ESG News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest environmental, social and governance news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's distribution platform.

Education

No Internet? No Problem: HP’s New Solutions to Bridge the Digital Divide

In developed countries, classrooms increasingly embrace accelerating innovation. Schools are adopting technologies like AR/VR devices, 3D printing and massive online open courses (MOOCs). Advancements in technology help students collaborate and create like never before, and allow educators to individualize lesson plans and monitor progress with unprecedented insight – ultimately preparing their pupils for success in the digital age.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

West Elm & Williams-Sonoma, Inc., First International Home Retailer to Partner with Fair Trade USA, Expand Commitment to $3 Million in Premiums by 2020

As the first international home furnishings retailer to partner with Fair Trade USA in 2014, West Elm and parent company Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) today announced plans to expand upon their responsible retail commitments to include a goal to pay premiums of $3 million towards Fair Trade Community Development by 2020.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

20K Meals and Critical Supplies Delivered to Puerto Rico to Aid in Disaster Relief

Last week, Food Bank For New York City sent approximately 20,000 meals and critical supplies to its sister food bank, Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico. JetBlue and its partner, Atlas, delivered the items to Puerto Rico, where they’ll be distributed to victims of Hurricane Maria.

“JetBlue crewmembers regularly volunteer at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen. When we heard about the citywide effort to support relief efforts in Puerto Rico, we immediately jumped in, along with our partner, Atlas,” said Icema Gibbs, director of corporate social responsibility, JetBlue. “JetBlue is supporting recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and we have asked our customers and crewmembers and community to do the same.”

Responsible Production & Consumption

Making a Difference on Child Labour in Cocoa

At Nestlé we use cocoa for many of our global brands. Addressing child labour in the cocoa sector is closely linked to our values as a company and our business success.

To tackle this issue, since 2012 we’ve used a pioneering system to identify and help thousands of children working in the cocoa sector. Our results show that this approach can reduce child labour by 50%. Many of the children we’ve reached now go to school full time.

Our progress is detailed in a report produced and published today by the International Cocoa Initiative and Nestlé. It provides the first comprehensive assessment to date of the successes and the challenges remaining in ending child labour in cocoa.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland Creates New Corporate Hiring Initiative to Recruit National Service Alumni

Today, outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland announced a new commitment to further the brand’s longstanding history and dedication to service. Starting in October, any verified alumni of AmeriCorps or Peace Corps who apply for corporate job opportunities at Timberland will be guaranteed consideration.

Green Infrastructure

Tetra Tech Broadens High-End Sustainable Infrastructure Design Capabilities With the Acquisition of Glumac

Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK) announced today that it has acquired Glumac, a leader in sustainable infrastructure design. The company has more than 300 employees and incorporates innovative sustainable technologies and solutions into each of its designs, including the design and engineering of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard and Net-Zero infrastructure.

Energy

National Grid Thanks Customers, Communities, and Employees for Commitment to Energy Efficiency

National Grid is here to help make your home or business better. Every year, we work with homeowners, renters, and businesses
of all sizes to find energy saving solutions for houses, apartments, and offices. Learn what programs are available to you.

Environment

Topher White: Connecting the Rainforest

Do you have a drawer somewhere filled with old cellphones collecting dust? Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to put those phones to good use? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, Topher White, is making a difference using those dormant phones. His organization, Rainforest Connection up-cycles defunct phones with solar charging technology and then places them strategically in rainforests all over the world to monitor human activity like poaching and deforestation.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Costa Cruises and Shakira's Foundation Pies Descalzos to Build School in Colombia

Costa Cruises and Shakira's Foundation Pies Descalzos partner on a new campaign called “Building Happiness” for the construction of a school in Colombia. It will help over 1300 families and children in Colombia by providing access to quality education.

Innovation & Technology

GM Zeros in on an All-Electric Future

GM summarizes its vision in six words: zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion. In a recent LinkedIn post, Mary Barra states, “our generation has the ambition, the talent and the technology to realize the safer, better and more sustainable world we want.”

