ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

My Special Aflac Duck® joins Beads of Courage to Award Employee Supporters

Jun 13, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Aflac has been a supporter of Beads of Courage, a nonprofit international organization helping children chronicle their unique stories using beads during their cancer treatment. Each one represents a specific treatment that a child received or a milestone crossed throughout their journey. Children recently received new beads, including a My Special Aflac Duck® bead honoring their courage during treatments.

Environment

Meet the Young Minds Solving the Climate Crisis

Jun 12, 2019 4:25 PM ET

As a Cruise Director for an expedition travel company in the Arctic and Antarctic, Meghan Kelly often found herself in conversations with locals about the receding coastline. She heard how decreasing sea ice is diminishing traditional hunting grounds, along with the passages between one community and the next in the Arctic. For the families who have been there for generations, surviving means adapting to a warmer climate.

Diversity & Inclusion

Chevron Partners with Catalyst to Advance Gender Equality

Jun 12, 2019 3:00 PM ET

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) announced a $5 million grant to Catalyst, a global nonprofit advancing workplace gender equality, in support of expanding the organization’s Men Advocating Real Change (MARC) program, which Chevron adopted in 2016. MARC is focused on engaging and empowering male executives and leaders to consistently model inclusive behaviors, influence more equitable talent management systems and processes, and build effective partnerships across gender.

Energy

Reaching 100% Renewable Energy

Jun 12, 2019 2:30 PM ET

At VMware, we’re optimistic about the power of technology to help solve big societal problems and are committed to leading responsibly. One of our key focus areas is about changing our relationship with energy. According to the U.N.’s report, as a society we need to shift 70-85 percent of electricity to renewable energy sources by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Data centers are responsible for two percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions—roughly the same as global air travel.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

People-centricity: Connecting the Employee Experience to the Patient Experience

Jun 12, 2019 2:00 PM ET

At Alexion, people with rare and devastating diseases are our inspiration. We know that beginning with their first symptoms through an often long path to diagnosis and treatment, living with a rare disease is a sobering new normal to navigate while managing other life priorities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Booz Allen Celebrates 20 Years of LGBTQ+ Pride

Jun 12, 2019 2:00 PM ET

For over two decades, Booz Allen has been a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, and questioning employees can thrive. Pride Month 2019 is an opportunity to celebrate the firm’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

Health & Healthcare

LIXIL's SATO Achieves New Milestone with First Profitable Market in Bangladesh

Jun 12, 2019 1:05 PM ET

Today, 2.3 billion people – or one in three people worldwide - still do not have access to basic sanitation. As a leading company in sanitary ware, LIXIL has incorporated design and technology to solve real consumer needs in all of its bathroom products, but it is also dedicated to improving accessibility to basic sanitation as an opportunity to solve one of the world’s greatest challenges, and to do so sustainably by helping to develop a future market. Establishing Global Sanitation & Hygiene as one of the pillars of its Corporate Responsibility Strategy, LIXIL has been tackling the global sanitation crisis by commercializing solutions such as its innovative and affordable SATO products.

Health & Healthcare

Circadian Rhythms

Jun 12, 2019 1:00 PM ET

Circadian rhythm is a 24-hour pattern that is found in all life, generally mediated by a central clock. Plants use their clocks to coevolve with their predators and their pollinators. Rodents use their clocks to determine food availability, safety and mating time. All forms of life utilize their clocks for maximizing resource efficiency and survival. Within the human body, each cell has a clock. There exists a direct link between a novel photosensitive cell in the retina and the region of the brain where the central clock is located, pinpointing light as the main input to reset and synchronize our clocks each day. Considering life on earth evolved with the predictable solar cycle, it makes sense that light would be our primary tool to synchronize these circadian

Sustainable Development Goals

‘Drinkable, Pure, Safe’: The Business Bringing Affordable Clean Water to Bangladesh

Jun 12, 2019 1:00 PM ET

Across Bangladesh, water is readily available to 97% of the population, but it is not always fit for human consumption. As such, 4 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. Communities rely on contaminated water from rivers and wells; some may boil it before use, but this does not eliminate the arsenic that occurs naturally in the groundwater across much of the country.

Diversity & Inclusion

UPS Brings Commitment and Support to Pride Month

Jun 12, 2019 12:35 PM ET

Strong communities begin with respect, inclusion, and support. Read how UPSers are taking a stand to bring inclusion forward this Pride Month.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

My Special Aflac Duck® Makes Landing at CHOC Children's Hospital, Patients Receive Robotic Duck Designed to Help Them Cope with Cancer

Jun 12, 2019 12:00 PM ET

At the delivery event, attendees were treated to a demonstration of My Special Aflac Duck, highlighting how it will help comfort children and serve as a tool for health care professionals to use with their patients. After the demonstration, children and their parents went on a fun scavenger hunt, finding clues and visiting various locations throughout the oncology unit, eventually leading them to the discovery of their very own My Special Aflac Duck®.

Events, Media & Communications

Northern Trust Hosted Art Event to Support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Texas

Jun 12, 2019 12:00 PM ET

Art for a great cause! In hashtagDallas we hosted an art event at the Samuel Lynne Galleries to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in hashtagTexas. We are pleased to support the LLS and our own Julie Buschman on her nomination for the LLS Woman of the Year!

