ESG News from Leading Brands

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Brands Taking Stands Newsletter, 5/15/18

May 15, 2018 9:00 AM ET

“The Big Story” in this week’s edition of the Brands Taking Stands Newsletter focuses on the issue of long-term strategy in investment—a subject rising rapidly to the top of business agendas.

Environment

General Mills Is Spending More to Develop Organic Ingredients That Customers Can Trace

May 15, 2018 9:00 AM ET

General Mills became a food giant by pioneering ideas to get people in and out of the kitchen more quickly. Now, it has moved to the front lines of an agricultural movement it didn’t start. A series of investments in recent months for its growing portfolio of natural and organic products has been aimed at fortifying the land where its food is grown.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Sodexo Named as One of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women for 10 Consecutive Years

May 15, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Sodexo, a food and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, announced today that it has been recognized for 10 consecutive years by Working Mother as one of the 2018 Best Companies for Multicultural Women-- an honor that recognizes U.S. companies that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and promoting women of color.

Innovation & Technology

University of Denver Team Takes Top Honors in Arrow Electronics' Diversity Meets Innovation Competition

May 15, 2018 1:05 AM ET

Arrow Electronics recently hosted the second annual Diversity Meets Innovation Competition. Student teams, with a diverse set of majors and backgrounds, from four local universities applied their knowledge and skills to propose a tangible impact that could affect the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.

Events, Media & Communications

National Black Child Development Week 2018: The Movement to “Deliver on the Promise” Continues

May 14, 2018 6:30 PM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Bloomberg Business of Equality Summit

May 14, 2018 5:30 PM ET

Bloomberg’s Inaugural Business of Equality summit took place on Tuesday by convening more than 400 influential business leaders, advocates and activists to discuss diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workforce, future of equality, and what is at stake for both the economy and society at-large. The event was held at Bloomberg’s Global Headquarters in New York City.

Diversity & Inclusion

Important Dialogue - Community Investment Has a Role to Play in a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy

May 14, 2018 5:20 PM ET

Join LBG Canada companies on June 5, 2018 in Calgary, as we discuss community investment's role in a diversity and inclusion strategy. Suzanne Jackett, CEO of Between Friends, joins panelists that include leaders influencing corporate thinking on abilities, LGBTQ inclusion, Action 92 and Indigenous inclusion, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

JetBlue Provides $60,000 in “GreenUp" Grants to Four Eco-Focused Nonprofits

May 14, 2018 4:45 PM ET

Green Infrastructure

Black & Veatch Brings Engineering Expertise to Santa Rita, California, Schools' Debut of Solar-Plus-Sharp SmartStorage® Microgrids

May 14, 2018 4:30 PM ET

California's most abundant resource, combined with precedent-setting integration of battery storage, will help a school district dramatically reduce its utility bills and build new defenses against outages. Black & Veatch today announced its role alongside Sharp Electronics Corporation’s Energy Systems and Services Group in engineering six sites of solar photovoltaic (PV) and SmartStorage energy systems in the Santa Rita Union School District (SRUSD) in Salinas, California.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

NH Liquor Commission Honors Wine, Spirit & Employee Awards Recipients at Annual Ceremony

May 14, 2018 4:00 PM ET

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) honored national brands, local wineries and distilleries, and NHLC employees at its annual Wine, Spirit & Employee Awards ceremony held April 17 at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester. Recipients were honored for their community support, innovative marketing, exceptional sales performance and tireless work ethic. NHLC recognized national brands and products including Absolute Lime Vodka, Tito’s Handmade Vodka distillery, Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio, Oyster Bay Wines, Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s, and from New Hampshire, Tamworth Distillery, Flag Hill Distillery & Winery and Montagne Communications.

Energy

Transmissions from the Future: 3 Energy Trends to Watch

May 14, 2018 3:05 PM ET

More than 2,000 decision-makers from the business, finance and policy communities assembled at The Future of Energy Summit, hosted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The topics were wide ranging, but the constant was a focus on sharing ideas and developments moving utilities and companies to a more efficient, productive and low-carbon tomorrow.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

More Than $1 Million Awarded for Mexico's Earthquake-struck Monte Albán

May 14, 2018 2:25 PM ET

World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced today more than $1 million in funding to support disaster response and restoration efforts at Monte Albán Archaeological Site in Oaxaca, Mexico. The new project is the latest in WMF’s long history of supporting cultural heritage sites damaged or destroyed at the hands of natural disaster – beginning with the floods of Venice in 1966.

Sustainable Development Goals

CECP's Global Exchange Welcomes Three New Local Authorities

May 14, 2018 1:50 PM ET

CECP´s Global Exchange continues to expand its global footprint to unite country-based, mission-driven corporate engagement organizations to advance business as a force for good around the world. CECP is excited to welcome three new local authorities to the coalition; Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía (Cemefi) in Mexico, Fundación SERES in Spain, and United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia (GCMY).

