Mike Phillips, Bisnow London

SOURCE:CBRE Group, Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

An example is a study undertaken by CBRE in conjunction with the University of Twente in the Netherlands. The study found that providing healthy alternatives to sugary food and drinks improved productivity by 45%; schemes to provide mental balance like meditation and yoga improved productivity by 30%; introducing circadian lighting, which mirrors the waxing and waning of natural daylight, improved productivity by 12%.

Gutter pointed out that even elements that used to be considered soft and fluffy, like having lots of plants, improved productivity by 10%.

The evidence shows that this phenomenon is being led by tenants. In a survey of European occupiers, CBRE found that 72% either already had or wanted to have a building that promoted wellness. 

Click here to read the full article

Tweet me:#WellBuildings are becoming more than a fad as benefits get easier to measure via @Bisnow http://bit.ly/2oYqDb4 @CBRE

KEYWORDS: CBRE, WELL Building, productivity

SOURCE:Consumers Energy

DESCRIPTION:

More than 140 employees and contractors arrived in Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon to assist with restoration efforts after Nor'easter Storm Riley left nearly two million customers in the Northeast U.S. without power.

“In the past, we were fortunate to be supported by out-of-state crews following major storms," said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy vice president of electric energy operations. "This is an opportunity for us to return the favor to our fellow line workers.”

Learn more about our mutual assistance effort: http://bit.ly/2oNtcgQ

Tweet me:.@ConsumersEnergy: Sometimes caring for our communities requires crossing state lines http://bit.ly/2Ia10wQ #Riley

KEYWORDS: Consumers Energy, Nor'easter, Winter Storm Riley

by Danielle Holly

SOURCE:Common Impact

DESCRIPTION:

We're inspired by the momentum of International Women's Day yesterday and eager to keep the conversation going. Today we're bringing back a few key ways that all sectors can work together to close the gender gap - specifically through skills-based volunteering initiatives. 

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Anyone who works in the nonprofit sector knows that women make up a significant part of its workforce and leadership – until you get to the top. Women currently account for 43 percent of the board seats among all nonprofits but only 33% of those seats at large nonprofits, defined as $25 million or greater in annual income.[1] At the staff level, this gap increases further -- women make up 45% of nonprofit CEOs but only 21% at large nonprofits, and they are compensated at 66% of their male CEO counterparts. 

In the corporate sector, this gap becomes even more grim with a mere 3.9% of women on corporate Boards.  Companies are starting to take action towards changing this dynamic, but the investment needs to be much greater.  This gap not only undermines the equality and fairness of our society – it’s bad for business.  Businesses with more women at the top perform more strongly.  In a recent report from Credit Suisse, it was found that companies with greater gender diversity among leadership had a 27% higher return on equity and a 42% higher dividend payout.[2]

As both companies and nonprofits struggle with this issue, and direct time, talent and dollars to its solution, there are a few key ways the sectors can work together to lift all ships. 

Board service
As mentioned above, the boardroom is at the core of the challenge.  Companies know they need to develop and ready their female leaders for corporate Board service, and should use those same resources to inject needed diversity and talent into the nonprofit sector.  As high performing employees are placed in rotational and training programs, nonprofit board service should be lifted up as a potential outlet for these emerging leaders.  Nonprofit boards need talented, creative and passionate leadership and corporate employees are increasingly searching for a way to inject purpose into their day jobs.  While this holds true for all employees, nonprofit board service and other skills-based volunteering is a particularly well-designed environment to enhance and build the feminine qualities of leadership, such as influencing, resiliency and creativity.    

Coaching & Training
The nonprofit sector has very limited talent and leadership development capacity, and the need for mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching at the executive level is significant.  Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more companies use direct coaching and training of nonprofit executives as a way to sustain the organizations they support while developing the management acumen of their employees.  There are two ways we’re seeing this manifest:

• The first: Extending the training and through leadership opportunities available to internal employees to the nonprofit CEOs or leaders of the organizations that the company supports.  While not all corporate training programs will be relevant across sectors, most will – particularly those that focus on strategy design, managing people and other core leadership skills. 
• The second: Direct executive coaching programs, which match a company’s leading talent to mentor nonprofit executives.  Executive coaches are the norm in the corporate sector, supporting leaders in navigating decisions and their own career trajectories.  The nonprofit sector’s constrained resources rarely allow for leadership to receive those same benefits, which can mean the difference between an organization chugging along or truly cutting through the fray towards successful program scale.  Pro Bono coaching can help those nonprofit leaders cut through the distractions of every day capacity-constrained decision making and make a sustained impact on the organizations they lead.  At the same time, it pulls corporate senior leaders into a new environment and gives them a fresh and meaningful way to stretch their skills. 

A cross-sector investment in girls
Finally, we need to apply a cross-sector approach to investing in the female leaders of tomorrow.  The private, public and nonprofit sector are all leading initiatives to support girls’ education, particularly in STEM, to ready and diversify the future workforce.  Education and workforce development is one of the largest focus areas of domestic corporate and foundation giving, and one of the largest mission focus of nonprofit direct service.  Still, this multi-sector investment requires more than dollars and hours – but real coordination -- to make it work. 

