Impact & Sustainability News From Leading Brands

Green Infrastructure

WorldGBC and BEA Join Forces to Double the Rate of Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Aug 24, 2016 10:45 AM ET

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and the World Resources Institute (WRI)-led Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) – a public-private partnership launched under the United Nations Secretary-General’s SE4All Initiative – have joined forces in an attempt to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

Environment

Cod Willing: David Abel on the Cod’s Resurgence

Aug 24, 2016 10:15 AM ET

Since 1992, fish ’n chips fans may have noticed that there was no cod in their classic fried dish. That’s the year that the Canadian government issued a moratorium on fishing the popular, tasty species.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Green Affordable Housing Matters to Old Mutual

Aug 24, 2016 10:15 AM ET

“Green affordable housing integrates social and environmental sustainability imperatives providing access to better quality homes with lower running costs for lower middle income groups” - Manie Annandale Head of Affordable Housing Development Finance, Nedbank.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Driving Employee Engagement Through Better Program Coordination

Aug 24, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Learn best practices for getting your employees more involved in the planning and execution of employee volunteer events in order to increase participation in your programs.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Domtar Employee Heather Stowe Nominated as a Domtar Difference Maker

Aug 24, 2016 10:05 AM ET

Domtar’s EarthChoice Ambassadors program is an employee engagement program that began in 2011 to promote sustainable principles throughout the company. Now going into its seventh year, this very successful program is on track to have chapters in place at all Domtar facilities by 2020. And, with more than 500 ambassadors, Domtar’s EarthChoice Ambassadors put in more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work last year.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Cox Conserves Heroes Program Celebrates 50 Environmental Volunteers Making a Difference Across the Nation

Aug 24, 2016 10:00 AM ET

Education

Subaru to Donate Thousands of Textbooks

Aug 24, 2016 9:30 AM ET

Environment

Protecting the Future of Our National Parks

Aug 24, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Our national parks have a big, big problem. It’s you.

Diversity & Inclusion

Las Vegas Sands’ Team Members complete over 19,000 sustainable actions globally as part of “I Will If You Will” challenge between 2012 and 2015

Aug 24, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Team Members have played a very important role in the growth of our Sands ECO360 program. We continue to look for fun ways to engage them and make them feel informed and excited about sustainability.

Research, Reports & Publications

Ball Corporation Releases 2016 Sustainability Report, Sets Clear Path for the Future

Aug 24, 2016 9:00 AM ET

Ball Corporation’s fifth biennial sustainability report details the company’s progress toward its updated priorities – product stewardship, operational excellence, talent management and community ambassadors – and sets a clear path for the future with 10 new ambitious goals to be achieved by 2020.

Social Impact & Volunteering

A Pilot with a Purpose: Meet NetSuite Employee Rick Gutlon

Aug 24, 2016 8:00 AM ET

NetSuite believes that passionate employees build a thriving company, and our employee volunteer programs were designed to provide opportunities for our employees to give back locally and globally. To this end, every NetSuite employee receives 16 hours of VTO annually which can be used toward employee-organized activities or personal volunteering. In this blog, NetSuite employee Rick Gutlon shares how he gives back to his local community by using his pilot's license to transport rescue dogs.

Environment

‘Eco’ Locomotives, ‘Sleeper’ Plug-In Heaters, and ‘Slugs’ Add Up to Lower Emissions for Norfolk Southern

Aug 24, 2016 7:30 AM ET

Norfolk Southern considers it a corporate responsibility to mitigate the environmental impacts of rail operations. Because the consumption of locomotive diesel fuel makes up about 90 percent of the company’s carbon emissions, NS has adopted strategic initiatives to reduce fuel use, which lower business costs and environmental impacts.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Get to Know Humana, Finalist for 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year

Aug 23, 2016 6:10 PM ET

In this Q&A series, get to know the finalists for VolunteerMatch’s 2016 Employee Volunteer Program of the Year Award. Winners will be revealed on October 25, 2016 at VM Summit 16. Get your VM Summit 16 ticket today. Today’s featured volunteer program: Humana.

