ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

Astellas Employees Prepare Meals for Safe House Residents

Feb 14, 2018 4:40 PM ET

Energy

50x50 Commission Lays Out Challenges, Opportunities In Reducing Transportation Energy Use

Feb 14, 2018 4:30 PM ET

The 50x50 Commission, launched in October 2017, is chaired by Audi of America President Scott Keogh and National Grid U.S. President Dean Seavers, and includes Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto (D) and Fort Worth, Texas, Mayor Betsy Price (R), along with leaders representing vehicle manufacturers, utilities, federal agencies, environmental and consumer groups, infrastructure providers and public transit. It is holding its next meeting in Washington, D.C., in March, and the Commission’s final report, a roadmap to cut energy use in half in the U.S. transportation sector by 2050 while meeting future mobility needs through federal, state and local policies, is due in September.

Environment

“Catch Colt Draws a Coffin Cart”: Remembering John Perry Barlow

Feb 14, 2018 2:00 PM ET

John Perry Barlow, Grateful Dead lyricist, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and environmentalist, died in his sleep this past week at the age of 70 after a lengthy illness. Host Alex Wise had the honor of meeting and interviewing Mr. Barlow for Sea Change Radio a couple of times and this week we pay tribute to him by re-visiting those discussions.

Environment

JetBlue and The New York Botanical Garden Start an Environmental Consortium Focusing on Conservation in the Caribbean

Feb 14, 2018 1:00 PM ET

JetBlue, New York's Hometown Airline®, today announced the development of a Caribbean consortium with The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Aligned with other like-minded partners across multiple disciplines, this effort will address conservation and commerce in the Caribbean. The Consortium will start with a “Spotlight on Cuba” and will focus on other Caribbean destinations in the future. In 2016, JetBlue became the first U.S. airline to bring affordable and convenient commercial air travel to Cuba after more than 50 years.

During year one, this group will make recommendations on development and environmental issues, to help ensure that Cuba’s natural habitat is protected for future generations.

Events, Media & Communications

Video: How to ‘Go Big’ With Your Employee Volunteer Program

Feb 14, 2018 1:00 PM ET

On Jan. 30, 2018, VolunteerMatch’s Director of Growth and Relationships, Alvaro Tijero, offered insight into: How to balance corporate priorities and employee passions without sacrificing results, challenges other companies face and strategies for overcoming them, and how to ensure your employee volunteer program has tangible, positive effects on the communities it serves. Missed the webinar? Watch the video!

Innovation & Technology

Annual Ideagen Global Innovation 2030 Summit

Feb 14, 2018 12:30 PM ET

Ideagen together with the world’s leading companies, NGOs, and public sector organizations assembled at the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco for the Annual Ideagen Global Innovation 2030 Summit. A new model of impact was unveiled, "Catalytic Impact" to achieve systemic scale as we solve for "x", addressing the world's most vexing issues.

Energy

Pipeline Fever Grips Alberta Town as New Project Draws Hundreds of Workers

Feb 14, 2018 11:15 AM ET

The good times are back for Sundre, Alta., at least for a while

Local businesses in Sundre discuss the recent economic boost the town is welcoming as a result of the construction of TransCanada's Sundre Crossover Project.

Events, Media & Communications

Exploring the Potential for Blockchain in Renewable Energy Markets Webinar

Feb 14, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Blockchain is an emerging and transformative technical standard for distributed ledgers, which has the potential to streamline transactions. Join us to learn about how blockchain can interact with new and existing renewable energy markets.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Set the Agenda for the Future: Join GRI's Corporate Leadership Groups

Feb 14, 2018 11:00 AM ET

GRI's two new Corporate Leadership Groups are looking for dedicated members. If you're an expert on conflict minerals or human rights and modern slavery, GRI invites you to join these expert groups to shape the future of sustainability reporting.

Health & Healthcare

A (Healthy) Shot Through the Heart!

Feb 14, 2018 10:50 AM ET

I wouldn’t call myself a HUGE Bon Jovi fan, but when thinking about February, a.k.a. heart health month, and public opinion, all that comes to mind is “You give FATS a bad name!” I am a child from the 1980’s and love some good Rock n’ Roll. I also grew up on the idea that fat in food was bad. The food industry used this trend to start producing many low fat or fat free products and replaced the fat with sugar or carbohydrates. Unfortunately, I think this perception continues to invade the minds of those outside health-related or nutrition fields.

Responsible Production & Consumption

ASEAN Is Rising to the Climate Change Challenge Facing Agriculture and Forestry

Feb 14, 2018 10:35 AM ET

At a meeting in Lombok, Indonesia, representatives of ASEAN working groups agreed to strengthen their collaboration to reduce risks and maximize security in the food, agriculture and forestry sectors.

