ESG News from Leading Brands

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

A New Path for Social Enterprises Through the “Valley of Death”

Aug 25, 2015 3:25 PM ET

People have been talking for years about the “valley of death” between seed money and growth capital that confronts and sometimes swallows up social enterprises. Now we’re finally starting to see a critical mass of funders willing to fill the gap with capital combinations designed for enterprises that maximize social and environmental value.

Research, Reports & Publications

Poised for Growth – Corporate Responsibility at Symantec

Aug 25, 2015 2:45 PM ET

Corporate responsibility is about more, not less: more value creation, more collaboration, more diversity and more passion. This belief in continuous growth and improvement is central to our approach to corporate responsibility here at Symantec.

Health & Healthcare

What Makes a Donor Heart Available for Transplant Was Almost a ‘Deal Breaker’ for Pastor Who Needed One to Save His Life

Aug 25, 2015 2:00 PM ET

A Massachusetts pastor supported by the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart for four months vows to live a life worthy of the person whose heart donation gave him a second chance at life.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Talkback Submission Call: “Corporate Governance and Business Ethics”

Aug 25, 2015 1:30 PM ET

At a recent CSR Investing Summit sponsored by S-Network Global Indexes, there was a strong focus on the “G” pillar of ESG—(environmental, social, and governance)—issues. Keynote Speaker Kevin Parker, CEO of Sustainable Insight Capital Management, said that his investment decision-making begins with governance. He looks for “good” governance by boards, management, and related stakeholders as the bottom line for what makes a “good” company. He and other speakers and panelists described ethics—fair practices—as key to defining “good” governance. Simply put, a good company is one that has good governance—and that’s a good investment opportunity.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Clean Cargo Working Group Progress Report 2015

Aug 25, 2015 1:00 PM ET

BSR's Clean Cargo Working Group shares its progress over the past year, including a reduction in carbon emissions by more than eight percent among group members.

Environment

Republic Services Partnered with the University of Nevada Las Vegas for the First Annual Recyclathon

Aug 25, 2015 12:15 PM ET

Republic Services partnered with the University of Nevada Las Vegas for the first annual Recyclathon, a campus wide initiative and contest encouraging faculty and staff from each college and the student body to recycle each semester. Recyclathon was established to celebrate and honor the 20 anniversary of the on-campus Rebel Recycling Program. As of 2015 the University, in collaboration with Republic Services, collects more than three tons of material every day on UNLV’s main campus, its residence halls, athletics facilities and satellite campuses.

Research, Reports & Publications

Bombardier Transportation Releases Its Corporate Responsibility Report 2014: Moving Minds

Aug 25, 2015 12:00 PM ET

With the publication of Moving Minds, its fifth biennial Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, the company has showcased its achievements as a responsible corporate citizen in the years 2013 and 2014.

Environment

Taking a Stance on Sustainability? Start Here.

Aug 25, 2015 11:30 AM ET

As COP21 approaches, countries continue to debate policies that foster a sustainable future. Should companies wait to align their climate targets with international goals? Or, should they take a stance now to drastically reduce their impact on the environment? Where is the path to becoming more sustainable, and how can organizations keep their employees motivated to meet their goals?

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Ten Years After Katrina

Aug 25, 2015 11:30 AM ET

At the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, CECP looks back at how disaster relief response has changed among companies. We found that overall, the data show that aggregate giving from corporations for disaster relief has declined over the last five years. A deeper look into the data and additional resources shows that it’s a complex story.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

CITGO Fuels Mobile Literacy Program ‘Bess the Book Bus’ National Tour

Aug 25, 2015 11:30 AM ET

Continuing efforts to bring free books and a love of reading to children in underserved communities, CITGO Petroleum Corporation joined mobile literacy program Bess the Book Bus in kicking off the next leg of its 2015 national tour on August 24 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since January, Bess the Book Bus has distributed more than 29,000 free books to 21,000 children – and is well on the way to reaching its goal of distributing 100,000 books to 25,000 children across more than 30 states this year alone.

Environment

Walgreens, Unilever Campaign Aims to Bring Clean Water to Kenya

Aug 25, 2015 11:00 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Freeport-McMoRan Invests in Women’s Economic Empowerment Programs

Aug 25, 2015 10:50 AM ET

Freeport-McMoRan has advanced investments in women’s economic empowerment programs, such as “Dreambuilder-Women’s Business Creator,” an online entrepreneurship skills training program that has reached more than 3,600 women in Latin America with more than half from communities in Chile and Peru near Freeport-McMoRan operations.

Events, Media & Communications

Ecolab and Trucost Expand Water Risk Monetizer to Include Revenue-at-Risk Assessment

Aug 25, 2015 10:45 AM ET

The Water Risk Monetizer, industry’s first publicly available financial modeling tool that enables businesses to factor current and future water risks into decision making, now provides users with insights into how water scarcity impacts revenue. The tool’s new assessment helps water-dependent businesses better understand the full value of water to their operations and identify revenue at risk based on current and projected water scarcity.

