ESG News from Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Living Future unConference Call for Proposals

Jul 6, 2017 3:00 PM ET

The International Living Future Institute is excited to announce the Call for Proposals for the upcoming Living Future unConference in Portland, Oregon on May 1-4, 2018. At the 12th annual unConference, ILFI invites you to lead us in the exploration of AUTHENTICITY and inspire and equip us to take ACTION that echoes our truth.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

First Costa Group Volunteer on Board the Africa Mercy

Jul 6, 2017 3:00 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Agile Organizations: The Balance of Speed and Stability

Jul 6, 2017 2:45 PM ET

Green Infrastructure

Chicago Named Nation’s Greenest City in CBRE Study

Jul 6, 2017 2:45 PM ET

After placing second last year, the Chicago market claimed the top spot with 66% of its space qualified as green certified according to the fourth annual Green Building Adoption Index study by CBRE and Maastricht University. San Francisco slipped to second, while Atlanta, Houston and Minneapolis again claimed spots in the top 5 in the 2017 report.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Drew Finally Triumphs Over Jonathan in HGTV's ‘Brother vs. Brother: Jonathan vs. Drew’

Jul 6, 2017 2:30 PM ET

Drew and Jonathan Scott collected the highest total profit in Brother vs. Brother history with an impressive $160,500. The proceeds from the sales will benefit projects in both Galveston and Houston via Rebuilding Together—a national U.S. nonprofit organization that preserves affordable homeownership and helps to revitalize neighborhoods by providing free home repairs and modifications to homeowners in need.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

GRI Rises To Sustainability Standards Challenge

Jul 6, 2017 1:15 PM ET

Timothy J. Mohin is the Chief Executive of GRI, developer of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting standards. A veteran in the field of corporate sustainability reporting, he is now steering GRI to lead the evolution of sustainability reporting. Here's how he will do this.

Diversity & Inclusion

Fortune Names Aflac to 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials List

Jul 6, 2017 12:20 PM ET

Education

HP Inc. Commits to Enhancing Education for More Than 100 Million People by 2025

Jul 6, 2017 12:05 PM ET

HP Inc. announces its commitment to enable better learning outcomes for more than 100 million people between 2015-2025 at the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Germany. The Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg falls on the eve of the G20 Summit, where leaders of the world’s most powerful countries are congregating to address inequalities and promote sustainable development.

Green Infrastructure

Duke Energy’s $1 Million Grant Adds 200 EV Charging Stations Across North Carolina

Jul 6, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Between Main Street’s flowering trees and the patchwork facades of historic buildings, the Shute Family Parking Garden provides about 60 parking spaces for downtown Monroe, N.C. Soon, the parking garden will become even more green when the city installs its first electric vehicle charging station.

Environment

Climate Consulting in a Time of Political Uncertainty

Jul 6, 2017 11:45 AM ET

President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement generated considerable controversy. Given Antea Group’s position as an environmental consulting firm, with clients facing very real climate change challenges and decisions, we wanted to take this opportunity to contribute a rational, knowledgeable voice to the conversation.

Research, Reports & Publications

Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Brief Provides Actionable Insights for Investors

Jul 6, 2017 11:20 AM ET

Bloomberg Brief’s weekly newsletter on sustainable finance provides actionable insights for investors following sustainable, responsible and impact investment strategies. In each issue, you’ll see coverage of funds and investment strategies, as well as up-to-the-minute news on major trends, including green and social bond markets, sustainability reporting, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and employee engagement and diversity.

Research, Reports & Publications

Sanofi Foundation for North America Annual Review 2015-2016

Jul 6, 2017 11:10 AM ET

We are proud to announce the launch of the Sanofi Foundation for North America 2015-2016 Annual Review. Over the past two years, Sanofi’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy has evolved to embody the following core pillars: Public Health and Access to Healthcare, Development of Communities, and Healthy Planet.

Media & Communications

Are You Still In? The President May Not Be On Board, But These 2,000 U.S. Organizations' Leaders Still Are!

Jul 6, 2017 11:00 AM ET

As the President of the United States began the laborious process of reneging on the historic global agreement to address the challenges of climate change reached in Paris at the COP 21 meetings in 2015, the reaction inside the country by thought leaders and important economic players was swift and decisive: The "We Are Still In" movement was launched by private parties and state and municipal-level government officials.

Sustainable Development Goals

Business Has Much to Do If It Wants to Be a Climate Leader

Jul 6, 2017 11:00 AM ET

If there’s one group that’s basking in the long shadow cast by Donald Trump’s ill-fated decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, it’s business. In story after story, reporters and pundits are hailing businesses – large and small – as the would-be saviours of much needed progress in the efforts to curb the risks associated with climate change.

