ESG News from Leading Brands

Education

Meet Harvard University's 2015 Amgen Scholars: Alaina Bever & Alexi Choueiri

Mar 23, 2016 3:30 PM ET

“I grew up in Seattle and chose to attend a small, undergraduate university in my hometown because of the biomedical opportunities found among Seattle’s many research institutions and hospitals.

Environment

The Only Alternative to Water Is Water: Blue Peace for the 21st Century

Mar 23, 2016 3:20 PM ET

Until a year ago, serious tensions were mounting in northeastern Africa. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia were confronted over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the border of Ethiopia and Sudan. Ethiopia had started building the dam, claiming its rights to use waters of the Nile River within its territory. Egypt, “the gift of the Nile” objected, fearing that the dam would obstruct the flow of the river to its fields.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

#MillionPossibilities: Celebrating Helping One Million People See

Mar 23, 2016 3:15 PM ET

More than two billion people worldwide, including many in the U.S., lack access to proper vision care due to income, distance or disaster.

VSP launched Sight for Students, our first Eyes of Hope program, in 1997 to ensure that all school-aged children had access to quality vision care. Today, Eyes of Hope has evolved and expanded to support communities around the globe through initiatives that bring access to eye care, education, and disaster relief to places where they’re needed most.

This year, we’re celebrating a big milestone: providing one million people in need with no-cost eye care through Eyes of Hope programs, including Sight for Students and VSP Mobile Eyes.

Research, Reports & Publications

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Publishes 2015 Annual Report and Corporate Responsibility Report

Mar 23, 2016 3:00 PM ET

With publication of its 2015 Annual Report and Corporate Responsibility Report, Verizon today demonstrates how the company is leveraging the power of its technology and network to solve critical needs and drive social change in key areas, including education, health care, domestic violence and sustainability.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Celebrating More than 4,500 Commitments to Volunteerism

Mar 23, 2016 2:10 PM ET

We’re thrilled that 4,527 AT&T employees are President’s Volunteer Service Award winners for 2015!

Environment

Arrow Electronics CSR Report: Arrow in the Supply Chain

Mar 23, 2016 2:05 PM ET

In the circular economy, closing the loop means reclaiming the materials from used products so they can be used again in new product manufacturing.

Health & Healthcare

Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council Launches New Website

Mar 23, 2016 1:55 PM ET

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC), announced today the debut of its new website. Key features of the site include a refreshed design, more engaging user experience, enhanced content, and optimization for mobile devices. The website redesign comes as HPRC nears its five year anniversary.

Environment

Be Bacardi Good Spirited: Add "No Straw, Please" to Your Drink Order

Mar 23, 2016 1:35 PM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Bringing Boston’s Haitian Community Online

Mar 23, 2016 1:15 PM ET

Environment

The U.S. Water Partnership and Its Partners Make Commitments to The White House Water Summit

Mar 23, 2016 1:05 PM ET

Yesterday Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Vice Chair of the U.S. Water Partnership’s National Executive Committee, announced the U.S. Water Partnership (USWP)’s commitments to the White House Water Summit. Ambassador Dobriansky joined with USWP partners Blue Legacy International, Global Water Challenge, The Water Council and Xylem Inc. to announce collective actions intended to promote new technology solutions and engage stakeholders across the country to elevate water as a national priority.

Diversity & Inclusion

Sanofi - Good Morning Sanofi - Meet Gareth from Australia

Mar 23, 2016 12:15 PM ET

Meet Gareth, the right balance between paternity and professional life.

Health & Healthcare

Pfizer’s International Trachoma Initiative Seeks to Help Eliminate Trachoma

Mar 23, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Environment

Closing the Loop, From Frosting Buckets to Easter Baskets

Mar 23, 2016 11:35 AM ET

When your job is helping a company find ways to achieve zero waste across its global operations, you have to look beyond the obvious for opportunities. Who knew that this year, a plastic Easter basket could be one?

Social Impact & Volunteering

Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge to Benefit 14 Nonprofit Organizations in U.S. and UK

Mar 23, 2016 11:30 AM ET

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced the launch of the annual Strategy Challenge, the Firm’s signature skill-based pro bono volunteer program. Over the course of the next eight weeks, teams of Morgan Stanley employee volunteers in New York and London will work with leadership teams at 14 nonprofit organizations to create concrete deliverables that will help the nonprofit partners address mission critical challenges.

