Want Brands to Put a Stake in the Ground on Issues That Matter

Feb 20, 2018 9:00 AM ET

More than ever before, consumers want brands to put a stake in the ground. It is not simply about reacting to today’s news cycle, but rather knowing where you stand and standing strong when issues arise.

As traditional corporate philanthropy efforts have ceased to capture the love and loyalty of consumers, it is time to rethink old models of CSR and consider how your brand’s purpose can translate to more meaningful and culturally relevant efforts that excite and engage consumers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CNH Industrial Top Stories: Hands-On Help With Lessons in Life

Feb 20, 2018 8:55 AM ET

Through an education project in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and training programs in Rajasthan and Karnataka, CNH Industrial and its brands have been closely involved in community initiatives that are helping to lift hundreds out of poverty in India. The Company’s sustainability initiatives are inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and these three particular projects in India are directly related to SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth. By giving underprivileged children access to education, and by training unemployed youth in useful skills, CNH Industrial hopes the next generation will have a brighter future.​​

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

WBCSD Insider Perspective: GreenBiz 2018

Feb 20, 2018 8:25 AM ET

Last week, over 1,100 sustainability professionals from around the world gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the tenth annual GreenBiz conference. The conference focused most notably on sustainable and resilient supply chains; how investors are stepping up their scrutiny of companies' environmental, social and governance (ESG) data; what it takes to create circular products and business models; and the energy procurement landscape.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

eBay Launches ‘Retail Revival’ Program to Boost Small Businesses

Feb 20, 2018 8:05 AM ET

Partnering with the City of Akron, Ohio, eBay will empower local entrepreneurs to harness the power of technology and ecommerce.

Environment

Greening Mardi Gras: Recycling Effort Targets Parade Trash

Feb 19, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

No One Left Behind: The Recovery of the Gunga Din

Feb 19, 2018 1:50 PM ET

There were more than 300 American casualties during the Battle of Kwajalein that took place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 1944. There are at least eight known aircraft with 11 missing-in-action (MIA) service members that went down within the Kwajalein Atoll lagoon. In 2011, a non-profit group made up of island contractor residents was organized with a mission to find the remaining planes, and even more meaningfully – the missing service members – to give closure to MIA families.

Environment

Consumers Energy Announces Clean Energy Breakthrough Goal: 80 Percent Reduction in Carbon Emissions, Zero Coal by 2040

Feb 19, 2018 1:45 PM ET

Consumers Energy and CMS Energy today announced Consumers Energy’s plans to meet Michigan’s energy needs reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent and no longer using coal to generate electricity by 2040. The company also said today that more than 40 percent of the energy produced will come from renewable sources and energy storage by 2040.

Media & Communications

Question: Can a Country Provide a Quality of Life Existence and Be Sustainable for the Long-Term? Perhaps – None Do so Today

Feb 19, 2018 1:20 PM ET

This week’s top story choice for you is quite fascinating. How can a country provide a quality way of life for its citizens and also strive to be more sustainable over the long-term? Researchers at two universities collaborated to see what countries are doing / and need to do / to provide quality of life for their citizens and to be sustainable (at the same time) to protect the planet. The researchers explain where we are and where we need to go to achieve both (in balance).

Education

Cisco VIDEO | Empowering New Orleans’ Youth with Digital Skills

Feb 19, 2018 11:25 AM ET

As Deputy Director of the Cisco Foundation, I am fortunate to be at the center of investing our technology, expertise, and cash grants to empower global problem solvers that make a positive impact on our world. Last year alone, our investments in innovative digital solutions positively impacted 154 million people in some of the most economically underserved parts of the world. We are committed to positively impacting 1 billion people by 2025 and have reached 232 million people to date.

Environment

EPA Policy Update: Reclassification of Major Sources As Area Sources

Feb 19, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Antea Group blogs about the EPA’s withdrawal of the “once in always in” policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Teaching Trust, the Hardest Part of Foster Care Adoption

Feb 19, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Did you know that some children in foster care have been adopted, only to be returned to foster care? It’s what social workers call a disrupted adoption. It’s more than a disruption to the child though. It’s heartbreaking, heart wrenching and they are often left feeling alone, rejected and like they had done something wrong or didn’t deserve a family.

Environment

GM Expands Composting Program at Its Global Headquarters

Feb 19, 2018 9:45 AM ET

General Motors is taking its composting program – one of its most successful examples of circular economy – to a whole new level at its global headquarters located in the Renaissance Center (GMRENCEN) in Detroit.

Health & Healthcare

WELL Tip: Navigating Preconditions for the Nourishment Concept

Feb 19, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Have you ever considered a WELL precondition and wondered where to begin? Not to fret! We’ve launched a Navigating preconditions series to help project teams get started incorporating a number of preconditions from different WELL concepts into their project’s design and policies.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

iCause to Increase Nonprofit Engagement

Feb 19, 2018 9:00 AM ET

iCause seeks to simplify volunteerism and community involvement by bridging the gap between nonprofits and individuals, to make their engagement more sustainable.

