ESG News from Leading Brands

Environment

Water Consortium Moves to Next Phase in Water Standards Development

Oct 19, 2017 12:00 PM ET

The Climate Bonds Initiative on behalf of the Water Consortium has released Water Criteria Phase 2 Nature-based and Hybrid Water infrastructure for public consultation.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Five 21st Century Skills Kids Gain From Joining Robotics Teams

Oct 19, 2017 11:55 AM ET

FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a STEM (science, engineering, technology and math) advocacy nonprofit, is a sport for the mind where every kid can go pro. Millions of students have participated in hands-on FIRST programs for kids ages 6-18.

Health & Healthcare

Merck Foundation Launches Five-Year Initiative to Improve Diabetes Care for Vulnerable and Underserved U.S. Communities

Oct 19, 2017 11:55 AM ET

The Merck Foundation (the Foundation) has launched a five-year initiative: Bridging the Gap: Reducing Disparities in Diabetes Care (Bridging the Gap) to help improve diabetes care and health outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations in the United States.

Environment

Xylem Installs First UV Cryptosporidium Barrier in Florida

Oct 19, 2017 11:45 AM ET

A water treatment plant in Florida will soon be the first in the state to use a UV cryptosporidium barrier. Xylem will supply its advanced Wedeco LBX Series UV disinfection system to protect against cryptosporidium in West Palm Beach.

Cryptosporidium is the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in the US, impacting almost 750,000 people each year with potentially severe symptoms. As the chlorine-resistant cryptosporidium parasite is easily inactivated with a low ultraviolet (UV) dose, many drinking water plant operators are turning to UV disinfection to provide safe drinking water for their communities.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Findings: 68% of Nonprofit Professionals Report Not Having Enough Financial Resources to Do the Work They Do

Oct 19, 2017 11:45 AM ET

The Taproot Foundation recognizes that most organizations tackling social problems don’t have access to the marketing, design, technology, strategy, or planning resources they need to succeed. Nonprofits are understaffed, under-resourced, and need support. In the 2017 State of Pro Bono Service Survey, Taproot focused in on the challenges nonprofits experience each day, and in this report, identified how pro bono can be a high-impact resource in overcoming these common barriers.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Data Science for Social Good: Using Math to Make the World a Better Place

Oct 19, 2017 11:25 AM ET

What if you could use skills from your day job to help combat human trafficking?​ Meet Booz Allen technologist Connie Fan—who can and does. "This is something I really care about," she says. "And it's an opportunity to use a quantitative approach to a problem that is purely human-based. I’m making a difference for women and children by doing what I’m good at—math.”

Education

"Curiosity Cube” Aims to Get More Kids Interested in STEM

Oct 19, 2017 11:20 AM ET

That shipping container behind the Cyrus E. Dallin Elementary school isn’t from the remnants of a local building project; it’s a moving science lab. The Curiosity Cube, created by life science company MilliporeSigma, features hands-on science experiments geared towards getting kids interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

In Their Words: an Open Letter From Family-Owned Farm Wholesum Harvest

Oct 19, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Hear from workers at Wholesum Harvest's Amado farm about what Fair Trade means to them and how they are using their Community Development Funds to address their most pressing community needs.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Foster Care Adoption Myth Busting

Oct 19, 2017 11:00 AM ET

Siblings Manny and Tabitha were officially adopted by the Kyle family in 2013 after years of sharing their home. Their mom told us, “We love sharing our story in hopes that more people will consider foster adoption. There are so many myths involved with it - all these kids need is unconditional love.”

Energy

Ohio Employers and Investors Urge Senate to Oppose Energy Bill

Oct 19, 2017 10:20 AM ET

As Ohio Senate lawmakers hear testimony on HB 114, major businesses, investors and trade associations representing more than 30,000 employees, are voicing their opposition to the proposal. The businesses state that HB 114 would dismantle the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards and create prolonged uncertainty for the private sector.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Common Impact and Charles Schwab Scale Annual Pro Bono Challenge to 9 Cities

Oct 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Common Impact, a nonprofit that pioneered corporate skills-based volunteering, teams up with Charles Schwab to launch their 4th annual Pro Bono Challenge, a skills-based flash consulting event where Schwab employees utilize their talents and expertise to support local nonprofit organizations in building capacity to serve the community.

Responsible Production & Consumption

How You Can Be Part of the Fair Trade Difference

Oct 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Fair Trade USA, a nonprofit organization and leading certifier of Fair Trade products, has released a powerful 5-minute documentary video to kick off its new Fair Trade Difference campaign and pledge drive. The purpose of the video and two-week campaign is to tell the story of Fair Trade in full color, and to inspire commitment to shopping Fair Trade by signing a pledge. As a whole, the Fair Trade Difference is an invitation to peer behind the seal; a guided tour into lives and communities across the world impacted by production and purchase of Fair Trade products; and a call to people to care about a simple way to make an immediate, long-lasting difference in the world.

