SOURCE:Hewlett-Packard

DESCRIPTION:

HP is company that has never run away from tough challenges. We believe in our technology solutions, our people and our commitment to social impact. That's why we are helping 34 of the world’s leading car manufacturers eliminate harmful substances from the automotive supply chain by hosting the International Material Data System (IMDS) for the next five years.

The IMDS is a shared service that helps the world’s leading automotive manufacturers and more than 100,000 companies in the vehicle supply chain meet regulations related to hazardous substances. By supplying more than 40 million data sheets that list the details of every substance involved in the manufacture of all components, the IMDS helps prevent the use of heavy metals -- such as cadmium, lead, mercury and hexavalent chromium -- and ensures that reportable substances are declared for recycling.

Under its contract, HP Enterprise Services will continue to develop, maintain and host the IMDS global data repository. We're proud of this commitment!

“Previously, OEMs all had their own lists of prohibited and reportable substances, which made it difficult to identify them in the supply chain,” said Matthew Griffin, representative, Jaguar Land Rover, and speaker, IMDS Steering Committee. “The IMDS provides a standardized format for exchanging material information throughout the manufacturing process, making it easier for the automotive industry to comply with legal requirements in a cost-efficient manner.”

The IMDS has been adopted as the global standard for reporting material content across the automotive industry. Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) throughout the world have now joined original sponsors BMW, Daimler, Ford, Opel, Porsche, Volvo and VW. HP looks forward to helping these car manufacturers meet their commitment to recycle 95 percent of the mass of each vehicle sold by 2015.

“The automotive industry needs to meet constantly changing legislation and increase the amount of recycling from old cars,” said Oliver Bahns, worldwide director, Automotive and Aerospace, HP. “HP has worked closely with the industry for the past 12 years to ensure that the IMDS provides clear information concerning the materials used in all components of a vehicle through every stage of the supply chain.”

Comment on the original story on HP's Data Central Blog.

Tweet me:#HP helps fuel environmental responsibility in the automotive #supplychain - http://3bl.me/gczfqz via @HPGlobalCitizen

KEYWORDS: environment, HP, Hewlett Packard, environmental responsibility, international material data system, auto industry, automotive industry

SOURCE:The Clorox Company

DESCRIPTION:

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 29, 2013/3BL Media/ - The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) was ranked No. 41 on the 2013 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World List by Corporate Knights, a Toronto‐based media and investment research company. Clorox ranked second among household and personal products companies.

The Global 100, begun in 2005, consists of the 100 top‐performing stocks worldwide on a range of sector specific sustainability metrics. This is Clorox’s first year to appear on the list.

Starting from a base of 4,000 companies, the Global 100 are screened according to their sustainability disclosure practices, financial health, product types and any recent legal payouts. Remaining companies are then scored on a set of sector-specific key performance indicators (KPIs), including energy, water, waste and carbon productivity; innovation; safety; and diversity. Performance data on each of the 12 KPIs used as selection criteria are found in corporate financial statements, sustainability reports, Bloomberg and other third-party sources, including the Carbon Disclosure Project.

For more information about the Global 100, visit Global100.org

For more information on Clorox’s financial, environmental, social and governance performance in 2012, view the company’s combined annual report: Enduring Value, and for ongoing updates, see the company's CR Matters blog.

The Clorox Company
The Clorox Company is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with approximately 8,400 employees and fiscal year 2012 revenues of $5.5 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Clorox Healthcare™, HealthLink®, Aplicare® and Dispatch® products, Green Works® naturally derived home care products, Pine-Sol® cleaners, Poett® home care products, Fresh Step® cat litter, Glad® bags, wraps and containers, Kingsford® charcoal, Hidden Valley® and KC Masterpiece® dressings and sauces, Brita® water-filtration products, and Burt's Bees® and gud® natural personal care products. Nearly 90 percent of the company's brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories. Clorox's commitment to corporate responsibility includes making a positive difference in its communities. In fiscal year 2012, The Clorox Company Foundation awarded $3.5 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $15 million. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com.

Media contact
Simone Seeley, 510-271-3389, simone.seeley@clorox.com

Tweet me:Clorox Named to Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations List, ranks second among household & personal products. http://3bl.me/8y75vf

KEYWORDS: Environment, Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, Clorox CR

National Nonprofit to Support More than 100 Community Improvement Initiatives

SOURCE:Keep America Beautiful

DESCRIPTION:

STAMFORD, Conn. Jan. 30, 2013 /3BL Media/ – Keep America Beautiful (KAB) today announced a $1 million donation from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) to support the national nonprofit’s mission to build and sustain vibrant communities. This is Lowe’s second $1 million contribution to Keep America Beautiful to engage volunteers to take action to benefit local communities across the country.

The Lowe’s Community Partners grant will support more than 100 community improvement initiatives in 2013, ranging from creating community gardens and augmenting recycling programs to planting trees and leading disaster restoration projects.

The national nonprofit will directly solicit its affiliates for grant applications beginning in February.

"The cumulative impact of this Lowe’s Community Improvement Grant Program continues to be remarkable. Our intent is to ensure that all selected projects help to create vibrant communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound,” said Matt McKenna, president and chief executive officer of Keep America Beautiful. “Together with our strong national network of affiliates and partners, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with their local Lowe’s Heroes and Lowe’s store managers to make a real difference in communities across the country.”

