ESG News from Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Celebrating Women's Voices in the Brands Taking Stands Movement

Dec 11, 2018 8:35 AM ET

"People want their voice heard and valued, and they want a choice in how they decide to be engaged." Blackbaud's Rachel Hutchisson talks women in leadership with CR Magazine.

Education

Sodexo Partners With Firehouse Subs® to Bring More Food Choices to College Campuses

Dec 11, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Sodexo and Firehouse Subs have partnered to bring the Firehouse Subs’ signature steamed subs with a side of saving lives to college students around the U.S. In 2018, Firehouse Subs donated a portion of each sale up to $1 million to the non-profit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®, which provides lifesaving equipment to first responders.

Green Infrastructure

Oklahoma Gas & Electric Offering 1,500 Free Trees to Customers Through Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees Program

Dec 11, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Oklahoma Gas & Electric is providing 1,500 free trees to customers in its service area through Energy-Saving Trees, an Arbor Day Foundation program that helps conserve energy and reduce energy bills through strategic tree planting.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The Co-op Give Card Campaign | LBG Canada Company Spotlight

Dec 10, 2018 4:30 PM ET

Between 2013 and 2017, Co-op contributed over $1 million to the Canadian Red Cross to help with Western Canadian relief efforts. In 2018, Co-op renewed this partnership with an agreement to donate up to $1.5 million over five years to support disaster preparedness in Western Canada.

Environment

Corona Becomes First Global Beer Brand to Use Plastic-Free Six Pack Rings

Dec 10, 2018 3:45 PM ET

One company is making huge strides by not only introducing a plastic-free carrier, but incorporating its own byproduct waste in the process.

Diversity & Inclusion

Whirlpool Invites Returning Engineers = WIRE

Dec 10, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Our corporate-wide diversity and inclusion priority is coming to life through a just-launched, externally-facing program called "Whirlpool Invites Returning Engineers," aka WIRE. Through the program, recruiters are actively looking for people with relevant engineering experience who left the workforce and are now interested in returning.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Visa Named Among Top 100 Just Companies

Dec 10, 2018 2:30 PM ET

Visa has been named to the 2019 “JUST 100” list by Forbes and Just Capital, a nonprofit research organization that ranks the largest publicly traded corporations in the United States on responsible business practices, including environment, social impact and good governance. Visa placed at number 43 of 100, up 202 spots from last year’s ranking of 1,000.

Energy

Four Key Takeaways from a Michigan Utility’s Clean Energy Transition

Dec 10, 2018 2:30 PM ET

In a speech this week to a large, business-friendly crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Consumers Energy President and CEO Patti Poppe presented an economic case for solar power, electric vehicles and moving past coal.

Environment

Sharing a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Sustainable Forestry with Consumers

Dec 10, 2018 2:30 PM ET

From furniture to paper products, we all use forest products every day. And we all share a personal responsibility to protect our forests for the generations to come. Because trees provide the air we breathe, clean water to drink and resources we need to live, as well as playing an important role in combatting climate change through carbon sequestration, it’s important to do what we can to preserve forests today.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

What Does “Green” Mean to CBRE Hong Kong @ MoonTrekker 2018

Dec 10, 2018 2:15 PM ET

CBRE Hong Kong has completed its 7th MoonTrekker 2018. 80+ CBRE athletes joined the 30/43k trail run on a Friday night. The event not only strengthened our #EmployeeAdvantage but also gave us an opportunity to raise funds for The Nature Conservancy. A great event to nourish our green planet, to elevate our CBRE green.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

6 People Who Make Human Rights Their Everyday Mission

Dec 10, 2018 2:05 PM ET

Companies have an obligation to operate ethically and treat workers, customers and the general public fairly, and HP is proud to promote respect for human rights in all of the company’s operations. This year, Human Rights Day marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the historic proclamation that established the fundamental freedoms of conscience, speech, religion and others belonging to every citizen of the planet, regardless of the laws of the countries where they live. (You can hear then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, reading from the moving preamble here.)

