Boost for green bond investment in water infrastructure, sustainable ecosystems, cities, agriculture and energy

SOURCE:Ceres

DESCRIPTION:

May 22, 2018 /3BL Media/ - The Water Consortium, a global group of climate finance and sustainability organisations, has formally launched the new Water Infrastructure Criteria of the Climate Bonds Standard marking a major turning point in best practice for sustainable investment in water-based infrastructure and green/grey hybrid systems. 

The final development phase extends the Criteria’s reach to cover nature-based and hybrid water infrastructure, such as wetlands and watersheds, that may be used for purposes of water collection, storage, treatment and distribution, flood protection and drought resilience. 

This means that for the first time, nature’s water infrastructure such as watersheds, wetlands, and forests, which are essential for the provision of clean water around the world, can be protected, managed and restored, using Climate Bonds Certified green bonds – making them ripe for the investments they direly need.

Developed for potential green bond issuers and investors, the new Water Infrastructure Criteria defines and evaluates low carbon and climate resilient water infrastructure projects by encompassing two broad components: 1) climate mitigation and 2) climate adaptation and resilience.  

The Criteria screens what types of water assets and projects can be included in green bond investment in water projects to qualify for Climate Bonds Certification. Certified projects must contribute to reductions in greenhouse gases over the lifetime of the asset, and must prove sufficient adaptation to changing climatic conditions.

Developed in two phases, the first phase of the Criteria covered both traditional ‘built’ or grey engineered water infrastructure for water treatment, flood defence, drought defence, storm water management, and ecological restoration and management. 

Since the initial phase launch in 2016, about USD1.5 billion of Certified green bonds have been issued against these Criteria in North America and South Africa. 

The Criteria now fully recognise that ecosystems (including rivers, lakes, natural watersheds, aquifers and groundwater) are the original water infrastructure and are essential to meet local, national, and global resilience goals. Nature-based solutions are increasingly being integrated within formal water management systems as green and hybrid infrastructure.

The Water Infrastructure Criteria is part of the overarching Climate Bonds Standard, which provides investors with a verifiable, science-based screening process to evaluate bond investments in a variety of sectors, bringing climate mitigation, resilience and adaptation planning to the fixed income investment space. 

Undertaking the staged development program has been a Technical Working Group (TWG) and Industry Working Group (IWG), convened by the Water Consortium, which is comprised of the Climate Bonds Initiative, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA; supported by the Stockholm International Water Institute), Ceres, CDP, and the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Patricia De Lille, Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town: 

“Being located in a water scarce region and in dealing with the harsh impacts of climate change with our worst drought in over 100 years, the City of Cape Town is acutely aware of the need to facilitate investment in water infrastructure. The development of these Water Criteria within the Climate Bonds Standard has enabled us to direct the proceeds of our bond towards critical projects within this space."

"We welcome the expansion of the Criteria and hope it will stimulate much needed global investment in adaptive and resilient water systems."  

Harlan L. Kelly Jr, General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC):

“Now more than ever, cities must make critical investments in their water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure a reliable system for future generations. Expanding the Criteria for Climate Bonds Certification, especially around the effective watershed management, will help make that happen.” 

“As one of the first public utilities to take advantage of green infrastructure financing, the SFPUC knows firsthand the importance of innovative financing techniques to overcome the environmental challenges we’re facing around the world. We are committed to continuing to upgrade and secure San Francisco’s infrastructure so it will serve our residents well into the future.”

Amy Hauter, Associate Portfolio Manager & ESG Research Analyst, Brown Advisory: 

“Before we invest in a green bond, we need to know that it’s a solid investment, and we need to know it will produce impact. The new Water Criteria will definitely help us do our job better—under these Criteria issuers can communicate clearly about their use of proceeds and as investors, we can better quantify the impact of those activities. We’ll be able to better assess climate and sustainability factors in water infrastructure projects and the increased transparency will, we hope, encourage more investment in climate resilience.”

John Matthews, Water Infrastructure Criteria TWG Lead Specialist & Director of AGWA: 

“For years, we have needed a way to communicate not just the need for resilience but what resilience looks and smells like — what it looks like on the ground. And we’ve needed to show how natural capital — lakes, rivers, snowpack, and groundwater — are as much a part of our water management systems as concrete and reinforced steel. Investors need to know that resilience is something that can be reported in a credible, realistic, and transparent manner. That’s what we are delivering today.”

Monika Freyman, Director, Investor Engagement - Water, Ceres:

“The need for widespread investment in new water infrastructure is integral to strengthening climate adaptation, building resilience and the development of sustainable cities. The broad reach of the new Criteria now gives issuers and investors an opportunity to assess the underlying impact of all water-based investment against a science-based standard. It provides a sound platform for increased green bond based investment in water and water assets.” 

Cate Lamb, Director, Water Security, CDP:

“Water security, compounded by a changing climate, may well be the defining environmental issue of the 21st century. The challenges posed are significant, the potential impact is huge, but the opportunities of early action are also great.”

“While the solutions may be complex, this new Water Infrastructure Criteria has just made it easier for investors and companies to ensure they are pursuing science-based water secure, climate resilient investments.”

Todd Gartner, Director, Food, Forests & Water Program, World Resources Institute: 

“The launch of the CBI green bonds Water Infrastructure Criteria will provide the added validation for development banks and other financial institutions to confidently invest in natural and hybrid water management systems, with clear recognition of the anticipated water, climate and financial benefits and returns.” 

Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative: 

“Scaling up grey and green water infrastructure investment are vital resilience and adaption responses to the climate changes already baked in to future global patterns. There is widespread recognition that water issues are core to social and urban development, industry, agriculture and security policy. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 relates directly to clean water and sanitation.” 

“The new Water Infrastructure Criteria puts before the bond market a rigorous science-based assessment process for water projects. Its uptake by green bond issuers and investors will help the acceleration of climate investment needed by end 2020 and achieving water outcomes integral to urgent climate action and the 2030 sustainability agenda.”

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Whiley

Head of Communications and Media

Climate Bonds Initiative, London 

+44 (0) 7914 159 838 

andrew.whiley@climatebonds.net 

Notes for Journalists: 

Save the Date: Webinar

‘A Deeper Blue for Green Bonds: Water Investment Criteria for Nature-based Solutions’

June 14, Thursday 11: 00 EDT/ 16:00 BST/ 17:00 CEST/ 20:30 IST

Registration Link: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/tqkfqa36i1cq&eom

How Much Water Investment is needed: 

Projections for global financing needs for water infrastructure vary from USD6.7 trillion by 2030 to USD22.6 trillion by 2050, according to the latest OECD figures, including USD1.7 trillion to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation. 

SDG 6 also sets out specific targets and indicators to 2030.  

Earlier annual projections can also be found on p14 of “Water Fit to Finance” from the World Water Council (WWC) and the OECD. A May 2016 report by the World Bank suggests that water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could cost some regions up to 6% of their GDP, spur migration, and spark conflict. 

According to the latest assessment by the World Bank, 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services and 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services. Water-related hazards, including floods, storms, and droughts, are responsible for 9 out of 10 natural disasters. Climate change is expected to increase this risk, in addition to placing greater stress on water supplies.  

Criteria Development Process: The Water Infrastructure Criteria was developed in two stages by a Technical Working Group (TWG) led by Dr John Mathews of AGWA. The first stage was approved by the Climate Bonds Standard Board in October 2016. After public and industry consultation the second stage has now been approved by the Climate Bonds Standard Board. A range of bonds issuers who plan to finance water infrastructure will be able to use the Criteria to apply for Climate Bonds Certification. More information is available here. 

Climate Bonds Water Criteria Certifications: The first Climate Bonds Certified Water Bond was issued in May 2016 by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and the second bond by the City of Cape Town in September 2017. 

