ESG News from Leading Brands

Education

“How Will You … End Littering?” Video Contest Launches for Second Year

Aug 23, 2017 3:45 PM ET

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, today launched its second annual effort to tap into the imagination and innovation of our nation’s youth to continue to advance its fight to End Littering in America. The “How Will You … End Littering?” Video Contest, open to students in grades 9-12, asks the next generation of community stewards to share their ideas about how to end littering by educating and motivating people to properly dispose of their trash.

Events, Media & Communications

World Water Week and Creating Tomorrow

Aug 23, 2017 3:35 PM ET

80% of our water currently goes back into the environment untreated. We have to get serious about reducing, reusing and recycling water. At this year’s World Water Week, join us to find out about companies’ best practice on climate adaptation and water stewardship; how corporates can improve supply chain resilience through access to water, sanitation and hygiene; and why your company should sign the WBCSD WASH Pledge. You can also check out best practice case studies as part of our Business Guide to circular water management. If you would like to meet with us in Stockholm, get in touch!

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Merck Named a FTSE4Good Constituent Member

Aug 23, 2017 2:45 PM ET

FTSE Russell, a global index provider, has once again named Merck & Co., Inc. to the FTSE4Good Index, a compilation of publicly-traded companies that meet globally-recognized corporate responsibility standards.

Sustainable Development Goals

How to Align Your Corporate Citizenship Strategy with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Aug 23, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Have you been tasked with addressing how your company supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Are you hoping to connect and align your corporate citizenship efforts to a shared global strategy to put your activities in context and amplify your impact?

Research, Reports & Publications

Qualcomm Wireless Reach THRIVEIndonesia Program Enhances Women's Healthcare

Aug 23, 2017 2:00 PM ET

For millions of people in emerging regions, frontline health workers (FHWs) are the first and often the only point of contact for health care access. FHWs form the backbone of the health system, especially in resource-constrained environments which have a shortage of trained physicians and nurses. The THRIVE Indonesia program is demonstrating how a digital registry system, known as Open Smart Register Platform (OpenSRP), compared to a paper-based system, can improve FHW efficiencies, immunization coverage, continuity and quality of care, data quality, timeliness of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) interventions and reduce maternal and child morbidity.

Education

Interns Apply Skills to Innovative Utility Projects

Aug 23, 2017 1:30 PM ET

When Matthew Stilwell, 20, first applied for his field engineering internship at Southern California Edison earlier this summer, he expected to fetch coffees and file papers. Instead, after 12 weeks, the California State University, Fresno student’s proposal to re-direct the flow of electricity will be implemented as a $450,000 company project to shorten outages in the city of Visalia.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Michael Bloomberg To Be Honored For His Environmentalism

Aug 23, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Education

Voya Financial’s Alain Karaoglan Elected to Scholarship America Board of Trustees

Aug 23, 2017 12:30 PM ET

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) announced today that Alain Karaoglan, chief operating officer, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Scholarship America, the nation’s leading nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization.

Innovation & Technology

VIDEO: Experiencing the Eclipse with Our Aira Explorer

Aug 23, 2017 12:10 PM ET

On Aug. 21, millions of people watched as the moon passed in front of the sun, creating a solar eclipse. In some places, it was completely dark for more than 2 minutes. Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was one of those places.

Luckily, my family and I got to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event and in Hopkinsville. And I will never forget it thanks to the teams at AT&T, Aira and Georgia Tech.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Clean Water in Cambodia

Aug 23, 2017 10:55 AM ET

For residents of the remote Cambodian village of Roka, the dry season means annual water shortages and the rainy season means flooded, impassable roadways. Even during the rainy season, the bountiful water supply isn't safe for drinking and cooking.

Environment

Domtar Sustainability Monthly Minute | August 2017

Aug 23, 2017 10:15 AM ET

First there was the agrarian revolution, followed by the industrial revolution and now the digital revolution. So how does the forest products industry keep pace? Domtar's Shabnam Sanaei has a few ideas. Find out what she's doing each day to help identify the next big thing.

