ESG News from Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Mike Bloomberg Named UN Special Envoy for Climate Action

Mar 7, 2018 10:10 AM ET

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Mike Bloomberg of the United States as his Special Envoy for Climate Action. Mike Bloomberg will support the Secretary-General’s climate strategy and efforts toward the planned 2019 Climate Summit at UN Headquarters. The 2019 Climate Summit will mobilize stronger and more ambitious action towards 2020 climate targets.

Innovation & Technology

Leading Tech Companies Unite to Stop Online Wildlife Traffickers

Mar 7, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Twenty-one of the world's leading e-commerce, technology and social media companies are joining forces with Google and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to render online platforms and apps inoperable for wildlife traffickers to trade in endangered species.

Education

The Write Stuff: 3 Expert Tips from Tama Hasson on Academic Science Writing

Mar 7, 2018 9:55 AM ET

Education

University and College Students Across Western Canada Help Young People Reach Their Infinite Potential

Mar 7, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Undergrads at Okanagan College have developed a curriculum that teaches high school students everyday skills ranging from healthy meal preparation to smart spending.

Similarly, a team at Simon Fraser University is empowering high school students across the Metro Vancouver area by providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to build their own businesses. Their project, Bright Ideas, is an eight-week venture development course focused on instilling entrepreneurship skills, business knowledge, and promoting environmental sustainability.

Enactus Okanagan College and Enactus Simon Fraser University have been named the 2018 Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge Regional Champions.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Your Guide to Creating and Promoting a Culture of Gender Equality

Mar 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Gender equality is one of the most important conversations happening today and you can join this movement by utilizing your most critical resource—your people. Download this guide to get four ways you can create a culture of gender equality through your giving, volunteering and granting program to provide a place of belonging and inclusion for your people.

Diversity & Inclusion

Viacom’s #SeeHer PSAs Portray Positive Female Role Models In Media

Mar 7, 2018 9:15 AM ET

On Feb. 1, Viacom launched the first in a year-long series of PSAs across MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, CMT, TV Land and Nickelodeon. These vignettes feature inspiring, diverse women role models, both real and fictional.

This spot is part of the Association of National Advertisers’ ongoing #SeeHer initiative, of which Viacom is a leading partner. The goal is to accurately portray women and girls in media and advertising by 2020 (100 years after women’s suffrage passed in the United States).

Responsible Production & Consumption

Jason F. McLennan: The Best Kind of Troublemaker

Mar 7, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Jason F. McLennan, partner and CEO of McLennan Design and founder of the International Living Future Institute, has been dubbed a “troublemaker”—but in the best way possible. His work uncovered the importance of sustainability before it was a buzzword and movement in the design industry. Starting his career as an architect, McLennan said he was focused on sustainability from the start of his path, focusing on its importance “before it was cool.”

Research, Reports & Publications

Data as the New Infrastructure

Mar 7, 2018 9:00 AM ET

For decades, the definition of “infrastructure” has remained unchanged and was used to define roads, bridges, electricity and water delivery systems, among other examples. But as cities continue to build upon smart city efforts, the concept and very definition of infrastructure is changing.

Research, Reports & Publications

To Make the Most of an EHS & Sustainability Software Investment, Don’t Skimp on the Implementation

Mar 7, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Software is a powerful tool for accelerating EHS & Sustainability performance, but even the best tool can fail if it’s not implemented well, according to a new NAEM report that was published today.

Innovation & Technology

Unite Your Purpose and the World, in the Cloud

Mar 7, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Odds are when you wake up in the morning, you grab your phone and start scrolling. In that moment the world is at your fingertips. A world that is at its best in almost every measurable way – healthier, happier, and more educated. But how are you helping to shape this world? Career is a cornerstone of modern life and yet 85 percent of people worldwide feel disengaged at work. However, when you add meaning to this equation, things drastically change. People want to put purpose at the center of their lives, but lack the connections needed to do so. And if we do nothing, this trend will not change as new generations already trust themselves more than traditional institutions to solve the world’s problems.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sands Academy Elevate Certificates: Sonila Dhima

Mar 7, 2018 8:45 AM ET

Shortly after transitioning from Assistant Pool Manager to Refreshment Center Manager at The Venetian and The Palazzo, Sonila Dhima was made aware of courses offered through Sands Academy. In conjunction with the Learning and Development courses offered to all Team Members, Sands Academy established the Elevate Series, a series of courses focused on providing tools for leaders to manage their Team Members and build relationships to ensure success within their departments.

Sustainable Development Goals

SCS Empowers Companies to Build Business Value Through Sustainability

Mar 7, 2018 8:30 AM ET

Check out this video that highlights how SCS Global Services empowers companies to build business value through sustainability by safeguarding the environment, climate, health and supporting the needs of workers and communities. Find out why we are the leading third-party certifier in the industry by following our upcoming #100waysSCSempowers campaign on social media to see all the ways we work with various organizations around the world.

