ESG News from Leading Brands

Social Impact & Volunteering

What Does It Take to Build a Habitat House?

Jan 27, 2017 1:00 PM ET

People in your community and all over the world partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve the place they call home. In fact, Habitat is the largest privately held homebuilder and regularly ranks as one of the top 20 homebuilders in the United States.

Events, Media & Communications

The 100 Most Sustainable Global Companies According to Corporate Knight Analysis

Jan 27, 2017 12:05 PM ET

Every year the Canadian-headquartered firm Corporate Knights (publishing, research) ranks “the world’s most sustainable companies,” from a universe of 4,000 global enterprises with market cap of at least US$2 billion each. The research team applies 14 metrics in its analysis of “corporate sustainability” to evaluate the management and governance of the sustainability journey.

Health & Healthcare

Three Ways to Lessen the Impact of Mental Illness on College Students

Jan 27, 2017 11:35 AM ET

The transition from high school to college, for many, is both a daunting and exciting journey. As parents, we view this opportunity as a means to a beginning – encouraging our children to discover self-sufficiency without expecting them to be fully independent.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Video: Northern Trust Charity Bike Build Challenge

Jan 27, 2017 10:40 AM ET

Over 150 London partners built 18 bikes for children and young people in the community as part of the 2016 Seasonal Appeal.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Common Impact and Fidelity Investments Launch Tech Impact Day in Durham, North Carolina

Jan 27, 2017 9:35 AM ET

Innovation & Technology

Water Conservation and Reclamation for a Food and Beverage Client

Jan 27, 2017 9:25 AM ET

A food and beverage industry company faces increasing water and sewer bills due to the use of water in its production line and the sewer fees for wastewater discharges. Antea Group’s water conservation assessment finds that re-using pump cooling water and drink concentrate reject would go a long way in reducing the water and sewer bills. A reuse treatment system is put in place.

Environment

Generating Business Value from GHG Management

Jan 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

Companies around the world are responding to government, investor, and customer pressures by implementing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) management plans. A key challenge in the implementation of these plans is identifying a strong business case in order to justify the costs entailed, and to ensure that the approach can be sustained financially in the long run.

As I will discuss in detail during the first of our three-part, complimentary webinar series next month (Feb 1st), companies can derive business value from GHG management strategies in numerous ways. This article briefly describes five successful approaches that companies are implementing today.

Events, Media & Communications

Stretching Your CSR & Sustainability Content: How to Make the Most Out of Your Content Calendar for 2017 - Free Webinar Feb. 9 Noon ET

Jan 27, 2017 9:00 AM ET

As 2017 communications strategies are being planned and some efforts are already being executed, 3BL Media invites executives responsible for communications about CSR and sustainability programs to a lunch-and-learn webinar focused on distribution, measurement and best practices that can help stretch the life of that content.

The webinar, “Stretching Your CSR & Sustainability Content,” will be held on Feb. 9 at noon ET. Attendance is free and questions will be answered live during this 45-minute event.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Whole Kids Foundation® Completes 2016 Growing Healthy Kids Campaign; Raises $2.8 Million For School Salad Bars, Gardens

Jan 27, 2017 8:15 AM ET

Green Infrastructure

Building Affordable Homes to Empower Communities

Jan 27, 2017 8:10 AM ET

Affordable home builder and Business Call to Action (BctA) member ¡Échale! a Tu Casa has made an ambitious new pledge to provide 12,500 new low-income clients with access to sustainable housing solutions and financing in Mexico by 2022.

Social Impact & Volunteering

How Cargill and Heifer International are Helping Poultry Farmers Thrive in China’s Sichuan Province

Jan 27, 2017 8:05 AM ET

In agricultural towns throughout the world, prospering farmers make for strong communities. Everywhere we operate, we strive to be much more than just a feed dealer. We seek to give farmers the best solutions to help grow their operations and livelihoods, and to make a positive impact through our operations, our business expertise, our employees’ time and skills, our partnerships, and our charitable giving.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Bacardi Goes Eco-Friendly for Major Lazer

Jan 27, 2017 8:05 AM ET

For the recently staged Major Lazer and Friends EDM event, title sponsor Bacardi rolled out an environmentally friendly campaign that patrons were able to appreciate. The company introduced a line of premium cold drink cups, made entirely from plants. The Greenware is made from Ingeo(TM_ biopolymer and is 100 per cent compostable.

