ESG News from Leading Brands

Energy

The Ray and Energy Institute at UT Austin Partner for Groundbreaking Solar Energy Research Focused on Highways

Jun 19, 2018 10:30 AM ET

The Ray and the Energy Institute at the University of Texas, Austin will partner to create ground-breaking research in solar energy; specifically on highway right-of-way spaces.

Research, Reports & Publications

HP Introduces Annual Sustainable Impact Report; Renews Commitment to Planet, People and Community

Jun 19, 2018 10:30 AM ET

Report highlights top environmental goals achieved, significant growth in minority hiring in the US and millions touched by education programs

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

eBay, Public Art Fund, and Ai Weiwei Partner for World Refugee Day with an Exclusive Sale of Artworks

Jun 19, 2018 10:10 AM ET

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei and leading arts non-profit Public Art Fund are partnering for a second time with eBay to exclusively release a series of six powerful new works of art for charity on June 20, World Refugee Day.

Environment

PHOTO GALLERY | #Parks4Pollinators Photo Contest Spotlights Pollinators’ Importance

Jun 19, 2018 10:05 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

KeyBank Recognized as One of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the United States

Jun 19, 2018 10:00 AM ET

KeyBank has been named an honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Allstate Recognized As One of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S.

Jun 19, 2018 10:00 AM ET

Allstate Insurance Company announced today that it was named an honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. The award recognizes Allstate as one of the most community-minded companies in the United States.

Sustainable Development Goals

NRG Energy's VP of Sustainability Discusses Highlights of 2017 Report

Jun 19, 2018 9:45 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

MetLife Social Impact Investments Rise to $50 Billion

Jun 19, 2018 9:35 AM ET

MetLife, Inc. today announced its impact investment portfolio grew to $50 billion in 2017, an increase of 12 percent year-over-year from 2016 to 2017, and MetLife Foundation reached more than six million low-income individuals through the fourth year of its five year, $200 million dollar commitment to financial inclusion.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Merck Named to “Top 50 STEM Workplaces” for Native American Professionals 2018 List

Jun 19, 2018 9:30 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Gildan’s Eden Distribution Center Honored for its Achievements in Health & Safety

Jun 19, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Research, Reports & Publications

New Report from The Boston Consulting Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Details Business Benefits and Best Practices from Circular Economy Leaders

Jun 19, 2018 9:00 AM ET

In a world of finite resources and growing population, the traditional “take-make-dispose” economic model is increasingly unsustainable. As a consequence, companies are feeling pressure from customers, NGOs, regulators, and investors to rethink wasteful linear value chains. The “circular economy” envisions a more regenerative alternative focused on a “refurbish-repair-reuse-recycle” model that has the potential to sustain global growth in the face of increasing resource scarcity.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo’s Sustainability Efforts at Loyola Marymount University Recognized by the Green Restaurant Association

Jun 19, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Sodexo, a food and facilities management company committed to delivering Quality of Life services, announced today that its Lair Marketplace at Loyola Marymount University earned over 400 GreenPoints™ on the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) certification scale, making it the first University dining facility to achieve this honor.

Environment

Sustainable Farming: The Best Is yet to Come

Jun 19, 2018 8:55 AM ET

Farming, like all investments, carries some degree of risk. How SFP mitigates these risks is unique and key to the opportunity. Market demand for organic food is the fastest growing section in the grocery store isles. Geographically, SFP’s established farm operating network is spread out to minimize the impact of local weather events. Our distributed farm network is focused on areas with the best available soil. Linking our farming network provides the opportunity to negotiate better offtake agreements and to negotiate greater discounts on inputs. And in the event of any crop damage due to a weather event that diminishes our yields, we have crop insurance covering up to 85 percent of our crop loss paid at our higher organic prices.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

A Recipe for Effective Hashtag Activism: A Conversation with Susan McPherson, Founder & CEO of McPherson Strategies

Jun 19, 2018 8:00 AM ET

In this episode of the Champions for Social Good podcast, Rachel Hutchisson, vice president of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy at Blackbaud, speaks with Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, about how organizations can effectively leverage social media activism to advance a cause.

