ESG News from Leading Brands

Innovation & Technology

Caterpillar Launches Cat® Microgrid Technology Suite, Integrating Renewable Energy Sources with Traditional Power Generation

May 3, 2016 4:10 PM ET

Caterpillar Inc. today announced the launch of Cat® Microgrid technology, an innovative suite of power systems that adds environmentally friendly solar panels, state-of-the-art energy storage, and advanced monitoring and control systems to Caterpillar’s traditional line of reliable power generation equipment, including Cat generator sets, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies and automatic transfer switches.

Diversity & Inclusion

AT&T Helps Adults with Autism Succeed in Tech Workforce

May 3, 2016 3:15 PM ET

AT&T, software consulting firm Meticulon and technology service provider MindSparks Technologies are the primary drivers behind a new initiative to train and employ people with autism in technology positions. The program, called The 5,000 Initiative, has a goal to secure 5,000 jobs for individuals with autism by 2020.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Is Your Conflict Minerals Program Ready for 2016 Reporting?

May 3, 2016 3:15 PM ET

Conflict minerals due diligence is top of mind for companies subject to Dodd-Frank 1502 and their downstream supply chain as the May 31st reporting deadline is quickly approaching. Source Intelligence has resources available to facilitate your conflict minerals reporting process.

Environment

Talk With Green Guy Show - Former NJ Governor, Christine Todd Whitman and Scott Sadler, Green Chamber of the South

May 3, 2016 2:30 PM ET

Hear Former New Jersey Governor, Christine Todd Whitman, and Scott Sadler of Green Chamber of the South on Talk with Green Guy

Environment

General Motors Corporate Responsibility Newsletter - May 2016

May 3, 2016 2:05 PM ET

General Motors is turning its employees’ recycled water bottles into a new life: noise-reducing fabric insulation that covers the Chevrolet Equinox engine. The bottles – collected from five of its Michigan facilities – are also being turned into air filtration components and insulation in coats for the homeless community.

Education

A ‘Whale’ of a Video: High School Students from Washington, D.C. Area Win Grand Prize in Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge

May 3, 2016 1:40 PM ET

Silver Spring, Md. April 29, 2016 /3BL Media/ – If you were steering a beluga whale down the street, would you risk sneaking a peek at your phone? Probably not. High school sophomores Matthew Post and John Caporaletti agree, and in their new public service announcement (PSA), they encourage their peers to drive their vehicles with the same care and attention.

Events, Media & Communications

Launching Our New Podcast Series “Follow the Data”

May 3, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Podcast fans and listeners on-the-go can download our new show: Follow the Data – a podcast about how our work is driving change and making an impact in the areas of education, the arts, the environment, public health and government innovation.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Searching for the Crowdfunding Stars

May 3, 2016 1:30 PM ET

For many of us, it's possible when we think of 'Crowdsourcing' that what comes to mind is the Kickstarter of an exciting cause or product that we recently contributed financially to (often to support a friend who’s involved in it) after seeing it promoted on social media. Crowdfunding, whilst the highest profile aspect, is, however, only part of a burgeoning ecosystem of crowdsourcing.

Education

GM and NWF Partner to Enhance Sustainability Education

May 3, 2016 1:05 PM ET

General Motors and the National Wildlife Federation are partnering to increase environmental education in schools. The new GM Eco-Green program will connect NWF’s network of over 3,700 participating Eco-Schools with local GM non-manufacturing facilities, dealers and suppliers. GM Eco-Green is NWF’s first large corporate-sponsored environmental outreach program, reaching hundreds of students through community-based sustainability activities.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Translating the Climate Agreement into Business Strategies: BSR's Four-Part Methodology

May 3, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Now that 175 countries have signed the Paris Agreement, and the high-level legal treaty on climate is becoming a tangible reality, companies need to address a key question: What does the agreement mean for me?

Social Impact & Volunteering

Upcoming Webinar: How Skills-Based Volunteering Bolsters Women's Leadership

May 3, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Join our upcoming online webinar about how skills-based volunteering can help build women's leadership at your organization or company!

