PRESS RELEASE -
Iron Mountain Data Centers has announced that it has signed an agreement to power its data centres using a renewable energy supply sourced from a new wind farm in Ringer Hill, Pennsylvania.
The 15-year wind power purchasing agreement will see the storage and IT management company use 25 MW of the wind farm’s capacity, providing power for data centres across three U.S. states.
The firm argued that the shift to wind power has helped to reduce operating costs and its impact on the environment. Iron Mountain also noted that the project is also delivering long-term utility price stability, as well as a carbon-neutral solution for its data centre customers.
PRESS RELEASE -
April is here, and Earth Month is officially underway. And at Target, investing in sustainability and using natural resources responsibly is an important way we help protect the planet and support our communities. As part of that commitment, we want to do our part to keep the world’s forests healthy, which can have tremendous environmental and community impact.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Putting its responsible sourcing aspirations into action, Target has developed a new forest products policy. The policy will see the retailer source all of the wood, paper, paper-based packaging and wood-based fiber used in its brand-owned products from well managed, credibly certified forests and post-consumer recycled materials.
WASTE NOT -
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, and it is not a feature reserved only for products and services. B2B and retail companies, too, face the challenge of distinguishing themselves in the marketplace with a strong identity that stands out from direct and indirect competitors. The expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with brands, and E-commerce sites, dynamic mobile apps, and text message ordering systems afford infinite possibilities for communicating initiatives and marketing.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
We’re continuing our discussion (see part one) on the role of activist brands in today’s roiling political and social climate. Our insights come from the Purpose Collaborative – North America’s largest community of purpose, corporate responsibility, and sustainability experts.
Tread lightly into this minefield …
LEADERSHIP -
This is one of a series of interviews that started when Rosie Warin, CEO of culture and communications agency Kin&Co, began having conversations with high–profile, values–driven leaders of the ‘purpose revolution’ about the future of leadership. Each explores how these leaders got to where they are now, and what they think the future of values–driven leadership looks like.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
This is an excerpt of a chapter from the newly released book, 21st-Century Corporate Citizenship (Emerald Insight, 2017), by Dave Stangis, Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Corporate Responsibility at Campbell Soup Company; and Katherine Valvoda Smith, executive director of the Center for Corporate Citizenship Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
This is the first in a series of articles examining ‘sustainable leadership’ and what it entails Find links to the full series below.
Building a ‘sustainable’ brand or enterprise can involve many things. Depending on your circumstances, these might range from generating sustainable solutions for everything from energy to supply chains, packaging, manufacturing, food, electronics, transport, marketing, buildings, textiles … Building a sustainable brand is about identifying the strategic and tactical priorities that face your business today and leveraging the more sustainable alternatives, which are constantly emerging, to solve them.
WASTE NOT -
For many of us, recycling is becoming second nature, but not all packaging is treated equally. While 56 percent of Americans recycle kitchen items, only 14 percent recycle their personal care product bottles and packaging. And according to Johnson & Johnson (J&J), 34 percent of regular recyclers admit that bathroom recycling has never even occurred to them.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Supply chains are where 80 percent or more of a company’s costs and risks lie and where most interventions geared towards helping companies stay competitive are focused. Squeezing supply chains alone, however, is no longer an effective measure to keep ahead of the curve — moving forward, brands will need to find new ways to collaborate with suppliers to achieve further savings and reduce risk and impacts. A new online platform created by 2degrees seeks to make this possible, for the first time, at scale.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Today’s employees want more from their employer than a paycheque. They crave a sense of pride and fulfillment and want to work for a company whose values match their own. A recent UK report found that companies with a social mission have a significant competitive advantage when attracting and retaining employees.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword these days — it’s insurance against reputational risk, the key to new market opportunities, a safeguard against climate change and a critical element for staying competitive. And companies that are resistant to adopting a defined sustainability standards will feel the effects.
STAKEHOLDER TRENDS AND INSIGHTS -
Over the past three decades, investor interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors has moved from niche to mainstream. Many attribute this shift to a rising demand from millennials and women, two groups that are increasingly seeking investments consistent with their values. A vast industry of ratings, research, and reporting services now exists to help identify corporate sustainability leaders.
PRESS RELEASE -
Arrowhead® Mountain Spring Water announced today that it has dramatically increased the amount of recycled plastic used in its bottle production. Thanks to the high recycling rate of California residents, and with help from its strategic partner CarbonLITE, Arrowhead now ensures that 9 out of 10 of its Arrowhead bottles made in California incorporate 50% post-consumer recycled plastic content.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
January’s Women’s March was one of the biggest global movements of recent years. An estimated 5 million people marched in 17 different countries to show their support for basic human rights — freedom, equality, justice and personal security - which are increasingly under threat across different areas of people’s lives.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
When a U.S. President can impact stock valuation and sway public dialogue in just 140 characters, what’s a brand to do?
PRESS RELEASE -
Nestlé S.A., today released its annual Nestlé in society: Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments report for 2016. The report demonstrates how the company purpose, ambitions and 42 specific public commitments contribute to society.
Guided by its purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, Nestlé works alongside partners to create shared value, thus contributing to society while ensuring the long‑term success of the business.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The language of business can be combative (launch, target, strategize), or very often it is about profits, sales, shared value - the language of money. We are either warriors or accountants when it comes to business. However, both warring and counting money are inherently non-productive. In themselves, as actions, they are incapable of producing growth.
PRESS RELEASE -
Target Corp. is installing solar power systems on five of its stores in the Denver metro area.
The Minneapolis-based company (NYSE: TGT) said today that the solar power systems will generate about one-third of the power each store consumes. Over a year, the systems on the five stores will produce a total of more than 3,800 megawatt-hours of power, enough power to supply the needs of 285 homes for a year. Work on installation of the systems is underway at the five Colorado stores, the company said.
PRESS RELEASE -
Biotechnology leader Danimer Scientific and global food and beverage company PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) have announced an agreement that includes development of Danimer Scientifics’ biodegradable film resins to meet the sustainable flexible packaging requirements of PepsiCo’s global food and beverage business.
The agreement builds on a long-standing relationship that has included the development of bio-based compostable packaging for PepsiCo’s snack brands, and will facilitate the expansion of Danimer Scientifics’ NodaxTM PHA plant.