Education

CITGO Fuels Literacy With Thousands of Children During National ‘Read for the Record®’ Campaign

Oct 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

In partnership with Jumpstart’s annual Read for the Record® campaign, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is participating in a day-long celebration across 12 states on October 19 to spread the joy of reading and help achieve a new reading record.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability: A Brighter (and Cooler) Future in Jesup

Oct 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Colleagues at our personal care facility in Jesup, Georgia, are seeing their work in a different light.

Education

Industry Standard Celebrates a Decade of Excellence

Oct 19, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Developed by AccountAbility in 2007, the CSAP qualification led the way for practitioners to develop, validate and communicate their competence in a systematic manner, allowing organisations to identify credible assurance providers and improve stakeholder confidence in the expertise of sustainability professionals engaged with their organisations.

Events, Media & Communications

Stewart Leeth, Regulatory Affairs VP & Chief Sustainability Officer of Smithfield Foods Participates in 2017 GAP Report Panel

Oct 19, 2017 10:05 AM ET

Smithfield’s chief sustainability officer Stewart Leeth joined the conversation and shared Smithfield’s commitment to responsible, innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture, and why this makes good business sense

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Mars' Support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Recognized at Award Ceremony

Oct 19, 2017 9:50 AM ET

Grant F. Reid, CEO and President, Mars, Incorporated received the United Nations Foundation’s Global Leadership Corporate Award on behalf of Mars’ work in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at the organization’s Global Leadership Dinner which took place in New York City last night.

Innovation & Technology

HPE Labs VIDEO | How Photonics Can Help Prevent a Digital Energy Crisis

Oct 19, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Data centers are the factories of the 21st century, processing the ever-expanding volumes of information that make the global economy go. But progress comes with a cost. In 2015, data centers used more electricity than the entire United Kingdom, about 400 terawatt-hours—a figure that could triple by 2020, according to a recent study in the journal Challenges.

Research, Reports & Publications

New Study Reveals Lighter Environmental Footprint for Fibers Sourced from Flax and Recycled Clothing

Oct 19, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Leading third-party certifier SCS Global Services (SCS) today announced the release of a groundbreaking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental performance of ten different raw material sources of manmade cellulose fiber (MMCF). Commissioned by luxury designer, Stella McCartney, the report is being made publicly available as a resource for all brands, designers and retailers interested in making informed fiber sourcing choices.

Diversity & Inclusion

Barclays | Leading Questions: Anna Kessel

Oct 19, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Interview with Anna Kessel -- sports journalist and the Chair and Co-founder of Women in Football, a network dedicated to supporting and championing women within the sport and lobbying against sexism. Last year she was awarded an MBE for services to journalism and women’s sport.

Sustainable Development Goals

Malnutrition Mapping Project Featured by Harvard Kennedy School

Oct 19, 2017 9:05 AM ET

The Malnutrition Mapping Project, a joint effort by Amway and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), is now featured in a Business Partnership Case Study by the Harvard Kennedy School. Providing a detailed explanation of why partnerships like this one between Amway and GAIN are so important, the case study also highlights the benefits of the data generated by the Malnutrition Mapping Project.

Environment

TakingRoot and Procter & Gamble’s Family Care Brands Host Community Tree Planting in Celebration of NeighborWoods® Month

Oct 19, 2017 8:00 AM ET

TakingRoot, a member of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Alliance for Community Trees program, is partnering with Procter & Gamble’s Family Care brands, Puffs, Charmin and Bounty, to plant 30 trees in celebration of national NeighborWoods® Month. The event will be held at Pleasant Hill Academy, a school with an emphasis on environmental science, as part of a new Outdoor Learning Lab for students and community members.

Innovation & Technology

IFF Launches Re-Imagine…™ Programs to Tap Unmet Consumer Opportunities, Speed Innovation

Oct 18, 2017 5:25 PM ET

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $5.7 Million in Financing for Construction of Affordable Housing for Seniors in Ohio

Oct 18, 2017 5:05 PM ET

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) has provided $5.7 million to The Woda Group, Inc. (Woda) for the new construction of Audubon Crossing, located in Dayton, OH. The 50-unit, three-story residential apartment community will be income- and age-restricted to seniors 55 and older with 35-60% AMI.

Innovation & Technology

Scotiabank Partners with NXTP Labs to Access the Most Promising Fintech Start-Ups in Latin America

Oct 18, 2017 4:40 PM ET

Scotiabank announced today a new and innovative partnership between Canada and Latin America'sleading start-up accelerator, NXTP Labs, at the Fintech Conference 2017 in Bogotá, Colombia.