Responsible Production & Consumption

The Growth of the Circular Economy

Mar 23, 2016 11:30 AM ET

There is a shift occurring from the traditional linear take-make-waste economy to a more circular model of use-recover-regenerate. According to new research from UPS and GreenBiz, circular economy principles are projected to gain traction, nearly doubling in importance over the next two years. 97% of business leaders agree that logistics will be critical to a successful circular economy. Find out more about the roles waste, recyclability and first mile logistics will play in driving the circular economy.

Environment

The U.S. Water Partnership and Atlantic Council Elevate Water as a National Priority

Mar 23, 2016 11:05 AM ET

Leaders from around the world gathered yesterday at the Global Water Security Summit to encourage the U.S. to elevate water as a national priority. Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Vice Chair of the U.S. Water Partnership’s National Executive Committee, announced the launch of a U.S.-Global Water Security Grand Strategy, led by the Atlantic Council and the U.S. Water Partnership. The strategy will articulate a “whole of America” approach to improving coordination and cooperation among the broader U.S. water sector to address pressing global water challenges and will be available by December 2016.

Energy

Setting the Record Straight on Energy East

Mar 23, 2016 11:05 AM ET

As the important dialogue about Energy East continues across the country, TransCanada would like to address the more common concerns and questions the company has heard from Canadians.

Diversity & Inclusion

#WomensHistoryMonth at Cox Enterprises: Get to Know Grace Huang

Mar 23, 2016 11:00 AM ET

In celebration of Women's History Month, female leaders from across Cox Enterprises are sharing insights from their experience throughout the month of March. Grace Huang is Manheim's senior vice president of inventory services.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Apply Three Easy Practices to Accelerate Employee Engagement

Mar 23, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Celebrating World Water Day with BIER at the White House

Mar 23, 2016 10:40 AM ET

This week the White House hosted its first ever Water Summit to promote the importance of water stewardship in the US, and to highlight new commitments and announcements that the Administration and other organizations have made regarding water stewardship. The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER)--a technical coalition of leading beverage brands, facilitated by Antea Group--is honored to be included as the initiator of two of these commitments.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

JPMorgan Chase Releases Second Report Examining Ways to Strengthen Detroit’s Workforce Systems

Mar 23, 2016 10:10 AM ET

JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) today released the second report of a two-part series that examines the state of Detroit’s workforce development system. The report identifies specific opportunities for the city’s workforce infrastructure, funding, organizations and programs to work together to help job seekers and employers.

Energy

MIT Team Turning Fumes Into Fuel

Mar 23, 2016 10:05 AM ET

You know that sick feeling when you look at a smokestack belching noxious gases into the air? Well, what if you knew that the gas waste coming from that smokestack was getting turned into a usable, liquid fuel? That’s the technology that an MIT professor, Gregory Stephanopoulos, and his colleagues are working on and so far, the results have been quite promising.

Environment

Our Planet In Focus: “Horlicks Takes a Green Leap in India”

Mar 23, 2016 10:00 AM ET

We are investing £9.6 million in Project Green Leap to reduce carbon emissions and water use at these three Horlicks factories. For example, we continue to increase the amount of waste biomass we buy to replace coal as a fuel in our boilers. We will be constructing a new 1MW combined heat and power plant at Rajahmundry that will also be fuelled with waste biomass.

Energy

Ingersoll Rand Expert Weighs in on Carbon Pricing, Findings From Research With GreenBiz

Mar 23, 2016 9:30 AM ET

Owen Smith, director of global energy policy and strategy at Ingersoll Rand, recently discussed the findings of a newly published whitepaper titled “Accountability for Climate Action: How Corporations are Tackling Climate Change.” The whitepaper is a result of collaboration between Ingersoll Rand, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, and GreenBiz Media.

Energy

Now 100 Percent of SunPower's Direct Current E-Series and X-Series Solar Panels Produced are Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver

Mar 23, 2016 9:00 AM ET

With environmental sustainability and social responsibility at its core, SunPower demonstrates continued industry leadership by manufacturing 100 percent of its direct current E-Series and X-Series solar panels to meet Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver standards. Administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Cradle to Cradle certification evaluates a product across five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship and social fairness.