ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Top Trends in Corporate Pro Bono | Taproot Foundation's Advisory Services Newsletter

Feb 22, 2019 9:15 AM ET

As we settle into the new year, we find ourselves reflecting on the state of corporate pro bono, the exciting ways in which the field has evolved over the last year, and what's ahead in 2019. Taproot's Advisory Services team recently conducted an inaugural study of companies doing pro bono as a way to understand industry-wide trends and share out key observations.

Responsible Production & Consumption

NextGen Cup Challenge: Nestlé Joins Initiative to Build a Fully Recyclable, Compostable To-Go Cup

Feb 22, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Nestlé announced today that it is joining forces with other industry partners to build a fully recyclable, compostable fiber cup as part of the NextGen Consortium and Cup Challenge.

This announcement follows a series of initiatives and concrete steps taken by Nestlé to accelerate action to tackle plastic waste, in line with its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Groundbreaking Report by Equileap Ranks General Motors No. 2 U.S. Company on Gender Equality

Feb 22, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Equileap, a global organization seeking to accelerate gender equality in the workplace, has ranked the largest companies in the United States in terms of commitment to gender equality. General Motors ranked second in gender equality among companies in the S&P 100 Index and was the only leading U.S. company with no overall gender pay gap (less than 3 percent).

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Donated $444 Million to 11,000 Nonprofits in 2018

Feb 22, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Wells Fargo increased its philanthropic impact in 2018 by donating $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits to help communities and people in need. The company has been committed to local communities throughout its 167-year history and has increased its philanthropy 25 times over the past 28 years.

Sustainable Development Goals

GRI and the UN Global Compact Announce Continued Collaboration to Advance Business Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals

Feb 22, 2019 8:45 AM ET

GRI and the United Nations Global Compact have announced their continued partnership to develop best practices for corporate reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empowering businesses to prioritize SDG targets and measure and report on progress.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Tetra Tech Named as a Finalist for the 2019 INFORMS Franz Edelman Award

Feb 22, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech has been named as a finalist for the prestigious Franz Edelman Award, which recognizes the ways that operation research and analytics are improving how people live and work around the globe. This nomination recognizes Tetra Tech’s partnership with the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) in Kentucky to implement real-time control (RTC) software to manage the city’s sewer network. The Edelman Award is the highest award in operation research and analytics. This year’s finalists include IBM; Microsoft; the Boston School Board; the Spanish National Aviation Authority; and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest producers of electricity.

Energy

VIDEO - Forest Carbon Offset Verification: What to Expect During a Field Visit

Feb 21, 2019 11:55 PM ET

At SCS Global Services, we take pride in conducting comprehensive assessments and offering best-in-class service. In this video, we follow SCS Forester Francis Eaton as he verifies a forest carbon offset project in Northern California.

Energy

SmartHub@CLP Gives a Futuristic Glimpse Into Tomorrow’s World

Feb 21, 2019 7:45 PM ET

Have you ever wondered what a smart city looks like? Well, you can have a glimpse into the future now by going to the second floor of CLP’s office in Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong’s oldest districts.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

IWBI Named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019

Feb 21, 2019 4:10 PM ET

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies roster, carrying last year’s momentum around WELL full force into 2019. The list honors businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture. IWBI leads the global movement to transform our buildings and communities to help deliver health and wellbeing for all.

Diversity & Inclusion

Secret Asks Women to Share 'No Sweat' Stories on Instagram

Feb 21, 2019 2:55 PM ET

Women's deodorant brand Secret is asking female Instagram users to share their empowering "All Strength, No Sweat" stories amid four new product launches, per an announcement. The Procter & Gamble brand's panel of judges, including brand leaders and social influencers, will select as many as 10 women whose stories of personal strength will run in a multichannel campaign throughout the year.
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Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Purpose At Work: The Path To Purposeful Profit with Timberland Sustainability Director, Colleen Vien

Feb 21, 2019 2:30 PM ET

We First CEO Simon Mainwaring sat down with the Sustainability Director of Timberland, Colleen Vien, to discuss how the global apparel industry leader is able to create business growth through activating its purpose.

