PRESS RELEASE -
At DuPont, our people are not only the engine driving our performance but also the inspiration behind our commitment to sustainability. For more than two centuries, they have identified opportunities, made connections, taken risks, and developed new innovations to exceed our customers’ expectations.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Starbucks Corporation announced on Monday that it completed the underwriting of an initial public offering of senior notes, including its first-ever U.S. Corporate Sustainability Bond.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Roughly a year ago, KIND Snacks CEO Daniel Lubetzky received a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about his products. Among other nutrition claims, the FDA took issue with the use of the word “healthy” on KIND snack bar labels. Now, the FDA has not only affirmed that KIND can use “healthy” on its labels again, but also confirmed that it intends to reevaluate the regulatory definition of the term.
PRESS RELEASE -
Today, Campbell is announcing a new Paid Parental Leave policy and our CEO Denise Morrison sent the following letter to employees this morning.
COLLABORATION -
The second edition of Sustainable Brands Barcelona is taking place the 22nd-24th of May. Sandra Pina, director of the event and partner of the consultancy firm Quiero salvar el mundo haciendo marketing gave us a sneak peak of what is to come.
PRESS RELEASE -
Corporate Responsibility Magazine is pleased to present our 17th annual list of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. This year’s 100 Best List began with our research team documenting 260 data points of disclosure and performance measurements for the entire Russell 1000. The data was gleaned from publicly available information and each company was ranked in seven categories:
Environment
Climate change
Employee relations
Human rights
Corporate governance
Financial performance
Philanthropy & community support
More details on our methodology can be found here.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Food dominates our lives; it influences our health and has becomes a defining theme of 21st-century popular culture. No wonder then that the sustainability issues that influence the things we eat and drink have taken on such importance with the public worldwide.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2016 – Sustainable Brands® recently announced activities in the Activation Hub at SB’16 San Diego, June 6-9, 2016 at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. As a central networking hub, this action-centered environment will serve as an ideation marketplace for global brands looking for specific solutions to scale sustainability initiatives.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Home improvement company Kingfisher, which owns retail chains B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, Screwfix and Koçtaş, is undergoing major changes within its sustainability team, reports edie. Rather than reporting to a sustainability director, Kingfisher’s sustainability team is now managed alongside its customer insights, corporate affairs and external communications divisions under the company’s newly-appointed Chief Customer Officer, Pierre Woreczek.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, April 14, 2016 – Sustainable Brands® recently announced full program details for SB’16 San Diego running June 6-9 at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa. As the largest community gathering in the Sustainable Brands global conference network, it will convene nearly 2,000 brand innovators from around the world who are tapping into emerging innovation to drive brand value and scale business success.
COLLABORATION -
As with any multinational retailer, a high proportion of the environmental impacts resulting from Woolworths operations worldwide are linked to the farming and/or processing of products that we sell. As a result, we make it our business to work together with our suppliers to minimise these impacts, and to positively influence the environmental and social outcomes of doing business. Challenges we face in our global supply chain include impacts of extreme weather events, soil degradation, declining water quality and increasing input costs; below are a few of the initiatives and partnerships aimed at addressing them.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Move over Prince Ea, there's a new spoken word artist promoting sustainability. To help reach a wider audience for its newly-released 2015 sustainability report, Heineken recruited Dutch rapper and vocal artist Kevin "Blaxtar" de Randamie to transform the report into his own artistic expression.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
When it comes to sustainability reporting, companies may feel like they’re in an increasingly uncomfortable public-private vice. On one side, consumers and shareholders are pressuring organizations to be better corporate citizens and increase transparency. Governments are establishing more reporting requirements as well, which will inevitably multiply through initiatives such as the recent Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP21.
LEADERSHIP -
On significant birthdays, it is traditional across much of the world to receive gifts, but somewhat characteristically, one of the world’s most altruistic brands is bucking that trend.
Last month, on the eve of its 40th anniversary, The Body Shop launched its new CSR strategy, ‘Enrich not Exploit,’ setting out 14 targets for 2020 that assist vulnerable communities around the world, further reduce the environmental impact of the brand, and support The Body Shop in its aim to become the ‘World’s most ethical and sustainable global business.’
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO – General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) announced today it is acquiring Cruise Automation to add Cruise’s deep software talent and rapid development capability to further accelerate GM’s development of autonomous vehicle technology.
PRESS RELEASE -
Company Increases Humanitarian Program 40% Worldwide
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
…or should the role be replaced by a ‘Chief Value Officer,’ as suggested by Marga Hoek in her new book, New Economy Business? A CVO role would focus on broader value creation and is responsible for integrated reporting and integrated thinking within the organization.
Many voices are suggesting we rethink our form of capitalism, and in this wake the groundswell for the topic of Integrated Reporting as proxy for Integrated Thinking is ever increasing, and new momentum was added in recent weeks:
Example Quotes
Larry Fink — CEO, Blackrock — world's largest asset management company
MARKETING AND COMMS -
How do you communicate your company's sense of purpose — what you stand for in simple terms — in a way that is authentic, transparent and honest?
Increasingly, the answer for many of the world's biggest companies is to highlight their sustainability work.
Why sustainability? Well, sustainability, after all, is rooted in doing business in a transparent and authentic way. And, in today’s always-on, smarter-than-before society, pledging to be a better company just won’t cut it. You have to demonstrate how your company’s purpose is creating a tangibly better experience.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
As the old African proverb famously asserts: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Chemical giant BASF has taken this to heart, as evidenced by its collaborative approach to sustainability innovation.
We spoke with Peter Gräve, director of Communications and Advocacy at BASF Española, to learn more about the many ways the global company is engaging and collaborating to fulfill its commitment to “create chemistry for a sustainable future.”
PRESS RELEASE -
Ford Motor Company is the only automaker named a 2016 World’s Most Ethical Company® by Ethisphere Institute today – a distinction that comes as ethics in business increasingly affects customers and their purchase decisions.
“This honor celebrates our employees who are committed to doing the right things and making the right choices,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “Ethics and corporate citizenship are the foundation of what drives us to make people’s lives better.”
This marks the seventh consecutive year Ethisphere Institute has named Ford a World’s Most Ethical Company.