Environment

Republic Commemorates Earth Day in Southern Nevada by Expanding Community Access to Southern Nevada Recycling Center

May 3, 2016 12:15 PM ET

Republic Services recently announced the launch of a new website to facilitate community tours and access to sustainability resources at the Southern Nevada Recycling Center, the largest and smartest residential recycling center in North America. The new website is available at: vegasrecyclingcenter.com.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Inspiration in Arizona

May 3, 2016 12:05 PM ET

Innovation & Technology

Using Data and Technology for Good to Save Lives

May 3, 2016 12:00 PM ET

In 2015, 171 child deaths in Texas were caused by child abuse. That is 3.3 children a week. In total there were 274,448 alleged child abuse victims last year. To put it in context, that is the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium at full capacity, three times over, and then some. Government resources such as CPS (Child Protective Services) are overloaded and many children tragically fall through the cracks. It’s a fact that diverting funds to the areas that need it the most is imperative in fighting child abuse.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The Carbon in our Food

May 3, 2016 10:45 AM ET

“If food waste were a country by itself, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and the United States.”

Social Impact & Volunteering

Taco Bell: Feeding People’s Life with Más

May 3, 2016 10:40 AM ET

Taco Bell's purpose is to feed people’s life with más: engaging with and supporting the communities they serve, investing in the potential of their team members and today’s youth through education, and evolving their menu and restaurant design to meet the needs of their customers.

Events, Media & Communications

Time is Running Out to Register for 2016 Sustainability Forum!

May 3, 2016 10:30 AM ET

On May 16 and 17, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center, in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and PYXERA Global, will host the sixth annual Sustainability Forum, Better Business, Better World: Mainstreaming the Circular Economy, in Washington, DC.

Environment

Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keep America Beautiful Now Accepting Applications for 2016 Park Recycling Bin Grant Program

May 3, 2016 10:30 AM ET

With more beverages being consumed away from home and on-the-go, it’s increasingly important to make recycling more convenient by providing more away-from-home opportunities to recycle. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program – which opened its 2016 application process today – does just that.

Sustainable Development Goals

P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Celebrates 10 Billion Liter Milestone

May 3, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

New RobecoSAM Study Reveals GRI Standards Fit for Investment-Grade Disclosures

May 3, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Amsterdam and Zurich, May 3, 2016 /3BL Media/- International sustainability standard setter GRI and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing (SI), have today released the research publication Defining What Matters: Do companies and investors agree on what is material? The publication, funded by the Alcoa Foundation, examines whether the information companies disclose in their sustainability reports correlates with what investors want to know. The study found general alignment between disclosed topics and investor interests. The research also indicates GRI’s approach to materiality is appropriate as a basis for disclosures to investors, as it gives a broad perspective on risk.

Environment

Antea Group Case Study: Environmental Responsibility Fulfillment for California Packing Company

May 3, 2016 10:20 AM ET

A California packing company engaged Antea Group to ensure fulfillment of its facility’s environmental responsibilities. The client had existing coverage under the California Industrial General Permit 2014-0057-DWQ (IGP) and sought guidance from technical experts and trusted advisors on how to effectively abide by all applicable storm water regulations and permit requirements.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Leonardo Academy Supports Foreman Brother’s, Inc. Clean Diesel Projects

May 3, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Foreman Brothers, Inc. recently completed the diesel emissions reduction improvements of eight trucks supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2015-2016 Region 5 Grant. The grant was facilitated by Leonardo Academy, The Sustainability Experts®, a Wisconsin nonprofit organization and staunch supporter of Clean Diesel improvement projects.

Research, Reports & Publications

Video: Reliable Power for Development

May 3, 2016 10:00 AM ET

There is no more critical component to improving the economic standard of living in developing economies than steady, reliable power. In Tanzania, only 11 percent of the population has access to reliable electricity. However, Caterpillar and the Wentworth Group in Tanzania have built a gas-to-power project that brings 24/7 power to the people of Mnazi Bay and the city of Mtwara.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

New RobecoSAM Study Reveals GRI Standards Fit for Investment-Grade Disclosures

May 3, 2016 9:30 AM ET

Amsterdam and Zurich, May 3, 2016 /3BL Media/ - International sustainability standard setter GRI and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing (SI), have today released the research publication Defining What Matters: Do companies and investors agree on what is material? The publication, funded by the Alcoa Foundation, examines whether the information companies disclose in their sustainability reports correlates with what investors want to know. The study found general alignment between disclosed topics and investor interests. The research also indicates GRI’s approach to materiality is appropriate as a basis for disclosures to investors, as it gives a broad perspective on risk.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

UBS Invests in Sustainability for Financial and Societal Return

May 3, 2016 9:15 AM ET

Banking came into its own in the rst industrial revolution. Banks were the intermediaries between the people with money and the ideas and opportunities of the community they served.