ESG News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest environmental, social and governance news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's distribution platform.

Energy

BECHTEL CASE STUDY: Balancing Economic Growth with Low Carbon Energy Solutions

As part of Bechtel’s commitment to contribute 100 ideas to support the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this case study examines the challenge for emerging economies to find the right balance between pro-growth economic policies and programs, reducing greenhouse gases, and transitioning to a low-carbon, reliable and affordable energy program. Our premise is that every country has a unique energy mix that can be optimized to support societal needs and national ambitions.

Social Impact & Volunteering

‘The Great Goya Family’

Whether as a small store in lower Manhattan or as an international company with more than 4,000 employees, Goya Foods has always kept family values at heart. In fact, the Unanue family refers to their employees, surrounding communities, customers, suppliers, and business partners as “la gran familia Goya,” or “the great Goya family,” said Bob Unanue, the company’s president and CEO.

Health & Healthcare

Merck for Mothers Blog | A Note from Dr. Etiebet: Reflections from WEF 2018

The MSD for Mothers team recently returned from the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, where we joined leaders from business, government, civil society and academia in discussions around the theme, “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.” In keeping with the focus on the global economy, MSD for Mothers and our partners made the business case for investing in maternal health, argued for greater private sector involvement in innovative financing for development, and advocated for more research on the experiences of women and girls to guide more equitable decisions about allocating resources.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Feature: Diversifying the Supply Chain

HP states that diversity is imperative for good business. “We invest in improving representation by minorities and women within our supply chain and encourage diversity in suppliers’ own workforces,” it said. “Just like our employees, diverse suppliers bring unique experiences and perspectives that strengthen our business, support innovation in our supply chain, and enhance local economies.”

Environment

When It Comes to Fighting Ocean-Bound Waste, Collaboration Is Key

In the UK right now, there is a huge spotlight on the crisis being created in our seas by plastic waste. The reality of the situation is scary – and hard to ignore. Every single year, 8 million metric tons of plastic enter our seas, endangering marine life and polluting our waters. And it’s not just marine life being affected.

Research, Reports & Publications

RBS: We Are Building a More Sustainable Bank

“We are building a more sustainable bank; a more responsible company, doing business in a more sustainable way. We consider the long-term impacts of our actions in our decision making, and we are proud that our enterprise and financial education programmes show the difference we’re making for our customers and communities. Continuing to live by our values and providing, simple and fair banking will help us to build trust for the long term.”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Benevity Acquires TrustCSR, UK-Based Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancy

Benevity acquires TrustCSR, a UK-based corporate social responsibility consultancy that serves enterprise clients, including Amazon, British Telecom, DHL, EE, Avanade, National Grid and Experian. This acquisition is the latest step in Benevity adding scale and geographic scope to its operations to maximize efficiencies, service its global client base, and reach new markets.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Gildan Launches Speaker Series on Women’s Leadership With Sylvia Montero

Starting in the fall of 2017, Gildan launched a women’s leadership series featuring inspirational and empowering stories shared by successful women. These sessions were designed to foster the development of Gildan’s employees, but even more importantly to emphasize women’s unique and important place in society.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Bon Air Elementary Crowned First Repeat Recycle-Bowl Champion

Bon Air Elementary, in Kokomo, Indiana, was crowned today as the first repeat national champion of Keep America Beautiful’s Recycle-Bowl, the national recycling competition for elementary-, middle- and high-school students, teachers and school communities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

NAACP: Fighting to End Racism and Economic Inequality

This Black History Month, the NAACP celebrates 109 years of working to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination

Innovation & Technology

Schneider Electric: A Veteran Company at Technology's Cutting Edge

Some think of the technology as disruptive, but at its current level of maturity, AI is really more of a “foundational technology,” says Brian Tessier, vice president of global supply chain innovation at Schneider Electric. You could place it on the maturity curve near blockchain, he says.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Smithfield Foods Shares Insights About Hunger in America

Over the weekend, I had the honor of speaking on behalf of Smithfield Foods alongside our respected allies in the fight against hunger, Feeding America and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). What a great opportunity to join together with likeminded organizations who share my company’s passion to eliminate hunger.

My talk centered on Smithfield’s ongoing commitment and greatest responsibility as a food company – to feed people, it’s what we do. We’re working toward fulfilling the company’s social purpose to improve food security and end hunger for the more than 42 million individuals facing hunger each day. And more specifically, I honed in on how we can all work together to serve populations that are disproportionately impacted by hunger.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Carolinas' Waterways to Benefit from More than $900,000 in Grants from Duke Energy

Thirteen organizations spanning 42 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina will receive more than $900,000 in new grants from Duke Energy's Water Resources Fund to support environmental and wildlife programs.

