ESG News from Leading Brands

Education

Finding Community Beyond Borders in Science

Jan 31, 2019 11:00 AM ET

This summer, I was an Amgen Scholar at the National Institutes of Health. I was working at the National Cancer Institute in Dr. Suresh Ambudkar’s lab. The focus of the lab is on p-glycoprotein, which is a membrane protein on all cells capable of pumping out many different substrates from inside the cell. In cancer cells, this protein is over-expressed, meaning there are a lot more on the cell. This causes problems for cancer patients because this protein often will pump out anti-cancer drugs from the cell, making the cells resistant to treatment. My project with p-glycoprotein involved identifying more molecules that are able to be pumped out by the protein, as there are very many known, but new ones are being found frequently.

Innovation & Technology

Arrow Electronics and Unlimited Tomorrow Unveil 3D-Printed Prosthetic Arm at Consumer Electronics Show

Jan 31, 2019 10:45 AM ET

Arrow Electronics and customer Unlimited Tomorrow unveiled the latest version of its 3D-printed prosthetic arm at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. The prosthetic is designed to be cheaper and more accessible for children, who require new devices as they grow.

Environment

Take Control of Your Incident Response

Jan 31, 2019 10:40 AM ET

Antea Group has tips for incident response planning, investigation, agency communication, and ensuring the safety of affected workers or communities.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Subaru of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Announce the 2019 AAAS/Subaru Book Prize Winners

Jan 31, 2019 10:35 AM ET

Subaru of America, Inc., along with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), announce the winners of the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books. The tale of a Bangladeshi boy’s sustainable science project; the world of asteroid research; the rich history of the buildings surrounding us; and the life of a world-famous inventor are the stories told by the winners of the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Urban Greening with Timberland: 3rd Year, 3 Cities

Jan 31, 2019 10:30 AM ET

It's been 3 years since we launched our five-year Urban Greening commitment. This year, we set out to green not just one city, but three. With support from Journeys, the Student Conservation Association and our local communities, we pulled on our boots and took our greening commitment to Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles!

Environment

Scooter Talk with Carter Rubin of NRDC

Jan 31, 2019 9:25 AM ET

The first time you saw a fleet of rent-able electric scooters huddled together on a city sidewalk, what was your reaction? Annoyance at yet another silly transportation trend, hope for a greener way to get around, or perhaps a burning desire to jump aboard? This week on Sea Change Radio, we hear from Carter Rubin of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Events, Media & Communications

National Nonprofit Keep America Beautiful Hosts 2019 National Conference in Baltimore

Jan 31, 2019 9:20 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest community improvement nonprofit organization, is featuring Fred Kent, founder of Nonprofit for Public Spaces, as its keynote speaker at the 2019 Keep America Beautiful National Conference, taking place Feb. 6-8, 2019 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Booz Allen Named a Best Workplace for Commuters for 13th Year

Jan 31, 2019 9:00 AM ET

Commuting alone to work by car, especially over long distances, is bad for your health and the environment. Booz Allen’s efforts to change this situation for the better have been recognized for the thirteenth consecutive year by Best Workplaces for Commuters, a national program promoting outstanding commuter benefits.

Environment

Why Soil Health Matters for Food and Beverage Businesses

Jan 31, 2019 9:00 AM ET

When I speak about our work in soil health, I will often see a head tilt with a questioning look. Why would a food company have any interest in soil? That’s when I take a step back and share that 99 percent of our food comes from the soil. Being a food company, the connection is instantaneously made.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Surveying the Investment World through an ESG Lens: A Snapshot of Key Topics From the US

Jan 31, 2019 8:50 AM ET

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics have never been more prominent in investors’ minds than they are today. But there’s considerable variation among investment managers about how ESG is considered or integrated.

Education

Gap Inc. Joins Business Call to Action Through Commitment to Provide Life Skills and Technical Training to One Million Women and Adolescent Girls

Jan 31, 2019 8:30 AM ET

Global retailer Gap Inc. joins Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to improve the lives of one million women and adolescent girls through its life skills and technical training programme. Launched in 2007, Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) programme was initially created to support women working in the global apparel industry and has expanded training to new locations such as schools, universities, and other manufacturing communities.

Sustainable Development Goals

UN Global Compact Bulletin (January 2019)

Jan 31, 2019 8:25 AM ET

The UN Global Compact Bulletin is designed to keep participants up to date on news, actions you can take, resources and events. Participants are encouraged to look to this monthly communication for important information. Please note that actions and events are intended for Global Compact stakeholders, unless otherwise indicated. The Bulletin is published in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

Health & Healthcare

Sandoz Certified Global Top Employer 2019

Jan 31, 2019 8:10 AM ET

Sandoz, a Novartis division, is honored to announce that it has been officially certified “Global Top Employer 2019” for its exceptional employee offerings globally. The certification is based on annual, international research undertaken by the Top Employers Institute that recognizes leading employers around the world and their excellence in employee environment.