The grant encourages KAB affiliates to engage with their local Lowe’s Heroes program, a company-wide volunteer initiative that offers Lowe’s employees the opportunity to work on projects in their own community, thereby furthering KAB’s mission of making communities cleaner, greener and safer places to live, work and play.

“Last year was our first year working with Keep America Beautiful, and we’ve learned a lot about our shared passion for making communities clean, green and safe,” said Marshall Croom, chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “The projects completed in 2012 by our Lowe’s Heroes and Keep America Beautiful volunteers will have a lasting impact on communities across the country for years to come. We can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get to work with KAB in 2013.”

Highlights of projects from the 2012 grant cycle included:

• Keep America Beautiful - Topeka Shawnee County used its Lowe’s grant to “replant, re-paint, rebuild and renew Harveyville” after a tornado devastated this small Kansas community in 2011.
• In another restoration project, the City of Arlington, Texas, worked with Keep Arlington Beautiful and more than 500 volunteers to plant 1,000 trees at residential homes of struck by tornadoes.
• The Ft. Knox Military Families Community Garden was a project inspired by the Governor's Garden Initiative of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The Lowe’s grant funded a one-acre vegetable and ornamental garden that was planted in the spring of 2012 to introduce military families to edible gardening, and environmental and nutritional education.
• Keep Columbus (Ohio) Beautiful worked with 85 Lowe’s Heroes and 600 additional volunteers to improve the storefronts of merchant properties on a two-mile stretch of a Columbus business district. And in Houston, more than 100 Lowe’s Heroes joined Keep Houston Beautiful to create a butterfly-themed natural play area in the Alief Community Garden.

About Lowe’s
Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the American Red Cross. In 2012, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a strong national network of 1,200 affiliates and partners including state recycling organizations, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities. Keep America Beautiful offers programs and engages in public-private partnerships that help create clean, beautiful public places, reduce waste and increase recycling while educating generations of environmental stewards. Through our actions, we help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound. For more information, visit www.kab.org.

Tweet me:.@kabtweet receives $1 million donation from Lowe’s Charitable & Educational Foundation http://3bl.me/7p9dnz 4 community improvement grants

KEYWORDS: Corporate Social Responsibility, Conservation, Recycling, Trees, Water, Non-Profit, Philanthropy, Volunteering, Cause Marketing, Community, Engagement, Positive Change, People, Social Change, Social Actions, Volunteerism, Lowe's Charitable and Educational foundation, Lowe's, Keep America Beautiful, Lowe's Heroes, Lowe's Community Partners, csr

SOURCE:Sea Change Radio

DESCRIPTION:

Confronted with the topic of extinct birds, filmmaker and author Ceri Levy took an unorthodox route to raising awareness. He enlisted the irreverent and intoxicating painter, Ralph Steadman, who’s most famous as the partner-in-crime and illustrator for legendary gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson.

Levy and Steadman embarked on the project,Extinct Boids, and created a coffee table book that documents in colorful hilarity many species of birds that have ceased to exist on the earth, as well as some that only ever existed in the recesses of Steadman’s unrestrained mind. A portion of the proceeds of the book go to supporting wildlife preservation through BirdLife International. While the book is at once a joyful exploration of imagination and a somber reflection on conservation, the conversation you’re about to hear in which host Alex Wise attempts to keep up with the creators ofExtinct Boids is almost completely inane.

Tweet me:A wild & hilarious @SeaChangeRadio this week - Hunter S. Thompson illustrator Ralph @SteadmanArt + filmmaker @cerilevy http://is.gd/YpNIJz

KEYWORDS: Environment, alex wise, BirdLife International, ceri levy, extinct boids, gonzo journalist, hunter s thompson, ralph steadman, rare birds, sea change radio, wildlife preservation

SOURCE:General Electric (GE)

DESCRIPTION:

If you still need more evidence that the Industrial Internet and big data analytics are driving a revolution in manufacturing, productivity and services, take a closer look at the 2013 Global Innovation Barometer released last week. The Barometer, which surveyed 3,000 executives from 25 countries, found that 53 percent of respondents considered the ability to mine data inside and outside their company crucial to successful innovation, and 63 percent said that their firm was already developing ways to use big data for innovation. The biggest champions of big data were executives from dynamic developing markets in Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, and Nigeria.

That’s good news for anyone keeping their fingers crossed over global economic growth. “The deeper meshing of the digital world with the world of machines holds the potential to bring about profound transformation to global industry, and in turn to many aspects of daily life, including the way many of us do our jobs,” write GE’s Peter C. Evans and Marco Annunziata in their recent report on the Industrial Internet and the rise of big data. “These innovations promise to bring greater speed and efficiency to industries as diverse as aviation, rail transportation, power generation, oil and gas development, and health care delivery. It holds the promise of stronger economic growth, better and more jobs and rising living standards, whether in the US or in China, in a megacity in Africa or in a rural area in Kazakhstan.”

Read more about the Industrial Internet on GEReports.

