Brands Taking Stands

ECONOMY

The Rise of Climate Intuition: Financial Professionals Weigh the Cost of Risks Ahead

Financial institutions are turning investor attention to the impact of extreme weather events as they balance the cost of decarbonization with the risks of unchecked climate change.

Tina Casey

February 19, 2025

ECONOMY

Largest State-Based Green Bank in the US Invests $60 Million in EV Charging Stations

The largest state-based green bank in the United States just completed its first ever loan for public EV charging stations, providing the startup Revel with enough financing to triple the number of chargers it has installed to date.

Tina Casey

February 12, 2025

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Fewer Companies Made Sustainability Commitments at Davos. Maybe That's a Good Thing.

Ever since the World Economic Forum updated its Davos Manifesto calling for a “better kind of capitalism," the annual meeting served as a launching pad for big corporate statements and lofty commitments tied to environmental sustainability and social equity. But leaders were largely silent on that front this year. 

Mary Mazzoni

February 5, 2025

ECONOMY

State-Based Solutions: The New Minnesota Green Bank

Minnesota's new green bank, the Climate Innovation Finance Authority, is ready to lend millions of dollars to support clean energy projects where private-sector financing is lagging behind need, opportunity or both.

Tina Casey

February 5, 2025

ECONOMY

Beyond California, the U.S. is on the Brink of an Insurance Crisis Tied to Climate Change

Thousands of Californians were dropped by their homeowner's insurers months before the recent wildfires burned their homes to the ground. Their stories are only part of an insidious and growing insurance crisis across the United States that experts say is tied to climate change.

Mary Mazzoni

January 29, 2025

ENERGY

DeepSeek and the Data Center Energy Crisis That Wasn’t

This week, the Chinese startup DeepSeek introduced an energy-efficient, AI-powered chatbot to the market. The new chatbot consumes a fraction of the energy of leading rivals like ChatGPT, upending the case for building gas power plants to feed data centers.

Tina Casey

January 29, 2025

SOCIETY

Do People Still Want to Read About Sustainability?

With audiences already drained by the incessant drumbeat of the 24-hour news cycle, we can't help but wonder: Do people still want to read about sustainability? 

Mary Mazzoni

January 22, 2025

ENERGY

The Global Energy Transition is Just Getting Started

Though cost limitations present bottlenecks, the global green hydrogen sector is gearing up for major growth in the coming years. Employing tiered subsidies and utilizing repurposed gas infrastructure are just some of the ways innovators aim to bring costs down.

Tina Casey

January 22, 2025

ECONOMY

While Los Angeles Burns, Judge Says It's Illegal for Investors to Consider Climate Risk

Even as the wreckage of the California fires unfolds before our eyes, a string of worrying litigation aims to block private companies from measuring and managing climate risk.

Mary Mazzoni

January 15, 2025

ENERGY

Growing the Business of Ecovoltaics: New Opportunities on Federal Land

Solar energy projects are serving as hosts for habitat restoration in a rising practice called ecovoltaics. It offers new opportunities to garner support for solar development on public lands and private property alike.

Tina Casey

January 15, 2025

SOCIETY

Easy Things You Can Do To Be More Sustainable in 2025

If you resolved to lighten your impact on the environment this year, the good news is that it doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive — and you may find these low-lift shifts are also helpful for your wallet and your mental health. 

Mary Mazzoni

January 8, 2025

JUSTICE + EQUALITY

DEI is Not Dying, It’s Becoming

The rise in anti-DEI activism has impacted corporate diversity programs. But rather than closing the door on the goals of DEI, the backlash can motivate more businesses to adopt a more holistic, productive approach to employee hiring and retention in an increasingly diverse society.

Tina Casey

January 8, 2025

ENERGY

The Data Center Energy Demand Crisis: New Opportunities for Innovators

As power demand surges in the United States alongside the growth of the data center industry, new sources of renewable energy are emerging to ensure the outdated energy systems of the 20th century do not become permanent fixtures in the 21st century.

Tina Casey

December 30, 2024

SOCIETY

25 Plant-Based Foods Coming To Market in 2025

The sheen of newness may be fading from plant-based foods, but research indicates more people around the world are going veg — and the global plant-based market is set to reach $85 billion by 2030. Here are some of the hottest new products launching to stores and restaurants this year.