About the Standard: The Climate Bonds Standard is a screening tool for investors and governments, which allows them to easily evaluate climate and green bonds with confidence that the funds are being used to deliver climate change solutions. Governance structures around Criteria development can be found here.

About the Water Consortium: Partner organisations are Climate Bonds Initiative, Ceres, World Resources Institute, CDP and the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) which is supported by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). 

About Climate Bonds Initiative: The Climate Bonds Initiative is an investor-focused not-for-profit, promoting large-scale investment in the low carbon economy. For more information, please visit Climate Bonds Initiative.  

About Ceres: Ceres is a nonprofit organization mobilizing many of the world’s largest companies and investors to take stronger action on climate change, water scarcity and other sustainability challenges. 

The Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk and Sustainability comprises more than 150 institutional investors, collectively managing more than $24 trillion in assets. 

Ceres also engages with over 50 companies in its Company Network, many of them Fortune 500 firms, committed to sustainable business practices. For more information, visit www.ceres.org.

About AGWA:  Founded in September 2010, the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation is a network  of regional and global development banks, government agencies and ministries, diverse  NGOs and the private sector focused on managing water resources in a sustainable way — even as climate change alters the global hydrological cycle. 

The AGWA network is hosted and chaired by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). More information on AGWA is here. 

About CDP: CDP is a global not-for-profit organization, founded in 2000 and headquartered in London. CDP pioneered and provide the world’s only global natural capital disclosure system where over 4,500 companies, representing over 50% of the market capitalization of the world’s largest 30 stock exchanges, and 110 cities from 80 countries, report, share and take action on vital environmental information. 

About WRI: World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States. Their more than 700 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being.  

They organize their work around six critical goals that the world must achieve this decade in order to secure a sustainable future: Climate, Energy,  Food, Forests, Water and Sustainable Cities. More information here.

###

Disclaimer: The information contained in this communication does not constitute investment advice in any form and the Climate Bonds Initiative is not an investment adviser.  Any reference to a financial organisation or debt instrument or investment product is for information purposes only. Links to external websites are for information purposes only. The Climate Bonds Initiative accepts no responsibility for content on external websites.

The Climate Bonds Initiative is not endorsing, recommending or advising on the financial merits or otherwise of any debt instrument or investment product and no information within this communication should be taken as such, nor should any information in this communication be relied upon in making any investment decision. 

Certification under the Climate Bond Standard only reflects the climate attributes of the use of proceeds of a designated debt instrument. It does not reflect the credit worthiness of the designated debt instrument, nor its compliance with national or international laws.

A decision to invest in anything is solely yours. The Climate Bonds Initiative accepts no liability of any kind, for any investment an individual or organisation makes, nor for any investment made by third parties on behalf of an individual or organisation, based in whole or in part on any information contained within this, or any other Climate Bonds Initiative public communication.

Tweet me:.@CeresNews and Water Consortium partners launch new climate-based #water resilience criteria, marking a turning point in best practice for sustainable investment in water infrastructure and green/grey hybrid systems. https://bit.ly/2LgyafT

Contact Info:

Meg Wilcox
Ceres
+1 (617) 319-6457
wilcox@ceres.org

KEYWORDS: Green Bond Investment, agriculture, Energy, Climate-Based Water Resilience Criteria, green/grey hybrid systems, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, CERES

SOURCE:Duke Energy

SUMMARY:

• Thirteen organizations receive $236,600 in grants for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs
• Seven groups awarded $129,925 for early childhood literacy initiatives
• Sixteen local workforce development partners receive $232,500

DESCRIPTION:

CINCINNATI, May 22, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- Duke Energy is expanding its investment in local students and workforce development by funding 36 education and training programs – totaling nearly $600,000 – in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

"Preparing the workforce of tomorrow begins right now," said Jim Henning, president of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky. "These investments directly benefit local students of all ages and backgrounds. And, in turn, we're helping our communities embrace change and prepare for a future workforce that will look a lot different than today."

Examples of this year's STEM, literacy and workforce development grant recipients include:

• Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative – $30,000 to purchase bicycles and helmets for students in the STEM Bicycle Club after-school program; enable hundreds of diverse, low-income students to attend STEM summer camps; and allow hundreds of middle school-age girls to attend Greenlight for Girls Day Cincinnati, which provides engaging, hands-on STEM workshops.
• Northern Kentucky University Foundation – $50,000 for scholarships for Northern Kentucky middle school teachers to attend the Next Generation STEM Classroom Project to learn how to best keep students engaged and interested in STEM subjects.
• Cincinnati Public Schools – $39,925 for high-quality instruction, time-tested reading intervention materials and more to reverse deficiencies in second-grade literacy across the district – and help students reach literacy proficiency.
• The Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati – $15,000 to recruit, train and support volunteer reading tutors; supply books to tutors to encourage their students to read at home; build Little Free Libraries across the city; support the Children's Basic Reading Program, which helps children who have profound reading difficulties or symptoms of dyslexia; and underwrite the Winners Walk Tall program, which provides character lessons to help children develop healthy habits, a positive self-esteem, respect and the ability to make good decisions.
• Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services – $25,000 to connect high schools and employers to prepare students for successful transitions to the next chapters in their lives as well as their careers.
• Warren County Educational Service Center – $25,000 to expand career exploration opportunities to students deemed at risk; develop and implement various tiers of mentoring services with local businesses; and provide opportunities for students to engage in innovative programming designed to increase awareness of the top priority areas of industry and develop formal and informal professional mentoring relationships within their future career trades.

Click here for a complete list of the 36 STEM, literacy and workforce development grants, which total $599,025.

Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of communities where its customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $33 million annually in charitable gifts.

The foundation's education focus spans kindergarten to career – particularly science, technology, engineering and math – as well as early childhood literacy and workforce development. The foundation also supports environmental projects and community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.

Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their communities as volunteers and leaders with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on its legacy of community service. For more information, visit duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky's operations provide electric service to about 850,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to approximately 533,000 customers.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky is a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK).

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.

The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.

A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list.

More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact
Sally Thelen
513.287.2432 | @DE_SallyT
24-Hour Media Line: 800.559.3853

Tweet me:.@DukeEnergy issues 36 #STEM, #literacy and #workforcedevelopment grants to programs in Ohio and Kentucky, totaling nearly $600,000 http://bit.ly/2LmM1kT

KEYWORDS: Duke Energy, Ohio, Kentucky, workforce development, literacy

SOURCE:SiMPACT Strategy Group

DESCRIPTION:

May 22, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Join LBG Canada companies on June 5, 2018 in Calgary, as we discuss community investment's role in a diversity and inclusion strategy.

Panelists include leaders influencing corporate thinking on abilities, LGBTQ inclusion, Action 92 and Indigenous inclusion, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

LBG Canada has also compiled a list of helpful resources and additional readings to give you a taste of the types of conversations you can expect at the conference , including: Helena Morrissey discussing redefining diversity and inclusion strategy on The Current with Anna Marie Tremonti. To listen, please visit: https://www.lbg-canada.ca/blog/2018/05/11/the-current-helena-morrissey-discusses-diversity-inclusion-in-the-workplace/

To access the agenda, please visit: https://www.lbg-canada.ca/lbg-canada-western-conference-agenda/

To register for the 2018 LBG Canada Western Conference, please visit: https://www.lbg-canada.ca/regional-meetings-contact-form/

Join the conversation! #CIMatters

About LBG Canada
LBG Canada is a network of corporate community investment professionals from many of Canada's leading companies, who work together to apply, develop and enhance the use of the LBG Model and measurement framework in Canada. Participation in LBG Canada encourages companies to focus on strategy, measurement and reporting to demonstrate the business value achieved through investment in community. LBG Canada is facilitated by SiMPACT Strategy Group. For more information, please visit: https://www.lbg-canada.ca

Tweet me:Join #LBGCanada for an important dialogue on #communityinvestment's role in a #diversityandinclusion strategy, June 5 in Calgary http://bit.ly/2IIsWHR #CIMatters

KEYWORDS: LBG Canada, conference, Western Conference, Community Investment, SDGs, LGBTQ Inclusion, Aboriginal Inclusion, Abilities Inclusion, Simpact strategy group

SOURCE:Smithfield Foods

DESCRIPTION:

SMITHFIELD, Va., May 22, 2018 /3BL Media/— Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. issued the fourth and final installment of its 2017 Sustainability Report with the release of its Helping Communities and People sections. The Helping Communities section focuses on Smithfield’s 2017 charitable giving within the communities where its employees live and work. The People section features new programs rolled out in 2017 that focus on keeping employees safe and engaged, and highlights employee talent development and educational opportunities.

