ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

Orvis Goes Solar

Dec 21, 2016 8:15 AM ET

The Orvis Company is pleased to announce the installation of solar panels at their corporate headquarters in Sunderland, VT. As a company founded on fly fishing and wingshooting, Orvis prides itself on its commitment to conservation and sustainability.

Green Infrastructure

MAG Property Development Partners with Delos™ to Introduce New Wellness Single Family Homes in the Middle East

Dec 21, 2016 8:05 AM ET

MAG Property Development (MAG PD), the real estate development arm of MAG Group, today announced a partnership with pioneering wellness real estate and technology firm Delos™, to introduce to the UAE wellness inspired homes over the next five years. The first project to be carried out by the partnership will be the residences at “MAG of Life Creek Resort”, the world’s largest wellness concept in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) Phase 2.

Environment

COP22: Business Leadership Will Be Central in Carrying the Climate Agenda Forward

Dec 21, 2016 8:05 AM ET

The UN climate conference in Marrakech (COP22) in November celebrated the entry of the Paris Agreement into force, already ratified by 111 countries. CBRE’s Anastasiya Kostomarova, a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth, reflects on her time at the conference.

Social Impact & Volunteering

USO Holiday Care Packages Hit the Deck & Deck the Halls

Dec 21, 2016 8:00 AM ET

As a little girl, I grew up watching old WWII shows with my dad, like Flying Leathernecks with John Wayne and Baa Baa Black Sheep. I recall telling him that I wish I could have been a boy, so I could fly planes like they did on TV. I would thumb through my dad’s old photos from his army days in Korea, looking forward to my turn to serve. Military aviation was in my childhood soul. My dad shared with me the tales of the transit to Korea, sleeping in a hammock on a ship – sea sick all the way. These were the earliest memories of my dream of becoming a military pilot.

Health & Healthcare

Aflac and The Washington Post are Chasing Cancer

Dec 21, 2016 8:00 AM ET

Environment

Nestlé Working to Achieve Water Efficiency

Dec 21, 2016 7:45 AM ET

Water is vital to our operations, used for washing and processing raw materials, cooling and cleaning equipment, hygiene and our bottled water business. We continue to reduce, reuse and recycle water across our business through water-saving innovations and technologies. Altogether, our U.S. factories are withdrawing 10% less water per ton of product than they did five years ago.

Diversity & Inclusion

Paid Parental Leave: What Working Women Really Need

Dec 21, 2016 7:15 AM ET

Nearly 70% of all working women with children under 18 are trying to balance the needs of their kids with those of a demanding career. This can be challenging at times, however, there are ways to make caregiving easier.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Barclays is Waking up to Open Innovation

Dec 21, 2016 7:00 AM ET

“I am very good at brainstorming” says Magdalena Krön, minutes after meeting in the open space of Rise London. Situated in the East End, in a former department store, the centre is open plan and gently buzzing with the activity of a dozen fresh companies. Some may go on to become fintech superstars.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Tetra Tech’s 50th Anniversary Global Clean Water Fund Helps Communities Around the World

Dec 21, 2016 5:00 AM ET

Partnering with Engineers Without Borders organizations to provide clean, safe water supplies

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Companies Must Disclose Climate-change Risk: Carney Panel

Dec 21, 2016 2:45 AM ET

Corporations, especially those in the financial and energy sectors, should provide investors with clear and systematic disclosure of the risks that climate change poses to their future economic health, a task force reporting to Bank of England Governor Mark Carney recommended Wednesday.

Events, Media & Communications

Registration Is Now Open for the Inaugural Health Means Business National Summit and Healthy10 Awards

Dec 20, 2016 5:00 PM ET

Registration is now open for the inaugural Health Means Business National Summit and Healthy10 Awards! Hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Summit will discuss the connection between healthy communities, economic prosperity, and a more competitive U.S. economy for all.

Social Impact & Volunteering

9-Year-Old Girl Battling Heart Problems Gets Dream Disney Trip

Dec 20, 2016 4:55 PM ET

Charlotte, a 9-year-old girl, suffering from a genetic heart condition got her wish granted Friday thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and VSP Vision Care.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Bloomberg Media COO Jacki Kelley Honored with Muse Award

Dec 20, 2016 3:35 PM ET

At a star-studded gathering yesterday, New York Women in Film and Television honored five inspiring women with its annual Muse Award. Along with actors Mary-Louise Parker, Debi Mazar and Martha Plimpton, and Firelight Media founder Marcia Smith, Bloomberg Media’s COO Jacki Kelley was recognized for her visionary leadership.

