by Drs. Stephanie Timm and Whitney Austin Gray

SOURCE:International WELL Building Institute

DESCRIPTION:

Almost half of all U.S. adults suffer from one or more chronic health condition that has the potential to be prevented through changes in behavior and environment.¹

Architects affect health

In the U.S., human health is largely determined by five key factors: social/economic environment, physical environment, behavior, genetics and access to healthcare.^2,3 Although access to healthcare is often considered one of the smallest health determinants,³ a disproportionate 86% of our national health spending is directed toward treating chronic diseases that are generally preventable.⁴

New efforts to re-prioritize healthcare spending focus on changes in our environment and behavior. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that “approaches that change the environment reach more people, are more cost efficient and are more likely to have a lasting effect on population health.”5 Heart disease (the leading cause of death in the United States), for example, may be prevented through physical activity, which can be supported by active furnishings (such as treadmill desks) and interior/exterior design that promotes walking and stair use (such as aesthetically pleasing staircases).^6–9

In short, architects play a critical role in the future of public health. The key question therefore is, are architects prepared for this responsibility?

Preparing to design for health

The building industry is by no means blind to the rapidly growing need and desire for healthy design. Deloitte’s 2017 Innovations Report, for instance, highlights occupant health and well-being as one of the top five emerging themes in commercial real estate.10 Demand for building professionals with the knowledge and expertise to design for health is therefore likely to grow rapidly over the next decade.

New resources and certifications are emerging to help building professionals learn more about the intersection of health and building design. For instance, over 2,100 people in more than 50 countries have earned the International WELL Building Institute’s WELL Accredited Professional (AP) credential. This credential – obtained through a rigorous examination administered by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) – signifies knowledge in human health and well-being and the built environment, as well as a specialization in the WELL Building Standard.

Mara Baum from HOK found that gaining the WELL AP credential has been crucial for distinguishing her as a leader in this emerging field. “I’ve been engaged in design for health and well-being for many years, but until the advent of the WELL AP credential, there was no clear and easy way to convey this focus. The WELL AP sends the message to my clients and colleagues that I am trained to implement WELL on our projects.”

Human Resources professionals are emerging as key allies

Architects have long been aware that their knowledge and ability to design well are not always sufficient to reach peak building performance. Most building elements are dynamic and contingent upon a host of variables that change over time, which require an integrated approach to design and operations. Even the best designed office gyms, for example, may lie dormant without campaigns to promote active engagement of the management and the workforce.

Just as facility managers emerged as crucial players in maintaining building energy efficiency goals, it is becoming apparent that a new professional must champion long-term maintenance of healthy building goals.

In commercial and industrial buildings, HR professionals are emerging as key allies for architects to work with in healthy design. The Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark’s (GRESB) 2016 Health and Well-being survey found that 40% of the companies who have delegated health responsibility to someone other than their sustainability manager have chosen someone from HR, thus indicating a potential new emphasis for HR professionals.¹¹

The efficacy of healthy design will likely depend upon how well architects prepare for, and how well they collaborate and strategize with those helping to facilitate everyday design performance. Lida Lewis, Director of Well-being Design for HKS, agrees, saying “The WELL system moves beyond build-out to forging a stronger, longer term relationship with our clients into operations. We’re very interested in having HR at the design table, and they will find strong allies for their own goals, and new tools to help achieve them, with those who hold a WELL AP credential.”

Architects can learn more about the WELL Building Standard at www.wellcertified.com and learn more about becoming a WELL AP at www.wellcertified.com/well-ap.

References:

¹ Ward BW, Schiller JS, Goodman RA. Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults: A 2012 Update. Prev Chronic Dis. 2014;11:130389. doi:10.5888/pcd11.130389.

² Health Affairs. Health Policy Brief: The Relative Contribution of Multiple Determinants to Health Outcomes. 2014. doi:10.1377/hpb2014.17.

³ Booske BC, Athens JK, Kindig DA, Park H, Remington PL. Different Perspectives for Assigning Weights to Determinants of Health.; 2010. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/sites/default/files/differentPerspectivesForAssigningWeightsToDeterminantsOfHealth.pdf.

⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/. Published 2016.

⁵ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Four Domains of Chronic Disease Prevention.; 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/four-domains-factsheet-2015.pdf.

⁶ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Prevention With Healthy Living Habits. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/healthy_living.htm. Published 2015. Accessed March 2, 2017.

⁷ National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2015 with Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Hyattsville; 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf. Accessed January 30, 2017.

⁸ Boutelle KN, Jeffery RW, Murray DM, Schmitz MK. Using signs, artwork, and music to promote stair use in a public building. Am J Public Health. 2001;91(12):2004-2006. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11726383. Accessed April 5, 2017.

⁹ MacEwen BT, MacDonald DJ, Burr JF. A systematic review of standing and treadmill desks in the workplace. Prev Med (Baltim). 2015;70:50-58. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.11.011.

¹⁰ Deloitte. Innovations in Commercial Real Estate | Preparing for the City of the Future.; 2016. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/real-estate/articles/commercial-real-estate-industry-outlook.html. Accessed December 8, 2016.

¹¹ GRESB Real Estate. Health and Well-Being Module.; 2016. https://www.gresb.com/realestate2015/health_well-being_module.

Tweet me:This #IWBI article says the new role of the 21st century Architect and Designer is: Health Professional http://bit.ly/2EDFk9j #builtenvironment #realestate #greenbuilding @WELLcertified #WELLBuildingStandard

KEYWORDS: International Well Building Institute (IWBI), Real Estate

SOURCE:General Motors

DESCRIPTION:

Energy efficiency is a key part of General Motors’ strategy for a future with zero emissions. Last week, the automaker received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the seventh consecutive year for its continuous leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency and growing its corporate energy program. The award is the highest honor an organization can receive from the EPA for energy management.

Over the years, the automaker has taken a holistic approach in integrating energy efficiency across its value chain and scaling its energy progress. Since 2010, General Motors has reduced its energy intensity by 17 percent, generating $135 million in cost savings – the equivalent to the sales of 143,000 vehicles. Some of the innovative ways it has implemented change include:

