ESG News from Leading Brands

Health & Healthcare

Punjab Province in Pakistan Signs Agreement With Novartis Access Against Chronic Diseases

Nov 11, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Today, the provincial government of Punjab in Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Novartis to roll out Novartis Access. Poor patients in the province of Punjab will soon have free access to high-quality medicines from the Novartis Access portfolio targeting four key noncommunicable disease areas (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory illnesses, and breast cancer. The agreement also includes the implementation of innovative software to track and monitor individual patient access and adherence.

Innovation & Technology

Save the Food Takes Guess Work (And Waste) out of Thanksgiving Planning

Nov 10, 2017 5:00 PM ET

Each year consumers spend $218 billion on food that ends up going to waste. And, about $277 million of that waste will happen during Thanksgiving — when Americans begin to plan, purchase and prepare lavish meals which usually result in leftovers that ultimately end up in the trash. Now, two organizations have partnered to create an easy-to-use innovation that curbs food waste while making holiday cooking a little bit easier.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

T. Rowe Price Associates Assemble More Than 14,000 Care Packages for Service Members Ahead of Veterans Day

Nov 10, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Veterans Day is a time to recognize the contributions of military service members, past and present. To celebrate Veterans Day, T. Rowe Price partnered with the United Service Organizations (USO) to bring a touch of home to service members in remote areas around the world. Nearly 1,000 associates across T. Rowe Price’s U.S. offices volunteered to create more than 14,000 care packages for service members.

Diversity & Inclusion

Maria Hughes Discusses the Critical Role of Inclusion and Diversity

Nov 10, 2017 4:25 PM ET

Maria Hughes, Humana’s Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, recently spoke with DiversityInc about the critical role that I&D plays and the perspective she brings to her job.

Green Infrastructure

Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful Celebrates America Recycles Day with Ribbon Cutting

Nov 10, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful celebrated recycling -- and America Recycles Day -- with a Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting to announce its enhanced electronics recycling trailer. With help from two local sign makers, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful (KNB) enhanced its electronics recycling trailer with a decorative wrap, creating an education tool in the process.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Gilead Sciences Announces 100 Percent Score on Human Rights Campaign 2018 Corporate Equality Index

Nov 10, 2017 3:10 PM ET

Gilead Sciences today announced that it has received a top score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees. Organizations that have earned a 100 percent rating on the CEI have satisfied all criteria for that year and are recognized as a "Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.”

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Consumers Energy Receives Perfect Score in National Corporate Equality Index

Nov 10, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Video: Work with a Purpose, Veterans at Smithfield Foods

Nov 10, 2017 2:55 PM ET

Military veterans understand the value of purposeful work, and approximately 1,400 of them play a daily role in advancing Smithfield's success. Through our Operation 4,000 initiative, we plan to increase the number of veterans in our U.S. workforce to 4,000 by the end of 2020.

Diversity & Inclusion

This Veterans Day, We Are Proud to Salute Our Veteran Hires From Our Partnership With Institute for Veterans and Military Families - IVMF

Nov 10, 2017 2:35 PM ET

This #VeteransDay, we are proud to salute our veteran hires from our partnership with Institute for Veterans and Military Families - IVMF.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

El apoyo de Wells Fargo a los militares y veteranos supera los $100 millones

Nov 10, 2017 1:30 PM ET

En honor al Día de los Veteranos que se celebra el 11 de noviembre, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) anunció que ha donado más de $100 millones desde 2012 para apoyar a militares, veteranos y sus familias mediante educación financiera, transición profesional e iniciativas de vivienda.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

NALCAB to Strengthen Financial Inclusion for Latino and Immigrant Communities With Support From Wells Fargo

Nov 10, 2017 1:15 PM ET

NALCAB - National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders has received $375,000 from Wells Fargo to support the NALCAB network’s programmatic efforts in small business lending and family financial capability. Funding will support seven NALCAB member organizations working in low and moderate-income (LMI) Latino and immigrant communities nationwide to advance family financial capability and increase access to small business capital.

Research, Reports & Publications

Business Value of Pro Bono: Foster a Strong Culture

Nov 10, 2017 1:05 PM ET

Pro bono service is a powerful way to drive social change. Yet, many corporate employees looking to bring pro bono service to their company struggle to get buy-in from leadership and other key stakeholders. Although these stakeholders may understand the social value of pro bono, they don't always see the business value.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Astellas Named a Best Place to Work for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality for Fourth Consecutive Year

Nov 10, 2017 1:00 PM ET

For the fourth consecutive year, Astellas has achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The 2018 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Astellas’ efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria again resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Regenerative Capitalism Org Expands to Build Network of Regenerative Economies

Nov 10, 2017 12:45 PM ET

Dr. Stuart Cowan will join the senior management team and lead Capital Institute's efforts to grow an international network of place-based regenerative community hubs. Hubs will receive support to nurture a launch team, tell their stories and share their lessons, map their regenerative assets, measure key indicators, create an action plan, implement key regenerative projects, and access regenerative investment capital.

