ESG News from Leading Brands

Diversity & Inclusion

Shire’s Pride Month Celebrations Bring Together Employees Globally

Aug 9, 2017 12:10 PM ET

Shire employees across the globe celebrated Pride Month in June through a variety of events ranging from city-wide parades to local panel events. Activities were led by B-Equal, Shire’s Business Resource Group (BRG) that supports the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Professionals (LGBT+) and their Allies. Hundreds of colleagues, along with their family and friends, joined together to show their support of the LGBT+ community and recognize the importance of being an inclusive workplace.

Innovation & Technology

Leveraging Mobile for Workforce Engagement: Opportunities and Recommendations from HERHealth

Aug 9, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Three years ago, BSR launched a partnership with Qualcomm Wireless Reach to amplify the outcomes of BSR’s HERproject program in China through mobile technology. Our work together focused on enhancing HERhealth, the pillar of HERproject that aims to empower low-income women working in global supply chains to take charge of their health.

Environment

Inside Look: The Antea Group Summer Internship Experience

Aug 9, 2017 11:05 AM ET

Every summer Antea Group brings on interns all across the U.S. in several different capacities. We place our interns where they fit best, somewhere that is related to both their experience and their education to help them thrive in our company.

Events, Media & Communications

14 Finalists Announced for Silicon Valley Startup Pitch Competition

Aug 9, 2017 11:00 AM ET

GreenBiz Group announced today the 14 finalists for the VERGE Accelerate fast-pitch competition, featuring innovative early-stage companies offering solutions to accelerate the clean economy. The finalists will present to a globally livestreamed audience on stage at the VERGE 17 conference and expo in Santa Clara, Calif., September 19-21.

Environment

General Mills Foundation & The Nature Conservancy

Aug 9, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Healthy soil is crucial for growing food and is a powerful and natural lever to reduce the impact of climate change. So that future generations have enough food, the General Mills Foundation is supporting The Nature Conservancy’s road map to help improve soil health.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

“Culture is the DNA of the Company”: An Interview with JetBlue’s SVP of Talent, Rachel McCarthy

Aug 9, 2017 10:05 AM ET

The word “culture” is bandied about a lot these days. But at JetBlue it goes much deeper than providing great snacks and game rooms to employees. To learn more, we spoke with Rachel McCarthy, JetBlue’s Senior Vice President of Talent & Learning.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

PepsiCo Exclusive: The ‘Food for Good’ Initiative

Aug 9, 2017 10:00 AM ET

New Food speaks exclusively to PepsiCo on their ‘Food for Good’ initiative and the future potential it holds to change child nutrition for the better.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Nestlé’s Parent Support Spotlight on Leanna: Getting an Opportunity to Balance

Aug 9, 2017 9:45 AM ET

I had my first child, Izzy, on January 6 — one of the first babies born after Nestlé launched our new Parent Support Policy. When I was first pregnant, I didn’t know that the policy was coming yet — when I found out, I was so excited.

Education

PNC Grow Up Great® Helped Teachers at 176 Preschool Centers

Aug 9, 2017 9:35 AM ET

In April, DonorsChoose.org opened to Head Start programs across the country, which provide quality education to children from low-income households. By teaming up with PNC Grow Up Great®, you’ve already helped Head Start teachers in 176 preschool centers so far. The impact across other eligible pre-K classrooms is even larger.

Environment

Saucer Magnolia: A Springtime Spectacular

Aug 9, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Health & Healthcare

The Face-off Between Cloth and Disposable Wipers

Aug 9, 2017 9:30 AM ET

When the trend-spotting Huffington Post starts to write about shop towels versus industrial wipers, you know something bigger than typical shop talk is going on. One of their articles featured a study1 from Gradient, the environmental research company, exposing just how toxic even freshly cleaned cloth rental shop towels can be. And while the author raised an important workplace safety issue (with just enough sensationalism to attract the eye of trendy “HuffPo” readers), she, and even the study she cites, didn’t give the whole picture. If you take a closer look, you can see just how much the choice between textile towels and disposal wipers truly impacts the businesses, and workers, who use them.

Research, Reports & Publications

CBRE Releases Tenth Annual Corporate Responsibility Report

Aug 9, 2017 9:15 AM ET

CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, has released its tenth annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The 2016 report – themed “Building Connections” – highlights CBRE’s many accomplishments as a leader in responsible business practices within the commercial real estate industry.

