ESG News from Leading Brands

Sustainable Development Goals

We Can’t Afford Simplistic, Binary Thinking When It Comes to Food Production

Jul 9, 2018 10:00 AM ET

As head of R&D for a major vegetable seed company, I get to travel around the world to meet with farmers and many other veggie-loving stakeholders from across the food chain. Thanks to events hosted by our seed brands, De Ruiter and Seminis, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with vegetable suppliers, grocery retailers, restaurateurs, renowned chefs, food writers/bloggers, and other stakeholders. I have also had wonderful opportunities to speak at many culinary or “foodie” events.

Events, Media & Communications

Join 3BL Media for “Responding to Disaster: IBM and Bechtel Partner to Address Resiliency,” July 11 at 2 p.m. ET.

Jul 9, 2018 9:55 AM ET

Join 3BL Media for “Responding to Disaster: IBM and Bechtel Partner to Address Resiliency,” July 11 at 2 p.m. ET. This free webcast is aimed at corporate responsibility practitioners, policy makers, NGOs, and others engaged in disaster preparedness.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Consumers Energy Named ‘Most Trusted Brand’ Among Midwest Utilities for Business Customers

Jul 9, 2018 9:45 AM ET

An independent national survey has named Consumers Energy as a “Most Trusted Brand,” ranking it as a top utility in the Midwest and in the top 15 in the nation among providers of electricity and natural gas according to business customers.

Environment

Restoring Degraded Tropical Dryland in Extreme Conditions: The Case of Sumba Island

Jul 9, 2018 9:40 AM ET

Restoring degraded land is a major global challenge made more urgent by a changing climate, warming world, increasing shortage of arable land and an exploding human population. The tropical regions of Earth have been historically among the wettest and most fertile, producing the familiar images of lush landscapes of thickly forested hills and valleys of rice fields. Yet large areas of the tropics are dry, deforested, degraded and unproductive. The island of Sumba in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Nusa Tenggara Timur is one such case.

Energy

Making the Case for Connecting Efficiency and Sustainability Teams

Jul 9, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Many companies face internal barriers such as siloed departments or expertise that prevent them from reaching their energy and sustainability potential. To clear these hurdles, organizations are starting to integrate how they buy and use energy with sustainability initiatives, an approach that maximizes investments, delivers greater returns and builds more robust, viable operations.

Research, Reports & Publications

Naturgy, the New Brand for Gas Natural Fenosa

Jul 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

The new company, simple, agile and dynamic committed to sustainability, publishes its corporate responsibility report and focuses on its most vulnerable clients.

Naturgy is a multinational group and a leader in the energy sector, a pioneer in integrating gas and electricity with a balanced mix of businesses which supply gas and electricity to almost 18 million clients and operations in more than 30 countries.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Tetra Tech’s Engineers Without Borders Tranquilla Norte Water Supply Project

Jul 9, 2018 9:00 AM ET

With support from Tetra Tech’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Grant Program, the EWB Sacramento Valley Professional Chapter is developing a sustainable water distribution system for the 3,000-person community of Tranquilla Norte, Panama. The community’s existing system, which was installed by the government in the 1980s to serve 150 homes, does not provide adequate supply for the current 950 connections. The system’s flow is limited during peak hours, and households furthest from the four springs that serve as the community’s water source often receive poor-quality water, or none at all. These water supply challenges lead residents to purchase bottled water or travel to homes at higher elevations that have more reliable access.

Innovation & Technology

Zooming Toward Success: Goldcorp Closes Deal With Acoustic Zoom

Jul 6, 2018 3:35 PM ET

We are proud to announce our US$1million investment in Acoustic Zoom, an advanced geophysics company specializing in innovative seismic solutions. Acoustic Zoom was awarded the top prize at #DisruptMining 2018, after placing as a semi-finalist in #DisruptMining 2017. As part of the investment, our own Sergio Espinosa, Director of Geophysics, will join Acoustic Zoom’s board of directors. A US$150,000 pilot program will also launch this summer at Goldcorp’s Red Lake Gold Mines, testing the technology in a real-world scenario.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Sappi Measured Success for Its People in 2017

Jul 6, 2018 3:00 PM ET

At Sappi North America, we are committed to operating our businesses in a sustainable manner. Together with the 2020Vision— Sappi’s global growth strategy—we use our sustainability goals program to set targets, initiate improvement actions and monitor progress.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Empowering Washington, D.C., Residents Through Academic Scholarships

Jul 6, 2018 3:00 PM ET

The 2017 fall semester was about to start, but Lillian Copeland was still uncertain about how she was going to pay her college tuition. The rising sophomore and Washington, D.C., native had been accepted as a transfer student at Spelman College in Atlanta, but she needed more money.

