ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Orlando City Commissioner Robert F. Stuart Accepts $5,000 Grant on Behalf of Love Pantry from Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation

Sep 28, 2016 3:45 PM ET

Sodexo, the world leader in Quality of Life Services, held its annual North America Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida this week, pouring more than $1,000,000 into the local economy for its week-long event. Orlando City Commissioner, Robert F. Stuart of District 3 attended on Tuesday to receive a $5,000 grant for Love Pantry, which provides emergency food for Central Florida’s Orange Public County School students in need. The commissioner also helped stuff 2,000 food backpacks for Second Harvest Food Bank’s Hi-Five Kid’s Pack Program.

Health & Healthcare

BARDA Grants $43.2 million USD to Sanofi Pasteur for Zika

Sep 28, 2016 3:05 PM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Conflict Minerals Requirements and Government Contracts

Sep 28, 2016 3:05 PM ET

The compliance net is much larger than perceived. Take conflict minerals, for example.

Environment

As Seen on The Guardian- Burned Birds and Banged-up Bats: Victims of Renewable Energy are Getting Help

Sep 28, 2016 2:50 PM ET

Wind farms and solar panels are clean ways to generate electricity, but they can impact wildlife in unfortunate ways. Energy developers are acting to aid the beleaguered animals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Harnessing Entrepreneurship to Support the UN Global Goals

Sep 28, 2016 2:40 PM ET

In an interview recorded at the recent inaugural Devex World conference in Washington, D.C., Caroline Roan, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, outlined Pfizer’s commitment to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Environment

Our Summer with an EDF Climate Corps Fellow

Sep 28, 2016 2:40 PM ET

How do you measure the environmental impact of a smart city? It’s a central question for municipalities across the country that are looking for ways to make cities more efficient and resilient while delivering better services to their citizens. It is not, however, a question with a lot of clear answers – which is why we were so excited to work with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Fellow and MBA candidate at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chandana Vangapalli, to help quantify savings associated with AT&T Smart Cities initiatives this summer.

Energy

Preparing for a Lower Carbon Future

Sep 28, 2016 1:30 PM ET

Since the Wright brothers, planes have been running on fossil fuel – that’s 100 years of using the same energy source. Just as the term “fossil” implies, the externalities from this form of fuel means there is need for rethinking.

Environment

Bechtel’s Latest Bridge: Low-Carbon Natural Gas

Sep 28, 2016 1:05 PM ET

“At Bechtel, we are actively looking for ways to reduce the cost of carbon capture,’’ John Gulen, a senior principal engineer at Bechtel, said at the Concordia Summit in New York on Tuesday. Gulen spoke at a session addressing private companies’ role in achieving the U.N.’s sustainable development goals, which include affordable and clean energy.

Health & Healthcare

The Food Safety Bar Must Continue to Rise

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

The esteemed American food writer Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher once wrote, “First we eat, then we do everything else.”

Social Impact & Volunteering

Wireless Reach Celebrates 10 Years of Impact

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

I am very proud to say that Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ is celebrating 10 years of innovative programs that use advanced wireless technologies to transform the lives of people in underserved communities globally. By serving as a corporate citizenship model for achieving a healthier, more educated, more prosperous and sustainable world, Wireless Reach demonstrates how mobile technology is having a positive impact on social and economic development.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Kelley Students Help Build Habitat For Humanity Home For 7th Year

Sep 28, 2016 12:00 PM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Carlsberg Unveils New Green Fiber Bottle Design

Sep 28, 2016 11:30 AM ET

The new design of Carlsberg’s Green Fiber Bottle was revealed today, as 500 business leaders joined the Sustainable Brands community at the Sustainable Brands 2016 Copenhagen conference, aimed at inspiring business success through innovation and ‘Activating Purpose’ towards a sustainable future.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Working Mother Magazine Names Astellas Among 100 Best Companies in the US Across All Industries

Sep 28, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Astellas was named one of Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies in the U.S. for its commitment to establishing a corporate culture supportive of working moms and their families. The 100 Best Companies will be featured in the October/November issue of Working Mother and on workingmother.com.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Desert Heat Doesn’t Deter Wendy’s Franchisee from His Goal

Sep 28, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Ed Anderson has endured it all. From flat tires to a trip to the ER, but the Wendy’s Franchisee who owns restaurants in the Virginia Beach area is on a mission.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How Winning the Wendy's High School Heisman Changed My Life

Sep 28, 2016 10:50 AM ET

Olympian Megan O'Leary recounts her experience winning the Wendy's High School Heisman and how it helped her achieve her goals.

Innovation & Technology

Relocation Transforms Akzonobel Facility into Energy Efficient Smart Building

Sep 28, 2016 10:30 AM ET

Completed in November last year, the company’s new Strongsville Technology Center in Ohio is only a third the size of the former location. Designed to use less than a third of the natural gas, electricity and water, the facility has now been recognized under the worldwide LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The DNA of Robust Employee Engagement

Sep 28, 2016 10:15 AM ET

Hear from Berkshire Bank—“America’s Most Exciting Bank”—to learn about the benefits they reap from a robust employee volunteer program.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Call for Entries Now Open - Green Key Environment and Green Key Meeting Awards

Sep 28, 2016 10:15 AM ET

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is now accepting entries for the 2016 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence. The Hall of Fame Awards program continues the Association’s tradition of acknowledging the strong standards and values of those involved in and with the lodging industry.

Environment

Carolyn Lochhead on the Politics of Water

Sep 28, 2016 10:10 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

IBM Grant Helps Stop Hunger Now Develop Strategic IT Vision

Sep 28, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Technology can play a critical role in a nonprofit organization’s ability to raise awareness for its cause, inspire and attract staff and volunteers, and serve its constituents. In Citizen IBM, the President & CEO of Stop Hunger Now writes about how an IBM Impact Grant helped his organization develop a strategic roadmap for its technology solutions and services. Read the full story here.

Education

Planting a Science Education Seed in Croatia

Sep 28, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Every summer, 40 high school students from Croatia and other areas of Europe gather for 10 days to conduct hands-on research projects with mentors who are only a few years their senior. In the small town of Požega nestled in the mountains of eastern Croatia, these students learn about opportunities in science that lie ahead of them.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sappi’s Passion to Make a Difference

Sep 28, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Sappi’s new global mission statement highlights the fact that our success depends on collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders. In my role as Director of Sustainable Development and Global Policy Initiatives, I have the pleasure of representing Sappi in numerous sustainability initiatives.

Education

Three Reasons to be Optimistic about Early Care and Education

Sep 28, 2016 9:45 AM ET

“Where do we even start?” “How can we expand access when we don’t have good quality?” “How do we build a skilled workforce when we can’t pay them what they deserve?” “How do we reach the informal providers who are caring for half of our community’s children?”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Get to Know Allina Health, Finalist for 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year

Sep 28, 2016 9:40 AM ET

Health care is more than just treating people when they are sick. As such, Allina Health is committed to improving the health of the communities they serve by investing in community health promotion efforts as well as its employees to support people on their path to better health.

Health & Healthcare

Ending Hunger and Malnutrition: How to Leverage Partnerships That Work

Sep 28, 2016 9:15 AM ET

The Sustainable Development Goals were created with the mindset that business as usual would not be enough to end poverty in all its forms and fight inequality. At its root, poverty is a result of inequality. In today’s food systems, the poor cannot access power, resources, and opportunities. The system is controlled by few, and poor and vulnerable people are further marginalized.