ESG News from Leading Brands

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Smithfield Foods Senior Director of Smithfield Renewables Honored for Environmental Efforts

May 15, 2019 5:30 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Environment and Energy Leaders Institute recognized Kraig Westerbeek, senior director of Smithfield Renewables and hog production environmental affairs, as an Environment + Energy 100 honoree. Environment + Energy 100 is a program that honors individuals for their leadership of environmental, energy, and sustainability initiatives at their companies.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Intel Named One of 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2019 by CR Magazine

May 15, 2019 5:00 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Ecolab Ranks Eighth on 2019 Best Corporate Citizens List

May 15, 2019 4:30 PM ET

For the sixth consecutive year, Ecolab Inc. is ranked within the top 10 on Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens list, which recognizes leading U.S. public companies for their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Ecolab ranks eighth on the 2019 Best Corporate Citizens list.

Research, Reports & Publications

‘Can a Tobacco Company Be Sustainable?’ Philip Morris International Says ‘Absolutely,’ and Outlines Clear Progress Toward a Sustainable, Smoke-Free Future

May 15, 2019 3:00 PM ET

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE:PM) today published its fourth Sustainability Report, detailing its progress in key areas across its value chain. PMI’s mission to unsmoke the world is core to its sustainability ambition and business strategy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Bloomberg Employees Planted 15,000+ Trees Around the World in 2018

May 15, 2019 2:00 PM ET

More than 2,000 Bloomberg employees dedicated 17,370 hours of hands-on action supporting local greening efforts in 33 cities around the world in 2018. Bloomberg employees were dedicated to preserving and restoring our local green spaces throughout the year.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Front Line Financial Inclusion: Whole Planet Field Officer Appreciation Award – Asia/Pacific

May 15, 2019 2:00 PM ET

WPF’s Field Officer Appreciation Award is an initiative to support our partners to recognize the hard work done by field staff on the front lines of microfinance. During quarter one, WPF disbursed prizes to the field officers who were nominated by our microfinance partners at the end of 2018. Here are some highlights from this group of nominees from the Asia/Pacific region and some lovely award ceremonies that our partners have shared. Even with personalized recognition, all the staff chose to share their prize with their colleagues and/or the clients they serve!

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

We Proudly Stand for Quality

May 15, 2019 1:00 PM ET

Last November, the employees featured in the photo above hosted a tour of the building behind them. The building itself is, by all accounts, nothing short of a game changer for all of us who work at Alexion. On that day, I had an exclusive look at our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland, where many of our rare-disease therapies will be produced. The visit was impressive for several reasons.

Energy

Compressed Gas Energy Storage

May 15, 2019 12:30 PM ET

One solution to the supply-demand mismatch is energy storage. Based on the principle of ‘time shifting,’ excess energy from renewable generation during times of off-peak demand is stored for later use at time of peak demand when the renewable generation comes up short.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Domtar Leaders Recognized for Management Excellence

May 15, 2019 12:25 PM ET

The Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA) bestowed its highest honor on Domtar President and CEO John D. Williams at the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry’s annual PaperCon in May. Williams was named Executive of the Year in recognition of his leadership, his contributions to the pulp and paper industry, and his management excellence. While at the conference, Williams also spoke on an executive panel about sustainability and the ongoing trend toward a bio-based economy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

$13M Apartment Complex Breaks Ground in Downtown Jackson

May 15, 2019 12:05 PM ET

The $13 million development, called The 200, includes plans for 86 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments on four floors. It’s on pace to open in spring 2021, said Kevin Thomson of Jackson Downtown Partners, developer of the complex.

The city is giving over the land for $1 and Consumers Energy is incorporating the project into its Jackson Smart Energy District.

Plans for complex include solar panels on the roof and energy efficiencies throughout.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Fifth Annual Sports Humanitarian Awards to Take Place July 9

May 15, 2019 12:00 PM ET

The Sports Humanitarian Awards presented by ESPN and sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, returns for its fifth year on Tuesday, July 9, at L.A. LIVE’s The Novo. The evening celebrates the impact made by athletes, teams and sports industry professionals who use the power of sports to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kohler WasteLAB Honored With Environmental Leader Award

May 15, 2019 12:00 PM ET

Kohler WasteLAB was recently named a 2019 Environmental Leader Project of the Year award winner by Business Sector Media’s Environmental Leader (EL) and Energy Manager Today (EMT).

