ESG News from Leading Brands

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and We NEED Your Help

May 1, 2018 12:55 PM ET

May is Foster Care Awareness Month. Right now, there are more than 430,000 children in foster care. Some will be reunified with their biological families, but will not. Today, more than 117,000 are in need of a loving, adoptive home.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Social Value Canada Announces Dates for SROI (Social Return on Investment) Training

May 1, 2018 12:55 PM ET

May 30-31, 2018 in Calgary and June 13-14, 2018 in Toronto, join Social Value Canada for SROI Accreditation training. The course is a requirement for all individuals seeking accreditation by the SROI International Network.

Innovation & Technology

AI as a Force for Good in Supply Chain Management

May 1, 2018 12:25 PM ET

As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from research to reality, new insights and increasingly automated decision making are disrupting entire supply chain networks. AI will affect everything-from raw materials sourcing to factory floor productivity. These emerging technologies will unlock business value while simultaneously revealing opportunities to better utilize the workers within those ecosystems.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bans on Plastic Straws Are Growing. But Is the Travel Industry Doing Enough?

May 1, 2018 11:40 AM ET

Spirit companies have joined the fight, stating that there’s no place for plastics in cocktails. Bacardi launched its No Straw campaign in 2016, estimated to eliminate one million straws a year.

Events, Media & Communications

Carnival Cruise Line Salutes Military Couples Aboard Carnival Miracle at Port Tampa Bay

May 1, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Carnival Cruise Line, which carries more active and retired military personnel than any other cruise operator, joined forces with Operation Homefront Sunday, April 29, 2018, to host a “day date” event for 100 military couples aboard Carnival Miracle at Port Tampa Bay in Florida.

Environment

Powering a Greener Future

May 1, 2018 11:30 AM ET

Next-generation 4G and 5G mobile networks are enabling innovations that protect the environment and improve quality of life. That was the key takeaway from “Celebrating Earth Day: The Power of Next Generation Networks to Advance Environmental Sustainability,” an event Verizon hosted earlier this week. Steve Rochlin of IO Sustainability moderated a panel of experts and innovators who discussed how mobile networks are supporting innovations that save energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Green Infrastructure

Boost Your Workplace Wellness With These 4 Green Habits Today

May 1, 2018 10:40 AM ET

Education

As the Education World Relies More on Data, Nonprofits Need Help With the Numbers

May 1, 2018 10:15 AM ET

The education world is dense with data. And all those numbers can be numbing, especially for nonprofits trying to make a difference. One day each year, Fidelity Investments invites those groups to its complex near Grapevine Lake to help make sense of it all.

Health & Healthcare

Merck for Mothers Blog | Assessing and Addressing Maternal Sepsis

May 1, 2018 10:10 AM ET

Every pregnant or recently pregnant woman is at risk of an infection that could trigger maternal sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. Despite it being one of the main causes of maternal death and leading to about 35,000 deaths every year, the true burden of maternal sepsis is presently unknown, due to a lack of data.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Las Vegas Team Members Participate in Nevada’s Big Give

May 1, 2018 10:05 AM ET

On March 22, Sands Cares, the company’s global corporate giving program, partnered with the United Way of Southern Nevada to sponsor Nevada’s Big Give. Since 2011, thousands of Nevadans have participated in the 24-hour online crowdfunding event that was created to rally together community support for Nevada’s charitable causes. In total, $631,153 was raised by 4,360 individual donors that benefitted 235 nonprofits.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Arrow Electronics Celebrated National Volunteer Month and Arrow Charitable Year-One Success

May 1, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Arrow Electronics is committed to serving the communities in which its employees live and work. Each year, Arrow employees partner with local nonprofits around the world, extending the company’s collaborative and innovative culture into the broader community. For national volunteer month, Arrow celebrates its employees’ commitment to giving back and the first year for Arrow Charitable.

Events, Media & Communications

Live From #SV Leaders Summit - Inspire. Innovate. Act.

May 1, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Watch the 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit from your desk! Tune into sharedvalue.org/livestream on Tuesday, May 1, and Wednesday, May 2, for conversations with companies that are using shared value to take on the issues that are making headlines around the world.

Environment

Help Give Our Planet Some Re-leaf This Arbor Day

May 1, 2018 9:35 AM ET

For a long time, we’ve been committed to helping our customers find new ways to protect the environment, and Plant a Tree is one way we can really collaborate with you on that. You can donate online by simply adding the “Plant a Tree option” to your shopping cart. If you are in a business, simply ask your account representative about adding the Plant a Tree option to your Premier Account.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion at IFF

May 1, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are imperative to our continued success. We are dedicated to nurturing a truly inclusive, fair culture, built on a legacy of pioneering firsts that pursues new frontiers to explore. Our new Diversity & Inclusion program recognizes and accelerates our journey to full inclusiveness and inspires us to lead transformational change from within.

