ESG News from Leading Brands

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Creating Long-Term Partnerships that Stick

Oct 11, 2018 11:05 AM ET

If you’ve been following our content this year, you’ve likely heard us mention a concept called “The Knitting Factor,” which brings together three key conditions that enable skills-based engagements between the private and nonprofit sectors to create strengthened, sustainable solutions that don’t come undone when partners part ways. There are three key characteristics that make up The Knitting Factor, but for skills-based volunteering to become truly transformative, organizations need to find the “sticky” relationships that enable companies and nonprofits to drive progress on both mission and business-related goals.

Environment

Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci Mine Receives Award for Bat Preservation Program

Oct 11, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci copper mining operations were recently honored by the Arizona Mining Association with the 2018 Sustainability, Preservation and Diversity in Environment award in recognition of environmental excellence.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

KeyBank Expands Corporate Responsibility Leadership Team

Oct 11, 2018 11:00 AM ET

KeyBank has expanded its Corporate Responsibility leadership team to further drive KeyBank’s commitment to helping communities thrive. As part of the expansion, Kelli Arnold has been named director of Corporate Responsibility and Community Engagement and Eric Fiala has been appointed Director of Corporate Community Initiatives & Relations.

Responsible Production & Consumption

ISO-22000 Food Safety Management Certification Now Offered by SCS

Oct 11, 2018 11:00 AM ET

SCS Global Services (SCS), a trusted third-party certification body and pioneer in the fields of food safety, quality, and sustainability, is pleased to announce that it has been accredited as a certifier under the ISO 22000:2005 international standard for food safety management. The standard provides robust food safety management requirements for growers, food manufacturers, processors, packers, retailers, and other entities across the human food and animal feed supply chains.

Environment

5 Ways Companies Can Act on the Latest Dire Climate Warnings

Oct 11, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Owens-Illinois Honored as 2018 Recipient of Keep America Beautiful’s Vision for America Award

Oct 11, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, honored Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) as the 2018 Vision for America Award recipient at the organization’s annual gala award dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Environment

Beverage Sector Taking the Lead on Carbon Management

Oct 11, 2018 10:00 AM ET

The beverage sector is facing increasing stakeholder pressure to be more productive while also consuming less energy and reducing carbon emissions. The good news is that there are considerable opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—if we come together to tackle the challenges standing in the way.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Strengthening Clean Energy with a Diverse Workforce

Oct 11, 2018 9:35 AM ET

As the global renewable energy workforce grows to 24 million in 2030, diversity and inclusion will play a central role in the success of this industry. It is the mission of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) to achieve a strong diversified workforce and support a robust renewable energy economy.

Research, Reports & Publications

Symantec Hits GHG Target, Increases Employee Engagement and Adds Diverse Talent to the Tech Workforce

Oct 11, 2018 9:00 AM ET

As part of its commitment to climate action, Symantec set a goal in 2016 to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent over a 10-year period (FY16 to FY25 with a FY15 baseline). Through investments in energy conservation and more efficient use of space the company has achieved a 32 percent reduction in GHG emissions in just three years. Its Mountain View Headquarters now has a zero-carbon electricity contract as it moves to further reduce emissions by choosing cleaner sources of energy to power offices, labs and data centers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Private Sector Can Play Critical Role in Easing World Hunger

Oct 11, 2018 9:00 AM ET

One of every nine people in the world is hungry. Globally, hunger trend lines are moving in the wrong direction for the third consecutive year, with new evidence indicating a rise in world hunger to an estimated 821 million people, up from approximately 804 million last year. This latest assessment confirms the ongoing threat to food security and development gains across much of the planet.

Education

Goldcorp Funding Enables Indigenous Business Talent to Thrive at UBC Sauder

Oct 11, 2018 7:55 AM ET

As 2017 drew to a close, James Hobart recalls that his days felt routine, with few new challenges. But that was about to change when, along with 11 other participants, Hobart was accepted into the 2018 cohort of the Aboriginal Management Program (AMP) at the UBC Sauder School of Business.

The AMP is proudly supported by Goldcorp and is a rigorous five-month-long certificate program aimed at identifying promising Indigenous entrepreneurs then putting them on a fast track aimed at developing their leadership, project management, finance, and business planning skills.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Take the LBG Canada Mini Survey - Executive Spend

Oct 10, 2018 7:00 PM ET

Take the LBG Canada Mini Survey and tell us how your company acknowledges Executive interest in community! The LBG Canada program provides community investment professionals with data analytics to inform long term strategy, daily work, impact measurement and corporate reporting.

Diversity & Inclusion

“Wonder Women” in STEM Continue to Thrive, Redefine the Traditional Career Path for the Next Generation

Oct 10, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Although STEM employers spend billions of dollars to improve gender equality in their fields, women still face huge obstacles. Many highly-qualified women feel stuck in their careers, and more than half quit their jobs over time, according to Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) research. To address this, CTI’s new study, “Wonder Women in STEM and the Companies that Champion Them,” uses a data-driven approach to identify strategies linked to increased retention and career advancement for women, and shares insights from women who have achieved success in STEM careers. Booz Allen is one of the sponsors of this research.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Barbara Mason, Group Head & Chief Human Resources Officer at Scotiabank Receives First Canadian Employment Equity Champion Award

Oct 10, 2018 4:45 PM ET

Congratulations Barbara Mason, Group Head & Chief Human Resources Officer at Scotiabank, for receiving the first Canadian Employment Equity Champion Award! This award recognizes an executive leader for their proven track record of championing employment equity within their organization, as well as their overall contribution to diversity in the workplace.

Health & Healthcare

Shire Says 'Thank You' to Clinical Research Patient Volunteers

Oct 10, 2018 4:10 PM ET

Shire conveys our gratitude to clinical research study participants, very important people who are directly responsible for helping potential new medicines become available to patients in need.

Energy

Duke Energy to Invest $500 Million in Battery Storage in the Carolinas Over the Next 15 Years

Oct 10, 2018 3:35 PM ET

Duke Energy's advancement of battery energy storage technologies in the Carolinas includes $500 million of projects in the company's 15-year forecast – continuing the company's industry-leading deployment of the technology.

Environment

Steve Seeger + Doniece Sandoval: Power of One

Oct 10, 2018 2:40 PM ET

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: This Report Is Special

Oct 10, 2018 2:30 PM ET

We still have a chance of reaching the aspirational goal, but we need to move quickly. I urge you not to lose hope. Losing hope is futile, especially when what we need now is action.

Environment

How Would Your Day Be Different Without Water?

Oct 10, 2018 2:00 PM ET

On October 10, 2018, Tetra Tech is participating in the fourth annual Imagine a Day Without Water, a day of education and advocacy sponsored by the Value of Water Campaign.

Tetra Tech is among hundreds of organizations that are raising awareness about the importance of water in daily life and the crucial need for investment in water infrastructure to ensure that no community is left without safe and reliable water.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Drive Social Change With What You Do Best

Oct 10, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Drive social change with what you do best and donate your time and professional skills to nonprofits in need of your expertise. Learn how at Taproot Foundation's free Pro Bono Week webinar.

Sustainable Development Goals

Akoin Team Discuss Blockchain & SDGs during General Assembly Week

Oct 10, 2018 12:55 PM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

New Blueprint for An Inclusive Future of Work

Oct 10, 2018 12:10 PM ET

magine you’ve been working as an accounting clerk or on an assembly line or in a textile factory for the past 20 years. You’re great at your job and you’ve honed your craft skills over the years. Lately you’ve been seeing signs of change, noticing colleagues shifting roles, and reading increased news coverage of automation.

What are your options? Work harder, longer hours, faster? Start looking for new roles? Develop new skills? Where to start? Our new report Inclusive Future of Work: A Call to Action tackles these questions head on.

Environment

IPCC Report Reveals Urgent Need for CEOs to Act on Climate

Oct 10, 2018 11:55 AM ET

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a sobering report this week detailing the dramatic effects of climate change and the immediate steps we need to take to make significant progress on limiting warming in the future. The report makes it clear that apathy and inaction are no longer viable options. Unprecedented action is needed by both the public and private sector to transform our energy, transportation and other systems around the world.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods and Feed More Unveil New Tractor-Trailer to Expand Distribution in Rural Counties in Central Virginia

Oct 10, 2018 11:35 AM ET

Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Feed More, a hunger-relief organization serving 34 cities and counties in Central Virginia, unveiled a new refrigerated tractor-trailer to support the organization’s efforts to improve product distribution to the eight localities in the southern region of their service area, where almost 25,000 individuals are food insecure. The tractor-trailer was funded through a $180,000 gift from the Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

We Are Only Half As Good As We Want to Be

Oct 10, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Despite people giving $400 billion most Americans are only half as charitable as they intend. To help bridge that gap, progressive and purpose-driven brands are adopting new strategies to engage their people in more social impact.