Health & Healthcare

WATCH | Cara Mund, 2018 Miss America and CMN Ambassador, Shares Thoughts on My Special Aflac Duck

Jul 6, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Cara Mund, Miss America 2018 and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Ambassador, shares why My Special Aflac Duck™ is a comforting companion for children facing cancer.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland Partners With TutorMate for Micro-Volunteerism

Jul 6, 2018 2:25 PM ET

This week, outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland shared its newest approach to employee volunteerism – which can be completed in just around a half hour.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Häagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees

Jul 6, 2018 12:25 PM ET

If you’ve ever wanted a bee’s-eye view of what life is like for the planet’s hardest working pollinators, then check out the new virtual reality video experience “The Extraordinary Honey Bee“ developed for Nestlé’s Häagen-Dazs brand.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

I Was a Millennial Mentor at Citywide Speed Mentoring Day

Jul 6, 2018 11:45 AM ET

Media & Communications

Embracing Diversity in Media Is Not Negotiable – Here’s Why

Jul 6, 2018 11:35 AM ET

It is no secret that the media industry is experiencing an unprecedented level of disruption. This has upended legacy business models, but has also created a wave of new opportunities. To successfully navigate this changing media landscape, the industry needs bold ideas and innovative strategies brought to life by broad and inclusive talent cultures.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Computerworld’s 100 Best Places to Work in IT 2018: VMware Ranks #3 Among Large Organizations

Jul 6, 2018 11:15 AM ET

The Best Places to Work in IT list is an annual ranking of the top 100 workplace communities for technology professionals by IDG’s Computerworld. This year, we are thrilled to announce that VMware made it into the top 5, coming in at #3 (out of 59) on the Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT 2018 in the large organization category.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes® Initiative Donated More Than 2.5 Million Servings of Protein During June

Jul 6, 2018 11:00 AM ET

During the month of June, Smithfield Foods’ hunger relief initiative, Helping Hungry Homes®, visited six communities to donate more than 630,000 pounds of protein—the equivalent of more than 2.5 million servings—to those in need. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Helping Hungry Homes® this year, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs since the program’s inception.

Environment

TOTO Donates Low Flow Toilets to The Ray

Jul 6, 2018 10:30 AM ET

TOTO is excited to be part of the vision of sustainability that the Ray C. Anderson Foundation has for the world, and the company recently donated and installed 15 low flow toilets and flush valves at the Georgia Visitor Information Center (VIC) located on The Ray.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Free Lightbulbs Part of Plan to Light Up Jackson Neighborhoods

Jul 6, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Officials hope to brighten up Michigan neighborhoods with the Light Up the City initiative. Volunteers will go door to door this summer, asking to install lightbulbs on porches. Consumers Energy donated 1,500 lightbulbs to the program.

Environment

Sands ECO360: Our Commitment to the Planet

Jul 6, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Through our global sustainability program Sands ECO360, Las Vegas Sands works diligently to reduce our properties’ impact on the planet. Operating a sustainable business means focusing on the areas where we have the greatest impact and where we can make meaningful improvement through investments, partnerships, and scalable solutions.

Environment

NRG Energy Works with Sysco on 25MW Solar Farm in Texas

Jul 6, 2018 9:55 AM ET

NRG is proud to announce a planned 25 megawatt solar project for Sysco, to power their Texas operations and advance sustainability.

Sustainable Development Goals

USAID Awards Tetra Tech $22 Million Contract for Biodiversity Conservation and Community Development in Madagascar

Jul 6, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK) announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the Company a $22 million, single-award contract to support biodiversity protection and enhance livelihoods in Madagascar.

Sustainable Development Goals

Cerro Verde, a Freeport-McMoRan Company, Provides Health Care to Remote Regions

Jul 6, 2018 7:35 AM ET

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde has partnered with the Regional Government of Arequipa (GRA) in Peru to provide free healthcare services to citizens of the region. Cerro Verde is proving training for and remunerating medical personnel who travel on health care buses to provide care for community members. The buses are currently on a thirteen-month tour of the region.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Financial Diaries: Lessons From Small Enterprise Foundation in South Africa

Jul 5, 2018 3:10 PM ET

Many microfinance organizations often talk about their success in terms of scale and big picture numbers: how many borrowers do they reach? How big has the loan portfolio grown? But MFIs need to answer a different set of questions to develop a more granular understanding of their impact on a household level.

Sustainable Development Goals

VIDEO | Cisco Helps Nonprofits Accelerate Global Problem Solving

Jul 5, 2018 3:10 PM ET

Together with our nonprofit partners, we are harnessing the power of technology to create new and better opportunities for people. We are pioneering new ways of learning, lifting people out of poverty by providing access to new and better employment opportunities, and helping people in disaster areas get the relief they need.