ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

The Future of Energy Is Decentralized

Oct 4, 2018 8:00 AM ET

In every part of the world, from the industrialized to the emerging economies, energy systems are shifting from a highly centralized architecture (i.e., large generation plants, long transmission lines, and one-way flows of energy) to a decentralized, distributed network model. This model takes the form of microgrids (or “mini-grids” in Africa and Asia), small, integrated systems capable of autonomous operation; and as Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems and Virtual Power Plants, as ways of making the existing bulk power grid more flexible. Some compare this to the advent of “the internet of energy.”

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | Aflac CSR Hero Diane Hintz Raises Over $83,000 for American Cancer Society

Oct 3, 2018 11:35 PM ET

For Diane Hintz, 2018 Aflac #CSRHero and an independent agent licensed to sell Aflac products, making a positive impact in her community is a year-round job. Inspired by her mother – a breast cancer survivor – Diane is committed to making a difference in her community wherever she can.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sold Out: The Global Engagement Forum: Live Reaches Capacity

Oct 3, 2018 7:00 PM ET

The Global Engagement Forum: Live 2018 has reached full capacity. Hosted by PYXERA Global, the Forum will convene more than 300 leaders and innovators in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area October 10 & 11. Leaders and experts from business, government, and nonprofit organizations will come together for two days of collaboration around specific global challenges within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Environment

Celebrating Ten Years of Sea Change Radio, Pt. 2

Oct 3, 2018 6:50 PM ET

This week on Sea Change Radio, the second half of our ten year anniversary celebration where we hear from some of the planet’s most important thinkers, leading green advocates, and sustainability innovators. Stay tuned to hear excerpts from interviews with thought leaders like George Monbiot, politicians like Gavin Newsom, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists like Robin McDowell, and scientists like Richard Lunt.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sysco Corporation Named 2018 Foodservice Distributor of the Year by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Magazine

Oct 3, 2018 4:45 PM ET

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Magazine has named Sysco its 2018 Distributor of the Year. Due to our continued efforts in fleet optimization, energy efficiency and sustainable distribution, Sysco has been recognized as the magazine’s first-ever Foodservice Distributor of the Year!

Health & Healthcare

Merck Announces “Safer Childbirth Cities” Initiative, Issues Call to Action to Reverse the Rise in U.S. Maternal Deaths

Oct 3, 2018 4:15 PM ET

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today a new effort to support cities across the country to help women have a healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth. The “Safer Childbirth Cities” initiative is intended to reduce the number of maternal deaths and life-threatening childbirth events and narrow disparities in maternal health outcomes in the U.S.

Diversity & Inclusion

Bloomberg Insists on More Women, Diverse Sourcing

Oct 3, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Look at almost any conventional media outlet, and you’ll see women underrepresented as sources. Focus just on business and finance stories, and they’re even less visible, an omission of perspective that Bloomberg’s news organization is not willing to tolerate. And so we have rolled out a global plan to boost the number of women and other diverse sources that we quote in stories, invite on Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg radio and feature in our events’ panels.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

Oct 3, 2018 2:45 PM ET

This year, the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business celebrates its fifth anniversary. It launched in 2013 as the Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability with funding from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and others, and in January 2015 the Ray C. Anderson Foundation made a $5 million commitment. It was then renamed for Ray C. Anderson.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Harnessing Mobile Technology to Train Supply Chain Workers

Oct 3, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Dell has a large and dynamic supply chain, with supplier facilities located in many regions around the world and many suppliers involved at multiple tiers in the manufacturing process. We require all suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and recognized international standards, and also abide by the high social and environmental responsibility (SER) standards outlined in the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct and Dell Supplier Principles.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland Remembers and Serves at Its 18th Annual 9/11 Service Event in New York

Oct 3, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Over 50 Timberland employees and wholesale partner volunteers recently convened in New York for the brand’s 18th annual 9/11 service event. Volunteers from Timberland, Kicks USA, Macy’s, Zappos and more made physical improvements to the buildings and grounds of Greyston Foundation’s Center for Open Hiring in Yonkers, NY.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

USGBC’s Second Annual Southern Hospitality Summit Coming to Charleston on Oct. 19, 2018

Oct 3, 2018 2:10 PM ET

The U.S. Green Building Council South Carolina (USGBC-SC) will hold its second annual Southern Hospitality Summit in Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 19, 2018. Sustainability experts, local leaders, builders, developers and professionals in the hospitality industry will convene to discuss how to infuse sustainability with luxury.

Environment

NFWF and Wells Fargo Announce $2 Million in Grants to Help Communities Better Prepare for and Respond to Natural Disasters

Oct 3, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Wells Fargo and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2 million in grants to eight nonprofit organizations to help communities become more resilient in the face of conditions associated with a changing climate, including rising sea levels, water quantity and quality issues, and extended hurricane and fire seasons.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Recycling Simplified

Oct 3, 2018 2:00 PM ET

In households across America, questions like these are heard several times a day: “Is this recyclable?” “It’s okay to put my recyclables in a bag, right?” “Do I need to do anything to this pizza box before I recycle it?”

