Climate Change -- Citi Group Weighs In:
Do We Invest Up Front in A Low Carbon Economy...or Not? What Are the Consequences of Action / No Action? There are legions of experts and scientists focusing on climate change, and discussing their views on the root causes (of polar caps melting at an alarming pace, oceans steadily warming and seas rising, serious droughts increasing, super storms, and more dire results of global warming). There are also CC and GW "deniers," especially some folks in industry and the public sector, who for their own various reasons debunk the notion that actions of humankind are behind the warming of the planet. We can expect that somewhere in the broadening debate leading up to the 2016 U.S. presidential campaigning we'll see climate change as an issue, with pro and con positions articulated by candidates and their supporters. What about the financial impact related to global warming -- who is weighing in on that aspect, and what could influence will the cost of the planet warming be to our human society? America's third largest bank has focused on these issues and offered up a report for our consideration. Citi Group's "Citi Global Perspective & Solutions" unit examined two scenarios -- the cost/benefits of taking "action" or choosing "inaction" -- do we move toward a low-carbon economy or not -- and what would be the financial consequences of each choice. Is transitioning to a low-carbon energy mix the pathway to lower the financial impact of global warming on society? The report authors looked in depth at a potential investment in the "action" scenario, as well as the "inaction" approach over the next quarter century. The results may be surprising to you. Teaser from Citi's report: Says The Guardian editors of the report, "[This conclusion] soundly refuses the main argument against climate action -- that it's too expensive, with some contrarians even having gone so far as to claim that cutting carbon pollution will create an economic catastrophe..." You'll want to read our Top Story this week -- consider it be one more resource now added to the climate change debate. As such, the Citi unit's report is sure to be chatted up by folks who favor the taking "action" scenario. Top Story of the Week Citi report: slowing global warming would save tens of trillions of dollars
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions (GPS), a division within Citibank (America’s third-largest bank), recently published a report looking at the economic costs and benefits of a low-carbon future. The report considered two... Sustainability in Focus How to turn sustainability into a billion-dollar business
(Monday - August 31, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - For “Green Giants,” sustainability is the springboard to innovation. These companies are not introducing incremental improvement or a greener, more ethical, socially responsible variation on the status quo. Instead, they are... Billion-Dollar Companies Creating Competitive Advantage with Sustainability
(Monday - August 31, 2015)
Source: Just Means - In statistical terms, a company has only a 0.00006 percent chance to become a billion-dollar enterprise. One of the key commitments needed to reach this benchmark in today’s competitive global marketplace is to have...
Effective Sustainability Reporting Can Make Good Businesses Great
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015)
Source: Environmental Leader - Companies that are identified as socially responsible and have clearly defined missions become “great” business, according to an article in Harvard Business Review. EHS Insight provides an overview of the internal and external...
Social Sustainability: How Well is Your Organization Doing?
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - A lot of organizations ‘get’ environmental sustainability, issues related to natural resources, climate change, toxics and waste. It’s tangible, and nature sets the bar for sustainability. But many organizations in the developed...
The Transformative Potential of Sustainability Education
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - As the school year begins, I am thinking a great deal about the revisions I've made over the past several months to my courses and curricula for graduate-level sustainability students. The field keeps changing, and so constant...
New minor teaches sustainability’s relationship to variety of fields
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015)
Source: Missouri State University - During the last decade, the sustainability movement has changed from conservation efforts and recycling programs to initiating daily individual and organizational changes that will create a more sustainable future in terms of... Boxed Water Wants To Add A Tiny Bit Of Sustainability To The Bottled Water Industry
(Wednesday - September 02, 2015)
Source: Fast Company - The mountain of plastic water bottles headed to landfills keeps growing, despite the best efforts of campaigns to push reusables and tap water. So a startup is trying a different approach: Is it possible to design a bottle that's... General Assembly hands over draft global sustainability agenda to UN Member States
(Wednesday - September 02, 2015)
Source: UN News Centre - The United Nations General Assembly today approved a resolution sending the draft ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ to Member States for adoption later this month, bringing the international community “to the cusp of... Behind the first 15 years of GRI sustainability reporting
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - This summer marked 15 years since the Global Reporting Initiative’s release of the first version of its sustainability reporting guidelines, "The June 2000 Guidelines." Let’s take a look back at some developments of the reporting... 7 Companies Making Billions With Sustainability
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: The Street - NEW YORK -- The "Green Giants" are companies that make $1 billion or more in annual revenue from products or services with sustainability or social good at their core.
