ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

America’s Charities Welcomes 16 High-Impact Nonprofits to Its Alliance of 140+ Member Organizations

Apr 18, 2017 11:30 AM ET

America’s Charities, which inspires employees and organizations to support causes they care about, is pleased to welcome 16 new members to its alliance of 140+ nonprofit organizations.

Innovation & Technology

Major League Baseball Players Launch Infield Chatter, a New Mobile Social Community

Apr 18, 2017 11:30 AM ET

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) today announced that it will make the bridge from players to fans even shorter to cross, by debuting the new Infield Chatter mobile social community. The first-of-its-kind platform seeks to become the dedicated mobile destination for players and their passionate fans, with more than 1,000 players already on board as registered users.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

BSR at 25: Meeting the Moment

Apr 18, 2017 11:00 AM ET

This year marks BSR’s 25th anniversary. And in a time of extraordinary change, we're staying firmly focused on what these shifts mean for the future of sustainable business.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Avista Named as a 2017 Grid Edge Award Winner by Greentech Media

Apr 18, 2017 11:00 AM ET

The Grid Edge Awards represent the top twenty companies or projects that showcase innovative products, introduce new business models to the electric sector, or otherwise present alternative ways of managing the electric grid that are more efficient and reliable.

Health & Healthcare

A Pluralistic Approach to Non-Communicable Diseases

Apr 18, 2017 10:10 AM ET

More than five years have passed since the 2011 United Nations high-level meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs). NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, responsible for more than 30 million deaths annually. These diseases alone place an enormous burden on health systems, representing $2 trillion a year in health costs, and the projected toll in lost economic output by 2030 is a staggering $47 trillion. Beyond the impacts on economic output, NCDs will continue to deepen poverty and impede our collective ability to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Women Building Careers in Impact Investing

Apr 18, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Jenn's journey to be a CEO - When I returned from Gabon I made the decision to focus on finance. My experiences abroad alongside my education had led me to the thinking that capital equates to power, and is a key determinant of capability for individuals, businesses, and communities. Although now I know that finance is only one piece of the pie of life, I still maintain the important role that it plays.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Meet Jeff Johnson, Outdoor Photographer, Fair Trade Ambassador

Apr 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Launching next week, we teamed up with Jeff Johnson, a well-known photographer of California adventure culture, for our We Wear Fair Trade photo series to honor a few of the individuals and brands who are making a bold, collective commitment to value the people who make our clothes.

Events, Media & Communications

Actress Pam Grier to Attend Dining Out For Life® Hosted by Subaru® on April 27

Apr 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Actress Pam Grier will participate in the 27th Annual Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru. The delicious fundraiser, that’s expected to raise more than $4 million to help fund essential HIV/AIDS services, will be held on April 27, 2017, when over 3,000 restaurants in 62 cities across North America will donate a generous portion of the day’s proceeds to their local HIV/AIDS Service organizations.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Is Your Company Adoption Friendly? There’s Still Time to Make Our Top 100 List.

Apr 18, 2017 10:00 AM ET

For 11 years, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has ranked the Top 100 Best Adoption Friendly Workplaces. Companies like Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Citizens Bank, Wendy’s, Snapchat, Zappos and others have made the list for financial reimbursement of adoption costs and time off for employees who adopt.

Education

UK to Equip 6,000 Underprivileged with Digital Skills, for Free

Apr 18, 2017 9:25 AM ET

It’s 2017, so you might imagine that in the United Kingdom, all citizens have access to technology. Sadly, that’s not the case, but the government is working to change that with a five-year plan.

Green Infrastructure

Mohawk Group Video | Light Lab: A Model for the Sustainable Workplace

Apr 18, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Andrew Tremblay and the WWF-Canada’s CN Tower Climb for Nature

Apr 18, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Ten years ago, Domtar Difference Maker Andrew Tremblay sized up up the CN Tower’s 147 stories and 1,776 stairs before taking his first try at the CN Tower Climb for Nature, a fundraiser put on by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada to help ensure a healthy, thriving planet. Find out why.

Health & Healthcare

5 Nutrition Innovations You Didn’t Expect to Come From Nestlé

Apr 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

For more than 150 years, Nestlé has been providing safe, quality nutrition across a broad range of products worldwide.

