ESG News from Leading Brands

Environment

Bechtel’s Latest Bridge: Low-Carbon Natural Gas

Sep 28, 2016 1:05 PM ET

“At Bechtel, we are actively looking for ways to reduce the cost of carbon capture,’’ John Gulen, a senior principal engineer at Bechtel, said at the Concordia Summit in New York on Tuesday. Gulen spoke at a session addressing private companies’ role in achieving the U.N.’s sustainable development goals, which include affordable and clean energy.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Wireless Reach Celebrates 10 Years of Impact

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

I am very proud to say that Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ is celebrating 10 years of innovative programs that use advanced wireless technologies to transform the lives of people in underserved communities globally. By serving as a corporate citizenship model for achieving a healthier, more educated, more prosperous and sustainable world, Wireless Reach demonstrates how mobile technology is having a positive impact on social and economic development.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kelley Students Help Build Habitat For Humanity Home For 7th Year

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Health & Healthcare

The Food Safety Bar Must Continue to Rise

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

The esteemed American food writer Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher once wrote, “First we eat, then we do everything else.”

Responsible Production & Consumption

Carlsberg Unveils New Green Fiber Bottle Design

Sep 28, 2016 11:30 AM ET

The new design of Carlsberg’s Green Fiber Bottle was revealed today, as 500 business leaders joined the Sustainable Brands community at the Sustainable Brands 2016 Copenhagen conference, aimed at inspiring business success through innovation and ‘Activating Purpose’ towards a sustainable future.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Working Mother Magazine Names Astellas Among 100 Best Companies in the US Across All Industries

Sep 28, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Astellas was named one of Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies in the U.S. for its commitment to establishing a corporate culture supportive of working moms and their families. The 100 Best Companies will be featured in the October/November issue of Working Mother and on workingmother.com.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Desert Heat Doesn’t Deter Wendy’s Franchisee from His Goal

Sep 28, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Ed Anderson has endured it all. From flat tires to a trip to the ER, but the Wendy’s Franchisee who owns restaurants in the Virginia Beach area is on a mission.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Winning the Wendy's High School Heisman Changed My Life

Sep 28, 2016 10:50 AM ET

Olympian Megan O'Leary recounts her experience winning the Wendy's High School Heisman and how it helped her achieve her goals.

Innovation & Technology

Relocation Transforms Akzonobel Facility into Energy Efficient Smart Building

Sep 28, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Completed in November last year, the company’s new Strongsville Technology Center in Ohio is only a third the size of the former location. Designed to use less than a third of the natural gas, electricity and water, the facility has now been recognized under the worldwide LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The DNA of Robust Employee Engagement

Sep 28, 2016 10:15 AM ET

Hear from Berkshire Bank—“America’s Most Exciting Bank”—to learn about the benefits they reap from a robust employee volunteer program.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Call for Entries Now Open - Green Key Environment and Green Key Meeting Awards

Sep 28, 2016 10:15 AM ET

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is now accepting entries for the 2016 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence. The Hall of Fame Awards program continues the Association’s tradition of acknowledging the strong standards and values of those involved in and with the lodging industry.

Environment

Carolyn Lochhead on the Politics of Water

Sep 28, 2016 10:10 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

IBM Grant Helps Stop Hunger Now Develop Strategic IT Vision

Sep 28, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Technology can play a critical role in a nonprofit organization’s ability to raise awareness for its cause, inspire and attract staff and volunteers, and serve its constituents. In Citizen IBM, the President & CEO of Stop Hunger Now writes about how an IBM Impact Grant helped his organization develop a strategic roadmap for its technology solutions and services. Read the full story here.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sappi’s Passion to Make a Difference

Sep 28, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Sappi’s new global mission statement highlights the fact that our success depends on collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders. In my role as Director of Sustainable Development and Global Policy Initiatives, I have the pleasure of representing Sappi in numerous sustainability initiatives.

Education

Planting a Science Education Seed in Croatia

Sep 28, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Every summer, 40 high school students from Croatia and other areas of Europe gather for 10 days to conduct hands-on research projects with mentors who are only a few years their senior. In the small town of Požega nestled in the mountains of eastern Croatia, these students learn about opportunities in science that lie ahead of them.

Education

Three Reasons to be Optimistic about Early Care and Education

Sep 28, 2016 9:45 AM ET

“Where do we even start?” “How can we expand access when we don’t have good quality?” “How do we build a skilled workforce when we can’t pay them what they deserve?” “How do we reach the informal providers who are caring for half of our community’s children?”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Get to Know Allina Health, Finalist for 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year

Sep 28, 2016 9:40 AM ET

Health care is more than just treating people when they are sick. As such, Allina Health is committed to improving the health of the communities they serve by investing in community health promotion efforts as well as its employees to support people on their path to better health.

Health & Healthcare

Ending Hunger and Malnutrition: How to Leverage Partnerships That Work

Sep 28, 2016 9:15 AM ET

The Sustainable Development Goals were created with the mindset that business as usual would not be enough to end poverty in all its forms and fight inequality. At its root, poverty is a result of inequality. In today’s food systems, the poor cannot access power, resources, and opportunities. The system is controlled by few, and poor and vulnerable people are further marginalized.

Environment

Powering The Wastewater Renaissance

Sep 28, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Hidden away or underground, wastewater infrastructure is an essential component to growing, sustainable communities. Around the world, this infrastructure enables cities to develop, economies to grow and communities to thrive.

Research, Reports & Publications

CBRE’s Shared Advantage: The Inside Story

Sep 28, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Some firms understand that their influence extends beyond the boundaries of their own work. They recognize that the impact of small, positive acts multiplied across a broad global enterprise can improve the communities they serve, while at the same time grow their bottom line. When those positive acts flow naturally from the business process, the organization evolves beyond its public persona to deliver a mutual benefit to all of its stakeholders.

Environment

Big Companies are Taking Climate Change Very Seriously

Sep 28, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Big companies are taking climate change very seriously.

Events, Media & Communications

At Industry Conference, Publishers Vent About Power of Social Media Companies

Sep 28, 2016 8:25 AM ET

Education

Norfolk Southern: Reaching People Where They Live

Sep 28, 2016 7:30 AM ET

Norfolk Southern trains run through thousands of communities in the eastern U.S., delivering goods that support local economies and residents. To promote safe rail operations, NS invests in community awareness programs that target two troublesome areas: trespassing on railroad tracks and unsafe motorist behavior at highway-rail grade crossings.

Environment

China is Losing its Appetite for Coal-Fired Power Plants

Sep 28, 2016 7:20 AM ET

Environment

National Grid Intervenes in Support of EPA’s Clean Power Plan

Sep 27, 2016 7:35 PM ET

Today National Grid joined eight other power companies at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Together we urged the Court to uphold the rule as a lawful application of EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector.