ESG News from Leading Brands

Health & Healthcare

LIXIL Transfers Sustainable ‘Green Toilet System’ Technology to Local Kenyan Business to Accelerate Access to Basic Sanitation in East Africa

Oct 26, 2018 10:35 AM ET

LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, is accelerating access to basic sanitation in East Africa by transferring proprietary sustainable sanitation technology to Kenyan company, ACE Environmental Consultancy (ACE). The Green Toilet System (GTS) has been nearly a decade in development and has the ability to transform thousands of lives through improved access to toilets.

GTS safely processes human waste without using water, enabling it to be recycled as fertilizer. Co-working with UN-Habitat (the United Nations Human Settlements Program), the system was introduced to Kenya’s Kalobeyei refugee settlement earlier this year, where it helps refugees achieve greater economic independence by using the converted fertilizer to cultivate crops.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Breaking Out of the CSR Box: How to Build Social Impact Into Your Whole Business

Oct 26, 2018 10:25 AM ET

In recent years, the push for businesses to be about more than business and embrace a social purpose has risen from a murmur among millennial workers and the occasional CEO to a resounding call across the business world. Executives, employees, consumers, and even investors are looking beyond the bottom line and asking, “What does it really mean for companies to have social impact?”

Energy

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District Improves Classrooms, Earns Trane Energy Efficiency Leader Award

Oct 26, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Trane®, a global leader in indoor comfort solutions, and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, recognized the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District (DRRSD), with an Energy Efficiency Leader Award for a multi-year energy conservation program that improves classroom comfort and reduces district energy costs by 62 percent.

Research, Reports & Publications

7 Questions for Alex Gorsky About Johnson & Johnson's Groundbreaking Work in South Africa

Oct 26, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Preventative HIV innovations. Better access to oncology care. A mobile messaging service for moms. These are just a few of the initiatives underway—and Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky sits down for an exclusive interview about all of them.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Mohawk Group’s Sunweave Woven Broadloom Marries Best Practices of Past and Present

Oct 26, 2018 10:05 AM ET

To offset the energy used to produce Sunweave, Mohawk engaged in a unique “handprinting” initiative, partnering with Virginia’s Hampton University to install 152 low-flow showerheads, equating to an annual water savings of approximately 4 million gallons. Mohawk has also partnered with Groundswell to ultimately install 10 smartflower™ solar systems at community centers and schools with STEM programs across the U.S. Mohawk is not only committed to bringing warmth back to commercial interiors through flooring products like Sunweave, but to leaving a lasting impact through meaningful initiatives and manufacturing practices that give more back to the environment than they take.

Education

LA Galaxy Foundation Hosts Inaugural LA Galaxy High School Girls Summit Presented by Southern New Hampshire University

Oct 26, 2018 10:00 AM ET

AEG’s LA Galaxy Foundation welcomed more than 100 high school female athletes for the inaugural LA Galaxy High School Girls Summit presented by Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) at StubHub Center on Saturday, October 13.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Every 8 Minutes, the American Red Cross Responds to an Emergency

Oct 26, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Over the past 14 months, areas across the U.S. have experienced one historic and tragic disaster after another. With Hurricane Harvey dropping nearly four feet of water on communities across Texas, the catastrophic destruction across Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, the terrifying wildfires in California and, most recently, the destruction of homes and communities by Hurricanes Florence and Michael — tens of thousands of individuals and families are working to recover and rebuild, while thousands more are still seeking shelter today.

Innovation & Technology

How the Push to Make Data Privacy a Human Right Will Impact Businesses

Oct 26, 2018 9:55 AM ET

As companies collect and use an increasingly staggering amount of personal information, there is greater attention on what their responsibility is—both ethically and legally—in handling all of this data.

Innovation & Technology

It’s Time for American Leadership in Electric Vehicles

Oct 26, 2018 9:30 AM ET

In a recent OpEd featured in USAToday.com, General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra calls for a National Zero Emission Vehicle (NZEV) program that would accelerate the development and customer acceptance of electric vehicles and establish the U.S. as a technology leader.

Energy

EDF+Business Webinar: Beyond a Building: Scaling Energy Efficiency on November 1st at 1pm EDT

Oct 26, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Energy efficiency is a proven cost-effective, simple and quick method to reducing energy costs and GHG emissions in a building. But energy efficiency can be a lengthy and resource-constraining process, especially when dealing with a portfolio of buildings or engaging suppliers on energy efficiency.

Green Infrastructure

INFOGRAPHIC: Investing in Community Trees

Oct 26, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Young people are told that if they want to retire comfortably, they need to start saving a little money early in life. Deposits, even with low interest rates, over time, add up to surprisingly large yields of cash.
This same concept can be applied to trees. The “deposits” are trees planted, and the yields are the myriad benefits trees provide.

Research, Reports & Publications

Marathon Petroleum Corp. 2018 Citizenship Report Expands Coverage of Environmental Metrics and Governance

Oct 26, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) today announced the publication of its 2018 Citizenship Report, which describes the company’s accomplishments in energy efficiency, emissions reductions and safety, as well as provides a detailed look at MPC’s governance, community involvement, and much more.

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar | Working More Sustainably

Oct 26, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Our Engine Center in Seguin, Texas, manufactures, tests and paints diesel engines for Caterpillar customers. These activities generate a variety of byproduct materials, the most significant of which is the process water that comes from engine hot testing. At one point, the facility produced more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater every month.

Environment

Smithfield Foods Announces Landmark Investment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Oct 25, 2018 7:00 PM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce, through the nationwide expansion of Smithfield Renewables, innovative projects designed to help meet its goal to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent by 2025, which it set in concert with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). This month marks the one-year anniversary of Smithfield Renewables.

Events, Media & Communications

Common Impact, SVP Boston and Impact 2030 Post Strong Results From First Citywide Day of Skilled Service

Oct 25, 2018 4:05 PM ET

Common Impact, a national leader in skills-based volunteerism, Social Venture Partners Boston, a nonprofit focused on local engaged philanthropy, and Impact 2030, a collaborative that uses corporate volunteerism to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration and skilled volunteerism through Skills for Cities Boston, which took place on September 25, 2018 at The Boston Fed.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Karen Jordan Is Making Others Mindful of Mental Health in the Workplace

Oct 25, 2018 3:50 PM ET

“Mental health isn’t just one person’s issue, it’s everyone’s issue,” says Karen Jordan.

Karen is not only the Lead of Financial Literacy at Scotiabank, she’s also the Chair of the Scotiabank Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH), one of Scotiabank’s many Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Karen wants to get the message across that mental health issues are something that happens to people. It’s something we all need to be mindful of.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Austin Students to Design the Playground of Their Dreams With KaBOOM! and GM

Oct 25, 2018 3:30 PM ET

Is that a space shuttle? No, it’s a pirate ship! Oh, wait, could it be a castle? It could be any one of these and more, as KaBOOM! makes its way to Wayside Altamira Academy (AMA), to help enhance outdoor play time, imagination and fun for pre-K to fifth grade students in Austin, Texas.

Innovation & Technology

What’s Ahead for AI in National Security? Insights from Booz Allen’s CEO and Panel

Oct 25, 2018 3:05 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Curiosity Cube Expands Employee-Taught STEM Education Program

Oct 25, 2018 2:35 PM ET

MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canadian name of the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The company fits the profile of those that will suffer as the available pool of qualified science graduates continues to shrink. Its efforts to change that have earned MillporeSigma first place in the “Media Relations or PR Campaign” category of PR Daily’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Events, Media & Communications

How Are You Using Pro Bono as a People Strategy? | Taproot's Advisory Services Newsletter

Oct 25, 2018 2:05 PM ET

This week, social good organizations across four continents will receive pro bono services during Pro Bono Week. This annual celebration of the pro bono ethic honors thousands of professionals who volunteer their skills and expertise to support nonprofits all around the world. Pro Bono Week reminds us how crucial and important skilled volunteers are in helping to build the capacity of the social sector. By donating their time and expertise, pro bono volunteers have the chance to give back, connect with their communities, and deepen their skillsets.

Environment

Unnatural Instincts: The Trump Effort to Rollback Critical Climate Regulations Is Bad Science and Bad Business

Oct 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

The scale of these rollbacks — measured in GHG emissions, in economic costs to be paid and benefits to be lost, and in human lives — is breathtaking. These rollbacks not only reveal a bad “instinct” for science, they also show a bad sense for business.

Environment

Belvidere Assembly Plant Gives “Seed Money” to Local Conservation Area

Oct 25, 2018 2:00 PM ET

About 84 miles west of Chicago is the Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area, 429 acres of pure nature available for area residents and visitors to enjoy. Managed by the Boone County (Illinois) Conservation District (BCCD), this lush recreational area is located in the same county as the FCA US Belvidere Assembly Plant.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

National Grid Volunteers Painted the Community Care Alliance Shelter in Woonsocket With the Red Sox Foundation

Oct 25, 2018 1:35 PM ET

Wally from the Red Sox visited National Grid, Red Sox Foundation volunteers, and visitors painting the Community Care Alliance Shelter in Woonsocket, RI.

Research, Reports & Publications

Arrow Electronics Wins Two Corporate Social Responsibility Awards

Oct 25, 2018 12:25 PM ET

Arrow Electronics received two 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards from Ragan’s PR Daily, recognizing organizations dedicated to making the world a better place.

Sustainable Development Goals

Hy-Vee Extends Arbor Day Foundation Partnership with $100,000 Donation

Oct 25, 2018 12:00 PM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation announced today that it has extended its partnership with Hy-Vee, Inc., a supermarket chain in the Midwest. For the third year in a row, Hy-Vee presented a $100,000 donation to support tree plantings and reforestation projects around the communities it serves.