• Benchmarking – Using data and a variety of industry tools, including the ENERGY STAR® building portfolio manager, the automaker regularly benchmarks its success while looking for areas for continuous improvement. Each month, it receives an automated analysis of building scores to evaluate the facilities’ performance, focusing on improvement efforts based on scores in categories of low cost.
• External stakeholder engagement – Industry engagement has been a key way the company drives change beyond its manufacturing walls. In addition to participating in case studies, webinars and industry collaborations to share best practices, the automaker published the “Accelerating and Scaling Corporate Renewable Energy,” an energy efficiency blueprint that maps their ways to reach bold clean targets. It also supports enhancement of energy performance across the motor vehicle industry by engaging in the development of new ENERGY STAR® plant energy performance indicators for engine and transmission plants.
• Global employee engagement – Internal change would not be possible without the hard work and support from General Motors’ dedicated employees worldwide. For the past 11 years, the automaker has conducted “energy treasure hunts” across its global manufacturing plants in more than 20 countries, using recent ENERGY STAR® guidelines to uncover new energy opportunities. Recently in India and Thailand, a designated team completed energy treasure hunts, where they it identified 43 new energy reduction opportunities ranging from LED conversions, improved ventilation and manual shut-off lights during non-production hours to reducing the boiler hot water supply from 7:00 a.m. to midnight to save energy. As a result of this process and integration of energy into their business plan, 131 facilities have achieved the ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry as of 2017, which recognizes plants that have achieved a 10 percent reduction in energy intensity within five years.
• Supplier engagement – General Motors engages suppliers at every stage to drive impact across the entire supply chain. Suppliers are encouraged and empowered to identify areas or ways processes can be improved for energy efficiencies.
• Investing in new energy projects – The company has also invested significant resources to developing new best practices, including spending $22 million in 2017 on energy efficiency projects throughout North American facilities. Updating existing facilities has also yielded cost and energy savings, such as retrofitting paint shops with technology updates and improving water treatment equipment for increased water and energy efficiency.   

General Motors is committed to reducing energy and carbon intensity by 20 percent by 2020 from the 2010 baseline. For more information on General Motors’ renewable energy blueprint, click here.

Tweet me:.@GM named an @ENERGYSTAR Partner of the Year- Sustained Excellence Award winner for the 7th year in row! Learn how they're driving to zero emissions https://bit.ly/2qqDcwD

KEYWORDS: GM, General Motors, EPA, Energy Star, energy effiiciency, NYSE:GM

Global outdoor lifestyle brand highlights performance across key CSR pillars

SOURCE:Timberland

DESCRIPTION:

STRATHAM, N.H., April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland today releases its 2017 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, showing steady progress toward its 2020 goals, which fall into three core pillars: make products responsibly; protect and enhance the outdoors; and serve communities. The results further demonstrate the company’s longstanding commitment to innovate and operate in a responsible manner.  

“We’re proud to celebrate the progress we’ve made in the past year, especially our efforts to incorporate more sustainable cotton in our apparel,” said Colleen Vien, director of sustainability for Timberland. “But at Timberland we have a commitment to sustainability and responsibility that goes well beyond the products we make. That’s what makes us Earthkeepers. In our view, responsibility also means protecting and enhancing the outdoors, and the communities around the world where we live, work and explore.”

Highlights of Timberland’s progress and opportunities in 2017 include:

PRODUCT:

• Timberland set a goal to have 100 percent of its apparel cotton come from organic, U.S.-origin or Better Cotton Initiative-certified sources by 2020. The company made great strides in 2017, reaching 81 percent - a 40 percent increase over 2016 (58 percent). To advance this progress, the brand continued its work in Haiti with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) to bring cotton back as an export crop for the country. The SFA harvested its first cotton test crops in 2017 and Timberland has committed to purchase up to one-third of its global cotton supply from the SFA, once there is sufficient volume and subject to achieving price and quality requirements. 
• In 2017, Timberland raised the bar and changed its method of reporting the use of material containing recycled, organic or renewable (ROR) content. From 2011 to 2016, all materials were reported, including those used in minor components such as webbings, trims and labels. To drive focus toward using ROR materials in more significant components of footwear (e.g., uppers, linings, soles), the company is no longer including minor components in its reporting. As such, materials with at least 10 percent ROR content were used in 67 percent of all Timberland^® footwear shipped in 2017. The company remains confident it will reach its 2020 goal for 100 percent of footwear to include at least one significant component containing ROR content, even with these more stringent requirements, and believes this change in reporting will lead to increased overall usage of ROR content across the business.
• Timberland also continued to increase its use of recycled PET, incorporating over 890,232 pounds of recycled PET into its footwear in 2017, or the equivalent of 40 million plastic bottles. This reflects an increase of 3 million plastic bottles over 2016.
• Last year, Timberland set a new commitment to eliminate per-fluorinated compounds (PFCs) completely from durable water repellants (DWR) used in its products by 2020. Timberland has made significant efforts over the past several years to eliminate PFC-based DWR treatments from its top volume waterproof footwear leathers, and is actively seeking non-PFC chemical innovations for its remaining footwear products. Challenges in this effort relate to ensuring that such alternatives can deliver the required performance attributes. For 2017, the company reported that 91 percent of its footwear DWRs were non-PFC. 

COMMUNITY:

• In 2017, Timberland celebrated the 25^th Anniversary of its Path of Service™ employee volunteer program, which provides employees with up to 40 paid community service hours each year. In celebration, Timberland launched a 25 Days of Summer Service Challenge to encourage volunteerism and connect employees with service opportunities that speak to their passions, in addition to its year-round service events and activities.
• Around the world, Timberland employees served 56,033 community service hours in 2017, a seven percent increase over 2016. The company remains committed to create more opportunities and projects to engage employees at all of its location to reach its goal of 80 percent engagement in service (at least one hour served per employee) by 2020.
• Timberland’s manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic led the way with 8,596 service hours -- an increase of 46 percent over 2016. The facility worked to engage new employees in service, and also organized department events so employees of all levels could serve side by side.

OUTDOORS:

• Timberland planted a total of 413,757 trees in 2017, putting the brand at a total of 9,654,820 to date and in a strong position to exceed its goal of 10 million trees by 2020. Though not included in this metric, an additional 800,000 trees were planted in Haiti through the innovative agroforestry model created by Timberland in partnership with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance. The brand has played a crucial role in helping to reforest Haiti, while also creating a brighter future for 3,000+ smallholder farmers. This agroforestry model is now being replicated to bring cotton farming back to Haiti after a 30-year hiatus, while at the same time planting millions more trees.
• Timberland’s commitment to protect and enhance the outdoors includes a focus on creating and restoring urban green spaces in key regions, including the United States and Europe. In the U.S., Timberland has committed to match its retail floor space in five cities over five years, with the creation or restoration of an equivalent amount of green space in that city. In 2017, the initiative’s second year, Timberland transformed a section of an abandoned railway in Philadelphia into a new city green space known as the Rail Park, which will open to the public in Spring 2018. In partnership with the Center City District Foundation, approximately 100 volunteers, including Timberland employees and partners from Journeys, KicksUSA and Urban Outfitters, transformed roughly 25,000 square feet of landscaping at the Rail Park.

About Timberland

Timberland is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of premium footwear, apparel and accessories for the outdoor lifestyle. Best known for its original yellow boot introduced in 1973, Timberland today outfits consumers from toe-to-head, with versatile collections that reflect the brand’s rich heritage of craftsmanship, function and style. Timberland markets lifestyle products under the Timberland^® and Timberland Boot Company^® brands, and industrial footwear and workwear under the Timberland PRO^® brand. Its products are sold throughout the world in leading department and specialty stores as well as company-owned retail locations and online. Timberland’s dedication to making quality products is matched by an unwavering commitment to environmental and social responsibility – to make things better for its products, the outdoors, and communities around the globe. To learn more about Timberland, a brand of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), please visit timberland.com or follow us along the modern trail @timberland.

