ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

ATL Tech Gives Back Returns This October

Sep 6, 2017 10:30 AM ET

ATL Tech Gives Back, a quarterly event series that harnesses Atlanta’s passionate technology community for the greater good of the City, will hold its second edition on Thursday, Oct. 19. Hosted by social service platform Community Bucket and startup technology publication Hypepotamus, ATL Tech Gives Back is powered by Cox Enterprises and brings Atlanta’s tech and startup community together to volunteer in a fun, social setting.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: 23 Years

Sep 6, 2017 10:30 AM ET

I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be sitting in my local coffee shop writing this blog post if Ray hadn’t given that speech. My professional vocation might not have had anything to do with environmentalism if he hadn’t planted the “sustainability” flag that day in the heart of Interface’s business operations.

Research, Reports & Publications

States, Local Government Step Up to Play Increasingly Critical Role in a Smarter Clean Energy Future

Sep 6, 2017 10:00 AM ET

The federal government has long played a central role in shaping U.S. energy independence and security. Today, however, we stand at an inflection point where states, municipal governments and even corporations are stepping up to become the primary drivers of the future of clean energy.

Research, Reports & Publications

Brands Should Increasingly Target Connected ‘Super Leaders’ to Thrive in a Digital, Information-saturated World

Sep 6, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Super Leaders – a newly-defined digital community of early adopters and brand amplifiers – are now the most influential group in building, or eroding, brand preference, according to the Tetra Pak Index 2017. Companies that fail to engage with Super Leaders in the right way risk missing the opportunity to harness their influence and help them build their business.

Events, Media & Communications

New Speakers Announced for the BSR Conference 2017: Al Gore, Cecile Richards, and More

Sep 6, 2017 10:00 AM ET

New speakers have been added to the BSR17 lineup. Join the leading sustainability event October 24-26 in Huntington Beach, California.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

BLOG: The Latest on Hurricane Harvey Support and Response

Sep 6, 2017 9:30 AM ET

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Walmart associates all over the country are working around the clock to address the needs of those affected by the storm.

Research, Reports & Publications

A Changing Global Workforce

Sep 6, 2017 9:20 AM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Skills-Based Volunteering: A Game Changer for Corporate Philanthropy

Sep 6, 2017 9:15 AM ET

New research from Common Impact, a nonprofit that pioneered corporate skills-based volunteering (SBV), demonstrates the sustained impact that SBV has on the social sector by creating transformational partnerships between nonprofits and companies.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

MetLife Foundation: Empowering Veterans Through Financial Inclusion

Sep 6, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

Sentinel Awards Recognize 21CF TV Projects for Outstanding Efforts to Engage Audiences on Mental and Physical Health

Sep 6, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) has named television projects from across 21st Century Fox businesses as honorees for this year’s Sentinel Awards, an annual ceremony recognizing TV storylines and movies that inform, educate, and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and safer lives. FX Networks’ You’re the Worst, National Geographic’s documentary Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, and the Twentieth Century Fox Television production This Is Us will all receive awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on September 27.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Aflac | Doing Good for Our Communities and Our Planet

Sep 6, 2017 9:00 AM ET

As a member of the company’s employee-led Green Committee, Susan Goodsell applies her communications skills to help promote Aflac’s environmental sustainability initiatives and activities. This chapter showcases our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint through education, community activities and volunteerism.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Mars CEO: Industry Must Fix ‘Broken’ Engine of Global Business to Tackle Urgent Climate & Social Threats

Sep 6, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Mars CEO Grant F. Reid today said business needs to lead “transformational change” in order to tackle the most urgent threats facing the planet and its people.

Speaking ahead of this month’s UN General Assembly and Climate Week in New York, Mr. Reid said the responsibility had never been greater for industry: “If we are to help deliver on the targets agreed in Paris and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, there has to be a huge step change. While many companies have been working on being more sustainable, the current level of progress is nowhere near enough.”

Green Infrastructure

Sands ECO360 | Green Buildings

Sep 6, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Our goal is to develop resorts that become destinations and create everlasting memories for our guests. At the same time, we also try to do it with the utmost respect for our host communities. We all have a stake in protecting the planet’s natural resources, which is why our team is working hard to design buildings with high performance and sustainability in mind.

