ESG News from Leading Brands

Environment

The ReNEWW House, a Sustainable Living Laboratory

Dec 9, 2016 12:45 PM ET

There has long been an argument that homes and buildings are reliant on 19th-century technologies. The result is that while home climate-control systems and features such has windows have improved over the years, homes and buildings are still inefficient.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

CareFirst Earns Top Rating For Workplace Equality From Human Rights Campaign

Dec 9, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Environment

National Grid Applauds City of Boston on Climate Ready Boston Report

Dec 9, 2016 11:00 AM ET

National Grid applauds the recommendations of Mayor Marty Walsh and the Green Ribbon Commission for their meaningful and detailed report that addresses climate change for the City of Boston.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Whirlpool Corporation Receives Perfect Score on 2017 Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index

Dec 9, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

How Caterers can Help Reduce Food Waste

Dec 9, 2016 10:30 AM ET

This is the third in a series about food waste and the social license. You might recall from our first post that the concept of social license is about asking our customers to accept practices in the food experience that reduce waste. So far, we’ve discussed how the concept of the social license can reduce food waste in restaurants. Today we are going to tackle catering – a very complicated and difficult beast.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Lumber Mill Reimagined as Artist Studios in Kentucky

Dec 9, 2016 10:10 AM ET

Few places in Covington, Ky., illustrate this city’s proud past, recent struggles and current renewal more eloquently than the Hellmann Lumber building.

Education

Holidays, Money, and Family—Check Out These Interesting Holiday Spending Stats

Dec 9, 2016 10:00 AM ET

T. Rowe Price recently released the survey – Parents, Kids, & Money, which surveyed more than 1,000 parents as well as their children between the ages of 8 to 14. This survey revealed that most parents actually want to overextend their money and spending in order to get their children what they want for gifts and holiday presents.

Environment

Xylem Bypass Pumping Solution Helps Protect the Mojave Desert

Dec 9, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Diversity & Inclusion

Introducing the Antea Group Philadelphia Office!

Dec 9, 2016 9:55 AM ET

The Philadelphia office is staffed by practitioners with expertise in all of our Antea Group practice areas. We have particular experience with the chemical, oil & gas, railroad, and food & beverage industries. Project capabilities range from small-scale industrial hygiene monitoring for healthcare clients to extensive remediation projects for chemical companies. We're only a short drive to Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland and are able to support projects across the region.

Education

Ten to Watch: Trisha Stan, Ph.D.

Dec 9, 2016 9:45 AM ET

“We do science for the betterment of society, but too many misunderstandings exist between scientists and the populations we strive to serve. I hope to build bridges of communication and understanding between scientists and the public.”

Events, Media & Communications

How Should Hotels Market Green Initiatives?

Dec 9, 2016 9:30 AM ET

“Going Green” has become standard practice in a high percentage of hotels and other hospitality facilities. It’s the right thing to do. But it can also create the positive public relations and opinion of your brand that you are looking for. It’s a win-win.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Timberland's Victory Garden Cultivates Community Impact

Dec 9, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland recently celebrated the close of the ninth consecutive harvest season of its Victory Garden, a plot of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers outside the company’s Stratham, New Hampshire headquarters. Each year, a dedicated group of Timberland employee volunteers manage and cultivate the 1,000 square foot area of raised garden beds.

Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure Approaches Help Mimic Natural Water Cycles

Dec 9, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Green infrastructure incorporates natural systems into engineered systems to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, and offer a wide array of ancillary benefits to people and wildlife.

Social Impact & Volunteering

How U.S. Bank Makes Community Possible

Dec 9, 2016 8:20 AM ET

Earlier this year, our client U.S. Bank launched the Community Possible Relay complete with a mobile baton, or what became known as the Big Blue Bus. The goal was to promote volunteerism and inspire 153,000 volunteers both inside and outside the bank. This represents 1,000 volunteers for each year the bank has been in business!