• Earlier this month, I observed a panel with leaders from a leading foundation and Fortune 100 company focused on bettering education in New England. The corporate panelist – a talent development executive from a large tech firm – took the foundation and education sector to task, demanding that real progress couldn’t be made until they joined forces with the corporate community to support the development of the future STEM workforce. The panelist representing the foundation community fired back, saying the corporate sector needs to be clear about what it’s future workforce needs are – the students they’re working hard to graduate are still struggling to find jobs at large employers. While leaders in the education space are often sitting in the same room, it is often left to the nonprofits and schools to coordinate the complex investments that are made in education – without the resources to do so. The funding community needs to support this coordination with attention and funding for cradle to career efforts that are happening across sector – because while they impact every child, we know that they more significantly impact girls and children of color.

Tweet me:.@CommonImpact has made significant progress over the past decade in highlighting the many challenges that the gender gap poses. On #InternationalWomensDay and beyond, they encourage their partners to take action at their workplace to shrink the divide. http://bit.ly/2FCiaoe

KEYWORDS: Women's Leadership, International Women's Day, Women's History Month, Common Impact, board service, executive coaching, cross-sector solutions, STEM

SOURCE:Merck & Co., Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

KENILWORTH, N.J., March 9, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) named Merck as one of its 2018 NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women. The award recognizes U.S. corporations where women have significant clout to make the decisions that affect their company’s future and its bottom line. The NAFE Top 70 Companies are featured in the April/May issue of Working Mother.

Throughout Merck’s 125-year history, women have helped advance the company’s mission to improve human and animal health while advancing scientific research. We’re committed to developing, promoting and retaining female executives, as one of the ways we support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 focused on gender equality.

Merck promotes and values diversity and inclusion at every level of the organization — starting with the Office of the CEO — and strives for inclusiveness in every aspect of work. Learn more about Global Diversity & Inclusion at Merck in our Corporate Responsibility Report.

About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Tweet me:.@Merck earns place on @_NAFE_ 2018 Top Companies for Executive #Women http://bit.ly/2FnJ3gH #WomeninLeadership #IWD18

KEYWORDS: Merck, 2018 NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women, National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)

SOURCE:GRI

DESCRIPTION:

On the March episode of Beyond Reports, we speak with Amanda Feldman, Director of the Impact Management Project. She talks about the project’s work to create a common understanding of how impacts on people and the planet should be communicated and managed. This ground-breaking work has the potential to help close the gap between the information companies disclose and the information investors want. We will also hear a report from London, as well as a word from our Deputy Chief Executive Teresa Fogelberg, about the role of women and girls in the sustainable development agenda. 

Listen to the previous episodes and subscribe to Beyond Reports on iTunes. 

Tweet me:Investors don't always get the #susty data they need from companies for decision-making. @GRI_Secretariat asked @impmgmt, how corporate reporting should change so that even more #investors could use this information. Listen to the new podcast here: http://bit.ly/2G9EB29

KEYWORDS: GRI

SOURCE:Ceres

DESCRIPTION:

David Lear, vice president of sustainability at Dell Inc., shares his insights on how on how supplier engagement can drive product and sustainability innovation. 

TURNING POINT: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability is a new assessment released by Ceres that examines how more than 600 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. are responding to urgent calls to act on climate change and other sustainability threats, such as water pollution and scarcity, and human rights abuses, and positioning themselves for success in a world shaped by these unprecedented environmental and social challenges.

TURNING POINT takes a closer look at the progress these companies have made against 20 key expectations of sustainability leadership within the areas of governance, disclosure, stakeholder engagement and environmental and social performance as outlined in the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability.

Find out more at www.ceres.org/turningpoint.

Tweet me:WATCH: @Learatdell, VP #Sustainability at @Dell, explains how supply chain engagement helps meet the 2020 sustainability goals in line with the Ceres Roadmap. #TurningPoint ceres.org/turningpoint

KEYWORDS: Turning Point, Dell Inc., sustainability innovation, supplier engagement, CERES

Third-Party audit carried out by SCS Global Services

SOURCE:SCS Global Services

DESCRIPTION:

Lund’s Fisheries is pleased to announce that starting next week at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, the firm will offer Fair Trade CertifiedTM scallops to its customers. The independent certification group Fair Trade USA has granted Lund’s provisional approval to sell scallops using its Fair Trade label. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the first in the United States to be Fair Trade Certified, and Lund’s is the fourth seller to offer Fair Trade Certified scallops. Lund’s was audited by independent third party certifier SCS Global Services earlier this year, and is currently working to complete the process and earn final certification.

“Ethically and sustainably harvested seafood is increasingly demanded by consumers. It is the right thing for the environment, and the right thing for people. Our scallops are at the forefront of that effort, ” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries. 

Click here to continue reading. 