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whole Planet Foundation | Empowering Entrepreneurs: Interview with Christie Zangrilli

May 14, 2018 1:45 PM ET

Christie is a new partner of Whole Planet Foundation whose design-forward and fun furniture provides inspiration and is a unique way of “lending”. Through her leadership, Party at the Moontower loaned and styled Whole Planet Foundation lounge furniture for our 2017 Annual Benefit & Live Auction. On Saturday, June 2nd, Christie is a panelist at Whole Planet Foundation's Power Her Potential Women’s Expo, speaking about Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Recycling Initiative Takes Shape at Sands Expo & Convention Center

May 14, 2018 12:25 PM ET

Las Vegas Sands has long been committed to the impact made on the planet. Through its sustainability program, Sands ECO360, the company extends its efforts to partnerships internally and externally, and engages Team Members to unite in protecting the planet. For Facilities/Sustainability Manager at Sands Expo, Lorraine Kalyanaprapruit, her focus is on reducing waste and providing Team Members with knowledge on recycling.

Social Impact & Volunteering

American Woman’s Jen Bartels and Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille Give Back on Viacommunity Day

May 14, 2018 11:25 AM ET

For the past 22 years, Viacom’s annual worldwide Viacommunity Day has given back to those in need. On Friday, April 20, thousands of employees across Viacom and its brands once again volunteered to make a difference in communities around the world, from supporting L.A.’s homeless to organizing gun-safety projects in Florida to restoring outdated facilities in New York City.

Joining the Viacom employees for one project at their Times Square headquarters was talent from Paramount Network’s forthcoming originals: Jen Bartels of American Woman (premiering June 7) and Kelsey Asbille of Yellowstone (June 20). The pair sat down with the other volunteers to decorate bags that students at Free Arts NYC can use to carry home the art they create in the program.

Environment

Digital Learning Disruption: What You Need to Know About the Next Phase of eLearning for EHS Training

May 14, 2018 11:15 AM ET

EHS professionals should arm themselves to meet their new responsibilities in today’s digital eLearning age. Find out how in Antea Group’s new blog.

Education

Big Impact in Bio: Funding the Translation From Bench to Bedside at the American Academy

May 14, 2018 11:10 AM ET

At a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology last year, Megan Krench saw something remarkable: Children, previously unable to move their head or sit up, were turning their heads to look at their parents, sitting up, and even walking. It was a video of a company’s clinical trial for a gene therapy to treat a devastating childhood neuromuscular disorder, spinal muscular atrophy. Infants with this disease typically never reach any developmental milestones, and most die by age two.

Events, Media & Communications

Peter Paul van de Wijs Joins GRI as Chief Communications Officer

May 14, 2018 11:00 AM ET

GRI has appointed Peter Paul van de Wijs as Chief Communications Officer. With extensive international experience in communications and sustainable development, he will bring valuable input to driving GRI's mission of empowering decisions that create social, environmental and economic benefits for everyone.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Best Employers 2018: VMware Named #21 by Forbes

May 14, 2018 11:00 AM ET

Each year, Forbes partners with market research company Statista to poll 30,000 U.S. employees. With this data, the companies compile a country-wide ranking of the best employers of 2018. This year, VMware is excited to announce that the company ranks #21 on Forbes’ list of best employers. Additionally, when looking at companies in the “IT, Internet, Software & Services” category, VMware ranks as the #4 best employer. And if you look at companies headquartered in the competitive San Francisco Bay Area, VMware takes the #3 spot!

Environment

Humans, Not Trees, Are the Solution for the Philippines

May 14, 2018 10:35 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Blockchain Technology: Revolutionizing Food Traceability and Security

May 14, 2018 10:00 AM ET

As the world’s population continues to grow at a rapid pace, so must our ability to feed it. To meet this need, companies are seeking new ways to enhance and expand their capabilities to safely produce and distribute food across the globe, making the journey from farm to table more complex than it once was. Although rare, food safety and security concerns do arise, and when they do, time is of the essence as public health and lives are at stake, not to mention the livelihoods of industries, companies, and employees. Because of this, food traceability has become increasingly important.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Harnessing Uganda’s Agricultural Potential to Improve Farmers’ Lives

May 14, 2018 9:05 AM ET

Divine Masters Ltd (DML), a Ugandan socially-focussed agribusiness enterprise, has joined Business Call to Action (BCtA) with the aim to incorporate 96,000 Ugandan farmers into its agricultural value chain, increasing their production yields, reduce post-harvest losses through climate adaptation practices, improve access to markets and increase household income by 10 percent by 2020.

Responsible Production & Consumption

EFI Welcomes Rouge River Farms to Its Growing Family of Ethical Suppliers

May 14, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Rouge River Farms joins a fast-growing network of certified growers that have made a commitment to improve labor conditions, food safety and pest management through Equitable Food Initiative’s workforce development program.

The company’s farming and packing operations in Clewiston, Florida, became EFI's first certified grower shipper on the East Coast after meeting more than 300 rigorous indicators, based on independent assessment by third-party certifier SCS Global Services.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Aramark Again Honored as a Top 50 Company for Diversity

May 14, 2018 8:20 AM ET

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food, facilities management and uniforms, was once again named to DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for diversity list.