ESG News from Leading Brands

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

MetLife Foundation and Sesame Workshop Bring Financial Empowerment Initiative to Families in Kumamoto

Jun 5, 2017 2:30 PM ET

MetLife Foundation and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, introduced “Dream, Save, Do: Financial Empowerment for Everyone” to Kumamoto children and their families at the Hiroyasu Nishi Elementary School on June 2-3. The two-day events included workshops providing families with “Dream, Save, Do” materials featuring the Sesame Street Muppets, as well as content to promote discussion and effective strategies for planning and saving.

Innovation & Technology

#WorldEnvironmentDay: Cox Enterprises' Golden Isles Conservation Center is Giving Tires a Second Life

Jun 5, 2017 2:15 PM ET

Do you ever wonder what happens to old tires? Far too many end up in landfills. Today, Cox is deploying an innovative technology that saves space in landfills, creates new products and supports jobs. Cox subsidiary, Seven Islands Environmental Solutions, recently opened the Golden Isles Conservation Center in Nahunta, Georgia. The facility’s purpose: convert old tires into new, eco-friendly products.

Diversity & Inclusion

Coming 'Out' to the Box Factory

Jun 5, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Whirlpool Pride’s annual signature event always draws a crowd and will be in the Twin Cities this year.

Research, Reports & Publications

Lean for the Social Sector

Jun 5, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Recently, the Taproot Foundation partnered with MetLife Foundation to explore how the principles of lean management could be applied to nonprofit capacity-building challenges and empowering employees to rapidly identify and resolve issues. Our experience proved that the impact can be significant, dramatically improving efficiency to allow nonprofits the space and resources to better serve their beneficiaries. This paper shares our lessons learned from this experience with MetLife. We hope it inspires you to consider the opportunity corporate practitioners have to make the benefits of lean management available in the nonprofit sector by donating lean expertise to nonprofits pro bono.

Energy

Bill Assistance Program Helps Customers in Need

Jun 5, 2017 1:30 PM ET

You, or someone you know, may qualify for a free replacement energy-efficient refrigerator, lighting, cooling system or various energy conservation services that can help save money on your Southern California Edison electricity bill.

Innovation & Technology

Light Electrification Leads 2018 Buick LaCrosse Updates

Jun 5, 2017 12:00 PM ET

The Buick LaCrosse expands its technological credentials by adding eAssist light electrification for the 2018 model. The combination of an electric motor with Buick’s latest 2.5L four-cylinder engine delivers quiet, refined and spirited efficient performance backed by the value and customer experience expected of Buick.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Cox and The Trust For Public Land Launch Louisiana’s 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes Awards Program

Jun 5, 2017 12:00 PM ET

Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, today launched Louisiana’s 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes program to honor local environmental volunteers.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

What's the Value?

Jun 5, 2017 12:00 PM ET

One thing I’ve realized over the past seven years working in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is that perception is a powerful thing. When I walked into a room and sat down to talk about what we at MilliporeSigma were doing in CSR, I could script how it would go. In fact, I should have placed bets because I could have retired by now. People anticipated and expected fluff. They did the important “business stuff” and we did “cosmetic stuff.” What does that say about how we think about and execute meaningful work with the power and potential to literally change the world? How are we thinking about bringing meaningful value to the table?

Environment

Celebrating World Environment Day and Sustainability at Shire

Jun 5, 2017 11:55 AM ET

Environment

Celebrating World Environment Day – Today and Every Day

Jun 5, 2017 11:45 AM ET

Today marks the United Nations’ 43rd World Environment Day – a global awareness day intended to encourage people to reconnect with nature and remind us why keeping our planet healthy is so important. It’s a day to encourage action for environmental protection, something that remains top of mind for Ingersoll Rand as we seek to reduce the environmental impacts of our operations and product portfolio.

Events, Media & Communications

Be Part of the First Annual Antea Group Blog Reader Survey

Jun 5, 2017 11:40 AM ET

Antea Group invites readers to tell us what they think of our blog in a two-question survey!

Environment

The Body Shop Puts Its Advertising to Work for Healthier Cities

Jun 5, 2017 11:20 AM ET

Air pollution remains an unseen global killer – with nearly 6.5 million deaths a year attributed to pollution we breathe every day – that's four times the amount of people killed on the world's roads, according to The Guardian. In fact, in the U.K. alone, high levels of NO2 cause more than 60 premature deaths a day. Now, one company is harnessing its passive advertising to help reduce that number – not only transforming a static image into a NO2 trapping powerhouse, but also raising awareness of an important new technology.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Enhancing the Lives of Children in Canada’s North

Jun 5, 2017 10:30 AM ET

For the third year in a row, Scotiabank partnered with Project North – a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the lives of children in Canada's North –travelled to Canada’s North alongside the National Hockey League, Rumie, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and First Air to deliver 150 bags of new hockey equipment and 150 Rumie educational tablets to children in seven Nunavut communities.