Education

Bechtel and JA Inspire Girls to Dream Big and Think Differently About STEM Careers

Feb 14, 2018 10:15 AM ET

Green Infrastructure

Sands ECO360: John Hess, Executive Director of Engineering

Feb 14, 2018 9:55 AM ET

When The Palazzo was first being constructed, Las Vegas Sands had an opportunity to build it in a way that would be environmentally friendly as a LEED certified, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, building. Based on this initiative, Las Vegas Sands began to take on several opportunities in sustainability for new and existing buildings. As part of the initial group that led to the development of Sands ECO360, John Hess, corporate executive director of Engineering, provides technical support during all phases of construction for new buildings and major renovation projects.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

TCS Recognized as One of the Top Three Employers in North America 2018

Feb 14, 2018 9:35 AM ET

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, today announced that it has been named as one of the Top Three Employers in North America by the Top Employers Institute, an independent organization that certifies employers around the world for excellence in creating a total work environment for their employees. This is the fourth consecutive year TCS has been certified as a Top Employer in the U.S. and the third consecutive year for TCS in Canada.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Bringing Banking to Low Income Communities in Northern Nigeria

Feb 14, 2018 9:15 AM ET

Union Bank of Nigeria (Union Bank) has joined Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a pledge to provide access to financial services for at least 30,000 people from low income communities in 11 states across northern Nigeria by 2020, where currently more than half the population are unbanked.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Eco-Friendly Valentines Day Gifts For Your Earthy S.O.

Feb 14, 2018 9:00 AM ET

It's sexy to care.

Research, Reports & Publications

Grid Modernization: Increasing Capital Investments To Decrease Risk

Feb 14, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Growing commitment to distributed energy resources (DER) is forcing continued modernization of the grid — and the effort shows no signs of letting up. Whether by regulatory mandate or stakeholder pressure, system upgrades are being made worldwide to support the increase in renewable energy, while making infrastructure smarter and more resilient. Historically, attention to the grid’s distribution system focused on poles and wire maintenance and upkeep, but growing connectivity between assets is requiring a more holistic approach.

Sustainable Development Goals

Are Companies Ready for the New Energy Economy?

Feb 14, 2018 8:55 AM ET

The recently concluded 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos focused extensively on energy and environmental challenges that companies are facing to ensure they attain their sustainability commitments. Most of the corporate participants at Davos agreed that they need to integrate and advance their energy and sustainability programs on an urgent basis to address the issues arising out of rapid climate change.

Events, Media & Communications

How Can We Deliver a Sustainable Chemical Industry?

Feb 14, 2018 8:15 AM ET

'Sustainability’ and ‘climate-friendly’ might not be the first thing we think of when imagining a chemical company. Has Japanese giant Sumitomo Chemical succeeded in driving sustainability in their industry? And how are they encouraging staff to engage in blue-sky thinking in this area? We sit down with Yoshihisa Takasaki, Manager at Sumitomo Chemical’s Responsible Care Department and Ms. Kathleen Buyle, CSR Manager at Sumitomo Chemical Europe to discuss this and more.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Tetra Tech Wins the ACEC Oklahoma 2017 Grand Conceptor Award for Inkana Bridge

Feb 14, 2018 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech received the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Oklahoma Chapter’s Grand Conceptor Award, the chapter’s highest honor, for design of the Chickasaw Nation’s Inkana Bridge. The annual awards showcase the best engineering projects from across Oklahoma. As winner of the Grand Conceptor Award, Tetra Tech’s Inkana Bridge project will be part of the ACEC national competition of 2017’s most outstanding and innovative engineering achievements.

Media & Communications

Novartis Forms Alliance to Develop Medicines for Treating Infectious Diarrheal Disease

Feb 14, 2018 3:15 AM ET

Novartis receives funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for further development of Novartis drug candidate KDU731 for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis

Events, Media & Communications

Lowest 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit Prices End on Friday!

Feb 13, 2018 4:00 PM ET

Act now to get the lowest 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit prices before they go up on February 17! Hear from shared value leaders, learn new skills in hands-on labs and network with others who believe that companies can change the world.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Carbon Tracker Unveils 2˚C Compliant Scenario Analysis Tool on Bloomberg App Portal

Feb 13, 2018 3:05 PM ET

Bloomberg Terminal subscribers can now access the Carbon Tracker Initiative’s research that provides investors in the energy sector and commodities markets, or those with a focus on sustainable investments, insight into oil and gas companies’ upstream portfolios. The tool provides forward-looking quantitative indicators based on project-level data provided by Rystad Energy, an independent source of business intelligence data about the oil and gas industry, alongside Bloomberg market data.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Paramount Viacommunity Film Vies for Top Spot at Boston College Festival

Feb 13, 2018 2:30 PM ET

​Each year, thousands of Viacom employees around the world unite for Viacommunity Day, helping to rebuild and revitalize their local communities with a series of service projects. At Paramount Pictures – which for the past two years has had the highest percentage of employees from any Viacom company division participating in projects – the day has special resonance.

To commemorate the titanic efforts of their employees at last year’s event, Paramount’s social responsibility team put together A Day for Unity, a rousing video recap of the landscaping, painting, organizing, and volunteering at zoos, community centers, soup kitchens and food distribution centers that took place across the Los Angeles area on Viacommunity Day 2017.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Leavers and Takers

Feb 13, 2018 2:15 PM ET

Ishmael’s compelling opening – TEACHER seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person.