ESG News from Leading Brands

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Bringing Transparency on Sustainability to the Global Financial Markets: Bloomberg Joins WBCSD

Mar 6, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Bringing transparency on sustainability to the global financial markets: Bloomberg joins over 200 forward-thinking companies as the newest member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Diageo North America Named Among Top Companies for Executive Women

Mar 6, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, has been named one of the 2017 “Top 60 Companies for Executive Women” by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE).

Environment

In Africa, Natural Events and Surging Demand Place New Spotlight on Microgrids

Mar 6, 2017 9:00 AM ET

The impact of natural disasters on power grid resilience is increasingly gaining attention worldwide. Adapting lessons learned from high-profile incidents that have occurred elsewhere for the African continent, where energy supply is already intermittent, may provide opportunities to enhance the region’s energy system reliability through smart grid infrastructure solutions.

Green Infrastructure

WELL and RESET to Align Building Standards

Mar 6, 2017 8:55 AM ET

NEW YORK & SHANGHAI, March 6, 2017 /3BL Media/ - The International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) and GIGA, an independent third-party company specializing in the development of building standards and cloud-based assessment tools, announced today that the two organizations will form a strategic partnership to align applicable areas of IWBI’s WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) and GIGA’s RESET™ Standard. This partnership will also include the integration of RESET’s data collection and assessment framework into the operability of WELL.

Health & Healthcare

Hygiene's Technological Revolution

Mar 6, 2017 8:45 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Minivan Monday: Puppy love for the Chrysler Pacifica

Mar 6, 2017 8:30 AM ET

Wallis Brozman may use a wheelchair, but it does not limit her mobility. Through a partnership between Chrysler and BraunAbility, she can utilize a wheelchair-accessible BraunAbility Chrysler Pacifica for greater mobility and independence.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CBRE Announces 2017 Winners of Global Urban Photography Competition

Mar 6, 2017 8:15 AM ET

Moin Ahmed, from Bangladesh, has been named as the winner of CBRE Group, Inc.’s Urban Photographer of the Year competition. Mr. Ahmed’s image, “The Man’s Stare,” captures the entrancing visage of a train rider during a rainy day in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With more than 29,000 entries from 111 countries, the competition’s 10th year was its largest.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Cargill Grows Base of Certified Sustainable Independent Oil Palm Smallholders in Malaysia

Mar 6, 2017 8:05 AM ET

Cargill, in partnership with Wild Asia, has helped 141 independent oil palm smallholder farmers in Perak receive the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification under the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS). Fifty of these farmers are from indigenous communities in Perak. This brings the total number of RSPO-certified independent smallholders under the WAGS to 175.

Environment

Scotiabank is a Proud Supporter of Enactus Canada

Mar 6, 2017 8:05 AM ET

Scotiabank is a proud supporter of Enactus Canada, one of the country’s largest student leadership development organization, that is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Namdeb Scores with New Soccer Cup

Mar 6, 2017 8:00 AM ET

The company is giving N$100,000 (US$7,400) as a platinum sponsor towards the newly-launched Harders Soccer Cup, named after a species of fish. The other two platinum sponsors are Standard Bank and Tafel Lager.

Health & Healthcare

Kids Cook Fresh Contest

Mar 6, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Spending time in the kitchen is one the best ways to share quality time with your family. This fall, we’re inviting all families to get out their whisks and skillets to create a dish together. We’re encouraging contestants to create a dish with 2 or more vegetables that’s both healthy and delicious – and we want to see what junior chefs and families whip-up together!

Education

Let’s Talk Ethics: “R&ED Days”

Mar 6, 2017 7:00 AM ET

This year, Learning Week included our annual R&ED Days. Learning Week is a global event organized in all the locations of Schneider Electric, both front offices and production sites. Employees participate in multiple training sessions, including webinars and in-person sessions led by HR BPs, Compliance Officers, and Principles of Responsibility Advisors.

Innovation & Technology

Bringing Virtual and Augmented Reality to the Forefront of Mining

Mar 3, 2017 8:00 PM ET

As part of our series on #DisruptMining Innovation, in today’s post we share how virtual and augmented reality technology can improve efficiency and increase productivity at Goldcorp.