Tweet me:.@SCScertified congratulates Lund’s Fisheries for being approved to offer Fair Trade Certified™ scallops to customers at the #Seafood Expo North America in Boston next week. http://bit.ly/2FuT9Iu

Contact Info:

Nikki Helms
SCS Global Services

KEYWORDS: scs global services, Lund's, seafood, Fair Trade USA

SOURCE:21st Century Fox

DESCRIPTION:

In an effort to combat the discrimination and exclusion that so many young people in the LGBTQ community encounter during their high school years, 20th Century Fox Film has announced a partnership with GLSEN to create two new resources for educators and students to discuss sexual identity, coming out, and harassment. The discussion guide and lesson plan are based on the studio’s new film Love, Simon, a heartfelt coming-of-age story about 17-year-old Simon Spier coming out to his family and friends. The movie arrives in theaters in the U.S. on March 16, and the school resources will be available for free download at GLSEN.org.

“Not only have Greg Berlanti and Fox 2000 brought us a moving story about self-discovery, falling in love, and community, but with this partnership, they’re helping students and educators use this story to ensure every student can be themselves,” said Eliza Byard, GLSEN Executive Director. “Even with the recent visibility on marriage equality and the need to protect trans youth, it’s still rare for LGBTQ youth to see themselves reflected in a Hollywood feature film, much less a love story. Thank you, Greg and Fox, for sharing this story with the world, and for supporting inclusive schools for all.”

Set in a suburban high school, Love, Simon follows Spier’s journey toward embracing his identity, even as he deals with the fear of rejection from those he loves, as well as bullying and harassment at school. Berlanti directed the film as an adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and it stars Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, and Tony Hale. The lesson plan and discussion guides, created by Fox and GLSEN, will be available for free to educators and students across the country.

“When I first read Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker’s script for Love, Simon, I knew I had to make this movie,” Berlanti said. “I identified with Simon’s character, and I hoped we could make a movie that millions of LGBTQ youth could identify with, too. I’m thrilled to know that this partnership with GLSEN will ensure Love, Simon is a resource for creating safe and inclusive schools where every student can live fully and authentically.”

21CF has consistently sought opportunities to use its films and television programming as educational resources where possible. Recently, the company partnered with the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, to create a school discussion guide based on Fox Searchlight’s 2017 film Battle of the Sexes, covering sexual identity and the feminist movement. Fox Home Entertainment partnered with the nonprofit Journeys in Film to create a curriculum guide for Hidden Figures, which tells the story of three African American female mathematicians during the Space Race of the 1960s.

Keep reading at impact.21CF.com. 

Tweet me:Fox partners with @GLSEN to create free #LGBTQ school discussion guide based on @lovesimonmovie: http://bit.ly/2ttAHhP @21CF_Impact

KEYWORDS: 21st century fox, fox, 20th century fox, Schools, love simon, glsen, BATTLE OF THE SEXES, Sports, STEM, HIDDEN FIGURES, curriculum

More than 20,000 local businesses participate in the St. Patrick's Day-themed tradition to support treatments and cures for families affected by neuromuscular disease

SOURCE:Albertsons Companies

DESCRIPTION:

More than 20,000 retailers nationwide have rallied together to raise funds to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) improve the lives of kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related life-threatening diseases that severely weaken muscle strength and mobility by participating in the 36th annual MDA Shamrocks program — the nation's largest St. Patrick's Day fundraising program of its kind.

Thousands of retailers across the country including CITGO Petroleum Corporation Marketers nationwide, Kroger, Bojangles Fried Chicken, Shaw's Supermarkets, Albertsons, Applebee's, Burger King, Fareway, Hardee's, KFC, Kroger, Little Caesars and Price Chopper, have kicked off their Shamrocks campaigns for 2018 that will raise critical funds through the end of March.

Continue reading here.

Learn more about Albertsons Companies and it's Foundation's philanthropic activities in the recent Community Impact Report here.

Tweet me:.@Albertsons participates in @MDAnews St.Patrick's Day fundraising campaign to improve lives of kids and adults with muscular dystrophy #MDAShamrocks http://bit.ly/2IhUioG

KEYWORDS: Albertsons Companies, muscular dystrophy, Neuromuscular Disease

SOURCE:PYXERA Global

DESCRIPTION:

PYXERA Global facilitates Global Pro Bono programs that empower women with tools and resources so they can overcome barriers and participate fully in society. Women’s empowerment is a process that seeks to bridge the inequalities between men and women—strengthening women’s ability to make choices about their own lives. Women and girls are critical to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and PYXERA Global’s goal of improving lives and livelihoods. Investing in women and girls leads to increased productivity, re-investment in families, reduced hunger, improved health, strengthened economies, and more sustainable nations.

Read more 

Tweet me:Investing in women and girls leads to increased productivity, re-investment in families, reduced hunger, improved health, strengthened economies, and more sustainable nations. Read more: http://bit.ly/2HgrEmt #PressForProgress #IWD2018 @PYXERAGlobal

KEYWORDS: Gender Equality, global pro bono, SDGs, csr, Corporate Social Responsibility, PYXERA Global

SOURCE:Las Vegas Sands

DESCRIPTION:

Las Vegas Sands remains committed to its 50,000 Team Members worldwide, from Las Vegas to Macao and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Singapore.  The company provides Team Members with an outstanding work environment, strong benefits, a dedication to diversity, and extensive training and other opportunities to advance and thrive in the hospitality industry.  The company, its subsidiaries and affiliates adhere to an equal employment opportunity policy for all current and future Team Members, without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, sex, handicap, veteran’s status or status within any other protected group. 