Education

Meet Amgen Scholars Alumni Danielle Spitzer

Jan 27, 2017 7:30 AM ET

Ninth-grade was when the fire was lit. As soon as I took an intro biology class, I knew I wanted to keep studying this. Throughout high school, I continued taking biology courses and my senior year, my biology teacher—an amazing mentor—gave me a desk in the back of the classroom and said, “Design an experiment.” The experiment itself didn’t work out, but I feel like that’s a good way to start off in science.

Social Impact & Volunteering

TQL Sees Record High Employee Participation in 2016 Annual Goodness Campaign

Jan 26, 2017 7:45 PM ET

Total Quality Logistics, the second largest freight brokerage firm in North America, achieved a record-high participation rate of 75% in its 2016 annual employee giving campaign – its inaugural year using a new charitable giving software platform. Noting a strong desire to connect employees with the charities that are most meaningful to them, TQL selected Benevity’s award-winning workplace giving solution, Spark, to power the company’s TQL Cares program.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Aloha Charlotte - A Make-A-Wish Reveal with VSP Global

Jan 26, 2017 7:35 PM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Additional Non-Financial Disclosure Requirements for EU Companies in Effect This Year

Jan 26, 2017 6:30 PM ET

Starting this year, large companies based in the European Union will need to disclose additional non-financial information in their annual reports, specifically policies, risks and outcomes related to environmental issues, respect for human rights and anti-corruption.

Research, Reports & Publications

Study Finds Executives Meet Key Business Goals Through Corporate Citizenship

Jan 26, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is pleased to release the 2017 State of Corporate Citizenship, a unique research report that examines how executives view corporate citizenship in both business and global contexts, and identifies the topics and issues they find most important.

Innovation & Technology

The Current State of Machine Intelligence 3.0

Jan 26, 2017 4:30 PM ET

Environment

21CF’s Vijay Sudan Talks Waste, Responsible Sourcing and Fox’s Green Production History With Greenbiz’s Joel Makower

Jan 26, 2017 4:00 PM ET

On the latest episode of the GreenBiz 350 podcast, GreenBiz executive editor Joel Makower interviewed 21st Century Fox’s VP of Social Impact Vijay Sudan about the company’s efforts to green its film and television productions. Vijay spoke about the studio’s recent production achievements, such as 24: Live Another Day’s success at becoming the first TV series to use 100% FSC-certified lumber for set construction, as well as the company’s ongoing efforts to manage waste.

Research, Reports & Publications

Republic Services Announces $230 Million Economic Impact in Nevada

Jan 26, 2017 3:35 PM ET

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) announced today the results of a study of its annual economic impact in the state of Nevada. The study measures the direct and indirect economic impact of the Company’s subsidiaries and operations statewide in 2015, including tax revenues, payroll expenditures and supplier purchases, as well as multiplier effects when income is reinvested into the local economy.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Ashley Hall Turns from Desperate to Successful

Jan 26, 2017 3:30 PM ET

Ashley Hall personifies a life transformed. Hall, 36, a native of Anderson, S.C., fell on hard times in 2010 during the recession when her then-husband’s contracting business ground to a halt. She needed help feeding her two young children.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

General Mills Recognized as World Leader for Corporate Action on Climate Change

Jan 26, 2017 3:30 PM ET

General Mills has been recognized as a global climate leader and has been named to the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) Climate A-List, Supplier Engagement Leader Board and Supplier Climate A-List. The company is among the 9 percent of global corporations participating in CDP’s climate change program to be awarded a position on the Climate A-List, in recognition of its performance and actions to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change in the past reporting year.

Health & Healthcare

What You Need to Know About Norovirus

Jan 26, 2017 2:45 PM ET

Environment

Demand vs. Desire: New Guide Reframes Ivory Consumption Challenge

Jan 26, 2017 1:15 PM ET

Demand vs. Desire: New WWF Guide Reframes Ivory Consumption Challenge
A first-of-its-kind guide released by World Wildlife Fund today suggests tackling the ivory trade requires a deeper understanding of consumers' underlying desires.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Desert Rain House in Oregon Earns First-ever Residential Living Building Certification

Jan 26, 2017 1:00 PM ET

The Desert Rain House located in Bend, Oregon, has become the first residential compound to earn Living Building certification, the most ambitious and optimistic international standard of sustainability in the world. Developed by the International Living Future Institute, the Living Building Challenge certification requires actual, rather than modeled or anticipated, performance across environmental, social and community impact.