ESG News from Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Our Urban Future is Outside Your Window

Oct 29, 2015 11:00 AM ET

“In an era of dynamic change, when belief systems, social habits, and global relations are all under pressure, nurturing a shared vision for a common future is difficult but essential,” said Scott Boylston, professor of design for sustainability at Savannah College of Art and Design in The New Global Citizen.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

2015 Corporate Volunteer Awards: A Look at Finalist City National Bank

Oct 29, 2015 11:00 AM ET

At City National, we like to say that supporting our communities is in our DNA; it’s an integral part of our culture, and defines who we are as individuals and as a company.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Bindu Lohani, Former Vice President at Asian Development Bank, Joins Ingersoll Rand Advisory Council on Sustainability

Oct 29, 2015 9:35 AM ET

The Advisory Council on Sustainability of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, appointed Bindu Lohani as a member of the Advisory Council, effective immediately.

Energy

SunPower Offers the Most Efficient Solar Panels Commercially Available Today

Oct 29, 2015 9:10 AM ET

Solar panel efficiency is key when it comes to generating power from the sun. Learn more about the technology that makes SunPower's panels the most efficient you can buy today.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Making of a Tenacious Leader

Oct 29, 2015 9:00 AM ET

I want to tell you a story. It’s one I know very well.

Innovation & Technology

How to Get a Job in Cyber Security: 6 Secrets from Alliance Data's Experts

Oct 29, 2015 9:00 AM ET

Cyber security jobs are seeing triple-digit growth annually, according to Baseline magazine, making them the fastest-growing segment in IT jobs. On top of the industry growth, CNN Money reports the median pay in the industry is $110,000, increasing cyber security’s appeal to college students, especially in a job market that is still difficult for many new graduates.

Education

Meet Amgen Scholar Alumni Alexis Grace Garcia

Oct 29, 2015 8:30 AM ET

“The two opportunities I have found most incredible have been meeting other budding scientists, both here at the NIH and from other Amgen sites while at the symposium in California, and absorbing as much as I possibly can from some of the nation's foremost scientists and career advisors.”

Responsible Production & Consumption

A New Narrative for Agriculture

Oct 29, 2015 8:05 AM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Ghetto Film School Students Premiere Thesis Film at LA Screening Hosted by David O. Russell and Fox's Jim Gianopulos

Oct 29, 2015 8:00 AM ET

Jim Gianopulos, 20th Century Fox Chairman and CEO, along with Academy Award-nominated director David O. Russell, hosted a special screening at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles on October 26 for Demon's Gate, the thesis film from the first class of student fellows at Ghetto Film School LA. The MacArthur Park-based nonprofit teaches filmmaking to young people from traditionally underserved neighborhoods and was co-founded by 21st Century Fox in 2014, bringing the acclaimed Ghetto Film School curriculum to Los Angeles for the first time.

Social Impact & Volunteering

NetSuite Employees Volunteer More Than 3,100 Hours During Global Impact Week

Oct 29, 2015 5:00 AM ET

Taking place on Oct. 5 through 9, NetSuite employees across NetSuite’s 23 offices, from Singapore to Montevideo and Melbourne to Waterloo, volunteered the equivalent of 77 work weeks (at 40 hours a week) to nonprofits and causes in their local communities during Global Impact Week.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Pro Bono Week Spurs New Community Service Ideas

Oct 28, 2015 7:30 PM ET

This time in October is when volunteer leaders honor the power of pro bono, a global campaign that celebrates and activates pro bono service across all professions that use their talents to make a difference. Organized by Taproot, the leading national advocate for pro bono service, and inspired by the American Bar Association's National Celebration of Pro Bono, Pro Bono Week is an opportunity to highlight the global network of pro bono champions who mobilize volunteers around the world.

Innovation & Technology

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin Appointed to International Living Future Institute Board of Directors

Oct 28, 2015 6:00 PM ET

The International Living Future Institute™ announced today that Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Director of Community Affairs at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, has been appointed to the Institute’s Board of Directors. Abdul-Matin works to make sure that New York City residents have a responsive government that helps bring water to their homes and takes their wastewater away. He’s also a powerful advocate for the idea that diverse perspectives are necessary to grow the environmental movement.

Events, Media & Communications

Twitter Chat Recap: Championing Global Health - Examining the UN's SDGs

Oct 28, 2015 6:00 PM ET

The United Nations recently ratified the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals), providing the foundation for action to solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges. This is a tremendous opportunity for the private, public, and social sectors to partner to improve global health worldwide. PYXERA Global and The Global Health Fellows Program II saw this as a perfect opportunity for an open discussion the topic. #SDGforum Twitter chat encouraged anyone interested in global health and the SDGs to join in the conversation leading up to The Global Engagement Forum, November 10 -12.