Research, Reports & Publications

WBCSD Releases CEO Guide to the Circular Economy

Jun 5, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Today at the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) released its CEO Guide to the Circular Economy.

Environment

Celebrating World Environment Day with Product Innovations

Jun 5, 2017 10:15 AM ET

Tetra Pak believes that, at their core, environmental problems are business problems. On the other hand, environmental excellence creates value for businesses in terms of revenue generation, cost reduction and brand equity, in addition to protecting our natural environment. Here's a look at some of Tetra Pak's newest innovations that are helping food and beverage manufactures reduce their environmental impact.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

BSR Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

Jun 5, 2017 10:00 AM ET

BSR regrets that the United States has announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Paris Agreement is supported by an unprecedented consensus of nations—only Syria and Nicaragua have not signed it. The overwhelming majority of businesses and investors believe that the Paris Agreement is essential to ensuring innovation, competitiveness, and job creation, in addition to the evident benefits with respect to combatting climate change. Furthermore, evidence suggests that a strong majority of the American public believes the same thing.

Research, Reports & Publications

Bloomberg Philanthropies Releases 2016 Annual Report

Jun 5, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Bloomberg Philanthropies works to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people by focusing on five key areas: the arts, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health.

Research, Reports & Publications

Listening to Stakeholders

Jun 5, 2017 9:50 AM ET

Environment

4 Companies Embracing, and Finding Value In, the Circular Economy

Jun 5, 2017 9:30 AM ET

The circular economy – an economic model focused on designing and manufacturing products, components and materials for reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling – promises big opportunities for the private sector to drive new and better growth and accelerate innovation. Shifting to the circular economy could release $4.5 trillion in new economic potential by 2030, according to Accenture.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Voya Employees Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity as Part of Annual Day of Service

Jun 5, 2017 9:05 AM ET

On Tuesday, May 16 Voya employees volunteered with Habitat for Humanity as part of their annual day of service.

Innovation & Technology

'We'll Be in Touch' | HP's Latest Diversity Push Confronts Bias in Hiring

Jun 5, 2017 9:05 AM ET

HP Inc. is advertising its commitment to reduce bias among its hiring managers with a new film created out of Fred & Farid that shows multiple black job candidates on interviews that conclude with the dreaded words, "We'll be in touch." The disappointment on their faces is palpable, and the scenes provide viewers a glimpse of the frustration and desperation those who experience discrimination during the job search may feel.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Arrow Asia Pac Ltd. Awarded Caring Company Logo for Five Straight Years in Recognition of its Contribution to Social Responsibility

Jun 5, 2017 9:05 AM ET

Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: ARW) announced that Arrow Asia Pac Ltd., has been awarded “5 Years Plus Caring Company Logo” by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), recognising the company’s continuous commitment to caring for its staff and capitalising on its strengths and resources to give back to the community for five consecutive years.

Environment

Winners of the 15th Annual Xylem Sponsored China Junior Water Prize Announced

Jun 5, 2017 9:00 AM ET

These students will represent China at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize for their project "A Research on the Characteristics of a New Type of Chitosan Resins Synthetic and Its Application in Removing Heavy Metal Ion in Water.”

Responsible Production & Consumption

Unprecedented Access to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil Benefits Industry and Environment

Jun 5, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Industry by industry, third-party certification of sustainability performance is increasingly helping to move the dial toward more responsible production and supply chain practices in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nowhere is this more apparent that in the case of palm oil. Within the past few years, palm oil certification under the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standard has reached a remarkable 21% penetration of the global market. This watershed achievement is paving the way for product manufacturers to incorporate certified palm oil into their product ingredient specifications, shifting entire industries and making a positive difference for people and the planet. Read more at http://ow.ly/XZ9o30ceq9Q

Sustainable Development Goals

Unreasonable Impact | Feeding a Fast-Growing Population: Q&A with GrowUp Urban Farms

Jun 5, 2017 8:50 AM ET

In the twenty-first century, people are moving to cities at an alarming rate. By 2050, nearly three-quarters of the world will reside in urban areas, especially in places across Asia and Africa. As they stand, cities remain ill equipped to absorb the increasing pressures on sectors like transportation, health care, and food.