ESG News from Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Strategic Volunteerism Webinar

Mar 22, 2016 2:05 PM ET

Stop painting the same wall seven times and start creating real impact with your nonprofit partners. Join America's Charities and Causecast for a free webinar about strategic volunteerism, April 5th 11am PT/2pm ET.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Impact for Change: Why Business Impacts Matter?

Mar 22, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Swazi sewing shop might seem a surprising place to see the impacts of big business first hand. But it’s where I found myself one morning in 2013, travelling as a guest of a big global brand. The smiling owner opened the door to us. She was smartly dressed, and rightly proud of the enterprise she’d grown. I’ll never forget the noise of her workshop. About two dozen women were hard at work, mostly from the local village. They were producing uniforms for the factory owned by our client down the road.

Innovation & Technology

Water Mission to Deliver 1,000 KOHLER Clarity Filters to Those in Need

Mar 22, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Kohler Co. has shipped the first order of its ceramic filtration system, KOHLER Clarity, to Water Mission, a nonprofit organization that provides sustainable safe water solutions to people in developing countries and disasters. Water Mission plans to distribute the filters in small communities in Haiti, Honduras and Peru.

Social Impact & Volunteering

JetBlue Now Accepting Applications for Second BlueBud Business Mentoring Program

Mar 22, 2016 1:15 PM ET

JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline™, recently began accepting applications for its business mentoring program – BlueBud (buddies + budding new companies). Now in its second year, JetBlue’s BlueBud program is once again offering innovative and socially responsible food and beverage companies a unique opportunity to learn what it takes to potentially get their products onboard commercial aircraft.

Events, Media & Communications

Huck Cancer is the Ultimate

Mar 22, 2016 1:10 PM ET

The Huck Cancer Ultimate Frisbee Tournament is a one-day, coed hat tournament and fundraiser for LIVESTRONG held every spring in San Francisco. This year the tournament takes place on March 26, 2016 at Beach Chalet Fields in Golden Gate Park. Adult and youth Ultimate players from throughout the Bay Area come together to have fun and support an important cause. The creators of the event sat down with us and talked about the fun and unique event.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Booz Allen Hamilton Marks MS Awareness Month

Mar 22, 2016 1:00 PM ET

Social Impact & Volunteering

Firms Learn From Pro Bono Event

Mar 22, 2016 12:45 PM ET

Companies here recently had the opportunity to learn about best practices in pro bono work - from people across some 25 countries in six continents.

The Global Pro Bono Summit, organised annually since 2013, was held for the first time in Asia last week, at different venues across Singapore.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Action Team Captains From H-B Woodlawn Hold Fundraiser to Benefit Local Charitable Groups

Mar 22, 2016 12:30 PM ET

Action Team Captains from H-B Woodlawn High School took advantage of “Pi-day” to hold a quick fundraiser that raised $150 in 45 minutes for local Virginia and DC area non-profits and rewarded donations with delicious pies.

Health & Healthcare

Nutrition for a Healthy Life

Mar 22, 2016 12:05 PM ET

Constant exposure to our environment, the things we eat, and stresses from both inside and outside our bodies all cause us to age over time. Although scientists have not yet found a way to delay the biological processes of aging, they are learning more about how healthy behavioral practices, such as maintaining a well-balanced diet, are critical to fostering good health throughout our lives.

Responsible Production & Consumption

GM Taps into Water Reuse Project in Texas

Mar 22, 2016 12:00 PM ET

At the beginning of the year, GM's team at the Arlington Assembly plant in Texas successfully turned millions of gallons of wasted water into a resource with a simple fix that will save money and serve as a model for similar facilities.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Our Collective Love of Red Meat

Mar 22, 2016 11:45 AM ET

Even a modest 8-ounce steak represents 3.5 pounds of consumed grain. That’s a lot of plants, and therefore a lot of farm land, dedicated to our collective love of red meat.

Environment

Antea Group Case Study: Pipeline Failure Spill Site

Mar 22, 2016 11:30 AM ET

On client detected a drop in pressure on their pipeline in Wisconsin. Approximately 1,302 barrels (54,684 gallons) of gasoline were released as a result of a pipeline seam failure. The spill was discovered in an area of farms, large homes and sub-divisions with over 200 potable wells within a one mile radius of the spill. Our client required immediate and large scale emergency response services and environmental support.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Trickle Up Brings Financial Inclusion to India’s Rural Poor

Mar 22, 2016 11:10 AM ET

Jayanti Pradhan lives in a three-room mud-walled house, earns a steady income from farming vegetables and raising goats, and has saved 8,000 rupees (about US$120) in her bank account.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The Importance of the Circular Economy to Business Expected to Double in Next Two Years, According to New Research by UPS and Greenbiz Group

Mar 22, 2016 11:10 AM ET

Nearly nine out of 10 (86 percent) of sustainability executives surveyed believe that circular economy will be important to their business two years from now, nearly double from two years ago when just 47 percent felt them important, according to findings of the 2016 UPS/GreenBiz Circular Economy Research Study released today. Respondents project the biggest growth in the adoption of the circular economy model will come from the technology sector, especially electronics such as computers and cell phones, as take-back systems and product reuse are most easily integrated in those models.

