CSRwire Press Releases, Events and Reports

CSRwire CEO Receives 2013 Listen Learn Care Award for Outstanding Service to Mankind

05.22.2013 - 03:30PM

In conjunction with this year's Weekend in Boca Civil Society Leadership Symposium, the Office Depot Foundation proudly hosted the Listen Learn Care Awards Celebration on Friday, May 17, 2013.

The awards, which reflect the Foundation’s mission – Listen Learn Care® – are presented annually and recognize a select group individuals of and/or non-profit organizations from around the country who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary creativity, innovation and achievement in serving the community of mankind.

“The Office Depot Foundation is strongly committed to serving children, families and communities around the world,” said Mary Wong, President of the Office Depot Foundation. “We seek to fulfill our mission not only through our own work, but also by helping to strengthen other non-profit organizations and by encouraging – and honoring – exceptional leadership in the non-profit, business, government or volunteer arenas through the Listen Learn Care Awards.”

This year’s honorees include:

Michael Chatman, host of the weekly #WHYiGIVE chat on Twitter and senior vice president of philanthropy for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in Springfield, Mo., is known as “America’s Maverick Philanthropist.” #WHYiGIVE has been voted the most inspiring chat in philanthropy. Chatman also hosts a weekly radio program on the Bloomberg/Wall Street Business Network.
Joe Sibilia, CEO of CSRwire – a digital media platform for the latest corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, views and research, is also the founder of the Gasoline Alley Foundation in Springfield, Mass. His work through the Foundation has incubated 43 small businesses since 1985 and focuses on teaching inner city and/or underprivileged persons to be successful entrepreneurs.
The One Heart Project is an initiative of the Heart of a Champion Foundation, growing out of the real-life events surrounding a high school football game between Grapevine Faith School and Gainesville State School—a Texas maximum-security facility. The story is the subject of an upcoming film, One Heart, produced by Eterné Films in association with Birchwood Pictures.
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in West Palm Beach, Fla., celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. It awards grants to help meet community needs, fulfill donors’ philanthropic wishes and strengthen the non-profit sector. Founded in 1972, it has total assets of more than $140 million and has awarded over $94 million in grants and scholarships.
Sara Brenes (Youth Award) founded the Shark Whisperer Organization in 2011 when she was 15. Brenes is committed to promoting advocacy, awareness and education about sharks and ocean conservation. After graduating from high school in June 2013, she plans to attend college and eventually earn a Ph.D. in marine biology with a specialty in shark biology.
The Boca Raton Resort & Club (Honorary Award) – a Waldorf Astoria Resort – is one of Boca Raton’s best-known, well-loved and most historic venues. Numerous non-profit organizations host fundraising benefits, awards ceremonies and similar programs within its world-class facilities. The Boca Resort has been named one of Travel + Leisure's “Greatest Hotels in the World.”

“I’m honored to be among the recipients of the Listen Learn Care Awards,” said Joe Sibilia. “It is through such community service, educational and philanthropic achievements that we build and bolster healthy communities around the globe—and it starts locally. All of our initiatives and achievements began in or near the communities where we work and live. I’m grateful to the Office Depot Foundation for their unwavering commitment to supporting grassroots community initiatives.”

Previous recipients have included three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart and his mother, Pam Boas, an officer of the Tony Stewart Foundation; Dr. Michael Guillen, chairman and president of Philanthropy Project and executive producer of the award-winning film, Little Red Wagon; Emmanuel “Manny” Ohonme, founder, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Feet International; Zach Bonner, advocate for homeless youth and founder of the Little Red Wagon Foundation; the Navajo Code Talkers; and former Miami Dolphins greats Nat Moore and Dwight Stephenson, both of whom established foundations to serve young people in the community.

Sponsors of the Listen Learn Care Awards Celebration include the Wyndham Boca Raton, St. Andrew’s School, JKG Group, the Golden Bell Foundation, Eurest Dining Services, Coca-Cola and See Jane Work.

About the Office Depot Foundation
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation − tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) − that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that give children tools to succeed in school and in life; build the capacity of non-profit organizations through collaboration and innovation; and help communities prepare for disasters, as well as recovering and rebuilding afterwards. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org, and follow us on Twitter.

About CSRwire
CSRwire is a digital media platform and the leading global source of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability news, views and research. Founded in 1999 to advance the movement toward a more economically just and environmentally sustainable society and away from single bottom line capitalism, CSRwire has paved the way for new standards of corporate citizenship, earning the international respect of thought leaders, business leaders, academics, philanthropists, activists and the media community. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Climate Change, Carbon Bubble and New York's Green Bank

05.22.2013 - 03:00PM

The 1st edition of the TBLI CONFERENCE™ USA 2013 in New York, USA from June 17-18 at UFT, 52 Broadway, supported by UN Global Compact and in cooperation with research partner The Sasakawa Foundation, targets urgent ESG and impact investment needs.

In 2010, governments conﬁrmed in the Cancún Agreement that emissions should be reduced to avoid a rise in global average temperature of more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with the possibility of revising this down to 1.5°C. Modelling used in previous analyses by Carbon Tracker and the IEA showed that the carbon budget for a 2°C scenario would be around 565 – 886 billion tonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO2) to 2050. This outcome assumes that non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. methane and nitrous oxide) remain high. This is only a fraction of the carbon embedded in the world’s indicated fossil fuel reserves, which amount to 2,860GtCO2.

A precautionary approach means only 20% of total fossil fuel reserves can be burnt to 2050. As a result the global economy already faces the prospect of assets becoming stranded and the problem will get worse if current investment trends continue - in effect, a carbon bubble. Using all fossil fuels will breach the global carbon dioxide budget.

In January of this year, Richard L. Kauffman joined Governor Cuomo’s Cabinet as the Chairman of a newly formed Energy & Finance Sub-Cabinet. Mr Kauffman's role will be instrumental in shaping New York’s new $1 billion Green Bank, which Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in his State of the State address. Mr Kauffman underlines the need for radical change in regulatory rules in order to provide financing for small projects. He is a strong advocate of green banks working where they can mobilize the private sector, creating linkages with market intermediaries, and using private capital in wholesale markets.

During his keynote address, Mr Kauffman will explain how New York Government's future policies will expand the marketplace for clean energy generation, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and low-carbon development by animating market forces and encouraging private sector participation. TBLI CONFERENCE™ USA 2013, organized by TBLI GROUP™, is the prime catalyst of ESG and impact investing and convenes important investors and asset owners, as well as thought leaders in sustainable finance.

Who is involved?
The TBLI network consists of influential asset owners, asset managers, sustainability professionals and other in the ESG and impact investing space. Players include: ABN AMRO, Bank Sarasin, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, ING, UBS, Rabobank to the Carbon Disclosure Project, GATE Impact and Liquidnet to name a few.

What is ESG?
According to the Financial Times lexicon “ESG” (environmental, social and governance) is a generic term used in capital markets and used by investors to evaluate corporate behavior and to determine the future financial performance of companies. ESG factors include sustainable, ethical and corporate governance issues such as managing a company’s carbon footprint and safeguarding systems in place to ensure full accountability. Fund managers and financial analysts who can interpret and relate ESG factors to a company’s future prospects may potentially develop a competitive advantage should others fail to recognize the same risks or opportunities related to those factors.

TBLI GROUP™ introduced the idea that a truly sound investment is one that provides both financial rewards and offers social and environmental benefits: Triple Bottom Line Investing (TBLI). Based in Amsterdam, TBLI GROUP™ raises awareness in the financial sector of the benefits of impact investment. It advises both companies and individuals who wish to institutionalize sustainability and acts as a global educator, providing a network for parties who share in this goal. The subsidiary TBLI CONFERENCE™ draws attention to the benefits of TBLI by organizing two annual events in which the world’s thought leaders on sustainability network, exchange information and ideas on the latest developments in screening, auditing, reporting, ESG, SRI analysis, corporate citizenship, impact investing, indexes, and research. The subsidiary TBLI CONSULTING™ offers result-oriented advisory and networking services, which, among other projects, assists in mobilizing capital and locating strategic partners for leading impact investment private equity funds, micro-finance bonds, and green mortgages.

Puerto Rican Firm Is Awarded Prestigious B Corp Certification

05.22.2013 - 02:13PM

Impactivo Consulting, a social impact consulting firm, is the first company in Puerto Rico to become a Certified B Corporation.

This prestigious certification is awarded by B Lab, a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Clinton Global Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation, and USAID, among others, to companies that voluntarily meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Impactivo joins over 740 Certified B Corps in more than 60 industries in 25 countries with business models that incorporate human and social needs to their formulas for success.

According to María Fernanda Levis, CEO of Impactivo Consulting, her firm belongs to a global movement looking to redefine success in business. “Business rules have changed and a good product no longer guarantees a company’s success. Businesses that understand and positively intervene in the socio-economic frame in which they operate are better positioned for success than businesses that focus solely on profit maximization,” Levis said.

Certified B Corps’ impact has driven 11 states to pass legislation that formalizes and incentivizes the development of this type of business, while 16 additional states are following through with similar processes. Government’s interest in promoting B Corps is rooted in how this type of business is mindful of the people’s best interest, thus creating greater confidence in its management and how it effectively aligns social needs and those of the corporation.

The first B Corp in Puerto Rico, Impactivo Consulting, embodies this model. According to Levis, Impactivo was created to have a stronger impact on people’s health and education through the proliferation of successful business models. In 30 months of operation, Impactivo has accessed more than $5.3 million in federal and private funds for nonprofits in the Island, creating 40 new jobs. Additionally, Impactivo’s services have generated close to $10 million in new revenues for companies in the healthcare sector by implementing patient-centered business models. Levis noted that, during the same period, the company has been able to sustain growth of 200% while the local economy has been contracting, thus making Impactivo itself a testament to its belief that: in the new world of business, investing in your community is investing in your own sustainability.

About Impactivo Consulting
Impactivo is part of a global movement to redefine success in business. The company was built to help communities thrive by placing social impact at the center of its work and using market forces to improve people’s lives. Impactivo applies systems research, policy, strategy and funding methodologies to some of the toughest social problems. This approach is particularly effective in the areas of health and health care, childhood and education, and philanthropy, Impactivo’s top areas of expertise. Through their work, Impactivo has found that not only can they achieve important social outcomes, they can also improve their clients’ and their own bottom line, making Impactivo itself a testament to their belief. The company’s efforts are creating better jobs and improving the quality of life in their communities.

www.impactivo.com

www.bcorporation.net/community/impactivo-consulting

About B Corp
Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance; legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests; and build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. As of May 2013, there are over 740 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries and 25 countries, representing a diverse multi-billion dollar marketplace.

www.bcorporation.net

About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement to redefine success in business so that all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world. B Lab drives this systemic change through a number of interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing; 2) passing legislation to accelerate growth of social entrepreneurship and impact investing (11 states have already passed benefit corporation legislation); 3) driving capital to high impact investments through the use of GIIRS Ratings and Analytics (more than 60 investors with over $3B in impact assets under management use GIIRS); and 4) providing free, powerful tools for businesses to measure, compare, and improve their social and environmental performance (more than 7,000 businesses use B Lab’s free Impact Assessment).

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Impactivo Consulting, una firma de consultoría de impacto social, se ha convertido en la primera compañía en Puerto Rico en ser dotada con la certificación B Corp.

Esta prestigiosa certificación es otorgada por B Lab, una entidad endosada por el Clinton Global Initiative, la Fundación Rockefeller y USAID, entre otros, a compañías que se acogen voluntariamente a los más altos estándares de trasparencia, rendición de cuentas, y desempeño social y ambiental. Impactivo se une a más de 740 B Corps certificadas en 25 países y 60 industrias que trabajan con modelos de negocios que incorporan las necesidades humanas a sus fórmulas de éxito.

Según María Fernanda Levis, principal oficial ejecutiva de Impactivo Consulting, su firma pertenece a un movimiento global orientado a redefinir el éxito en los negocios. “Las reglas de negocio han cambiado y un buen producto ya no es suficiente para que una empresa sea exitosa. Las empresas que entienden e intervienen positivamente en el marco socio-económico en el que operan están mejor posicionadas para el éxito que los negocios que se enfocan exclusivamente en la maximización de ganancias”, dijo Levis.

El impacto de la certificación B Corps ha logrado que 11 estados de los Estados Unidos hayan pasado legislación para formalizar e incentivar el desarrollo de este tipo de empresas y que 16 estados adicionales estén encaminando procesos similares. El beneficio para los gobiernos de promover el aumento de B Corps estriba en que este tipo de empresa tiene presente el mejor interés del pueblo, creando así mayor confianza sobre su gestión y logrando el alineamiento efectivo entre las necesidades sociales y las de la corporación.

La primera B Corp de Puerto Rico, Impactivo Consulting, es ejemplo del referido modelo. Según Levis, Impactivo fue creada para tener un mayor impacto sobre la salud y la educación de la gente a través de la proliferación de modelos de negocios exitosos. En 30 meses de operación, Impactivo ha logrado acceder a más de $5.3 millones en fondos federales y privados para organizaciones sin fines de lucro en la Isla, creando así unos 40 empleos nuevos. Adicionalmente, los servicios de Impactivo le han generado cerca de $10 millones en ingresos nuevos a compañías del campo de salud a través de la implementación de modelos de negocios enfocados en el paciente. Levis indicó que, durante el mismo periodo, la empresa ha sido capaz de sustentar un crecimiento de 200% mientras la economía local se ha contraído, siendo así testimonio de lo que predica: que en el nuevo mundo de los negocios, invertir en tu comunidad es invertir en tu sustentabilidad.

Acerca de Impactivo Consulting
Impactivo, una firma de consultoría de impacto social, se especializa en las áreas de la salud y servicios de salud, la infancia y la educación, y la filantropía. Producimos soluciones que traducen investigaciones y política pública complicadas en acción. Además, creamos capacidades para una financiación sistémica, operacional y estratégica. Impactivo ofrece una amplia gama de servicios para la planificación estratégica, la sostenibilidad financiera, y la administración de programas, de esta manera apoyando a los líderes a la vanguardia de la innovación social en la toma de decisiones estratégicas y organizacionales que lleven a resultados excepcionales. Estamos dedicados al desarrollo de iniciativas que mejoren el estado de salud, el alcance educativo y el bienestar general de las personas que viven en Puerto Rico y en el extranjero.

www.impactivo.com

www.bcorporation.net/community/impactivo-consulting

Acerca de B Corp
Las empresas certificadas como B Corp cumplen rigurosos estándares de desempeño social y ambiental; amplían legalmente sus responsabilidades corporativas para considerar los intereses de los participantes; y construyen una voz colectiva a través del poder de la unificación de la marca B Corporation. Al mes de mayo de 2013, hay más de 740 B Corps certificadas en 25 países y 60 industrias trabajando con modelos de negocios que incorporan las necesidades sociales y humanas a sus fórmulas de éxito y que representan un mercado diverso y multimillonario.

www.bcorporation.net

Acerca de B Lab
B Lab es una organización sin fines de lucro que promueve un movimiento mundial para redefinir el éxito en los negocios, por lo que todas las empresas no sólo compiten para ser las mejores del mundo, sino las mejores para el mundo. B Lab impulsa este cambio sistemático a través de una serie de iniciativas relacionadas entre sí: 1) la construcción de una comunidad de empresas certificadas B Corp para que sea más fácil para todos nosotros saber la diferencia entre "buenas empresas" y buen mercadeo; 2) promover legislación para acelerar el crecimiento de las iniciativas con énfasis empresarial-social y la inversión a base de impactos positivos (11 estados ya han aprobado leyes para las empresas B Corp); 3) dirigiendo capital hacia inversiones de alto impacto social a través de la utilización de GIIRS Ratings and Analytics (más de 60 inversionistas con más de $3 mil millones en activos de impacto social son manejados con GIIRS); y 4) proporcionando herramientas gratis y de gran alcance a empresas para medir, comparar y mejorar su desempeño social y ambiental (más de 7,000 empresas utilizan la Evaluación de Impacto gratis de B Lab).

