ESG News from Leading Brands

Environment

GM Builds Vehicles and Biodiversity at Its Facilities

Nov 3, 2016 11:00 AM ET

General Motors is supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal to halt biodiversity loss by developing wildlife habitats at its sites around the world. From helping protect honeybees with pollinator gardens or designating no-mow zones to grow grassland habitats, GM is demonstrating the role business can play in advancing sustainable ecosystems.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

10 Fascinating EHS Facts From Around the Globe

Nov 3, 2016 10:55 AM ET

Expanding your organization into a new global location with little or no understanding of the local environmental health and safety (EHS) and cultural implications of doing business there can be extremely challenging and even risky. When it comes to ensuring a successful cross-border expansion, there are a number of factors to take into consideration, some of the most crucial are EHS and cultural considerations.

Take a look at this sampling of EHS and cultural facts from around the world, ranging from understanding medical requirements to EHS pollution concerns and considerations. Heading into an expansion armed with this kind of information requires planning, time, and extensive research, but will pay dividends in the end.

Events, Media & Communications

Innovative Programs Enable Companies to Develop Their Future Leaders

Nov 3, 2016 10:25 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Domtar is Proud of its Sustainable Forestry Progress in 2016

Nov 3, 2016 10:25 AM ET

At Domtar, we aim to increase our supply of certified fiber by remaining committed to implementing and maintaining Chain-of-Custody certification to recognized third-party standards, namely the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™).

Environment

Water Use Efficiency in Action

Nov 3, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Bracing for the scorching July heat in Pakistan, thirty-five-year-old Tehmina stands barefoot for eight to twelve hours a day transplanting rice seedlings in the paddies of Punjab Province. Her two daughters, ages fourteen and twelve, work at her side in the humid conditions while her three younger children, ages five, seven, and ten, linger on the field’s periphery under the supervision of her mother-in-law.

Education

Atlanta Speech School Expands Access to Teacher Training with $2.8 Million Grant from James M. Cox Foundation

Nov 3, 2016 10:00 AM ET

The James M. Cox Foundation announced a $2.8 million grant to the Atlanta Speech School to expand access to the Cox Campus and provide more learning materials.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Ideas That Matter 2016 | ALL AMERICA: We See Changemakers Everywhere

Nov 3, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Former Prime Minister of Australia Addresses the BSR Conference 2016

Nov 3, 2016 10:00 AM ET

In a plenary address at the BSR Conference 2016, the Honorable Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia and president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, underlined how the public and private sectors need to be mobilized to deliver effective action on climate change.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Developing the Dairy Value Chain

Nov 3, 2016 10:00 AM ET

The Dairy Hub concept goes to the heart of food safety and dairy development, by helping strengthen the dairy value chain in developing countries. The goal of Dairy Hubs is to help our customers in developing countries access better-quality, locally produced milk. At the same time, it helps smallholder farmers become profitable dairy producers, raising income and improving nutrition in areas that need it most.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JetBlue For Good™ Encourages Customers and Crewmembers to Give Back And Enter for A Chance to Donate $1,000 to Their Favorite Charity

Nov 3, 2016 9:30 AM ET

JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) is celebrating November as Philanthropy Month, recognizing those who actively volunteer in their communities. To kick off this month of giving, JetBlue is launching a contest inviting customers and crewmembers to join the JetBlue For Good Crew. Volunteers who work to make their communities a better place can enter at JetBlueForGood.com for a chance to win $1,000 for the charity of their choice (a).

Environment

VIDEO | The Life of an HP Print Cartridge

Nov 3, 2016 9:25 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

CBRE: “Great Companies Build Trust”

Nov 3, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Not only does trust build confidence and facilitate a transparent and reliable means of communicating among our employees, it’s shown that companies who adhere to the highest set of corporate values consistently outperform those who do not. So while CBRE professionals are highly motivated to do the right thing as codified in our RISE values and Standards of Business Conduct, world-class organizations gain a distinct competitive edge when their employees deliver professional services that are based on honesty, integrity and the highest standard of ethics.