“At Smithfield, it is our responsibility to be a good neighbor and do our part to help strengthen the communities we call home,” said Keira Lombardo, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods and president of the Smithfield Foundation. “We bring our social purpose to life through the Smithfield Foundation, a nonprofit organization that acts as the philanthropic wing of our company, and the community outreach efforts of our people, and we are proud of our collective impact.”

In 2017, Smithfield’s charitable giving donations totaled $27.4 million in support of hunger relief, education, veterans, and other causes that align with the company’s industry-leading sustainability program. Featured in this section, Smithfield:

• Donated 21.1 million servings of protein to food banks and hunger relief organizations across America through Helping Hungry Homes^®, Smithfield’s initiative that works to alleviate hunger and raise awareness of food insecurity.
• Donated more than $3 million to veteran-related causes, including supporting the Warrior Canine Connection’s Puppy Enrichment Center where future service dogs begin their training; the Virginia Veteran Services Foundation to support state programs for homeless veterans; and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank mobile pantry that provides meals to more than 200 veteran families each month.
• Provided millions in support of education in a variety of ways, including donating $3 million for multifaceted educational programs to public schools near the company’s headquarters, and funding $165,000 in scholarships for students in Virginia and North Carolina.
• Contributed $85,000 as a sponsor of the National Conservation Foundation’s Envirothon project (NCF-Envirothon), an annual academic challenge that engages 50,000 high school students in real-world environmental problem solving. In addition, all Smithfield farms and facilities participated in the program through volunteering or donations to local teams.

“Only by unleashing the full potential of our employees, can our organization excel,” said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. “Stable and prosperous communities support our ability to recruit and retain a talented workforce—a crucial ingredient to our success—and provide a good place for our employees to live.”

The People section of the report provides information about Smithfield’s ongoing efforts to enhance workplace safety, employee training and engagement, and health and wellness activities. In 2017, Smithfield:

• Launched the Smithfield Injury Prevention System (SIPS), driving further improvements to the company’s worker safety program, and aligning with the International Standards Organization (ISO) 45001 standards, the international management system created specifically for safety and health.
• Decreased Total Incident Frequency Rate (TIFR) by nearly eight percent from 2016; Smithfield’s TIFR has consistently been below the industry average since 2006.
• Received national worker safety awards for more than 30 facilities.
• Provided $849,000 in tuition assistance to employees pursuing higher education.
• Awarded $660,000 in Smithfield Foundation scholarships to 144 employees’ children and grandchildren of employees.
• Created a new Military Fellowship Program, an 18-month rotational leadership development program for high-caliber, recently transitioned military leaders.
• Rolled out Operation 4000!, an initiative to employ 4,000 veterans by 2020, as well as Smithfield Salutes, a veterans-focused Employee Resource Group, to ease the transition of veterans into the company and provide support resources for existing employees with prior military service.

“Our people are our greatest asset and it is their unwavering dedication that makes this company successful, and for that I am grateful each and every day,” said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. “We invest heavily in all pillars of our sustainability program because what is best for our people, our communities, our animals, and the environment is what is best for our company, underpinning everything that goes into producing good food the right way, the sustainable way.” 

Additional 2017 Sustainability Report sections also released today include Innovation, International Operations, and Governance & Management, along with key metrics that capture the company’s sustainability performance. Collectively, all sections illustrate how Smithfield’s sustainability program creates value for the company and its stakeholders.

To view an introductory video about Smithfield’s commitment to Helping Communities and People, click here and here. This release follows the Animal Care, Environment, and Food Safety and Quality report sections published earlier this month. The complete report is available at smithfieldfoods.com/2017report.

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.

###

Contact:

Diana Souder

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(757) 357-1675

dsouder@smithfield.com

Tweet me:.@SmithfieldFoods People section of their 2017 #sustainability report features new programs focusing on keeping employees safe and engaged, and highlights employee talent development and educational opportunities http://bit.ly/2s4pvEA

KEYWORDS: Charitable Giving and New Employee Programs, Smithfield Foods, Sustainability Report, employee talent development

SOURCE:Las Vegas Sands

DESCRIPTION:

Through Sands Cares, Las Vegas Sands and its properties give back to the communities in which they operate as part of our responsibility as good corporate citizens. Sands for Singapore, an initiative through Sands Cares, is a multi-day festival that serves to increase public awareness of partner charities and raise funds for them through several series of events. At the True Colors Festival in March, more than 100 Team Members at Marina Bay Sands spent an evening with 40 Sands for Singapore beneficiaries from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), and AWWA.

The festival brought together some of the world’s foremost artists with disabilities in a multi-faceted celebration, including a concert – featuring more than 150 performers from 18 countries – and interactive games that raise awareness of persons with disabilities. Team Member volunteers had the opportunity to be a “buddy” to their respective beneficiaries during an activity.

“Having participated in previous Sands for Singapore activities, I expected my role just to be to provide assistance and support to beneficiaries. However, I had a much different experience at the festival, one that I have not felt before,” Jess Toh, Learning Specialist, Talent Development for Human Resources at Marina Bay Sands said. “Through interacting with the beneficiaries we hosted and watching the performances by the special needs artists, I was reminded that life is so much more than the endless rat race. The performances brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me that we need to slow ourselves down from time to time, look around us and embrace what we have.”

To learn more about Sands Cares, visit the Las Vegas Sands website.

Tweet me:Sands for Singapores's True Colors Festival @MarinaBaySands celebrates #SandsCares partner charities http://bit.ly/2L10kvk

KEYWORDS: Marina Bay Sands, Sands for Singapore, Sands Cares, True Colors Festival

SOURCE:General Mills

DESCRIPTION:

Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in a series focusing on our commitment to sustainably source the top ten priority ingredients used in General Mills products. Read the first three pieces, which highlight our progress with oats, wheat and corn.

Cocoa is far from the only ingredient in Betty Crocker baked goods, but when you long for a brownie, it’s likely chocolate that you’re craving.

We use high-quality cocoa in everything from baked goods to cereal to snacks. Making sure that cocoa is grown in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner is a priority for General Mills.

We know consumers are increasingly interested not only in where their food comes from but how it is grown and by whom. We share consumers’ desire for transparency. For that reason, we made a commitment in 2014 to sustainably source our top ten priority ingredients by 2020. Today, we sustainably source 59 percent of the cocoa we purchase and are on track to meet our goal of 100 percent by 2020.

Cocoa’s unique challenges

More than 90 percent of the cocoa General Mills purchases is grown in West Africa, primarily by smallholder farmers. To help ensure that these farmers earn a fair price for the crop to support their families, General Mills works with key partners in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria to improve the sustainability of cocoa production, improve smallholder farmer incomes and ensure the highest quality ingredients for our products.

Cocoa farming is a labor-intensive process. The economic viability of this crop is just one of the challenges in the cocoa supply chain. Farmers often face low yields due to low productivity, degraded soil fertility, pests and other environmental factors.

Helping families keep children in school rather than working on cocoa farms is also essential. Deforestation is a growing risk in some areas due to encroachment on forest reserves and protected areas, pressure from people migration, and lack of knowledge on agro-forestry best practices.