Tweet me:#Connected: Where the #Innovation Barometer Meets the #IndustrialInternet http://3bl.me/w9dqb8

KEYWORDS: Marketing, Media & Communications, People, Social Action & Community Engagement, Reporting, Ratings & Rankings, Industrial Internet, Internet, Communication, Technology, GE, Innovation

SOURCE:3BL Media, LLC

DESCRIPTION:

Enbridge has been named to the Global 100 ranking of the Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, published by Corporate Knights, a Canadian magazine. The ranking is based on Enbridge’s economic, environmental, and social performance in 2012, and is the fifth consecutive year that the company has been included on the Global 100, recently recognized as one of most credible corporate sustainability rankings. Enbridge’s other honors include being listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (World and North American), the Financial Times/ London Stock Exchange (FTSE4Good), and Corporate Knights Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada ranking

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards are accepting entries for Awards of $50,000, $15,000, and $10,000 to Canadian businesses, innovators, and students who are developing products, services, and ideas to save energy. Supported by Green Living Enterprises, the award winners will be selected by a panel from three finalists in each category. Entries will be accepted until February 15^th.

Marilee McInnis, Senior Manager of Community Relations & Giving at Southwest Airlines, has been named as one of the Top 35 Women in CSR by TriplePundit. McInnis developed and spearheads the company’s annual integrated reporting effort, the Southwest Airlines One Report™.  The airline is one of only a handful of U.S. companies publishing an integrated report and the subject of Harvard’s first case study on integrated reporting. McInnis also directs the airline’s green initiatives, leads the company’s Green Team, helps put a green filter on business decisions, and communicates and fosters sustainability for Southwest Airlines. 

For more information on these and other stories, go to 3blmedia.com

Video Source: Enbridge, Southwest Airlines, Scotiabank, and Green Living Give and Receive Socially Responsible Awards

Tweet me:.@enbridge_news, @Southwestair, @scotiabank, @greenlivingblog give and receive socially responsible awards http://3bl.me/a3etmh

KEYWORDS: Enbridge, Southwest Airlines, Scotiabank, green living, Global 100, Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards, Top 35 Women in CSR, triplepundit, 3bl Media, csr, CSR Minute

SOURCE:Intel

DESCRIPTION:

January 30, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its latest Green Power Partnership rankings update, recognizing Intel for using more than 3.1 billion kWh of green power annually, enough green power to meet 100 percent of the company’s U.S. electricity use. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Intel has topped the list as the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the country. Learn more about Intel’s sustainability initiatives.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

Tweet me:Intel matches 100% of its US electricity use with green power http://1.usa.gov/nmzDxQ via @EPAgov @IntelInvolved

KEYWORDS: Alternative Energy, Climate and the environment, Intel, csr, sustainability, green power, U.S. Electricity, EPA, green power partnerships rankings

The Annual Report highlights SAI's efforts in 2011 to advance and implement 'human rights at work'

SOURCE:Social Accountability International (SAI)

DESCRIPTION:

SAI is pleased to announce the publication of its Annual Report, highlighting its efforts to advance and implement 'human rights at work' in 2011. 

SAI leveraged its expertise as a social standards setter to support the development of new tools and standards for various issue areas, including the IFC Handbook, UN Women Gender Equity Seal, UN Guiding Principles Handbook and the Magen Tzedek Standard. This report captures the growth of the organization through the implementation of its global capacity building and training programs across the globe in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and more.

The four-year Project Cultivar came to a close. This report highlights the impact of the project in the agricultural sector, and details the sustained momentum of the project’s local partners in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua.

In India, the RAGS Program scaled up its efforts to organize training workshops on how to reduce gender discrimination in the ready-made garment sector.

In China, SAI’s support to Tchibo’s GmbH’s ‘WE Project’ leveraged dialogue with workers as an educational tool to identify root causes and solutions to systemic issues in the workplace.

In Thailand, the SA8000 certified Rosy Blue Diamond factory was profiled as a notable example of how to implement a living wage to ensure employee retention. In 2011, the SA8000 Standard demonstrated a steady increase in uptake:

• SA8000 was utilized in various contexts, including the Dutch Sustainable Public Procurement initiative, a Harvard case study on consumer demand for labeled products, and investigation of Sumangali Schemes in India
• In 2011, over 1.6 million workers were employed in certified facilities in 62 countries and 65 industries. 

Major world events, such as the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York and the Arab Spring in the Middle East were dramatic reminders of the crucial need to drive improvement in working conditions in countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt. SAI’s fire safety training in Bangladesh drew in over 100 participants from garment factories. The beneficial impact of an Egyptian company’s commitment to its workers was demonstrated by its employees sticking by the company during the Arab Spring’s nationwide protests.

SAI’s Corporate Programs enhanced its services through the Social Fingerprint^® program, and established its ‘Statement of Shared Mission’ to express member commitment to our shared values. SAI’s Corporate Program members were enrolled in the Social Fingerprint® program. The report features a benchmark analysis from their assessments. Over 1,000 individuals completed SAI’s global training courses, such as the SA8000 auditor training courses and professional development courses, to learn how to carry out sustainable and ethical supply chain management practices.