Diversity & Inclusion

Gender Is the Trojan Horse of Diversity

Mar 7, 2018 8:00 AM ET

I have been in business now for 30 years, and have always believed that women represent an incredibly powerful yet still untapped resource. The tragedy is that there is no shortage of talent or ambition among women in the workplace. All too often however, women’s career progression can come to a standstill, the most notable being when they reach middle management.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

The Arbor Day Foundation Honors Plant-for-the-Planet With Spirit of Arbor Day Award

Mar 7, 2018 8:00 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation has announced today that Plant-for-the Planet has been awarded the Foundation’s Spirit of Arbor Day Award which recognizes an organization or community that fulfills the Foundation's mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees through programs and activities that have been implemented within the past five years. The award will be presented at Plant-for-the Planet’s global youth summit in Monaco on Friday, March 9, 2018.

Research, Reports & Publications

Parker Publishes New Sustainability Report - A Viewpoint on Social Responsibility

Mar 7, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, today released its 2017 Sustainability Report, “A Viewpoint on Social Responsibility.” The report highlights team member-driven initiatives which are helping to strengthen communities, conserve resources and make a positive environmental impact at the local level.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Benevity to Provide $100,000 in Double Donation Matching for Women's Causes

Mar 7, 2018 7:15 AM ET

Benevity Founder and CEO contributes $100,000 of his personal funds to three organizations addressing unique challenges facing women: YWCA, Canada Learning Code and Dress for Success.

Innovation & Technology

CornellTech@Bloomberg: Fresh Perspectives From Women in Venture Capital

Mar 6, 2018 4:30 PM ET

Venture capitalists from some of NYC’s leading VC firms joined Bloomberg, Cornell Tech, and Tech:NYC at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters on Wednesday to discuss how to close the gender gap in the technology industry.

Diversity & Inclusion

30 Years Later: Women Business Owners Continue Fight for Equality

Mar 6, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Today, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) released “Spotlight on H.R. 5050: The Bill that Changed Everything for Women Business Owners.” This white paper, sponsored by The PNC Financial Services Group, reflects on the provisions that transformed the course for women business owners and highlights the current areas for improved policy and better women involvement. The white paper includes anecdotes of NAWBO leaders who played a role in H.R. 5050, as well as assessments of the current status of women business owners from NAWBO leaders and luminaries in the women business owner community including SBA Administrator Linda McMahon and NWBC Chair Carla Harris

Responsible Production & Consumption

The History of Plastic Straws

Mar 6, 2018 3:35 PM ET

Jacob Briars, Bacardi’s global brand ambassador, shares why plastic straws were originally created and why they are no longer serving the same purpose in society. Join the Bacardi No (Plastic) Straws Pledge and commit to adding "no plastic straw, please" to your every drink order.

Diversity & Inclusion

NAFE Names American Express One of the 2018 “Top 70 Companies for Executive Women”

Mar 6, 2018 2:40 PM ET

American Express has been named one of the 2018 NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women by the National Association for Female Executives, to recognize American corporations where women have significant clout to make the decisions that affect their company’s future and its bottom line. The NAFE Top 70 Companies, released today, is featured in April/May issue of Working Mother. The full report on this year’s winners are listed here.

Research, Reports & Publications

CECP's Giving in Numbers in Action

Mar 6, 2018 2:35 PM ET

How does your company make decisions about social investments? Is it an ad-hoc approach or strategic and measurable? CECP's Giving in Numbers report - the largest, most robust, industry-leading and internationally-recognized research of corporate social engagement - offers an in-depth review of how leading companies are effectively harnessing their resources to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2001, the Giving in Numbers Survey has collected data on corporate social strategy programs globally to provide professionals with the benchmarking and reporting tools necessary for making decisions about their company’s social strategy.

Research, Reports & Publications

WATCH: Andrew Plepler, Bank of America, Global Head of ESG

Mar 6, 2018 2:00 PM ET

Andrew Plepler, global head of ESG at Bank of America, discusses how the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability provides the company with a comprehensive framework for corporate sustainability leadership.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

LIXIL to Provide UN-Habitat with Sanitation Facilities for Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement

Mar 6, 2018 1:00 PM ET

LIXIL Corporation, a global leader in the housing and buildings industry, announced today it has been awarded a contract by UN-Habitat to provide its Green Toilet System – a waterless and sustainable sanitation solution - for the Kalobeyei refugee settlement in Turkana County, Kenya. Designed for areas without access to water and sewage systems, the Green Toilet System will improve access to clean and safe toilets in the settlement and help refugees become more economically self-reliant by converting waste into fertilizer for crops.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Walmart | How Sustainable Business Practices Help the Bottom Line

Mar 6, 2018 12:45 PM ET

At Walmart, investments in sustainability and efficiency in our own operations – and those made by our suppliers – have enabled us to save money, while striving to support jobs and help reduce impact on the environment.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

VMware's Supplier Diversity Initiative Recognized by OMNI50 List for "Multicultural Business Practices"

Mar 6, 2018 12:25 PM ET

VMware has been named an Omni Top 50 Organization for Multicultural Business Opportunities for its commitment to supplier diversity.