Innovation & Technology

Biomimicry = Return on Inspiration

Aug 23, 2017 10:05 AM ET

New models of product design, process engineering, packaging, and local distributed manufacturing are springing daily from bio-inspired minds. A 2010 economic study predicted that Biomimicry could represent $1 trillion of global Gross Domestic Product by 2025, and in 2012, Biomimicry topped the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ annual list of “innovations that could change the way you manufacture.” Fortune provocated: “if you’re not incorporating the most brilliant ideas from the natural world into what you sell, you’re leaving money on the table.”

Research, Reports & Publications

Power Generation – Is Coal Making a Comeback?

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

The current administration has revived debates over coal’s role in the country’s overall energy mix. Still seen as one of the most economical generation resources, some believe coal may experience a revival of sorts. However, most forward-looking infrastructure investors and industry leaders are not as optimistic – read more in this year’s Strategic Directions: Electric Industry Report.

Events, Media & Communications

Six Reasons to Attend Opportunity Forward

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

This year's Corporate Citizenship Conference, Opportunity Forward, will bring together business leaders across sectors to discuss how the business community – together with their partners – can take action in creating solutions that drive us forward.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Leadership Lessons Come from All Walks of Life at 2017 WLC

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, experienced manager or just embarking on a career path, there was a place for you at the 2017 Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC). Hosted by The MGM Resorts Foundation and held at the MGM Grand Conference Center on August 7-8, the sold-out 11th Annual WLC was open to women (and men) of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds, locally and nationally.

Media & Communications

Lunchbox Inspiration for Adding Fair Trade to Your Back to School Routine

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Check out these fun and inspiring lunchbox creations, featuring Fair Trade Certified products, from some of our friends!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

IBM and Citizen-Scientists Poised to Contribute Equivalent of up to $200 Million for Climate & Environmental Research

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

As climate change accelerates, IBM is galvanizing the global science community with a massive infusion of computing resources, weather data, and cloud services to help researchers examine the effects of climate change, and explore strategies to mitigate its effects. IBM pledges to help direct the equivalent of up to $200 million for up to five climate-related projects judged to offer the greatest potential impact, and will then broadly share the experiments' results.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Overcoming Barriers Together: The 2017 Warriors to Summits Team

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Meet some of the members of the 2017 No Barriers Warriors to Summits team. The team recently completed their second training expedition together.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $31.2 Million in Total Financing for Affordable Housing in Oregon

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Environment

Newfangled Retrofitting: BlocPower's Donnel Baird

Aug 23, 2017 10:00 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Cultivating a Future in Cocoa Communities

Aug 23, 2017 9:45 AM ET

CARE, with support from General Mills and other partners, is helping West African communities become food secure through the promotion of food crop farming and nutrition in 30 cocoa-growing communities: 20 in Ghana and 10 in neighboring Cote d’Ivoire.

The work is part of a broader multi-year program aimed at helping smallholder farmers who grow cocoa to increase their livelihoods and to improve the well-being of those in their households and communities.

Research, Reports & Publications

Embracing Change for a Better World

Aug 23, 2017 9:45 AM ET

For more than 230 years BNY Mellon has been innovating and evolving for the future, staying ahead of the trends shaping our world and leveraging them for the benefit of our company and our stakeholders.

Events, Media & Communications

Sands Academy Celebrates ESL Graduation

Aug 23, 2017 9:15 AM ET

At the end of May, Sands Academy held their annual English as a Second Language (ESL) graduation for Team Members at The Venetian and The Palazzo. Courses were conducted by Language Xpress, a company specializing in classes tailored to a specific company and industry.

Innovation & Technology

Gaming for Infrastructure

Aug 23, 2017 9:00 AM ET

On the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) blog, Tetra Tech’s Nilmini Rubin and Jennifer Hara discuss the benefits of practice sessions for public-private partnerships teams tasked with addressing complex infrastructure issues. Nilmini and Jennifer discuss the applications of multiplayer simulations across multiple sectors, allowing teams to try out approaches and see challenges from partners’ viewpoints.

Environment

The Kousa Dogwood

Aug 23, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Dogwood trees are well known for their delicate beauty in the landscape. Kousa dogwood not only meets the standard for attractiveness, it adds a hardiness that makes this species an excellent choice for home landscapes and urban areas.