Social Impact & Volunteering

2018 Sands Cares Heroes of the Year Announced

Feb 19, 2018 8:55 AM ET

On January 26, Team Members around the world were congratulated after learning they had been selected as Sands Cares Heroes of the Year, as well as finalists for The Sheldon G. and Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Award presented by Sands Cares. Sands Cares is the corporate giving program of Las Vegas Sands, where we make our communities better places to live through philanthropic giving, volunteerism and other in-kind support to local organizations.

Sustainable Development Goals

Tetra Tech Conducts Hawaiʻi State Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment

Feb 19, 2018 8:00 AM ET

According to a new report released by the State of Hawai‘i, the impact of sea level rise poses an imminent danger to the islands of Hawai‘i, with the potential to cause the loss of roads, utilities, and structures across the state. Tetra Tech developed the “Sea Level Rise Vulnerability & Adaptation Report”—the first statewide assessment of its kind—in conjunction with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands. The accompanying, interactive Hawai‘i Sea Level Rise Viewer illustrates projected impacts to coastal areas.

Diversity & Inclusion

Great Place to Work® and Fortune Name American Express One of the 2018 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®

Feb 16, 2018 4:35 PM ET

American Express Company is one of the 2018 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work and Fortune.

Education

Ioannis Koulas From Greece Shares His #AmgenScholars Journey

Feb 16, 2018 1:45 PM ET

My research project in a pharmaceutical immunology lab at ETH Zürich was about the unknown effects of PD-L1/PD-1 interaction on T regulatory cells inside lymphatic capillaries. It was a unique opportunity for me to learn how to test a hypothesis using state-of-the art laboratory equipment and to carefully assess the results of the experiments. I hope that in the future I will be able to expand my knowledge on immunoregulation and contribute to the development of new treatments against autoimmune diseases.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Donates More Than 165,000 Pounds of Protein to Local Food Banks

Feb 16, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. joined forces with Winn-Dixie, B&R Stores, and Fareway to donate more than 165,000 pounds of protein. Smithfield’s contribution was part of the company’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® donation tour. Now in the program’s 10th year, Helping Hungry Homes® is Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donations, equivalent to more than 664,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across northeast Florida, Nebraska, and Western Iowa.

Innovation & Technology

Bechtel Partners with Station Houston to Support Next Generation of Innovators

Feb 16, 2018 12:55 PM ET

Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and Station Houston, Houston’s hub for technology and innovation, announced today the launch of a corporate partnership to connect local startups with industry experts. The partnership will focus on enhancing opportunities for local entrepreneurs through mentoring and engagement in solving EPC industry challenges.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Cisco Executive Platform Blog | Adaptive. Reliable. Secure. Even During a Crisis

Feb 16, 2018 11:55 AM ET

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour. In its wake was widespread destruction that left island residents without basic human necessities. Responding to this disaster, Cisco teamed with NetHope to support recovery.

Events, Media & Communications

Purpose Takes Center Stage at Holmes In2 Innovation Summit

Feb 16, 2018 11:30 AM ET

This week, agencies and major brands convened in New York City for the Holmes In2 Innovation Summit – exploring the innovation and disruption that continues to redefine influence and engagement. As the day continued, a common thread began to emerge. Although session themes varied from subculture marketing to the speed of change, all conversations inevitably turned to Purpose – and how brands are communicating their authentic roles in society in a rapidly evolving landscape of social issues and calls of injustice.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Proyecto Mirador: Transforming Poor Communities Through Innovative Funding

Feb 16, 2018 11:20 AM ET

In the highlands of Honduras, where tourism and coffee production drive the country’s economic engine, a social revolution is taking place.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Powering the Circular Economy

Feb 16, 2018 11:05 AM ET

“Circular design gives us the opportunity to rethink the whole paradigm instead of operating under current restraints.”

This is the potential for circular design, says Stephanie Johnston, Director of Sustainable Business at Heineken USA, speaking to a room of circular economy enthusiasts, experts and those curious to learn more about how closed-loop design is moving us toward a world without waste. On February 6, BBMG hosted the gathering, “Powering the Circular Economy,” as part of Circular Economy Mapping Week, a global event in partnership with the Circular Economy Club that had similar convenings happening in 67 cities, from Rio de Janeiro to Copenhagen to Aruba.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

What Can We Learn from MBA Students in China on Business Sustainability?

Feb 16, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Dr. Thomas P. Lyon recently taught a short course at Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Corporate Environmentalism and Public Policy. Lyon holds the Dow Chair of Sustainable Science, Technology and Commerce, with appointments in both the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and School for Environment and Sustainability. He talked with the Erb Institute about his experience teaching on these topics in Shanghai.