The 2011 report was published electronically, and is hosted on SAI's website: www.sa-intl.org/ar2011

Tweet me:SAI Releases Annual Report to highlight 2011 efforts to advance #humanrights at work http://3bl.me/qt5ye6

Contact Info:

Social Accountability International (SAI)
jong@sa-intl.org

KEYWORDS: People, Social Action & Community Engagement, socialaccountabilityinternational, sa8000, socialfingerprint, annualreport, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, magen tzedek, IFC, guidingprinciples, humanrights, genderequityseal, ragsprogra, discrimination, egypt, csr

SOURCE:The Adventure Capitalists

DESCRIPTION:

Today, we can look out onto Main Street and see the concept of sustainability essentially being polished into business vernacular, presented to the client, and ultimately sold…like a commodity.

Through this process, the mass media and the Fortune 500 have gotten their talons into sustainability in the marketplace. There are many positive aspects of that occurrence, such as: popular awareness, the competitive “me too” crawl to the top of the Sustainability industry, and consumer-buying power initiating better products in the marketplace. However it also puts purists in the CSR, triple bottom line, and conservation community on alert.

Sustainability, or as the marketplace refers to it, “the greening of anything”, has become watered down and down right confusing to the laymen given over promotion, the creation of various definitions, and often, anemic performance and delivery.

In Marx-Engels Second Edition Reader, Capital, Volume One , the definition of a commodity is “an object outside us, a thing that by its properties satisfies human wants or needs of some sort or another.” By this definition, sustainability is the perfect commodity.

Sustainability, at its most basic level, calls for practices that can be maintained and upheld satisfying the human “need” for property as a commodity. Evolutionarily speaking, all of our human needs: water, food, and shelter are necessary for survival of self and our offspring. Basic biology teaches us that at our most primal level, we want to further continue our genes, and in order to ensure a viable planet for posterity; a baseline level of sustainability is now required.

Then why isn’t every person who is in the business of creating value on the planet, from corporations to governments to schools to hospitals, actively participating in sustainability?

This brings us to the word INTEGRITY. If a sustainability-minded professional, whether they own a pet shop, are an architect, work for APPLE, or manage production at FOX, has the health and longevity of the end user of their product or service in mind then they can “sell” sustainability as a risk mitigation and resiliency strategy, guilt free.

Said another way, sustaining one’s health, one’s community, or one’s natural surroundings is a valiant and attainable goal. And it takes ongoing maintenance. Ongoing maintenance is what drives a capitalist based market. The purchasing of goods and services over and over again keeps the flow of currency in motion. Sustainability is the ultimate economic driver.

As the global population numbers grow and the natural resources dwindle, I imagine that the perception of sustainability as a luxury, and not a necessity, will change rapidly.

And, if its one thing humans, especially entrepreneurs, know how to do it’s evolve and adapt. We have faith and are here to support the process.

Tweet me:.@AdvenCapitalist blog #TheDailyAdventure http://3bl.me/6vs8ra #Sustainability As A Commodity

KEYWORDS: Business & Trade, Eco-Living, Consumption & Travel, Environment, Finance & Investment, People, Social Action & Community Engagement, sustainability, csr, Triple Bottom Line, CSR triple bottom line audience, entrepreneurs, community, The Adventure Capitalists

SOURCE:BSR

DESCRIPTION:

Sissel Waage , Director, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Is your company measuring its impacts and dependencies onecosystem services? If not, will there be requests for disclosure on this information in the coming years? The answer to this second question is a quiet but growing “yes.”

Today, increasing numbers of investors, corporate-ranking entities, and other stakeholders are asking companies for information about corporate impacts and dependencies on ecosystem services. As corporate decision-makers survey this emerging domain and decide how to respond, the question shifts to what indicators and tools should be used for measurement and management of ecosystem services impacts and dependencies.

BSR’s new report, published today, offers a unique view of the full suite of current tools. It also suggests areas of corporate application and summarizes the challenges that private-sector representatives reported during interviews in 2011 and 2012. Finally, the report lays out a few pathways forward that could accelerate private sector pilot testing as well as the process of verifying and validating ecosystem services tools.

Overall, this report depicts an emerging tool domain: The tools available today may (or may not) be those that companies will be applying several years from now. History is still being written.

For corporate decision-makers, the lesson is that ecosystem services issues are increasingly recognized as being important to key stakeholders. The challenge now is identifying, testing, and generating widespread support for a robust yet feasible way to integrate ecosystem services into corporate decision-making processes. The opportunity for the private sector is to engage—with the concepts, with new tools, with pilot testing, and with forging a path forward.

Post originally appeared on BSR's blog.