Mary Mazzoni

December 24, 2024

ENERGY

From Community Solar to Community Geothermal, New Opportunities for Corporate Social Responsibility

The growth in community solar has enabled more electricity ratepayers to access low-cost solar power, without the expense of installing solar panels on their properties. Could the geothermal energy sector be next?

Tina Casey

December 23, 2024

ENERGY

10 Renewable Energy Projects Coming Online in 2025

Existing investments are expected to more than double renewable energy capacity to around 7,300 gigawatts globally by 2028, according to the International Energy Agency. Here's a look at just some of the innovative renewable energy projects set to launch around the world next year. 

Mary Mazzoni

December 18, 2024

ENERGY

What Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Reveal About U.S. Climate Action

The U.S. Department of Energy's ambitious project to expand and diversify the nation’s hydrogen industry is underway. The new Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program faces an uncertain future under the incoming Trump administration, but early indications are that the opportunities for fossil energy are already beginning to fade.

Tina Casey

December 18, 2024

SOCIETY

2024 in Focus: Our Most-Read Brands Taking Stands Stories of the Year

From backtracking to social advocacy, clean tech advancements to game-changing legislation, these are the stories you loved most this year. 

Mary Mazzoni

December 11, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

Planting with a Purpose: How Tree Planting Programs Can Support Green Infrastructure

Mangrove trees provide clear environmental and community outcomes, so restoration efforts in coastal areas offer opportunities to establish corporate tree planting pledges that have truly beneficial results by partnering with grassroots organizations and established conservation programs.

Tina Casey

December 11, 2024

SOCIETY

Even Without a Global Treaty, More Plastic Waste Reduction Laws Are Coming in 2025

Even with a global treaty stalled for another year, individual countries and localities are moving to limit plastic waste and pollution within their own borders, with a host of new plastics laws set to go into force in the coming months. Here's a preview of what's to come in 2025. 

Mary Mazzoni

December 4, 2024

ENERGY

Sustainable Aviation Fuel and the E-Kerosene Solution

When it comes to how flying impacts the fight against climate change, the aviation sector is largely banking on sustainable aviation fuels to reach net zero by 2050. One advocacy group is painting a gloomy picture about uptake, but the emerging e-fuels industry could help push airlines in the right direction.

Tina Casey

December 4, 2024

ENERGY

On Grid Resiliency, Electric Vehicles Can Give as Well as They Get

As electric vehicle sales continue to rise, so are concerns about the impact on the U.S. power grid. Reopening closed fossil fuel power plants and building new ones are suddenly on the table. But solutions for vehicles on the road and after could render those steps unnecessary.

Tina Casey

November 27, 2024

ECONOMY

From Climate Finance to the 'Most Important Policy Documents' of the Century: An Update from COP29

At the United Nations' annual climate conference (COP29), delegates are challenged to adopt a new climate finance target and submit what one leader calls "the most important policy documents of this century."

Mary Mazzoni

November 20, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

When It Comes to Climate Action, the U.S. Construction Industry Is Still In

The construction industry provides a good example of the potential for U.S. businesses to continue making significant progress on climate action. Key stakeholders are working with innovators to tackle one of the most notorious global greenhouse gas emitters, the production of concrete.

Tina Casey

November 20, 2024

ENERGY

Saved by the Supply Chain: How Offshore Wind Stakeholders Hope to Survive and Thrive

The offshore wind industry appears to be especially vulnerable to a change in federal energy policy after the 2024 election, but stakeholders are in a much better position to engage bipartisan support than a few years ago thanks to the supply chain.

Tina Casey

November 13, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

After 40 Years, New Carbon Sequestration Study Confirms the Value of Trees

A new model for assessing the carbon sequestration capability of trees and other plants found that the world's greenery sucks up 31 percent more carbon than previously thought. But more tree-planting may not be the answer to maximize these benefits.

Tina Casey

November 6, 2024

SOCIETY

How U.S. Business Leaders Are Making Their Voices Heard Ahead of the Election

With the United States election mere days away, we spoke with advocates and business leaders to learn more about what they've done to prepare and what's next for them.

Mary Mazzoni

October 30, 2024

JUSTICE + EQUALITY

Abortion Restrictions Bring New Attention to U.S. Maternal Health Crisis

Data shows the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has worsened the maternal health crisis in the United States. Business leaders can take two steps to help resolve it.