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Secretary Moniz to Present Ingersoll Rand With WEC’s 2019 Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development

May 15, 2019 12:00 PM ET

The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 35th annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR). Ingersoll Rand is a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, delivering innovative solutions to customers through the Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® brands.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Redefining Employee Well-being

May 15, 2019 11:45 AM ET

General Mills, a Minnesota-based food company employing 38,000 people in more than 100 countries, prioritizes the well-being and full engagement of those employees. From expanding employee benefits to facilitating dialogue on difficult conversations in the workplace, the company has proven its commitment to supporting employees’ physical, social, and emotional well-being.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Invests in Pre-K Education With $1 Million Grant

May 15, 2019 11:15 AM ET

Duke Energy has announced it is investing $1 million over five years to support expansion of pre-kindergarten education for children in Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Transparency Matters: What It Means to Be One of CR Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens

May 15, 2019 11:15 AM ET

The “Best Corporate Citizens” ranking isn’t only about CR programs and results – it’s also about transparency. Symantec was recently named a “Win-Win Company” by JUST Capital due to our public disclosures around issues relevant to our workers, customers, communities, shareholders, and the environment. For both JUST Capital’s “Win-Win Companies” and CR Magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens”, companies are evaluated using public data. While we continue to expand and improve our CR program and commitments each year, we’re proud to be one of the companies focusing on the transparency of our data reporting, especially around issues like gender pay equity, paid parental leave, and diversity and inclusion.

Environment

EHS Global Moments: Colombian Safety Committee Representative Elections

May 15, 2019 11:10 AM ET

Antea Group’s blog examines how Colombia regulates safety committees in any company with ten or more employees.

Health & Healthcare

3 Innovative Ways One Company Is Helping Rethink How We Treat Mental Healthcare

May 15, 2019 10:50 AM ET

The global impact of mental illness is staggering.

Mental health disorders account for an estimated 10% of the total global burden of disease. Major depressive disorder affects more than 300 million people and is the leading cause of disability. Worldwide, bipolar disorder affects 60 million people, and schizophrenia impacts more than 21 million people. To further complicate the situation, almost three-quarters of people suffering from mental illness live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to quality mental healthcare can be limited.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Hormel Foods Named to 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for 11th Consecutive Year

May 15, 2019 10:40 AM ET

Corporate Responsibility Magazine (CR Magazine) has named Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) to its 20th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizing outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency and performance amongst the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Booz Allen Named Among Indeed’s Top-Rated Workplaces

May 15, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Global job site Indeed named Booz Allen among its Top-Rated Workplaces for Work-Life Balance, drawing from an analysis of 100 million ratings and reviews.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

GM Named to CR Magazine 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2019

May 15, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Corporate Responsibility Magazine has named General Motors to its 20th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizing outstanding environmental, social and governance transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies. GM is ranked No. 24 for 2019. This is the third year in a row that GM is ranked in the top 100.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: The Triple Bottom Line Approach

May 15, 2019 10:30 AM ET

"True triple bottom line thinking is not about doing well and doing good, but rather about doing well by doing good. Strong triple bottom line companies seek to operate in a way that creates value in all three realms simultaneously. It’s about more of all, not some of each, and it requires a business to be honest about the harms it inflicts and authentic in seeking to eliminate those harms."

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sazerac Partners With Keep America Beautiful to Host Great American Cleanup Events in Massachusetts

May 15, 2019 10:30 AM ET

Sazerac Company, one of the largest family-owned distilleries in the United States, is partnering with national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful® and its Keep Massachusetts Beautiful state affiliate on a series of cleanup events in May and June.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Occupational Health & Safety: Can New Metrics Stop ‘Safe-Washing’?

May 15, 2019 10:15 AM ET

Safe and healthy working environments are crucial for sustainable development, and as such, are one of the targets under the Sustainable Development Goals. According to ILO estimates, around two million people die every year as a result of work-related accidents or diseases, and there are more than 300 million accidents every year. “The suffering caused by such accidents and illnesses to workers and their families is incalculable,” writes the ILO.

Events, Media & Communications

Exploring the First Track at the Reporting 3.0 Conference: "The Village"

May 15, 2019 10:00 AM ET

To tap into the excitement of the 6th International Reporting 3.0 Conference, the next four releases will explain each of the four Conference tracks. First, let us examine The Village track, devoted to the primary Keynote Presenters and Panels. The Conference will convene 17/18 June 2019 in the ultra-modern Erasmus Pavilion at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.