Tweet me:Managing #Corporate #Performance in an Era of Expanded Disclosure. @BSRnews latest report on #ecosystem #services tools ow.ly/hgCjT

KEYWORDS: ecosystem services, business for social responsiblity, csr, sustainability, corporate performance, era of expanded disclosure, ecosystems

SOURCE:General Motors

DESCRIPTION:

Chevrolet is making an impact on local communities, jobs and the environment by supporting various energy efficiency, renewable energy and conservation initiatives in its goal to prevent up to 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere. To date, it has secured commitments for nearly 7 million metric tons.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year.  Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Tweet me:.@Chevrolet makes an impact on local communities, jobs, #environment: carbon-reduction initiative. http://3bl.me/5cx2ze

KEYWORDS: carbon reduction, Chevrolet, General Motors

Infographic highlights action plan to solve youth joblessness

SOURCE:Hilton Worldwide

DESCRIPTION:

Hilton Worldwide and the International Youth Foundation (IYF) released a white paper at the World Economic Forum highlighting solutions to youth joblessness that the hospitality industry is positioned to provide. The infographic presents an action plan for hospitality companies around the world to address the skills gap between the 75 million unemployed youth and the hiring needs of the industry. To learn more, share the infographic and download the white paper, visit hiltonworldwide.com/youth.

Tweet me:The Hospitality Industry Has Talent, Youth Needs Job: Infographic from @IYFTweets and @HiltonWorldwide www.hiltonworldwide.com/youth

KEYWORDS: Hilton Worldwide, Hotels, Hospitality, International Youth Foundation, IYF, christopher nassetta, Travel With Purpose, youth unemployment, unemployment, Creating Opportunities for Youth in Hospitality, Travel and tourism, Youth

SOURCE:Video4Good

DESCRIPTION:

More than ever before, companies are turning to web video to tell their sustainability stories. Video is a great medium for CSR communications that can be used to entertain, educate and engage stakeholders.

Variety, quality, distribution, engagement and consistency are five elements key to online video success. They will help your brand build a solid foundation for sustainable video communication - and may even launch you to viral fame!

1. Video Variety for Multiple Audiences

If you have multiple targets for your marketing, consider multiple types of videos as well. Media, investors, employees, prospects and clients are all looking for different information, so don’t expect one type of video to work for them all. You’ll need variety of content - from how-tos and news reports to promotional videos and interviews - to appeal to all of these different audiences.

2. Quality Matters

In some ways, online video has become synonymous with low production values. But any video that represents your brand needs to achieve a basic level of quality. This isn't to say that you need to buy a lot of equipment or spend a lot of money to make effective online videos.

Depending on the content and audience of your videos, you'll need to adjust the amount of work that goes into the production. Hand-held camera phone videos can work for man-on-the-street testimonials, but executive interviews require a more professional setup.

Read more on the Video4Good blog

Tweet me:5 tips for using video to entertain, educate & engage stakeholders about #csr & #sustainability: http://3bl.me/2h7wpv @VideoforGood

Contact Info:

Gretchen Siegchrist
Executive Producer, Video4Good
+1 (877) 619-4743
gretchen@video4good.com

KEYWORDS: video4good, online video, video

Creative expression and drawing tools on the Samsung GALAXY Note II will be used to interpret inspiration for the creation of a limited-edition bag

SOURCE:Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2013 /3BL Media/PRNewswire/ -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, and New York-based designer Alexander Wang announced today a collaboration to create the industry's first co-created print inspired by crowd-sourced sketches and images using the GALAXY Note II. The print will appear on a limited-edition bag that will be sold in key markets around the world to raise funds for Art Start, an award-winning, nationally-recognized charity that uses the arts to nurture the creative talents of at-risk children and youth. 

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/NY52282-a )
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/NY52282-b )

Leveraging the GALAXY Note II's inherent create-and-share benefit, Wang will engage a group ofspecial friends, stylists, photographers, and others to create "doodles"– an image, pattern, or a photo – on their GALAXY Note II device. Gathering from active idea-capturing and immediate-sharing, the celebrated New York designer will then curate these sketches into one collectively-inspired final print. 

"I am most inspired from my everyday life and the people that surround me, so the idea of a co-creation with the people that I admire and respect the most is very exciting," said Alexander Wang. "This collaboration represents a new way that technology and stylecan come together. And, through a concerted effort, I am happy to be a part of supporting such a great charity as Art Start that embraces creativity and art in a way that can change lives."

Wang quickly joined the fashion elite after winning the coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008. He is recognized for his global fashion sensibility that exudes a sense of irony and ease. Wang's knack for pushing boundaries and delightfully surprising his consumers made him the perfect partner for Samsung's most cutting-edge technology.

"Wang's passion for experimentation, his playful sensibility and his on-the-go lifestyle are the traits that we seek to empower with the Samsung GALAXY Note II," said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Samsung Mobile. "Technology is becoming more deeply linked with the creative processes of fashion designers, and Samsung products are empowering users with the freedom to be creative and productive without limits. As technology and fashion converge, we will continue to create products that inspire passion through innovation."

The multi-tasking GALAXY Note II, with a perfect viewing experience and unique and differentiated features, allows users to discover information and capture their ideas faster, express thoughts freely and manage tasks more efficiently. It is the ultimate smartphone for creative, expressive and unique individuals. Consumers can easily use the phone's simple expression tools to personalize messages with the S Pen, share calendars and contacts, write information while on a call, or share links to maps, YouTube videos and apps, making it ideal for those constantly on the move. Thanks to the GALAXY Note II's 5.5" HD Super AMOLED screen, they will also be able to see crystal clear images on a larger screen.