In honor of International Women’s Day, Las Vegas Sands has chosen to highlight female Team Members in all of the regions in which we operate that have initiated change in their communities and the workplace.  The company supports all its Team Members in their efforts to make their departments better and their efforts in volunteering in the community

Myrna Fields, Executive Housekeeper

Myra implemented the first bi-annual Prom Dress Collection at Sands Bethlehem benefiting the YWCA of Bethlehem.  The property promoted the event to Team Members to donate old prom dresses, cocktail dresses, and bridesmaid’s dresses to the organization.  Racks were placed at all Team Member Entrances to hang up their donations, as well as laundry bins to collect shoes, handbags and various accessories.  Through this event, over 500 dresses were donated.  Sands Bethlehem then delivered the donations to the YWCA a month before their annual event, which is held in March to help girls in the Lehigh Valley make their Prom night memorable.  Each girl pays $10 to enter the venue, try on up to 10 dresses and at the end of the day, each girl goes home with 2 dresses, a handbag and shoes to complement the dresses.

Penny Ditri, Manager Wardrobe

Penny developed the Tote Bag Program, taking old vinyl banners used throughout Sands Bethlehem and repurposed them into re-usable tote bags which are used by our Public Area Department (PAD).  These bags allowed for PAD to save over 20,000 single use plastic bags this year alone.  The tote bags are washable, sturdy and the Wardrobe Team can turn one banner into 4 to 5 tote bags in just about one hour.  Not only are the bags eco-friendly, but there is no cost and they are visually appealing on the PAD carts. 

Tweet me:In honor of #InternationalWomenDay @LasVegasSands recognizes female Team Members making a difference in their workplace and communities http://bit.ly/2p1qDqV @Sands_Bethlehem

KEYWORDS: Las Vegas Sands, Sands Bethlehem, International Women's Day, YWCA of Bethlehem

SOURCE:Keep America Beautiful

DESCRIPTION:

Keep Indian River Beautiful partnered with 25 volunteers from Key Club and Kiwanis to help create a beautiful sanctuary for The Arc, an Indian County, Florida, agency that has been improving the lives of individuals with special needs and their families for more than 40 years.

Keep Indian River Beautiful, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate in Vero Beach, Florida,and their volunteers helped create a beautiful sanctuary for disabled citizens at their permanent living facility.

All efforts were supported by a Keep America Beautiful/Lowe's Community Partners Grant.

Continue reading here.

Tweet me:#FF @kabtweet Affiliate Stories: #KeepIndianRiverBeautiful partners with Vero Beach #volunteers to create a garden sanctuary for residents of The Arc, which serves people with special needs. #DoSomethingBeautiful http://bit.ly/2FwWt5J

Contact Info:

Mike Rosen
Keep America Beautiful
+1 (203) 659-3008
mrosen@kab.org
http://www.twitter.com/kabtweet
http://www.facebook.com/keepamericabeautiful
http://www.instagram.com/keepamericabeautiful
http://www.youtube.com/kabnetwork

Larry Kaufman
Keep America Beautiful
+1 (203) 659-3014
lkaufman@kab.org

KEYWORDS: Keep America Beautiful, Keep Indian River Beautiful, Lowe's Community Partners Grant, Lowe's

SOURCE:Smithfield Foods

DESCRIPTION:

During this past week, Smithfield Foods furthered its commitment to the communities in which it operates through two educational initiatives, one through employee volunteerism in Georgia as well as a cash donation in Ohio.

2018 West Regional Georgia Envirothon Competition - Cumming, Georgia

Smithfield Foods announced its Cumming, Georgia facility’s participation in the National Conservation Foundation’s (NCF) 2018 West Regional Georgia Envirothon Competition, where approximately 50 high school students competed to demonstrate their knowledge and environmental problem-solving skills.

Area Smithfield employees donated their time and expertise to the program, serving as volunteer advisors to lead training sessions, facilitate program curriculum, and coordinate activities.

“We are so proud of all the outstanding work our participants delivered during this year’s regional competition,” said Cindy Haygood, West region coordinator for Georgia Envirothon. “Smithfield is a known leader in sustainability. The guidance from Smithfield volunteers was a tremendous support to our students, who are striving to better understand, promote and protect our environment.”

The 2018 NCF Envirothon West Georgia Regional competition was part of an environmental education program and competition that attracts more than 50,000 high school students across the U.S. and Canada. Participating students completed hands-on and in-class activities to demonstrate knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and current environmental issues. Winners at the regional level progress to the 2018 state-wide competition, which will take place March 27.