Innovation & Technology

Benevity’s User-centric Technology Helps Microsoft Increase Employee Giving by 14 Percent

Mar 3, 2017 7:55 PM ET

Benevity announces that Spark, its market-leading cloud solution for workplace giving and volunteering, was used to help Microsoft achieve record participation and donation volume in their employee giving program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

“Hidden Figures” Sparks STEM Commitments

Mar 3, 2017 7:00 PM ET

STEM took the spotlight with the release of the “Hidden Figures” film which increased awareness of past gender and racial inequity. The film has not only inspired girls to pursue their interests in STEM but it also encouraged society and companies to address the STEM gender gap that is still present today.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Microsoft and Its Employees Donated Over $650 Million in Cash, Cloud Services and Software in 2016

Mar 3, 2017 6:45 PM ET

A year after the formation of Microsoft Philanthropies, Microsoft Corp. and its employees have donated more than $650 million in cash, cloud services and software to nonprofits around the world.

Innovation & Technology

Goldcorp and IBM Watson: Gaining New Exploration Insights Through Artificial Intelligence

Mar 3, 2017 6:30 PM ET

As part of our series on #DisruptMining Innovation, in today’s post we’ll share how we’ve been working with IBM Watson to potentially transform every facet of the mining process.

Education

Michael Weiner Scholarship Recipient Samantha Groark Inspired by Curt Flood

Mar 3, 2017 6:00 PM ET

2017 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies Recipients Profile #1: Samantha Groark - University of Missouri School of Law

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Technology as a Force for Inclusion

Mar 3, 2017 5:40 PM ET

A recent trip to visit my family in Kansas offered an unexpected example of how quickly the nature of work is changing. While I was there, we stopped in at a restaurant near the edge of our small town. In the past, it was the kind of place where you’d be greeted and served by eager young people—mostly local high school students or recent graduates getting their first work experience. This time, however, a computer screen at the entrance assigned us to a table.

Social Impact & Volunteering

LA Galaxy Host Read Across America Day at StubHub Center

Mar 3, 2017 5:35 PM ET

Yesterday, AEG's LA Galaxy alongside LA Chargers, StubHub Center and First Break Academy hosted Read Across America Day at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Players and staff read to more than 400 second and third grade students from local Los Angeles elementary schools in celebration of Read Across America Day, a nation-wide celebration of children’s author Dr. Seuss.

Energy

Big Business and Investors Urge New EPA Chief to Keep MPG and GHG Standards in Place

Mar 3, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Major U.S. businesses are urging the federal Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt to leave in place vehicle standards for passenger cars and light trucks. In a letter delivered this week to Mr. Pruitt, the businesses pointed out that the standards are good for business and for the economy as a whole.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep Erie County Beautiful Becomes Newest Keep America Beautiful Affiliate

Mar 3, 2017 2:25 PM ET

On March 1, Keep Erie County Beautiful became the 12th Keep America Beautiful affiliate in Pennsylvania.

Innovation & Technology

Conversations with Coders: How Diversity and Collaboration Fuel Engineering Innovation

Mar 3, 2017 2:15 PM ET

Software engineering is a field that’s as infinite as the ways we describe it. Conversations with Coders explores the developer experience at Bloomberg, and spotlights the skills required to thrive here and make a real, lasting impact. Our engineers tackle unique technological challenges and innovate in real time. Go deep with our engineers and take a fresh look at Bloomberg.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo Donates $15,000 to the Student Farm at Purdue University for New Hoop House

Mar 3, 2017 1:45 PM ET

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, is donating $15,000 to the Student Farm at Purdue University to build a hoop house, a type of greenhouse that will enable students to grow produce throughout the year. The produce will then be used at the school cafeteria and sold to local businesses.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Hell No, Kraft Heinz! Hell Yes, Business For Good!

Mar 3, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Unilever swatted away their unsolicited financial-driven suitors like a grizzly bear smacks down an interloper if her cubs are close by. But the fundamental issues at play here are worth more serious reflection than the mere machismo of win-or-lose deal-making in the greed-driven world of finance. We must ask ourselves three questions.