ESG News from Leading Brands

Innovation & Technology

Data for Social Good: Helping Nonprofits Enter the Digital Age

Apr 18, 2016 3:00 PM ET

While governments and businesses have reaped big benefits from the revolution in big data and software analytics, nonprofits sometimes lag behind the public and private sectors when it comes to adopting advanced machine learning techniques.

Education

Pequeños y Valiosos Enters Third Year of Helping Parents Boost Early Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development Among Young Children

Apr 18, 2016 3:00 PM ET

Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, as part of its Univision Contigo empowerment platform, today launched its third annual Pequeños y Valiosos (Young and Valuable) campaign. Launched in 2014 as a joint initiative of Univision Contigo and Too Small to Fail, the cross-platform campaign encourages Hispanic parents to engage in specific actions that will boost early cognitive and social-emotional development among young children ages 0-5.

Environment

4.4 Million Students Recycle and Compost 79 Million Pounds in 2016 RecycleMania Tournament

Apr 18, 2016 3:00 PM ET

Richland College, a two-year community college in Dallas, Texas, has been crowned the Grand Champion of the 2016 RecycleMania competition with a recycling rate of more than 82 percent. RecycleMania is the nation’s premier waste reduction and recycling competition among colleges and universities, managed by Keep America Beautiful.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Join Our Growing List of Adoption-Friendly Workplaces

Apr 18, 2016 2:15 PM ET

Health & Healthcare

A Young Adult Survivor Story: 15 Years in the Making

Apr 18, 2016 2:15 PM ET

Nearly 72,000 young adults, ages 15-39, are diagnosed with cancer every year. April is the time when we highlight the unique challenges that young adult cancer survivors face like school, jobs, dating, getting married and having children. Over the years, LIVESTRONG has interviewed thousands of cancer survivors. Many of those survivors were filmed for our website including a woman named Kim Bergeron. Kim applied to become a LIVESTRONGLeader this year and we jumped at the chance to share her survivor story again 15 years in the making.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bioneers to Host the First Biomimicry Global Design Challenge Ray of Hope Prize Awards Event

Apr 18, 2016 2:00 PM ET

One finalist team will win the Ray C. Anderson Foundation’s $100,000 grand prize for a nature-inspired food-systems solution at Bioneers 2016.

Environment

Hope for South Sudan’s Coffee Farmers with Nespresso-USAID Partnership

Apr 18, 2016 2:00 PM ET

The world’s newest country, South Sudan, is also one of the most volatile nations on the planet. After years of civil war within Sudan, a referendum held in 2011 scored a 99 percent “yes” vote for independence.

Education

JetBlue Takes Fresh Approach to Employer-Sponsored Education with Launch of JetBlue Scholars

Apr 18, 2016 2:00 PM ET

Events, Media & Communications

10th Annual Living Future unConference Showcases Latest Trends in Green Building

Apr 18, 2016 1:25 PM ET

The International Living Future Institute is thrilled to announce Living Future 2016, a cutting-edge conference that brings together leading minds in the green building movement. The goal? To shape the built environment around social justice, diversity, and equity for all people—in other words, to create a Living Future. Participants envision ways that the building industry can become a model for true sustainability and lead a shift toward ecological wholeness and urban regeneration.

Environment

New Study Gives Insights on How Corporations Are Addressing Climate Change

Apr 18, 2016 1:05 PM ET

What are corporations around the world doing to mitigate #ClimateChange? New whitepaper from Ingersoll Rand and GreenBiz shows it’s more than you may think. http://bit.ly/263pLl6

Education

Rutgers / G&A CSR Certificate Update: Eric Fernald of MSCI, and Peter Roselle of Morgan Stanley

Apr 18, 2016 12:30 PM ET

On April 27th and 28th, an outstanding faculty will present at the new two-day CSR Certificate Program at the Rutgers University Business School's Ethical Leadership Institute in downtown Newark, New Jersey.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Brown-Forman Supports Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services

Apr 18, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Brown-Forman is proud to support many organizations in its hometown community that provide addiction treatment and recovery services.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Two SCS Sustainably Grown Certified Clients Named “Produce Trailblazer” Award Winners

Apr 18, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Each year, Grocery Headquarters Magazine recognizes the country’s most notable growers, packers and distributors of fresh produce. This year’s 2016 Produce Trailblazer Awards, handed out earlier this month, included Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. and Peri & Sons Farms, both of whom were cited for their sustainable agriculture initiatives.

