ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Production & Consumption

Aflac's SmartGreen® Initiative Helps Reduce the Company's Environmental Impact

Jul 25, 2018 3:05 PM ET

Although our corporate environmental impact is minimal due to the nature of our business, we’re always looking for innovative ways to reduce that impact. The Aflac Board of Directors Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Committee leads our program, which is called Aflac SmartGreen®.

Sustainable Development Goals

Brands Taking Stands | Luxury Brands Turn to the Triple Bottom Line

Jul 25, 2018 2:50 PM ET

Luxury brands and brands taking stands are topics not usually included in the same conversation. But in another sign of a world turned upside down, top tier fashion labels are now talking CSR and sustainability. From materials to packaging, from supply chain to environmental footprint, luxury consumer goods companies are updating their strategies to ensure long-term viability.

Innovation & Technology

Booz Allen Interns Create Mobile App for Washington, DC’s Metro System

Jul 25, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Washington, DC’s metropolitan rail system (Metro) is the second busiest rail system in the U.S. with more than 600,000 daily riders. However, Metro is also plagued with serious problems—severe safety lapses, service disruptions, and extended maintenance closures. As a result, significantly fewer people are using the service, opting instead for alternative forms of transportation. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs Metro, is reevaluating initiatives as a public transit service to attract new riders and bring back those who left.

While not officially contracted by WMATA, a team of Summer Games interns at Booz Allen are going through a design thinking exercise to improve Metro’s image by developing what an official mobile application could look like for WMATA.

Media & Communications

L’Oréal and Avery Dennison Collaborate to Eliminate Label Waste

Jul 25, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Global materials science and manufacturing company, Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY), leading beauty company both globally and in Australia, L’Oréal Australia, and Australia’s leading waste management company, Wasteflex, are collaborating on a recycling programme to deliver zero waste to landfills.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Minimizing Distracted Driving Through Partnerships

Jul 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

According to the World Health Organization, about 1.25 million people are killed and millions more are injured on the world’s roadways each year. Research has shown that distracted driving is a preventable contributor to this toll. As we work toward our vision of a future with zero crashes, we are always looking for more ways General Motors can collaborate with others committed to creating safe roads for drivers.

Education

Getting Syrian Students Back to School through Tech-Enabled Learning

Jul 25, 2018 1:50 PM ET

Through an innovative partnership with the Clooney Foundation for Justice and UNICEF, HP is helping support the education of nearly 4,000 Syrian refugees and thousands of Lebanese students at nine schools in Lebanon.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Johnson County Library and Black & Veatch Renew MakerSpace Partnership

Jul 25, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Modern American libraries are centers of access to ideas, books, AV – and technology. Global engineering and construction company Black & Veatch is continuing a successful partnership with Johnson County Library as part of the company’s growing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach with a renewed 3-year, $90,000 commitment, announced Wednesday, to the Black & Veatch MakerSpace at Central Resource Library.

Health & Healthcare

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Behind the Scenes of a Video Shoot with Chloe

Jul 25, 2018 12:25 PM ET

As a national ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Chloe, age 11, is just one of 10 million children treated each year at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This past week, Chloe took to the sky to fly to Columbus, GA, home of Aflac, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals partner to participate in a video shoot to create her story on surviving cancer, thanks to donations which helped her treatment at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center.

Environment

INFOGRAPHIC | How to Minimize Your Ecological Footprint

Jul 25, 2018 11:45 AM ET

To address the impact of our ecological footprint, Schneider Electric recently hosted a webinar that considered the various ways humans can utilize the earth’s resources in a more responsible manner.

Education

Building a Legacy at the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Summit

Jul 25, 2018 11:20 AM ET

This week, we hosted our 9th annual Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network Summit (DWEN) in Toronto, Canada, bringing together more than 100 women entrepreneurs from 16 countries and 25 industries, the investment community and the next generation of innovators and trailblazers through our Girls Track!

Environment

Aramark to Reduce Single-Use Disposable Plastics Across Global Operations by 2022

Jul 25, 2018 11:15 AM ET

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food, facilities management and uniforms, has announced a commitment to significantly reduce single-use disposable plastics, across its global food service operations, by 2022. Single-use plastic items include straws, stirrers, bags, cutlery and various packaging materials. Aramark will implement actions across the 19 countries where it serves 2 billion meals annually in schools and workplaces, sports and leisure venues, hospitals and other locations.