Education

MetLife Foundation and Sesame Workshop Expand “Dream, Save, Do: Financial Empowerment for Families”

Feb 21, 2019 2:30 PM ET

Spanning nine countries in disparate regions, the “Dream, Save, Do” initiative has helped children and the adults in their lives set goals, aspire to reach them, make plans, and understand that the choices they make every day can help them achieve their dreams.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Smithfield Foods Earns North American Meat Institute Environmental, Workplace Safety, and Research Awards

Feb 21, 2019 2:05 PM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Comerica Java & Jazz Returns for 19th Year to Showcase Local Musicians

Feb 21, 2019 1:45 PM ET

Jazz and coffee are about to flow freely in Detroit. For the 19th year, Comerica Bank and the Detroit Public Library have once again partnered to present the “Comerica Java & Jazz: A Coffeehouse Series.” On the third Tuesday of each month from March to July, community members are invited to enjoy the cultural and musical experiences that make Detroit unique.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

A Year of Giving: Wells Fargo Donates $444m to Nearly 11,000 Nonprofits in 2018

Feb 21, 2019 1:30 PM ET

Wells Fargo increased its philanthropic impact in 2018 by donating $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits that help communities and people in need, surpassing its $400 million goal. The company has been committed to local communities throughout its 167-year history and has increased its philanthropy 25 times over the past 28 years.

Social Impact & Volunteering

BLOG | Why The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation is Growing More Than Gardens

Feb 21, 2019 1:20 PM ET

“Every day, the babies in our community are having adult experiences.”

I’ll never forget listening to a community gardener talk about the challenges facing young children in his east-side neighborhood. Violence, drugs, poverty, absent parents, hunger. It was heartbreaking. The conversation started when another community garden leader explained that a portion of our ScottsMiracle-Gro grant was used to purchase pairs of cheap, plastic flip flops.

Why? I asked.

Health & Healthcare

Celebrate the Women Leading the Sexual & Reproductive Health Movement in Nigeria

Feb 21, 2019 1:00 PM ET

“All girls and women have an inherent right to dignity and a life free from violence.”

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Sustainable Investing Goes Mainstream: Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg Survey Finds Sustainable Investing A Business Imperative Among U.S. Asset Managers

Feb 21, 2019 12:30 PM ET

A majority of U.S. asset managers are now practicing sustainable investing, viewing it as a strategic business imperative. In a new survey entitled Sustainable Signals: Growth and Opportunity in Asset Management, from the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Bloomberg, 75% of respondents reported that their firms have adopted sustainable investing, up from 65% in 2016.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Generation No Kid Hungry Celebrate Young People Tackling Childhood Hunger on National Youth Day

Feb 21, 2019 12:20 PM ET

With one out of every six children in the United States living with hunger each day, young people are leading the fight to end child hunger to make sure their peers have access to healthy meals. To celebrate the role of young people in addressing this critical issue, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Generation No Kid Hungry proclaim February 21 National Youth Day.

Environment

Thousands of Symantec Employees Take Action for a Sustainable Future

Feb 21, 2019 12:15 PM ET

In 2018, thousands of Symantec employees globally partcipated in our year-long, Going Green in 2018 campaign to help create a more sustainable business and future. While company-wide challenges and initiatives were planned, in most cases "It's the Little Things" - those individual commitments, choices and actions - that each employee did that collectively made a significant and lasting impact.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

PayPal Leverages Platform to Strengthen Communities

Feb 21, 2019 12:00 PM ET

We believe all companies have an important role to play in fostering strong, inclusive communities in the places where we live and work. Watch this video to learn how PayPal facilitates initiatives to create local impact in meaningful ways.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Right Line-up for Corporate Volunteering – Insights From Germany’s DAX30 Companies

Feb 21, 2019 11:40 AM ET

It has become a concern, of course, for most companies to face their social responsibility on a global as well as on a local level. Whereas this often happens by supporting social initiatives with generous donations, progressive corporations have long before started to engage more actively within their communities. Instead of only giving money to social causes, they want to lever their resources even more. More specifically: the time and talents of their employees. The emerging trend of corporate volunteering shows that for companies applying a holistic approach to corporate social responsibility, it is no longer a question of whether but rather of how to engage their employees.

Health & Healthcare

Whole Kids Foundation Grants $500,000 to Provide 150 New Salad Bars to Schools Across the U.S.

Feb 21, 2019 11:00 AM ET

Collectively, more than $14.3 million has been invested across all 50 states providing over 2.7 million children with daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Diversity & Inclusion

Major Consumer Brands Join Forces to Highlight Women’s Leadership Across Global Supply Chains for International Women’s Day

Feb 21, 2019 11:00 AM ET

The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., Nordstrom, UGG®, and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. are proud to come together to raise the profile of women leaders across global supply chains through the “This Is A Leader” campaign. Launching today, this campaign celebrates exemplary female leadership from supplier factories to corporate offices, and invites employees, partners, consumers, and other stakeholders to join the conversation and share what leadership means to them.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Barron's Names UPS in Top Two Percent of U.S. Companies for Sustainability Efforts

Feb 21, 2019 10:30 AM ET

UPS is recognized for commitement to the systainability with a placement on Barron's annual list of America’s Top 100 Most Sustainable Companies.