GM backed up its zero-emissions commitment by announcing it will introduce two electric vehicles in the next 18 months – the first of at least 20 new EVs by 2023.

Events, Media & Communications

Join Canadian and International Peers in Toronto at Inside Out: A Transformative Approach to Community Investment, November 2-3, 2017

Join Canadian and International peers in Toronto, Canada at Inside Out: A Transformative Approach to Community Investment. Inside Out is a future-looking conference designed to advance the practice of how companies invest in community.

Health & Healthcare

Patients are the Purpose: Bristol-Myers Squibb's Global Patient Week

Whether they work in scientific research, marketing, human resources, information technology or accounting, all employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb play a role in helping the company work to create and deliver life-changing medicines.

Events, Media & Communications

More Than 2,000 Next Generation Leaders to Descend on Atlanta at the 2017 Net Impact Conference in Atlanta October 26-28

Net Impact, the leading global nonprofit that mobilizes the next generation to use their skills and careers to make a positive impact on the world, is pleased to announce more than 2,000 emerging young impact leaders will be attending the 2017 Net Impact Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 26-28.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Health Case Study Report Released!

Discover how the private sector is leveraging their talent, vision, and influence to help reverse challenging health trends and create a culture of health in America and around the globe. Access the latest case study report to learn more.

Social Impact & Volunteering

GSK Releases Impact Report, Highlighting the Triple Bottom-Line Impact of Volunteering

To mark the beginning of our Global Month of Volunteering in October, GSK released our PULSE and Global Volunteering Annual Impact Report, which showcases stories and data on the triple bottom-line of volunteering: impact on communities, employees, and the business.

Events, Media & Communications

Save $250 on Executive Education Courses With the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship

Enroll now and save big on CSR courses with Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship! Courses are designed for all levels to enhance or refresh your management skills, subject matter expertise, and mastery and knowledge of key research, leading practices, and tools.

Innovation & Technology

Qualcomm Wireless Reach Announces Expansion of the 4G Mobile Learning Program across Tainan City, Taiwan

On October 2, Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™, the Tainan City Government, Far EasTone Telecommunications Co., Ltd (FET), the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and ASUS announced the expansion of Tainan’s “CloudPlay for Education” (CloudPlay) program to continue helping the government achieve its 4G Smart City objectives for mobile learning (mLearning) and outdoor education. The event took place at the local government city hall and was attended by approximately 150 guests, including officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Tainan City Government, ITRI, FET, ASUS, university officials and professors, local school officials, teachers and students. 28 media attended the event, including Apple Daily, Commercial Times, Economic Daily News and Taipei Times.

Events, Media & Communications

Driving Sustainability: GM’s Collaboration to Use Natural Rubber Tires an Industry-First Topic at COMMIT!Forum

A General Motors partnership with suppliers to use sustainably sourced natural rubber tires is transforming the landscape of the automotive industry in ways that will reduce deforestation and human and labor rights violations.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JetBlue's Ninth Annual ‘Swing for Good' Golf Classic to Raise Funds for Three Youth-Focused Charitable Partners

JetBlue, known for its mission of inspiring humanity, today launched its ninth annual Swing for Good Golf Classic fundraising campaign at Bethpage State Golf Course in Bethpage, N.Y. Since 2008, JetBlue's marquee fundraising initiative has raised more than $4.8 million for its charitable partners focused on youth and education. This year’s non-profit partners include KaBOOM!, Together We Rise and The JetBlue Foundation.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Cargill VIDEO | 5 Goals for Sustainable Cocoa

In its new Cocoa Promise Report, Cargill is laying out a clear pathway to a sustainable cocoa supply chain. In the five years since the Cocoa Promise, the company’s overarching sustainability commitment for the sector, was launched, Cargill and its farmer partners have made significant progress.

