ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Sanofi Pasteur and Employees Raise $300,000 for Community Services

Dec 15, 2016 12:30 PM ET

Energy

Duke Energy Project to Increase Public EV Charging Stations in N.C. by 30 Percent

Dec 15, 2016 12:00 PM ET

More than 200 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be installed soon under Duke Energy's "EV Charging Infrastructure Project."

Environment

TD Economics Looks at the Impact of a National Carbon Price in Canada

Dec 15, 2016 12:00 PM ET

TD Economics has released a report that discusses the potential impacts of a national carbon price in Canada as the federal government continues to push towards one.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Changing the Way America Cares for Children and Families

Dec 15, 2016 11:20 AM ET

Depressed, sad and lonely, Jacob handed his mother a letter in 8th grade telling her that he wanted to kill himself. After several years of sending her son to counselors and psychiatrists, Jacob’s mother found hope for Jacob at Boys Town. Almost immediately there was a noticeable change in his demeanor. He was engaged and confident for the first time in years.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Safely Preparing Your Holiday Meal

Dec 15, 2016 10:30 AM ET

How can you avoid giving your friends and family the gift of a food-borne illness? When it comes to preparing your holiday meal – you aren’t necessarily thinking about food safety but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 6 Americans suffer from a food borne illness every year.

Environment

Subaru of America and Recycle Across America Join Forces to Support the Zero Landfill Initiative Piloted at Three National Parks

Dec 15, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Subaru of America (Subaru) and Recycle Across America (RAA) today announce a donation of RAA’s standardized recycling label system to support the automaker’s zero landfill initiative currently being piloted at three national parks.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Understanding the Just 100

Dec 15, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

National Grid Earns Top Rating as Best Place to Work for LGBT and Ally Communities

Dec 15, 2016 9:35 AM ET

Last week the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation released the results of its annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for 2017, where National Grid was one of 11 energy companies, and about 500 companies across the US, to receive the top rating of 100%. This ranking categorizes National Grid as one of HRC’s ‘Best Places to Work for LGBT equality.’

Environment

Water Innovation in the California Dairy Industry

Dec 15, 2016 9:30 AM ET

Our agricultural suppliers, particularly those in California, are acutely aware of the importance of sound water management and innovating in the face of water scarcity. When it comes to growing feed for his cows, dairy farmer Mike De Jager was an early adopter of technology that reduces water consumption.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Scotiabank has Donated $20,000 USD to the Costa Rican Red Cross to Help With the Relief Efforts in Costa Rica Following Hurricane Otto

Dec 15, 2016 9:10 AM ET

Scotiabank has donated $20,000 USD to the Costa Rican Red Cross to help with the relief efforts in Costa Rica following Hurricane Otto.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Thirst CEO Mina Guli Addresses the BSR Conference 2016

Dec 15, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Mina Guli, CEO of Thirst and athlete who ran 40 marathons on seven continents to raise awareness of the water crisis, addresses the BSR Conference 2016.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Ideas that Matter 2016 | The Healing Tree

Dec 15, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Milestone for FSC™-Labelled Packages

Dec 15, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Tetra Pak reached a significant milestone in early 2016, with the total number of FSC™-labelled packages delivered passing the 200 billion mark. The first Tetra Pak package to be labelled as made from Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™)-certified paperboard – meaning that it comes from FSC-certified and controlled sources and is traceable back to its origins – was delivered in 2007.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Subaru Share the Love has Granted 1,200 Wishes and Counting

Dec 15, 2016 8:35 AM ET

Events, Media & Communications

Aflac Survey Adds New Reasons to Focus on Corporate Social Responsibility

Dec 15, 2016 8:35 AM ET

On Monday morning Aflac Sr. Vice President Catherine Blades appeared live on Cheddar to discuss key findings in the 2016 Aflac CSR Survey. The company surveyed 2,000 consumers and investors to gain their perspective on the value of corporate social responsibility in terms of purchasing and investing decisions. For more information about the survey go to Aflac.com/acsr.

Environment

First U.S. Clam Fishery Achieves Sustainability Certification

Dec 15, 2016 8:30 AM ET

The Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog fishery has become the first clam fishery in the U.S. to achieve certification to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard.

Innovation & Technology

Sustainable Agriculture Outlook Rooted with Millennials

Dec 15, 2016 8:15 AM ET

Millennials are leading the change toward a more organic agricultural system, with over 50 percent actively incorporating organic foods in their diet. More broadly, millennials identify sustainability as a priority in what they purchase; in fact, millennials are the most willing of any generation to spend more on items and causes that align with their values. Millennials are using their purchasing power to buy from companies they perceive as environmentally friendly, or committed to social values, or on organic products. Essentially, personal values are increasingly reflected in spending patterns. In 2014, millennials represented 36 percent of the workforce; it will be 46 percent by 2020. The millennial influence on food is evident in the increase in organic, specialty products and local,

Education

Arrow Electronics Teams with Denver Broncos and Colorado Technology Association to Recognize Top STEM Educators

Dec 15, 2016 8:15 AM ET

For the second consecutive year, the Denver Broncos and Colorado Technology Association (CTA) joined forces to celebrate and recognize the state’s most innovative science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Industry Leaders DuPont & Archer Daniels Midland Win Platts Global Energy Breakthrough Solution of the Year Award

Dec 15, 2016 8:15 AM ET

DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) have been honored with the Breakthrough Solution of the Year Award from Platts Global Energy for their platform technology to produce a revolutionary biobased monomer, furan dicarboxylic methyl ester(FDME). The award was announced at the 18th Platts Global Energy Awards, held in New York on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Diversity & Inclusion

Cargill Pledges Gender Equality in Leadership by 2030, Unveils Paid Family-Leave Policy

Dec 15, 2016 8:05 AM ET

The companies signing on for Paradigm for Parity will tackle goals like combating unconscious bias in the workplace, getting the number of women in top roles up to 30 percent in the near future as they work toward parity and providing regular progress reports to the coalition.

Education

150,000 Refugees are Being Educated, Thanks to These Businesses

Dec 15, 2016 8:05 AM ET

The UN announced at the start of this summer that the last time the world saw a refugee crisis of this level was during World War II. So why, amid wars, terrorism, and natural disasters, are we worried about children attending school?

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

A Fragile Moment for Human Rights

Dec 15, 2016 8:05 AM ET

The United Nations Global Compact has long affirmed—and stood with others who also maintain—that a flourishing society and economy fundamentally require respect for human rights under the rule of law. In short, business cannot thrive in societies that fail.

Education

VIDEO | What Makes A SEED Classroom? Watch This…

Dec 15, 2016 7:55 AM ET

SEED stands for Sustainable Education Every Day, and SEEDclassrooms are modular hands-on sustainable learning spaces built to Living Building Challenge™ standards. Watch and learn what makes a SEED classroom a sustainable classroom of the future. Watch and learn what makes a SEED classroom a sustainable classroom of the future and how The SEEDclassroom at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh uses Red List free Mohawk Group flooring that is based on biophilic design as part of their Living Building Challenge.

Green Infrastructure

Recycled Paper: Developers Are Reinventing Former Newspaper Headquarters

Dec 15, 2016 7:55 AM ET

According to numbers from a recent Pew Research Center report on the state of the media, the newspaper industry has shed around 20,000 positions, or almost 40 percent of its workforce, over the last 20 years. Between 2004 and 2014, some 126 daily newspapers closed their doors, as reported by Editor & Publisher’s DataBook listings.

Events, Media & Communications

Novartis Dialogue Explores Response to Chronic Illness in Poor Countries

Dec 15, 2016 1:15 AM ET