Education

CITGO Celebrates National STEM Day With Local Students and Teachers

Nov 10, 2017 12:30 PM ET

CITGO Lake Charles along with community partners, the Calcasieu Parish School Board and SOWELA Technical Community College, celebrated National STEM Day with local students and teachers on Nov. 8 at the West-Cal Events Center. During the event, fifth-grade students participating in the Calcasieu Parish Engineering is Elementary engaged in an exciting engineering design challenge created by the McNeese State University’s College of Engineering.

Environment

Cleaning up to Conserve Water at Peñasquito

Nov 10, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Many of our operations are taking important steps forward to reduce or reuse water and help Goldcorp move Towards Zero Water. Water is an integral part of mineral processing, but is also necessary for the maintenance of vehicles, which need to be cleaned before they can be effectively serviced.

Diversity & Inclusion

Accenture Teams With the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to Bolster Skills Training and Transitional Employment Support for U.S. Military Community

Nov 10, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has granted more than US$2.5 million to help the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) expand its successful Onward to Opportunity-Veteran Career Transition Program (O2O-VCTP) initiative, which provides comprehensive training, certification and transitional employment support to veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

BELFOR Property Restoration Named First Official Restoration Partner of STAPLES Center and T-Mobile Arena in New Sponsorship Category for AEG

Nov 10, 2017 12:00 PM ET

AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, has launched a new partnership with BELFOR Property Restoration (BELFOR), the worldwide leader in disaster recovery and property restoration services. The multiyear agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, makes BELFOR an official partner of the LA Kings and AXS TV as well as the official restoration partner of STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Veteran and Civil Right Activist Builds on MLK’s “Beloved Community” Through Service

Nov 10, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Col. Nathan Thomas Jr. is a retired veteran who served more than 39 years in the Army and Air Force, but for this Alabama native, currently living in Melbourne, Florida, supporting his community has been a natural extension of his life’s work. As a teenager, Nathan marched alongside civil rights heroes in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama, and was beaten along with hundreds of other marchers in the horrific 1965 “Bloody Sunday” police attack in Selma. Nathan is inspired every day by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of “The Beloved Community."

Diversity & Inclusion

The Case for Hiring Veterans

Nov 10, 2017 12:00 PM ET

For Veterans Day, observed every year in the U.S. on November 11, BMS employees are sharing how their military experience has helped prepare them for successful careers and why hiring Veterans makes good business sense.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

JetBlue Named Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

Nov 10, 2017 11:45 AM ET

JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline™, is proud to announce the airline has once again earned a top score on the Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In connection with its top ranking, JetBlue has earned the designation as one of the nation’s Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality for yet another year.

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Walmart Commits to Building Transparency in Seafood Supply Chains

Nov 10, 2017 11:45 AM ET

Walmart aspires to help make choices easier and more transparent for people. We serve hundreds of millions of customers every year, and we advocate for them among suppliers to provide more sustainably produced products while maintaining the low prices customers expect.

Sustainable Development Goals

Latin American Corporate Leaders Champion Business Solutions for Sustainable Development, Releasing Latin American Version of the CEO Guide to the SDGs

Nov 10, 2017 11:25 AM ET

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the Latin American version of its CEO Guide to the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the importance of business leadership in realizing the ambitions of the SDGs in the region. The Latin American version of the CEO Guide complements the original version – published in English earlier this year – and outlines a shared vision around the implications of the SDGs on businesses across Latin America.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

GRI Raising Human Rights and Sustainability Issues in Africa

Nov 10, 2017 11:00 AM ET

With support from the UK government, GRI is advancing the state of reporting to promote responsible business practices across Africa. Raising awareness and helping organizations report on social, economic and environmental issues is a vital component of this. Read more highlights on the partnership.

Environment

Winners and Losers in Tree Domestication: The Agarwood Story

Nov 10, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Domestication of forest products that are overharvested in the wild is expected to have two types of benefits: help with protection of the remaining wild resource; and provide income for local producers. Both claims are more easily stated than substantiated and may partially contradict each other.