Smithfield and its employees will continue to offer financial and volunteer support at ongoing Envirothon regional and state level competitions taking place near the company’s locations nationwide, leading into the program’s finale championship this July in Pocatello, Idaho.

Back2Back - Kings Mills, Ohio

Smithfield Foods also this week announced a $3,000 donation to Kings High School in Kings Mills, Ohio. This donation funded student participation in an overseas educational program hosted by Back2Back, an organization dedicated to the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing holistic aid to help youth break free from the cycle of generational poverty.

Alongside Back2Back staff, nearly 60 Kings High School students visited orphanages and participated in community improvement projects during their educational mission in Monterrey City, Nuevo León, Mexico. The trip provided a culturally immersive experience – something not possible in the classroom alone – and helped students gain a global and long-term perspective on socioeconomic issues.  

For more information about Smithfield’s charitable efforts, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com/key-outreach-efforts/smithfield-foundation.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Nathan's Famous^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, Farmer John^®, Kretschmar^®, John Morrell^®, Cook's^®, Gwaltney^®, Carando^®, Margherita^®, Curly's^®, Healthy Ones^®, Morliny^®, Krakus^® and Berlinki^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

Tweet me:.@SmithfieldFoods furthers its support of #education in communities across the US http://bit.ly/2oYdsrD

KEYWORDS: Smithfield Foods, Back2Back, National Conservation Foundation, 2018 West Regional Georgia Envirothon Competition, NCF, Envirothon

SOURCE:American Express

DESCRIPTION:

Do you believe that corporate social responsibility is important to your company, but that it’s someone else’s problem?

A recent Harvard Business Review article entitled “How to Make Sustainability Every Employee’s Responsibility” posits that question (albeit substituting “sustainability” for “corporate social responsibility”) and suggests that while many companies talk about sustainability and integration, it’s much harder to get people to act individually to achieve these corporate goals.

Author CB Bhattacharya attributes this syndrome of thinking that an issue is someone else’s problem as one of ownership.  He suggests that ownership refers to feelings of connection that we develop toward an appealing object such as a company or idea, and that feelings of organizational ownership can lead to greater job satisfaction, engagement, productivity and profits for employees and stakeholders.  He asserts that companies can gain competitive advantage by transforming their stakeholders from bystanders into owners by making sustainability – or social good – part of their purpose by using a framework with three phases: incubate, launch and entrench.

The incubation phase outlines your CSR approach by reflecting on the purpose of your business and its specific role in the world, and then creating a list of material issues across your value chain.  This kind of materiality assessment can identify opportunities for stakeholders to take ownership of your goals and to drive action across the organization in ways that are important to your business. 

The launch phase entails introducing your plan to stakeholders and setting the idea of ownership in action.  To sell it to employees and other stakeholders, the author asserts, sometimes you have to appeal to the head (e.g., monetary incentives, cost savings, career advancement) and sometimes to the heart (e.g., making a difference, helping society), and often to both.

The entrenchment phase works to make these feelings of ownership routine – something that people just do rather than something they are expected to do.  Here, having measures of success and providing ongoing feedback helps to integrate these actions into the daily routine of stakeholders. 

For example, a goal of reducing a firm’s carbon footprint can be identified first as an important purpose for the business, and then that goal can be subdivided into specific objectives pertaining to electricity use in buildings, employee travel, and even waste management, which have both positive monetary impact (e.g., cost savings) as well as societal benefit (e.g., taking poisonous carbon out of the atmosphere).  Demonstrating how individual and teams of employees and stakeholders can have an impact on the overall carbon footprint with their actions can drive personal ownership and impact at all levels of the organization.

Likewise, engaging employees and customers in community service shouldn’t just be the province of the CSR office; it can be and should be a corporate wide responsibility with many owners and players.  While the CSR office can be instrumental at setting a firm-wide goal, establishing measures of success and launching volunteer programs, the more employees and their friends and family members take ownership and entrench volunteerism and community service into their daily routines, the more integrated it will be for the firm, and the more success the company will have at making community service part of the corporate culture. 

If you have a question or comment, please follow me on Twitter at @timmcclimon and start a conversation there. Thanks for reading and sharing this blog posting with friends and colleagues.  

Tweet me:Making CSR everyone's responsibility - the individual and the organization - in this week's #CSR Now! http://amex.co/csrnow

Contact Info:

Jocelyn Seidenfeld
American Express
+1 (212) 640-0555
jocelyn.f.seidenfeld@aexp.com

KEYWORDS: American Express

SOURCE:Cone Communications

DESCRIPTION:

As International Women’s Day (IWD) continues to grow in momentum year over year, so too does company involvement. While in the past, many campaigns were short-lived or focused on more narrow issues like self-esteem and confidence, the conversation – and resulting programs – are shifting. Over the past year, movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp have evolved the dialogue, prompting brands to take on weightier elements of women’s rights. This year’s #PressForChange theme encouraged brands to forgo flashy campaigns and instead focus on creating programs that can make a lasting impact. As company involvement continues to increase, we’re sharing the efforts that pushed for lasting progress, those that played it safe and some which missed the meaning of the movement:

Pushing the boundaries: BBC, Marie Claire and BrewDog all spoke up for equality in the workplace. To highlight the disparity in pay, BBC’s female staff stopped working at 4:22PM, the time when they stop getting paid compared to male colleagues. BrewDog also addressed the issue of pay inequality by launching a “new” Pink IPA, a spin-off of its famous Punk IPA. They charged women 20 percent less for the beer, donating 20 percent of the proceeds to causes that support equal pay. Marie Claire advocated for genuine equality in the workplace for women from all backgrounds by launching a new campaign in partnership with illustrator Laura Quick. The ​#NotMyJob campaign called on the magazine’s audience to share their experiences, which were turned into a series of pictures that “flip the finger” on harassment. In addition to the illustrations, the magazine partnered with a law firm to provide legal advice to its readers who have experienced discrimination.

Missing the meaning of progress: McDonald’s and MTV both altered their logos for the day, turning the Ms upside-down to represent Ws. Consumers were quick to point out the lack of authenticity in both efforts. McDonald’s was criticized for failing to pay its workers a meaningful wage – causing some of its women workers to face poverty and homelessness. Rather than making changes to its logo, Mattel re-designed its iconic Barbie, creating a range of dolls inspired by women who are good role models. While all the dolls offered a range of strong women to look up to, the dolls were all thin – missing the mark on body inclusivity and true diversity of women. 

To continue reading, please click here.

Tweet me:The Evolution of International Women’s Day as Brands #PressForChange http://bit.ly/2tt6mjo

KEYWORDS: IWD, #PressForChange, International Women's Day 2018, Cone Communications

SOURCE:Caelus Consulting

DESCRIPTION:

WYNCOTE, Pa., March 13, 2018 / 3BL Media / -  Environmental and Engineering Solutions, Inc. (EES) announced today that it is expanding its service offerings to include the CurrentState™ Sustainability Audit. EES currently offers sustainable facilities management with environmental, health, and safety consulting. The addition of the audit will deepen their ability to address the strategic sustainability performance of clients.

EES is an environmental consulting firm based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. EES was founded over twenty years ago and has worked primarily with manufacturers, hospitals, and universities on sustainability and environmental, health, and safety regulatory compliance projects. EES provides clients with comprehensive project support from the beginning stages of data collection through project implementation and follow-up. 

Tom Petersen, P.E., is the president of EES. Mr. Petersen has over 37 years of experience serving a diverse mix of clients, including several that have relied on his firm’s consulting and engineering services for nearly 20 years. For example, Johnson Controls has relied on Mr. Petersen and EES since the late 90’s to help ensure environmental compliance at their chiller manufacturing operations in York, Pennsylvania.

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with Caelus Consulting," says Tom Petersen. “Their robust audit will help our clients hone in on specific areas of sustainability they can improve on, such as carbon reporting, ISO 14,000 Environmental Management, or Indoor Air Quality. EES will then act as a guide in executing these initiatives and accompany clients on their unique sustainability journey.” Speaking about Caelus specifically, "We found that their audit was the most comprehensive in the field right now, with over 1500 best practices, and we couldn't wait to provide this new opportunity to our clients.

CurrentState™ Sustainability Audit

The CurrentState™ Sustainability Audit is a powerful sustainability management tool. Developed by Caelus Consulting, CurrentState™ uses a best practice database that contains over 1500 practices that cover 28 different sustainability business categories.  It also contains practices from many of the leading sustainability reporting standards, such as CDP, LEED and the GRI. The tool scores performance across all the business categories of an entire organization and provides specific tasks to improve performance in these areas.

“The Findings Report generated by CurrentState™ is meant to be used as a ‘sustainability improvement implementation plan’, says Anthony Gilbreath, Principal at Caelus Consulting. “The report is broken down by category and lists every practice that should be addressed as well as every practice that an organization is doing well. With this information in hand, a company can make dramatic performance improvements in the shortest period of time and at the lowest cost.”

Implementing the Audit Results

The first step for many organizations in sustainability improvements is to conduct an audit on inventory policies, procedures, and practices in comparison to industry best practices. Once the audit results have been delivered, EES will work with their clients to determine the best way to integrate the audit recommendations into their sustainability program. The implementation plan will depend on the client’s current sustainability performance, future objectives and overall vision. Once these have been determined, EES will help with resource management, prioritization of tasks and the implementation of important initiatives.

“We are very excited to begin cooperation with EES. Not only do they have a proven track record in environmental consulting, but they also have the experience and expertise to implement the recommendations of the audit. This will be a huge benefit to their clients,” says Mr. Gilbreath.

Additional information can be found at http://www.eesolutions.net/services/sustainability-consulting/.

_________________________________

Environmental and Engineering Solutions, Inc. (EES)

EES is an environmental consulting firm based in Pennsylvania. EES was founded over twenty years ago and has worked primarily with manufacturers, hospitals and universities on environmental, health and safety (EHS) regulatory compliance projects. EES provides service in the following areas: air quality, health & safety, environmental consulting, environmental engineering and sustainability consulting.

