ESG News from Leading Brands

Green Infrastructure

How Cities Are Counteracting Climate Change, One Heat Wave at a Time

Nov 9, 2017 10:00 AM ET

As global cities struggle with how to handle rising temperatures, as well as other side effects of climate change, some are implementing small changes that can have a big impact.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Combining Her Passions, Volunteer Helps Connect Vets With Companion Pets

Nov 9, 2017 10:00 AM ET

For military veterans who have proudly served, there can be physical and emotional injuries that make it difficult to transition back to civilian life – some estimates say as many as 20 percent of returning vets suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Barbara Blair has touched the lives of many struggling vets in need of companionship through her efforts as the Georgia chapter director of Pets for Vets, where she leads state-wide programs for the national organization dedicated to veterans and rescued shelter pets.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Viacommunity Takes Talent for Good West

Nov 9, 2017 9:45 AM ET

Last month, Viacommunity journeyed to Viacom’s Hollywood office, the Paramount Lot and the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank as part of an official West Coast launch of Talent for Good, Viacom’s skills-based volunteer program in conjunction with Catchafire.

The program kicked off with an exclusive Rapid Fire event in Hollywood. We matched five teams of Viacom and Paramount volunteers with one of five local nonprofit organizations to take part in a two-hour brainstorm, exploring solutions to each nonprofit’s challenges. All five teams then shared their solutions, forging connections with their colleagues and local nonprofits. Each organization left with clear next steps and tools to overcome their challenges and move closer to achieving their missions.

Environment

Prof. Charles Ng Conferred CLP Holdings Professorship in Sustainability

Nov 9, 2017 9:30 AM ET

Geotechnical engineering expert Charles Ng of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has been named CLP Holdings Professor of Sustainability.

The endowed professorship in sustainability is the first of its kind at a Hong Kong university. It will focus on climate change and sustainable energy, which are not only important to CLP but also of significance globally.

Environment

Your Nature-Inspired Climate Change Solution May Be Worth $100,000

Nov 9, 2017 9:30 AM ET

The 2017-2018 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge is looking to help commercialize nature-inspired solutions to adapt to, mitigate, or reverse the effects of climate change.

Events, Media & Communications

Corporate Citizenship Presenting at Upcoming Measurement Summit in Washington D.C.

Nov 9, 2017 9:25 AM ET

The forthcoming ACCP Measurement Summit in Washington D.C. on 5th December 2017, kindly hosted by KPMG, will bring together CSR, sustainability and community investment professionals to discuss the different approaches being taken to measure both social and business impacts, addressing the challenges and unlocking the wealth of opportunities that measurement brings.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability: Managing Our Energy and Emissions

Nov 9, 2017 9:15 AM ET

Domtar’s three-part approach to improving the sustainability of our energy consumption is yielding results.
We have converted most of our carbon-intensive coal power boilers to cleaner burning and less carbon-intensive natural gas.

Environment

How Soil Sparked a New Sustainable Ag Movement

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

For three weeks every month, Ray Archuleta captivates audiences with a few handfuls of soil. He begins with two clumps, dropping them into water. The soil from a farm where the soil isn’t tilled holds together, while the tilled soil immediately disperses, indicating poor soil structure. Next, volunteers from the audience — mostly farmers and ranchers — pour water over a soil that grew a variety of crops, and it runs right through. A sample of tilled soil that grew only corn is like a brick, and the water sits on top. Water is the most precious resource for growing crops, and having a soil unable to absorb water is crippling for farmers.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Defending the Rights and Benefits of American Veterans

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

AMVETS enhances and safeguards the entitlements for all American Veterans who have served honorably and continues to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the communities where they live through leadership, advocacy and services.

They do this by advocating for alternative medical practices suitable to the veteran’s needs, the recognition of diversity within the veteran community, and further accountability within the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Environment

Building Local Capacity Through HCV Training in Chiapas

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

With the objective of sharing best practices and developing the capacity of future assessors in High Conservation Value (HCV), PepsiCo and FEMEXPALMA, in collaboration with Proforest, have carried out a HCV course from October 2-6, 2017 in Palenque, Chiapas.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wells Fargo’s Support of Military Members, Veterans Surpasses $100 Million

Nov 9, 2017 9:00 AM ET

In honor of Veterans Day Nov. 11, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced that it has donated more than $100 million since 2012 to support military service members, veterans and their families through financial education, career transition and housing initiatives.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Rabobank and UN Environment Announce New Billion-Dollar Partnership to Kickstart Climate Smart Agriculture

Nov 9, 2017 8:50 AM ET

Rabobank and UN Environment announced the creation of a new one-billion-dollar facility to finance sustainable agriculture using a combination of public and private funding. Together they also invite other interested financial institutions to sign up and work actively with global food companies to put this into practice.