Art Start is a New York City-based non-profit organization that uses the arts to save lives and to transform communities. Focusing on at-risk children and youth between the ages of 5 – 21, Art Start's creative arts workshops seek to nurture the creativity and talents of their youth participants, while instilling the confidence to pursue meaningful opportunities in life.

"As we have found over the past 21 years, art is the starting point of a process; the medium through which change takes place," said Johanna De Los Santos, Executive Director at Art Start. "By partnering with Alexander Wang and Samsung mobile, we'll be providing our youth with exceptional opportunities that are typically not available. By inspiring and enabling our participants with technology, industry mentorships and direction, we'll demonstrate how creativity begets success and happiness." 

In addition to partnering with Wang, Samsung mobile is also an official sponsor of New York Fashion Week. Samsung mobile will host an exclusive VIP lounge that will engage and inspire the fashion elite with the power of the Samsung GALAXY products. Art Start students will also get a backstage look at this iconic NYC event through on-site visits and mentorship opportunities. Media can also take advantage of the media tents with working stations and high-speed internet, as well as courtesy battery replacements during the show. Follow the action at Fashion Week via the #GalaxyNoteFW hashtag. For more information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in consumer electronics andthecore components that go into them. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 227,000 people across 75 countries with annual sales exceeding US$143 billion. Our goal is opening new possibilities for people everywhere. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Alexander Wang
San-Francisco born Wang launched his eponymous label with a full women's ready-to-wear line in Spring 2007. He was the recipient of the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund in 2008, and in 2009, was recognized by his peers by winning the Swarovski Womenswear Designer of the Year and the Swiss Textiles Award. In 2009, Wang also launched the T by Alexander Wang women's and Footwear line, followed by the Men's T by Alexander Wang a year later. The brand's ready-to-wear line for men was launched in 2011 and Wang was acknowledged by GQ as Best Menswear Designer of the Year and by the CFDA for Best Accessory Designer that same year.

In addition to its flagship store in SoHo, New York, there are over 15 Alexander Wang stores worldwide, with Men's and Women's categories offering ready-to-wear, T by Alexander Wang, Accessories (such as handbags, footwear and small leather goods) and the OBJECTS collection. His collections may be viewed at www.alexanderwang.com

About Art Start
Founded in 1991, Art Start is an award-winning, nationally recognized model for using the creative arts to transform young, at-risk lives. Through Art Start's daily creative arts workshops taking place inside some of the city's loneliest places, at-risk youth living in New York City collaborate with local teaching artists and educators who donate their time and guidance to nurture the youth's creativity and talents. To date, Art Start has given over 11,000 young people the chance to find their voices in a nurturing, supportive, and safe environment. Visit www.art-start.org to learn more about the organization.

Copyright 2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved

Tweet me:#Samsung & Designer Alexander Wang Partner http://3bl.me/brg459 4 Industry's First Crowd-Sourced Design Process #Art Start Charity #csr

KEYWORDS: Marketing, Media & Communications, Reporting, Ratings & Rankings, csr, Art start charity, Samsung, alexander wang, design, Samsung Electronics Co., stylists, photographers

SOURCE:FSG

SUMMARY:

DESCRIPTION:

Janurary 31, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Shared value strategies can drive companies’ competitive advantage while also providing sustainable solutions to societal problems. Executives and managers embrace this emerging philosophy, yet still clamor for quantifiable evidence of success that will compel companies to adopt shared value at scale. More rigorous approaches to shared value measurement are needed to achieve greater shared value adoption.

In the recent publication, Measuring Shared Value, Michael E. Porter and FSG provide a roadmap for business leaders to refine and amplify shared value creation. The authors note that effective shared value measurement explicitly integrates strategy and measurement processes, and systematically tracks the degree to which social performance improves economic value for the business.

Join FSG Managing Director Greg Hills in conversation with Suzanne Fallender, Director of CSR Strategy and Communications at Intel; Claudia Lorenzo, Social Business Director at Coca-Cola Brasil; Paul Snyder, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG); and Janet Voûte, Global Head of Public Affairs at Nestlé. This interactive webinar will focus on the successes and challenges that leading companies have faced incorporating measuring shared value approaches into their business strategies. 

We hope you’ll join us and tweet along using the hashtag #sharedvalue 

When: February 6, 2013

Cost: $49

Register Here >
Click here to view the evite >

About FSG: 
FSG is a nonprofit consulting firm specializing in research, strategy, and evaluation, founded in 2000 as Foundation Strategy Group. Today, FSG works across all sectors in every region of the globe – partnering with foundations, corporations, nonprofits, and governments – to develop more effective solutions to the world's most challenging issues. FSG helps organizations, individually and collectively, achieve social impact by discovering better ways to solve social problems. For more information on FSG, visit us online at www.fsg.org

Tweet me:Register now for @fsgtweets webinar on 2/6 - Measuring Shared Value. http://3bl.me/q6nfzq #sharedvalue

Contact Info:

Carrie Benjamin, Communications & Online Marketing Manager
FSG
+1 (617) 502-6166
carrie.benjamin@fsg.org

KEYWORDS: Business & Trade, Shared Value, FSG, webinar, measuring shared value, social performance, Michael E. Porter

Make Goodness Matter (Even More) - This Year I Will...