Contact Information:

Tom Petersen, P.E.

Email: tom@eesolutions.net

Website: http://www.eesolutions.net

Twitter: @EESolutionsNET and @EnviroTom__________________________________

Caelus Sustainability Consulting (Caelus)

Caelus is a sustainability consulting firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Caelus offers an extensive range of sustainability consulting services which includes the CurrentState™ Sustainability Audit, online training as well as sustainability reporting services. Caelus also manages the CaelusGreenRoom.com sustainability blog.

Contact Information:
Anthony Gilbreath – Principal

Email: tgilbreath@caelusconsulting.com

CurrentState™ Product Site: http://www.currentstate-online.com

Twitter: @caelusconsult, @caelusgreenroom

Tweet me:Environmental and Engineering Solutions is expanding its sustainability consulting services with Caelus Consulting http://bit.ly/2IkZcBp @EESolutionsNet @EnviroTom @currentstate_tm #sustainability #green #csr

KEYWORDS: sustainability, Green, csr, Audit, Business, facilities management, Environmental Consulting, health consulting, safety consulting, corporate and social responsibility, Caelus Sustainability Consulting

SOURCE:Domtar

DESCRIPTION:

As global supply chains continue to grow in complexity, it’s getting harder for consumers to know where the products they use every day actually come from, much less the deeper details associated with their manufacture.  Domtar’s supply chain transparency tool, The Paper Trail^®, presents the environmental, social and economic impacts of its pulp and paper products, providing customer the transparency they deserve.

Learn more about this award-winning tool with this infographic.

Tweet me:.@DomtarEveryday's The Paper Trail meets evolving customer needs for #transparency of their pulp and paper products [Infograhpic] http://bit.ly/2I9GegQ

KEYWORDS: Domtar

SOURCE:Ray C. Anderson Foundation

SUMMARY:

I want to ask the exact same question of all of us, whether a gameshow contestant or just a normal person – why do so many people want a car?

DESCRIPTION:

For anyone reading out there, and I’m serious about this, I want to know if you have the same childhood memory. I mean, I can’t be the only one. So please, sound off in the comments if this rings a bell or two.

Remember sick days during middle school? Legit sick days that is, not the Ferris Bueller variety. Those days when your parents told you to stay in bed and that it was okay to watch as much television as you wanted. You’d crawl back under the covers, get another couple hours of sleep, and then wake up with a cough and a strong desire to do nothing but veg.

Then click - television goes on and you start browsing. Click…..soap opera…..click…..endless repeat of infomercials…..click…..more soap operas…..click…..The Price is Right.

Jackpot.

It’s the only time I ever watched the show. Bob Barker and his skinny microphone graced the television on weekday mornings exclusively, and my summers were way too busy to involve any TPIR. Those sick days were gloriously filled with minigames and $1 bids. So am I right? Anyone else have that memory?

I’m pretty sure that every show had the same moment. The rules of the minigame are described to the contestant (which I’m sure they already know by heart), and then it’s time for the big reveal – what prize they could win. They hold their breath, cross their fingers, and hope they are the contestant that hears, “A NEW CAR!”

I find that moment odd. Why do so many people want a car? You have zero input on what make, model and color it will be. You have to pay taxes on the fair market value of it, and the show doesn’t give you any money to allay those taxes. You might not even need a car, so then you have to go to the effort of selling it just to get something valuable. I’d prefer the straight cash, homey.

All of that was my elaborate intro to ask the exact same question of all of us, whether a gameshow contestant or just a normal person – why do so many people want a car?

Don’t get me wrong, I can make the case for it (plus, my wife and I are owners of a car, so apologies for being somewhat hypocritical). Owning a car grants freedom. An automobile lets a person go where they want, whenever they want. For many people, driving is pleasurable. Cars can also be a meaningful status symbol (that one doesn’t matter to me at all, but I get that it does for some).

Now here is the laundry list of reasons not to own a car – car taxes, car insurance, fuel costs, maintenance costs, the time it takes to get your car serviced, the hassle of dealing with parking, the space it takes up in your garage, how hot or cold your car can get if you don’t have a garage, speeding tickets, the movies/books/work you can’t watch/read/do while your hands are on the wheel, and the fear that Ferris Bueller will steal your car for a gleeful day of joyriding.

When it comes down to it, most of us really just want that freedom of mobility that cars provide. And in this modern world, we can get that freedom through alternative means, from public transit to biking to ridesharing. In other words, many of us don’t care about the car itself, but rather the service that it provides. That’s an idea I plan to explore in greater depth next week. Cheers!

Tweet me:Why do so many people want a car? #Ecocentricity http://www.raycandersonfoundation.org/articles/come-on-down @johnalanierRCAF @langfordphill @harriettheray @TheRayHighway

Contact Info:

Valerie Bennett
Ray C. Anderson Foundation
+1 (770) 317-5858
valerie@raycandersonfoundation.org

KEYWORDS: John A. Lanier, Ray C. Anderson Foundation, sustainable transportation, Ecocentricity

NBCUniversal was awarded the most Environmental Media Award (EMA) Green Seals of any other producing studio.

