ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep Virginia Beautiful's "Shiver in the River"

Feb 3, 2017 4:00 PM ET

The Polar Bears were splashing around Virginia's cold James River on Saturday, Jan. 28, as Keep Virginia Beautiful produced another successful "Shiver in the River" frigid fundraiser and cleanup event.

Events, Media & Communications

Cynopsis Media Recognizes On-Air Campaigns from FOX Sports, National Geographic and Fox Business Network as Social Good Awards Nominees

Feb 3, 2017 3:00 PM ET

FOX Sports, National Geographic and the Fox Business Network have garnered a total of ten nominations for the third annual Cynopsis Social Good Awards, a ceremony celebrating the media industry’s leading social responsibility initiatives. The nominations represent the breadth of social issues on which 21st Century Fox businesses engage their audiences, from National Geographic’s on-air campaigns to preserve America’s National Parks to FOX Sports Supports’ efforts to help military veterans transition to civilian life. The winners will be announced at a breakfast in New York City on March 2.

Education

Don't Forget to Apply

Feb 3, 2017 3:00 PM ET

MFA DSI is for designers looking for engaging professional work that matters, for graduates in other disciplines who want to learn to harness the power of design to create positive impact, for social entrepreneurs who want the skills and knowledge to achieve their mission more quickly and fully, and for professionals who have been working in business and want to play a more central, strategic role in their industry.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Duke Energy Workers Use AED, Save Man Having Heart Attack

Feb 3, 2017 1:20 PM ET

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Duke Energy workers are being hailed as heroes after they helped save a Citrus County man when he had a heart attack.

Energy

Game On! NRG and NFL Power Super Bowl LI with Clean, Renewable Energy

Feb 3, 2017 1:15 PM ET

NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) and its subsidiary Reliant, the premier retail electricity provider in Texas, have teamed up with the NFLto provide 100% Green-e certified renewable energy to NRG Stadium, site of Super Bowl LI, and the George R. Brown Convention Center, location of the NFL Experience and other NFL celebrations in Houston.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Critical Materials Management (CMM) to Drive Whirlpool Corporation’s Product Transparency and Traceability

Feb 3, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Whirlpool Corporation is a long-time global leader in delivering quality products with a prominent focus on promoting healthy living and environmental responsibility.

Diversity & Inclusion

How to Score a Touchdown: Three Leadership Tips for a Winning Team

Feb 3, 2017 12:55 PM ET

On Sunday, Americans will gather around their televisions to watch the biggest football game of the year. We’ll see teammates forge relationships on the field, work together, and take home the title. At work, we want our teams to succeed, too. We want our entry-level employees to make a big impact just like the rookie on our favorite team did. And we hope our senior executives lead as effectively as the veteran QB does. In fact, by studying leadership on the field, we can learn great strategies for leadership in the workplace.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Soil Health: Critical for Farmers, the Environment and Global Food Security

Feb 3, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Spanning across southern Minnesota from the South Dakota border in the west to the Wisconsin border in the east, Minnesota’s First Congressional District is home to some of the most productive agricultural land in America.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Edison International Employees Volunteer Over 168,000 Hours in 2015

Feb 3, 2017 12:10 PM ET

Edison makes every effort to be an engaged corporate citizen in the communities it serves. Employees take pride in being a part of the fabric that helps strengthen their neighborhoods and eagerly participate in opportunities to give back through their participation in the annual employee giving and volunteer campaigns; memberships in employee resource groups (ERGs); participation in the year-round Matching Gift Program; and employee-led fundraising/donation drives.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Aramark: Building Community for the Big Game

Feb 3, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Students from Neighborhood Center Inc.'s Ripley House Charter School gathered for a Super Bowl-themed healthy tailgate party with Aramark chefs from visiting NFL stadiums (Cleveland, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Houston) who were in town to support the game.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Boston Celtics Forward Kelly Olynyk Visited Students at Winthrop Middle School as part of the Launch of the “JetBlue Rookie Flight Crew”

Feb 3, 2017 10:25 AM ET

Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk, mascot “Lucky” the Leprechaun and JetBlue crewmembers s visited students at Winthrop Middle School as part of the launch of the new aviation program, “JetBlue Rookie Flight Crew.”

Social Impact & Volunteering

Booz Allen’s Girl Scouts Mentor Program Inspires Young Women to Think Big

Feb 3, 2017 10:20 AM ET

Jordan Spite is learning to think of her passions as future career paths. “I now realize that there is a lot more you can do in your life than just one job,” said the middle schooler who recently attended Booz Allen Hamilton’s Make the Connection mentor program in partnership with Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital (GSCNC). The second event of a four-part platform designed to develop smart and capable young women, MTC inspires girls to think about personal and professional growth.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, Institute of International Finance and MetLife Foundation Launch Project to Help Banking Industry Overcome Barriers to Financial Inclusion

Feb 3, 2017 10:20 AM ET

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI), the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and MetLife Foundation, together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a technical partner, announced today a two-year initiative to help advance the financial services industry’s ability to reach unserved and underserved populations.