Energy

No Time to Waste: How Digitalization Can Solve the Carbon Crisis

Jun 12, 2019 11:35 AM ET

Schneider Electric itself is committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 and being powered by 80% renewable electricity by 2020. The company has also helped many other RE100 signees to reach the same goal. After taking steps for efficiency, the next step, if more energy is needed, is to adopt renewables by the different ways of buying it. That combination of efficiency and fostering renewable energy has also helped Schneider to get closer to its goal of avoiding 120 million tons of CO2 on behalf of their customers by 2020.

Research, Reports & Publications

ICYMI! Spring 2019 – Shedding Light on Gender and Navigating Academia

Jun 12, 2019 11:00 AM ET

We are excited to share the latest edition of ICYMI! A Magazine for Business Sustainability Professionals. In each edition of ICYMI!, we share the latest research, teaching and engagement from the Erb Institute. Our cover story for this edition is by Erb faculty member, Sara Soderstrom. She shares how she’s working to bring awareness to gender issues in academia.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: More Ray Andersons

Jun 12, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Ray Anderson believed in the “Power of One” and so do the staff and trustees at his namesake foundation. One community, one organization, and even one person can have far-reaching influence beyond that which might seem possible.

Research, Reports & Publications

8th Global Pro Bono State of the Practice Report Is Released

Jun 12, 2019 10:30 AM ET

The 8th Global Pro Bono State of the Practice, presented by PYXERA Global, highlights the top five trends based on data collected from 26 companies, 63 percent of which belong to Fortune’s Global 500.In addition to overall growth in the practice area, trends show companies are prioritizing social impact, aligning programming with corporate strategy, engaging more internal stakeholders, and increasing impact measurement to make the business case for Global Pro Bono. The State of the Practice also includes a practitioner’s guide for companies keen to pilot a program and ensure it has a foundation for success.

Innovation & Technology

New Solvent, Cyrene, Takes on NMP

Jun 12, 2019 10:10 AM ET

A small Austrailian company called Circa Group and the lab services giant Merck KGaA have teamed up to launch a new solvent intended to replace two old but environmentally suspect standbys: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethyl formamide (DMF).

Environment

FPT Industrial Promoted “Urban Forestry”, Turin’s New Green Lung

Jun 12, 2019 10:05 AM ET

Sustainability consists of concrete gestures and it is for this reason that FPT Industrial, a Brand of CNH Industrial, decided to support Urban Forestry. This is a reforestation project of the Basse di Stura area, in the north of Turin, involves the planting of 1,000 trees of 32 native species typical of the forests and hedges of Piedmont. The four-hectare area has been planted with oak, poplar, willow, elm, ash, linden, maple, hawthorn and other shrubs. Basse di Stura will become an all-around sustainable area and it is estimated that this project will help reduce carbon dioxide by some ten tons annually.

Events, Media & Communications

Heading to Points of Light? Don’t Miss this Networking Mixer

Jun 12, 2019 10:00 AM ET

VolunteerMatch & SmartSimple Software will be hosting a networking mixer at Points of Light next week. If you plan on attending the conference, don't miss this opportunity to unwind and mingle with folks who are passionate about mission-driven work. We hope to see you there!

Diversity & Inclusion

Pampers, Donte Palmer & John Legend Encourage Dads to Love the Change with 5,000 Changing Tables

Jun 12, 2019 9:45 AM ET

Pampers recognizes dads are more hands-on than ever and wants to help enable them to take the best care of their babies while on diaper duty!

Social Impact & Volunteering

NRG Energy Employees Lead Nearly 80 Service Projects Nationwide

Jun 12, 2019 9:45 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Arrow Electronics Employees Build Bikes to Improve Recreational Opportunities in Low-income Communities

Jun 12, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Nearly 100 members of Arrow Electronics’ Young Professionals Group teamed with Wish for Wheels to build 40 bikes for low-income children in Denver. This marks the third year that Arrow employees in the company’s Centennial, Colo. headquarters have worked with Wish for Wheels to expand healthy living opportunities in low-income communities.

Research, Reports & Publications

Our Commitment to Patients and Beyond: Amgen 2018 Responsibility Highlights Report

Jun 12, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Beyond our work to discover, develop and manufacture vital medicines, we are focused on contributing to the greater good in society in numerous ways, which we share in our 2018 Responsibility Highlights Report. We continue to build our Access to Medicine effort, grow the number and reach of science education programs, improve the environmental footprint of our business and create a healthy, inclusive and safe work environment where innovation thrives.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How to Eliminate Child Labor, Farm by Farm, on a Global Scale

Jun 12, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Companies should act to not only eradicate the problem of child labor, but also help tackle the underlying reasons it exists. That’s what Philip Morris International (PMI) has been striving toward—eliminating child labor by changing the way it purchases tobacco, monitoring the labor practices on farms, and adopting initiatives to help farming communities improve their business operations so they don’t need child labor.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Pro Bono Perspectives Episode 23: Marcy Scott Lynn, Facebook

Jun 12, 2019 7:00 AM ET

Host and Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly is joined by Marcy Scott Lynn, Facebook’s Director of Global Impact Partnerships and a member of nonprofit Camp Tawonga’s Board of Directors. Marcy has scaled Facebook’s social impact work through the implementation of several CSR projects, including rolling out the Safety Check feature, which in the wake of natural and man-made disasters lets users alert their friends and family that they’re safe.