SOURCE:Benevity

DESCRIPTION:

MAKE GOODNESS MATTER (EVEN MORE)

Tweet me:Sticking to Those Resolutions? How about focus on Making Goodness Matter. Check Out @Benevity 's Jan Newsletter http://bit.ly/11be64X

Contact Info:

Tova Stewart
Benevity
+1 (403) 237-7875 ext.216
hello@benevity.org

KEYWORDS: Human Resources, People, Social Action & Community Engagement, Technology. Innovation & Solutions, benevity, Giving, social cost, campaign ideas, giving program, charitable landscape, social issues, employee giving, employee volunteering, Volunteering, workplace giving, employee survey, Employee Engagement, corporate giving, csr, Social Impact, Business Impact

Taiga Company blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company

SOURCE:Taiga Company

DESCRIPTION:

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".

Tweet me:Follow Your Favorite Green, CSR, and Sustainability Boards on Pinterest http://bit.ly/VUgfe2 by @TaigaCompany #sustainability

KEYWORDS: Business & Trade, csr, sustainability, Taiga Company

SOURCE:Caesars Entertainment Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recently announced that Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) has attained the organization’s ‘recognized’ certification status. The awarded status benchmarks its public commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services recognized by the GSTC.

FTTSA has committed to using the GSTC Criteria – the first and only global framework for defining a sustainable travel benchmark – as the reference for its sustainable travel criteria. Rigorous review and authorization procedures have determined that FTTSA’s standards are considered equivalent to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria; the worldwide minimum requirement for tourism businesses of all size to approach sustainability.

“FTTSA is very proud to achieve GSTC recognition as this affirms our status as a leading pioneer for sustainable tourism in Africa,” FTTSA Executive Director Jennifer Seif said. “GSTC recognition benefits businesses certified by FTTSA by affording preferential access to distribution channels.”

Thirteen bodies (including FTTSA) have received the GSTC-recognized status:

• Austrian Ecolabel for Tourism  (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen)
• Biosphere Responsible Tourism
• Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) for hotels
• EarthCheck Company Standard
• Eco-Certification Malta
• Ecotourism Australia's ecotourism standard
• Ecotourism Australia's advanced ecotourism standard
• Ecotourism Ireland Certification Programme
• European Ecotourism Labeling Standard (EETLS)
• Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA)
• Rainforest Alliance standard for tourism operations
• Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program (STEP)
• Travelife Sustainability System for Hotels and Accommodations
• Japan Environmentally Sustainable Accommodations International Standard (ESAIS)

Each of the GSTC-recognized organizations has taken the first of three steps in establishing the GSTC process. Phases of establishing the global benchmark include recognizing the GSTC standard; evaluation of certification process for transparency by a third party; full GSTC-accreditation (beginning December 2014).

“By committing to sustainable tourism standards, FTTSA has provided tourists with the assurance that their travel benefits local communities and economies, and that the business is operated ethically and in a socially and environmentally responsible manner,” said Leilani Latimer, Director, Sustainability Initiatives, Sabre Holdings and GSTC Board Member.

The GSTC will continue to work with standard owners around the world to provide GSTC recognition. All standards are encouraged to apply for GSTC-recognized status and all certification programs to apply for approval. To learn more about the GSTC process please visit the GSTC website http://www.gstcouncil.org/.

About GSTC

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; educates about and advocates for a set of universal principles, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria, a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe, are the keystone of this initiative. For more information visit www.gstcouncil.org.

Contacts:

Elise Timothy or Gwen Migita

info@gstcouncil.org

Tweet me:.@FTTSA Achieves ‘Recognized’ Global Sustainable Tourism Council Status http://3bl.me/dvx8a8

KEYWORDS: Business & Trade, Education, Environment, GSTC, sustainability, Tourism

Approximately 5 million children across the United States have received free oral health services since program's inception

SOURCE:Henry Schein, Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2013 / 3BL Media /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, and its supplier partners have again joined with the American Dental Association (ADA), Colgate-Palmolive and DEXIS to sponsor and celebrate Give Kids A Smile Day today, as always, the first Friday of each February.  The ADA launched the Give Kids A Smile program in 2003 as a way for dentists to reach out to their communities to provide oral health services to underserved children and raise awareness of the critical need for enhanced access to oral health care for children.  As in years past, Henry Schein Dental is serving as the program's exclusive professional product sponsor.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25 percent of children and adolescents living in poverty have untreated tooth decay.  It is the single most chronic childhood disease in this country, and while wholly preventable, tooth decay is on the rise among our youngest and poorest citizens.   In addition to the pain, difficulty eating, speaking and the excessive costs associated with emergency service that results from neglected oral health care, the CDC estimates that 51 million school hours are lost each year due to untreated tooth decay. 

Thanks to the volunteer efforts of dentists and dental team members, annual donations of dental supplies valued at more than $1 million from Henry Schein and its supplier partners, and the partnership of Colgate-Palmolive and DEXIS, Give Kids A Smile Day is now in its successful eleventh year.  As the ADA's signature access to care program, approximately 5 million children have received free oral services by almost half a million volunteers since Give Kids A Smile's inception.  This year alone, Give Kids A Smile will bring approximately 40,000 dental team volunteers, including more than 10,000 dentists, together with more than 450,000 underserved children at more than 1,700 events across the country for free oral health screenings, education and treatment.  Give Kids A Smile Day has become so successful that the program has expanded to include events throughout the year and across the country, including at such high profile settings as NASCAR raceways.