Importance of strong partnerships

General Mills partners with our cocoa suppliers, NGOs like CARE and non-profit international membership organizations like the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) to help improve the economic, social and environmental sustainability of cocoa production in our supply chain.

And our sourcing team has embedded sustainability into our work with key suppliers to provide direct support to cocoa-growing communities in West Africa through programs that help smallholder farmers increase yields and grow high quality cocoa to improve farmer incomes.

General Mills also provides funding for programs in cocoa-growing communities to improve food security, access to clean water, education, women’s empowerment and other needs.

We have brought our three main chocolate suppliers into alignment with our sustainable sourcing goals (starting with two suppliers in 2013 and expanding to include the third in 2016) and added sustainable sourcing as a requirement for all of our cocoa purchasing contracts.

By doing so, we are using our influence and scale as a food company to help improve the sustainability of cocoa production. We also have helped improve transparency by increasing the traceability of cocoa beans from farms to our suppliers.

Making a difference

The impact of these efforts has been significant. More farmers are being trained in good agricultural practices so they can grow cocoa more sustainably and improve yields, and farmer livelihoods are improving. Here are a few highlights from the cocoa programs General Mills supports:

• Côte d’Ivoire: 24,700 farmers have received agricultural training, 52,600 farmers have reported higher incomes and 1,500 people have been educated about the importance of women’s empowerment.
• Ghana: 234 farmers were trained, primary school enrollment increased to 99 percent and household food insecurity decreased 25 percent.
• Nigeria: 6,700 farmers received training in harvest practices.

“Today, following the good agricultural practices taught, the yield from my harvest is greater. Now I earn more money and am financially independent. I can also afford the school fees for the education of my children. I appreciate the training sessions and am working to raise women’s awareness about the advantages of cocoa farming.”

– Akekoua Ane Yvette, Cocoa Farmer, Côte d’Ivoire

In addition to working directly with our suppliers to address systemic challenges and enforce our Supplier Code of Conduct, General Mills also participates in broader industry initiatives to improve cocoa sustainability.

In 2017, for example, General Mills was one of 35 companies to join the WCF’s new Cocoa and Forest Initiative to address and ultimately eliminate deforestation in key West African cocoa sourcing origins. We’ve signed Action Frameworks for Ghana and Ivory Coast and have committed to developing a General Mills-specific action plan in tandem with our suppliers by end of 2018.

We will continue to work with industry partners and provide direct investment for programs in cocoa growing communities to help improve the sustainability of cocoa production and ensure a reliable supply of high-quality chocolate for our products.

“General Mills is making a difference in the lives of cocoa farmers in West Africa by collaborating with our suppliers and NGO partners who are working directly in cocoa growing communities to improve the economic, environmental and social impacts of growing cocoa,” says Jerry Lynch, chief sustainability officer at General Mills. “Our direct investment in the communities from which we source cocoa is helping to drive cocoa sustainability now and into the future.”

Click here to read other posts in our sustainable sourcing series.

John Wiebold is the vice president of Sustainable Sourcing at General Mills, based in Minneapolis. He is accountable for delivering Sourcing’s commitments to sustainably source the company’s 10 priority ingredients by the year 2020. He began his career at General Mills in 2000. More posts by this author

Tweet me:.@GeneralMills knows that consumers are increasingly interested in how their food is grown and by whom. Learn how the company is working to #sustainably source 100% of the cocoa they purchase by 2020 http://bit.ly/2GJK91S

KEYWORDS: Sustainable sourcing, cocoa, smallholder farmers, General Mills

Social Experiment Shows That Women Understate Life Goals Without Support from Other Women

SOURCE:Nestlé

DESCRIPTION:

May 23, 2018 /3BL Media/  - ‘Having it all’ is a concept that women have been discussing and aspiring to attain for nearly 40 years. Still, the conversation continues because no one has determined what having “it all” actually means. After decades of debate, women today are reshaping the definition. And female relationships are proving to be a powerful force.

A new social experiment from Lean Cuisine® asked women to define their ‘ideal life’ and explored how they made decisions alone versus in the presence of other women (i.e. - friends, family members and colleagues). The results of the ItAll social experiment showed that 89 percent of women set more ambitious goals in the presence of other women, and 77 percent chose greater aspirations in the aspects of life they deemed most important. The bottom line – women helped each other set a higher bar when striving for ‘her all.’

Despite societal stereotypes suggesting female relationships encourage anxiety, pressure and judgment, the ItAll social experiment demonstrated the impact women can have on other women as an engine for ambition.

“We rarely talk about the positive power of female relationships that we saw firsthand in the ItAll experiment,” says Dr. Emily Balcetis, Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University. “Women can encourage each other to shoot for more where it matters most, rather than working to accomplish something that society says we should. We have a truly unique way to inspire each other to reach our own greatest potential.”

In collaboration with Lean Cuisine, Dr. Balcetis designed this first-of-its-kind social experiment for 18 participants. To establish a baseline, participants were individually surveyed about what they want in life through a questionnaire. They were asked questions about their ideal family life, career, finances, personal enrichment, health & wellness, education and more.

Weeks later, participants were invited to shop at the ItAll store where items on the shelves mimicked the initial survey – salary ranges, types of careers, number of children, etc. In the store, however, each woman brought with them familiar, influential women in their life.

As they made their way through the store, the participants selected very different answers about their personal life ambitions. Participants declared a desire for higher salaries, chose to work more hours, wanted to spend more time with friends and be more involved with children.

“What was most compelling in this experiment was how women close to us can help to relieve the societal pressure to ‘have it all,’ and instead focus each other to achieve ‘her all,’” says Dr. Balcetis. “In the ItAll store, we saw women helping other women identify their truest versions of themselves and encouraging them to strike for higher potential.”

SPARKING A NEW DIALOGUE ON FEMALE AMBITION

Following the eye-opening results of the ItAll store, Lean Cuisine wants to create a new dialogue that ensures every woman can aspire not to ‘it all,’ but to the very best version of ‘her all.’ Earlier this year, the brand launched the L.E.A.N. Fund (Lend, Empower, Achieve, Nurture), which helps lower income women thrive as entrepreneurs by providing financial support and mentorship to females who need it most.

“Lean Cuisine has always set out to feed the greatness in women and we’re increasing our actions to explore how we can further support their pursuits,” says Rebecca Kvam, Lean CuisineCommunications Marketing Manager. “The ItAll store ignited a new candid, meaningful conversation between women about what they truly want for their lives, and we want to help create a future in which women’s impact on each other’s ambition is more positive than ever before.”

 For more information on Lean Cuisine's ItAll social experiment visit youtube.com/leancuisine.

About Social Experiment

Eighteen female participants were administered a 30-question electronic survey to determine how they would define their ideal life. They were asked multiple-choice questions about family life, career, finances, personal enrichment, health & wellness, education and more. Approximately 14 days later, they attended the ItAll store experience with their friends, family or colleagues that brought the survey to life through items available on the shelf that represented the survey options. The ItAll store was open on Friday, April 6 2018 and located at 76 Wooster Street New York, NY 10012. Each participant’s selections were analyzed to see where changes occurred from the initial survey to the in-store experience. The analysis compared both individual and group results to see where their selections changed across core topic areas and questions, contrasted with qualitative findings that were shared during the screening process.

About Lean Cuisine

A leader in frozen prepared dishes, Lean Cuisine is dedicated to feeding the greatness in every woman with delicious, satisfying and convenient meals. With over 90 frozen entrée options, each Lean Cuisine recipe is developed with women’s dietary preferences in mind - from non-GMO to gluten-free to vegan and high fiber. Our nutritionists work alongside our culinary team to create flavorful solutions that thoughtfully pair ingredients together. A Nestlé USA brand, Lean Cuisinehas been crafting on-trend recipes to fuel women for more than 35 years. For product news and information, visit LeanCuisine.com. Find Lean Cuisine on social media at Facebook.com/LeanCuisine, Instagram.com/leancuisine and on Twitter at @Lean Cuisine.