Susan explains the best uses for hashtag campaigns and why social media activism sometimes doesn’t work, and details the steps to creating successful and sustainable social campaigns. Susan also talks about why hashtag activism has been a powerful tool for empowering women and girls. Finally, Susan and Rachel discuss some successful hashtag campaigns led by nonprofits and companies and what made them work so well, and what organizations need to do to successfully engage Gen Z.

Media & Communications

Noah Ullman Named Chief Marketing Officer of Keep America Beautiful

Jun 18, 2018 6:30 PM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading nonprofit that envisions a country in which every community is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, today announced that Noah Ullman has been named the organization’s new Chief Marketing Officer and Digital Transformation Lead.

Events, Media & Communications

Webinar: Purpose-Driven Corporate Social Responsibility is Not a Myth (+ Proof!)

Jun 18, 2018 5:45 PM ET

How do you balance purpose and corporate responsibility? And how do directives from leadership fit into your employee volunteer program goals? Last (but certainly not least), how do you create a program that’s inclusive of employee wants? If this feels like a lot to juggle, you’re not alone.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Bellona Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc Sign Agreement to Continue Improving Sustainable Cruise Tourism

Jun 18, 2018 4:30 PM ET

The Bellona Foundation and Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company with nine global cruise line brands, have signed an agreement of cooperation where the parties agree to work together to continue improving environmental and sustainability impact. The newly formed cooperation is based on the two parties’ shared vision of an even more sustainable cruise industry in a future zero emission society.

Diversity & Inclusion

PNC Financial Services Named Among Fatherly’s 50 Best Places to Work for New Dad

Jun 18, 2018 4:05 PM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Timberland Earns Gold Halo Award for Efforts to Reintroduce Organic Cotton Farming to Haiti

Jun 18, 2018 3:15 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Q&A With Canary Wharf: Reporting Helps to Inform, Inspire and Influence Responsible Business

Jun 18, 2018 3:00 PM ET

Property developer Canary Wharf has been a sustainability reporter since 1987. We spoke to Martin Gettings, Group Head of Sustainability at Canary Wharf, who told GRI that they use sustainability reporting to prioritize and focus on both reporting and action, and to "inspire our people, peers and partners to come together to make sustainability real."

Diversity & Inclusion

Women Can Soar When the Mentored Become Mentors

Jun 18, 2018 2:55 PM ET

Though they far outnumber men studying on college campuses, research shows that women are less likely than men to get meaningful advice and mentoring over the course of their school and professional careers.

Environment

Innovators Tackling Humanity's Biggest Problems Seek Solutions by Studying Nature

Jun 18, 2018 2:30 PM ET

Alessandro Bianciardi wanted to help get fresh water to communities that needed it the most -- rural farmers in areas that were hardest hit by climate change-induced drought. So when he and his team of engineers and designers at the company Planet set out to create a more affordable, scalable and radically sustainable solar still, they went right to the source of the most effective R&D process they knew of -- nature itself.

Environment

Richard Crowther Appointed Food & Beverage Segment Leader

Jun 18, 2018 2:20 PM ET

Antea Group announces that Richard Crowther, Senior Consultant based in Atlanta, has been appointed to lead the company’s Food & Beverage segment.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

PNC Foundation Supports Cool Globes Exhibit in Pittsburgh

Jun 18, 2018 1:30 PM ET

Today, Mayor William Peduto is excited to announce the grand opening of Cool Globes in Pittsburgh. The nearly 30 large globe sculptures - described as “public art with a purpose”- will be on display in Market Square, PPG Plaza and Gateway Center through early October. Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet aims to raise awareness of and inspire viewers to take actions on climate change.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Hormel Foods, Albertsons, Vons Donate SKIPPY® Peanut Butter to Thousands of Children in Need This Summer

Jun 18, 2018 1:05 PM ET

Hormel Foods Corporation, in partnership with Albertsons and Vons stores, donated 24,840 units of SKIPPY® peanut butter to the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank to support its School’s Out, Hunger’s Not Summer Food Drive.

The Schools’ Out, Hunger’s Not Summer Food Drive targets children living in poverty that stop receiving free meals at school when school is out for summer and often face hunger at home. In many cases, families are forced to rely on the food bank to feed their children over the summer months.