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Providing American Children and Families With Nourishment and Strength

Dec 10, 2018 1:30 PM ET

In America, 40 million people face hunger. This may mean that children in your community are dealing with the pain of an empty stomach instead of playing with friends. Students are skipping meals and struggling to study. Parents are coming home to hungry kids and empty refrigerators. And in many cities and towns, record-breaking natural disasters have caused many families to need food assistance for the first time.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

From Problems to Profits: Investors Eye Asia's Environmental Issues

Dec 10, 2018 1:25 PM ET

Ramy Inocencio sits down with the CEO Amit Bouri, the head of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) during New York's first Sustainable Finance Week and Bloomberg's inaugural Global Responsible Investing Forum to discuss how investors are turning problems into profits.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hormel Foods Recognizes 10th Anniversary of Project SPAMMY®

Dec 10, 2018 1:05 PM ET

December marks the 10th anniversary of Hormel Foods Corporation’s first shipment of SPAMMY®, a shelf-stable poultry product fortified with vitamins and minerals the company developed to help prevent childhood malnutrition in Guatemala. Hormel Foods donates more than 2 million cans of SPAMMY® each year, which helps thousands of families.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary, the company is holding a Project SPAMMY® Week. During the week, the 2019 employee engagement trip opportunities will be announced, and stories and videos about Project SPAMMY® and its impact will be showcased. An employee fundraising drive is also taking place to help raise additional funds for scholarships and chispa center supplies.

Environment

The Circular Economy: HPE Upcycling for the Bottom Line

Dec 10, 2018 1:00 PM ET

This year, the amount of worldwide e-waste is expected to be about 50 million tons. The world’s growing demand to gather and compute enormous amounts of data will continue to consume energy and materials at unprecedented rates, so this amount is likely to rise. At HPE, it’s a business imperative to create a Circular Economy that eliminates waste – and saves IT departments money.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Sysco Is Delivering A Better Tomorrow: Better Is… Organic and Sustainable!

Dec 10, 2018 12:30 PM ET

As a major purchaser of fruits and vegetables, Sysco plays a leading role in improving agricultural standards among growers, processors and distributors. Now we’re doing more: doubling the availability of Sysco Brand organic produce and expanding our sustainable agriculture program to include five fresh crops.

Green Infrastructure

Moving Reverse Logistics Forward

Dec 10, 2018 12:20 PM ET

E-commerce is not always a one-way street. As online purchases grow, so do returns. Our partnership with Optoro streamlines the returns process to maximize value of returned products, eliminate unnecessary shipping, and reduce waste. Here’s how this strategic alliance is transforming retail reverse logistics.

Environment

The Decisions We Make Today are Critical to Ensuring a Sustainable World Tomorrow

Dec 10, 2018 11:05 AM ET

At Schneider, we believe that sustainability and innovation make the fight against climate change technologically possible today. And we know they can be an engine of economic growth and social inclusion. That’s why we’ve challenged ourselves and our network to rethink the future and achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, covering economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. With the Schneider Sustainability Impact, we’re tracking our progress in a quarterly basis.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Forbes and JUST Capital Rank IBM No. 5 in America's Top Corporate Citizens

Dec 10, 2018 11:00 AM ET

IBM ranked as the industry leader and number 5 in America's top corporate citizens

Education

Arrow Electronics Supports Collegiate Inventors Competition

Dec 10, 2018 10:45 AM ET

For the fifth consecutive year, Arrow Electronics served as a lead sponsor for the 2018 Collegiate Inventors Competition, an annual contest that rewards innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors. With outreach to over 1,000 universities, 11 graduate and undergraduate teams from across the nation competed at the event, held last month at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Humana Ranked #1 Health Care Provider for Corporate Responsibility on Forbes and JUST Capital’s JUST 100

Dec 10, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has been ranked No. 1 among Health Care Providers for its corporate citizenship, according to Forbes and JUST Capital in their new “JUST 100.” The JUST 100 ranks publicly traded companies in the U.S. based on how they perform against the American public’s definition of just corporate behavior.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

VIDEO | Aflac CSR Hero Tarisha Fields Makes Sustainability a Priority at Home and at Work

Dec 10, 2018 10:15 AM ET

For Aflac employee and CSR Hero Tarisha Fields, living a sustainable lifestyle is a priority at home and at work. She practices green initiatives with her family, community and at work as part of Aflac’s Green Committee.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Forbes and Just Capital Name General Motors One of America’s Most Just Companies in 2018

Dec 10, 2018 10:10 AM ET

General Motors was today named one of America’s Most JUST Companies in 2018, according to Forbes and JUST Capital, a nonprofit that ranks the largest publicly-traded corporations in the United States on the issues Americans care about most.

Energy

The Energy Gang Podcast: Watt it Takes: The Origin Story of Sunrun

Dec 10, 2018 10:10 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

It's Time to Invest in Her - 2019 the Year of Investing in Women

Dec 10, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Learn how eradicating gender inequality could help unleash perhaps the greatest period of economic growth in the history of the planet.