ESG News from Leading Brands

Events, Media & Communications

Webinar // Change Maker Series - Doing Well by Doing Good: The Power of Pro Bono Service

Oct 4, 2016 2:00 PM ET

Calling all HR professionals! Are you looking for a high-impact way to give back to your community? Do you want to know how you, as an HR professional, and others at your company can engage your professional skillsets to help nonprofit organizations tackle messy organizational challenges? Join Workplace Options and Taproot Foundation, the leading expert in pro bono service, on Tuesday, October 11th at 1pm ET for Doing Well by Doing Good: The Power of Pro Bono Service to learn about this unique way to volunteer and its many benefits to nonprofits, volunteers, and companies.

Social Impact & Volunteering

More Than 100 Smiles Delivered in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Oct 4, 2016 12:55 PM ET

On September 8, FedEx volunteers teamed up with United Way of New York City (UWNYC) to distribute more than 100 backpacks covered in beloved heroes and brimming with school supplies to students at P.S. 156 in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Health & Healthcare

Major League Baseball Players Trust and Our Children’s Vision Take Aim at Avoidable Blindness

Oct 4, 2016 12:15 PM ET

Baseball and kids are a classic combination, but what happens when those kids struggle to see? When they can’t see clearly enough to catch a fly ball, connect with a pitch, or read the scoreboard? But it isn’t just about their performance on the field, children with uncorrected vision are hindered in the classroom and in every aspect of their lives.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

National Grid Among Top 5 in Nation for Energy Efficiency Again this Year

Oct 4, 2016 12:10 PM ET

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 2016 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard yesterday, and once again, National Grid’s service area in three states —Mass., R.I. and N.Y.—all were ranked among the top ten energy efficiency. Massachusetts ranked number one for the sixth year in a row, with Rhode Island coming in fourth and New York jumping ahead from ninth to the fifth spot.

Environment

Partnering and Innovating for Sustainable Lifestyles

Oct 4, 2016 12:10 PM ET

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today announced that the sustainable lifestyles of the future are taking shape under a new collaboration between Whirlpool Corporation, P&G and Firmenich at the Whirlpool ReNEWW House – a live-in laboratory on Purdue University’s campus in Indiana, USA.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Xylem Watermark and Partners Help Three Million People

Oct 4, 2016 12:00 PM ET

From ending hunger to slowing climate change, water will play a vital role in meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Find out how Xylem Watermark and its partners are working to help communities solve water-related problems around the world.

Green Infrastructure

The Hyatt Regency Coral Gables Receives a 5 Key Rating with New GSTC Recognized Green Key Eco-Rating Program

Oct 4, 2016 11:45 AM ET

Green Key Global is pleased to announce the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables has moved from a 4 to a 5 Key rating with the new GSTC Recognized Green Key Eco-Rating Program.

Health & Healthcare

Nestlé Commited to Reducing Sugars

Oct 4, 2016 11:30 AM ET

Nestlé is strongly committed to helping consumers meet the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendation to consume less than 10% of daily calories from added sugars, as illustrated by our recently updated Nestlé Policy on Sugars.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Kids from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Enjoy Fun #CatinHat4Prez-Themed Activities during Carnival Cruise Line’s Annual ‘Head of State Play Date’

Oct 4, 2016 11:30 AM ET

To celebrate The Cat in the Hat’s recently announced presidential campaign, Carnival Cruise Line – the exclusive cruise line partner of Dr. Seuss Enterprises and the Official Seagoing Campaign Headquarters for the world’s favorite feline – teamed up with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to host a rally for kids at the Memphis, Tennessee, hospital.

Environment

Ecocentricity Blog: Congratulations John Picard!

Oct 4, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Last week, I was in Los Angeles to celebrate with John as he received the Global Green Individual Environmental Leadership Award. It was certainly well-deserved for a man who has been an environmental leader for nearly three decades.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sodexo Launches Bistro 464 to Give Seniors a New Dining Experience

Oct 4, 2016 11:15 AM ET

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, announces the launch of Bistro 464—a new restaurant option—to supplement the traditional dining service in the senior living communities it serves. The bistro-style service option meets the needs of senior communities today by offering a dining spot that feels like a special occasion thanks to its attractive design and a specially created menu that includes casual as well as more upscale meal selections. The Bistro 464 concept gives a nod to the Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964. It formally launches this month with over 100 locations expected to open in the first year.