Tina Casey

October 30, 2024

SOCIETY

The Time Off to Vote Movement is Growing, But Obstacles Remain

The long lines at early voting locations across the U.S. are a highly visible reminder that many voters need to excuse themselves from work for hours at a time just to cast their ballots. Employers can help to resolve the problem by offering paid time off, but barriers to the ballot box remain.

Tina Casey

October 23, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

The U.S. Faces a Persistent Gender Gap in EV Sales: Here's What Automakers Can Do About It

Women purchased just 33 percent of the electric vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first six months of 2023. Here's how automakers can get more women interested in EVs.

Tina Casey

October 16, 2024

ENERGY

How Innovators Are Solving the Wind Industry’s Recycling Problem

Thousands of wind turbine blades are piling up in disposal sites across the United States, with many more to come as older wind farms reach the end of their useful lifespans. Fortunately, new tools are emerging to help the industry recover and repurpose more of this material.

Tina Casey

October 9, 2024

JUSTICE + EQUALITY

Should Business Leaders Experiment to Overcome the Shortcomings of Meritocracy?

At its core, meritocracy is meant to elevate people for roles and promotions based solely on their abilities. But experts like Stuart McCalla, managing partner at the leadership coaching, consulting and investment firm Evolution, say it isn't always so straightforward. 

Mary Mazzoni

October 2, 2024

ENERGY

Wave Energy: An Untapped Resource for Coastal Communities

Generating renewable energy from the motion of waves is an emerging option for businesses in coastal communities where land-based options aren't feasible, transmissions lines for faraway energy are expensive, and residents raise aesthetic objections to offshore wind turbines.

Tina Casey

October 2, 2024

ENERGY

U.S. Businesses Are Rediscovering Small Wind Turbines

U.S. businesses were using small-scale wind turbines to generate their own electricity long before massive wind farms were commonplace — and new incentives are making small wind projects even more attractive.

Tina Casey

September 25, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

The More Farmers Know About Agrivoltaics, the More They Like It

Using the same land to produce crops and solar energy, a practice called agrivoltaics, is gaining popularity among developers and farmers. Will it scale up quickly enough to become a significant part of the energy transition?

Tina Casey

September 18, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

The Numbers Prove That Plastic Bag Bans Work

A new report from the Ocean Conservancy connects recently enacted statewide plastic bag bans to a 29 percent drop in the number of plastic grocery bags cleaned up from beaches.

Tina Casey

September 11, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

These Companies Respect Their Employees' Right to Organize

The U.S. minimum wage hasn't increased in 15 years, and labor organizing is reaching new peaks across the nation, with more than 450,000 workers going on strike last year. Many companies oppose unionization by default, but not all employers take this approach.

Mary Mazzoni

September 4, 2024

SOCIETY

U.S. Publishers Push Back Against Book Bans

Last week, a group of leading U.S. publishers launched a lawsuit challenging book bans in Florida and appealing for a restoration of professional standards and evidence-based decision-making in state law.

Tina Casey

September 4, 2024

ENERGY

The Global Clean Energy Transition is Unstoppable, and Green Hydrogen Could Change the Game

Zero-carbon sources now account for more than 40 percent of global energy generation capacity, according to a BNEF analysis released this week. Green hydrogen could be the missing piece to total dominance for the renewable energy sector.

Tina Casey

August 28, 2024

ECONOMY

Two Years Later: What's the Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act?

It's been two years since the Inflation Reduction Act, which experts call the largest climate investment in United States history, was signed into law. New research points to the positive impact of the legislation, while public resources can help more individuals and small businesses benefit.

Tina Casey

August 21, 2024

ENERGY

Solar Breakthroughs Bring Us Closer To a Renewable Energy Future

The European Union met half its power needs with renewable energy in the first half of 2024, and the bloc's use of solar power in particular increased by over 30% since 2020. With efficiency upgrades and game-changing design shifts on the horizon, the world's love affair with solar is just getting started.

Mary Mazzoni

August 14, 2024

ENERGY

Carbon Capture Can Compliment the Circular Economy with E-fuels

Carbon capture is often criticized as a way to enable continued extraction of fossil fuels. While simply capturing carbon and storing it underground fails to proactively replace fossil energy with renewables, carbon capture systems can stimulate renewable energy development through innovations like e-fuels.

Tina Casey

August 7, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

ESG: Illegal Collusion or Just Good Business Sense?

Some U.S. legislators moved to restrict companies from measuring and managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk, but research shows these policies are unpopular with voters and harming financial returns.