Boosting the 'Fourth-sector' Economy is Goal of 200-delegate Summit at Harvard

05.22.2013 - 12:52PM

From deep inside a bastion of the American establishment, and armed with a $50,000 “carrot,” 200 delegates from more than 25 states are gathering with a mission to move America’s economic policy from growth for just profits toward growth “for benefit.”

Welcome to the fourth-sector economy – populated by a new class of organizations at the intersection of the three traditional spaces – public, private and non-profit.

“If you have a commercial metabolism and a social purpose, you are in this no-man's land between the sectors,” says Harvard law school student Robert Yoskowitz, a co-chair of the two-day conference at Harvard University on Thursday and Friday.

The organizations under study at Harvard are being referred to as “for-benefit” enterprises. The sponsors and organizers of “Growing the Impact Economy,” (www.ImpactEconomySummit.com) want economic-development officials to start paying more attention to them.

“Outdated legal and market structures assume you have to be either a for-profit or a non-profit," says British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, in remarks of support pre-taped for the summit. "But in fact, much of the innovation we need, whether in health care, finance, education energy or any number of other issues, is in the gray area in between these sectors … we envision a future in which the purpose of business is to drive social, environmental and economic benefit.”

By the end of Friday, funders attending the summit at Harvard Law School plan to award $50,000 in seed grants to catalyze high-potential collaborations and regional economic development initiatives aimed at growing the “for-benefit” sector.

“Everybody is focused on growing the economy, and the assumption is that means growing for-profit firms,” states Yoskowitz. “But there are also for-benefit firms that not only contribute economically, but are also solving social and environmental problems leveraging private capital … and yet they are nowhere on the radar.”

Proponents of the social-venture, or “impact” economy say it is already growing on its own, but that it needs to be featured and emphasized by economic-development officials. Summit goals include better defining, strengthening and forming regional clusters of “for-benefit” businesses, and strengthening the supportive ecosystems that such a new sector needs to survive. These include frameworks for financial support, metrics, policy recognition, accountability, and adequate support organizations and businesses – all of which already sustain the traditional for-profit and nonprofit spaces.

“The for-profit/non-profit architecture that's been built up over the years has created bifurcated structures in which for-benefit entities are forced to operate,” says Yoskowitz. “The form is not fitting the function. We can only bend the walls so much before we need to recognize something else. This recognition lies at the heart of this fourth sector, aligning business and human values that have long been artificially kept isolated. But we must envision what infrastructure this new sector needs to be vibrant in 10, 20, 50 years time, and create those structures here and now.”

The invitation-only summit brings together investors, funders, social entrepreneurs, government officials along with scholars from at least 12 universities for informal discussions aimed accelerating growth of the “impact economy.” It’s the brainchild of several Harvard students at the college and its graduate business, law and public-policy schools.

Among questions under consideration: What distinguishes for-benefit organizations from traditional forms of business or charity? How can they excel at accelerating jobs and enterprise creation? What challenges to they face and how might governments, investors and lenders help with such things as regional support clusters?

“The fourth sector presents a tremendous opportunity for accelerating job creation and economic growth across the United States,” organizers said in conference materials. “There are tens of thousands of socially motivated entrepreneurs, tens of millions of socially conscious consumers, and billions of dollars in impact investment capital that favor for-benefit enterprises.”

Summit public advisors include former White House chief of staff Erskin Bowles, former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers and a Rockefeller Foundation vice president, Heather Grady. Deutsche Bank, the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton are among sponsors of the gathering, and The Huffington Post and CSRwire are media partners.

What is a “for-benefit” corporation? There’s no established definition and that’s one intention of those gathered – to arrive at one. Generally, it refers to a commercial enterprise which affirms some stated social purpose as its primary purpose, and which seek to operate in ways which sustain communities, focus on well being of employees – as well as stockholders – and minimize environmental impacts or use of non-renewal resources.

Besides Deutshe Bank Americas Foundation and Booz Allen, other sponsors are Living Cities and the Fourth Sector Network. Supporters include the Harvard Business Review, MITSloan Sustainbility, and the Surdna Foundation.

More information can be found at www.ImpactEconomySummit.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Although “Growing the Impact Economy,” is invitation only, a limited number of media passes are available. For information email Bari Saltmn at barisaltman@college.harvard.edu or call 347-907-5622 / or Robert Yoskowitz, ryoskowitz@jd13.law.harvard.edu / 301-602-8532.

Volkswagen Group of America Supports Oklahoma Tornado Relief Efforts

05.22.2013 - 12:35PM

(Marketwired) - The Volkswagen of America Foundation, which was created by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., announced today that it will make an immediate donation of $250,000 to the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity to assist with the disaster relief efforts following the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma.

"Given the severity of the disaster in Oklahoma, the Volkswagen of America Foundation has decided to provide resources to the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, who can then allocate the resources where needed," said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "It is our hope that this donation will provide some relief to those affected and help them rebuild their communities and their lives."

The donation will help cover costs of shelter, food, recovery and other assistance to families affected by the tornadoes. Volkswagen would like to express its thoughts and concern for all of those affected, including dealers, employees and their families. Additionally, Volkswagen will provide matching funds to any employee donations made to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity or the organization of their choosing.

The Volkswagen of America Foundation was formed by the Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. to make grants to organizations that provide disaster relief.

About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. It operates a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va., and Volkswagen Group of America brings to the U.S. vehicles that marry the science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering attractive, safe, and environmentally sound automobiles that are competitive and set world standards in their respective classes. The company has approximately 5,900 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through a 950-strong dealer network.

MGM Resorts International Earns NASS Medallion Award for Philanthropy and Community Engagement

05.22.2013 - 10:45AM

The Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy (ACPD) has selected MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) to receive the National Association of Secretaries of State’s (NASS) Medallion Award, an annual award created to recognize individuals, groups and organizations with an established record of service to the community. As one of the recipients for this year’s award, MGM Resorts is being recognized for its charitable contributions to community organizations through philanthropy and volunteerism.

“The individuals and organizations chosen for this award exhibit a dedication to supporting the community which is worthy of our applause,” said Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, who serves as NASS president and is a member of the ACPD. “We thank MGM Resorts for its unwavering leadership in philanthropy and volunteerism, which has helped to improve the quality of life for so many in our state.”

The NASS Medallion Award is presented by individual Secretaries of State in their respective jurisdictions to recognize community service efforts consistent with the NASS mission. Secretary Miller will honor MGM Resorts, the first gaming company in Nevada to receive the award, during a ceremony at the Nevada Legislature on Democracy Day, tomorrow, May 23rd.

“As Nevada’s largest private employer, we consider it a business imperative to lead—not only in entertainment and hospitality—but also in community engagement,” said Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “We truly count it an honor to receive the NASS Medallion Award and applaud the other recipients for their extraordinary contributions to this great state.”

MGM Resorts has shown a powerful commitment to the fundamental principles of philanthropy and volunteerism from the beginning. Since its inception in 2002, The MGM Resorts Foundation has donated nearly $50 million to nonprofit organizations serving the community. Additional milestones for the Company’s community engagement programs include:

In 2012, 96 employee-funded MGM Resorts foundation grants provided education support to 53,804 children; food, housing and self-sufficiency assistance to 111,746 individuals and families; and vital assistance such as medical care and mental health counseling to 9,847 individuals and families.
In 2012, Company employees logged more than 113,000 hours of volunteer service to help more than 850 nonprofit agencies meet community needs.
MGM Resorts’ donation in 2012 of more than 378,000 pounds of canned food to Three Square, the leading Las Vegas food bank, earned the distinction of the largest single company donation in the nonprofit’s history.

For more information about the Company’s efforts in community engagement, as well as its commitment to corporate social responsibility, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/csr.

About the Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy
The Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy (ACPD) consists of 10 members including the Secretary of State or his designee and nine other members appointed by the Secretary of State. The Committee’s purpose is to assist the Secretary of State in identifying and proposing programs that promote citizen participation in governance, establishing a Jean Ford Democracy Award and working with partner organizations at the local, state and national level to increase voter participation. For more information on the ACPD, visit www.nvsos.gov.

About NASS
Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest, nonpartisan professional organization of public officials in the U.S. Members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, international relations and state securities regulation, as well as several well-established awards programs. For more on NASS, please visit www.nass.org.

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company also owns 51% of MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is in the process of developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50% of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA resort and casino. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

The 2012 Andersen Corporate Report on Sustainability

05.22.2013 - 08:00AM

Western Union Responds to Oklahoma Tornado

05.21.2013 - 05:03PM

The Western Union Foundation today announced support for disaster relief efforts that will help the families and communities impacted by the tornado in Oklahoma.

The Western Union Foundation is an American Red Cross disaster-response partner. The Foundation’s funding is supporting Red Cross immediate response activities in the wake of the disaster, which includes providing shelter, meals and mental health triage for people impacted by the storm, as well as first responders.

To encourage and support employee generosity, Western Union will two-for-one match all employee donations to the Western Union Foundation for Oklahoma tornado disaster-relief efforts. Each employee can donate up to US$25,000 per calendar year.

Western Union is also encouraging its Agents to join together in supporting relief efforts. Under the Western Union Foundation Agent Gift Match program, the Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of qualifying Agent contributions to NGOs providing disaster relief support in the impacted region.

Employees and consumers can give online by using the "Donate Now" button at www.westernunionfoundation.org. Consumers should select the Oklahoma Tornado Relief option.

Additionally, the Western Union Company has set up a no-fee* Payments contribution account benefitting the American Red Cross. Donors can contribute to relief efforts by making a no-fee* Payments transaction at participating Western Union® Agent locations, directed to the account, up to USD$5,000.

Donors will need to complete the Western Union blue Payments or Quick Pay form, using the company name “American Red Cross” or the code city, “REDCROSS DC.” Please write in, “Tornado Relief” as the account number.

"The tornado in Oklahoma has caused significant damage and loss of life, and we are responding with support and services to assist the relief efforts," said Western Union Foundation President, Patrick Gaston. “Funds collected through Western Union will help the American Red Cross assist with critical initiatives such as providing food, water and shelter to the families and children most affected by the tornado.”

“We are committed to helping the communities we serve, and our thoughts are with the people of Oklahoma during this time of need. Over the coming weeks we will be working with Western Union Agents, employees and nonprofit partners to help the area recover and rebuild,” concluded Gaston.

*Western Union makes money on the exchange of currencies.

About The Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all. With the support of The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future. Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities around the world. Since its inception, The Western Union Foundation has committed more than $86.9 million in grants and other giving to more than 2,627 nongovernmental organizations in more than 130 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org.

About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of March 31, 2013, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of approximately 515,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and approximately 100,000 ATMs. In 2012, The Western Union Company completed 231 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $79 billion of principal between consumers, and 432 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

New Report Examines Chevron's Backroom Deals and Open Threats in Ecuador Lawsuit

05.21.2013 - 12:32PM

A new report issued by the Amazon Defense Coalition in the landmark environmental lawsuit between residents of Ecuador’s Amazon rain forest and the oil giant Chevron examines Chevron’s backroom deals and open threats during a multi-year lobbying campaign to kill a $19 billion judgment issued against Chevron by an Ecuadorian court in 2011.

The report, Backroom Deals and Open Threats: Chevron’s Lobbying Efforts on its $19 Billion Ecuador Judgment Revealed, documents Chevron’s strategic manoeuvres to avoid paying the legitimate court judgment by pressuring high-placed Ecuadorian and U.S. government officials to interfere, as well as lobbying the U.S. government to punish the Andean nation by revoking an important trade preference agreement that provides a viable alternative to drug trafficking by granting various Ecuadorian products duty-free status in the U.S.

“Chevron’s sweetheart deals and covert pressure amount to little more than extortion,” said Graham Erion, a coordinating attorney for the plaintiffs. “It’s clear Chevron has decided to do everything it possibly can to fight the rule of law by spending shareholders’ money on high-powered lobbyists to little avail.”

Despite Chevron’s extensive efforts, courts in Argentina have frozen Chevron’s assets and 40 percent of its revenues. A Brazilian enforcement action is pending and filings in other countries will come later this year. A provincial court in Canada recently acknowledged jurisdiction for the Ecuadorians but said Chevron subsidiaries were shielded. That ruling will be appealed.

Analyzed in the new report are multiple documented instances of political interference and Chevron’s attempts to use the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA) to punish Ecuador, including:

Chevron began in 2003 to lobby high level government officials in Ecuador, including the Attorney General and the Minister of Commerce, to try to get Ecuador to assume the liability for any judgment rendered against Chevron and effectively shut down the case.

Chevron’s costly lobbyists backfired when, in 2009, Chevron’s tactics were assailed by roughly 30 Members of Congress who wrote multiple letters to the USTR protesting Chevron’s tactics.

At Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, May 29, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), on behalf of its 1.6 million members, will file a shareholder resolution calling for the company to publish an annual report disclosing its lobbying practices. According to a supporting statement from AFSCME, Chevron spent approximately $22.6 million in 2010 and 2011 on direct federal lobbying in the U.S.; not including funds spent lobbying the Republic of Ecuador or lobbying through organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Chevron is not doing its investors any favors by keeping them in the dark as it throws good money after bad,” said Sonia Kowal, Director of Socially Responsible Investing at Zevin Asset Management. “Shareholders deserve greater transparency and greater accountability. It's time for Chevron to find a way to stop the bleeding.”

“Chevron’s massive lobbying expenditures and the ongoing fight to avoid the Ecuador judgement will be elephants in the room at the Chevron shareholder meeting next week,” added Erion. “Rather than achieve any benefit to shareholders, Chevron is simply pouring money into a failed strategy.”

Investors Highlight Policies That Could Spur Multi-Billion Dollar Opportunity in Energy Efficiency Investments

05.21.2013 - 10:12AM

Energy efficiency is estimated to be a multi-hundred-billion dollar investment opportunity in the United States, but better policies are required to unlock broad-based financing from institutional investors, who together manage approximately $70 trillion in assets globally.

That is the key finding of Power Factor: Institutional Investors’ Policy Priorities Can Bring Energy Efficiency to Scale, a new report issued today by Ceres and its Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR). Based on the input of nearly 30 institutional investors and other experts from the energy, policy and financial sectors, Power Factor cites three areas of policy—utility regulation, demand-generating policies and innovative financing policies—that can take energy efficiency financing to a scale sufficient to attract significant institutional investment.

