ESG News from Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Women Help Women Reach for More In Life

May 23, 2018 12:35 PM ET

‘Having it all’ is a concept that women have been discussing and aspiring to attain for nearly 40 years. Still, the conversation continues because no one has determined what having “it all” actually means. After decades of debate, women today are reshaping the definition. And female relationships are proving to be a powerful force.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Improving the Sustainability of Cocoa Grown in West Africa

May 23, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Cocoa is far from the only ingredient in Betty Crocker baked goods, but when you long for a brownie, it’s likely chocolate that you’re craving.

We use high-quality cocoa in everything from baked goods to cereal to snacks. Making sure that cocoa is grown in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner is a priority for General Mills.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Marina Bay Sands Celebrates its Partner Charities at True Colors Festival

May 23, 2018 12:20 PM ET

Sands for Singapore, an initiative through Sands Cares, is a multi-day festival that serves to increase public awareness of partner charities and raise funds for them through several series of events. At the True Colors Festival in March, more than 100 Team Members at Marina Bay Sands spent an evening with 40 Sands for Singapore beneficiaries from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), and AWWA.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Volunteers Put Work on Hold and Serve in Puerto Rico

May 23, 2018 12:15 PM ET

Medtronic continues to team up with All Hands and Heart, a disaster relief organization. Together, they’re providing opportunities for employees to put a pause on their day jobs and pitch in throughout hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Advice on Giving Back – Words of Inspiration from Connie L. Lindsey of Northern Trust

May 23, 2018 11:35 AM ET

This year we are proud to honor Northern Trust as Corporate Partner of the Year. Accepting the award on their behalf is Connie L. Lindsey, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate and Social Responsibility and Global Diversity and Inclusion. We recently sat down with Connie to talk about Northern Trust’s commitment to corporate responsibility and her advice to young professionals looking to give back.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

The PepsiCo Foundation Commits $4 Million to the Robin Hood Foundation to Support Education and Job Training for 20,000 Young Women and Girls in the Bronx

May 23, 2018 11:25 AM ET

The PepsiCo Foundation today announced a $4 million grant to the Robin Hood Foundation – New York City's largest poverty-fighting organization – to support high-quality education and workforce training programs for young women and girls in the Bronx. The grant will fund initiatives to help 20,000 females ages 13-24 in the Bronx increase their earning potential, addressing an acute need in New York City's poorest borough in which 1 in 3 women – more than 220,000 women – are living in poverty.

Research, Reports & Publications

GRI Publishes Its Own Annual Report Using the GRI Standards

May 23, 2018 11:00 AM ET

2017 marked 20 years of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Learn more about the successes and challenges, and how GRI engages with its vast stakeholder network in the GRI 2016–2017 Annual Report.

Innovation & Technology

Aflac Presents My Special Aflac Duck at The Atlantic's Children and Cancer: An Atlantic Forum

May 23, 2018 10:45 AM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Multipliers of Prosperity: A Match Made in Reality

May 23, 2018 10:25 AM ET

With support from MetLife Foundation, The Financial Clinic teamed up with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce to gauge the return on investment of integrating financial security services into workforce development programs for greater impact.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

INFOGRAPHIC: Smithfield Foods Leading as a People-Oriented Company

May 23, 2018 10:20 AM ET

Smithfield Foods strives to create an engaging environment for our people. We provide a variety of opportunities for talent development and career enhancement, including educational opportunities, training and employee resource groups.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Fair Trade USA and Flor de Caña Partner to Bring Fair Trade Certified™ Rum to the Global Community

May 23, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, welcomed Flor de Caña premium rum to the Fair Trade community after certifying that the raw ingredients used in the production of the Nicaraguan rum are produced under rigorous social and environmental standards - covering areas like safe working conditions, protection of fundamental human rights and environmental best practices. Flor de Caña is proud of its partnership with Fair Trade USA to bring Fair Trade Certified rum to the global community by mid 2018.

Innovation & Technology

With AI Watching, Clues to Why Neighborhoods Flourish or Fail

May 23, 2018 9:25 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

Steel and Sustainability Go Hand in Hand in ArcelorMittal’s 2017 United States Integrated Report

May 23, 2018 9:00 AM ET

ArcelorMittal USA is excited to announce the publication of its annual 2017 United States Integrated Report, “Powered by Resilience.” Since 2009, ArcelorMittal has reported on its corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives in the United States. This third publication of an integrated report continues the company’s dedication to transparency and directly connects ArcelorMittal’s 10 sustainable development outcomes to its business outcomes and financial drivers.

Sustainable Development Goals

How an Indonesian Coconut Plantation Inspired Mars' “Aha Moment” on Sustainability

May 23, 2018 9:00 AM ET

For those of us in the field of corporate social responsibility, Mars is well-known for its environmental leadership. The company’s goals are therefore nothing short of ambitious. But if anyone can help the company meet those targets, it is chief procurement and sustainability officer Barry Parkin, who believes that big goals drive big innovation.