Environment

UPF Diverts 97 Percent of Waste from Landfills

May 1, 2018 9:15 AM ET

In less than five years, the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Project has recycled or reused nearly 194 million pounds of materials and diverted more than 97 percent of the project’s total waste from landfills.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

From Dairy Farm Girl to Attorney for General Mills

May 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

This is the latest post in our “You Grow, Girl!” series highlighting female farmers – from the northern reaches of Canada to the heartland of the U.S. From the western coast of Africa to the rolling hills of France and beyond. The series amplifies the voices of female farmers, who play vital roles in agriculture worldwide. Here, they share their unique perspectives on food, family and farming. This post is from Annette Frawley.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Telemark Diversified Graphics Partners With The Arbor Day Foundation to Launch Company Reforestation Program

May 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

he Arbor Day Foundation has announced that Telemark Diversified Graphics is committed to partnering with the Foundation to plant 30,000 trees in the Mississippi River Valley. The partnership was launched by Telemark as part of their sustainability efforts, and the program will be supported by a percentage of Telemark sales over the course of three years, with plans to continue the program long-term.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Barclays Dare to Be: Enhancing Employment Skills in Singapore

May 1, 2018 8:35 AM ET

Emma Guy and Anubhav Mehrotra helped create the Dare To Be programme in Singapore. The eight-week programme, delivered by Barclays in partnership with non-profit organisations, supports young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their work skills and job prospects. The co-founders tell us about the satisfaction they get from widening students’ horizons.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

6 Reasons Retail Brands Should Invest in Corporate Social Responsibility

May 1, 2018 8:00 AM ET

At the Shoptalk retail show in Las Vegas, Narayan Iyengar, SVP, digital and ecommerce for Albertsons Companies, explained that the company can’t “out-Amazon Amazon.” Instead, Albertsons plans to focus on highlighting its ties to local communities.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Electronic Payments Made Through the Benevity Platform Reach an All-Time High of 87 Percent

May 1, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Benevity, Inc., the global leader in corporate social responsibility and employee engagement software, announced that electronic payments made to charities and nonprofit organizations through its platform have reached an all-time high. 87 percent of total employee and corporate donations processed through Benevity are sent electronically, providing charities and nonprofits with the most accurate, reliable, efficient and cost-effective way of receiving funds.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The Intersection of the Employee Experience and Corporate Citizenship

Apr 30, 2018 5:10 PM ET

Corporate citizenship and HR stakeholders can work together to enhance the Employee Experience. These professionals will have the opportunity to meet, network, and learn at The Employee Experience Summit in Chicago on May 17th.

Media & Communications

TransCanada Releases 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report

Apr 30, 2018 5:00 PM ET

TransCanada Corporation has released its 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report, providing a comprehensive update on our performance on environmental, social and governance topics that matter most to the stakeholders, Indigenous groups, landowners and communities involved with or affected by our business across North America.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

SC Johnson Named No. 1 2018 Best Workplace in Central America

Apr 30, 2018 4:30 PM ET

SC Johnson Central America has been recognized as the top 2018 Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work® Institute, ranking No. 1 on this year’s list of companies. This is the 11th consecutive appearance in the rankings for SC Johnson Central America, and the third consecutive year being ranked No. 1.

Energy

Nestlé Waters Plant in Sacramento Now Powered Entirely by Clean Energy

Apr 30, 2018 3:15 PM ET

Nestlé Waters North America, in partnership with SMUD, today announced agreements that will allow its facility in Sacramento, California to be powered by 100% renewable energy. The agreement is a major step towards parent company Nestlé’s global goal to transition to 100% renewable electricity use in its operations.

The clean, renewable electricity generated by SMUD will be used by Nestlé Waters North America to produce sustainably-sourced, healthy beverage options for Californians, including the company’s Arrowhead® Brand Mountain Spring Water and Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water. By transitioning its electrical power needs to renewable sources, the carbon footprint of the Nestlé Waters factory will be reduced by more than 21,279 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next three years.

Energy

GM and Bloomberg to Buy Energy From New Enel Wind Farm

Apr 30, 2018 3:00 PM ET

General Motors and Bloomberg LP have invested in long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Enel’s new wind farm, which is under construction in Illinois. Enel, through its US renewable company Enel Green Power North America, Inc. (EGPNA), started construction of the 185 MW HillTopper, its first wind farm in the US state of Illinois.