Environment

The Ray Unveils Two New Transportation Technologies - Both "Firsts" in the U.S.

Dec 20, 2016 2:00 PM ET

The Ray and its partners have dedicated two newly installed state-of-the-art technologies that are both "firsts" in the U.S.; solar paved roads for cleaner energy and tire pressure and tread depth measurement for safety awareness.

Environment

GM’s Year in Review: 16 Sustainability Stories from 2016

Dec 20, 2016 1:40 PM ET

It’s been a transformative year. In January, General Motors launched its Maven carsharing service, now active in 17 cities around the United States. In the fall, the company committed to power its global operations’ electricity with renewable energy by 2050. And in December, the long-range Chevrolet Bolt EV hit the streets. Along the way, a variety of collaborations have helped to reduce waste, address climate change and inspire STEM learning.

Research, Reports & Publications

TCFD Reaction: 'Turning Point for Climate Disclosure'

Dec 20, 2016 1:35 PM ET

The launch of TCFD's recommendations were today hailed as a landmark moment for investors campaigning to have climate considerations integrated into mainstream reporting.

Events, Media & Communications

Sustainability Highlights | Top Story: Sustainability Reporting in Stock Exchanges 'Comes of Age'

Dec 20, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Sustainability reporting in stock exchanges 'comes of age'

Events, Media & Communications

MFA Design for Social Innovation to Host Design Summit

Dec 20, 2016 1:30 PM ET

MFA Design for Social Innovation (DSI) at the School of Visual Arts in New York will host Measured Summit, a two-day gathering in January 2017, to mark its fifth anniversary as the only master of fine arts degree in Social Innovation Design.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Walmart Addresses Global Challenges Through Business and Philanthropy

Dec 20, 2016 12:50 PM ET

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation use philanthropy to complement Walmart’s business initiatives as well as the efforts of others in civil society, business, and government to drive systemic improvements in economic opportunity, supply chain sustainability, and community resilience.

Environment

National Park Service Celebrates Centennial Success, Looks Ahead to Building on Momentum of 2016

Dec 20, 2016 12:15 PM ET

On the heels of President Obama's signing of the National Park Service Centennial Act, today the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation unveiled an impressive summary of the agency's accomplishments, achieved with its partners and unprecedented public engagement, during its year-long 100th anniversary celebrations, and prepared to use the momentum and support that resulted from the centennial to launch into its second century of service.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Bloomberg is Named a Best Place to Work 2017 by Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Dec 20, 2016 11:40 AM ET

Earlier today, Bloomberg was named one of the Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality, receiving a perfect score on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keep Indian River Beautiful's Captain Forster's Preserve Restoration Project

Dec 20, 2016 11:30 AM ET

The 100-acre Captain Forster Hammock Preserve in Vero Beach, Florida, is one of only a few corridors that connect estuary habitat along the Indian River Lagoon to the ocean, continuing through all of the natural phases of estuary, dune and coastal habitat.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Nestlé's Significant Commitment on Farm Animal Welfare

Dec 20, 2016 10:45 AM ET

Beginning in 2012 and strengthened in 2014, Nestlé made a significant commitment on farm animal welfare, working with World Animal Protection, a global animal welfare organization and SGS, an independent auditor based in Switzerland, to assess our suppliers against specific commitments.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Scotiabank por convertirse en el Socio Bancario Oficial del FC Barcelona

Dec 20, 2016 10:05 AM ET

En un acuerdo sin precedentes, el FC Barcelona y su Fundación anunciaron hoy una sociedad oficial con Scotiabank, designando al banco internacional como el Socio Bancario Oficial del FC Barcelona en América Latina y el Caribe.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Scotiabank to Become the Official Banking Partner of FC Barcelona

Dec 20, 2016 10:05 AM ET

In a landmark agreement, FC Barcelona and its Foundation announced today an official partnership with Scotiabank designating the international bank as the Official Banking Partner of FC Barcelona in Latin America and the Caribbean.