Innovation & Technology

Schneider Electric | Active Energy Management E-Book

Aug 9, 2017 9:10 AM ET

Energy and sustainability initiatives are often managed independently due to departmental divisions. These barriers are often fueled by inconsistent data and a lack of visibility and yield missed opportunities. In leading companies, these departments are becoming tightly integrated, working together in support of the company’s core goals and initiatives. We call this Active Energy Management.

Education

STEMpact Invests in Developing STEM-Capable Teachers

Aug 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Each summer, St. Louis area companies, in collaboration with Washington University, invite approximately 200 teachers to the campus of Washington University in St.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

LA Galaxy Foundation and Herbalife Nutrition Donate $25,000 to A Place Called Home and Surprise College-Bound Students with Laptops

Aug 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

AEG’s LA Galaxy Foundation has partnered with Herbalife Nutrition to make a $25,000 donation to purchase laptops in support of A Place Called Home’s (APCH) Shaheen Scholarship Program, which provides free laptops and awards more than $300,000 annually in scholarships and other support to up to 30 freshmen college students from South Central Los Angeles.

Environment

Expert Interview with Tetra Tech's John Sachs, Director of Project Finance

Aug 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

John Sachs has more than twenty years of experience in executing private equity and debt placements, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, project finance, and PPP transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How to Roll Out a Powerful Global Employee Engagement Program

Aug 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Equinix is a US-based company that connects the world’s leading businesses to their customers, employees and partners inside the world’s most connected data centers in 44 markets across five continents. They launched an international giving and volunteering program with Benevity in 2016, and the results have been impressive. Their 2016 one-month annual Impact Month campaign saw donations jump by 50%, while participation grew by 62%, and volunteer hours increased by 72% year-over-year versus 2015 (before they rolled out their international program).

We spoke with Equinix's Director of Corporate Citizenship, Sujata Narayan, about the business and social drivers behind their program, how they made it work, its impact and the value of local champions to an international Goodness program.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Subaru Supports Non-Profit Farm

Aug 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Volunteers from Subaru of America Inc., the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and Lambs Farm spent the day recently building garden beds, transporting soil, planting and topping the gardens with straw to create Lambs Farm's first sustainable garden.

Research, Reports & Publications

Business Momentum a Boost for Cargill’s Positive Impact with Customers and Communities

Aug 9, 2017 8:45 AM ET

Building on strong earnings in fiscal 2017, Cargill is working to continue growing its business and corporate responsibility impact. The company’s 2017 annual report, launched today, outlines its business growth and community impact.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Backing Britain with ‘Crucial Boost’ to Agriculture

Aug 9, 2017 8:40 AM ET

In the year since the UK’s referendum on EU membership, Barclays has prioritised helping UK customers and clients through this period of uncertainty, but also one of potential opportunity.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Amgen Staff Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

Aug 9, 2017 8:40 AM ET

Amgen recognizes the importance of giving back to our local communities. Each year, thousands of Amgen staff generously devote their personal time, energy, talents and funds to a variety of charitable organizations across the globe.

Energy

NRG Energy | Sustainable Business Solutions

Aug 9, 2017 8:15 AM ET

Our team makes sustainability a reality for organizations by developing customized energy solutions based on their needs. These solutions include demand response, renewables, thermal, commodity sales, energy efficiency and energy management services. Responding to the business goals of ROI- driven companies, our projects span multiple industries and range from 100 MW utility-scale renewable solutions to o -grid power solutions that employ small wind turbines and battery storage.

Sustainable Development Goals

Becoming Water-Smart: Newly Released Report Delves into Scalable Water and Agriculture Solutions in India

Aug 9, 2017 7:50 AM ET

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) newest report, Co-optimizing solutions in water and agriculture: Lessons from India on water security, identifies key enablers for scaling up solutions to water-scarcity in India. The information is designed to be useful for companies worldwide.

Responsible Production & Consumption

SCS Global Services Recognized by Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative as Approved Audit Firm for Conflict-Free Smelter Program

Aug 9, 2017 7:00 AM ET

Leading third-party certifier SCS Global Services (SCS) announced today that it has been formally approved as a Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP) audit firm by the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI).

Social Impact & Volunteering

Keeping the Community Clean in Suriname

Aug 8, 2017 8:35 PM ET

Recently, Newmont employees and members of the local Pamaka government worked together to clean up debris and litter along the shore of the Marowijne River in Langa Tabiki village.