Investment analysts estimate that climate change could contribute ten percent of overall risk within institutional investment portfolios. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency estimates that one third of emissions reductions must come from energy efficiency in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Energy efficiency-related investments thus offer institutional investors an attractive opportunity to manage the risks of climate change while earning returns.

“Energy efficiency offers investors a potent one-two punch: stable returns and an important strategy for mitigating climate-related risks,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres and director of INCR. “Policymakers and regulators should work to unlock capital from institutional investors for energy efficiency by promoting the policies identified in this report. Many of these policies do not require public funds, and they can put money back into the pockets of homeowners and business leaders around the country.”

Although institutional investors hold shares in energy services companies, have improved energy use in their real estate investments, and have filed dozens of shareholder resolutions encouraging more efficient energy use at corporations within their portfolios, the report argues that the ability drive the financing of energy efficiency projects—financing retrofit loans through a secondary market—is unavailable to them. Secondary markets are routinely used to bundle loans, such as mortgages and car loans, and repackage them as securities or bonds. Investors can then purchase shares of these products, and sell them as they would a share of stock.

“CalSTRS has made a commitment to energy efficiency. In the last year alone, we’ve engaged nearly 100 of our public equity portfolio companies concerning their energy efficiency efforts. In 2007, 47 percent of buildings in our real estate portfolio received top Energy Star scores; today over 90 percent make that mark,” said Jack Ehnes, CEO of the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS). “However, while many of the largest investors in the country are taking action on energy efficiency, more is needed. Smart policy fixes can help us go further to both realize the massive energy efficiency investment opportunity that exists and help avoid the worst of climate change and the risks it presents to our portfolios.”

“Investors are interested in energy efficiency, but we need a strong pipeline of projects and better information to maximize the investment opportunity,” said Ken Locklin, managing director, Impax Asset Management LLC. “The changes we are seeing at the local level, including stronger public utilities regulations and disclosure standards for building energy performance are all encouraging factors.”

Specifically, investors cited several areas of policy that would help to build up a secondary market for energy efficiency retrofit loans:

Utility Regulations: Public Utilities Commissions and other regulators can move the utility business model from a 20^th century model that rewards increasing energy sales to one that maximizes energy efficiency. At the same time, utilities and their regulators can help make energy-efficiency finance programs investment grade through the same protections provided to electricity sales as well as better data sharing and strong contractor and performance standards.
Demand-Generating Policies: Investors highlighted efficiency-inducing measures including building codes and standards and appliance and equipment efficiency standards set a baseline of efficiency in the marketplace. Building energy disclosure requirements, such as those adopted by cities like Philadelphia, New York City and most recently, Boston, can provide both an impetus to do energy efficiency retrofits and the transparency to facilitate investments in more efficient buildings.
Innovative Financing Policies: These policies include Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds, on-bill repayment, credit enhancement, and extending Master Limited Partnerships to combined heat and power (CHP) projects can overcome the challenge of paying for the upfront costs of energy efficiency retrofits. In addition, these policies help provide vehicles for loans that can be packaged and sold to institutional investors.

“In order for California to realize the full advantages of energy efficiency, we need to focus on policies that encourage institutional investor participation and job creation. We know from our investment colleagues here and around the country that we’re facing similar challenges and opportunities,” said California State Controller John Chiang. “This is why I am sponsoring legislation in California that will scale-up commercial sector energy efficiency improvements to a level that would be attractive to institutional investors. As this report indicates, the right policies can overcome barriers to low-cost financing for projects that create jobs and use less energy.”

A webinar will be held on June 6, 2013, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET/12:00-1:00 p.m. PT to provide an overview of the report. To attend, please register at this link.

About Ceres and INCR
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit www.ceres.org.

The Aspen Institute and The Atlantic Announce 2013 Aspen Ideas Festival

05.21.2013 - 09:52AM

The Aspen Institute and The Atlantic are pleased to announce the ninth annual Aspen Ideas Festival. From June 26 through July 2, 2013, more than 300 insightful thinkers and leaders from around the country and beyond will gather in Aspen, CO to discuss their work, the issues that inspire them, and their ideas. The week’s programming will cover a variety of important issues including the economy, the Middle East, energy, space, mobility, and design, among other topics. The public dialogue will engage, over seven days, a festival audience of more than 4,000 attendees between the campus at the Aspen Meadows and the town of Aspen, as well as those following the festival online throughout the world.

Speakers currently confirmed to attend include: US Supreme Court Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan; Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih; Twitter CEO Dick Costolo; Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA); Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence President Dan Gross; National Rifle Association of America President David A. Keene; Goldman Sachs CEO and Chairman Lloyd Blankfein; Cellist and the Aspen Institute’s 2013 Harman-Eisner Artist in Residence Yo-Yo Ma; Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab Director Andrew Ng; United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice; edX President Anant Agarwal; fuseproject Founder and CEO Yves Behar; National Resource Defense Council President Frances Beinecke; Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP Managing Partner David Boies; The Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Thomas Campbell; The Heritage Foundation Distinguished Fellow Elaine Chao; Stanford University Professor of Psychology Carol S. Dweck; MD Anderson Cancer Center President Ronald DePinho; Harvard Law School Professor of Law Noah Feldman; Billy Lynns' Long Halftime Walk Author Ben Fountain; Aramex Founder and Former CEO Fadi Ghandour; The Studio Museum in Harlem Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden; US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg; HBO's "Girls" Executive Story Editor Sarah Heyward; Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh; Harvard Business School Chair of Business Administration Nancy Koehn; US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu; The SING Campaign Founder, Singer, and Activist Annie Lennox; Photographer Zanele Muholi; Acumen Fund, Inc. Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz; Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian; Former Secretary of the US Treasury Department Henry Paulson; Former Governor (R-MN) and Republican Presidential Candidate and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable Tim Pawlenty; Republican Political Consultant and Policy Advisor Karl Rove; Red Rooster Chef and Owner Marcus Samuelsson; Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales; American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten; and IDEO.org Executive Director Jocelyn Wyatt.

Alongside leading journalists such as Kurt Andersen, Maria Bartiromo, James Bennet, David Brooks, Ronald Brownstein, David Carr, Steve Clemons, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Katie Couric, James Fallows, Jeffrey Goldberg, Steve Inskeep, Ezra Klein, Alexis Madrigal, Andrea Mitchell, and Michele Norris, presenters will discuss their ideas in plenary sessions, tutorials, and other sessions on program tracks including American Society: One Nation, Divisible; the Economic Puzzle; World Affairs: Understanding the Middle East; Balance of Power: the Energy Revolution; Citizen Artists; Space and the Cosmos; the Reinvention of Television; Flying Cars: The Future of Mobility; How We Learn; Innovation by Design; and You and Your Health. More details on all program tracks are available at www.aspenideas.org/festival/tracks.

“The conversations and presentations offered at the Aspen Ideas Festival will underscore some of the most critical dilemas and challenges we face today,” said Kitty Boone, Aspen Institute vice president and director of the Aspen Ideas Festival. “So many of those coming are the thinkers and leaders whose vision and expertise are taking us into the future in such a positive and constructive way.”

Prior to the start of the Festival, the 21st Century National Service Summit on June 24-25 will serve as the first-ever signature lead-in event to the Aspen Ideas Festival and will be centered around the Franklin Project's plan to build a bold vision of civilian national service as a common expectation and common opportunity for all Americans. General Stanley McChrystal (Ret.) and others will present findings from the summit during the opening day of the Aspen Ideas Festival. Learn more at http://as.pn/om.

“What distinguishes this gathering is what distinguishes The Atlantic: a commitment to exploring and debating ideas of consequence,” James Bennet, editor in chief of The Atlantic, said.

During the lead-up to the Aspen Ideas Festival, The Atlantic will host an Ideas Special Report on its website, highlighting breakthroughs and innovations having direct impact on business, technology, politics, science, and the arts. The report coincides with the July/August Ideas issue of The Atlantic in print and online, focused on the most powerful ideas shaping our world.

Starting June 26, TheAtlantic.com will offer comprehensive coverage of the Festival, including articles on the most compelling discussions and presentations, a daily “Today at Aspen” photo gallery, and video conversations with panelists and attendees. Online coverage will also include special commentaries and observations from Atlantic writers and editors on the scene, including Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Garance Franke-Ruta, Conor Friedersdorf, Megan Garber, J.J. Gould, and Derek Thompson, as well as well as National Journal’s Ronald Brownstein and Quartz’s Kevin Delaney.

It is now easier to keep up with the Aspen Ideas Festival in more ways than ever before. Full-session video and audio clips will be featured on www.aspenideas.org, on the Aspen Institute’s YouTube channel, iTunesU, and on the Aspen Institute’s video channel and TheAtlantic.com’s video channel. Regular updates from the Festival in the run-up, during the event, and after can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Follow the Ideas Festival on Twitter at @aspenideas with the hashtag #AspenIdeas. Additionally the Festival discussions can be followed all year on the Aspen Ideas Festival blog.

For a list of currently confirmed speakers, program tracks, and passholder information, please visit www.aspenideas.org.

Presenting underwriters for the 2013 Aspen Ideas Festival include Allstate; Booz Allen Hamilton; CH2MHILL; DLA Piper; Mt. Sinai; PepsiCo; Shell; Thomson Reuters; Toyota; and U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Supporting underwriters include AARP, the American Federation of Teachers, Ernst & Young, Legacy, Southern Company, and the Target Foundation. Pearson and the Entertainment Software Association are contributing underwriters.

About The Atlantic
Since 1857, The Atlantic has played a central role in shaping the national debate on current affairs and cultural trends. Dedicated to bold, independent, diverse, and highly reasoned perspectives, its writers, bloggers, and critics represent the best in American journalism. The Atlantic’s award-winning commentary and coverage can be found in its magazine, on its website at www.TheAtlantic.com, and at events produced by its industry-leading events division, AtlanticLIVE.

About the Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

TRUST GOES SOCIAL: Global Study Finds Peers, Consumer Reviews Now Rival Certifications As Top Sources of Trust on Product Sustainability Claims

05.21.2013 - 09:00AM

Trust is no longer in your hands. According to a study by BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility, social sources of trust like consumer reviews, blogs and message boards (28%) as well as friends, family and co-workers (27%) now rival traditional sources like certifications (40%) and media reports (31%) as consumers’ most trusted sources for determining whether a product is socially and environmentally responsible. Barely one in ten consumers relies on company advertisements or website content for information, showing that the most trusted sources are often beyond a company’s control.

According to the study – Re:Thinking Consumption: Consumers and the Future of Sustainability – consumers in emerging markets (Brazil, China and India) are more than four times as likely as those in developed markets (UK, USA, Germany) to turn to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as a trusted source of information (22% to 5% respectively).

“Our findings reflect the new context for corporate reputation and trust, as peer-to-peer communication and social platforms rival certifications and media reports as the most reliable sources of information on sustainable product claims for consumers,” says Eric Whan, Sustainability Director at GlobeScan. “Forward-thinking brands will increasingly tap peer networks and social media channels to try to drive trust. Authenticity will determine their success.”

“Simply put, companies no longer own their brands. They are co-owned and co-created by consumers whose experiences, ideas and opinions are now shaping brand perceptions and trust,” says Raphael Bemporad, co-founder of brand innovation consultancy BBMG. “Companies that cultivate honest and collaborative relationships with consumers will be best positioned to win their trust, loyalty and participation.”

Re:Thinking Consumption Report – Key Findings:

Most Trusted Sources: Consumers’ most trusted sources “to inform you about whether a product is environmentally and socially responsible” include certification seals or labels on product packaging (40%), media reports (31%), consumer reviews, ratings, blogs or message boards (28%), friends, family or co-workers (27%) and government information or reports (25%).

Least Trusted Sources: Consumers’ least trusted sources include company advertisements (11%), films or documentaries (11%), company website or a company’s Facebook page (7%) and church, temple or other spiritual communities (3%). Five percent of consumers say they have “no way of knowing who to trust for this information.”

Market Differences: Twenty-two percent of consumers in emerging markets identify “social media like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn” as one of their most trusted sources of information, while only 5% of consumers in developed markets choose the same.

Twenty percent of consumers in emerging markets identify “corporate social responsibility or sustainability reports” as one of their most trusted sources of information, while only 9% of consumers in developed markets choose the same.

Fifteen percent of consumers in emerging markets identify “endorsements by organizations you trust” as one of their most trusted sources of, while 29% of consumers in developed markets choose the same.

Background and Methodology:

Developed by BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility, Re:Thinking Consumption is an in-depth online survey of consumer attitudes, motivations and behaviors relating to sustainable consumption among 6,224 respondents across six major international markets (Brazil, China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States) conducted in September and October 2012. Drawn from consumer research panels, global data are comparable to having a margin of error of +/- 1.3 percent. Analysis of country-level data reflects a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

The study was made possible by BMW Group, SC Johnson, Campbell Soup Company, Itau, L’Oréal, Shell and Starbucks. For more information, and to download a free copy of the study, visit theregenerationroadmap.com.

About BBMG: Based in New York City, BBMG is a brand innovation consultancy dedicated to creating disruptive business solutions and delightful brand experiences to help organizations achieve business success and positive social impact. By integrating branding with sustainability expertise and innovation protocols, BBMG helps clients identify growth opportunities, forge new markets, create new brands and drive real culture change. Recent clients include NBCUniversal, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Walmart, Samsung, Seventh Generation and Earthbound Farm. For more information, visit www.bbmg.com.

About GlobeScan: For 25 years, GlobeScan has helped clients measure and build value-generating relationships with their stakeholders. Uniquely placed at the nexus of reputation, brand and sustainability, we partner with clients to build trust, drive engagement and inspire innovation within, around, and beyond their organizations. For more information, visit www.globescan.com.

About SustainAbility: SustainAbility is a think tank and strategic advisory firm working to inspire transformative business leadership on the sustainability agenda. Established in 1987, SustainAbility delivers illuminating foresight and actionable insight on sustainable development trends and issues. For more information, visit www.sustainability.com.

INDIGENOUS Models Responsible Fashion Supply Chain Ethics, Challenges the Fashion Industry

05.20.2013 - 06:40PM

“No one should suffer or die to make clothing. Just the opposite, they and their families should prosper. That’s how it is with our supply chain. That’s how it can be with others. Let’s not make this harder than it is. And let’s not wait. Lives are at stake,” says Scott Leonard, Co-founder and CEO of INDIGENOUS.

For almost two decades, INDIGENOUS has led the way in fair trade and organic fashion. Its premium value fashion is featured in over 500 boutiques, and many catalogs, and INDIGENOUS produces for Eileen Fisher. Over 1,500 artisan knitters in some of South America’s poorest regions participate in the INDIGENOUS supply chain.

“Accidents like the one that happened in Bangladesh simply would not happen in our supply chain. We independently survey workers every six months, require participatory and fair labor practices, personally tour workshops and pay prices that make safety, benefits and fair wages easy to achieve.”

“The INDIGENOUS model is readily replicable. While it represents a distinctive competitive advantage, INDIGENOUS is ready to share it to help save lives and promote the well-being of artisans and garment workers everywhere,” says Matt Reynolds, Co-founder and president of INDIGENOUS. INDIGENOUS independently collected data shows that 75% of artisans in its supply chain are no longer at risk of poverty. Many are achieving milestones of financial security, even growth as some start their own artisan workshops. Workplaces are safe and provide benefits. A full 85% of workers say they are better off since participating in this supply chain.