Mary Mazzoni

July 31, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Companies Risk Losing Customers and Employees as They Move Away From DEI

Research shows that recent high-profile moves away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs don't align with public opinion on the matter, putting companies at risk of losing customers and employees.

Tina Casey

July 31, 2024

SOCIETY

This Program Helps B Corps Dismantle Racism

B Lab's Racial Equity Impact Improvement Program looks to educate leaders about racism, its historical context in the U.S. and Canada, and how B Corps can leverage their businesses to dismantle discriminatory systems piece by piece.

Mary Mazzoni

July 24, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Low Profile, High Impact: New Life for At-Risk Auto Plants

The U.S. Department of Energy just announced $1.7 billion in grants for 11 projects transforming derelict automotive plants into facilities capable of taking part in the electric vehicle supply chain.

Tina Casey

July 24, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Seeing is Believing: What Project 2025 Means for Business

The 922-page document known as Project 2025 has existed online for months. So, why is everyone talking about it now, and what could it mean for business?

Tina Casey

July 17, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Elections, Plastics, Gun Safety and More: Trending Brand Stories of 2024

As we pass the midway point of the year, we're taking a look back at some of the stories our readers clicked most from our weekly Brands Taking Stands newsletter, which covers the latest in corporate and consumer activism.

Mary Mazzoni

July 10, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Pulling Back on DEI is Not That Simple

The retailer Tractor Supply recently dropped all diversity, equity and inclusion programs along with its decarbonization goals. The move may appease some critics, but it exposes the company to competition from other retailers that are seeking a share of the growing rural market.

Tina Casey

July 10, 2024

ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIES

These Companies Embrace Independence With Employee Ownership

Employee-owned companies paid out more than $175 billion to their teams in 2021. As the U.S. lights up our fireworks and lets our flags fly for the 4th of July holiday, we're saluting just a few of the companies that took a chance on independence and reaped the rewards.

Mary Mazzoni

July 3, 2024

SOCIETY

New Business-Led Pledge Calls on U.S. Political Candidates to Support Election Integrity

A new business-led pledge may test the limits of corporate backing for lawmakers who fail to support election integrity. Signed by top U.S. executives, the Federal Candidate Pledge to Respect Elections calls on candidates to commit to defend voting rights and a peaceful transfer of power.

Tina Casey

July 3, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Consumers Want To Hear More From Companies About Sustainability, Study Finds

Among U.S. consumers, 69% agree businesses should communicate more about sustainability and social impact, according to new research from TriplePundit. That includes 75% of Gen Z and 74% of millennials who want to hear more.

Mary Mazzoni

June 26, 2024

SOCIETY

Taking a Stand Against Gun Violence Pays Off for Dick’s Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods has faced criticism and calls for a boycott since it started scaling back the sale of guns and ammunition in 2012. Still, the company continues to respond to public concerns and take a stand against gun violence.

Tina Casey

June 19, 2024

ENERGY

Solar Power Reaches New Heights in 2024: Some Big News You May Have Missed

The solar energy sector is seeing major global growth, with a host of large-scale projects coming online and new discoveries with the potential to revolutionize the industry even further.

Mary Mazzoni

June 12, 2024

ENVIRONMENT

How the U.S. Navy is Making Electric Vehicle Batteries Better

Lithium is the material of choice for electric vehicle batteries, but it comes with a set of problems. The U.S. Navy is working with the startup Enzinc to assist in bringing alternative battery materials like zinc into the market to address some of those issues.

Tina Casey

June 12, 2024

JUSTICE + EQUALITY

How Asian Americans Can Break the 'Bamboo Ceiling' By Turning Cultural Experiences Into Leadership Superpowers

Asian Americans are least likely to be promoted at work. Global leadership strategist Jane Hyun coined the term "bamboo ceiling" to describe the experience in her bestselling 2006 book. Nearly two decades later, she's sharing insights from the leaders she's seen break through.

Mary Mazzoni

June 5, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Skyscrapers Can Make a Statement About Sustainable Design

The world's fixation on taller and taller buildings raises many questions about the misuse of materials and energy resources. But with new technologies, architects and developers can use skyscrapers to make a meaningful contribution to the energy transition.

Tina Casey

June 5, 2024

ECONOMY

This CEO Wants to Turn Prison Risk Into a Universal Financial Metric

We've heard of fossil fuel-free investments, but what about prison-free portfolios? This type of values-based investing lens may soon be more common in the U.S. market thanks to a newly launched "decarceration index." 