Social Impact & Volunteering

Marina Bay Sands Supports The Purple Parade

Dec 9, 2016 8:15 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Here’s The Beef: Wendy’s Joins the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef

Dec 9, 2016 8:10 AM ET

We recently took another step in our long-time commitment to sourcing quality beef responsibly by joining the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Their goal is simple – to work together with lots of different stakeholders to sustain responsible beef production for years to come. One of our team members who lives and breathes quality beef every day is also one of our rising stars, Manager of Quality Assurance for Beef, Sarah Wells. Sarah is one of the most upbeat and optimistic people you’ll ever meet. Fortunately, she loves to travel because we keep her on the road all the time. She’s an expert in meat science and animal care, and she taught at the collegiate level before joining Wendy’s two and a half years ago.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

The Missing Link: Rewarding Tenant Engagement In Sustainability Benchmarking

Dec 9, 2016 8:05 AM ET

A common theme amongst various sustainability benchmarking frameworks, such as the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), is the weight placed on working with tenants. More specifically, landlords are now expected to capture and report on tenant energy use if they wish to achieve top scores.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sodexo and American Red Cross Partner in New Hampshire and Vermont for Disaster Response

Dec 8, 2016 7:30 PM ET

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, and the American Red Cross in New Hampshire and Vermont have entered into a partnership to provide disaster clients of the Red Cross in that region with meals during times of disaster response.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Big Bet Philanthropy: How More Givers Are Spending Big and Taking Risks to Solve Society's Problems

Dec 8, 2016 5:40 PM ET

David Dornsife recalls the first time he took his wife, Dana, to see the work they were funding to provide water to people in Africa, traveling to a village with no wells in Ghana in 2001. "People had scabies all over their faces," he says. "It was hard to talk with them because there were flies everywhere."

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Capital BlueCross Annual Secret Santa Program Provides 600 Gifts for Local Children in Need

Dec 8, 2016 5:10 PM ET

Capital BlueCross employees today packed up hundreds of gifts to send to children in need this holiday season. The company's annual "Secret Santa" program provides gifts to children, from infants to teenagers, who otherwise may not have something under the tree.

Education

Closing the College Gap

Dec 8, 2016 4:30 PM ET

For most of the last century, the United States led the world in educational attainment and the economic and social mobility of its people. As our advantage has been slipping in recent decades, leaders from the President to philanthropists have set goals for boosting the percentage of Americans who complete some form of college, so more Americans are prepared for the rigors of the workplace and being engaged members of society.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Film Festival Spotlight: 2016 Fan Favorite Winner Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dec 8, 2016 4:00 PM ET

Watch the 2016 Fan Favorite winner Thermo Fisher Scientific, which won for its video titled, "Give Us Hope."

Education

Ten to Watch: Lela Okromelidze

Dec 8, 2016 3:40 PM ET

Lela Okromelidze grew up in the Eurasian country of Georgia, which after years of fighting following the fall of the Soviet Union, didn’t always provide the educational opportunities of many other countries.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

2017 Buick Envision AWD Earns 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for Safety Rating by NHTSA

Dec 8, 2016 3:35 PM ET

The 2017 Buick Envision AWD compact SUV has earned a five-star overall vehicle score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — an accolade achieved by every Buick model rated for two consecutive model years.

Events, Media & Communications

International Volunteer Day Sends a Reminder on the Power of Volunteerism to Drive Sustainable Development

Dec 8, 2016 3:00 PM ET

Celebrating the power of volunteering, leaders from the private, public and social sectors convened at the International Volunteer Day Forum and Awards Celebration on December 5, in Washington D.C. Organizations such as Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), Building Bridges Coalition (BBC), PYXERA Global, Partners of the Americas, International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), Service Year, and Impact 2030 represented the myriad ways that the power of volunteering can be brought to bear to meet this century’s global development and security challenges. The Forum encouraged the new Congress and incoming Presidential administration to prioritize effective volunteer programs and policies.