ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

The 22nd Annual Viacommunity Day Was All Good, All Around (the Globe)

May 4, 2018 5:05 PM ET

Friday, April 20 was truly a global day of giving. Nearly 4,000 employees from 25 different regions around the world contributed ideas, talent and compassion to more than 125 projects in local communities for the 22nd annual Viacommunity Day, a celebration of the company’s values and commitment to giving back.

The day’s theme was “ALL GOOD, ALL AROUND.” The scope of Viacom’s traditional day of service reflected this motif well, as all around the world, employees did good: helping at their regular offices, like Viacom’s Times Square Headquarters; trekking to community organizations, like Chrysalis in downtown Los Angeles; or cleaning up the shores of Australia’s Sydney Harbor National Park.

Environment

Water Brand Lokales Wasser Works With Avery Dennison to Improve Sustainability

May 4, 2018 5:00 PM ET

Zurich-based water brand Lokales Wasser was looking for a packaging solution that would fully reflect its brand values, including improving sustainability.

Health & Healthcare

Sepsis Can Be Prevented on World Hand Hygiene Day, May 5th and Every Day!

May 4, 2018 4:45 PM ET

World Hand Hygiene Day is May 5th. This day reminds us that hand hygiene is important today, and every day. And it is especially important in healthcare settings where hand hygiene reduces the risk of patients contracting infections and developing sepsis.

This year, the global theme for World Hand Hygiene Day is ‘It’s in your hands – prevent sepsis in health care’, set by the Private Organization for Patient Safety and the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of World Hand Hygiene Day, we have developed an easy to remember call to action in the form of 3 steps, with the aim to help healthcare professionals (HCPs) reduce infections and sepsis among patients.

Think hygiene. Act to prevent. Care for patients. Or put more simply: Think. Act. Care.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Smithfield Wean-to-Finish Farm 360° Virtual Tour

May 4, 2018 4:25 PM ET

Step inside one of our wean-to-finish farms, where piglets live and grow until they reach market weight.

Environment

Georgia Tech’s New Global Change Program Named First Tenant of Kendeda Building

May 4, 2018 3:15 PM ET

Georgia Tech's new Global Change Center will be housed in the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design

Research, Reports & Publications

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report Reveals Ambitious New Goals to Cut Carbon Intensity in Half From 2016 Levels and Invest up to $400 Million in Education

May 4, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) CEO, Lowell McAdam, yesterday announced new sustainability and education and goals during the annual shareholder’s meeting as outlined in the company’s 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report. After undergoing a rigorous evaluation of its corporate social responsibility efforts, Verizon is continuing efforts to support a target under United Nations Sustainability Goal #8 of improving sustainable consumption and production and Goal #4 of ensuring quality education for all.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Book Excerpt: Powering Up

May 4, 2018 2:45 PM ET

Not since Arlie Russell Hochschild laid out the lives of women who worked inside and outside the home in her 1989, jaw-droppingly astute book, The Second Shift, has someone so clearly articulated the machinations that have held back women from leadership, and what we can do about it. Anne Doyle’s Powering Up: How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders, is a perfect follow up for those who have marshalled troops to help with the second shift and are already leaning in.

Environment

Transition Network Founder Rob Hopkins

May 4, 2018 2:15 PM ET

What would it take to get your neighborhood, community, or town to unify behind the shift to sustainability? This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to the founder of the Transition Network, Rob Hopkins, about the movement to generate universal appeal for sustainable practices by working locally.

Education

EA SPORTS, NFL Players Association and Discovery Education Bring STEM Careers to Life in 'Role of Data in EA SPORTS' Madden NFL Virtual Trip Featuring Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown

May 4, 2018 1:50 PM ET

EA SPORTS, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, are teaming up to host A Numbers Game Virtual Field Trip: The Role of Data in EA SPORTS Madden NFL on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET.

Energy

Improving Energy Efficiency and Reducing our Emissions – The Adaptive Power Challenge

May 4, 2018 1:30 PM ET

At Comcast we are committed to sustainable innovation, particularly innovation that empowers us to manage the energy we use and the emissions we create so we can to reduce our carbon footprint. That’s why we are excited to support the Adaptive Power Challenge, created to underscore our industry’s individual and collective commitment to reduced energy usage and overall sustainability by encouraging innovations in energy management and, specifically, finding ways to adapt the amount of power we’re using by not using it when it isn’t needed.

Demand for our services ebbs and flows during the course of a day, and there are tremendous opportunities to leverage those natural patterns to support more energy-efficient operations.

Research, Reports & Publications

ICYMI! - In Case You Missed It! The latest news from the Erb Institute

May 4, 2018 12:30 PM ET

ICYMI! is a business-focused publication sharing the work of the Erb Institute. In this and future publications, we will share how our research, teaching and engagement are providing ideas and frameworks that will help businesses move forward in meeting their sustainability challenges. We invite you to have a look inside and see how our work is helping to move the needle on business sustainability.