Innovation & Technology

Effective and Seamless Wastewater Treatment System Set-up

Feb 3, 2017 9:50 AM ET

Setting up an effective wastewater treatment system makes for a complex and intricate project. Antea Group designed, managed the construction and oversaw the start-up and compliance testing of a wastewater treatment system for a food production company, executing the project in an organized and seamless fashion.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Seasonal 3D Light and Sound Spectacular on Display at The Venetian Macao for Chinese New Year

Feb 3, 2017 8:30 AM ET

Sands Resorts Macao welcomed the Year of the Rooster by launching the annual “Seasons of Prosperity” show at The Venetian Macao. The 3D Light and Sound Spectacular is the property’s seasonal, family celebration that welcomes Chinese New Year and is one of the world’s biggest light show events this holiday season.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Arrow Charitable: One More Way Arrow Electronics Is Taking Corporate Social Responsibility Companywide

Feb 3, 2017 8:15 AM ET

As a leading global technology company, Arrow Electronics is committed to serving the communities in which its employees live and work. Each year, many Arrow employees partner with local nonprofits around the world, extending the company’s collaborative and innovative culture into the broader community.

Responsible Production & Consumption

42BELOW Recycles Cocktail Waste Into Soap

Feb 3, 2017 8:05 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

Whole Kids Foundation and United Health Foundation Celebrate Innovative Approaches To Engaging Kids in the Meaning of Good Food

Feb 3, 2017 8:00 AM ET

We all know we should eat good food in order to stay health. But what is good food?Helping kids discover the answer is the reason Whole Kids Foundation and United Health Foundation have awarded $200,000 to nine schools and nonprofit organizations through the Healthy Kids Innovation Grant Program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Best Practice: Winter 2016

Feb 2, 2017 5:15 PM ET

The Winter 2016 issue of Best Practice includes CSR and sustainability case studies from thought leaders across several industries

Responsible Production & Consumption

Discussed Changes to Dodd-Frank Will Not Affect 2017 Conflict Minerals Filing Requirement

Feb 2, 2017 5:10 PM ET

The acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced this week that the agency would reconsider how to enforce the conflict minerals rule contained within the Dodd-Frank Act, Dodd-Frank Section 1502.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

TD Securities Acts as a Joint Lead Manager for Largest Green Bond Issuance in Canada

Feb 2, 2017 4:30 PM ET

On January 26, 2017, TD Securities acted as a joint lead for the Province of Ontario’s third – and largest – green bond. At $800 million this is the largest issuance of a Canadian dollar green bond to date.

Environment

Birds, Frogs and Turtles Call General Motors’ Wetlands Home

Feb 2, 2017 4:15 PM ET

Wetlands rank right up there with rain forests and coral reefs when it comes to the world’s most productive ecosystems. In recognition of World Wetlands Day, several General Motors sites featuring or supporting wetlands share how they are working to increase biodiversity.

Energy

National Grid Helps Drive Massachusetts Toward a Clean Energy Future

Feb 2, 2017 4:00 PM ET

National Grid today announced plans to help move the Commonwealth of Massachusetts closer to a clean energy future. To assist the state in its growing demand for “green” transportation, the company plans to develop more than 1,200 electric vehicle charging ports at 140 sites over a three-year period.

Education

Shaping the Future

Feb 2, 2017 2:35 PM ET

As part of AT&T’s Aspire initiative – which accelerates the learning revolution and connects it with the young people who need it most – we’ve invested more than $350 million to help ensure all students have access to the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. We know that in order to truly accomplish this mission, we must look to those “on the ground: ”the teachers and inventors who are creating solutions for our students using the power of technology.

Events, Media & Communications

The Best Intentions of C-Suite on Corporate Sustainability -- Results in are in With Sharing of Bain & Co Survey

Feb 2, 2017 2:25 PM ET

This is not encouraging: the respected management consulting company Bain & Company surveyed the leaders of 300 companies engaged in "sustainability transformation" and conducted interviews with heads of sustainability recognized for outstanding results.

The question: What are the results of instituting sustainability as a top priority? The answer: Alas, not really encouraging for stakeholders, says Bain & Company. There's an important "but" here with tips for CEOs and C-suite on how to overcome the odds of losing forward momentum in corporate sustainability efforts.