Research, Reports & Publications

Kinross Gold Releases Corporate Responsibility Report

Aug 23, 2016 3:00 PM ET

Kinross Gold Corporation released its Corporate Responsibility Report, a comprehensive account of the Company’s commitment to sustainable mining and transparency in 2014 and 2015.

Environment

GM Facilities Across the Globe Take Action on World Environment Day

Aug 23, 2016 2:25 PM ET

General Motors’ commitment to sustainability is shared by its facilities around the world. To celebrate this collective mission to protect the earth and serve communities, GM rallied employees to take action to support World Environment Day, a global movement organized by the United Nations. Sixty-two GM manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities organized environmental outreach activities.

Diversity & Inclusion

Stress in the Workplace is Relative, Suggests Deloitte Study

Aug 23, 2016 2:05 PM ET

Health & Healthcare

Kenya Red Cross Society and Novartis Join Forces

Aug 23, 2016 2:05 PM ET

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has announced a partnership with Novartis to improve access to prevention, treatment, and care of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Kenya. As part of the new partnership with Novartis, KRCS will train health workers, community volunteers and scale up screening at community and facility level for NCDs over the next three years.

Social Impact & Volunteering

For Astellas USA Foundation, Giving Back Means Living Smart™ Together, with Our Communities

Aug 23, 2016 2:00 PM ET

t’s hard to encapsulate “giving back” in a single definition. That’s why my colleagues at Astellas USA Foundation and I like to refer to giving back as Living Smart. Living SmartTM means preparing communities today for what can happen tomorrow. Astellas USA Foundation and Astellas Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) align on this mission and collaborate to create positive impact to society. Our goal is to help the communities where we live and work access the resources they need to flourish and face the future with confidence.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Republic Services Southern Nevada Recycling Center Earns Top Industry Award for Recycling Systems Excellence

Aug 23, 2016 2:00 PM ET

Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) is pleased to announce that the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has named Republic’s Southern Nevada Recycling Center winner of the Gold Excellence Award in the Recycling Systems category. The award was presented at SWANA’s annual conference, WASTECON®, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, in Indianapolis, Ind.

Innovation & Technology

10 Million Pledges and Why It Matters

Aug 23, 2016 1:20 PM ET

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

New Tools to Chart the Course toward the Climate North Star

Aug 23, 2016 1:00 PM ET

The science-based goals set forth in the Paris Agreement can help companies make decisions on climate action. Here's how we navigate to those goals.

Research, Reports & Publications

T. Rowe Price Releases Video Summary of 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility Update

Aug 23, 2016 12:45 PM ET

T. Rowe Price has released its 2015 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Summary, which updates the results of the firm’s efforts to promote financial education, reduce its environmental footprint, and empower associates to have an impact in their communities.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Henkel and BASF’s Industry Partnership with Solidaridad Demonstrate Manufacturer Commitment to Sustainable Palm Oil

Aug 23, 2016 12:30 PM ET

Palm oil has become a high profile material as the ethical and environmental consequences of palm oil production have become clear. Widespread and rapid deforestation for palm oil plantations has destroyed endangered species habitat and spurred human rights abuses and social conflict.

Environment

Light at the End of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Aug 23, 2016 12:25 PM ET

Writing recently for the Wall Street Journal, Thomas Barrett, President of Alyeska which owns and manages the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, bemoans the pipeline’s deterioration due to falling oil production and urges that oil drilling sites be opened in Alaskan seas to increase the oil load and save the pipeline.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

Astellas and The Chris Klug Foundation Announce Winners of the 2016 Bounce Back Award

Aug 23, 2016 12:00 PM ET

The Chris Klug Foundation (CKF) is pleased to announce the winners of the third annual Bounce Back Award, presented by Astellas. The award goes to two transplant recipients who exhibit a great post-transplant quality of life. Winners were chosen by CKF staff and board members from more than 60 incredible nominations from 17 states.