Responsible Production & Consumption

NH Liquor Commission & Jack Daniel’s Launch Alcohol Responsibility Initiative

Apr 18, 2016 11:30 AM ET

One of the country’s most well-respected and profitable control states and the best-selling whiskey in the world have teamed up to launch an initiative designed to encourage responsible alcohol service and consumption. Live Free & Host Responsibly is a partnership between the New HampshireLiquor Commission and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey that will engage and inform consumers and lounge and restaurant owners through a year-long campaign that includes a “Cocktail & Mocktail Competition” designed to highlight the responsible use of Jack Daniel’s products and the creation of alcohol-free drinks known as “mocktails.” To learn more, visit www.LiquorAndWineOutlets.com/responsibility.

Environment

Republic Commemorates Earth Day in South Florida with Expansion of Compressed Natural Gas-Powered Fleet

Apr 18, 2016 11:10 AM ET

Republic Services announced today the addition of 62 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) solid waste collection trucks serving customers in Broward and Dade Counties. The new CNG trucks replace older diesel-powered collection trucks, and bring the total number of natural gas vehicles operated by Republic in South Florida to 127

Environment

It Starts From Within: Bacardi Launches Internal “No-Straw” Movement

Apr 18, 2016 11:05 AM ET

Last month, Bacardi launched the "No Straw" movement – an internal initiative to eliminate straws and stirrers from all company events. The effort helps to send a signal to employees that sustainability is a priority for the brand, and even the smallest acts can build to greater impact.

Events, Media & Communications

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Helps Companies Reimagine the Future of Business

Apr 18, 2016 11:05 AM ET

Business needs another industrial revolution—one led by corporations like Phillips, selling light as well as bulbs, or Dell, creating a closed-loop recycled plastics supply chain to recycle computers back into new computers, or the Dow Chemical Company, recovering non-recycled plastics, and converting them into usable energy. While reducing waste is not a new idea, these companies understand the value of a circular economy at work, one in which resources are endlessly cycled back into supply chains, where waste simply does not exist.

Diversity & Inclusion

Booz Allen’s Eli Hinson Named an Employee of the Year by Careers & the disABLED Magazine

Apr 18, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Ecolab Foundation Matches Employee Giving Campaign Donations to United Ways Across the U.S.

Apr 18, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Environment

Ingersoll Rand Releases Study Revealing How Corporations are Taking Action on Climate Change

Apr 18, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Ingersoll Rand revealed findings from a new survey conducted in partnership with GreenBiz Group that details the current landscape of corporate action on climate change. Findings include that more than 90 percent of companies are working to reduce their carbon footprint.

Events, Media & Communications

Deirdre White, CEO of PYXERA Global, Gives TEDx Talk on the Solvable Problem of Post-Harvest Loss

Apr 18, 2016 10:15 AM ET

Deirdre White, CEO PYXERA Global, gave a TEDx talk on April 9, on the solvable problem of post-harvest loss at the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. White’s talk was titled How Will the World Feed 9 Billion People by 2050? and addressed the severity of post-harvest loss and the solutions currently available.

Approximately 40% of all produce is lost between farm and market in less industrialized countries throughout the world.

“At its heart, our approach focuses on behavior change, from how small farmers grow and store their crops to how companies account for food loss and waste across their operations,” said White. “An efficient, productive food system with minimal loss is our goal – and one that is well within reach.”

Events, Media & Communications

Get Ready for the Paris Agreement: Develop a Company Climate Action Plan

Apr 18, 2016 10:00 AM ET

In this upcoming webinar series, learn how to develop a great climate action plan for your company.

Innovation & Technology

GRI and IOE Partner to Advance Private Sector Action on Sustainable Development

Apr 18, 2016 9:15 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

The U.K., New York and California Increase the National Living and Minimum Wage in the Same Week

Apr 18, 2016 9:00 AM ET

One of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne's big ideas was to increase the National Living Wage (NLW) on 1 April 2016 and wasn’t an April Fools!

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Final Week to Nominate Volunteers for Virginia’s 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes Awards Program

Apr 18, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is accepting nominations for Virginia’s 5th annual Cox Conserves Heroes program at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 5 p.m. EST on April 22. The program honors volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.