Health & Healthcare

Joan’s Story: A Personal Commitment to Patients Living with Hepatitis C

Mar 22, 2016 11:05 AM ET

For Joan, hepatitis C is much more than a significant global public health challenge—it’s personal.

Diversity & Inclusion

Gracie Awards Honor 'Breakthrough' Director Angela Bassett, 'The Herd' Co-host Kristine Leahy for Outstanding Achievements by Women in Media

Mar 22, 2016 11:00 AM ET

On March 21, the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announced the honorees for the 41st annual Gracie Awards, a ceremony celebrating outstanding work by women in the media industry. The event will recognize Angela Bassett for directing the "Water Apocalypse" episode of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's "Breakthrough" documentary series on 21st Century Fox's National Geographic Channel, as well Kristine Leahy, co-host of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on FOX Sports 1.

Events, Media & Communications

Daniel Elliott, PYXERA Global Presented on Building the Business Case at the 2016 Global Pro Bono Summit

Mar 22, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Daniel Elliott, Key Client Manager at PYXERA Global, led a presentation that enabled participants to understand the business value in pro bono at the 4th Global Pro Bono Summit 2016, held in Singapore this past week. Elliott partnered with Yoann Kassi-Vivier, Co-Founder of Pro Bono Lab, who facilitated a workshop enabling participants to gain firsthand experience pitching stakeholders the value of pro bono.

Events, Media & Communications

Charities@Work Best Practices Summit on Employee Engagement Showcases Virtual Reality Technology

Mar 22, 2016 10:50 AM ET

The 15th Annual Charities@Work Best Practices Summit on Employee Engagement in Corporate Citizenship, held on March 28-30 at the New York Marriott Marquis, will showcase the latest advances in employee engagement, workplace giving and corporate social responsibility (CSR), including the use of virtual reality technology to build empathy and deepen the connection among a nonprofit’s donors. Conference participants will even have an opportunity to individually test drive virtual reality technology through the use of Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets. Charities@Work registration closes at the end of day on Wednesday, March 23, so register today.

Diversity & Inclusion

DuPont People Spotlight: Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment in Spain

Mar 22, 2016 10:15 AM ET

"I have always found my way... to DuPont."

​Andrés Suarez is a DuPont employee who recently shared his experiences at the Diversity & Inclusion roundtable at Foro de Empleo in Spain.

Environment

MGM Resorts International and WaterStart Announce Collaboration to Identify Sustainable Technologies in Water, Catalyze Technology Research

Mar 22, 2016 10:00 AM ET

In an effort to identify new sustainable water technologies and incorporate them into its global operations, MGM Resorts International has partnered with WaterStart.

Energy

Sustainable Brands and South Pole Group Partner on Renewable Energy to Create the Events of the Future

Mar 22, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Leading sustainability solutions provider South Pole Group will guarantee that a series of live events in the Sustainable Brands® Global Conference Network will be fully powered by renewable energy. This will entail taking stock of the power usage of select Sustainable Brands events and ensuring that the corresponding amount of renewable energy is being produced and sourced from a connected power grid.

Environment

General Mills Announces Global Water Stewardship Commitment

Mar 22, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Today, General Mills announced its commitment to champion development of water stewardship plans by 2025 for the company’s most material and at-risk watersheds in its global value chain. The commitment is in recognition of World Water Day and in conjunction with the White House Water Summit. As part of this commitment, the company will lead corporate collaboration efforts, foster development of foundational tools, and advocate science-based policy in these watersheds, commensurate with the gap in stewardship in each individual watershed.

Environment

Honda's Green Dealer Initiative

Mar 22, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Honda has many environmental initiatives that it practices in its own facilities, but has also helped spread its philosophy of Blue Skies For Our Children throughout its supply chain, including auto dealers.

Diversity & Inclusion

Our People in Focus: “Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists”

Mar 22, 2016 10:00 AM ET

By 2020, the UK alone will need 1 million new scientists and engineers to solve future challenges, including some of the biggest health challenges of tomorrow. As a research-led healthcare company, GSK is playing a leading role in inspiring young people to get into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as well as providing a range of career opportunities.

Education

CITGO Fueling Education Program Drives Importance of STEM

Mar 22, 2016 9:50 AM ET

CITGO Petroleum Corporation invites elementary and middle school teachers to enter its fourth annual Fueling Education Program, focusing on the importance of engaging young students in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Through April 30, teachers in grades K – 8 are encouraged to visit www.fuelingeducation.com for the chance to win STEM-related prizes to benefit their classrooms and schools, including the Grand Prize of an in-school teacher training session with ‘America’s Science Teacher,’ best-selling author, and Emmy-award winning television personality, Steve Spangler.