Health & Healthcare

Vitamin A: A Dangerous Deficiency [Infographic]

Nov 3, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Vitamin A deficiency is a serious issue affecting millions of children around the world. A lack of vitamin A causes up to 500,000 children to go blind every year, half of whom die with a year of losing their sight.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Norfolk Southern's Russ McDaniel Awarded 2016 Professional Environmental Excellence Award

Nov 3, 2016 8:55 AM ET

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has awarded the 2016 Professional Environmental Excellence Award, which is the highest honor for environmental professionals in the railroad industry, to Russ McDaniel of Norfolk Southern.

Environment

Disney Conservation Fund Announces 2016 Conservation Heroes

Nov 2, 2016 6:40 PM ET

The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) supports organizations working all over the world, through its “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time” initiative, to reverse the decline of threatened species and increase the time kids and families spend in nature.

Events, Media & Communications

Prepare for Deep Dive when Pitching Sustainability to New York Times

Nov 2, 2016 5:55 PM ET

One of the best punchlines delivered so far at BSR Conference came from New York Times sustainability reporter David Gelles when panelists were asked to recommend new breakthrough communications techniques.

“If I could briefly plug print advertising,” Gelles said, referring to a full-page ad that appeared on the back of the Times business section today from the office chat platform Slack, which used the space to deliver an open letter to Microsoft.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Two Booz Allen Women Honored by Society of Women Engineers

Nov 2, 2016 5:30 PM ET

Booz Allen’s Holly Rollins and Jaime Nelson were honored at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual conference, WE16, held Oct. 28 in Philadelphia. Each year, SWE recognizes a select few individuals who show “continuing dedication to SWE’s mission – striving to highlight the impact and importance of women in engineering across the globe, leading by example, and demonstrating that a career in engineering can be a fulfilling, rewarding pursuit for women of any background.”

Health & Healthcare

Sodexo Launches Zero October to Increase Safety and Facilitate Zero-Harm Culture

Nov 2, 2016 5:10 PM ET

As part of its commitment to improving workplace safety and reducing injuries, Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, launched Zero October last month, a month-long initiative dedicated to facilitating a zero-harm culture at all Sodexo work sites.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Making the Civil Rights Movement a Reality for All

Nov 2, 2016 4:30 PM ET

Morris Dees and Joe Levin founded the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 1971 to help ensure that the promise of the civil rights movement became a reality for all.

Environment

Making Vietnam a Little Greener

Nov 2, 2016 4:30 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

St. Vincent De Paul Parish Partners with BJ’s Wholesale Club to Donate 400 Turkeys this Thanksgiving Season

Nov 2, 2016 4:10 PM ET

This November, 400 families will receive a turkey and all the trimmings for their Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generous donation provided by St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s Parish Conference at Immaculate Conception-St. Cecilia and the BJ’s Wholesale Clubs in Baltimore, Canton and Owings Mills. Earlier today, BJ’s presented a check to St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore to help families in need just in time for Thanksgiving

Health & Healthcare

Safety First… No, Really

Nov 2, 2016 3:35 PM ET

We all know the sayings: “Safety first”, “better safe than sorry”, “safety begins with you.” These phrases are everywhere, on posters, in emails—so ubiquitous, in fact, that we start to tune them out. We know that safety is important, but it’s easy to take it for granted.

Energy

Timberland Cuts Over Half of Emissions Since 2006

Nov 2, 2016 3:05 PM ET

Following the release of data compiled for its Q2 CSR report, outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland shared that the company has met and exceeded its 2015 goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This achievement is a part of the company's commitment to innovate and operate in an accountable and responsible manner in terms of its products, the outdoors and communities around the world. Timberland reports the company has reduced GHG emissions by 53 percent, exceeding its target of 50 percent for 2015.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge® Raises $3.75 Million for Domestic Violence Programs

Nov 2, 2016 2:45 PM ET

Nearly 200 nonprofits stepped up as part of The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse® Challenge to raise $3.75 million through online public donations and Allstate Foundation grants for domestic violence survivors around the country. The effort coincided with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, a key fundraising time for domestic violence programs.

Environment

Grant Brings Science of Stormwater Pollution to Businesses

Nov 2, 2016 2:15 PM ET

Thanks to a $95,000 grant from Boeing, the Washington Stormwater Center will help businesses understand stormwater runoff regulations and why they’re essential to good stormwater management.