Education

Pizza Hut “Starts a New Chapter” to Help All Kids Succeed through Reading, Takes Further Action to Support Literacy through Annual Giving Program

A lack of books in the home is directly linked to an increased likelihood that a child will read below his or her grade level by the fourth grade. In fact, 25 million children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently. And students who can’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers, a huge barrier to meeting their full potential as adults.

That’s why Pizza Hut, the nation’s longest-standing corporate supporter of literacy, is kick-starting a giving program to tackle issues that lead to illiteracy. Through Pizza Hut: The Literacy Project – the company’s global commitment to literacy – the program will enable access to books and educational resources, empower teachers and inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Diversity & Inclusion

Citi’s CEO Michael Corbat Signs the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ Pledge

Today Citi announced it has signed on to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion (CEO Action), joining more than 350 CEOs and presidents committed to driving policy changes and practices in their companies that help advance equitable workplaces. This move demonstrates Citi’s commitment to increasing diversity and encouraging an open environment that enables employees to thrive and deliver the best possible results for their clients and communities.

Environment

Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - February 2018

This is the quarterly newsletter for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a private family foundation that seeks to promote a sustainable society by supporting and funding educational and project-based initiatives that advance knowledge and innovation in sustainability.

Education

How to Make Student Loan Payments Easier, More Affordable

Every spring, thousands of students don a cap and gown, accept their diplomas and walk into the next phase of their lives full of excitement. They’ve shed the weight of books, classes and papers, but they may still carry one thing – student loan debt.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Environment Scores Big Win With Zero-Waste(i) Legacy Project at Super Bowl LII

The NFL, in partnership with PepsiCo, Aramark, U.S. Bank Stadium, SMG and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, scored a zero-waste legacy project at Super Bowl LII, with 91 percent of all trash generated on gameday from 67,612 fans responsibly recovered through composting, recycling and reuse. The landmark project marks the highest diversion rate achieved at U.S. Bank Stadium and at any previous Super Bowl, and aims to serve as the benchmark for future large-scale events.

The results are in following the big game: nearly 63 tons of the 69 tons of gameday waste were recovered through recycling or donation for reuse (62 percent) and composting (29 percent).

Innovation & Technology

These 3 Elements are Crucial to the Future of Electric Cars

Energy and mobility are the twin pillars of urbanization - and a new study from the World Economic Forum shares three key principles to make the most of electric vehicles.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How One Farm is Harnessing Waste to Improve Soil Health and Put the Best Mushrooms on Your Pizza

When you take a bite of a hot slice of California Pizza Kitchen’s Mushroom and Green Onion pizza, you’re surely not thinking of mushroom farms, organic soil and sustainability.

Next time, perhaps you will.

What you might not know is that those mushrooms, and the farmers who grow them at the Pennsylvania-based Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms, are part of an awesome cycle of care that supports organic farms throughout the East Coast. Nestlé values the farm’s high-quality mushrooms, their rich flavor and the nutritional boost they provide — but we also seek out partners like Mother Earth to create shared value that goes beyond the products we create.

Research, Reports & Publications

GRI Standards Now Available in Simplified Chinese

Sustainability reporting has been a growing trend in China for at least a decade. To support seasoned and first-time reporters alike, GRI has launched the Simplified Chinese translation of the GRI Standards.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

How to Support Thriving Workforces: KeyBank Provides $1 Million Grant to New Haven Career Training Non-Profit

The KeyBank Foundation announces $1 million grant to the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT) to support career training and advancement programs for adults in Greater New Haven.

Innovation & Technology

The Key to a Positive Workplace Culture? "Build Bonds, Rapport, and Trust," Says Booz Allen's Bob Williams

Bob Williams is a Chief Technologist at Booz Allen’s Digital Hub in Charleston, SC, where many members of the firm’s Digital Solutions Group work. We talked with Bob about what it’s like to work at the Hub, and some of the Digital Solutions Group’s most inspiring projects.

Media & Communications

ING Surveyed Corporate Finance Execs: The Results Are Encouraging, As the Respondents Commented on Positive Results of Corporate Sustainability

So often we hear that “investors don’t ask” or “no one inside seems to care” or “our finance folks don’t believe in” when we talk with corporate connections about corporate sustainability at their firm. And, inside the company, skepticism can typically be found in the finance offices. We have some good news “findings” for you today from the ING folks to add to the growing number of research studies demonstrating the sustainability business case.

Environment

EHS Impacts of 3D Printing: A 360-Degree View

Antea Group provide s you with a complete guide to 3D printing and its EHS impacts. Read before you buy.

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