Navigating Sustainability and Your Fiduciary Duty
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - A teacher, pressing a student to explain why he was late to class, was puzzled by his response "I simply followed the sign." When the teacher asked what the sign said, the student answered "School Ahead, Go Slow." Inside the brain of sustainability reporting
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - Sustainability reporting has gone through several waves of evolution over the past decade. These waves have flowed from simple website posting of information to the creation of Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability... ESG Issues & Players The West Is Burning And Due To Climate Change That May Be The New Normal
(Thursday - September 03, 2015) Associated Profiles : Union of Concerned Scientists
Source: Politics USA - The Union of Concerned Scientists outline the problem as follows: Higher spring and summer temperatures and earlier spring snow-melt typically cause soils to be drier for longer, increasing the likelihood of... This Is Why Global Income Inequality Is a Real National-Security Threat
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015) Associated Profiles : World Economic Forum
Source: The National Interest - And the World Economic Forum ranked rising income inequality as the world's top priority for 2015. Unlike within-country income inequality, global income inequality has attracted...
Eni Discovers Massive Gas Field in the Mediterranean
(Monday - August 31, 2015)
Source: Bloomberg - Eni SpA discovered a “super giant” natural gas field offshore Egypt in what the Italian oil company said is the largest find in the Mediterranean Sea. Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds Pension Funds Oppose Combined BofA Chairman, CEO Roles
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015) Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
Source: Inside Fidelity - Calpers and Calstrs are the biggest and second biggest pension funds in the U.S. by assets. Together, the two funds own 63.6 million Bank of America (BAC) shares, valued at about $1 billion and... US Bank Earnings Jumped in 7.3 Percent during Second Quarter: FDIC Says
(Thursday - September 03, 2015)
Source: American Trade Journal - US banks’ earnings jumped by 7.3 percent in the April-June quarter as compared to the same period last year as revenues increased and the volume of secured loans that banks had to write off fell to the lowest level since before... Swiss freeze millions amid probe of Malaysian fund
(Thursday - September 03, 2015) Associated Profiles : 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB, formerly known as Terengganu Investment Authority)
Source: swissinfo - This is amid investigations into Malaysia's troubled state investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. Both Swiss and Malaysian... Watching the Watchers As You Sow (AYS) Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Established: 1992
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes: focus on corporate responsibility.
KEY PARTNERS
Collaborates with numerous organizations, including Proxy Impact, Social Investment Forum (SIF), Sustainable Investments Institute (SI2), Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), Trillium Asset Management,Walden Asset Management, and Green Century.
Clients include Domini Social Investments and Calvert Group – two of the largest SRI asset managers and mutual fund companies in the US.
Also – clients and partners include these firms: Disney; McDonald's; Dell; HP; Starbucks; Coca-Cola; Time-Warner; Gap; Home Depot; Staples.
OVERVIEW/MISSION
As You Sow states that its mission is: "To promote corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, grantmaking, and innovative legal strategies."
The organization's vision is "A safe, just, and sustainable world in which environmental health and human rights are central to corporate decision making."
The organization's focus is on: Corporate Responsibility; Sustainability; Human Rights; Health & Safety; Environmental Enforcement; Grantmaking.
As You Sow has been a prominent player in proxy voting and shareholder action for many years. News Sweeps Watchdog Agency Files Lawsuit Against Soylent for Failing to Warn Consumers of High Lead Levels
(Thursday - September 03, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- The Daily Meal - As You Sow has filed a lawsuit against Soylent, the meal replacement shake, for not providing enough information about lead levels Daring Entrepreneur Creates Knockoff Soylent Soylent Guy and...
Fossil Fuel Execs Have Little Financial Incentive To Fight Climate Change, Report Says
(Thursday - September 03, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- International Business Times - "The reserves should not be a metric executives are rewarded on," said Rosanna Landis Weaver, a project manager at As You Sow, a leading shareholder activist group....
Soylent: Is it violating CA Prop. 65'
(Friday - August 28, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- fooddive.com - California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (Prop. 65) is creating controversy once again after As You Sow filed a 60-day notice of intent to file a lawsuit against Rosa Labs, LLC.... | Check It Out...
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