The model has three key elements. The first is continuous supply chain monitoring and the promotion of artisan rights and engagement in all aspects of workplace policy and practice. INDIGENOUS uses innovative SMS and voice technology to directly survey workers about their economic, social and workplace well-being. This allows their opinions to be shared privately and confidentially.

The second is transparency. From the provenance of its organically grown fibers to the status of artisans and artisan communities, INDIGENOUS shares information about its supply chain in a way that goes beyond simple, iconic labeling. Video profiles of artisans, artisan workshops, and supply chain source maps are just a few of the tools.

The third is consumer engagement in the value of fair trade and organic fashion. This fall, every INDIGENOUS garment will come with a QR code on the hang tag. The QR code launches INDIGENOUS proprietary Fair Trace Tool™, an application that lets the consumer meet the artisans who made the garment, understand the social impact of purchasing the garment and other facts, delivered in text, video and animated map format.

INDIGENOUS is prepared to share by license its best practices and innovative supply chain transparency tools with any fashion brand that is willing to stand up and take the pledge that “no one will suffer or die to make our clothes. Instead, they will prosper,” They will also immediately adopt new standards of transparency. “This is a call to action for you to stand up and be heard,” says Leonard.

About INDIGENOUS
INDIGENOUS is considered a true pioneer in premium eco-sensitive and socially-conscious apparel. INDIGENOUS has provided organic and fair-trade quality clothing since 1994, and has established itself as the first name in premium eco fashion, employing over 1,500 highly skilled artisans in knitting groups and cooperatives. The INDIGENOUS collection is available through premium specialty boutiques and catalogues nationwide. Learn more at www.indigenous.com or www.facebook.com/indigenousdesigns.

L'ORÉAL USA's New Jersey Research & Innovation Facility is Awarded LEED® GOLD Certification

05.20.2013 - 02:30PM

L’Oréal USA announced today that the renovation of the company’s hair and skincare laboratory, has been awarded LEED® Gold certification. The company’s US laboratories are located in Clark, New Jersey and this is the third of L’Oréal USA’s facilities to receive LEED certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The company’s Franklin, NJ manufacturing plant was awarded LEED® Silver for the expansion of its operations in December 2010 and its Berkeley Heights, NJ administrative offices, which is home to over 400 employees, was awarded LEED® Gold in March 2011.

LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resource selection and indoor environmental quality.

“Sustainable buildings are an integral part of L’Oréal’s overall strategy to reduce its use of natural resources and mitigate environmental impacts,” said Eric Bone, Senior Vice President Corporate Research & Innovation, L’Oréal USA. “LEED is a best-in-class benchmark for sustainable buildings and our pursuit of LEED certification for new and renovated buildings is aligned with our long-term sustainability goals.”

The renovation project at 30 Terminal Avenue which represents approximately 14% of the existing building’s total square footage, is comprised of a new hair care laboratory, a new skin care/sun care laboratory and research offices. The renovation features energy efficient windows, light tubes which provide natural light in the office areas, a daylight harvesting system that adjusts natural lighting levels, ceiling and desk occupancy lighting sensors, and a ceiling mounted chilled beam cooling system, which circulates cool water through special fixtures which cool air. At the end of 2012 the company also installed a photovoltaic roof system with the capability of generating 1,025.77kW which supplies 25% of the building’s energy requirements and new fixtures which are designed to reduce onsite water consumption by 31%, while the occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting will reduce the lighting power density by 20%. The renovation also incorporates reused and refurbished furniture throughout.

About L’Oréal USA

L'Oréal USA, headquartered in New York City, with 2012 sales of over $5.6 billion and 10,159 employees, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal SA, the world’s leading beauty company. In addition to corporate headquarters in New York, L'Oréal USA has Research and Innovation, Manufacturing and Distribution facilities across nine states, including Arkansas, California, New Jersey, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. Since 2001, L’Oréal has been measuring its impact on global warming and joined the Global Compact in 2003, reinforcing its commitment to climate change. The company has been recognized by Corporate Knights for being among the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and by Climate Counts for its leadership in addressing climate change. For more information visit www.lorealusa.com.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
USGBC is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org, explore the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG) and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Net Impact's Inaugural Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge Prevents 64,233 Pounds of Carbon Dioxide

05.20.2013 - 12:38PM

Net Impact, a leading nonprofit that inspires a new generation to work for a sustainable future, has announced the results of its first Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge. The Challenge, designed to empower undergraduates to take small steps to create big social and environmental change, drove significant results – including saving more than 64,233 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Small Steps, Big Wins enables students to complete actions designed to inspire everyday activism. Led by a group of dedicated campus directors, student participants witness the immediate impact they make on their own campuses and communities and can also track how they measure up against students at other universities. Each campus collects points for various actions and logs activity through the Small Steps, Big Wins website. Actions are worth different points depending on factors including difficulty, complexity and outreach components; for example, recycling a can is two points and donating blood is 25 points. Small Steps, Big Wins was made possible through the support of Alcoa Foundation. Additional major support was provided by Microsoft.

During the spring semester, California State University, Chico took first place, recording 110,476 points. Pennsylvania State University followed closely behind, with 74,764 points.

Since the Challenge launched in October 2012, students collectively took more than 45,000 actions which translated into:

39,258 pounds of CO2 saved by taking public transportation or walking instead of driving
3,064 plastic bags saved from landfills
3,124 volunteer hours logged
1,272 acts of kindness taken

“The Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge is a great way to get people thinking about how even the smallest lifestyle changes can make a big difference," said Jessica Rudnick, campus director at Washington University in St. Louis, which came in seventh place. “Collectively, those small changes add up and create significant positive impact on the environment and in our communities.” Students at the Washington University Net Impact chapter implemented ideas such as “Meatless Mondays” to inspire conversations about the impact of the food we consume.

“What's been really exciting for us is how participants have become catalysts for change among their friends and fellow students,” said Liz Maw, CEO of Net Impact. “Students like Jessica have found incredibly creative ways to get their friends involved and discover that one small step at a time, they can make a big impact.”

In addition to learning about their collective influence and competing against other schools, participants had the chance to win exciting prizes throughout the Challenge. This year’s prizes included participation in the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative University, Coachella 2013 concert passes and travel and enrollment in Corkscrew’s 28-day Entrepreneur Incubator program.

The next Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge will launch in fall 2013 with a new feature – mobile accessibility, enabling students to check out new actions and report and document their impact with photos from their mobile devices.

Interested students and schools should visit www.smallsteps.netimpact.org for more details on how to get involved, one small step at a time.

Additional Information

Learn more about the Challenge: smallsteps.netimpact.org
Find out how to become a student campus director: smallsteps.netimpact.org/form/contact
Follow us on Twitter: @netimpact
Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/smallstepsbigwins

About Net Impact

Net Impact is the leading nonprofit that inspires a new generation to work within and beyond business to tackle the world’s toughest social and environmental problems. We support student and professional leaders to act locally through our vibrant chapter network and connect globally online and through our flagship conference to create a more just and sustainable future. Through our careers, we make a positive net impact that transforms our lives, our organizations, and the world. Learn more at http://www.netimpact.org.

Challenge Sponsors
The Small Steps Challenge is powered by title sponsor Alcoa Foundation, with additional support from gold sponsor Microsoft. Small Steps also supported by 3M, Avon, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Target, and WaterMatch, and prize sponsors REI, Levi Strauss & Co, PepsiCo, and Timberland.

Morgan Stanley Expands Partnership with Feeding America, Commits Additional $8 Million to Leading Hunger-Relief Charity

05.20.2013 - 12:30PM

Morgan Stanley today announced the expansion of its longstanding partnership with Feeding America through a new $8 million commitment to its Fill the Plate program and an expanded employee volunteer initiative with the organization. Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity and partners with Morgan Stanley on a range of programs including:

Individualized awards to local food banks over the next four years, including grants given this spring to 27 food banks, tailored to best serve the child and family nutritional health needs in each community;
Financial support of cutting-edge research to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of child hunger-relief programs;
Continuing assistance for the National Produce program that helps bring fresh produce to families in need across the United States through a network of 61,000 Feeding America partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries and shelters; and
Continuing assistance for the BackPack program that provides free backpacks with food staples so children who usually receive reduced or free lunch at school can get the nutritious meals they need over weekends or long school breaks.

“Giving back has been a cornerstone of Morgan Stanley’s culture and values since our founding in 1935,” said James P. Gorman, President and CEO of Morgan Stanley. “Our partnership with Feeding America has long been an important way for us to create impact, and I am proud of the innovative programs we have worked on together that give children the healthy start they need for lifelong achievement.”

In this latest phase of Morgan Stanley’s Fill the Plate initiative, awards to local food banks will total more than $1 million each year for the next four years. The innovative design for this grant-giving allows individual food banks to select hunger-relief programs that most effectively match their local population and capabilities. The awards provide groundbreaking flexibility to Feeding America and its hunger-relief network of over 200 food banks nationwide.

“With more than 16 million children in the United States in danger of going hungry, we know that we can’t solve this issue alone,” said Bob Aiken, President and CEO of Feeding America. “This historic gift by Morgan Stanley shows the true commitment they have to help us fight hunger in all of our communities. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in looking for ways to solve this problem.”

For 50 years, the Morgan Stanley Foundation has supported employee communities and innovations in pediatric health through initiatives such as its Global Alliance for Children’s Health. Through Fill the Plate, Morgan Stanley is dedicated to addressing food insecurity. Currently, one in five children in the U.S. does not have enough to eat, according to Feeding America’s 2010 Hunger Study.

“It is an honor for Morgan Stanley to strengthen its partnership with Feeding America in the fight against children’s hunger. At the same time, I take special pride in the efforts of individual Morgan Stanley employees who regularly spend time volunteering at Feeding America’s network food banks across the country,” said Joan Steinberg, Global Head of Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley. “Morgan Stanley looks to bring intellectual capital, leadership and ‘sweat equity’ to its partnership with Feeding America and with all of our community partners.”

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. Through its Global Alliance for Children’s Health, the Firm is dedicated to improving the lives and welfare of the world’s youngest citizens. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

"Unusual Suspects" Are Transforming Access To Reproductive Health Services

05.20.2013 - 12:23PM

There is a global consensus that family planning and reproductive health is a life-saving, cost effective intervention that jumpstarts development. Yet, 222 million women worldwide still have an unmet need for family planning. Those who are working to meet that need—in some of the poorest, most remote regions of the world—face daunting obstacles, from the opposition of local leaders to resource constraints and bad roads.

With leaders and health experts gathering from around the world in Geneva for the 66th World Health Assembly, the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health (GLC) celebrates countries that are surmounting barriers to access to these vital services.

GLC Chair Joy Phumaphi will present the 2013 Resolve Award to representatives of three countries—the Gambia, Kenya, and Zambia, with a special mention given to Sierra Leone—for demonstrating leadership and political will. But the individuals transforming lives on the ground may not be who you’d expect.

Meet Reverend George Buannie. He’s the Executive Director of the Fambul Initiative Network for Equality (FINE) in Sierra Leone. What’s Buannie’s innovation? “Husband schools” that teach men to respect women’s rights and health. The villages where FINE volunteers work have seen a 60 percent decrease in rape and gender-based violence, and maternal mortality has declined by more than 60 percent. There has been a 75 percent increase in hospital births, and contraceptive use has soared from 30 to 51 percent.

In the Gambia, the game-changing intervention was a practical one: reliable transportation. As in many developing countries, The Gambia’s unpaved roads and an aging fleet of vehicles kept healthcare workers from visiting rural communities. This posed significant challenges for reproductive health: regular antenatal checkups and swift access to obstetric care can mean the difference between life and death for women and their infants.

To solve the problem, the Ministry of Health leveraged public and private funding to purchase a new fleet of ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, then outsourced their maintenance and operations to Riders for Health, a not-for-profit with decades of experience in medical transport.

Majai Ceesay owes her life to the program. Ceesay lives in Kaikunda, a remote village 120 miles from The Gambian capitol. She nearly died while giving birth to twins in June 2012. But Ceesay was fortunate to receive care from Sheriff Darbo, a community health nurse, who travelled to Kaikanda on a motorcycle from Riders for Health. “I can honestly say that without Sheriff, I and my second twin wouldn’t be alive,” says Ceesay.

In Zambia, reproductive health suffered from years of “structural adjustment” programs that decimated the country’s health and social service sectors. A decade ago, Zambia’s had some of the world’s highest rates of HIV/AIDS and maternal and child mortality. But in recent years, the Zambian government has redoubled its commitment to primary and reproductive health, increasing spending in those areas by 50%. And Zambia is pioneering integrated service provision: family planning and maternal and child health services are offered together, free of charge. “People do not want to go to separate facilities for family planning and for child health,” said Dr. Joseph Kasonde, Zambia’s Minister of Health. “We are working to meet all of their health needs in one place.”

Sometimes the obstacles to reproductive health are political, rather than practical. The solution? Build broad-based support. That is how Kenya’s National Council for Population Development won approval of a comprehensive Population Policy for National Development, which places family planning at the center of Kenya’s development agenda. The NCPD spent three years engaging with civil society members, churches, government officials and other stakeholders to develop a visionary new policy, created by and for the Kenyan people.

“The Resolve Award winners show us that, even in the most challenging environments, progress can be made,” said Peggy Clark, Executive Director of Aspen Global Health and Development and Vice President of Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute. “With ingenuity and commitment, these leaders are pushing the frontiers of reproductive health.”

While the Resolve Award showcases remarkable achievements, there is much work to be done. Please join the GLC in congratulating not only the Award winners, but all leaders maintaining their utmost resolve to achieve universal access to family planning and reproductive health services.

Learn more about each of the Resolve Award winners by joining the webcast on May 22 at www.aspeninstitute.org/live to watch the ceremony and participate via Twitter by following @GLCRHresolve and #ResolveAward.

About The Aspen Institute
The Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, established by The Aspen Institute in 2010, is composed of eighteen sitting and former heads of state, high-level policymakers and other leaders who build political leadership for increased financial and technical support for reproductive health. The Council works to revitalize political commitments to reproductive health by increasing awareness of reproductive health issues, supporting the effective use of donor resources, and championing policies dedicated to achieving universal access to reproductive health.

Aspen Global Health and Development (GHD) helps to build innovative strategies for global health and poverty alleviation by bringing leaders together to share and advance innovative solutions and by strengthening the capacity of developing world leaders to champion these ideas. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org/GHD.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Leaders Discuss Changing Corporate Responsibility Pressures at BBB Forum June 4th

05.20.2013 - 09:30AM

On June 4, 2013, the Metro New York BBB’s Education and Research Foundation will present its sixth annual BBB Forum on Corporate Responsibility at Time Inc., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, in New York City, from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. BBB Forum attendees will gain insights from corporate leaders about business responsibility trends and megatrends, changing consumer and investor expectations and trends, new ideas about goal-setting and social impact assessment, and more. The 2013 BBB Forum is generously sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP, Popular Community Bank, NYSE Euronext, and Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey and is hosted by Time Inc.