Tweet me:.@Timberland 2017 CSR Report shows steady progress toward 2020 sustainability goals http://bit.ly/2HwJPWw

Contact Info:

Maggie Benoit
Cone Communications
+1 (617) 939-8329
mbenoit@conecomm.com

KEYWORDS: Timberland, NYSE:VFC

SOURCE:Pfizer

DESCRIPTION:

At Pfizer, we believe that all individuals deserve access to quality healthcare and the opportunity to lead healthy lives. As part of its efforts to support sustainable solutions to improving access to quality healthcare around the world, the Pfizer Foundation provides grant funding and technical support to health-focused entrepreneurs and social enterprises through the Global Health Innovation Grants (GHIG) program.

Started in 2016, the GHIG program has helped growing organizations increase their impact through a variety of initiatives, including training programs for community healthcare workers, technology-based approaches to healthcare and the establishment of new points of care for rural populations. In the first year of the program alone, GHIG support enabled grantees to reach nearly 141,000 new patients.

We’re proud to announce that the Pfizer Foundation has once again awarded GHIG grants to 20 organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This support will enable these organizations to expand their unique approaches to tackling some of today’s most complex healthcare challenges – from addressing health inequities faced by women and children, to advancing innovative healthcare models that target underserved populations. Seventeen organizations in this year’s cohort received GHIG grants last year as well, highlighting the program’s continued impact and the expansion of these ongoing projects.

The Pfizer Foundation’s continued support through GHIG reflects our belief that local innovation is essential to driving solutions needed to achieve a healthier world. Learn more about the GHIG program and hear from some of our past grantees here.

The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. It is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions.

Tweet me:#PfizerFdn announces new grants awarded to 20 entrepreneurs and social enterprises working to improve #globalhealth. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2HfouTz

KEYWORDS: Global Health, impact, Global Health Innovation Grant, Pfizer, Pfizer Foundation

SOURCE:University of Michigan: Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability

DESCRIPTION:

In celebration of Earth Day, The Dow Chemical Company and the Erb Institute of University of Michigan are partnering to host the inaugural Elements of Sustainability Series, a free online education event taking place April 16-20, with webinars posted daily at 3 p.m. ET.

The week-long webinar series will explore the fundamentals of sustainability as seven renowned academics share their expert insights on the leading global challenges shaping the future of business, society and sustainability.

“Our aim is to educate and empower participants to think critically and creatively about sustainability’s role in all aspects of their life, whether it be within their organizations or their homes,” said Erica Ocampo, sustainability strategy manager for Dow Consumer Solutions and organizer of the webinar series. “The more people who actively incorporate sustainable thinking into their everyday lives, the greater chance we have to create long-lasting positive change.”

Webinars will go live at 3 p.m. ET each day and share the presenters’ unique perspectives, experiences and research in sustainability and business:

• April 16: A Brief History of Sustainability and Business Transformation presented by Dr. Sara Soderstrom, University of Michigan and Reducing Environmental Impacts Using Life Cycle Assessment presented by Dr. Jeremiah Johnson, NC State
• April 17: The Follies of Neoliberalism: A Sustainability-Oriented Approach to Business and Society presented by Dr. Tima Bansal, Ivey Business School
• April 18: Climate Change: How to Tackle a Wicked Problem presented by Dr. Daniel Vermeer, Duke University and Consumer Perceptions and Behavior presented by Dr. Kaitlin Raimi, University of Michigan
• April 19: Decision-Making for the Triple-Bottom-Line presented by Dr. Joe Arvai, University of Michigan
• April 20: The Next Phase of Business Sustainability presented by Dr. Andrew Hoffman, University of Michigan

The Erb Institute is the University of Michigan’s sustainability partnership between the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability. Dow’s partnership with the Erb Institute aims to serve as a catalyst for sustainable growth and innovation, demonstrating its mission to join forces with like-minded institutions as part of Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals.

“The webinar series highlights the importance of collaboration between sustainability and business leaders,” said Joe Arvai, director of the Erb Institute and presenter. “This is another important step towards fostering a culture of idea sharing across both communities.”

To register for the Elements of Sustainability Series, read more about the presenters and explore the topics of their webinars, please visit consumer.dow.com/sustainabilityelements.

Tweet me:WEBINARS: @DowChemical and @ErbInstitute will partner to host the inaugural Elements of #Sustainability Series of #webinars from April 16-20 http://myumi.ch/aMNAz #EarthDay

KEYWORDS: dow chemical company, Erb Institute, Sustainable Business, webinars, earth day, sustainability

As many chemists turn to greener options in the lab, they face the challenge of properly evaluating the “greenness” of a chemical or process

SOURCE:MilliporeSigma

DESCRIPTION:

Problem: As many chemists turn to greener options in the lab, they face the challenge of properly evaluating the “greenness” of a chemical or process. The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry— developed by Paul Anastas and John Warner—provide a global framework that helps scientists learn about green chemistry and how to design or improve materials, products, processes, and systems. These complementary principles focus on resource efficiency, energy efficiency, and risk minimization (e.g., human health and environmental), while targeting a life-cycle perspective (e.g., raw materials extraction, chemical production, and end-of-life bioaccumulation and biodegradation). While these principles lay a solid foundation, they are only conceptual and do not provide a quantitative framework for scoring green products or processes.

Keep reading on Lab Manager 

Tweet me:When it comes to making #greener choices in the lab, rely on @MilliporeSigma’s #DOZN. With this #greenchemistry evaluator, chemists can now measure the #greenness of a product or process. Learn more via @LabManager: http://bit.ly/2HfmNFH

KEYWORDS: MilliporeSigma, DOZN, Green Chemistry, 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, green chemistry evaluator, greener products, greener services, Lab Manager

SOURCE:Ingersoll Rand

DESCRIPTION:

April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR), a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, announced that it has achieved a significant milestone in its global Climate Commitment ahead of schedule and is deepening its commitment with on-site and off-site renewable energy investments. 

Achieving Energy Efficiency Goals

As part of its global Climate Commitment, Ingersoll Rand committed to a 35 percent reduction of its greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint from its own operations by 2020. To deliver on this goal, the company targeted a 10 percent increase in energy efficiency from a 2013 baseline – and has achieved the goal two years ahead of schedule^[1].

“Energy efficiency is a primary consideration in everything we do across our own operations and for our customers in the building, industrial and transport industries,” said Paul Camuti, senior vice president of Innovation and chief technology officer for Ingersoll Rand. “We are pleased to achieve this significant milestone, and thank the Ingersoll Rand team around the world for reducing energy use and our impact on the environment, and enhancing sustainable value for our customers.”

Ingersoll Rand conducted an energy audit of its own large facilities and upgraded air conditioning systems, building controls and lighting, and eliminated energy leakage from its compressed air systems while measuring, validating and reporting the results. It reduced energy use by 109,000 MM BTUs and electricity consumption by 22,000 MWh, which is the equivalent of not burning 26 million pounds of coal and powering 1,750 homes for one year.

Committing to On-site and Off-site Renewable Energy Use

The company announced investments in renewable energy technologies to deepen its Climate Commitment and reduce its impact on the environment. At three large manufacturing sites in the U.S. and China, Ingersoll Rand initiated or commissioned on-site solar installations to address 15 percent of the energy load at these locations. This is equivalent to saving 560,000 gallons of gasoline and taking 1,000 cars off the road.

In addition to on-site renewable energy sources, Ingersoll Rand has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for approximately 100,000 MWh of wind power annually. The wind farm is in Baylor County, Texas. The PPA replaces 32 percent of the company’s U.S. electricity use with green energy, and reduces U.S. Scope 2 GHG Emissions from Electricity by 32 percent. This is the equivalent of recycling 26,000 tons of waste instead of sending it to a landfill, and preserving 600 acres of U.S. forests.

“Availability and accessibility of renewable energy options continues to increase, making it attractive to manufacturers like Ingersoll Rand and to our customers,” said Keith Sultana, senior vice president – Global Operations and Integrated Supply Chain for Ingersoll Rand. “We engaged our own Trane Energy Supply business to provide a roadmap on how to be smarter about our energy purchases, and to organize an agreement that is responsible to the environment and good for our business.”

Announcing the News at the Business Renewable Center Annual Event

Leaders from the company shared the news at the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewable Center (BRC) annual event in Jersey City, New Jersey last evening with representatives from 100 member companies. 

BRC is a membership program of Rocky Mountain Institute that provides educational support for buyers, developers and intermediaries to accelerate the market for corporate renewable energy procurement. To date, BRC members like Ingersoll Rand have contracted for more than 10 GW of new, renewable energy.

# # #

About the Ingersoll Rand Climate Commitment

In 2014, Ingersoll Rand publicly committed to increase its energy efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) related to its operations and products. The company’s Climate Commitment includes:

• 50 percent reduction in GHG refrigerant footprint of its products by 2020 and lower-GWP alternatives across its portfolio by 2030;
• $500 million investment in product-related research and development to fund long-term GHG reduction
• 35 percent reduction in the greenhouse gas footprint of its own operations by 2020

Ingersoll Rand’s Climate Commitment has enabled the avoidance of 11 million metric tons of CO₂e globally from its products compared to a 2013 baseline, equal to the emissions from the energy used in 1.6 million homes for one year. The company also has reduced the GHG intensity of its operations by 23 percent when compared to a 2013 baseline.

About Ingersoll Rand

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands—including Club Car^®, Ingersoll Rand^®, Thermo King^® and Trane^®—work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $14 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.

Tweet me:What does #SustainabilityInAction look like? Ingersoll Rand has increased their energy efficiency by 10%, two years ahead of their 2020 goal. http://bit.ly/2Hs1jmB

KEYWORDS: Ingersoll Rand, NYSE:IR

SOURCE:Antea Group

DESCRIPTION:

Unemployment rates are down, potential job seekers are well-informed and companies fight for the best talent out there. In this competition, your own Environmental, Health and Safety pros can provide you with the winning advantage.

Read Antea Group’s blog to find out how an excellent EHS department can help you attract and retain top-notch talent.

About Antea Group

Antea Group is an international engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in full-service solutions in the fields of environment, infrastructure, urban planning and water. By combining strategic thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives with technical expertise and pragmatic action, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. With more than 3,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we serve clients ranging from global energy companies and manufacturers to national governments and local municipalities. Learn more at http://us.anteagroup.com.

Tweet me:.@AnteaGroup Digs into Tackling the Talent Shortage from an EHS Perspective: http://bit.ly/2pZ6L8k

Contact Info:

katie.nordenson@anteagroup.com

KEYWORDS: EHS talent, recruiting strategies, retention strategies, Attracting Talent, career development, employee empowerment, Employee Engagement, antea group

SOURCE:Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

DESCRIPTION:

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption launched its new website and it’s complete with some exciting new tools.

The site is still full of helpful information about foster care adoption, but it makes finding free resources even easier with the creation of a library. The library is a one-stop shop for anyone looking for more details on how to adopt from foster care.

You can also easily search the agencies that the Foundation works with to hire adoption recruiters across the US and Canada and connect to the agency that is your town.

Visit davethomasfoundation.org to check it out.

Tweet me:Have you ever thought about #adoption? The @dtfa newly-launched website features an easy-to-navigate library and makes ordering free resources a snap. Visit davethomasfoundation.org

KEYWORDS: Dave Thomas, foster care, adoption, forever family, Wendy’s

SOURCE:International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF), a leading innovator of sensory experiences that move the world, announced in its newly published 2017 sustainability report that it has already surpassed its 2020 goals for water, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and hazardous waste, among other achievements. The report details how the Company is meeting or exceeding its strategic sustainability goals, as well as how it is living up to its vision “To lead positive transformational changes toward a regenerative, healthy and abundant world.”

“Like all my colleagues at IFF, I am personally and deeply passionate about doing the right thing for the environment and for the future of our planet,” said Andreas Fibig, IFF Chairman and CEO. “Embedding sustainable principles at every level of the organization and throughout our value chain is how we feel we can best contribute to our goals.” Mr. Fibig continued, “This commitment throughout IFF is driving product and process innovation from the labs and the shop floor to the offices and canteens.”

The Company made substantial progress in furthering its sustainability ambitions, including:

• Exceeded its 2020 intensity goals for greenhouse gas emissions (goal 25%, actual 33.8%); water (goal 50%, actual 68.2%), hazardous waste (goal 25%, actual 42.1%)
• Supported smallholder mint farming communities through the sponsorship of three READ centers in India, which help to empower women and girls through literacy and vocational training; continued support of Vetiver Together initiative in Haiti
• Attained the industry’s first GreenCircle LLC Zero Waste to Landfill certification for its South Brunswick, N.J., U.S. flavors facility
• Launched employee-powered global Diversity & Inclusion initiative
• Named to the Euronext Vigeo U.S. 50 Index

Gregory Yep, EVP, Chief Scientific & Sustainability Officer, said, “In a year of great progress, surpassing our 2020 goals for GHGs, water and hazardous waste is an exceptional accomplishment. None of this would be possible without the passion, expertise, and innovation of our people.”

“We are fortunate to have teams who relish the opportunity to make their mark and help the world be a better place for their colleagues, communities, and their children. They know that there is a bigger benefit to a job extraordinarily well-done. When they win, we all win!” said
Kip Cleverley, VP Global Sustainability.

To read IFF’s 2017 Sustainability Report, click here or visit iff.com/sustain.

# # #

Meet IFF

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF) is a leading innovator of sensorial experiences that move the world. At the heart of our company, we are fueled by a sense of discovery, constantly asking “what if?”. That passion for exploration drives us to co-create unique products that consumers taste, smell, or feel in fine fragrances and beauty, detergents and household goods, as well as beloved foods and beverages. Our 7,300 team members globally take advantage of leading consumer insights, research and development, creative expertise, and customer intimacy to develop differentiated offerings for consumer products. Learn more at www.iff.com, Twitter , Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Tweet me:Check out IFF's 2017 Sustainability Report, "Leading Positive Transformational Changes" on iff.com/sustain. #IFFgoesgreen

KEYWORDS: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., NYSE:IFF

UPS expands medical drone network and public health care supply chain initiatives in Africa

SOURCE:UPS

DESCRIPTION:

ATLANTA, April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - The UPS Foundation, which leads the global citizenship efforts of UPS (NYSE: UPS), today announced it is awarding 2018 grants and in-kind support totaling more than $16 million to non-profit, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies for humanitarian relief, community resilience and safety programs worldwide. Grants provide support for disaster response, preparedness and recovery, enhancing public health care supply chains and improving global road safety.

Among the programs, The UPS Foundation is expanding its work with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Zipline, a California-based robotics company, to leverage drones to deliver life-saving blood, medicines and vaccines to remote communities like Rwanda. The global partnership, which was announced in May 2016 and formally launched the first drone deliveries in October 2016, has resulted in more than 4,000 drone deliveries expediting over 7,000 units of blood to remote hospitals across Rwanda. The world’s first national medical drone delivery network in Rwanda has proven so successful that in 2018 it’s being expanded across all of Rwanda.   

“This groundbreaking partnership with Gavi and Zipline provides access to life-saving medical supplies in only minutes rather than hours for millions of men, women and children in need,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “With this expansion, the reach of the drone program will double from 6 million to 12 million people across Rwanda. Additionally, the initiative will expand to deliver basic medications, vaccines, and medical supplies to hospitals and health clinics via drone.”

The UPS Foundation’s top goal is to leverage its philanthropy, the resources of UPS and expertise of its employees to create public-private partnerships that are dedicated to advance the resiliency of communities around the world. 

“UPS is honored to work side-by-side with these preeminent institutions who together are impacting the lives of people in crisis today and helping to “future proof” these communities so that they can thrive in a safer, healthier and more prosperous world,” said Martinez.

The UPS Foundation also will award grants to the following organizations, among many others:

• American Red Cross, in support of the Annual Disaster Giving Program that enables the Red Cross to provide food and shelter immediately following disasters as well as the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign
• CARE USA, to aid with emergency response and to develop supply chain solutions for vital relief efforts in famine impacted areas of Africa
• Good360, in continued support of DisasterRecovery360 platform technology enhancements and transportation assistance for long term recovery efforts
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), toward the Community Pandemic Preparedness Program and support for local resilience programs
• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), to support the organization’s Long-term Recovery Initiatives and Long-term Recovery Mini-Grant Program
• Operation Hope, toward the Disaster Recovery Fund to help disaster survivors with financial recovery solutions as well as the Financial Recovery Preparedness Program for small businesses
• St. Bernard Project, Inc., to support the National Disaster Resilience & Recovery Lab (DRL), which provides re-building support for communities impacted by disasters
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, toward capacity building for global fleet management, emergency preparedness supply training and Safe Road Use workshops
• UNICEF, toward efforts to strengthen health system supply chains through vaccine stock management tool development and emergency and global crises transportation support
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Corporate Citizenship Center, to aid in the expansion of the Connecting Business Disaster Resilience Program and Resilience in a Box Toolkit to enhance the disaster preparedness of small and medium businesses and to build community resilience  
• World Food Program USA, in support of emergency and global crisis response and capacity building efforts including road safety training in Tanzania, and food distribution supply chain optimization efforts in Rwanda and India

The UPS Foundation also will award grants that help extend the reach of UPS Road Code^™, a teen and novice safe driving training program available in the United States and internationally. Taught by UPS volunteers and based on the company’s safe-driving methods, the program is available to teens between the ages of 13 and 18. To date, more than 48,000 teenagers have participated. The program has been extended to Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

The program is offered in the U.S. with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and overseas in six countries with various youth development organizations. The UPS Foundation has contributed $16.6 million to the UPS Road Code program since its inception.

These community investments are part of The UPS Foundation’s commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and advancing humanitarian action and global resilience by combining its philanthropy with the resources of UPS and the expertise and volunteer spirit of UPSers all over the world. For more information about UPS’s philanthropic and volunteerism efforts, please visit www.UPS.com/Foundation.

About The UPS Foundation

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2017, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $118 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation and @UPS_Foundation on Twitter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.   

###

Tweet me:The @UPS_Foundation has announced new community safety grants to enhance #humanitarian relief, community resilience and #safety around the world http://bit.ly/2qpPp4I

Contact Info:

Kristen Petrella
UPS
+1 (404) 828-4182
kpetrella@ups.com

KEYWORDS: UPS, The UPS Foundation, NYSE:UPS

By Andrew Carroll

SOURCE:Accenture

DESCRIPTION:

A new Artificial Intelligence powered solution called Drishti has been developed by Accenture in order to improve the lives and work of the visually impaired. Drishti – Sanskrit for vision – will enhance the way visually impaired people experience the work all while improving workplace productivity.

Drishti is part of Accenture’s Tech4Good initiative which aims to use technology to improve the way people live and work in the world by solving complex social challenges. Drishti is a smartphone based solution that uses AI technologies such as image recognition, natural language processing and natural language generation capabilities to describe the surrounding environment to its visually impaired user.

Continue reading on Irish Tech News > > > 

Tweet me:Read how @Accenture uses #AI #technology to develop solution for visually impaired http://bit.ly/2HemLy1

KEYWORDS: AI, Accenture, Tech4Good, Persons with Disabilities, Persons with Disabilities. PWD, NYSE:ACN

SOURCE:GRI

DESCRIPTION:

GRI's April newsletter is all about engagement. You can find articles about how members of GRI's network engage internally for better reporting, and about new partnerships with which GRI promotes engagement on topics such as conflict minerals and the capital markets. You can also find opportunities to collaborate with GRI, most notably the review of GRI 306: Effluents and Waste, and our Standards in Practice series. Don't forget to check out the upcoming events. Click here to see all articles.

Wouls you like to receive this monthly update directly in your inbox? Then subricbe here. 

Tweet me:Check out the latest news from @GRI_Secretariat, including new partnerships with #CapitalMarkets and on #ResponsibleMinerals. You can also find out about the new #GRIStandards In Practice Series. Click here for more: http://bit.ly/2HuNRhR

KEYWORDS: GRI, global reporting initiative, GRI Standards, GRI Newsletter, GRI News, Corporate Responsibility, Accountability

100 percent of proceeds benefit Whole Kids Foundation

SOURCE:Whole Foods Market Foundations

DESCRIPTION:

AUSTIN, Texas, April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ – San Antonio's annual Fiesta celebration, which began in 1891 and kicks off this year on April 19, is known for its tradition of artful medals commissioned by various organizations and businesses. For the second year, Whole Foods Market stores in San Antonio will sell unique medals designed by store graphic artists to celebrate Fiesta with sales benefiting Whole Kids Foundation.

Each medal sells for $10 with 100 percent of the proceeds supporting Whole Kids Foundation, a nonprofit established by Whole Foods Market to improve children’s nutrition. Sales from the medals will help fund grants for salad bars, edible learning gardens and honey bee hives in San Antonio schools. Last year, the Whole Foods Market medals raised more than $6,000 for Whole Kids Foundation grants in San Antonio.

Each medal was designed by in-store graphic artists and celebrates the culture and fresh foods that makes Fiesta one of the city’s most anticipated events.

Store graphic artist Hector Duran from Whole Foods Market’s Vineyard location, 18403 Blanco Road, describes his design:

“This will be the perfect goodie bag to give out for this year's fiesta! Our recycled brown paper bag designed into a Fiesta flag showcases essential items for any fiesta celebration. The bag includes a red pepper, beer bottle, corn on the cob, tomato and an avocado.”

Store graphic artist Elizabeth Carrion-Smuck from Whole Foods Market’s Quarry location, 255 E. Basse Road, #130, describes her design:

“Any good San Antonio party will always feature a piñata and Fiesta is the best party around! I wanted to represent Whole Kids Foundation’s dedication to promoting healthier options in schools via salad bars and school gardens. That is why instead of candy the Whole Kids Foundation fruits and veggies are released -- which is an even better treat for our city. I included the tower of the Americas to represent our city of San Antonio, which has been my home for the majority of my life.

Whole Kids Foundation has supported schools in San Antonio since its inception in 2011. The organization has provided grants for 85 school salad bars and 14 school gardens, committing $250,000 to local schools.

About Whole Kids Foundation^®

Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, is based in Austin, Texas, and operates as an independent, nonprofit organization. By empowering schools and inspiring families, the Foundation aims to help children reach optimal health through the strength of a healthy body fueled by nutritious food.  For more information on the Foundation’s programs, including school gardens, salad bars and nutrition education for teachers, visit wholekidsfoundation.org. 

Tweet me:.@WholeFoods Market commissions official #Fiesta2018 medals, available for $10 each at San Antonio locations http://bit.ly/2v7iPtX @WholeKidsFnd @FiestaSA #VivaFiesta

KEYWORDS: Whole Kids Foundation, Fiesta San Antonio

SOURCE:Booz Allen Hamilton

DESCRIPTION:

In the fall of 2005, a small group of Booz Allen employees partnered with the Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital to create the Make the Connection (MTC) program, with a mission to mentor and empower girls in the District of Columbia area. Back then, the program’s founders couldn’t have predicted its enormous success. Today, more than 60 Booz Allen mentors connect with more than 400 Girl Scouts annually with the goal of empowering these girls to change the world, and two women who were part of the original MTC program as participants — Emma Glass and Chandler MacLaren — are now Booz Allen employees and volunteer MTC mentors. 

“I remembered that the Make the Connection program was an initiative by Booz Allen to encourage girls to consider STEM,” Emma Glass said. “It was a good introduction to the business and professional world.”

Although both women went through the MTC program, their paths to Booz Allen were different. Glass served as a Booz Allen Summer Games Intern and eventually started as a consultant in August, 2016. 

MacLaren did not have any further interactions with Booz Allen outside of her MTC days until she began her job hunt after graduating college. Fortunately, MacLaren was reminded of her experience with Booz Allen when she came across her old Girl Scout vest with an MTC patch.  

“I happened to be home one weekend and saw my vest with an MTC patch sewn on and I looked into what careers Booz Allen offered,” MacLaren said.

MacLaren joined Booz Allen in the summer of 2016 and is now a cost estimating consultant. Years after their initial involvement, both women are still involved with MTC – just in a different capacity.

“I think it’s pretty cool to see these events from the other side,” Glass said. “I’ve been involved with Girl Scouts my entire life, and I want to stay involved as much as I can. This program is a good way for young women, fresh out of college or a little older, to interact and influence these younger girls.”

“Girl Scouts tells you that you can do anything you want to do,” MacLaren said. “I think being back, I’m in a great place to volunteer and show these girls that it’s okay to pursue a degree in engineering and say, ‘look what it got me – a job at the firm that provided that opportunity in the first place.’”

This year, MTC has held three of its four annual events introducing Girl Scouts to a variety of career paths, making good first impressions, and keeping younger girls involved in the sciences.

The next MTC event, a team building exercise at a low ropes course on April 21^st at Girl Scout Camp Crowell in Oakton, Virginia, is focused on teaching girls how to achieve success through trust, communication, and strategy. 

To learn more about how Booz Allen is helping Girl Scouts envision their future in STEM, click here.

Tweet me:.@BoozAllen, @GSCNC empower local girls to change the world: http://bit.ly/2Hu4dqX #STEM

KEYWORDS: Booz Allen Hamilton, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, Make the Connection, STEM

SOURCE:World Environment Center

DESCRIPTION:

Publicado originalmente por El Mundo.

El Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos abrió la convocatoria para que microempresas o pequeñas cooperativas dedicadas al cultivo de cacao puedan inscribirse en el concurso El Poder de Crecer, el cual premiará a los ganadores con acceso a asesoría por un capital de hasta $43,000 para promover una solución de negocios.

La iniciativa es impulsada por la Red de Innovación e Impacto del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, con el apoyo del Environment Center (WEC), Le Groupe-Conseil Baastel Itée (Baastel), y RioSlum Studio.

Hacer clic aquí para leer más en El Mundo.

###

Sobre el Poder de Crecer

El Poder de Crecer: Concurso Impulsado por La red de Innovación e Impacto crea alianzas entre organizaciones con objetivos similares para apoyar a microempresas y organizaciones miembros de La Red. El Poder de Crecer seleccionará candidatos innovadores para que unan fuerzas con miembros de La Red (alumni) con el fin de: acelerar la innovación y la creación de empleos en microempresas centroamericanas en los sectores de agricultura, agroindustria y textil; construir capacidad de expansión de las microempresas hacia nuevos mercados regionales e internacionales, con un enfoque en el mercado estadounidense; y, generar prosperidad económica para toda Centroamérica. Los ganadores recibirán un paquete completo de asesoría, hasta USD 43,000 para promover su solución propuesta y acceder a una alianza con una organización miembro de La Red de Innovación e Impacto con el fin de trabajar juntos hacia el mismo objetivo. Visita powertogrow.wec.org para conocer más y aplicar.

Sobre La Red

El Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos ha estado financiando al World Environment Center (WEC) y sus aliados, Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel), y RioSlum Studio, con el  fin de seleccionar organizaciones que están acelerando el desarrollo de negocios sostenibles y promoviendo el crecimiento económico sostenible en América Latina y el Caribe. El Programa, La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red), se creó en el 2014 y reúne a 30 soluciones innovadoras de 11 países en la región.

Sobre el World Environment Center

WEC es una organización sin fines de lucro neutral, independiente, global, que fomenta el desarrollo sostenible a través de las operaciones de sus empresas miembros y en alianza con gobiernos, organizaciones multilaterales, organizaciones no gubernamentales, universidades y otras partes interesadas. La misión de WEC es promover los negocios y su valor social fomentando soluciones a problemas relacionados con el desarrollo sostenible.

Sobre Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée

Baastel está reconocido por sus servicios de calidad en Monitoreo y Evaluación (M&E), Gestión Basada en Resultados (GBR), planificación estratégica, gestión de proyectos y programas y construcción de capacidad individual e institucional en estas áreas. La reputación sobresaliente de Baastel en la industria se ha estado construyendo sobre un historial de éxitos nacionales e internacionales y experiencia respaldada por la atención al detalle, calidad, transparencia y neutralidad.

Sobre RioSlum Studio

RioSlum Studio ofrece servicios de desarrollo de marca y mensajes, diseño y estrategia de comunicación para empresas audaces con una visión atrevida. Construimos marcas cautivadoras que evocan emoción, exigen atención y atraen negocio. Lanzamos RioSlum Studio para asegurar que todas las empresas, desde startups de un empleado a corporaciones globales, tengan acceso a los servicios de desarrollo de marca y comunicación de alta calidad que necesitan para llamar la atención a nivel global.

Tweet me:Si te lo perdiste: El Mundo: EE.UU. apoyará con asesoría a productores de cacao en El Salvador via @ElMundoSV https://tinyurl.com/y7jlzsu8 #elpoderdecr ecer #ElSalvador @StateDept @WorldEnvCenter http://bit.ly/2GWFL4I

KEYWORDS: World Environment Center

SOURCE:World Environment Center

DESCRIPTION:

The U.S. Department of State opened the registration to Power to Grow, an initiative where micro or small enterprises dedicated to cocoa farming may apply to win up to $43,000 to promote their business solution.

The initiative is fueled by La Red de Innovación e Impacto, with the support of the World Environment Center (WEC), Le Groupe-Conseil Baastel Itée (Baastel) and RioSlum Studio.

Click here to read more on El Mundo.

###

About Power to Grow

Power to Grow: The Innovation Challenge Fueled By La Red de Innovación e Impacto aims to support micro-enterprises by creating partnerships between mission-aligned organizations and current La Red member companies. Power to Grow selects innovative organizations to join forces with La Red companies (Alumni) towards: accelerating innovation and job creation opportunities for Central American micro-enterprises in the agriculture, agro-industry, and textiles sectors; building capacity of micro-enterprises to expand to new regional and international markets, with a focus on the U.S. market; and, generating economic prosperity across Central America. Awardees will receive a comprehensive support package, up to $43,000 to promote their solution, and partnership with a current member of La Red de Innovación e Impacto working towards the same goal. Visit powertogrow.wec.org to learn more and apply.

About La Red

The U.S. Department of State has funded the World Environment Center (WEC) and its partners, Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel), and RioSlum Studio, to select organizations who are accelerating business development and promoting sustainable economic growth in Latin America. The Program, La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red), was established in 2014 and is a collection of 30 innovative solutions from 11 countries in the region.

About World Environment Center

WEC is an independent, global non-profit, non-advocacy organization that advances sustainable development through the business practices and operations of its member companies and in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC’s mission is to promote business and societal value by advancing solutions to sustainable development-related problems.

About Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée

Baastel is recognized for its quality services in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Results-based Management (RBM), strategic planning, project and program management, and building individual and institutional capacity in these areas. Baastel’s outstanding reputation in the field is built on a record of international and national successes, and expertise that is backed by attention to detail, quality, transparency and neutrality.

About RioSlum Studio

RioSlum Studio offers branding, design, messaging, and strategy services to daring companies with bold vision. We build compelling brands that evoke emotion, demand attention, and attract business. We launched RioSlum Studio to ensure all companies, from one-person startups to global corporations, have access to the high-quality branding and communications services they need to command global attention.

Tweet me:ICYMI: El Mundo: US to support and advise cacao producers in El Salvador via @ElMundoSV https://tinyurl.com/y7jlzsu8 #elpoderdecrecer #ElSalvador @StateDept @WorldEnvCenter http://bit.ly/2qsYee7

Contact Info:

Elysa Neumann
RioSlum Studio
+1 (774) 275-4836
press@wec.org

KEYWORDS: World Environment Center

Cone sponsors two-day crisis event in Boston

SOURCE:Cone Communications

DESCRIPTION:

BOSTON, April 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Cone, a Porter Novelli public relations and marketing agency specializing in Purpose and CSR, will join the International Crisis Management Conference (ICMC), as a sponsor of the two-day event in Boston April 24-25. The conference will cover the characteristics of a crisis, a framework to manage the life cycle of a crisis and provide training for preparedness professionals. 

On Wednesday, April 25 Marc Berliner, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, will participate in a panel discussion about the 2013 Fonterra recall. The session will outline key takeaways based on a review of the event. Other panelists include Ashley Goosman, Business Continuity Project Manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance and Kenneth Otis, Enterprise Business Continuity Director at Lifespan.

Berliner has more than 20 years of experience in strategic corporate communications and marketing public relations. In addition to establishing clients as recognized leaders in environmental stewardship and sustainability through consumer engagement strategies, Berliner has led programs introducing and educating stakeholders on key marketplace issues. With both agency and in-house experience, Berliner is a valued advisor to his clients on strategic communications, including deep experience on issues and crisis communications.  

This marks the third consecutive year of Cone’s participation at ICMC. Mike Lawrence, Chief Reputation Officer & Executive Vice President, was a speaker for the 2016 conference and a panelist for 2017. “In our daily overheated cauldron of citizen ‘journalists,’ instant documentation and a global social media ‘bullhorn,’ every organization needs a ready-to-go crisis protocol and a cross-functional team trained to use it,” says Lawrence. “ICMC brings together emergency responders, security and business continuity experts, and crisis communicators to share ideas and identify best practices that you can take home and implement.” 

About Cone

Cone (http://www.conecomm.com/) is a public relations and marketing agency that is Always Making a Difference℠ for business, brands and society. We help organizations define their authentic Purpose, weaving it into the brand DNA to both grow the business and positively impact the world. Our deep subject matter expertise in Purpose Brand Strategy, CSR, Social Marketing, Social Impact and Brand Communications creates breakthrough work and unforgettable experiences to ignite action around issues that matter. Cone is a Porter Novelli company and part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is a global public relations agency built on a rich heritage of marketing for social good. We’ve been motivating people to change deeply ingrained behaviors rooted in cultural and social norms for more than 40 years. Porter Novelli is a different kind of agency—and we recognize, respect and champion companies with the spirit, drive and tenacity to do things differently. We like taking on big challenges, and even bigger challengers, and we seek out clients who feel the same way—clients who have the conviction to tell their own story, and the courage to innovate from who they have been into who they know they can be. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com. Porter Novelli is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group

Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.

Tweet me:Crisis Communications Expert Marc Berliner Joins Panel at the International Crisis Management Conference http://bit.ly/2EFWe7r

KEYWORDS: International Crisis Management Conference, ICMC, Cone Communications, Mark Berliner, Omnicom Public Relations Group, Porter Novelli

SOURCE:Danone North America

DESCRIPTION:

Building on Danone’s long-term commitment to balancing financial success with social and environmental responsibility, its U.S. subsidiary, formerly known as DanoneWave, commemorates its first anniversary by announcing the achievement of becoming the largest Certified B Corporation® in the world — two years ahead of its declared target — and changing its name to Danone North America.

Two milestones to mark 1st anniversary: new name, new mark of trust
 
As the maker of beloved food and beverage brands including Dannon®, Danimals®, Silk®, So Delicious®, Horizon Organic®, Vega® and Wallaby®, among others, Danone North America is a top 15 food and beverage company and top organic food manufacturer in the U.S., as well as a leader in plant-based and organic food and beverages. It was formed one year ago as DanoneWave, when the Danone U.S. dairy and WhiteWave businesses were combined, to create the largest Public Benefit Corporation in the world, following Danone’s acquisition of WhiteWave Foods. Incorporating as a Public Benefit Corporation legally committed the new subsidiary to balance shareholders’ financial interests with social and environmental considerations.
 
The company’s new name – Danone North America – represents an intention to continue its purpose journey with a single identity that’s easily recognizable to the many people who enjoy the beloved brands Danone North America makes.
 
Becoming a Certified B Corporation takes the company’s commitment one step further. B Corp™ Certification is for businesses what Organic is to food products: a promise that a company is doing business in a way that meets rigorous standards of verified performance, transparency and accountability and is Certified by B Lab®, a third-party non-profit.
 
“We are incredibly proud to officially join the B Corp movement today as Danone North America. Our new name better positions us as part of Danone, a forward-looking and unified global food and beverage company that demonstrates business success can be synonymous with building a healthier world through food,” said Mariano Lozano, CEO, Danone North America. “This designation demonstrates to employees, consumers, partners, retailers, society and governments that we are committed to continuous improvement as we work to bring the company’s One Planet. One Health vision to life through our business and brands. We couldn’t have achieved this milestone with such speed and efficiency without the passion, dedication and tireless work of our more than 150 employees who helped in the certification process, along with the incredible support of our partners.”

A new milestone in Danone’s global B Corp journey
 
Today’s announcement also supports Danone’s long-time dual project of balancing economic success and social progress, which the company’s then CEO, Antoine Riboud, first articulated publicly in 1972.

Today, with the addition of not only Danone North America in the U.S. but also Danone Canada, 8 Danone subsidiaries in total have been Certified so far in Argentina, France, Indonesia, Spain and the United Kingdom, including the leading U.S. organic baby food brand Happy Family.

Danone aims to be the first multinational food company to obtain a global B Corp Certification and has partnered with B Lab since 2015 to help define a B Corp model suitable for publicly traded global companies.

“People rightly expect large organizations like Danone to use their scale for positive impact while demanding transparency, authenticity and action. It’s time to make sustainable business the only way of doing business,” said Emmanuel Faber, Danone Chairman and CEO. “I’m incredibly honored by our teams in North America, whose ability to achieve B Corp Certification in just one year is not only commendable, but will also help serve as a model of what’s possible to other Danone subsidiaries and other large companies. Representing around twenty percent of our global business, Danone North America’s B Corp Certification is an important milestone in our global company’s broader B Corp journey and a fundamental step towards realizing our Danone, One Planet. One Health vision.”

A rigorous B Corp Certification process reflective of core commitments

To obtain the B Corp Certification, companies must complete a B Impact Assessment and earn an audited minimum score of 80 out of 200 possible points and recertify—with the aim to continuously improve—every two years. Danone North America achieved a score of 85.
 
In addition to becoming a Certified B Corporation, Danone North America continues to make progress towards its purpose of nourishing people, communities and the world. This includes fighting climate change, driving more sustainable ingredient sourcing, advancing packaging recyclability, reducing waste, conserving water, fighting hunger, supporting local communities and ensuring animal welfare.

"A successful B Corp movement needs an inclusive community of companies of all sizes: from Fortune 500 companies to small sole proprietors. Today’s announcement shows how even complex multinational corporations can commit to balancing meaningful change with shareholder expectations. We could not be more excited that Danone North America undertook the significant effort to become the largest Certified B Corporation to date, and we are confident that this news will inspire other companies of similar or larger size and scope to join the movement,” said Bart Houlahan, co-founder of B Lab.

“B Corp Certification is more than a logo, it connotes a core set of beliefs, vision and promise to redefine success in business,” said Lozano. “Our B Day is an exciting moment as we join a community of 2,400 Certified B Corporations from more than 60 countries across 150 industries. Together, we will be a force for good and serve as a model of shared and durable prosperity.”

Tweet me:.@DanoneNA celebrates 1st anniversary of new name, Danone North America, and the achievement of becoming the largest @BCorporation in the world http://bit.ly/2GToYiV #CR #OnePlanetOneHealth

KEYWORDS: Danone North America, B Lab, Certified B Corporations, positive impact, social responsibility

SOURCE:USCCF Corporate Citizenship Center

DESCRIPTION:

Join business and sustainability leaders on May 9—10 in Washington, D.C. for the 2018 Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit, Translating Value to Ignite Action.

Some of the outstanding speakers you can expect to hear from include:

• Leo Mackay, Jr., Senior Vice President, Internal Audit, Ethics and Sustainability, Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Jerry MacCleary, Chairman & CEO, Covestro LLC
• Tensie Whelan, Director, Center for Sustainable Business, New York University Stern School of Business
• Kathleen Salyer, Deputy Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Mike Byrnes, COO, Veolia SourceOne
• Amy Hall, Vice President, Social Consciousness, Eileen Fisher

We’re announcing new speakers daily! Visit the event website to learn more and register! 

Tweet me:Announcing new speakers daily for #USCCFcircular summit! Check out the full speaker lineup and register today! https://goo.gl/ibsniU

KEYWORDS: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Corporate Citizenship Center, circular economy, sustainability, Washington DC, #USCCFcircular, #SDGs, business community, csr, social responsibility