ESG News from Leading Brands

Green Infrastructure

Keep America Beautiful and Coca-Cola Celebrate Impact of Public Space Recycling Grants Over Past Decade; Announce 2017 Grant Opportunity

Oct 26, 2017 10:30 AM ET

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Foundation today announced the opening of the application period for the 2017 Coca-Cola Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program. In its 11th year, the initiative is designed to expand access to recycling in public spaces in communities across America. Grant applications will be available online through Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. All interested parties can visit BinGrant.org to apply.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability: Pulling Our Weight

Oct 26, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Unlike their counterparts in Pulp and Paper, our logistics colleagues in Personal Care don’t have a weight problem. Quite the opposite, they struggle to put it on.

Optimizing transportation efficiency is the objective for both of our divisions. They both strive to get the most product in a trailer. One is weight constrained. The other has a space issue.

The reason for the difference is that personal care products are lightweight. It is easy to fill a trailer and be well within the regulated weight limit. The challenge for our logistics colleagues in Personal Care is how to max out the allowable weight limit.

Green Infrastructure

Health Product Declaration® (HPD) Collaborative Announces Third-Party Verification Program

Oct 26, 2017 10:10 AM ET

The Health Product Declaration® (HPD) Collaborative today announced the approval of its Third-Party Verification Program. This program provides a means for manufacturers to obtain an authoritative third-party verification of Health Product Declarations® (HPDs) that they have created for their products

Social Impact & Volunteering

Creating a Purpose-Rich Environment for Your Employees Through Volunteering

Oct 26, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Historically, there has been a disconnect between purpose in personal and professional life. In your personal life, you choose how to incorporate purpose — such as helping your neighbors, volunteering for a specific cause, or donating to a local organization. At work, you just do tasks related your job — right?

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Brown-Forman Corporation Named One of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion”

Oct 26, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Brown-Forman Corporation was named a top-scoring company on the 2017 Disability Equality Index (DEI®) survey, conducted by the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Brown-Forman received a perfect score of 100.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

PANDORA Ranks as One of the World’s Best Employers

Oct 26, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Forbes magazine has released its latest Global 2000 list, ranking publicly listed companies in over 58 countries based on four specific categories. Most notably, PANDORA has been ranked as number 133 in the World’s Best Employers list – placing the company first in its listed country, Denmark.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Voya Financial Chief Legal Officer Trish Walsh Recognized on the Ethisphere Institute’s 2017 List of Attorneys Who Matter

Oct 26, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Trish Walsh, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) for Voya Financial, Inc. has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2017 Attorneys Who Matter in the category of In-House Counsel. The annual designation highlights those who have made a significant difference in the field of ethics and compliance through their professional legal work and track record in public service.

Since joining Voya in 2015, Walsh has been extremely effective in creating a nimble, high-functioning legal and compliance program with a collegial, collaborative team culture. She has championed efforts to advance diversity and inclusion throughout Voya and in the broader legal and business community.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

De Beers Teams Up to Provide Free Health Screening to Mining Communities

Oct 26, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Around 1,500 people were screened at the health fair held during the Community Health Week in mid-October in the towns of Musina, Alldays and Blouberg.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Loukoumi the Lamb Inspires a Good Deeds Movement, Encouraging Children to Make a Difference

Oct 26, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Some 15 years ago, Nick Katsoris was inspired to write a series of children’s books featuring Loukoumi, a cuddly lamb named after the sweet Greek candy. And in 2009, he released “Loukoumi’s Good Deeds,” which encourages children to make a difference by pledging to do good in their communities. The book blossomed into a movement, with the launch of the Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation, which engages thousands of children each year to make a difference in the lives of others.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Tetra Tech Congratulates Its Leadership Academy Graduating Class of 2017

Oct 26, 2017 9:00 AM ET

On October 7, 2017, Tetra Tech’s Leadership Academy Class of 2017 successfully completed the company’s annual corporate professional development program. The Leadership Academy prepares project managers to become outstanding business leaders to better serve their clients.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Services and Alabama Coastal Foundation Recognized with Top Recycling Award

Oct 25, 2017 6:35 PM ET

Republic Services and the Alabama Coastal Foundation were recognized by the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) with the Organics Recycler of the Year Award. The award is in recognition of an innovative oyster shell recycling program, and was presented today at NWRA’s annual Executive Leadership Roundtable and Awards Luncheon in Orlando, Fla.