“Corporate responsibility professionals and business owners are often confronted with major challenges, including shifting public expectations, misunderstandings about the bottom-line value of corporate responsibility efforts, and the complex business of establishing meaningful metrics,” said Claire Rosenzweig, President and CEO of the Metro New York BBB’s Foundation. “The BBB Corporate Responsibility Forum gives us an opportunity to hear from leaders in the field about how they meet and master these challenges.”

BBB Forum Keynote speaker Kim Jeffery, Chairman, Nestlé Waters North America, will share insights about how his company has responded to changing consumer expectations, and how that process has benefited the business.

Following the keynote, a senior executive from Cone Communications will provide an overview of the evolving corporate responsibility scene. Prominent Corporate Responsibility leaders from Verizon Communications, McGraw-Hill Financial, TD Bank US and The Conference Board Initiative on Sustainability will then conduct a panel discussion about the latest global and domestic challenges, solutions and trends in business responsibility.

Two thought-provoking special reports will also be presented by leaders from Ernst & Young LLP and BSR. These reports will highlight key features of shareholder-sponsored proposals on environmental and social issues, and provide an overview of trends in ESG investing.

The 2013 Forum will conclude with remarks about challenges and benefits of “greening” professional sports, by a senior scientist from the Natural Resources Defense Council who has led these efforts.

Click here to view the complete 2013 BBB Forum agenda.

Many distinguished business associations and organizations are Supporters for the Forum. Corporate Responsibility Magazine is the event’s Media Supporter. The following groups are Event Supporters: Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, American Sustainable Business Council, BSR, Council of Better Business Bureaus, CSRHub, CSRwire, Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, Forum for the Future, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc., Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Net Impact NYC, New York Society of Association Executives, NYCharities.org, Sustainability Practice Network, The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity. (List in formation)

COST TO ATTEND:
BBB Accredited, Event Supporter Guests, Nonprofits: $95 per person
Non-BBB Accredited: $165 per person

DETAILS & ONLINE REGISTRATION:
www.newyork.bbb.org/bbbforum2013

OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Call: 212-358-2829
Email: hlayland@newyork.bbb.org
General BBB Information: www.newyork.bbb.org

Space is limited. Advance registration is required. Register now to assure seating.

About the Education and Research Foundation of the BBB of Metropolitan New York, Inc.
Metro New York’s BBB Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1967. It provides educational programs and services for charities, consumers, and businesses; encourages informed consumer support of charities; promotes charity transparency and accountability; conducts research; and provides educational intern opportunities to students who are potential charity and business leaders. It operates the BBB Charity Review Program which publishes BBB reports on 800 Metro New York area charities. This charity review program does not rank charities, but rather seeks to assist donors in making informed judgments by providing objective reports based on charity performance against the BBB’s 20 Standards of Charity Accountability. Charities that meet all of the BBB’s 20 Standards are eligible to participate in its BBB Accredited Charity Seal program. The list of Metro NY BBB Accredited Charity Seal Holders is available at www.newyork.bbb.org/charityguide. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on over 1,300 nationally soliciting charitable organizations. Thousands of additional charity reports are available through other local BBBs; there are about 11,000 national and local BBB charity reports in all. The outcomes of local and national BBB charity reviews are available online at www.ny.give.org and www.give.org.

Sustainable Brands Announces First Look at 2013 Innovation Open Finalists

05.20.2013 - 09:14AM

Sustainable Brands® recently announced the twelve semi-finalists selected from over 100 entries received from across the globe to compete at the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) business plan competition. Presented by Target and co-sponsored by Energy Points and Pure Strategies, the 4th annual competition will feature environmentally and socially-conscious entrepreneurs contending for top honors and prizes as part of the Sustainable Brands 2013 conference in San Diego, CA, June 3-6th.

The 2013 SBIO semi-finalists include:

Fenugreen – produces a low-cost, compostable paper infused with only organic spices that keeps produce fresh 2-4 times longer
LaborVoices – gathers real-time information on working conditions in overseas factories, directly from workers’ mobile phones
re:char – producers of a low-cost kiln that converts agricultural waste into biochar, a carbon-negative fertilizer
Ecopia – produces ECOPLAS®, the first “Fair for Life” certified bio-plastic in the world which is a resin made from tapioca
Blue Box – reduces the use of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste streams by 90%+ in the cleaning of industrial systems
Refrigerant Revolution® by EOS Climate – a multi-sector stewardship empowering organizations to manage refrigerants throughout their full life cycle
Efficiency Exchange – using modern web technology, they are building a better way to improve the efficiency and sustainability of global supply chains
Thread – transforms trash in the poorest countries into jobs for poor and exports products consumers love
Amplify, Inc. – translates policy research and reform agendas into social change using a three-part product: 1) outcome data and 2) digital storytelling with 3) strategically coordinated grassroots advocacy movements
Isidore Electronics Recycling – an electronics recycling company that serves as an on-the-job training and employment program for previously incarcerated people in Los Angeles
Back to the Roots Home Aquaponics Garden – makes grow-your-own food tools to educate and inspire kids and adults to learn where food comes from and why it is important
EcoPrint – a plug-in for Microsoft Office and web browsers, it uses formatted algorithms to print efficiently, saving paper and ink automatically

Eleven semi-finalists were selected by a panel of esteemed judges including executives from Target, Energy Points, Pure Strategies, Mindful Investors, Ashoka’s Changemakers, among others. An additional semi-finalist was selected by popular vote using the technology platform Podium and hosted by YouNoodle. All twelve semi-finalists receive complimentary admission to the SB’13 conference where they will have the chance to pitch their business plans to a group of social and sustainable investors, executives from leading companies, top brand consultancies and nearly 2,000 business and brand leaders attending the conference and Solutions Expo. The winner will receive cash and in-kind prizes, access to executives who specialize in business and law services, mentoring and feedback from prominent thought leaders and exposure to members of the global Sustainable Brands community.

“SB Innovation Open seeks to catalyze the progress and impact of disruptive innovation that leads business down the path toward a sustainable future,” states KoAnn Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “By seeking out innovative business models, products and services that support positive environmental and social impact, these entrepreneurs are challenging the status quo in business today. Our community will continue to provide leadership and guidance to passionate innovators such as these with breakthrough ideas that contribute to our flourishing future.”

Business plan pitches will run back-to-back beginning Tuesday, June 4th on the Solutions Expo stage at SB’13. Four finalists will then be selected to present on the main stage which will be broadcast worldwide through the conference live stream. More information about the SB Innovation Open, SB’13 and the Solutions Expo can be found on the event website.

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.

London Welcomes the Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training by CSE in April 2013

05.20.2013 - 09:03AM

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE), following Europe’s engagement in developing and enhancing business strategies though CSR frameworks, delivered on the 25th & 26th of April, 2013 for the first time the Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner in London.

The 2 day training approved by IEMA, was delivered with great success and attended by leading professionals from Environmental Managers to Communication Officers from a variety of sectors and organizations such as Unilever, Oxford City Council, University of British Columbia and White Stuff Foundation. The outcomes left all delegates with exclusive learning opportunities about Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies, CR legislation, and Sustainability Reporting. The training’s diversity besides proving the significance of CSR within all sectors it also acted as a melting pot and raised different views and best practices about the utilization of CSR initiatives.

Consequently, the region’s professionals, engaged in making CSR vision reality, broaden their horizons and in turn will further expand CSR within their organizations culture. CSE Sustainability Practitioners are making a substantial difference in implementing sustainability to enhance financial and non-financial performances of organizations! Specifically, more than 400 Sustainability Practitioners from five continents and over 30 countries have received this qualification and as a result, career progression!

The next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner in London will be delivered on the 17th & 18th of October, 2013! You can register now here, or contact Aglaia Ntili – Global Training & Partnership Manager for further information.

CSE is a global Sustainability (CSR) strategic consulting and training organization providing in-house and open trainings that meet the needs and requirements of every industry and the business activities of every organization. In this way, since CSE establishment in 2004, has worked with more than 5.000 high profile professionals from prestigious organizations such as Lloyds Banking Group, World Business for Sustainable Development, Mercedes Benz, EFG, Oracle, Shell, Baker Hughes, ZAIN, Whole Foods, North Face, Vanity Fair and Entrepreneur.

Dow Lab Safety Academy Promotes Safety Mindset in Future Chemical Workforce

05.20.2013 - 08:49AM

Yesterday, at the Council for Chemical Research 2013 Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, among leaders from industry, academia and the National Labs, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) unveiled the beta version of the Dow Lab Safety Academy, a digital learning environment that shares Dow's best-in-class industrial safety culture and practices in a quick and accessible format. Explore the Dow Lab Safety Academy at safety.dow.com. The Dow Lab Safety Academy includes dozens of videos featuring lab safety guidelines for a variety of real-life scenarios, grouped under four comprehensive lab safety categories. The website also provides a collection of useful resources such as a chemical reactivity worksheet and an incident alert template, which help promote best practices for safety.

In an effort to continually improve the content and usability of the website, Dow will be seeking feedback from partner universities and other users.

“At Dow, our focus on safety is inherent in everything we do and every decision we make,” said Dr. William F. Banholzer, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Dow. “We routinely share safety best practices with our competitors since we all understand improving safety is in everyone’s best interest. The same is true for university research. Our hope is that by broadly sharing what Dow does internally we can help improve university safety as well as our customers’, national labs or anyone conducting materials research.”

Dow's best practices focus on incident prevention and on spurring a high level of engagement in safety awareness. In 2012, thanks to a combination of smart work processes and procedures, and a focus on safe behaviors, 266 out of Dow's 350 sites went completely injury-free.

“With its excellent safety record and well-known best safety practices, Dow is a reliable source for laboratory safety information,” said William Tolman, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at University of Minnesota. “The Dow Lab Safety Academy presents material that is highly relevant to academic researchers, with modules that focus on the types of safety issues we all encounter. It is an excellent resource for students and those working in the chemical industry.”

As part of its laboratory safety initiative launched in early 2012, Dow has partnered with premier research universities to improve safety awareness and practices in the departments of chemistry, chemical engineering, engineering and materials. Through pilot programs with U.C. Santa Barbara (UCSB), University of Minnesota and Pennsylvania State University, Dow is working closely with graduate students and faculty to identify areas of improvement and help nurture a sustainable culture of laboratory safety.

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2012, Dow had annual sales of approximately $57 billion and employed approximately 54,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Points of Light's Civic Accelerator Invests in 10 Startups that Put People at Center of Change

05.17.2013 - 04:31PM

Points of Light’s Civic Accelerator – the first national startup accelerator dedicated solely to investing in civic ventures – announced today the 10 nonprofit and for-profit start-ups selected to participate in its summer program. The ventures participating in the Civic Accelerator all mobilize people to create positive change.

While Points of Light has a 20-year history of engaging people in volunteer service, the launch of the Civic Accelerator marks the first time the organization is investing venture capital funds in social enterprises.

Ten teams, selected from 150 applicants, will gather on May 20 in Atlanta for the start of an intensive, 12-week boot camp which will include mentoring, entrepreneur education, peer support and networking.

Points of Light has offered each startup a $10,000 investment. Additionally, Points of Light will offer two of the most promising ventures – as determined by the entrepreneurs themselves –an additional $50,000 investment at the end of the summer.

The Civic Accelerator is run in partnership with Village Capital, which has launched 22 accelerator programs in the U.S. and emerging markets, serving over 300 enterprises directly addressing poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and economic development. Founding support for the unique accelerator comes from PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. and Starbucks Foundation.

The 10 startups participating in the second cohort of the Civic Accelerator are:

EPIC empowers creative professionals to make social change happen.

GenX & Associates helps communities dashboard their social, economic, and environmental data online for local decision-making.

GraphAlchemist offers Graph as a Service (GaaS) to provide data driven solutions to complex problems.

Neighbor.ly is the funding platform for civic projects.

Open Curriculum is an online platform to create, access and share K-12 learning material.

Practice Makes Perfect works to narrow the achievement gap in low income U.S. neighborhoods through summer enrichment programs.

Public Lab is a community that develops and applies affordable, open-source environmental monitoring tools to empower citizen scientists.

The GREEN Program transforms experiential education around the world, and empowers leaders to break into and disrupt the hottest industries of our time.

Jubilee Project makes videos for a good cause that empower, enable, and inspire the next generation of change-makers.

Village Defense provides neighborhoods with a real-time communications system to keep neighbors safe and connected.

"Supporting innovation in the design of sustainable, scalable programs that drive social good is an important part of our giving philosophy," said Chris Simmons, president, PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. "We are pleased to congratulate the second class of 10 startups selected for the accelerator and look forward to seeing their impact in the areas of education and humanitarianism."

“Innovation is core to what we do at Starbucks, and we are inspired by the work of these entrepreneurs and innovators,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer at Starbucks. “We are honored to support this valuable program and are looking forward to witnessing the continued success of the teams as they make a positive impact on their communities.”

“We are excited about the new thinking and innovative models we are seeing – and investing in – across the country. The for-profit and nonprofit ventures, with their shared focus on customers and need for sustainable business models, have a great deal in common,” said Ayesha Khanna, president of the Civic Incubator at Points of Light. “We believe their success will engage people in solving critical social problems and strengthening communities.”

“Over the next three months, these enterprises will get the best support and the toughest criticism they’ve ever received from their peers,” said Ross Baird, executive director of Village Capital. “The program will focus on everything from customer validation to financials, and we expect that the collaboration of these amazingly talented people will be a force multiplier for their success.”

About Points of Light
Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages more than 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About Village Capital
Village Capital uses the power of peer review and support to shape enterprises making an impact, and to change the way investment in them is made. Through tested educational programs worldwide, and through a unique peer-selected model, Village Capital provides innovative risk capital to the world’s highest-potential ventures while expanding the scope and infrastructure of the impact investing industry. For more information, go to www.vilcap.com.

About PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc., a section 501(c)(3) organization, makes charitable contributions to the people of PwC in times of financial hardship, and to nonprofit organizations that support and promote education and humanitarianism.

Nicor Volunteers Come Together to Give Back to 15 Northern Illinois Communities

05.17.2013 - 02:13PM

Since 1997, Nicor employees have dedicated the third Saturday in May for Volunteer Day as their way of giving back to the local communities where they live and work.

On Saturday, May 18, hundreds of employees, family members, and friends will honor their commitment to volunteerism and one the company’s core values – generosity of spirit – by performing a variety of community service activities. From outdoor beautification, to constructing houses for low-income residents, to sorting food at local food pantries, 18 projects will be performed benefitting 15 cities and towns across northern Illinois.

Employees from Nicor Gas, a local natural gas distribution company, will be joined by employees from Nicor Home Solutions, an unregulated provider of appliance protection plans and other home related services and Nicor Enerchange, provider of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in the Midwest primarily in the northern Illinois market, to complete the community enrichment projects, which are much more than painting fences and raking leaves.

“Volunteer Day reflects the collective spirit of our Nicor companies,” said Beth Reese, president of Nicor Gas. “For the last 17 years, our employees have dedicated personal time on a Saturday to demonstrate their dedication to our communities and help make our world a better place for everyone.”