Nestlé USA

Named among “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for twenty consecutive years, Nestlé USA is committed to enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. By providing choices, from nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine to baking traditions with Nestlé Toll House, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverages that make good living possible. With 2016 sales of $9.7 billion, Nestlé USA is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company — with 2016 sales of $91 billion.

Tweet me:Video: Social Experiment Shows That Women Understate Life Goals Without Support from Other Women http://bit.ly/2IFHkAJ #Nestle #leancuisine

KEYWORDS: lean cuisine, Nestle, women having it all, Social Experiment, women supporting women

By Jim Olson, SVP of Safety, Republic Services

SOURCE:Republic Services

DESCRIPTION:

School will soon be out for the summer, which means more children will be outside playing in their neighborhoods. The National Safety Council has declared June to be National Safety Month, and it’s the perfect time to talk about summer safety around recycling and waste collection trucks.

Children are naturally fascinated by our trucks, and how they work, but it is important to keep a safe distance and use common sense around large vehicles —not just during the summer, but year-round.

We care about the communities we serve, and ensuring the safety of our drivers and the local residents is always our top priority. Here are a few Summer Safety Tips to encourage safe habits around residential collection vehicles.

Six Summer Safety Tips

1. Recycling and waste collection trucks and other delivery or service vehicles keep regular schedules, so know your street’s collection days so that you are mindful of when these vehicles will be in your neighborhood.

2. Keep a safe distance from the truck – at least 15 feet. Never climb on the truck when it’s parked. Do not play or stand in or around waste and recycling containers.

3. Do not attempt or allow children to help with loading any materials into the collection truck. Leave it to the driver or his helper to handle.

4. Our collection trucks make frequent stops and often back-up. Whether you are walking or driving near one of our trucks, don’t follow the truck too closely. Stay alert and listen for the back-up alarm with the “beep-beep-beep” sound.

5. Our drivers are highly trained and alert at all times, however there are places where the visibility is restricted for our drivers. If you can’t see him or her in the mirror or window, they might not be able to see you either. Get to a place where the driver can see you.

6. It takes collection trucks about twice as long to stop as a passenger car, so never cut or stop suddenly in front of one. Always keep a safe distance from a truck. 

Due to the nature of our industry, we prioritize safety above all else. An exemplary safety track record helps ensure that every employee returns home at the end of the day. It also helps us attract the best drivers and technicians, and strengthens our relationships with the communities we serve.

Over the past 10 years, Republic’s safety performance, based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data, has been 41 percent better than the industry average. Our Company’s Think. Choose. Live. safety slogan encapsulates our number one safety message to our employees: Think about what you are doing, Choose the safe answer, and Liveto go home to your family.

More tips to help keep our roads safer for pedestrians can be found on Together for Safer Road’s website.

Have a fun and safe summer!

For more “Beyond the Blue” blog posts, visit https://www.republicservices.com/blog

Tweet me:June is #NationalSafetyMonth, and it’s the perfect time to talk about summer safety around #recycling and waste collection trucks. http://bit.ly/2rjBw8K @RepublicService

KEYWORDS: Republic Services, summer, Recycling, waste collection

By Dr. Naveen Rao

SOURCE:Merck & Co., Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

Tweet me:Learn how @MerckforMothers is working to help developing countries achieve #SDG3 and improve #maternalhealth http://bit.ly/2IDWF8V via @NextBillion #endmaternalmortality

KEYWORDS: NYSE:MRK, SDGs, Merck & Co., next billion, maternal health, merck for mothers, public-private partnership, Universal Health Care

Meet the environmental leaders committed to sustainability innovation in the beverage sector

SOURCE:Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable

DESCRIPTION:

As Helen Keller so famously said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Since our inception in 2006, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has stayed true to this founding concept, with global beverage brands setting competition aside and coming together as an industry to advance environmental sustainability and value.

Together, we’ve tackled water stewardship by developing a living framework to guide beverage companies’ strategies, benchmarking studies, and toolkits. We’ve developed guidance for GHG emissions reporting, mapped the carbon footprints of common beverage types, and achieved major improvements in energy intensity. We’ve made a collective commitment to fight climate change and taken action.

And we’re just getting started.

With the participation of more than 60 environmental leaders from 18 beverage companies, consultancies, and associations, we’re focused on shaping the sustainable future of the beverage industry—and beyond. Our respective working groups are engaged in innovative projects, from working to enhance local water data access through basin collaborations to developing a future-focused roadmap for better carbon management.

Who are these environmental leaders taking collaborative action? Check out the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable's (BIER) blog post to find out.

About BIER

The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) is a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector. BIER aims to affect sector change through work focused on water stewardship, energy efficiency and climate change, beverage container recycling, sustainable agriculture, and eco-system services. BIER members include: American Beverage Association, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, Jackson Family Wines, New Belgium Brewing, MillerCoors, Molson Coors, Pernod Ricard, Ocean Spray Cranberries, and PepsiCo. For more information, visit www.bieroundtable.com.

Tweet me:Key to enhancing environmental #sustainability in the bev sector? Collaboration. Lucky to have lots of it. http://bit.ly/BIERBetterTogether

KEYWORDS: enviromental leadership, beverage industry, Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER), bier

SOURCE:Goldcorp

DESCRIPTION:

This year for World Water Day we decided to get creative and introduce you to a story about water! Days of Our Droplets combines an explanation of where water comes from and where it goes at a mine site with a story about some of the unfortunate potential consequences of poor water management that you may have heard about in the news.  We then go on to show how good water stewardship combined with innovative water-saving technology helps solve these problems in our industry. These animations and water characters will help us communicate with our stakeholders in a fun and easily understandable format on the different types of water found at mine sites and how the water moves throughout a mine, a topic that can be quite complex.  The story also helps us communicate how we are confronting some of the water management risks at our mines.

We hope you enjoy watching the videos as much as we enjoyed making them. Watch all the episodes here.

Tweet me:Have you met Diamond Diva, #Recycling Rita, Dewatering Dave or the Contamin-8 Gang? Watch @Goldcorp_Inc's series "The Days of Our Droplets to meet these figures of mine #water and see what they do on a #mining site. http://bit.ly/2ID163T

KEYWORDS: Goldcorp, Days of Our Droplets, Mining, Recycling, NYSE:GG

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DESCRIPTION:

Erika Irish Brown was honored for her contributions to the finance industry at the 2018 CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) Celebration on Tuesday evening, May 15, 2018. CBI is a comprehensive college guidance program which empowers more than 18,000 young women and men to realize their higher education and life potential.

The event, which took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center, also honored Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood, as well as CollegeBound Initiative Alumna Marjana Chowdhury, a Legal Analyst at BlackRock.

Erika joined Bloomberg as the company’s first Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion in 2015. She leads the development, implementation and monitoring of a global program to advance diversity and inclusion across the company’s human resources, including recruitment, retention, talent review, succession planning, career development and training. She is also active in promoting an institutional culture and inclusive environment to support diversity in all aspects of the business, including Bloomberg’s employee communities and external partnerships.

Prior to Joining Bloomberg, Brown was Bank of America’s Head of Diversity Recruiting, Program Management and Executive Recruiting. She has over 15 years of investment banking and capital markets experience at Morgan Stanley, the U.S. Treasury and Lehman Brothers.

A program of the Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN), which Bloomberg has supported since 2009, CBI places full-time college guidance experts in 36 high-need public schools. CBI counselors work one-on-one with every student to assist with their college awareness and access, while maximizing college placement and financial aid awards. 

Through Bloomberg Startup, the company’s education engagement program, we provide internship opportunities for the YWLN students and our employees provide mentoring and guidance with YWLN’s “Cool Women, Hot Jobs” program at their partner schools in Queens and East Harlem.

Students graduating from CBI partner high schools achieve four-year college degrees at approximately double the rate of their peers, with approximately 80% of CBI graduating seniors being the first in their family to attend college.

Read more about Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg. 

Click here to learn more about Bloomberg's social and environmental impact in the 2017 Impact Report. 

Tweet me:Bloomberg's @ErikaIrishBrown Recognized by #collegeboundinitiative @bloomberg #diversityandinclusion #leadership #bloombergstartup http://bit.ly/2KKhdZV

KEYWORDS: Bloomberg, Leadership, bloomberg impact, CollegeBound Initiative

Commitment includes company’s Skills to Succeed goal to equip more than 3 million people with job and entrepreneurial skills by 2020

SOURCE:Accenture

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, May 23, 2018 /3BL Media/ -  Supporting its vision to improve the way the world works and lives, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is committing more than US$200 million over the next three years to help equip disadvantaged people with job skills for the digital age.
 
"As a technology leader, we have an obligation to apply new scalable technology solutions to help solve complex societal challenges,” said Pierre Nanterme, Accenture’s chairman and CEO. “Our investments will continue to empower Accenture to produce socially minded partnerships and programs that will have a profound impact on the lives of millions of people throughout the world, now and for the future."

• Helping Youth Business USA develop a platform that uses artificial intelligence and analytics to connect young entrepreneurs from under-represented communities with the resources, skills, training and mentoring needed to grow their business.
• Working with Rede Cidadã and Instituto Ser Mais in Brazil to provide low-income populations with the business and technical skills they need to build meaningful, lasting careers in technology, including the opportunity to be hired by Accenture.

Tweet me:.@Accenture Commits $200 Million to Education, Training and Skills Initiative to Equip Disadvantaged People for Work in the Digital Age http://bit.ly/2LndwKZ

KEYWORDS: Accenture, skills to succeed, job skilling, NYSE:ACN

SOURCE:ReportAlert

DESCRIPTION:

Wynn Resorts today issued its 2017 Global Sustainability Report, providing a comprehensive view of the Company’s commitment to responsible business practices, corporate culture, environmental protection, and community service. The report also outlines several new initiatives supporting employee diversity and gender equity at the Company, reinforcing why Wynn Resorts continues to remain the industry employer of choice.

In a forward to the report, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox remarked, “We work to be the leader in community development, in environmental stewardship and in developing new leaders both inside and outside the company.” Maddox continued, “Over the years, the culture of Wynn Resorts and the individual passion of our employees has made giving back a part of who we are. No corporate program can replicate authentic compassion, and we continue to harness this powerful spirit.”

Detailed in the report are actions taken throughout the year in several key areas: corporate governance, global growth, workforce development, major philanthropic efforts, responsible sourcing, and prioritizing a healthy planet. New to this year’s report is an overview of the Company’s substantial investment in pioneering solar- and battery-powered clean energy solutions, as well as environmental cleanup efforts at the Encore Boston Harbor site, that have moved Wynn Resorts into a leadership position in environmental stewardship.

From among the many examples throughout the report, highlights include:

• Creation of the Wynn Resorts Culture and Community Department, which supports diversity and inclusion, gender equality, fair treatment in the workplace, and employee charitable efforts. In addition, several new benefits have been introduced including paid parental leave, an industry first for a casino resort in Nevada.
• Introduction of the Women’s Leadership Forum, designed to further close the gender gap in management, provide career growth opportunities for female employees at all levels, create pay and title equity, and ensure a safe workplace.
• More than $24 million and 22,000 employee volunteer hours donated to hundreds of charities, or invested in local communities on behalf of Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas, Boston, and Macau, including relief efforts after Typhoon Hato in Macau and Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
• Widespread Las Vegas elementary schools support, including Wynn’s innovative “Adopt-A-Classroom” program at Dean Petersen Elementary School that helped increase teacher retention rates, test scores, and the school’s overall rating by the Clark County school district.
• Construction and opening of a Crisis Intervention Centerserving homeless Veterans, created in partnership with the non-profit organization Veterans Village Las Vegas and hundreds of local trade companies that donated more than $1 million in materials.
• Extensive Remediation of the Encore Boston Harbor site, fixing decades of untold damage done by a former chemical plant that destroyed 630,000 tons of soil over 33 acres. This included the creation of a “living shoreline” along the Mystic River, meaning that more than seven acres of shoreline was restored to a natural state, improving water equality and increasing biodiversity.
• $12 million investment in solar energy, including the opening of the Wynn Solar Facility, a 160-acre solar facility that is currently powering 75% of the peak power needs at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. The Facility will eventually provide 100% of the power requirements for Wynn’s new lagoon and convention space expansion. The solar energy effort also includes the installation of 103,000 square feet of solar panels on Wynn’s rooftop.

Wynn Resorts has issued its 2017 Global Sustainability Report with data that references relevant Global Reporting Index (GRI) Standards. The report, along with more information on Wynn Resorts, can be found at www.wynnresorts.com/sustainability.

About Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts, Limited is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol WYNN and is part of the S&P 500 Index. Wynn Resorts owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas (wynnlasvegas.com), Wynn Macau (wynnmacau.com) and Wynn Palace, Cotai (wynnpalace.com).

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,750 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas, approximately 192,000 square feet of casino space, 22 dining experiences featuring signature chefs and 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 290,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 110,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms; three nightclubs, a beach club and recreation and leisure facilities. A luxury retail Strip-front expansion, Wynn Plaza, is currently under construction and is scheduled to debut in the second half of 2018.

Wynn Macau is a luxury hotel and casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with two luxury hotel towers with a total of 1,008 spacious rooms and suites, approximately 273,000 square feet of casino space, casual and fine dining in eight restaurants, approximately 31,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 59,000 square feet of retail space, and recreation and leisure facilities including two opulent spas, a salon and a rotunda show.

Wynn Palace is a luxury integrated resort in Macau. Designed as a floral-themed destination, it boasts 1,706 exquisite rooms, suites and villas, approximately 420,000 square feet of casino space, 11 food and beverage outlets, approximately 37,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 106,000 square feet of designer retail, SkyCabs that traverse an eight-acre Performance Lake, an extensive collection of rare art, a lush spa, salon and recreation and leisure facilities.

Wynn Resorts is currently constructing Encore Boston Harbor located in Everett, Massachusetts.

# # #

Contact:
Deanna Pettit-Irestone, Wynn Las Vegas
702-770-2121
deanna.pettit@wynnlasvegas.com

Read the Report

Tweet me:.@WynnLasVegas adds overview of the company’s investment in pioneering solar & battery-powered #cleanenergy solutions to their 2017 Global #Sustainability report http://bit.ly/2IHbDHh

KEYWORDS: Wynn Resorts, Women’s Leadership Forum, sustainability, biodiversity, Clean Energy

Sustainable Brands brings P&G, Braskem, PwC, Clif Bar, LG Electronics & others to collaborate on innovative products and services for The Good Life

SOURCE:Sustainable Brands

DESCRIPTION:

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Sustainable Brands® recently unveiled the full programming and schedule for the Activation Hub at SB’18 Vancouver, running June 4-7 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Activation Hub is the central hub of the Vancouver conference, an area where attendees gather to hear from solution-providers, to collaborate and co-create on market sector innovations, and to network with current and future partners.

This year’s Activation Hub will host pavilions dedicated to 12 different market sectors: Good Food, Good Fashion, Good Technology, Good Materials & Packaging and others. Beginning on Monday, June 4^th with an Opening Night Reception in the Activation Hub, each pavilion will feature scheduled programming, business leader meet-n-greets, and Innovation Labs facilitated by subject matter experts from Forum for the Future, Futerra, Sustainability, Elevator, University of British Columbia and others.

Pavilion highlights include:

• P&G will host the ‘Good Growth’ pavilion and explore how large, growing brands can inspire and promote responsible consumerism while still growing their business.  P&G will also be hosting a youth summit, inviting local youth to discuss the issues of oceans plastics, in preparation of World Ocean Day.  The pavilion will also feature American Forests, World Scouts, CarrotNewYork, The Embedding Project, The Ocean Project, The Recycling Partnership, Arbor Day Foundation, and Makersite.
• Braskem will serve as anchor host for the ‘Good Materials & Packaging’ pavilion, focusing on how brands are reducing packaging and incorporating circular economy practices into their everyday products. The pavilion will also feature BillerudKorsnäs, Vinyl Business Sustainability Council (VSBC), Boothster, Keurig Green Mountain, and Recycle BC.
• A ‘Good Cities’ pavilion, hosted by PwC, will discuss how to make cities healthier places to live as they continue to grow. The pavilion will also include Vancouver Economic Commission, who launched a Startup City: Impact program to connect attendees from SB’18 Vancouver with up-and-coming social and environmental entrepreneurs from Vancouver.
• A ‘Good Travel & Leisure’, hosted by Living Elements, will explore how the travel industry can incorporate sustainable practices. The pavilion will feature SoulBuffalo, who will bring their glamping tents onsite for attendees to collaborate in.
• A ‘Good Earth’ pavilion will explore how brands are helping reduce their impact on the environment, focusing on oceans and forests, featuring The Plastic Bank, One Tree Planted, EREMA Plastic Recycling Systems, The Earth Group, Canadian Council of Foresters, Alive & Awake, World Tree and News Deeply as Media Partner.
• A ‘Good Fashion’ pavilion, featuring UNIFI, Inc., Savers | Value Village, Bank & Vogue, Green Story, Looptworks, S’well and Biji Biji Ethical Fashion. UNIFI will bring back their popular Repreve truck to the Activation Hub, an interactive, walk-through truck that showcases how peat is turned into recycled materials while giving attendees the chance to win upcycled clothing. S’well will be distributing free water bottles to all conference attendees.  
• A ‘Good Food’ pavilion, focused on shifting tides in our food system, will feature Clif Bar, Nestlé, Padilla | Food Minds, Spoiler Alert, US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), Eagle Protect PBC and Trust in Food™ as a Media Partner. Nestlé will present attendees with ice cream and discuss how they’re working to support bee habitats through their widely-used ingredients.
• A ‘Good Retail’ pavilion will explore how retail brands are optimizing sourcing and navigating emerging issues in the retail industry. The pavilion will feature the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), LUSH, Starbucks and Smarter Sorting.
• A ‘Good Finance’ pavilion focused on cutting-edge financial models will host EY, iCompli, Tides and Corporate Knights as a media partner.
• A ‘Good Workplace’ pavilion will explore how brands are attracting and retaining top talent by innovating their company from the inside out. The pavilion will feature Cupanion, Diversey, and Porpoise.
• A ‘Good Supply Chain’ pavilion will showcase brands and solution providers that are improving transparency and accountability in the value chain. The pavilion will feature BullFrog Power, Intertek, Segura Weir-TS, The Sustainability Consortium, Trex Company, Water for People and WAP Sustainability.

To complement their discussions in the Activation Hub, several sponsors are organizing special events and receptions for attendees. The conference kicks off with a tree planting event hosted by Arbor Day Foundation and a Greening Your Business Infrastructure tour, hosted by The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. Clif Bar will host a 4-mile Great Trail hike on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The hikes on Tuesday and Wednesday will be led by Ultra runner and Vancouver local, Ellie Greenwood. On Tuesday evening after a reception hosted by Salesforce.org, LUSH will host a tour of their cosmetics factory for attendees, providing vegan food and drinks. In partnership with LUSH, Hives for Humanity will host a walk to East Van Roasters and Hastings Urban Farm to learn about social entrepreneurship and sample locally roasted coffee, chocolate and honey. The Activation Hub will also host the SB Innovation Open (SBIO) semi-finals on Tuesday, whereby 11 social or environmental startups will pitch their innovations before a panel of judges and audience members.  

Other sponsors and exhibitors at SB’18 Vancouver include BASF, Salesforce.org, SC Johnson, 21^st Century Fox, Danone, The Nature Conservancy, Driscoll’s, Shaw Industries, 599 Labs, ECOR, Catalist, BSR, younoodle, Participant Media, lululemon, Visa, TD Bank, Target, Schneider Electric, Rolland, MGM Resorts, Do Some Good, MBDC, Future of Internet Power, Nice and Serious and Leger.  

The Activation Hub at SB’18 Vancouver will run Monday, June 4^th through Thursday, June 7th at the Vancouver Convention Center. This year, Community Passes are available for those wishing to participate in this immersive networking experience, in addition to the Opening Night Welcome Reception hosted by BASF and plenary session featuring Sadhu Johnston, City Manager of Vancouver, John Izzo, Bestselling Author, and Marcelo Lu, President of BASF Canada. Pre-registration is encouraged and available for purchase at www.SB18Vancouver.com. For more information about the Activation Hub, email engage@sustainablebrands.com or call 415.626.2212.

About Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Brands^® is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year. Sustainable Brands is hosted by Sustainable Brands Worldwide, a division of Sustainable Life Media headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Tweet me:Global #Brand Leaders Set to Redesign the Future of Commerce at the @SustainBrands #SB18Vancouver Conference: http://bit.ly/2x9jTyw #Sustainability #CSR #BetterBrands

KEYWORDS: sustainable brands

SOURCE:National Diversity Council

DESCRIPTION:

The Florida Diversity Council recently appointed Brian J. Fitzpatrick, senior director of Administration at Tampa-based Ultimate Medical Academy, to its board of directors.

“I am proud to join FLDC colleagues from employers across the state in discussing best practices for developing a diverse and inclusive work environment,” Fitzpatrick said. “I am also proud that UMA is committed to such a workplace and continues to advance diversity and inclusion initiatives.”

UMA, a nonprofit accredited healthcare educational institution, has provided resources to support the Tampa Bay chapter of the FLDC. Fitzpatrick represented UMA, along with several colleagues, at both the Women in Leadership Symposium on March 23 and a panel on “Including White Men in the D&I Conversation” on April 4.

Fitzpatrick joined UMA in October 2016 where he leads complex, cross-functional projects across Human Resources, Legal, IT, Compliance, Marketing, and Communications. Prior to UMA, he was director of International Business Development at another educational institution.

About the Florida Diversity Council

A non-profit organization committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity. The council affords opportunities for organizations to share best practices and learn from top corporate leaders in the areas of diversity and inclusion. Regional advisory boards are located in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida. For more information about the Florida Diversity Council visit www.floridadiversitycouncil.org.

About Ultimate Medical Academy

Ultimate Medical Academy is a nonprofit healthcare educational institution with a national presence. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida and founded in 1994, the school has more than 40,000 alumni and offers content-rich, interactive online courses to more than 15,000 students as well as hands-on training to hundreds of students. Ultimate Medical Academy students have access to academic advising, one-on-one or group tutoring, resume and interview coaching, job search assistance, technical support and more. Ultimate Medical Academy is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Learn more by visiting https://www.ultimatemedical.edu/.

KEYWORDS: National Diversity Council, Florida Diversity Council, Leadership, Brian J. Fitzpatrick

Renee O’Neal, of Schmidt Family Restaurant Group, Accepts the Award for Top General Manager

SOURCE:The Wendy's Company

DESCRIPTION:

by Bob Wright

Last month, Wendy’s recognized and celebrated 200 outstanding restaurant General Managers (GMs) for their leadership, performance, dedication, and continued service to the Wendy’s brand. 

I was honored to participate in the Top GM awards dinner, where we announced the Top 10 GMs in front of their peers. The thrill of the evening was seeing Renee O’Neal accept her award as our Top General Manager. Renee and her franchise organization, Schmidt Family Restaurant Group, should be incredibly proud of this accomplishment.