Environment

Embracing and Combating Climate Change: HP Sets Science-Based Target

Sep 6, 2017 8:55 AM ET

Few issues are more universally pressing than climate change. The resulting increase in global temperatures, warming oceans, shrinking ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events severely disrupts people’s health, safety, well-being and livelihoods. As natural disasters grow in frequency and intensity worldwide, they have the potential to not only destroy people’s lives, but to spur the upheaval of communities, businesses and entire industries.

Social Impact & Volunteering

TransCanada to Match Donations to Houston’s Relief Efforts

Sep 6, 2017 6:00 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Performance and Commitment: the Two Facets of Value Creation for Orange

Sep 6, 2017 5:00 AM ET

On the occasion of the publication of its integrated annual report, Orange looks back at the achievements of 2016, a year that saw a return to growth, and describes its “Human Inside” philosophy.

Environment

Tell Me Something Good: Volt Energy’s Gilbert Campbell

Sep 5, 2017 7:50 PM ET

Our guest this week on Sea Change Radio, Gilbert Campbell, the Co-Founder of Volt Energy, is here to remind us that sustainable energy is good, not only for the earth, but also for business. Campbell's company, based in Washington, D.C., builds and operates solar projects, electric-vehicle charging stations, and offers energy storage solutions. We discuss how Volt Energy's business model works, why there are not nearly enough minority-owned businesses in the renewable energy space, and the challenges of interacting with a new Administration that is openly hostile to science and minorities.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sappi North America's Environmental Responsibility: Forestry

Sep 5, 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.

Events, Media & Communications

How Has CSR Trended So Far in 2017?

Sep 5, 2017 5:25 PM ET

To date, 2017 has been a roller coaster ride for companies dedicated to commitment to corporate social responsibility. Membership data compiled this summer by CECP – the CEO Force for Good shows that despite a dip in public advocacy for progressive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues immediately following the election of President Donald Trump, the movement of “brands taking stands” has dramatically resurged.

Innovation & Technology

Collaboration on Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Sep 5, 2017 4:55 PM ET

Boeing is an industry leader in fostering sustainable aviation fuel development around the world. Biofuel represents a significant, untapped opportunity to reduce aviation emissions, meet the industry’s environmental goals and support long-term sustainable growth.

Social Impact & Volunteering

20,000+ Young People Are Leading the Way to Make Their Communities Healthier With Get HYPE Philly!

Sep 5, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Philly students go back to school – and back to Get HYPE Philly! This is the third year of our GSK IMPACT Grant with a collective of 10 nonprofits that are engaging youth as leaders in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods to promote health through urban agriculture, healthy eating, physical activity and entrepreneurship.

Events, Media & Communications

Artists and Entertainers’ Hurricane Harvey Relief Telethon to Support Habitat for Humanity’s Recovery Efforts

Sep 5, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Habitat for Humanity’s response to Hurricane Harvey will get a boost as one of six beneficiaries of “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief” telethon that will air nationally on Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 8-9 p.m. EDT. The telethon will feature some of the nation’s biggest stars coming together to raise funds for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Funds raised for Habitat for Humanity will go directly to support the organization’s response to Harvey.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Kohler Associates Experience Water Scarcity, Explore Global WaSH Issues.

Sep 5, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Kohler associates explored solutions for UN Sustainable Development Goal #6 (access to clean water and safe sanitation) by experiencing water scarcity firsthand.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Who's Afraid of MIFID 2?: Fixing Wall Street’s Broken Plumbing

Sep 5, 2017 3:15 PM ET

The European Union (EU) has sweeping reforms of financial markets coming into force January 3, 2018. They will affect Wall Street firms in many ways, covering all transactions of EU securities wherever traded worldwide. Whether the firm is on the buy-side: portfolio managers, mutual funds, institutional investors, or on the sell-side: broker-dealers, investment advisors, researchers, consultants, MIFID II will affect business models, research, trading, reporting and order execution.

Innovation & Technology

Five Years Out: The European Space Agency’s Rosetta Spacecraft

Sep 5, 2017 2:40 PM ET

In September of 2016, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta probe successfully ended its 12-year journey with a planned landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.