Education

AT&T Helps Aspiring Young People Skill-Up for Career Opportunities in the Digital Age

There’s a culture shift going on at AT&T as our business grows in technology, media, and telecommunications. It’s a culture of continuous learning to acquire new skills, so that we can create the talent needed to drive innovation across our company. We are investing in education and training to create a diverse and skilled workforce that will help power our company for the future.

Energy

ENGIE North America Announces Largest Utility-Scale Energy Storage Installation in Massachusetts

ENGIE NA and Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) today announced plans for the largest utility-scale energy storage installation in Massachusetts. Green Charge, an ENGIE NA subsidiary, will operate the three-megawatt energy storage system at Mt. Tom Solar, which began operation in January of this year adjacent to the former Mt. Tom Power Station. The system will be used to optimize intermittent solar energy and reduce utility capacity costs for HG&E, the system’s customer, while reducing stress on the HG&E distribution system. This project will contribute to rate stabilization for HG&E customers over the next 20 years.

Media & Communications

Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability Experts in the News - Can Hollywood Movies About Climate Change Make a Difference?

Erb Professor and author of How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate, Andy Hoffman, was quoted today in a New York Times piece, “Can Hollywood Movies About Climate Change Make a Difference?” The piece discusses recent movies like Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!,” that seek to affect climate change through depicting it on screen for mass audiences.

Green Infrastructure

Can One Highway Drive the Future?

Harriet Langford, president of The Ray, and Allie Kelly, executive director of The Ray recently spoke at #VERGE17, a @GreenBiz Conference. They introduced The Ray in their VERGE Talk.

Education

Helping Campus Partners Demonstrate the Value of Exceptional College Experiences

From the kitchen table to the political stage, the ever-increasing cost to attend college has become a hot topic of discussion. As costs have risen, students have taken on more and more student loan debt and other forms of financial liability to finance their education. Adding to the apprehension, many of these students face an uncertain job market after graduation, making it difficult to manage living expenses and student loan payments.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Aflac Stories
    Get a closer look at the people, products and stories that make Aflac the company we know today.
  2. Leading ESG & Sustainability Stewardship
    The new CNH continues on its longstanding path of excellence in sustainability, which is recognized by the foremost authorities.
  3. Subaru Love Promise: Community
    Subaru is dedicated to supporting those who need it the most in our communities. From donating food to Feeding America, providing essential items to...
  4. Recipe for Change
    Albertsons Companies is bringing together the ingredients of a better world – our planet, our people, our products, and our communities – to make...
  5. Products We Sell
    At your neighborhood Albertsons Companies stores, you’ll find a growing selection of foods and household items under brands we created with your...
  6. Building a Sustainable Future | Decarbonizing the Built Environment
    The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of carbon emissions and nearly 50% of the consumption of natural resources. The industry stands at a...
  7. AEG's Commitment to Sustainable Operations
    AEG's sustainability initiatives are designed to reduce our consumption of the planet’s limited resources. Through our comprehensive sustainability...
  8. Environmental Sustainability
    As sustainability leaders, we implement our sustainability strategy across all company activities along the entire value chain, from raw materials to...
  9. FedEx | Delivering for Good
    Doing what we do best for those who need it most. When disaster strikes, and there’s not a moment to lose, our people mobilize the FedEx global fleet...
  10. Key Supports Affordable Housing
    KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment helps fulfill Key’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive by financing projects that...
  11. AEG's Commitment to Sustainable Operations
    AEG's sustainability initiatives are designed to reduce our consumption of the planet’s limited resources. Through our comprehensive sustainability...
  12. Key Supports Affordable Housing
    KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment helps fulfill Key’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive by financing projects that...
  13. Planet We Share
    Great food isn’t possible without a healthy planet. We’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and nurturing the environment. As part of our...
  14. Environmental Sustainability
    As sustainability leaders, we implement our sustainability strategy across all company activities along the entire value chain, from raw materials to...
  15. Aflac Voices
    Hear from Aflac’s senior leaders and subject matter experts about industry trends and more.