Health & Healthcare

Togo Becomes First Country in Africa to Validate the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis as a Public Health Problem

Apr 18, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Q&A with Dan Hesse Board Member of PNC Financial Services Group

Apr 18, 2017 8:40 AM ET

We must make lending decisions in which we effectively balance the needs of our customers and prospective customers with the interests of our other stakeholders. Determining which industries or companies within a particular industry we should lend to isn’t always easy. Another challenge is balancing the long-term payback of CSR with Wall Street’s focus on the next quarter.

Environment

Illegal Wildlife Trafficking Occurs in Nearly 30 Percent of World’s Most Protected Areas

Apr 18, 2017 7:00 AM ET

A new WWF report published today urges for additional and immediate measures to halt the worrying trend in illegal trafficking for international trade of CITES-listed species in the world’s most ecologically important places, including World Heritage Sites.

Social Impact & Volunteering

LA Galaxy and StubHub Center Implement Full Week of Community Programming to Precede Protect the Pitch Day on Sunday, April 23 vs. Seattle Sounders FC

Apr 17, 2017 8:45 PM ET

AEG’s LA Galaxy and StubHub Center implement full week of community programming in accordance with Earth Day on April 22 and to precede Protect the Pitch Day on Sunday, April 23 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Events to showcase efforts to increase sustainability and reduce carbon footprint in the local community.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Seafood Joins Fair Trade Revolution, a Scallop at a Time

Apr 17, 2017 5:30 PM ET

Certification of seafood products, including tuna and shrimp, began in 2014, and the volume of imports of such products grew more than 350 percent last year to more than 1.2 million pounds (500,000 kilograms), said Fair Trade USA, a California-based nonprofit group. The first company to offer fair trade seafood harvested from U.S. waters will have scallops on the market this month.

Diversity & Inclusion

Bringing Out the Best from Each Generation

Apr 17, 2017 5:15 PM ET

With generation Z poised to enter the workforce and baby boomers beginning to leave it, workplace demographics are changing. To anticipate the shift, companies need to make sure all employees feel valued for their contributions and encouraged to bring their unique sets of experiences and perspectives to the workplace.

Social Impact & Volunteering

National Volunteer Week Twitter Chat: Activating Civic Engagement through Skills-Based Volunteering

Apr 17, 2017 5:00 PM ET

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Common Impact is hosting a Twitter chat on Tuesday, April 25th at 12 pm EDT to explore how corporate skills-based volunteer programs activate civic engagement in employee volunteers. Skills-based volunteerism gives employees a chance to roll up their sleeves and truly understand the challenges facing nonprofit organizations and the social sector.

Social Impact & Volunteering

A Habitat House Leads to Personal Successes

Apr 17, 2017 3:40 PM ET

The smell of fresh paint always takes Boris Henderson back. Back to the day he walked through the door of his family’s new Habitat house for the first time.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Cradles to Crayons for Volunteer Month

Apr 17, 2017 3:35 PM ET

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, nearly 130,000 children live in poverty and lack access to basic needs, including clothing. Kohler's U.S. East Region Wholesale Management team volunteered for the nonprofit, Cradles to Crayons, to help make a positive impact on the lives of local children.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Keybank Finances Latest Affordable Housing Acquisition by Non-Profit, Harmony Housing

Apr 17, 2017 3:15 PM ET

KeyBank has provided a $6.5 million bridge loan to Harmony Housing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, clean and comfortable affordable rental housing throughout the United States. Key has provided financing solutions to Harmony Housing since 2014, financing 25 of its last 28 transactions.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” Campaign Calls on the Public to Join the Fight Against Hunger and Make a Difference in their Local Communities

Apr 17, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Today, Walmart launches its “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, a nationwide initiative that encourages the public to join the fight against hunger. Working with Discover card and five suppliers, which represent some of the nation’s leading food companies – Campbell Soup Company, General Mills, Kellogg Company, The Kraft Heinz Company and PepsiCo – Walmart is offering three easy ways to take action against hunger and help a local Feeding America food bank through social, online and in-store participation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Making Change Happen on Comcast Cares Day

Apr 17, 2017 2:55 PM ET

This Saturday, April 22, marks the 16th annual Comcast Cares Day, where more than 100,000 volunteers in 21 countries will leave a lasting impact in the communities where they live and work.