Education

Citi Foundation’s Youth Workforce Fund to Increase Access to Jobs, Including Apprenticeships and Internships, Among Youth

Oct 25, 2017 5:25 PM ET

The Citi Foundation today announced the launch of the Youth Workforce Fund as part of its Pathways to Progress initiative to provide youth both in the U.S. and around the world with training and access to jobs, including paid apprenticeships and internships. In partnership with America’s Promise Alliance, 15 nonprofit organizations across the United States will expand their programming to provide a range of employment opportunities in various areas including environmental sustainability to robotics and culinary arts to coding.

Environment

Atlanta City Council Honors Cox Conserves

Oct 25, 2017 4:35 PM ET

District 2 Councilmember Kwanza Hall presented a proclamation at the Oct. 16 city council meeting in honor of Cox Conserves. Launched in 2007 by Chairman Jim Kennedy, Cox Conserves is Cox Enterprises’ national sustainability program. It focuses on reducing waste, energy consumption and conserving water while encouraging employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

Health & Healthcare

Gilead Awards $7.5 Million in Second Round of Grants to Advance HIV Cure Research

Oct 25, 2017 4:05 PM ET

Gilead Sciences, Inc.(NASDAQ:GILD) announced the second round of recipients of its HIV cure grants program. This new commitment will provide $7.5 million to support five additional HIV cure research initiatives led by top academic institutions and focused on translational research and efficacy studies in preclinical models.

Innovation & Technology

Partnering to Address the Challenge of Food Waste

Oct 25, 2017 4:00 PM ET

Innovation & Technology

The Top Jobs for the Future: Now Hiring

Oct 25, 2017 3:55 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Open Giving Format Encourages Employee Giving

Oct 25, 2017 3:40 PM ET

Best Buy’s 12,000 employees are enjoying the retailer’s new employee giving program that matches 40 per cent of their donations to registered Canadian charities. The retailer’s new open giving program, called ‘myGiving’ launched in June.

Education

Franklin Middle School Integrates Computational Thinking Into Core Subjects to Prepare Students for 21st Century Careers

Oct 25, 2017 3:35 PM ET

Tata Consultancy Services, (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, continued their Ign

Diversity & Inclusion

A Fresh Start: How Rania Llewellyn Is Helping Canadian Immigrants Kick-Start Their Career

Oct 25, 2017 3:00 PM ET

When Rania Llewellyn first immigrated to Canada, she found herself in the same predicament as many newcomers: educated and talented, but unable to find work. Now Senior Vice President, Products and Services, Global Transaction Banking at Scotiabank, Rania tells her incredible story of how she got her start, and how she’s helping other immigrants to do the same.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

LA Galaxy and Southern New Hampshire University Launch STEAM Curriculum Week

Oct 25, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Five-time Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, the LA Galaxy, and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), a private nonprofit university and the exclusive education partner of the club, came together this week to give 250 middle school students across Los Angeles the opportunity to take part in an exclusive supplemental curriculum called LA Galaxy STEAM (Soccer, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

Environment

Marco Krapels: Empowering Puerto Rico

Oct 25, 2017 2:10 PM ET

We have profiled nonprofit startup Empowered By Light in the past because of the organization’s good work in developing countries. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to one of its co-founders because of the work they’re currently doing in this country. Marco Krapels joins us to discuss his recent trip to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

Environment

Nestlé Waters to Certify 20 Factories with AWS for Water Stewardship by 2020

Oct 25, 2017 1:30 PM ET

Nestlé Waters has today announced that it will strengthen its collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) to certify 20 factories by 2020.

The company has already certified three Nestlé Waters bottling facilities: one in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, and two in California (Ontario and Sacramento). It plans to certify additional sites in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

Environment

NFWF and Wells Fargo Announce $2 Million in Grants

Oct 25, 2017 1:00 PM ET

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2 million in grants to eight nonprofit organizations to increase community capacity to plan and implement resilience projects and improve the protections afforded by natural ecosystems by investing in green infrastructure and other measures across the United States. The grants will generate $11 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $13 million.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

AARP and LA Galaxy Ink Agreement to Help Bridge Generations

Oct 25, 2017 1:00 PM ET

The five-time MLS Cup winning team, the LA Galaxy and AARP have entered into a multiyear agreement that names AARP an official and community sponsor. The agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, is AARP’s first in Major League Soccer and is the foundation for a joint campaign, “The Game Unites Us” (in Spanish: “El Juego Nos Une”).

Environment

Domtar Sustainability Monthly Minute | October 2017

Oct 25, 2017 1:00 PM ET

Nine in 10 Millennials say it is important they work for a company with a strong sustainability mission. So what do they think about Domtar's 2017 Sustainability Report? Check out this video to hear directly from them. Bonus points if you spot the cameo by Owen the Owl.