Volunteers will complete projects in the following communities:

Volunteers will spruce up the Hesed House, a homeless shelter at 680 S. River Street, Aurora.
Volunteers will help beautify the Mooseheart Child City and School in Batavia by planting flowers, cleaning up trails and painting a horse corral.
A team will tackle energy-efficient renovations alongside McLean County Habitat for Humanity volunteers at a new renovation project in Bloomington.
More than 50 volunteers will assist with landscaping outdoor spaces and painting marcfirst, group homes for individuals with mental and physical disabilities in Bloomington.
DeKalb volunteers will return to the Salvation Army Food Pantry at 830 Grove Street to plant a community garden and perform outdoor cleanup.
Benefiting Downers Grove area women’s shelter, volunteers will take on a painting project to freshen up the common areas. This project is sponsored by the AGL Resources women's group, Inspire.
At Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, volunteers will help prepare a home for a new family by performing weatherization tasks and painting.
Geneva volunteers will sort and organize food at the Northern Illinois Food Bank at 273 Dearborn Court.
Our volunteers will give a fresh coat of paint to and spruce up The Dixie House on Dixie Highway in Harvey for Restoration Ministries, a group that provides social and human services for underprivileged families and individuals.
Joliet volunteers will tackle a little spring cleaning and will help organize the Morningstar Mission retail stores and warehouse at 350 E. Washington St.
Volunteers will clean up the property at Cornerstone Group Home, a short-term, residential group home for boys, ages 13-17, in Lisle.
Naperville volunteers will pitch in to plant and landscape the property around the 60-acre McDonald Farm run by the Naperville Conservation Foundation.
At the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, about 25 volunteers will mulch and trim bushes along the property, and plant flowers in large outdoor planters.
Lending hands to Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry at 1871 High Grove Lane in Naperville volunteers will sort food collected during recent community food drives and distribute them to clients.
Volunteers at Lake Katherine Nature Center in Palos Heights will plant native trees and plugs and spread prairie seeds harvested from Nicor Gas’ prairie and will help rehabilitate natural areas as part of the eco- and family-friendly project, which includes building an animal mound - a 35-foot long salamander.
The Rock River Valley Food Pantry will welcome volunteer efforts to help sort food and clean up around the grounds at two locations in Rockford.
Flowers and mulch will be planted at The Manor at Hearthstone Communities, rehabilitative and nursing care facilities at 920 N. Seminary Ave. in Woodstock.
Yorkville volunteers will perform outdoor planting and indoor painting at the Kendall County Food Pantry.

To learn more about our community involvement, visit http://nicorgas.aglr.com/Universal/AboutUs/CommunityInvolvement.aspx

About Nicor Gas

Nicor Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS), is a natural gas distribution company that serves more than 2 million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information, visit www.nicorgas.com.

About AGL Resources

AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in natural gas distribution, retail operations, wholesale services, midstream operations and cargo shipping. As the nation's largest natural gas-only distributor based on customer count, AGL Resources serves approximately 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries in seven states. The company also serves approximately 600,000 retail energy customers and approximately 1.2 million customer service contracts through its SouthStar Energy Services joint venture and Nicor National, which market natural gas and related home services. Other non-utility businesses include asset management for natural gas wholesale customers through Sequent Energy Management, ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities, and ownership of Tropical Shipping, one of the largest containerized cargo carriers serving the Bahamas and Caribbean region. AGL Resources is a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.

CVS Caremark 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

05.17.2013 - 08:00AM

Novartis Wins GBCHealth Business Action on Health Award For Social Ventures Initiative

05.17.2013 - 02:00AM

GBCHealth recognizes Novartis Arogya Parivar (“Healthy Family”) initiative as one of the best corporate programs to address global health needs

Arogya Parivar has improved access to medicine for 42 million patients across 33,000 villages in India

This program is a Novartis social venture, building local, sustainable solutions to address healthcare challenges in emerging markets

Novartis is pleased to announce that GBCHealth, a coalition of more than 230 private sector companies working to improve global health, has awarded the company’s Arogya Parivar program the Business Action on Health Award for Application of Core Competence. Arogya Parivar is a sustainable business model that makes affordable, high-quality medicines accessible to underserved millions in India. The program also expands access to health education and consultations in remote villages.

“We are proud to be recognized by GBCHealth for our Arogya Parivar program," said Joe Jimenez, Novartis Chief Executive Officer. “Arogya Parivar is an important part of the work Novartis is doing around the world to develop sustainable solutions that address the unmet medical needs of people in developing nations. Through our social ventures programs, we’re making a difference by encouraging better health and at the same time driving local economic growth. We expect Arogya Parivar to have an enduring impact in India and look forward to extending the model to other developing economies.”

Arogya Parivar, meaning “Healthy Family” in Hindi, is a for-profit social business developed by Novartis that adapts a market-based approach to improve healthcare access for India’s rural poor. Novartis trains health educators, who teach communities about health and disease prevention, and sales supervisors, who increase local medicine access across several therapeutic areas by informing local pharmacists about products. Since launching Arogya Parivar in 2007, Novartis has trained more than 500 health educators and supervisors and improved access to healthcare for 42 million patients across 33,000 villages in India. As a result of the positive impact of Arogya Parivar, Novartis is working to further expand the social business model in 2014.

Arogya Parivar is one example of a Novartis “social venture” approach. Social ventures build local, sustainable solutions to address healthcare challenges in emerging markets. These programs go beyond medicine, donations, and price reductions, by tackling larger societal issues that impact access to healthcare: education, infrastructure and distribution. With each social venture, Novartis adapts its approach to meet diverse local health and cultural needs.

To learn more about Novartis Social Ventures, please visit http://www.novartis.com/corporate-responsibility/access-to-healthcare/our-key-initiatives/index.shtml.

Disclaimer

This press release contains expressed or implied forward-looking statements, including statements that can be identified by terminology such as “expect,” ”look forward to,” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Group regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such statements. These expectations could be affected by, among other things, risks and factors referred to in the Risk Factors section of Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update it in the future.

About Novartis

Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2012, the Group achieved net sales of USD 56.7 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.3 billion (USD 9.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 129,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis.

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

Eric Althoff

Novartis Global Media Relations

+41 61 324 7999 (direct)

+41 79 593 4202 (mobile)

eric.althoff@novartis.com

Beth Calitri

Novartis Global Media Relations

+41 61 324 7973 (direct)

+41 79 523 0198 (mobile)

beth.calitri@novartis.com

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Novartis
For questions about the site or required registration, please contact: journalisthelp@thenewsmarket.com.

Novartis Investor Relations

Central phone:	+41 61 324 7944
Samir Shah	+41 61 324 7944	North America:
Pierre-Michel Bringer	+41 61 324 1065	Stephen Rubino	+1 862 778 8301
Thomas Hungerbuehler	+41 61 324 8425	Jill Pozarek	+1 212 830 2445
Isabella Zinck	+41 61 324 7188	Edwin Valeriano	+1 212 830 2456

e-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com		e-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com

MGM Resorts Foundation Announces the 2013 Women's Leadership Conference

05.16.2013 - 04:11PM

As part of its continuing effort to promote professional development and career advancement among women, MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and The MGM Resorts Foundation today announced the 2013 Women’s Leadership Conference on Aug. 8– 9, 2013 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Navigating Your Future features diverse and nationally recognized speakers and accomplished women role models, as well as provides forums for small-group dialogue and individual networking among highly motivated conference attendees.

“As more and more women ascend to leadership roles nationally and globally, in business, in elected office, in our communities and in all phases of our lives, empowerment of women is a surging phenomenon, now and into our future,” said Phyllis A. James, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of MGM Resorts International. “Helping to prepare women to better meet the challenges of such roles is an important dimension of our commitment to diversity.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are estimated to account for 51.2 percent of the increase in total labor force growth between 2008 and 2018. In 2010, women comprised 46.8 percent of the total U.S. labor force.

The conference is open to women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds, locally and nationally, and men who support them. The non-profit MGM Resorts Foundation is the conference’s presenting sponsor and – for the first time – will be partnering with the nationally renowned Women’s Food Service Forum (WFF). Proceeds of the conference after costs will be donated to one or more local nonprofit agencies devoted to the welfare and development of women and girls.

The early registration fee for conference participants is $250. Registration includes the full conference and all workshops and lectures, a networking reception, and continental breakfasts and lunches catered by MGM Grand. Time is also allotted for attendees to build key professional relationships with other women attending while enjoying the hospitality and entertainment of MGM Grand and other resorts of MGM Resorts International.

Participating sponsorships are available to organizations or companies who share the vision and goals of this conference. Returning sponsors include Cox Communications and Greenspun Media Group.

For more information about the Women’s Leadership Conference, please visit www.mgmresorts.com/womensleadershipconference.

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies operating a peerless portfolio of destination resort brands, including MGM Grand Detroit, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s website at www.mgmresorts.com.

Best Organics Inc. is Now Recognized as a Certified B Corporation by B Lab

05.16.2013 - 01:45PM

Leading organic gift basket provider Best Organics Inc., based here, is pleased to announce that it has achieved “B Corporation” certification for its focus on sustainability, social responsibility and business performance. Certified Benefit Corporations seek to integrate the “triple bottom line” of people, planet and profit into their business organization and culture, serving all the business’ stakeholders, including investors, employees, suppliers, customers and the communities in which the business operates.

B Corporations are certified by the non-profit B Lab, founded in 2006 by Andrew Kassoy, Jay Coen Gilbert and Bart Houlahan, veterans of private equity and footwear and apparel businesses. Through B Lab, the founders created a points-based certification system for forward-thinking entrepreneurs and businesses that wish to create and operate within a sustainable business framework. The movement is exceeding growth expectations, now with more than 700 companies in 60 business sectors across 24 countries, including industry leaders Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, Sambazon, Numi Tea, Bhakti Chai, Method, GoLite, and now Best Organics Inc.

“Increasingly there are businesses that want to create value for all their stakeholders, not just their shareholders,” said B Lab cofounder Andrew Kassoy. “These companies are competing not just to be best in the world, but best for the world. B Corp certification is like the Fair Trade label, but for the whole company, not just the bag of coffee. We are pleased that Best Organics has joined a unique group of more that 700 companies committed to making a big difference.”

“As a social mission driven company, joining the ranks of the B Corporation community provides support for our efforts to foster the health of people and the environment. Through the promotion of certified organic products that we offer in our America's Best Organics gift baskets, we support artisan producers and educate consumers that their purchases make a difference,” says Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of Best Organics Inc.

As the co-producer of the Boulder-based “At the Epicenter” speaker series, Best Organics recently invited Andrew Kassoy to speak to a Boulder business audience on the importance of the triple bottom line model in a world of pervasive green-washing.

Not only is Best Organics B Corp certified but several of the companies that are featured in the America's Best Organics gift basket collections are as well. The company curates products that are organic and/or fair trade certified but also seeks to create vendor partnerships with companies that are also Certified B Corporations. The company proudly offers Runa Tea, Fearless Chocolate and Numi Tea, all Certified B Corporations, as part of their fine product selections.

About Best Organics Inc.
Best Organics Inc. is a leading provider of organic and sustainable gift baskets, and a brand promotion and event production company. With roots in Boulder, Colorado, renowned as a center of natural, organic and sustainable business, Best Organics offers America’s Best Organics, an all organic gift basket-in-a-box filled with organic foods and snacks, personal care products and other eco-friendly items from local, artisan, regional and national brands made by social mission guided USA companies.

The company is the producer of At the Epicenter, a series of interactive CEO armchair interviews and networking events featuring nationally renowned business and thought leaders in the $300-billion LOHAS market as well as the Organic Alley Pavilion at the Boulder Green Streets annual ciclovia.

About B Corp
Certified B Corporations 1) meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance; 2) legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests; and 3) build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. As of May 2012, there are over 530 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries , representing a divers e multi-billion marketplace.

About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Lab drives systemic change through three interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and just good marketing; 2) accelerating the growth of the impact investing asset class through use of B Lab’s GIIRS impact rating system by institutional investors; and 3) promoting supportive public policies, including creation of a new corporate form and tax, procurement, and investment incentives for sustainable business.

Johnson Controls 2012 Business and Sustainability Report

05.14.2013 - 01:15PM

How a Culture of Innovation Drives Sustainability at BASF (Free Livestream)

05.14.2013 - 09:42AM

A rare opportunity to hear directly from the VP of Innovation and Technology at a company that has successfully turned sustainability into a profit engine. Learn how the world’s leading chemical company focuses its innovation machine to solve some of society’s most pressing needs. Hear the story of a company that deeply understands how it’s not only the science of chemistry that it uses to solve problems, but perhaps even more so, it’s the chemistry among people.

DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 (registration closes June 9th)
TIME: 4:30-7:30 PM EST (snacks & networking from 6:30-7:30)
LOCATION: Bennett Jones, 1st Can. Place, 100 King St. W. (King & Bay), 34th Floor, Toronto
FREE LIVE WEBCAST & TWITTERCHAT #tssschat from 5:00-6:30 PM EST
(Tickets for both the live event and the webcast must be purchased in advance)

Aman Singh (Editorial Director, CSRwire) will be our Twitterchat facilitator.

Capitalism 2.0 Strategic Advisor Michael Townsend (Founder and CEO Earthshine Solutions) will co-host our Twitterchat from London, UK.

Sign up for our LIVE FREE WEBCAST today.

To learn more about this event, click here.

Our Guest Speaker
Dr. Volker Schaedler is Vice President of Innovation & Technology for BASF in North America. His responsibilities include multiple research groups in polymer and materials science, analytical chemistry, liason with universities, government labs and other external partners, and innovation management.

Since joining BASF in 1998 Volker Schaedler has been in charge of a variety of R&D programs within corporate research and product development in the area of functional polymers for coatings and paper. In 2003 Volker created BASF’s research laboratory at Strasbourg University in collaboration with Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn as head of the institute (ISIS), enabling long term innovation through a unique collaboration model between academia and industry. Volker came to the US in 2007 to set up BASF’s first corporate polymer research group in Wyandotte, Michigan. Volker is a chemist by training and holds a PhD in Polymer Science from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany.

About TSSS
The Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series (TSSS) is widely recognized as Canada’s premiere forum for dialogue and problem solving among sustainability professionals. Each year over 1000 sustainability change agents attend TSSS events to exchange ideas, to network and to be inspired by leading companies that have integrated sustainability into their business practices. To learn more, click here.

Innovating for Sustainability

05.13.2013 - 09:42AM

Challenged by mounting pressure to act with greater transparency, businesses across the globe are struggling to balance the demands of shareholders with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns of society. To help companies align financial reporting and ESG performance, Harvard Business School Executive Education offers Innovating for Sustainability.

Learn more by visiting our website.

Contact Information:

Jim Aisner
Email: jaisner@hbs.edu
Phone: +1-617-495-6157
Twitter: @HBSExecEd

Centrica's 2012 Corporate Responsibility Performance Report

05.08.2013 - 06:00AM

Giving the World Reasons to Smile - Colgate Sustainability Report 2012

05.07.2013 - 08:00AM

BBB Forum on Corporate Responsibility VI

05.06.2013 - 10:59AM

At the sixth BBB Forum, thought leaders will present insights about how corporate responsibility priorities and practices are changing in response to evolving business needs and public pressures. Register now to:

Hear the latest thinking about the evolving corporate responsibility scene
Learn how a corporate journey through changing expectations benefited the business
Get insights about trends and megatrends that are shaping business opportunities
Discover key features of shareholder-sponsored proposals on environmental and social issues
Explore new ideas about goal-setting and social impact assessment
And more...

Speakers will include:

Kim Jeffery, Chairman, Nestle Waters North America
Mike Lawrence, Chief Reputation Officer and Executive Vice President, Cone Communications
Diana Glassman, Head of Environmental Affairs, TD Bank, U.S.
Christopher T. Lloyd, Executive Director, Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility, Verizon Communications
Louise Raymond, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, The McGraw-Hill Companies
David Vidal, Senior Fellow, The Conference Board Initiative on Sustainability
Kellie Huennekens, Assistant Director, Corporate Governance Center, Ernst & Young, LLP
Laura Gitman, Managing Director, Advisory Services, BSR

Cost:

BBB Accredited Businesses and National Partners, Event Supporters, and Charities – $90 Early Bird Rate until May 10, $95 after that

Non BBB-Accredited, Others – $160, Early Bird Rate until May 10, $165 after that.

Major Sponsors: Ernst & Young LLP Popular Community Bank

Benefactor Sponsor: NYSE Euronext

Friend Sponsor: Goodwill Industries of Greater New York, and Northern New Jersey

Media Supporter: Corporate Responsibility Magazine

Event Supporters: Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, American Sustainable Business Council, BSR, Council of Better Business Bureaus, CSRHub, CSRwire, Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, Forum for the Future, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc., Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Net Impact NYC, NYCharities.org, New York Society of Association Executives, and Sustainability Practice Network, and The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity

Cancellation Policy: If you register, need to cancel, and wish to request a refund, please notify us in writing by email to hlayland@newyork.bbb.org no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

We regret that we will not be able to and likewise, cannot re-apply registration fees for this event to other purposes. You may send a substitute attendee in your place if necessary; we ask that you give us advance notice of the change if at all possible, to ensure a smooth event check-in process for your attendee. Thank you!

Leading for Sustainability Workshop with Peter Senge & Darcy Winslow

05.04.2013 - 06:00AM

Collaboration is the human face of systemic change. Join Peter Senge and Darcy Winslow for this 3-day leadership workshop and learn how to successfully and collaboratively make sustainability a core value in your organization, supply chain and community. The overall focus of this workshop is joint capacity building in service of developing new capabilities for generative partnerships and collaboration for systemic change.

Leading for Sustainability offers less lecture time, and more time for hands-on development of your leadership skills. You will strengthen your systems thinking skills so you can switch from reactive problem solving to initiating and creating new futures.

CSRwire subscribers get a special $300 discount. Use Promo Code 'CSRW300'.

Register for this event.

Peter Senge

Founding Chair of SoL, Senior Lecturer at MIT and author of The Fifth Discipline, the Art and Practices of the Learning Organization and The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organization Are Working Together To Create a Sustainable World.

Darcy Winslow
Managing Partner and founding member of the Academy for Systemic Change. Former Senior Executive at Nike, most notably starting the Sustainable Business Strategies in 1999.

General Mills 2013 Global Responsibility Report

05.03.2013 - 09:00AM

A Conversation on Employee Engagement, Volunteerism & Shareholder Value: What's The Link?

05.01.2013 - 08:32AM

Chances are, if you have more than 100 employees, you either have a volunteerism program or have one in the works. Chances also are – especially if you already have a program in place – that you want to report on all the incredible work being done by your employees for recognition, competitive value and transparency.

But how do you do that in a way that isn’t interpreted as self-promotional or submerged into a sea of metrics without context? And how do you keep everything from social media and engagement to tracking and reporting requirements straight?

Join CSRwire's Editorial Director Aman Singh in conversation with Melanie Michaud, Philips' Senior Manager for Internal Communications – Corporate Responsibility, Daniel Korschun, Drexel University's Assistant Professor of Marketing and Fellow at the Center for Corporate Reputation Management at the LeBow College of Business, and Profits for Purpose's Jason Burns on the increasing – and important – role of measuring, tracking and connecting engagement data with business performance, bottom line results and brand value.

Among the topics we will discuss:

What does leading research say about the connection between employee engagement and shareholder value?
How does a CSR strategy led strategically across functions affect business performance?
How are companies like Phillips connecting the dots between volunteerism, engagement, retention and business growth?
How can companies collect, manage, measure and report on their employee engagement data from one platform to ensure they're communicating effectively and being transparent with their metrics?
What is the role of leadership buy in and engagement beyond pursuing their favorites causes?

Date: May 9, 2013
Time: 2:00pm EST
Venue: GoToWebinar
Twitter: #engageROI

I'll join @CSRwire & @Profits4Purpose 2discuss the link b/n #EmployeeEngagement & shareholder value 05/09 http://bit.ly/engageROI #engageROI

And remember to come armed with questions, perspective and insights!

Public Private Partnerships Forum: The ‘HOW’ behind cross-sector collaboration

04.29.2013 - 10:00AM

On Tuesday evening, May 7^th 2013 IMA International will host a forum for 30-50 public and private sector professionals in New York City, who will discuss how to establish and sustain cross – sector partnerships.

Panel Speakers Include:

Tom Sessions – Care International
Paula Pagniez – Swiss Re
William Kennedy – UN Office for Partnerships
Camilla Nestor – Grameen Foundation

Speakers will share cases to highlight the main challenges they faced at each stage of the partnership cycle, and the practical actions they took to progress through.

Places are limited and there is high demand.

For an invite: Email Linzi.moore@imainternational.com with details of your organization, role, and why you are interested. Venue to be revealed on registration.

GSK's 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report

04.29.2013 - 08:00AM

Greyston Bakery Announces 2012 Annual Benefit Report

04.26.2013 - 08:00AM

SGS Corporate Sustainability Report 2012

04.24.2013 - 08:00AM

Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education offers Corporate Social Responsibility Program

04.22.2013 - 10:15AM

Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategies to Create Business and Social Value will take place from September 25-28, 2013 on the HBS Campus.

Participants will learn to align CSR with business strategy by defining priorities, integrating social responsibility into business structure and managing risk.

To learn more and apply, visit here.

Nestlé in Society: Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments

04.22.2013 - 08:00AM

Clean Energy Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference

04.19.2013 - 12:36PM

CEPEC is an international clean energy and cleantech conference for private equity and venture capital partners. Its agenda is to have proven industry leaders, explain the financial aspects and business cases, surrounding the most interesting investments which they have been involved with and committed capital to. Panelists follow a unique case study format, akin to a 2-day MBA Master class. While the conference offers business critical information, genuine co-investment opportunities and decision level networking to existing 'green' investors, CEPEC is equally suited to new and would be professional investors considering entering the sector.

The overriding purpose of CEPEC is to help professionals make better investment decisions based on the experiences of others and issues of the day. Panelist on the agenda reflect the type of delegates coming to CEPEC.

Sharing a Vision and Zeroing in on Waste: Live Chat with P&G and The Guardian

04.19.2013 - 08:00AM

Join P&G's global sustainability leaders and Jo Confino of The Guardian for a unique exchange with the world’s largest consumer packaged goods company.

The conversation will dive into P&G’s work, partnerships, and commitments and challenges to responsibly meet the needs of its customers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions in a live forum during the chat. From aiming to save a life every hour with safe drinking water packets to accomplishing zero-waste and 45 manufacturing sites and inspiring families to switch to cold water washing for every load of laundry, the people at P&G are focused on finding ways to improve its environmental profile while leveraging its global scale to make a tangible difference for people everywhere.

Please register online to join the Live Chat on Monday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST.

Verizon 2012 Annual Report

04.19.2013 - 08:00AM

The Conference Board Summit on Sustainability

04.18.2013 - 08:11AM

The Conference Board Summit on Sustainability brings together sustainability experts, practitioners, and institutional investors share the latest perspectives on how corporations are transforming their global operations by integrating sustainability into a long term return-on-investment strategy.

Businesses, foundations, universities, governments and consumers are actively seeking solutions for an increasing number sustainability concerns, creating a new “sustainability market.” In this environment, corporations benefit by promoting innovative technologies, resource-efficient business processes, and new methods and partnerships for research and development.

The Conference Board Sustainability Summit examines four critical themes. The first two focus on the people who drive sustainability: Investors and Stakeholders. The second two themes focus on tools used for sustainability: Technology and R&D. All comes together with targeted discussion on the new touch points of sustainability, including innovation, technology, eliminating waste, dramatic energy efficiency, water supply, and a reinvented workforce.

Why Attend?

Learn how investors view non-financial factors as value drivers
Hear experts in energy, water supply, human capital and other sustainability practices discuss the environmental and social impact of their operations on local/regional stakeholders
Understand technological advances that solve sustainability problems and reshape how companies organize and create value
Apply innovations from R&D strategic partnerships between companies, universities, governments and foundations

The 2013 Conference Features Two Pre-Conference Seminars – bring home some specific tools on how you can benefit from the new sustainability mindset

Plenary Sessions – hear from renowned keynote speakers and panelists as well comments and questions from the full audience

Four Tracks – tailor your conference to your own expertise or interests. Choose from tracks on:

Shareholder/Corporate Governance
Stakeholders
Techhnology
Research & Development

A Pre-Conference Survey – determine what your peers view as the main touch points of the new Sustainability Regime. These will be revisited throughout the conference to see how they fit in with the discussion as it unfolds

Interactive Sessions – Creatively collaborate with fellow attendees during the Design your Own Smart City group exercise designed for executives in charge of corporate sustainability, environmental health & safety, supply chain, purchasing and procurement, resource management, investment and financial firms, sustainability consulting firms, and government entities/agencies.

Royal Bank of Scotland 2012 Sustainability Report

04.17.2013 - 10:00AM

Moss Adams Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2012

04.17.2013 - 08:00AM

SAP's Integrated Report 2012

04.15.2013 - 08:00AM

Materiality, Sustainability Disclosure & ESG Performance: A Live Conversation With SASB

04.12.2013 - 05:30PM

Today, sustainability reporting lacks comparability, rigor, and implications for inclusion in financial valuation and therefore, can’t be tied to performance in a way that is actionable by management or investors.

Despite GRI's continued popularity -- and high expectations from the upcoming G4 guidelines -- and the International Integrated Reporting Committee's [IIRC] work on shifting reporting toward an integrated format, there remains a critical need for standards that help companies address, and investors analyze, the most material environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their industry.

But what is materiality? And how do you deduce fair share of resources in a way that neither of the environment, social or governance metrics are getting siloed? Further, can any one organization lead us toward a sector-specific standardized approach that allows analysts, investors, consumers, employees and all other stakeholders understand and credibly compare corporate apples to apples?

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) was publicly launched in October 2012 to "advance the concepts of industry-specific performance indicators and integrated reporting for the benefit of U.S. publicly listed corporations, their investors, and the general public."

The organization was borne out of the idea that "integrated reporting and industry performance indicators are concepts that are mutually reinforcing and the essential next step in responsible, complete, and comparable disclosure."

Now, six months in, what is the SASB upto? How did it codify the Materiality Map and how are the Industry Groups it set up working?

And what are the key differences between SASB's mandate and that of the GRI and the IIRC? Can we expect SASB to make sustainability standards as clear and enforcable as accounting standards by the Fair Accounting Standards Board [FASB]?

Join CSRwire's Editorial Director Aman Singh in conversation with SASB's Associate Director of Education Marisa Mackey and Associate Director of Stakeholder Engagement Katie Schmitz Eulitt for a webinar to discuss all these questions and more.

Learn about SASB’s work to develop industry-specific sustainability accounting standards and how these standards will affect your industry and organization. Consider this a great opportunity to have your questions answered about the future of ESG disclosure and learn how to become involved in the standards-setting process.

Date: April 18, 2013

Time: 12:00pm EST

Registration: Register here and send out the following tweet:

I will join @sasb_org + @CSRwire on 04/18 to discuss #ESG #disclosure, #materiality & #sustainability standards! http://bit.ly/sasbcsrwire

Hashtag: #SASBCSRwire

About SASB

Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB)™ is an independent 501(c)3 organization that establishes and maintains industry-tailored key performance indicators for use in disclosing material sustainability issues for the benefit of investors, corporations and the public. For more information about SASB, visit www.sasb.org, or follow us on YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About CSRwire

CSRwire is a digital media platform and the leading global source of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability news. Founded in 1999 to advance the movement towards a more economically just and environmentally sustainable society and away from single bottom line capitalism, CSRwire has paved the way for new standards of corporate citizenship, earning the international respect of thought leaders, business leaders, academics, philanthropists, activists and the media community. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

LOHAS Conference

04.12.2013 - 05:07PM

The LOHAS Business Conference provides a cross section of executives like no other, and is known for fantastic networking with decision makers who are interested in LOHAS business. Countless deals and successful relationships have manifested as a direct result of participating in the LOHAS Business Conference.

Symantec Corporation's 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report

04.12.2013 - 01:37PM

Sustainability Base Camp for Media Executives

04.11.2013 - 01:41PM

The Essential Sustainability Program for the Media Industry: What you need to know next.

The daylong program addresses the unique need for media industry executives to understand the fundamentals of sustainability and the business case for integrating CSR principles and practices into business operations.

Participants will benefit from a confidential, peer learning experience guided by seasoned sustainability experts and media executives. They will leave with practical knowledge of how best to leverage competitive advantage within the rapidly evolving sustainability marketplace. Key topics include global trends; standards and protocols; financial market drivers; risks and opportunities; and sustainable supply chains including a featured Case Study presented by Lyn Brown, VP Marketing and Corporate Responsibility for Catalyst Paper Corporation, one of the largest global paper supply companies.

During lunch, Lou Nowikas, director of real estate and facilities planning, Hearst Corporation will provide a special presentation on the LEED Platinum Hearst Tower.

Cocktail reception and GRI Findings Report presentation to follow.

Register Now!
CSRwire members receive a special discount – enter CSRWIRE for a 20% discount.

VERGE Boston

04.10.2013 - 01:34PM

GreenBiz is bringing their international VERGE conference series to Boston, May 13-14, and is offering CSRwire members a special discount.

VERGE conferences have traveled the globe with events in Shanghai, London, Washington DC, and San Francisco. VERGE Boston will bring together the emerging ecosystem of companies, products, and services at the convergence of energy, information, building and transportation technologies. It’s a great opportunity to get out of your silo and see what happens when people, technologies, and ideas converge.

VERGE conferences feature thought leaders from a wide variety of sectors, and include fresh perspectives on the innovative ideas, business opportunities and enabling technologies shaping our future. It's a big picture focus, targeting executives and senior management with opportunities to learn and discuss real world challenges and what the future holds within the VERGE domains: M2M/Internet of Things, Data: Big; Open and Shared; Smarter Supply Chains; Next-Gen Buildings; Future Cities; Intelligent Transportation; New Energy Systems.

The fantastic lineup of speakers includes: Kathrin Winkler, Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, EMC Corporation; Mary Fisher, Carbon Master, Stonyfield; Douglas Gensler, Principal and Managing Director, Gensler; Heather Henriksen, Director of the Office for Sustainability, Harvard University; Cheryl Martin, Deputy Director for Commercialization, ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy; Jason Jay, Director, Sustainable Business and Society, MIT; Brian Swett, Chief of Environment and Energy, City of Boston; Victoria Mills, Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships Program, EDF.

Visit the event program for even more speakers.

CSRwire members recieve a special discount! Use our 10% off priority discount code (VBOSCSRwire) when you register here: www.greenbiz.com/events/verge/2013/05/boston.

Growing the Impact Economy Summit, Harvard University, May 23-24

04.09.2013 - 05:30PM

A special leadership gathering of impact investors, government officials, social entrepreneurs, scholars, and economic developers to explore the role of for-benefit enterprise in accelerating job creation, promoting economic and community development, and enhancing regional competitiveness.

"I am pleased to see that such a diverse group of our nation's brightest minds will be meeting at Harvard to discuss innovative approaches to revitalizing our economy. It will take leadership from many sectors to continue to grow an economy that creates quality jobs, promotes shared prosperity, and builds strong, sustainable communities. These are issues I have worked on for years, and I look forward to the valuable ideas and recommendations that will be generated at the summit."

Larry H. Summers, Summit Advisory Council
President Emeritus, Harvard University; Director, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government, Harvard Kennedy School; 71st U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

About the Summit

During this time of mounting fiscal challenges and a sluggish and fragile economic recovery, there is a growing sector of “hybrid” or “for-benefit” enterprises that can create quality jobs and promote economic growth, contribute to the tax base, drive new resources to the nonprofit sector, and tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues that would otherwise fall on the shoulders of government and nonprofits. These enterprises are drivers of an “impact economy”—one that promotes social, environmental, and economic value creation.

To grow the impact economy and effectively harness its potential, there is a need for a more coherent and comprehensive national approach to developing the for-benefit sector. Economic development policies and programs, which are currently focused primarily on growing for-profit firms, need to be expanded to also support for-benefit enterprise development.

This invitation-only summit will bring together a mix of perspectives and participants involved in developing and supporting for-benefit economic models. Delegates will engage in thoughtful, off-the-record discussions about advancing regional and national economic development strategies for accelerating the growth of the impact economy. This will be a participant-driven, outcome-oriented gathering intended to serve as a springboard for action. Informed by advance research, and supported by innovative session design and a team of expert facilitators and reporters, delegates will have the opportunity to develop roadmaps for action and find new possibilities for collaboration and partnership. $25,000 in seed grants will be awarded to the most promising initiatives that emerge from the gathering.

Visit the summit website for the most up-to-date agenda and list of speakers.

"This gathering is timely. Especially in the past few years, leaders of the millennial generation have been passing up more traditional careers to pursue socially responsible work. If we can combine this younger generation's propensity for service with our nation’s inherent entrepreneurial spirit, the results could be game changing. We need the brightest leaders across multiple sectors to come together to rethink our model for prosperity."

David Gergen, Summit Advisory Council
Professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Senior Political Analyst, CNN

Registration

To optimize its impact, this Summit is designed to be an intimate, action-oriented leadership gathering of practitioners and thought leaders in the field. Participation is by invitation only. We have set aside a block of delegate slots for individuals who should be in the room but have not been identified by our process. Please share your wisdom with us by nominating sector leaders you believe would bring an important perspective to—and would benefit from—this gathering. Please feel free to self-nominate. Click here to nominate a delegate.

Health Care Service Corporation Issues 2012 Social Responsibility Report

04.08.2013 - 08:00AM

New Webinar Series on the Future of Integrated Reporting: The Way Forward for ESG Voluntary Reporting and ESG Regulatory Reporting

04.05.2013 - 05:40PM

Our most exciting Webinar Series ever will provide keen insights and practical guidance on the latest developments in ESG voluntary and regulatory reporting, and will address, for the first time, how to harmonize and integrate these two distinct ESG reporting worlds, which have disparities that are undermining global capital markets. Registration fee discounts of 40% are available for a limited time.

Speakers include:

Pietro Bertazzi, Senior Manager for Policy and Government Affairs, GRI
Hank Boerner, Chairman, Governance & Accountability Institute
Brian Rice, Portfolio Manager, Sustainability Risk Management Team Leader, CalSTRS
Sanford Lewis, Counsel, Investor Environmental Health Network
Christine Rhodes, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP
Linda Lowson, Esq., CEO, Global ESG Regulatory Academy™

3 Reasons Why You Should Attend:

Exclusive, Authoritative Source and Venue for this Global ESG Regulatory and Reporting Education: This must-have knowledge and practical guidance is not available anywhere else. CSR Insight™ is the only organization worldwide that has conducted a five-year Research Program which included comprehensive, drill-down legal, accounting, and technical analyses of all major global ESG voluntary and regulatory reporting regimes. This is the future of financial reporting, affecting every global capital market participant.
Gain Essential Knowledge to Avoid Serious Liabilities: Whether you are a C-Suite, Board, Finance, Legal, Audit, Risk, Compliance, Strategy, Sustainability, Analyst, Researcher, Asset Manager, or Asset Owner executive, you need this knowledge and you need it now, to fulfill your job responsibilities and avoid serious liabilities and risks of which you may be unaware. ESG reporting is now a strategic imperative. Be proactive, not reactive, and you will reap the professional and financial rewards.
Receive Important Guidance at a Nominal Cost to Fulfill Internal and External Stakeholder Expectations: You will reap the benefits of a five-year, $5.5 million Global ESG Regulatory and Reporting Research Program, quickly, conveniently, and at a nominal cost, including sophisticated technical analyses of both voluntary and regulatory ESG reporting frameworks, translated into simple laymen guidance on understanding, managing, and streamlining these two reporting worlds for maximum benefit and at lowest cost.

Webinars have limited capacity. Early registration is recommended.

Webinars will feature a live Q&A session. All Registrants will receive the archived Webinar recordings and the Webinar presentation handout materials, even if you cannot attend the live Webinars. Don't miss this unique, exciting, and important education!

Also, if you missed our Fall 2012 Webinar Series, it is now available for a limited time at a 40% discount: SEC ESG Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

This Series provides an in-depth explanation and the first-ever analysis of SEC ESG Requirements, Liabilities, and Risks for the C-Suite, the Board, the External Auditor, and the Asset Manager.

For Speaker, Sponsor, and Registration Queries: Contact Linda Lowson, Esq. at inquiry@globalregulatoryacademy.com.

4th Zermatt Summit - Business & NGOs: Building partnerships of winners

04.04.2013 - 09:36AM

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to invite you to join a select group of economic, business and political decision makers and participate in the fourth edition of the Zermatt Summit, 20-21 June 2013.

Our theme for this year is Business & NGOs: Building partnerships of winners.

The Zermatt Summit was created in 2010 as a platform to promote a constructive, action-oriented dialogue between civil society and business. It is our conviction that it is through this kind of dialogue and through a better interaction between civil society, business and governments that we will be able to achieve a more inclusive globalization.

I am looking forward to the pleasure of welcoming you personally to the Zermatt Summit in June. In the meantime, should you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms Jacqui Manini (jacqui.manini@zermattsummit.org) or Mr Stephane Barbot-Maire (sbm@smadja.ch). Both will be pleased to assist you.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Wasserman, President

For more information and early bird registration, visit www.zermattsummit.org.

View the program here, http://bit.ly/10cuf7i.

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit

04.02.2013 - 11:15AM

The fourth North American edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will take place in New York City on 16-18 May 2013.

Focal themes of this new edition are novel green ingredients, marketing developments and consumer behavior. For the first time, a summit will look at ways of reducing the environmental footprint of cosmetic products by using green ingredients and encouraging sustainable consumption. With many cosmetic companies preoccupied with ecological impacts, the sustainability initiatives session discusses ways of improving the social footprint of personal care products. How can cosmetic and ingredient firms make a social difference by their products?The summit ends with an interactive workshop that tackles the technical issues associated with using green cosmetic ingredients.

Organized by Organic Monitor, the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is a series of international summits that focuses on the leading issues the beauty industry faces concerning sustainability and ecological products.

The aim of the summit is to encourage sustainability in the beauty industry by bringing together key stake-holders and debate these major issues in a high-level forum.

More info on: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com
Email: info@sustainablecosmeticssummit.com
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788 Fax: (44) 20 8567 7164

Green Festival 2013

04.02.2013 - 01:01AM

Green Festival begins an exciting 2013 season returning to Javits Center North for Earth Day Weekend, April 19-21!

New York Green Festival returns to celebrate community with the largest, most diverse and most trusted place for learning, shopping, networking and having fun.

The Festival will feature favorites, like the organic, vegetarian and vegan food court; the Sierra Club Green Cinema; eco-fashion exhibits; hands-on DIY workshops; live music; an organic beer and wine garden; inspiring keynote presentations and, a nationally renowned Green Marketplace featuring products and services from local, regional and national green and sustainable businesses and organizations.

Learn more here.

Ceres Conference 2013

04.01.2013 - 06:11PM

Leading investors are rapidly ramping up programs to engage with companies on ESG related risks and opportunities. Much of this important work goes unnoticed because it is conducted privately. How do investors decide to use private rather than public means of engagement? How do investors choose companies for these closed-door dialogues? Most importantly, how are these dialogues influencing investment decisions as well as company practices? Join the conversation that will address these critical questions at the Ceres Conference 2013, and ask your questions in real time via Twitter.

Check out the entire conference program and agenda here.

Why Should You Attend The Ceres Conference?

Hear from previous conference attendees about why they attend the Ceres Conference every year in the video below.

Join us at the Ceres Conference 2013 to connect with fellow leaders creating the innovative solutions that will build a more sustainable global economy.

Register Now

Spring of Sustainability

03.29.2013 - 05:43PM

The Spring of Sustainability brings 60 “stars” of sustainability to a global audience in a mix of free teleseminar, web and live events spanning the Spring of 2013: April 2 - June 14.

Join world-class leaders like Bill McKibben, Mike Brune, Vandana Shiva, Dennis Kucinich, Frances Moore-Lappe, Joanna Macy and dozens more – in the Spring of Sustainability 2013.

Learn more here.

Columbia University Earth Summit

03.27.2013 - 09:48PM

Registration for The Columbia University Earth Summit closes tomorrow!

Join us on March 29 in welcoming Jeffrey Sachs, Kathleen Marran, Jason Bordoff, Dan Esty, and His Excellency Stuart Beck, among our 30 inspiring speakers! Watch undergraduates compete in the Resolution Social Venture Challenge, be inspired by Columbia early-stage entrepreneurs at our Idea Lab, and network during our thematic working lunches and reception.

This year’s Summit brings business and social leaders together with academics and students to find collaborative solutions that reach across traditional barriers. Throughout the morning, we will look at the effects of a changing environment on the economy, public health, security and justice, and education.

In each session, we will debate ways of engaging new stakeholders, discuss what still needs to be done, and identify the roadblocks. In the afternoon, we will look specifically at finance, policy, and technological solutions to these questions. We look forward to welcoming you to this inspiring event!

You can register here: www.columbiaearthsummit.com/#!register/cjg9.

2013 Peer Awards | Entry Deadline

03.27.2013 - 12:47PM

Just being shortlisted for a Peer Award for Excellence gets you exposure and recognition for your interesting CSR, Customer Engagement or HR initiatives. Two things then happen…

Your entry and company logo, and with a picture if you wish, will be featured in the special Peer Awards supplement in The Independent newspaper.
You will be invited to present your initiative at our conference, where you also listen to other finalists and help judge the Peer Awards.

We are open for entries from any country, profession or sector, until 1 May 2013.

Learn more at thepeerawards.com.

FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards 2013

03.23.2013 - 10:56AM

The Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, have launched the 2013 FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards, the world’s leading awards for financial institutions that are integrating environmental, social and corporate governance considerations into their business.

Now in their eighth year, the awards also highlight partnerships between financial and non-financial companies such as technology firms and infrastructure groups that are finding innovative and commercially viable solutions to some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. The 2012 programme attracted 161 entries from 145 financial institutions and 36 non-financial groups in 67 countries.

The FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards this year will reward leadership and innovation on an institutional and transactional basis across five categories.

Sustainable Bank of the Year
Sustainable Investor of the Year
Sustainable Investment of the Year
Technology in Sustainable Finance
Achievement in Inclusive Business

The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week

03.19.2013 - 08:18AM

“Smart Grid” has become a buzz word in the past few years at a time of human being facing serious climate challenges. Apparently, the pursuit of lower carbon emission is not the only driver for the world’s leading utilities’ “Going Green.” A self-healing, more reliable, less constrained, safer and more efficient grid is in the interest of all stakeholders. That is why in US, Euro and Australia utilities are constantly implementing smart technologies into their grids. For the developing economics, China is planning to increase the renewable energy proportion to 10 percent of the total energy use by 2010, and 15 percent by 2020. We also could see signs of active smart grid initiatives in Brazil, Africa and Middle East.

The main event agenda would include:

Strategy Forum – Smart grid pilots, investment, regulation and the next step
Technology Stream 1 – Smart grid business cases, latest development, smart metering, distribution automation
Technology Stream 2 – renewable integration, demand response, smart city outlook
India Talents Training Program – Cultivating young talents for the power sector of India and prepare for tomorrow’s smart grid

The expectation for the 3rd WSGC India Week event:

More exhibition space and more target visitors across the industry – the organizer is going to issues more visitor passes to the industry for the exhibitors from India transmission and distribution utilities, smart grid service companies, experts and consultants

More distribution utilities senior executive discussion on smart grid deployment and investment – 400 senior participants in 2013 across the industry

More senior international speakers to present on developing countries’ experiences in smart grid On behalf of the organizing committee, we would like to invite you and other senior executives to attend The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week, which will be held in New Delhi, India from Sep 10th-12th, 2013. With your attendance in 3rd WSGC India, we believe it will enhance the profile of your firm in smart grid industry and potentially bring more profitable business to your company.

Relevant events:

The 2nd World Smart Grid Conference Middle East, April 22th - 23th, 2013 Abu Dhabi, UAE
The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference China, May 9th - 10th, 2013, Beijing, China

Conference Name：

The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week Date: Sep. 10th- 12th, 2013 Location: New Delhi, India

Hosting Organization:

SZ&W Group

Event Website:

www.szwgroup.com/2013/sgindia/
Tel: +86 21 5830 0710
Fax: +86 21 5831 1668
E-mail: info@szwgroup.com

Rockwell Automation Releases 2012 Corporate Sustainability Report

03.06.2013 - 09:00AM

The Role of Business in Health and Wellness Innovation: BCLC's fifth report in "The Role of Business" series

01.25.2013 - 10:07AM

Ansvars Redovisning: Djurgården Fotbolls CSR-redovisning [Djurgården Football CSR Report]

01.24.2013 - 08:24AM

CSRwire United Nations Global Compact 2012 Communication on Progress

01.09.2013 - 09:20AM

Liberty Global publishes first Corporate Responsibility Report

12.07.2012 - 07:43AM

EuroCharity Submits its Communication on Progress

11.23.2012 - 09:00AM

JPMorgan Chase Releases Full Set Of 2011-2012 Corporate Responsibility Reports

11.16.2012 - 09:00AM

Future Impact of Environmental Scorecards, Hospital Global Purchasing Guidelines Revealed in New Report at 2012 CleanMed Europe Conference

11.09.2012 - 09:00AM

Symantec Highlights 2012 Sustainability Progress

11.06.2012 - 12:18PM