Education

Creating Global Pathways to Science: Lela Okromelidze and Marta Andres Terre

Jul 6, 2017 10:45 AM ET

Two women from two different backgrounds – one from a rural town in Eurasian Georgia and the other from urban Barcelona – both shared something in common growing up: a lack of access to scientific research labs. Now thanks to the Amgen Scholars Program (ASP), both are breaking the mold to become role models for budding female scientists around the world.

Green Infrastructure

The UPS Foundation Awards Tree Planting Grants to 21 Keep America Beautiful Affiliates Nationwide

Jul 6, 2017 10:30 AM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, today announced the distribution of 21 grants totaling $120,000 from The UPS Foundation for the 2017 Keep America Beautiful/UPS Community Tree and Recovery Tree Planting Grants program. The grant recipients’ projects will result in more than 1,200 trees being planted in support of locally-relevant initiatives.

Education

CITGO Partners with the University of Houston-Downtown Scholars Academy to Promote Local STEM Education

Jul 6, 2017 10:30 AM ET

CITGO recently partnered with the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) Scholars Academy in support of its 17th annual UHD Student Research Conference (SRC). The partnership builds upon the company’s CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline initiative, which supports educational organizations near its operational areas to increase access to learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Domtar's Featured Difference Maker: Felimar Figueroa, Founder of Amie La Foundation Des Immigrants

Jul 6, 2017 10:15 AM ET

“The situation in my country is worse and worse every day,” said Figueroa, 48, a Montreal-based export process team leader for Domtar’s logistics team. “There is violence and killing. People are being kidnapped. There is no food or medicine. People are desperate and dying. I cry for my family and about the situation.” But Figueroa is on a mission to help the people in Venezuela, through Amie La Foundation Des Immigrants (which translates from French as “Friend Foundation of Immigrants”), which she founded a year ago.

Events, Media & Communications

Chef, Author, and Host of Pati’s Mexican Table on PBS to Speak at MGM Resorts Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Conference

Jul 6, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Pati Jinich will participate in the conference’s popular executive leadership panel, which will feature dynamic women leaders at the top of their careers.

Environment

PepsiCo Names North Carolina High School as Recycle Rally Winner

Jul 6, 2017 10:00 AM ET

“Recycle Rally has provided more than 2,000 schools across the country the opportunity to make recycling easy, fun and rewarding,” says Tim Carey, senior director of sustainability at PepsiCo. “We are proud to offer leadership opportunities to students who are passionate about making positive changes in the environment. Students at Pine Forest exemplify how Recycle Rally participants can make an impact in their community and beyond.”

Innovation & Technology

eBay StartUp Cup Challenge Pairs Mentors with Early Stage Entrepreneurs

Jul 6, 2017 9:40 AM ET

What’s your big idea? That’s one question that more than 200 businesses have been answering as part of the eBay StartUp Cup Challenge, a global series of business model competitions currently underway in four cities. The competitions were made possible through an eBay Foundation grant to GriffinWorx, a nonprofit organization that helps early stage entrepreneurs with any type of business idea to design, test and build a viable company.

Environment

Connecting Cities to be Cleaner, Safer and Stronger

Jul 6, 2017 9:30 AM ET

AT&T is teaming up with companies to deploy innovative solutions throughout cities, making them “smarter.” We’re also developing connected solutions to help cities improve the way they use resources and take care of their citizens. But what if we could use the efficiencies created by this technological revolution to understand a city’s environmental impact — and improve it?

Research, Reports & Publications

It’s Clear, Social Investment Drives Business Value

Jul 6, 2017 9:20 AM ET

A myth has long lingered in the private sector- the bottom line can only be driven by company-centered investments and business strategy. Today, however, the conversation has shifted from company-centered to stakeholder-centered, from bottom-line to triple-bottom line. And as CSR becomes more deeply integrated into core business strategy, a clear fact is emerging: Profit and Purpose should NOT be divorced. In fact, the opposite is true: These two make a power couple for companies seeking to be industry leaders.

Environment

VIDEO | How One Company Is Giving Old Computers New Life in Amsterdam Schools

Jul 6, 2017 9:10 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

A Heartwarming Story About Community, Wendy’s Style

Jul 6, 2017 9:05 AM ET

When Ryan, who is autistic, first came to Wendy’s, he kept to himself. But he soon took notice of Becky, who quickly memorized his favorite meal, a 10 piece chicken nugget, size large, with ranch. Ryan began studying Becky’s nametag and stealing glances at her smile. He started saying Becky’s name first to himself, then to Becky. These days, he gives a booming greeting, and his once shy mannerisms have given way to high-fives and hugs.