CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Despite making progress on climate risks, the chemical industry is failing to meet the goals outlined by the Paris Agreement, says a new report by CDP.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Over the past decade, Danish energy company DONG Energy has ambitiously transitioned away from oil and coal to transform itself into one of Europe’s cleanest, most sustainable energy companies.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Consumers increasingly want to buy from brands that are environmentally responsible - and many forward-thinking companies have responded by embracing sustainability. However, there remains a disconnect between sustainability pursuits and the extent to which companies share their journey with consumers.
LEADERSHIP -
Today’s companies are being tasked with the impossible: How can we make money for our shareholders, pay our employees well, and positively impact the environment and society as a whole? The purpose of a business used to be specifically to increase value for the shareholders. While this still clearly holds importance today, there is a growing pressure to expand this value to all stakeholders, and the perception of value is changing.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
CVS Pharmacy is harnessing the power of design to further its mission of helping people on their path to better health. The retail division of CVS Health is introducing a new prescription management system for patients managing multiple medications in an effort to enhance patient safety.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
News Deeply, in partnership with Sustainable Brands, has produced a series of profiles looking at how brands are tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. The goal is to examine trends and gather insights from a new wave of corporate citizenship – in an era when the private sector is increasingly expected to play a positive role in improving our lives and societies. This is the 13th article in the series.
WALKING THE TALK -
While faced by a myriad of social and environmental challenges, the fashion and textile industries continue to edge ever-closer to a more sustainable, equitable and circular future thanks to the innovative thinking of industry leaders.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Rolland mill manufactures premium post-consumer recycled papers while recirculating each drop of water 30 times.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Stockholm School of Economics’ “Walking the talk?” study, which is being conducted for the second time this year, focuses on comparing what companies announce they are going to do in the area of sustainability with the reports about what they have actually done. Only information published on company websites, as well as in their sustainability and annual reports, forms the basis for the assessment.
BillerudKorsnäs has improved considerably compared to the overall assessment in 2015, both regarding the description of the company’s ambitions and the reporting of its accomplishments. As a result, BillerudKorsnäs is among the best companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange’s NASDAQ OMX Large Cap Index.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
This week, Walmart updated its sustainable chemistry policy, to eliminate toxic chemicals in thousands of consumable products, such as household cleaners, cosmetics and skincare items, and infant products. This policy includes new goals for the company to restrict over 2,700 harmful chemicals in household products by 2022, increase transparency of ingredients globally, and encourage suppliers to certify their products to credible third-party standards such as EPA Safer Choice. The updated policy applies to 90,000 products from 700 suppliers.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
From Visa’s recent Hurricane Harvey spot to Boost Mobile’s “Boost Your Voice” and Whirlpool’s “Care Counts” campaigns, advertising is undergoing a paradigm shift, with brands across industries increasingly moving towards purpose-driven messages that address some of the biggest environmental and social challenges the world faces today.
PRESS RELEASE -
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) has reported advancements against its 2025 sustainability goals intended to transform the company and the industries it serves. The 2014-2016 sustainability report, All of Us, Every Day, highlights how the company is leveraging its size and scale to drive change across its operations, industry, and communities.
Key achievements include:
PRESS RELEASE -
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), today announced the completion of a 50-megawatt biomass-fueled combined heat and power plant located at one of P&G’s largest U.S. facilities. Constellation owns and operates the plant, which supplies steam to P&G’s Albany, GA paper manufacturing facility and generates electricity for the local utility, Georgia Power.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Flowing through south-central British Columbia is a crisp river, idyllically flanked by black cliffs.
But in the 1970s, the clear water of the Thompson River took on a brown hue and bubbled with foam. Rocks were covered with a thick slime. Area leaders grew concerned that a harmful algal bloom might be to blame, which had potential to harm ecology, area residents and the river’s 24 species of fish, including salmon and rainbow trout.
An investigation began into the effects of industrial and municipal discharge – particularly from the Domtar’s Kamloops pulp mill and the City of Kamloops.
PRESS RELEASE -
As an employer, a corporate citizen and a global company founded on family values, The Estée Lauder Companies considers it one of our responsibilities to address climate change. We believe that working toward a low-carbon future will help ensure a beautiful and sustainable planet for generations to come.
On the first day of Climate Week 2017, we are proud to reinforce our commitment to a low-carbon future by joining Renewable Energy 100 (RE100) and co-sponsoring this year’s Climate Week. By supporting Climate Week and signing on to RE100, we are underscoring our commitment to climate action and sourcing 100 percent of our global electricity consumption from renewable energy technologies.
PRESS RELEASE -
Kohler Co., the leading manufacturer of kitchen and bath plumbing products in the U.S., has released its first public sustainability and stewardship report.
The report reflects Kohler Co.'s sustainability strategy, introduced in 2008:
PRESS RELEASE -
DETROIT — All of GM’s Ohio and Indiana manufacturing facilities – including those that build the Chevrolet Cruze and Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickup trucks – will meet their electricity needs through 100 percent renewable energy. GM is buying a total of 200 megawatts of wind energy from Ohio and Illinois wind farms. Once the turbines come online by the end of 2018, renewable energy will power 20 percent of GM’s global electricity use.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
With sustainability increasingly informing consumers’ purchasing habits and behaviors, it is becoming imperative for brands to effectively — and authentically — communicate what they are doing to address key social and environmental issues along the supply chain. In an effort to shed light on its sustainability efforts, Nespresso is shifting away from its signature star-studded spots to a new ad campaign focused on the farmers and communities that are the backbone of the brand.
PRESS RELEASE -
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) has committed to building a cogeneration, Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant, at its Columbia, S.C. fiber production facility. The electric power plant will provide electricity for the plant and utilize the waste (exhaust) heat from a turbine to produce steam. This production will be enough to meet the entire steam demand of the plant and will replace the majority of electricity supplied by a utility company. With construction well underway, the power plant is expected to be operational by Q1 2018.