CSRminute: USG on "EcoBlueprint" Corporate Strategy; The Giving Pledge Signs up 40 Billionaires

Hello, I'm Emily Polk, and these are your CSR Minute headlines for Monday, August 9th:

USG, the manufacturer of building materials, has released its first-ever Corporate Sustainability Report. The report outlines USG's efforts in environmental, social, and economic sustainability during the past year, and defines the company's future goals. In 2009, the company introduced "EcoBlueprint," a detailed corporate strategy committed to reducing the company's environmental footprint throughout the entire product cycle, from raw materials to use, recycling, and reuse.

The Giving Pledge, the program started in June by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet to encourage wealthy people to give at least half their fortune to charity, has signed up more than three dozen billionaires. Members now include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Lorry Lokey, founder of Business Wire; and Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle. The program is projected to pull $600 billion into philanthropy, twice the total amount given by all Americans last year.

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