Innovation & Technology

Qualcomm Wireless Reach and the Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons Learned in Nairobi

Oct 4, 2016 11:05 AM ET

I must confess: while I’ve always been excited by technological innovations that transform people’s lives, like the Vodafone m-pesa mobile money service that many Kenyans now use instead of cash to pay for groceries, car fuel, even health clinic fees, I hadn’t given much thought to how information and communications technology (ICT) can also revolutionize how work is completed in international development to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Green Infrastructure

Whirlpool Corporation and KB Home Reveal Greenbuild KB Home ProjeKt at 2016 Expo

Oct 4, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Leading appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation and KB Home, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, will debut the latest product of their 20-year relationship at Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Los Angeles Oct. 5-6.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Abbott Earns Two Honors for Shared Value and Supply Chain Excellence

Oct 4, 2016 11:00 AM ET

On Sept. 30 in New Delhi, Abbott received the 2016 Porter Prize for Creating Shared Value, which recognizes companies for advancing the competitiveness of their business and the health of the communities around it. The same evening in London, Abbott was Highly Commended for Best Supplier Engagement in advancing value chain sustainability at the 2016 Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards. These awards recognize Abbott’s approach and results in creating opportunity for dairy farmers in India.

Education

G&A Institute Launches Online Training Platform "Sustainability Training HQ" With First Course Offering Certification in Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Strategies

Oct 4, 2016 11:00 AM ET

Responsible Production & Consumption

Mission-Ready Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 Fuel Cell Vehicle Breaks Cover at U.S. Army Show

Oct 4, 2016 10:50 AM ET

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

UPS Recognized by EPA with SmartWay Excellence Award

Oct 4, 2016 10:45 AM ET

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented UPS® (NYSE:UPS) with the SmartWay Excellence award which recognizes outstanding environmental performance and leadership.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

ImpactSpace and CSRHub bring environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Ratings to Impact Investments

Oct 4, 2016 10:25 AM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Don't Let EHS Be a Barrier to International Expansion

Oct 4, 2016 10:20 AM ET

Corporate EHS leaders are challenged with establishing EHS programs, dealing with language and cultural issues, and understanding regulatory requirements and the cultural nuances of doing business in the host country. While the marketing and sales functions of the company may have parallels in each country, EHS expectations, practices, and cultural norms can, and often do, differ greatly. When these differences are not fully understood and planned for, unexpected, time consuming and costly issues may arise.

Education

McNeese Professor and E.K. Key Elementary Teacher Travel the Seas as Part of CITGO STEM Initiative & Ocean Exploration Trust

Oct 4, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Two local educators recently were chosen to participate in ocean voyages aboard the E/V Nautilus as part of the CITGO and Ocean Exploration Trust’s initiative to inspire science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based education.

Innovation & Technology

Techstars Atlanta: Get to Know Bark Technologies

Oct 4, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Techstars Atlanta, in partnership with Cox Enterprises, selected 10 companies to participate in the program's 2016 class. Applications for the 10 coveted spots came from around the globe, including 69 countries and six continents.

Environment

Las Vegas Builds 35,000 Hygiene Kits with Clean the World at The Venetian

Oct 4, 2016 9:15 AM ET

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) completed part of its worldwide volunteer effort last Saturday, October 1 to build 100,000 hygiene kits this year for social enterprise Clean the World to help improve the health and well-being of populations in need.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Ask Not What Your Company Can Do For You

Oct 4, 2016 9:05 AM ET

Private-sector pro bono service has become a defining characteristic of effective strategies for leadership & skills development, and retention of top talent. A leader in this space, IBM's Corporate Service Corps recently partnered with the Peace Corps on critical projects in sub-Saharan Africa. In USA Today, Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet and IBM Foundation President Stanley Litow share their perspective on the values and rewards of global service.

Innovation & Technology

The Mercedes-Benz Vision Van

Oct 4, 2016 9:00 AM ET

The Vision Van features a fully automated cargo space, integrated drones for autonomous air deliveries and a state-of-the-art joystick control. Powered by a 75 kW electric drive system with a range of up to 270 km, deliveries with the Vision Van are locally emission-free. The electric drive system additionally guarantees that it will remain possible to operate the Vision Van in inner-city zones where the introduction of bans on vehicles with internal combustion engines is planned.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Innovation by Design: Bloomberg Tech Hub San Francisco

Oct 4, 2016 7:35 AM ET

Located in San Francisco’s famous Pac Bell Building, the new Bloomberg Tech Hub aims to be a nexus between Bloomberg and Silicon Valley without looking like a high-tech cliché.