Stories About SDGs
Found 494 stories. Page 4 of 25.
Umpqua Bank Offers $2M Infusion to Support Minority, Women Entrepreneurs
FINANCE & INVESTMENT - Through a series of multi-year partnerships with business-focused nonprofits, Umpqua aims to close the opportunity gap in access to capital, resources, and expertise for traditionally underserved innovators.
Rural Studio Immersion Program Enriching Students, Reviving West Alabama’s Black Belt
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - At Auburn University’s architectural-training program, “housing is health.” Associate Director Rusty Smith asserts: “As architects, we have a professional responsibility. It's not only an ethical or moral responsibility; it's a professional responsibility, as well, to act when we see people in crisis.”
No Matter the Industry, We All Have a Role to Play in Fighting Hunger
THE NEXT ECONOMY - As I write this, we are anxiously awaiting the US Senate to pass President Biden’s “Build Back Better” legislation. It’s important that this passes, as it calls for the continuation of the Child Tax Credit program that has been instrumental in helping US families rise out of poverty.
14 Innovators Win Grants for Solutions Aimed at Sustainably ‘Seeding the Future’
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - The startups and NGOs have won the inaugural Seeding the Future Global Food System Challenge, from the Institute of Food Technologists, aimed at scaling innovations that will help transform the food system.
Water May Be Life, But It Is Never a Given: Learnings from the Navajo Nation
COLLABORATION - It’s 2022, and 1 in 3 homes on the Navajo Nation Reservation still do not have a tap or toilet. In 2021, human rights nonprofit DigDeep collaborated with Kohler to launch the Water Is Life microgrant program — which is working to make safe water a reality for all residents of the Navajo Nation.
Different Paths, Common Goal: How More Companies Are Providing Living Wages
SUPPLY CHAIN - Paying living wages throughout supply chains can mean changing business models, which can seem insurmountable. But a series of case studies from IDH shows how companies and coalitions are making real progress on their commitments.
Intrepid Travel Introduces 22 New ‘Impact Initiatives’ for 2022
THE NEXT ECONOMY - To provide experiences that enrich destination communities and travelers alike, the new initiatives span 16 countries and include activities such as meals at local establishments supporting women, migrants and seniors; and immersive tours preserving Indigenous and ethnic minority legacies.
1% for the 99%: Corporate Leaders’ Golden Opportunity to Recharge US Communities
FINANCE & INVESTMENT - By unleashing the corporate balance sheet, finance teams can provide resources to nurture local entrepreneurial talent, improve climate resilience and build housing — all with minimal risk.
5 Consumer Trends That Will Shape How Brands Source, Produce Goods in 2022
THE NEXT ECONOMY - Consumer insights demonstrate need for brands to make good on their sustainability and human rights claims, and make it even easier for shoppers to shop their values.
Tony’s Chocolonely Aiming to Spark Further ‘Conversation’ with UK Chocolate Lovers
MARKETING AND COMMS - The ethical chocolate maker has released three ‘Conversation Bars’ — available exclusively online and at Waitrose through January 25 — designed to provoke discussion around systemic issues in the chocolate supply chain.
HSBC to Phase Out Coal Financing by 2040 — Will Wall Street Follow Suit?
FINANCE & INVESTMENT - HSBC announces its thermal coal phase-out plan on the same day as a Sierra Club-Center for American Progress report calls out Wall Street’s outsized contribution to the climate crisis. Can the necessary sea change be made in time to avoid disaster?
Potty-Mouthed Campaign Raising Awareness of Lack of ‘F*ing Water’ for Canada’s Indigenous Communities
MARKETING AND COMMS - Public Inc’s latest social-justice outcry, in collaboration with First Peoples Group, shines light on lack of government action to address insufficient access to clean water in nearly 70 Indigenous communities across Canada.
Tony’s Chocolonely: The Advent of More Teachable Brand Moments?
MARKETING AND COMMS - “Tony’s has done a great job of raising awareness of an important issue; and there is a real risk that the overriding message that will be left, once the dust settles, is one of a brand getting it wrong — and that could undermine all of the important messaging that Tony’s tries to share through its purpose.”
The Way We Think About Carbon Markets Is About to Change
THE NEXT ECONOMY - What has been sorely needed is an agreed-upon international framework that broadly establishes who can sell carbon credits; who can buy them and for what purpose; and what constitutes a quality carbon credit. COP26 took a major step towards such a framework.
McDonald’s Working to Increase Demographic Representation of Franchisees
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE - Effort aims to help underrepresented applicants become McDonald’s franchisees by removing socio-economic barriers — in part through a $250M commitment to alternative financing — to attract more franchisees who reflect the composition of the communities it serves.
Cotton Laundering Shows Risk of Business as Usual with China
SUPPLY CHAIN - China’s importance to global supply chains as a key source of raw materials and labor puts brands at high risk of inadvertently supporting forced labor. Right now, the focus is on the garment industry; but other industries should pay close attention and ensure they are closely monitoring their entire supply chains.
Innovation for Good Driving Both Internal and External Impacts for Kohler
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - What happens when a company empowers its associates to think creatively and innovate with a social purpose? You find yourself with a potent strategic framework for solving for some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
'A Compass for Just and Regenerative Business': 5 Principles of the Leadership We Need
LEADERSHIP - As a fellow leader in this sustainability movement, how might you shift to a more regenerative approach? Here, Forum for the Future’s Samantha Veide explores what the concept means for business and shares five principles for regenerative leadership.
Attention, Business Leaders: Environmental Rights, Human Rights Inextricably Linked
WALKING THE TALK - Perhaps the takeaway of the week is that the ‘next 10 years’ of business and human rights coincide with the 2030 deadline for us to halve carbon emissions — and that environmental rights are now very clearly seen as human rights. Companies pursuing a net-zero strategy must make human rights central, too.
5 Lessons Learned from Employing a Second-Chance Workforce
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE - About half of our employees have a criminal record, and I’ve learned valuable lessons from working with them. If your business is considering hiring formerly incarcerated people, the following lessons may help you avoid common obstacles to building a positive environment, so both your new employees and your business can thrive.
