The explosion in Tianjin, China that has now been attributed to the deaths of 161 people, has been the center of controversy and investigation for close to a month. Blatant disregard for chemical safety regulations and the factory where the chemicals were stored was far too close to residential areas.

By now, we all know that consumers are influenced by more than just a company’s product – they also want to know that they’re making purchases from brands that are environmentally conscious or give back to the community too. Well, guess who else wants this? Employees.

Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technology and services, has been named to the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) North America index.

This week’s Scoop is inspired by the back-to-school buzz in the air! We explore new models of purpose based learning, building systems and skill sets for change, and the way skills-based volunteering taps into the core motivations of corporate employees. All of our authors this week articulate the need for significant change in our current way of doing business - whether it’s in academia, business or the social sector. Our pencils are sharpened, our notebooks are fresh and we’re ready to dive in!

For the second consecutive year, BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and, for the third consecutive year, to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America).

With last week’s announcement that their employees will be offered unlimited maternity and paternity leave, Netflix became the latest company to address parents’ increasingly vocal desire to strike a better balance between work and family life. It’s a win for growing families everywhere. Earlier this year, Bloomberg responded to similar feedback from our employees and updated our parental leave policy to allow primary caregivers 18 weeks of fully-paid leave. But the balancing act doesn’t end there.

TransCanada has once again been recognized for its efforts in contributing to cleaner air.