Mary Mazzoni

May 29, 2024

JUSTICE + EQUALITY

Despite Attacks, The Demographic Case for Pride Month Continues to Grow

In the wake of attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in the lead-up to Pride Month in 2023, some brands are taking a quieter, more cautious approach this year. But new data shows corporate diversity and inclusion outreach is a sound business practice to highlight and celebrate, not hide away.

Tina Casey

May 29, 2024

ECONOMY

What the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Really Means For Communities

With grant financing set to be delivered this summer, we're taking a closer look at how the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will translate into a domino effect of green infrastructure in communities facing outsized impact from climate change and pollution.

Mary Mazzoni

May 22, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Support for the Anti-ESG Movement Is Dwindling, But Uncertainty Looms Ahead of Election Day

With signs the news cycle — and the general public — are moving, can business leaders and financial professionals finally put the anti-ESG movement in the rear-view mirror?

Tina Casey

May 22, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

From Honest to Just: How Coca-Cola’s Fumble with Honest Tea Turned Into an Unexpected Gift

Seth Goldman, founder of the Honest Tea brand that was purchased (and then discontinued) by Coca-Cola, reflects on blessings in disguise and his new organic and Fair Trade tea line, Just Ice Tea.

Seth Goldman

May 22, 2024

SOCIETY

Should Employers Prepare For a Summer of Protests?

Summer jobs and student internships have been rites of passage for generations. But this summer could pose unique challenges for employers as some analysts anticipate the string of protests at colleges and universities will spread to office buildings and corporate campuses. 

Tina Casey

May 15, 2024

SOCIETY

Inside TelevisaUnivision's Media Blitz to Drive Voter Registration

Spanish for "Vote With Me," the Vota Conmigo campaign focuses on providing essential election information to Hispanic and Latino voters. It reached 770 million media impressions and registered 1.3 million new voters ahead of the 2020 election, and it's just getting started.

Mary Mazzoni

May 15, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Anti-ESG Fever Shows Signs of Bending, Not Breaking (Yet)

The anti-ESG movement is still running strong, but some state legislators already have second thoughts as the consequences of anti-ESG laws come into view.

Tina Casey

May 1, 2024

SOCIETY

Nonpartisan Ways Brands Can Support Free and Fair Elections in the U.S.

Standing up for basic tenets of democracy — such as the right to vote without interference and have that vote be counted — is not partisan. And business leaders don't need to back a candidate or make a political statement in order to get involved.

Mary Mazzoni

April 24, 2024

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

How Big Tech Can Deploy Solar on Schools for Community Benefit

A recent policy shift in West Virginia illustrates how tech firms can help school districts take advantage of new power purchase agreement opportunities, which de-risk renewable energy projects for developers while giving customers access to low-cost energy.

Tina Casey

April 24, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Do Boycotts Work? Two Years On, Brand Exits From Russia Are Having an Impact

Hundreds of leading brands and other companies stopped doing business in Russia after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Two years later, it's having a demonstrable impact on Russia's financial ability to wage war, but crucial government action is still missing.

Tina Casey

April 17, 2024

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Third-Party Verification Labels Can Guide Sustainable Shopping, If Consumers Know About Them

Third-party verification labels can help consumers shop their values, but only if people know what these labels mean and why they should look for them on the products they buy.

Mary Mazzoni

April 17, 2024

ECONOMY

'Awesome, Historic, Momentous.' U.S. EPA Distributes $20 Billion for Climate Justice: Now the Work Begins

"Important, groundbreaking and transformational" are just some of the ways advocates describe the EPA funding for clean technology investments in underserved communities. Now, the hard work begins.

Mary Mazzoni

April 10, 2024

ECONOMY

The New U.S. 'Green Bank' is Part of a Great American Tradition

The green bank formula is rooted in public initiatives that transformed parts of the U.S. Southeast from deep poverty in the early 20th century to the economic powerhouse of today.

Tina Casey

April 10, 2024

ECONOMY

People Want Their 401(k) Plans to Align With Their Values, Survey Finds

Most financial professionals likely assume a strong return is all everyday investors are looking for as they save for their retirement. But even in a tough economy, a growing segment of global investors are equally concerned about aligning their money with their personal values, according to new research. 

Mary Mazzoni

April 3, 2024