Research, Reports & Publications

SABIC Has Recently Launched Its 2017 Sustainability Report, Building a Better Future

May 23, 2018 5:00 AM ET

SABIC’s 2017 Sustainability Report: Building a Better Future, its seventh such report, is an impressive achievement. It continues the company’s effort to lead in sustainability and tell this story to stakeholders through an engaging annual publication.

Energy

Oil Primer With Dan Dicker

May 22, 2018 10:15 PM ET

Have you forgotten the days of $5 gas from a few years ago? Well, after a period of relatively low prices, the price of the world's most-used fossil fuel is on the rise again. Here to explain on Sea Change Radio what is driving the surge in pricing is oil expert Dan Dicker.

Innovation & Technology

Musselwhite’s Digital Fleet Management System Improves Safety, Communication and Productivity

May 22, 2018 8:00 PM ET

After years of relying on a manual paper-based system and radio communications to relay vital information to underground equipment operators, Ontario’s Musselwhite mine recently implemented a digital fleet management system for underground vehicle dispatch that helped improve productivity and enhanced safety.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Kimberly-Clark Awards $1.2 Million in Bright Futures College Scholarships

May 22, 2018 7:05 PM ET

Kimberly-Clark today announced its 2018 Bright Futures Scholarship Program has awarded $1.2 million in college scholarships to 60 children of Kimberly-Clark employees in 17 U.S. states. Recipients were chosen based on academic achievement, leadership, work experience and involvement in extracurricular activities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Highlights Charitable Giving and New Employee Programs in Full Release of 2017 Sustainability Report

May 22, 2018 5:45 PM ET

Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. issued the fourth and final installment of its 2017 Sustainability Report with the release of its Helping Communities and People sections. The Helping Communities section focuses on Smithfield’s 2017 charitable giving within the communities where its employees live and work. The People section features new programs rolled out in 2017 that focus on keeping employees safe and engaged, and highlights employee talent development and educational opportunities.

Education

Duke Energy Energizes Ohio and Kentucky with Nearly $600,000 in STEM, Literacy and Workforce Development Grants

May 22, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Duke Energy is expanding its investment in local students and workforce development by funding 36 education and training programs – totaling nearly $600,000 – in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The grants, which are administered by the Duke Energy Foundation, will benefit and enhance educational programs focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), childhood reading proficiency and workforce development.

Diversity & Inclusion

Important Dialogue: Community Investment Has a Role to Play in a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy

May 22, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Join LBG Canada companies on June 5, 2018 in Calgary, as we discuss community investment's role in a diversity and inclusion strategy.

Panelists include leaders influencing corporate thinking on abilities, LGBTQ inclusion, Action 92 and Indigenous inclusion, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Green Infrastructure

Global Launch of New Climate-Based Water Resilience Criteria

May 22, 2018 4:40 PM ET

The Water Consortium, a global group of climate finance and sustainability organisations, has formally launched the new Water Infrastructure Criteria of the Climate Bonds Standard marking a major turning point in best practice for sustainable investment in water-based infrastructure and green/grey hybrid systems.

The final development phase extends the Criteria’s reach to cover nature-based and hybrid water infrastructure, such as wetlands and watersheds, that may be used for purposes of water collection, storage, treatment and distribution, flood protection and drought resilience.

Responsible Production & Consumption

National Geographic Fights Single-Use Plastic on All Fronts

May 22, 2018 3:45 PM ET

Plastic pollution has become a trending topic over the past year. Companies have partnered with environmental organizations and nonprofits to upcycle plastic pollution, they have joined coalitions and launched a new initiative to address their supply chains – diverting plastic waste from our oceans. Plastic waste is such a critical issue, it was even the theme of this year’s Earth Day. With stakeholders from all industries working to decrease the impact of plastic pollutants, National Geographic kicked-off a multifaceted campaign leaning on its aptitude for storytelling in the hopes of reducing global reliance on single-use plastics.

Diversity & Inclusion

DiversityInc Puts Medtronic on the "Top 50" List for 2018

May 22, 2018 2:35 PM ET

After six years away from the workforce, Amanda Miranda returned to the engineering field through a Medtronic hiring initiative called Careers 2.0 – an initiative provides returnship opportunities for women in engineering after taking time away from the field. Amanda’s story is one of hundreds from around Medtronic that represent the company’s commitment to inclusion and diversity. Medtronic is being recognized for that commitment on DiversityInc’s Top 50 list.

Events, Media & Communications

Highlights from the Taproot Foundation's 2018 U.S. Pro Bono Summit

May 22, 2018 1:35 PM ET

The Taproot Foundation’s U.S. Pro Bono Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from across sectors and industries with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to social change organizations. The 7th annual Summit was held in San Francisco on April 18 and 19.