SOURCE:Comcast Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

NBCUniversal kept its lead in sustainable production by being awarded the most Environmental Media Award (EMA) Green Seals of any other producing studio.

Twenty-three NBCU television and feature film productions received an EMA Green Seal, and twelve productions were awarded an EMA Gold Seal, which is a new higher tier that recognizes the top performing sustainable productions. The following TV and films were recognized: 

• Universal Pictures: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom* and Pitch Perfect 3
• Focus Features: Darkest Hour, The Beguiled, and Victoria & Abdul
• Universal Television: Bates Motel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine*, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice*, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D.*, Gone, Great News, Grimm*, Gypsy, Law & Order: SVU, Marlon, Master of None*, Midnight Texas, Pure Genius, Shades of Blue*, Superstore, The Bold Type, The Good Place, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*
• Universal Cable Productions: 12 Monkeys*, Channel Zero: No End House, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce*, Mr. Robot*, Playing House, Psych: The Movie, Suits, The Arrangement, The Magicians*, and The Sinner

*EMA Gold Seal winner

Click here to read more about NBCUniversal's sustainability efforts.

Tweet me:.@NBCUniversal leads #sustainable production at the 2017 EMA Awards http://bit.ly/2Gjnefl @green4EMA

KEYWORDS: nbcuniversal, Environmental Media Award Green Seals, EMA

Collaboration With UMass Lowell Seeks to Create Greater Demand for Recycled Product Through Better Understanding of Material Properties and End Market Uses

SOURCE:Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council

DESCRIPTION:

March 13, 2018 /3BL Media/ - The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council(HPRC) announced today the start of a project that will determine viable strategies for recycling multi-material flexible plastic packaging currently being discarded as hospital waste. Working with researchers at the Plastics Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), the project will test whether commercially available compatibilizers improve blend properties when compounded with these multi-material flexible plastics. Additionally, through these blending trials and material analysis, the project aims to identify potential end market applications for the recycled product.

“Based on our research and data, up to 60% of plastic waste generated by healthcare facilities is flexible material,” says Chris Rogers, Project Manager for HPRC. “The challenge with healthcare flexibles is that they are often composed of multi-material laminates which are unrecyclable when using common recycling technologies. Through this project, we hope to shed some light on the physical properties these materials will have when processed with different types of compatibilizers applied in varying concentrations. By better understanding these properties, recyclers can better determine potential opportunities to compound these materials with other products for resale markets and therefore better understand their value.”

Collection of flexible plastic materials, including sterilization wrap, Tyvek® and film packaging, begins this week at participating hospitals including Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus; Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Cedar Crest, Muhlenberg, and 17^th Street Hospitals; and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. The goal is to collect and ship 2,000 pounds of material to EREMA, a manufacturer of plastic recycling equipment, where it will undergo initial processing at their Ipswich, MA facility. Afterwards, the material will be delivered to UMass Lowell where the compatibilizers will be added to the materials prior to extrusion and injection molding.  Following this the materials will undergo testing and analysis with project results anticipated by mid-summer 2018.

“We are excited to collaborate with HPRC on this challenging recycling problem,” says Margaret J Sobkowicz, Associate Professor, Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell. “The volume of discarded healthcare plastics is huge and the ability to recycle this material would reduce the landfill burden while preserving the value of these highly engineered products. The students participating in this research will not only learn hands-on processing skills, but they will also gain appreciation for the importance of sustainability in the plastics industry.”

The project is being funded by HPRC members: Baxter, BD, DuPont, Eastman, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, with additional funding provided by the Flexible Packaging Association.

“Our end goal here is to help establish a methodology recyclers can use to process these flexible materials into recycled products and keep them out of landfills,” concludes Rogers.

This project is an extension and scale up of a previous HPRC project conducted with Penn State University.

About Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of brand leading and globally recognized members including Baxter, BD, Cardinal Health, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, Medtronic, and Ravago Recycling Group. Founded in 2010, HPRC engages in pioneering projects designed to help boost plastics recycling efforts while also exploring ways to enhance the economics, efficiency, and ultimately the quality and quantity of healthcare plastics collected for recycling. For more information, visit www.hprc.org.

About UMass Lowell

The UMass Lowell Plastics Engineering Department is an internationally recognized leader in plastics engineering education. Founded in 1954, they offer the only ABET accredited Plastics Engineering program in the U.S. More than 3,000 graduates are working in the plastics industry in leadership positions worldwide. Our programs combine hands-on laboratory experiences relevant to the industry with the fundamental theory in mathematics, science and engineering. Students are exposed to all of the major plastics manufacturing, design and testing technologies and the department has 20,000 square-feet of dedicated laboratory space, that has recently been renovated. For more information, visit www.uml.edu/Engineering/Plastics.

Tweet me:Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council Begins Mixed Flexibles Recyclability Assessment http://bit.ly/2FBVb9A

Contact Info:

katie.nordenson@anteagroup.com

KEYWORDS: plastics recycling, plastic hospital waste, medical plastic, healthcare plastic, Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council