Sunshine and shadows dappled the Merced River canyon on a cool morning as I drove to Yosemite last week. Hillsides were dressed in dusty browns and variegated greens. It’s another summer in the Sierra Nevada.

Those of us GRI-trained reporting-types know that when putting together a sustainability report, we can find ourselves lost in the details – aggregating pages of data, writing countless stories, holding hundreds of meetings with colleagues, and securing approvals for every detail of a final report. This year, it was no different for my team as we put together AT&T’s sustainability report, which we call our “Annual Sustainability Update.” But, throughout the reporting process, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture associated with what we’re doing: How our more than 250,000 employees have come together – harnessing grit, passion and the power of technology – to make a positive difference for our communities, our planet, and our company.

The Biomimicry Global Design Challenge teamed up with the Living Future Institute to issue a prize for products that function as elegantly as the natural world.

STAMFORD, Conn. (Aug. 3) – Americans should expect to see cleaner public parks this fall thanks to a significant grant made possible by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) in collaboration with Keep America Beautiful. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program provides funding for 900 new recycling bins in public parks across the country in 2016, making recycling more accessible for Americans enjoying the outdoors.

For more than 50 years, Charlie’s Place Recovery Center, one of Texas’s largest nonprofit, residential drug and alcohol treatment centers, has helped thousands of people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction rebuild their lives. To further the center’s work helping patients overcome addiction, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is again sponsoring the Charlie’s Place “A Night in Vegas” fundraiser. Funds raised from this year’s event, which will be held August 20 at the American Bank Center, will go toward patient care.

Black & Veatch was selected by MBHE African Power (PTY) Ltd, a local renewable energy developer, to provide technical assistance for the country’s first waste-to-energy (WTE) plant.

National Geographic Channel made a number of big announcements during its summer 2016 Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour Saturday, signaling the realization of the transformational vision to become the world's leading destination for premium science, adventure and exploration programming announced last year.

We believe creating excellence in the hospitality industry is not only good for our business, but for the health of our local communities and the industry as a whole.