Health & Healthcare

Art Therapy Benefits Combat Veterans with PTSD in a Randomized Trial

Oct 28, 2015 5:30 PM ET

Ted Bosworth from Family Practice News covered a recent collaboration between the Hampton VA Medical Center and the Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Art Therapy Program that represents the first of its kind: a randomized trial that examines art therapy treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the VA.

Environment

More Investors and Businesses Than Ever Before Are Tackling Climate Change, And Governments Are Acting Too

Oct 28, 2015 5:05 PM ET

Hundreds of investors, businesses, and governments have recently announced major new commitments to tackle climate change, adding a fresh boost to efforts to expand investment in clean energy by an additional $1 trillion per year – the Clean Trillion.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Whirlpool Corporation, Indiana University and Habitat For Humanity: Fulfilling the Promise

Oct 28, 2015 5:00 PM ET

Volunteers from Whirlpool Corporation, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and Indiana University’s Kelley School recently completed construction of a new Habitat home in Bloomington for Neydra Garza, a single mother of three and first time homeowner.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Why Many WPG Programs Miss the Mark: The Top 5 Things That Get in The Way of Your Program’s Success

Oct 28, 2015 4:30 PM ET

There is a very good reason why the corporate giving landscape is replete with companies re-examining their workplace giving program strategy, design, technology and providers: quite simply, they want to drive more successful outcomes.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CSX Employee Wins Rail's Highest Honor for Environmental Professionals

Oct 28, 2015 3:45 PM ET

CSX employee Raghu Chatrathi today received the 2015 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the highest honor for industry environmental professionals. Chatrathi, the director of environmental remediation, engineering and advanced technology, is the seventh CSX employee to receive this honor in the last 14 years.

Diversity & Inclusion

My Disability is One Part of Who I Am

Oct 28, 2015 3:35 PM ET

Every October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month businesses around the country reflect on and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. For 70 years, the Department of Labor used this time of year to showcase the talents of workers with disabilities and encourage diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the workplace. This year, the Department of Labor is focusing on the theme, “My Disability is One Part of Who I Am.” I am incredibly proud of AT&T’s commitment to the disabled community and to its employees with disabilities, and that commitment is especially meaningful to me because of my own disability.

Environment

The UPS Foundation Sets Global Goal to Plant 15 Million Trees by the End of 2020

Oct 28, 2015 3:30 PM ET

The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of UPS (NYSE: UPS) which leads the company’s global citizenship programs, today announced it will fund the planting of 15 million trees by the end of 2020. Since 2012, The UPS Foundation and its environmental partners have planted more than 5 million trees in 46 countries.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

BlueBud: How JetBlue Is Helping 'the United Nations of Bread' Get Off the Ground

Oct 28, 2015 3:15 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

IBM Wins 2015 Alliance to Save Energy Chairman's Award

Oct 28, 2015 3:00 PM ET

IBM uses energy across its business to deliver products, services and solutions to our clients around the world. In order to be competitive and minimize our environmental impacts, we strive to reduce the energy we consume and the associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as we deliver innovation that matters to our clients. In 2014, IBM reduced or avoided the consumption of 404,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy and an associated 142,000 metric tons (MT) of CO2 emissions, while saving $37.4 million through the execution of over 2,200 energy conservation projects. These energy conservation savings were equivalent to 6.7 percent of IBM’s 2014 energy consumption, exceeding our goal of 3.5 percent.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Republic Services and Make a Difference Day 2015

Oct 28, 2015 1:45 PM ET

On Saturday, October 17, Republic Services joined Fresno City Councilmember Steve Brandau for the 7th Annual Make a Difference Day Soccer Festival.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Accenture’s US$2.2 Million Grant to Plan Netherlands Will Help Thousands of Tanzanian and Zambian Youth Secure Employment

Oct 28, 2015 1:30 PM ET

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has made a US$2.2 million grant to Plan Netherlands to help the nonprofit deliver digital, technical and life skills training to more than 6,000 disadvantaged youth in Tanzania and Zambia.

Innovation & Technology

Booz Allen Hamilton Breaks Ground on New Innovation Center with a Hard Hat Launch

Oct 28, 2015 1:25 PM ET

Last week, Booz Allen Hamilton’s Innovation Center opened its doors for the first time with a Hard Hat Launch Reception in downtown Washington, DC. Leaders across Booz Allen celebrated the construction kickoff, a major milestone in fulfilling the next chapter of Booz Allen’s Innovation Agenda. The Innovation Center is where clients, employees, partners, and the Innovation Community will converge to inspire ideas, build new technologies, grow dynamic networks of inputs, and work together to solve their toughest clients problems of today, and the future.