"As a long-time supporter of the Give Kids A Smile program through our global social responsibility program, Henry Schein Cares, we are very proud to once again be a private sector leader at the forefront of this important nationwide initiative working to expand access to and awareness of the critical need for children's oral health care," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein.  "Even as new U.S. health care regulations address increased access to pediatric oral health care, particularly for our poorest citizens, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Give Kids A Smile, whose message of the importance of children's oral health care remains as imperative today as it ever has been.  Dental disease is entirely preventable, but left untreated, the costs – both financial and health related - are untenable."

With the generous support of 30 supplier partners, Henry Schein, which also serves on the Give Kids A Smile National Advisory Committee, will provide 3,000 oral health care screening and prevention kits to the program, each containing supplies to serve 50 children.  Since the program's inception, Henry Schein and its supplier partners have donated products and services valued at more than $12 million to the Give Kids A Smile program.

"The ADA is grateful for the long-standing partnership of Henry Schein and its supplier partners for their important contributions to enhancing access to oral health care for millions of children over the past 11 years through the Give Kids A Smile program," said Dr. Robert A. Faiella, President of the American Dental Association.  "The power of the partnership between the ADA, our committed dental professionals and industry partners like Henry Schein will be the key to realizing our shared vision of eliminating cavities in all U.S. 5 year-olds by 2020."

The 2013 national celebration of Give Kids A Smile Day is being held in Louisville in collaboration with Smile Kentucky!, a signature Give Kids A Smile program with more than 150 participating local agencies.  Staffed by approximately 200 dental student volunteers, 40 dentist volunteers and 100 other community volunteers, more than 4,000 children at 24 local schools have already been pre-screened.  In all, approximately 300 children will receive comprehensive dental care at the University of Louisville today in celebration of Give Kids A Smile Day.  

Henry Schein Supplier Partners supporting the 2013 "Give Kids A Smile" Program through product donations, include:

3M ESPE
Acteon
Ansell Healthcare
Biotrol
Centrix
Coltene/Whaledent Inc.
Crosstex International
Denticator
DENTSPLY Professional
DMG America
Dukal Corporation
DUX Dental
GC America
Hu-Friedy
Integra Miltex
Kerr Corporation
Kimberly-Clark Healthcare
Medicom
Microflex Corporation
PDI
Premier Dental Products Company
Richmond Dental
Sempermed USA
Septodont
Sultan Healthcare
TIDI Products
Tuttnauer
Waterpik Technologies
Young Dental
Zirc Company

About the ADA

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit www.ada.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website www.MouthHealthy.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners.  The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites.  A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100® Index, Henry Schein employs more than 15,000 Team Schein Members and serves approximately 775,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care.  Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 90,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 100,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 25 countries.  The Company's sales reached a record $8.5 billion in 2011, and have grown at a compound annual rate of 18 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.  For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com.

Copyright 2013 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.

Tweet me:Henry Schein, Supplier Partners Join American Dental Association On Eleventh Annual Give Kids A Smile Day http://3bl.me/4fa4nm

KEYWORDS: Henry Schein, dental, ADA, American Dental Association, Give Kids a Smile, oral health

SOURCE:Coca-Cola Enterprises

DESCRIPTION:

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and University of Exeter launch recycling behaviour change project

This project will explore how consumer behaviour change strategies can improve at-home recycling rates. It will be based upon in-depth, ethnographic research with 20 households in GB and France.

Read more

Opinion: The future of sustainability reporting

Lucinda Hensman, Head of Sustainability Communications at CCE, discusses the future of the "one-size-fits-all, 40 page report"

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CCE partners with APPE to increase plastics reprocessing capacity in France

The joint venture deal will boost the capacity of APPE's facility by 70%, allowing to recycle 20,000 additional tons of plastic into food-grade packaging every year.

Read more

PlantBottle rolled out across entire portfolio in Norway

CCE Norway has moved from refillable PET bottles to recyclable PET bottles made from recycled PET and plant-based PET.

Read more

Coca-Cola and WWF launch new Arctic Home campaign to help conserve the home of the polar bear

Read more

CEO John Brock speaks at TEDx event about women in the workplace

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CCE donates IT equipment to developing countries

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Coca-Cola Enterprises welcomes 30,000th student to Education Centre at East Kilbridge factory in Scotland

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Coca-Cola helps clean 300 beaches in Sweden

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State Secretary Atsma and Coca-Cola Enterprises CEO John Brock launch innovative pilot energy project in Dongen, Netherlands

Read more

Tweet me:Check out @CokeCCE's latest #sustainability news http://3bl.me/zd6g5c #csr #recycling #reporting #women #diversity

KEYWORDS: Energy, Environment, Events, Conferences & Webinars, Human Resources, People, Social Action & Community Engagement, coca cola, women, diversity, Recycling, Reporting, sustainability