Environment

Why Community Forests are Key to Solving Challenges of Urban Living

Nov 9, 2017 8:40 AM ET

What comes to mind when you think of forests? Do they conjure feelings of tranquility, scenic landscapes, and wildlife? Or maybe you think of the great outdoors? Although these sentiments are commonly tied to forests, there is another type of forest that is rarely talked about but is key in responsible forestry: community forests. As the world becomes more urban, now is the time to invest in healthy community forests.

Diversity & Inclusion

Business Value of Pro Bono: Cultivate Your Workforce

Nov 9, 2017 8:35 AM 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.

Sustainable Development Goals

INFOGRAPHIC: Ahead of Schedule, Schneider Electric Celebrates the Accomplishment of 2017 Target at COP23

Nov 9, 2017 8:35 AM ET

To mark COP23, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, is re-enforcing its aim to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Environment

Arbor Day Foundation Draws Industry Leaders at Partners in Community Forestry Conference in the Wake of Natural Disasters

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

The Arbor Day Foundation will hold the 2017 Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on November 15–16. The conference is one of the largest urban forestry gatherings of its kind and attracts leading experts from around the world to share the latest practices and lessons in city forest management and citizen engagement.

Health & Healthcare

Subaru Loves to Care Wrap Up

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

To wrap up #SubaruLovestoCare, our June initiative where Subaru retailers deliver blankets to provide comfort and warmth to those fighting against cancer, we delivered blankets to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper University Health Care.

Environment

Pilot Program at Grand Teton National Park Informs Future of Composting in Teton County

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

As part of the Zero-Landfill Initiative, Teton County is making great inroads with new composting waste removal efforts. The Zero-Landfill Initiative is a collaboration between Subaru of America, Inc., National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the National Park Service (NPS) and park concessioners to reduce the amount of visitor-generated waste that national parks send to the landfills. Collaborators spent the summer targeting the one material that is believed to comprise up to 40 percent of Teton County’s waste stream - food. Capturing and composting non-edible food waste is the next major step in the County’s efforts to significantly reduce waste going to landfills.

Sustainable Development Goals

Tetra Tech Celebrates Achievements at Uganda Learning Event

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Tetra Tech celebrated five years of achievements by the Feed the Future Uganda Agricultural Inputs (Ag Inputs) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at the Activity’s Close-out Learning Event in Kampala, Uganda, in September 2017. The Activity worked to increase farmers’ use of high-quality agricultural inputs and decrease the prevalence of counterfeit inputs in Uganda.

Diversity & Inclusion

Journey to Acceptance: Parents of Hate Crime Victim Speak Out

Nov 9, 2017 8:00 AM ET

Today the name Matthew Shepard is synonymous with gay rights, but for most of his life, he was simply Judy Shepard’s eldest son, “Matt”. In October 1998, one pivotal event in the small college town where he lived would change the world forever.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

ScriptDrop and Albertsons Hurricane Relief Efforts to Be Covered on 'Success Files,' Hosted by Rob Lowe

Nov 9, 2017 7:55 AM ET

"After Hurricane Harvey, we had patients who were struggling to meet their basic needs, so partnering with ScriptDrop to deliver their prescriptions to their homes was an easy decision and allowed our patients to stay healthy and focus on recovery efforts," says Mark Panzer, Albertsons Companies Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Health and Wellness.

Sustainable Development Goals

As Trump Steps Back From Climate Talks, Coke and HP Move In

Nov 9, 2017 7:45 AM ET

Business leaders from Coca-Cola, Citigroup, HP and Microsoft are set to join those from Ingersoll-Rand Plc, Target Corp., Johnson Controls Inc. and other companies to emphasize their climate commitments. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event on the role businesses play facilitating dialogue on climate. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy plans to describe how clean-energy technology can be deployed globally to help satisfy carbon-cutting goals.

Education

Arrow Electronics Funds Educational Indiegogo Campaign STEMosaur

Nov 8, 2017 7:30 PM ET

Arrow Electronics today flash funded CogniToys, the innovators behind the STEMosaur Indiegogo campaign. The funding, announced on National STEM-STEAM Day, provides the technology startup with critical seed money to help them turn their entrepreneurial dream into a reality.

STEMosaur is a smart, educational toy that engages children in interactive play while building their coding and engineering skills. Children are encouraged to assemble the toy, which comes equipped with an easy-to-use coding panel that teaches coding basics.

Energy

Cool Effect’s Smart Vision of How to Improve the Planet – One Carbon Credit at a Time

Nov 8, 2017 3:55 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Celebrating Safety at Sappi's Cloquet Operations

Nov 8, 2017 3:30 PM ET

A redoubled focus on increasing awareness through daily safety communications is ongoing. Critical safe behaviors have been defined with front-line leaders providing observations and corrective feedback. At Somerset, union and management leadership are meeting regularly and working collaboratively to drive safety improvements.