Recycling started as a relatively easy concept — converting discarded resources into reusable material. But, over time, two things happened — the way manufacturers package their products changed and community recycling guidelines became disparate and confusing. Today, people are genuinely unsure about what to recycle, what not to recycle and how to recycle. The one constant in this equation — people want to recycle.

Innovation & Technology

Leveraging Technology Disruption & Innovation to Scale Social Impact

Oct 3, 2018 1:50 PM ET

Technology growth is fast and has become the driving sector of every company for them to stay competitive – from automation to AI. It can also be used as a foundation to grow social impact with just a little thought. And tying the two together means you can get double bottom line returns. People think that social impact and tech are antithesis of each other. It's the synergy that's powerful.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JetBlue's Tenth Annual ‘Swing for Good' Golf Classic and Fundraising Campaign to Raise Much Needed Funds for Three Youth-Focused Non-Profits

Oct 3, 2018 1:35 PM ET

JetBlue today launched its tenth annual Swing for Good Golf Classic and fundraising campaign at Bethpage State Golf Course in Bethpage, N.Y. Since its inception in 2008, JetBlue's Swing for Good initiative has raised more than $6.1 million for a variety of youth and education focused charitable organizations.

Under the JetBlue For Good umbrella, JetBlue’s platform for social impact and corporate responsibility, the Swing for Good campaign includes the JetBlue Bid For Good online auction which features one-of-a-kind opportunities and experiences. All proceeds will benefit non-profit recipients – Feeding Children Everywhere, Together We Rise, and The JetBlue Foundation.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sodexo Launches New Plant-Based Menus Across Hundreds of University, Healthcare and Corporate Services Accounts Nationwide

Oct 3, 2018 1:30 PM ET

According to a Nielsen global survey, 39% of American consumers are working to incorporate more plant-based foods in their diets. Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, launched its new plant-based menus in hundreds of accounts across its Universities, Healthcare, and Corporate Services segments. The new menus featuring 200 plant-based recipes were created in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the World Resource Institute-Better Buying Lab (WRI), to meet consumer demand for plant-based options and reduce the environmental impact of food offerings.

Events, Media & Communications

Brands Taking Stands™ | States Take Stands Like Brands

Oct 3, 2018 1:15 PM ET

We are witnessing a new development in the Brands Taking Stands movement: States defining themselves as “brands” by adopting definitive positions on social and political issues that are intertwined with business.

Sustainable Development Goals

Kellogg’s Amy Senter Sits Down With the Erb Institute Ahead of Innovation Forum Detroit

Oct 3, 2018 12:30 PM ET

When I was going into undergrad, I wanted to do something in the sciences and had always had a strong affinity for the environment. I can remember back to my elementary school days when we had a “cans for critters” campaign, where we collected soda cans, and all the money from the recycling went to the San Diego Zoo.

Diversity & Inclusion

Northern Trust Miami Office Sponsors the 10th Annual Women of Influence Cocktail Reception & Networker

Oct 3, 2018 12:25 PM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

VIDEO | Barclays Citizenship Awards: Luke Davies and Green Deposit

Oct 3, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Luke Davies was instrumental in the creation and launch of the Green Deposit, a first-to-market commercial product to help Barclays transition to a low-carbon economy. This pioneering and innovative corporate banking solution is a first for Barclays and the market.

Education

TMCF Bridging the Resource Gap: Getting Students to and Through College and Into Good Jobs

Oct 3, 2018 11:35 AM ET

As a former college president, each fall my mind turns to students for whom a college education can make a profound difference – if only they had the resources to attend and finish. I think of sacrifices some students make to continue their education: living in their cars or on friends’ couches or skipping meals. And, I think about those students who will not return to school because they cannot afford the full cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

eBay's Retail Revival Expands to the UK

Oct 3, 2018 11:05 AM ET

This week eBay UK announced the launch of its first Retail Revival program in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton. This program is designed to help small retailers to get online. It will give them all the tools they need to sell on eBay’s global marketplace and compete in a 21st-century retail landscape, demonstrating that online and high street retail can survive and thrive together.

Environment

Hawai‘i Convention Center Launches Industry-Leading Conservation Program with LEED Gold Certification and American Dental Association Annual Meeting

Oct 3, 2018 11:00 AM ET

To mark its 20th year of operations, the Hawai‘i Convention Center is launching the Hoʻomaluō Program, a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability with the goal of enhancing the guest, planner, staff and community meetings and events experience.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Donates $100,000 to NC Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund in Aftermath of Hurricane Florence

Oct 3, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Duke Energy today announced a $100,000 donation to support long-term relief for North Carolina farmers affected by Hurricane Florence, particularly in the state's hard-hit eastern region where devastating flooding caused extensive, widespread damage.

Environment

Showcasing New Ways to Solve Climate Change, Inspired by Nature

Oct 3, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Find out who will win the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize® as Biomimicry Launchpad entrepreneurs share their nature-inspired climate change solutions at the National Bioneers Conference.