Education

Supporting Science Fairs While Keeping Data Safe

Jul 25, 2018 11:05 AM ET

Sustainable Development Goals

Aligning Pfizer’s Business with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Jul 25, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Chris Gray, Senior Director, Global Institutions and Public Reporting, Pfizer, will join Dave Armon, CMO of 3BL Media, to discuss Pfizer’s commitment to the SDGs on July 26, at 2:00 pm ET.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Assessing the Effectiveness of Our New Community Response System at Eleonore

Jul 25, 2018 11:00 AM ET

In an effort to increase collaboration and transparency, our Éléonore operation formally established a site-based grievance mechanism in 2016 using the principles set out in our Sustainability Excellence Management System (SEMS). Through discussions with our Cree Nation of Wemindji partners, a joint decision was made to refer to it as a “dialogue mechanism,” with the intent of facilitating meaningful conversations with our stakeholders. In 2017, Éléonore volunteered to pilot a new internal tool developed by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team to assess the effectiveness of the dialogue mechanism.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo Pledges to Give Away $400 Million This Year

Jul 25, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Digital Fluency: An Intelligent Approach to A.I.

Jul 25, 2018 10:55 AM ET

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is not the future. A.I. is the now, delivering real benefits for people and businesses today, in addition to holding extraordinary potential for accelerating innovation and creating even greater efficiencies down the road. At Monsanto, we recognize that the world of agriculture is being transformed by data science, and A.I. is a major part of that.

Health & Healthcare

Meet the 2018 Cisco GPS Challenge Grand Prize Winner: CareNX Innovations

Jul 25, 2018 10:45 AM ET

Education

Milliporesigma in Massachusetts

Jul 25, 2018 10:45 AM ET

MilliporeSigma CEO Udit Batra talks about the company's footprint here in New England. If they are located in 66 countries around the globe, why is their global headquarters in Massachusetts? Plus, what is a "curiosity cube?"

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Amplifying the Call for Help

Jul 25, 2018 10:05 AM ET

To truly make a difference during a disaster, we know providing information — from the latest weather updates and best evacuation routes to tips for people staying in place — is just step one. Step two is action. Our 2017 news coverage emphasized the magnitude of the challenges faced by people in affected areas. It also helped mobilize citizen action as we connected viewers with relief organizations offering financial and logistical aid.

Opening the nation’s eyes to the dire circumstances, infrastructure damage, and human struggle was vital to rallying support.

Research, Reports & Publications

Yum! Brands’ Recipe for Good: 2017 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report Showcases Company’s Efforts to Serve Food People Trust, Grow Sustainably to Protect the Planet and Unlock Potential in People

Jul 25, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Yum! Brands, Inc. today released its 2017 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report, citizenship.yum.com, highlighting the company’s progress in 2016 and 2017 and outlining efforts by KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell to make a meaningful impact in three areas of strategic focus: Food, Planet and People.

Media & Communications

Urban Centers – Preferable Place for Billions of Us to Settle Down -- So What About Helping Growing Cities Become More Sustainable?

Jul 25, 2018 10:00 AM ET

With the majority of the population moving into urban centers in coming decades…how can the action of today’s city planners create a better future for us? Scientific American shares some perspectives.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hallmark Responds in Times of Need: Disaster Relief 2017

Jul 25, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Hallmark matched employee donations to the American Red Cross of $35,000 at its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, and $4,000 at Crayola in Easton, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Hallmark Gold Crown stores across the U.S. accepted donations from their valued consumers through year-end, totaling $28,000 for the Red Cross.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

How to Plan your Financial Future in Your 30s

Jul 25, 2018 9:20 AM ET

Take advantage of ‘free money’. Does your employer match retirement contributions, offer a pension or an employee share ownership plan? If so, take full advantage of any free money, as you continue to grow your nest egg.

Green Infrastructure

Tetra Tech Is Advancing the Revitalization of the Los Angeles River

Jul 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech is supporting local communities in Southern California to improve the natural functions, habitat, and ecosystems of the 19-mile-long Lower Los Angeles River. Tetra Tech is leading a diverse team of planners, landscape architects, scientists, and community organizations to develop an innovative revitalization plan that is community-centric and watershed-based. The Lower Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan represents the future of inclusive and integrated water management.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hormel Foods Announces Three Employee Engagement Trips to Guatemala

Jul 25, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Hormel Foods Corporation today announced the company has coordinated three trips for employees and their guests to travel to Guatemala this year to help those in need through its Project SPAMMY® program.