Responsible Production & Consumption

BJ’s Wholesale Club Appears on WTVR-CBS Richmond for Farm to Club Segment

Aug 25, 2015 10:35 AM ET

David Hicks, general manager of the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Richmond, Virginia, recently appeared on WTVR-CBS to prepare a healthy salmon with cucumber salsa dish. Hicks incorporated fresh vegetables from BJ’s Farm to Club program and shared details about the local growers in Virginia.

Events, Media & Communications

What Does it Take to Become a Quality of Life Change Maker?

Aug 25, 2015 10:10 AM ET

I recently had the opportunity to hear a true agent of change share a compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today’s world. Arianna Huffington, Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post Media Group, shared a detailed roadmap for positive lifestyle change during her keynote speech at the inaugural Quality of Life Conference. She had just come from the funeral of Sheryl Sandberg’s husband, Dave Goldberg, and she posed the question: “Why is it that our eulogies are so different from our resumes?” People’s resumes often bear little resemblance to their eulogies. We are not spending our days aligned with the values people will remember us for.

Education

Guest Post by Sam Gary: Attending the 2015 U.S. Amgen Scholar Symposium

Aug 25, 2015 9:20 AM ET

It’s the homestretch, but instead of cars racing to the finish line, there are over 200 young scientists scrambling to collect significant data worthy of publication.

Rewind to a week ago and these same Amgen Scholars were basking in the California sun on UCLA’s campus, enjoying a tremendous weekend of lectures, graduate/medical school admissions advice, and networking at the Amgen Scholars Summer Symposium.

Diversity & Inclusion

Five Easy Questions That Unlock Employee Engagement

Aug 25, 2015 9:00 AM ET

It’s heard from every corner of the earth, but what exactly is employee engagement? Employee happiness, motivation, compatibility with the company’s mission — engagement involves all of these complex ideas. But many organizations are adverse to employee engagement because they see it as an enigma that’s impossible to tackle.

Energy

MGM Resorts International Joins American Business Act on Climate Change Pledge

Aug 25, 2015 8:00 AM ET

“Innovating our resorts to operate more efficiently, while also offering a remarkable guest experience, is a top priority for our company,” said Cindy Ortega, Chief Sustainability Officer of MGM Resorts International. “Joining the American Business Act on Climate Change, as well as our previous pledge to the U.S. Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge, is another step in our promise to guests, employees and our surrounding communities to employ sustainable best practices at all of our resort destinations.”

Events, Media & Communications

STAR India Will Air 'Girl Rising' Documentary on Girls' Empowerment with Help of Bollywood Stars

Aug 25, 2015 8:00 AM ET

On Saturday, August 29, STAR India's flagship channel Star Plus will air Girl Rising, an acclaimed documentary from Academy Award nominee Richard E. Robbins that raises awareness of gender inequality and advocates for women's empowerment. The film is the centerpiece of the Girl Rising campaign, which promotes women's rights around the world, and this broadcast will be the first time the film has been shown in India.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

NS Invests $2.1 Billion

Aug 25, 2015 7:05 AM ET

Environment

John Dewar & Sons Helps Power Thousands of Scottish Homes

Aug 25, 2015 7:05 AM ET

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

H&M Conscious Foundation Gives €1 Million Grant to Pioneering Ideas Closing the Loop for Fashion

Aug 25, 2015 5:55 AM ET

On August 25, the H&M Conscious Foundation launches the first ever Global Change Award − one of the world’s biggest challenges for early stage innovation and the first such initiative in the fashion industry. By catalysing green, truly ground-breaking ideas the aim of the challenge is to protect the earth’s natural resources by closing the loop for fashion.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Cafeteria Makeover at Bruce-Monroe Elementary to be Revealed

Aug 24, 2015 6:30 PM ET

On the first day of school at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View in Northwest D.C., CBS EcoMedia, The Heart of America Foundation and UnitedHealthcare will today unveil a newly renovated cafeteria and health and wellness center.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Slavery and Supply Chains. What Companies Need To Be Concerned With

Aug 24, 2015 5:30 PM ET

As the complexity of supply chains grows, when companies expand into new markets, understanding what suppliers you work with is essential for making socially responsible decisions. The increase of many new opportunities lies outside in other global markets and with every opportunity comes with it the potential of working with many different suppliers, therefore increasing your supply chain.

Innovation & Technology

Alabama Companies Pursue Sustainability to Attract Millennial Workforce

Aug 24, 2015 5:00 PM ET

Millennials, who will account for 75 percent of the workforce in 2025, are not motivated solely by money, but by a desire to make the world more compassionate, innovative and sustainable. These are the findings of Deloitte’s 2015 Millennial Survey. While young college graduates are moving toward large metropolitan areas all across the country for employment, one of the notable exceptions is Birmingham, Ala., which is struggling to attract young workers.