Renee began working at Wendy’s when she was just a 17-year-old high school student and truly represents the career opportunities that are available at Wendy’s. She is passionate, proud, caring, and committed to her team and her customers. And boy does it show! Renee can’t help but have a smile on her face when she talks about working at Wendy’s.

Watch the video to learn more about why Renee thinks “Wendy’s is awesome.” Congratulations, Renee! We’re proud to call you a member of the Wendy’s family. 

To learn more about Wendy's visit the Square Deal blog.

Tweet me:.@Wendys presents Top General Manager Award to Renee O'Neal of Schmidt Family Restaurant Group http://bit.ly/2Lns9Og #opportunity #joy #professionaldevelopment

KEYWORDS: Wendys, Schmidt Family Restaurant Group, Top General Manager Award

SOURCE:Ceres

DESCRIPTION:

May 23, 2018  /3BL Media/ - A new coalition backed by the National Association of Manufacturers aims to 'undermine critical shareholder rights that investors have long supported and relied on to help them effectively and efficiently protect the long-term value of their investments,' Ceres CEO and President Mindy said in a statement. 

Lubber added: 

Climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and other sustainability threats can pose significant material financial risks to many companies, particularly in industries like oil and gas, electric power, insurance, food and beverage, transportation and agriculture. Investors, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), long have recognized that these threats can be material and that solutions to these threats present opportunities for investment portfolios. 

Through the shareholder proposal process, and other cost-effective engagement tools, investors have worked hard to ensure companies, where appropriate, disclose their exposure to these risk and act on them. By doing so, investors help to provide a valuable safeguard by promoting resilience in the companies, their portfolios, and ultimately, the U.S. economy as a whole. 

Creating obstacles for investors to offer non-binding shareholder resolutions — particularly when a growing number of shareholders are seeking more information from companies on how they are addressing major risks — is the exact wrong move at the exact wrong time. 

The investors, companies, and individuals of actual Main Street USA should not be fooled by the name of this new coalition, which appears to be a thinly veiled effort to protect those corporations that are unwilling and unprepared to adapt to a changing world — worsening risks for their employees and investors alike. 

Simply put, this new effort is an attempt to undermine the decades of progress by investors to get the information they need in order to make sound short and long-term investment decisions, and to spur companies to become more resilient as the world changes around them. Investors have been loud and clear that shareholder resolutions are not based on political whim—as this coalition insinuates—but based on promoting the financial strength of the companies they invest in. 

Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. For more information, visit www.ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Tweet me:"The exact wrong move at the exact wrong time." Read a full statement from @CeresNews CEO and President @MindyLubber on the recently formed 'Main Street Investor' coalition and its efforts to undermine shareholder rights. https://bit.ly/2GGD4PL

Contact Info:

Sara Sciammacco
Ceres
+1 (617) 247-0700ext. 172
sciammacco@cerees.org

KEYWORDS: Shareholder Rights, long-term value, disclose, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, material financial risks, national association of manufacturers, CERES

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County has provided critical-needs home repair to low-income residents of Montgomery County free of charge for the past 27 years. Last year alone, we completed 304 projects for 112 homeowners thanks to the support of more than 681 volunteers who invested over 6,000 hours of service into our community.

This past month (April) we joined our fellow affiliates across the country in celebrating Rebuilding Together’s annual month-long call to service event, National Rebuilding Month, which culminated with National Rebuilding Day on April 28th. This year, more than 33,000 volunteers served in nearly 1,500 affiliate-led rebuild projects across the country throughout National Rebuilding Month.

National Rebuilding Month originated in 1973 in Midland, TX, with volunteers helping neighbors rebuild their homes. The group founded Rebuilding Together and gathered around a month of service each year in April. The mission then grew beyond the idea of providing service one month per year to bringing volunteers together to provide people in need with critical home repairs and revitalize communities year-round. Now Rebuilding Together is a leading national nonprofit in safe and healthy housing that provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs and revitalizes the communities in which they live.

13 Montgomery County Homeowners Receive Much-needed Support from the Community on National Rebuilding Day 2018
For Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, National Rebuilding Day serves as a community volunteer event where individuals, community organizations, and businesses can come together to help neighbors that are in need of safe and healthy home repairs.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County had the support from over 15 faith-based organizations, businesses, and groups for National Rebuilding Day. These groups worked on the homes of 13 Montgomery County homeowners in need of safe and healthy home repairs including plumbing and electrical work, grab bar installation, fire prevention equipment installation, and a number of other repairs. In all, over 400 volunteers participated in National Rebuilding Day. Sponsoring organizations included Church of Christ at Manor Woods, Sandy Spring Bank, DG Liu Construction, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church, Helping Hands Poolesville, B’nai Israel Congregation, Faith United Methodist Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Temple Beth Ami, Shaare Torah, Donohoe Construction Company, Christ Episcopal Church, Revere Bank, Saint Mark Presbyterian, and Neelsville Presbyterian Church.

Want to Volunteer with or Support Rebuilding Together Montgomery County? Here’s How:
Rebuilding Together Montgomery County is fortunate to have volunteers and businesses donate their time and supplies for various projects throughout the year. However, this is not the case for the majority of our projects. Home repairs and modifications can be costly and time consuming. Projects completed throughout the county can range from small repairs to full roof or furnace replacements.

Typically we invest around $2,000 on each home we work on. This investment covers the cost of supplies, equipment, and contracted labor. It does not include the use of labor and supplies donated to Rebuilding Together Montgomery County. Additionally, it does not include the cost for staff expenses, insurance, licenses, permits, and our organizations infrastructure.

Continued support to Rebuilding Together Montgomery County through America’s Charities and other workplace giving programs allows us to fund projects and our organization as a whole. Your support makes it possible for elders to safely age in place, children to get a full night sleep in a warm home, and a veteran to enjoy a dry and mold free home. To make your donation to Rebuilding Together Montgomery County now, please visit our website at www.rebuildingtogethermc.org/donate.   

If you’re a business owner who would like to bring workplace giving to your company as a way to support our work, please click here and our workplace giving partner America’s Charities can help you get started.

Interested in Joining us for National Rebuilding Day Next April?
Individuals or groups that did not get a chance to participate in National Rebuilding Day this year can help Rebuilding Together Montgomery County by donating to the organization or by beginning to organize a National Rebuilding Day group for next year. It is never too early to begin planning! Please visit our website for additional information.

To sign up as an individual volunteer we invite you to register through our website, www.rebuildingtogethermc.org/volunteer-center. We also invite you to follow us on Facebook  for the latest organizational updates and upcoming events.

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: 400+ Volunteers Join @RTMontCo to Help 13 Homeowners with Critical Needs and Repairs https://impact.ac/2J37gtK #SocialResponsibility #Volunteer #RebuildingMonth

KEYWORDS: America’s Charities, workplace giving, employee giving, Corporate Social Responsibility, csr, charity vetting, payroll deduction giving, Fundraising, Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, National Rebuilding Month

By Cliff White

SOURCE:Albertsons Companies

DESCRIPTION:

Originally appeared on SeafoodSource

A wide consortium of global tuna buyers, NGOs, and fishing industry associations have issued a call to regional fishery management organizations that they adopt more stringent rules on harvest strategies, fish-aggregating devices, bycatch limits, catch monitoring and control, and surveillance.

The letter, issued by a diverse, global group of 118 commercial and nonprofit organizations calling for “immediate action by tuna RFMOs to address critical tuna sustainability priorities.” The missive was sent to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Continue reading on SeafoodSource

Tweet me:.@AlbertsonsCos among 118 organizations calling for critical improvements in global tuna fisheries http://bit.ly/2rM7tH1

KEYWORDS: Albertsons Companies, Responsible Choice, seafood, tuna, SWY:SWY