Green Infrastructure

All-Electric Housing for Homeless Breaks Ground in San Bernardino

Jan 31, 2019 8:00 AM ET

Southern California Edison partners with nonprofit Mary’s Village as it tackles men’s homelessness in the community.

Sustainable Development Goals

Cerro Verde, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Provides Free Healthcare to Peruvian Communities

Jan 31, 2019 7:35 AM ET

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde developed a health campaign in partnership with the Regional Government of Yarabamba to provide healthcare for citizens in remote areas.

Energy

The Oilfield Digitalization Opportunity Executives Can’t Afford to Miss

Jan 30, 2019 4:50 PM ET

Science shows that 80 percent of methane emissions are caused by 20 percent of the leaks. Digitally-enabled leak management has the potential to immediately identify that 20 percent.

Social Impact & Volunteering

FCA Community: Plant Manager Hopes to Bring Vocational Training to Rural Kenya

Jan 30, 2019 2:15 PM ET

Kevin and Nancy Sell call themselves “empty nesters on a mission.” Through their non-profit Hearts of Hope International, their mission now is to equip residents of Kiambu County, Kenya, many of whom are HIV positive widows and orphans, with skills training by building a vocational school in partnership with the Dorcas Orphans and Widows Ministry.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How Mohawk Group Takes Design Cues from Nature

Jan 30, 2019 2:10 PM ET

The Lichen Collection became the first floor covering to achieve Living Product Challenge Petal Certification. Lichen can be found in every color of the rainbow and grows in nearly every ecosystem on earth, thriving on bark, leaves, soil and rock. You might even call it nature’s carpet. That idea inspired Jason McLennan, founder of the Living Product Challenge, who partnered with Mohawk Group to introduce the Lichen modular plank carpet system. The Living Product Challenge is a distinctive certification program by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) that promotes a philosophy which defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in product manufacturing today. The program requires that products go beyond minimizing footprints to creating positive “handprints” on resources.

Media & Communications

WEC Annual Report 2018 is now live!

Jan 30, 2019 2:00 PM ET

WEC is pleased to share the results of our efforts to raise expectations and standards for business excellence in environmental sustainability, catalyze thought leadership and implementation strategy for sustainability, prepare current and early career leaders to achieve a sustainable future and implement scalable public and private capacity building programs around the world.

Innovation & Technology

Machine Learning Tips From Booz Allen: Minimizing Pitfalls, Maximizing Performance

Jan 30, 2019 2:00 PM ET

Optimizing energy usage in power plants and data centers. Detecting fraud and other criminal activity in near-real time. Adding speed and accuracy to image scanning for health care diagnoses.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

In New Study, Companies Outline the “Why and How” to Develop and Deliver a Long-Term Plan to Investors

Jan 30, 2019 1:30 PM ET

The journey for a company to deliver a long-term plan to institutional investors just became clearer with the release of a new white paper by CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative (SII). The paper, Method of Production of Long-Term Plans, offers a behind-the-scenes look at why the CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies delivered long-term plan presentations to investors, what inputs they considered in creating the presentations, and who was involved and how the internal teams aligned and prioritized data.

Environment

Water Efficiency and Cost Reduction Are Signs of Good Water Management

Jan 30, 2019 1:10 PM ET

In recent years, we have taken a closer look at the costs of using water in making pulp and paper. Thanks to a variety of process improvements, we are seeing greater water efficiency and lower costs. We are intentional about our water efficiency, and we return nearly 90 percent of it to its source. In many cases, the water we return is cleaner and clearer than it was originally.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PayPal Named to Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2019

Jan 30, 2019 12:10 PM ET

We are pleased to announce that PayPal was once again named on the Forbes list of the Best Employers for Diversity in 2019. We consistently strive to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace year by year, and are excited to see continued results.

Innovation & Technology

Embracing Innovation to Tackle Humanity’s Greatest Challenges

Jan 30, 2019 12:00 PM ET

As the global population increases in a climate-stressed world, we face mounting challenges. On the one hand, cities consume close to 65% of the world’s energy and generate more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But on the other, they drive economic growth and account for 80% of global GDP. They are home to over half of the world’s population. Over the next 25 years, the number of people living in cities will rise to 6 billion, adding 2 billion more residents to already crowded spaces.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Deloitte Podcast: Episode 4: Being Digital

Jan 30, 2019 11:20 AM ET