Diversity & Inclusion

FCA US Earns Spot on DiversityInc’s 2018 Lists of “Noteworthy Companies for Diversity” and “Top Companies for Veterans”

May 4, 2018 12:20 PM ET

The editors of DiversityInc magazine have named FCA US LLC to the magazine's 2018 list of "Noteworthy Companies for Diversity" and to the list of “Top Companies for Veterans.”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Duke Energy Named One of America's Best Employers by Forbes

May 4, 2018 12:10 PM ET

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

How Annie’s Is Working Differently in Montana

May 4, 2018 12:00 PM ET

A new sort of farmers market just arrived in the northern plains of Montana, and Annie’s is proud to be part of it. For the last eighteen months, we’ve been working with organic grain farmers, Casey Bailey and Nate Powell-Palm, to create limited edition Annie’s items – Honey Bunny Grahams and Elbow Pasta & Cheddar – made from organic crops grown on their farms.

Diversity & Inclusion

Important Dialogue - How Can Community Investment Enable Diversity & Inclusion

May 4, 2018 11:05 AM ET

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

Events, Media & Communications

Registration Open for Renewable Energy Markets 2018

May 4, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Don't miss this chance to lock in our lowest-available rate. REM 2018 will explore best practices in renewable energy procurement, and emerging trends in policy, technology, and market innovation.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Traveling Science Lab Comes to Kankakee

May 4, 2018 10:55 AM ET

“We believe in bringing hands-on science to the future generation of scientists,” said Kaely Zeiser, Curiosity Cube coordinator. “We want to bring something to these kids where students can come into the Curiosity Cube and learn from local scientists, learn about their career paths and also get exposed to different technology and different types of science.”

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Avnet's Supply Chain Navigator Interview with Stuart Pann, Chief Supply Chain Officer, HP Inc.

May 4, 2018 10:10 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Creating a Better Workplace

May 4, 2018 10:05 AM ET

CBRE’s Workplace practice, established in 2008 and comprised of more than 40 professionals across the Americas, is focused on creating, implementing, and sustaining workplace strategies that improve employee engagement and create real and measurable organizational value.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Meet Latha and Gautam, Mother and Son in Tirrupur

May 4, 2018 10:00 AM ET

In July 2017, some of the workers at Bestitch Knits in Tiruppur, India, the Fair Trade Certified™ factory where Latha Maheshwari works, learned that her 18-year-old son, Gautam, needed help paying for his third semester fee for higher education to be able to stay in school. When workers brought this up at their Fair Trade Committee meeting, the group decided they wanted to help.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

New Ambient Pack From Tetra Pak for In-shop and At-home Freezing of Dairy and Juice Based Products Wins Award

May 4, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Tetra Pak has won an Alufoil Trophy 2018 award for Product Protection with a new single-portion pack for juice and dairy products, featuring a thin aluminium foil inner layer. The Tetra Fino® Aseptic 100 Ultra MiM not only enables the contents to be kept for long periods at ambient temperatures, but also allows them to be turned into frozen treats, with minimal changes to existing dairy and juice production processes.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

VIDEO | How Cisco Helps Nonprofits Develop and Scale Tech Solutions

May 4, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Cisco’s cash and product grant programs help nonprofits apply digital technology to have the broadest impact in some of the most economically underserved parts of the world. Years of working with nonprofits have taught us how mission-based technology initiatives develop and scale. We’ve distilled this insight into a social investment approach that helps new initiatives progress from an innovative idea to a scalable, financially sustainable operation.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Gildan's Sustainable Innovations Featured on Science Channel's New Show Tomorrow's World Today

May 4, 2018 9:50 AM ET

Gildan is excited to be featured on the Science Channel’s new program, Tomorrow’s World Today, in an episode airing at 8:30am E.T. on Sunday May 6th. The show hosted by Tamara Krinsky, Emmy award-winning actress, writer and broadcast host and George Davison, co-creator of the show, is a cutting-edge television series exploring innovations in technology and sustainability.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Celebrating Literacy During Read Across America on Dr. Seuss’ Birthday in Las Vegas & Bethlehem

May 4, 2018 9:45 AM ET

During the annual literary celebration of the National Education Association’s Read Across America on March 2, many children across the nation celebrate reading on the same day as the beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss’ birthday. In honor of the literary holiday, Las Vegas Sands Team Members in Las Vegas and Bethlehem, PA, took the time to read to students at local elementary schools.

Sustainable Development Goals

Bold Ideas for Financing and Regulations to Close the Energy Gap

May 4, 2018 9:30 AM ET

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 calls for universalaccess to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by the year 2030. 1.1 billion people worldwide still have no access to electricity. That’s nearly equivalent to the U.S and European population combined. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that, unless electrification efforts are further accelerated, by 2030 a total of 674 million people will still be without access to electricity.