Global Warming -- Familiar Places Could Disappear,
Says Union of Concerned Scientists Report There is spirited debate in the corporate community and among capital market players: Is global warming occurring...what are the causes (if so)...and can anything be done by the private sector and governments to mitigate the effects if our planet is heating up? The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) was careful in reminding corporate boards a few years ago to pay closer attention to downside "risk," and upside opportunities related to climate change. In specific terms, "global warming" was not included in the staff interpretation to corporate issuers. Other organizations can be much less politically correct -- and more strident in the "warnings" -- like the Union of Concerned Scientists (USC), which looks to put the issue in more familiar (and anxiety-raising) terms. Like, for example, as the USC believes, the Ellis Island national park in New York Harbor at some point being underwater. Or the glorious glaciers in Glacier National Park (USA) virtually disappearing. (Citing there were 125 glaciers there a century ago; now there are 25 or so.) The Union of Concerned Scientists has a report out now on "National Landmarks at Risk" -- you can read highlights at: www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/global_warming/National-Landmarks-at-Risk-Executive-Summary.pdf Blogger Pallavia Thakur posted a video interpretation of the USC's "top 10" prominent landmarks that the UCS identified in the report. The organization sees as threatened the American Everglades in Florida, the nation of the Maldive Islands, and more. See our Top Story for his blog post and the link to a fascinating YouTube video presentation (7 minutes). This approach (with professionally produced video, voice over) no doubt is designed to help UCS make the "global warming case" for the consumer audience. It's important that corporate managers and capital market players tune in to these kinds of arguments about climate change and the potential "dire effects." As our G&A Institute team analyzes the dramatically increasing flow of corporate sustainability, responsibility, corporate citizenship, and environmental disclosures and reports coming from a wide range of public companies, it's clear that the corporate leaders in the reporting practice are skilled at presenting their views on climate change. And where they stand in terms of risk and opportunity -- often citing competitive advantage. The peers of leadership companies that are not reporting are at risk of falling further behind in addressing the climate change concerns and expectations of their stakeholders. You know, those who may be watching the UCS video on YouTube (as you can see in the link in the Top Story -- do watch). Climate change -- whatever the corporate community view - -the issues are being effectively addressed by a growing number of thoughtful boards, C-suite and managerial teams, as we see every day in our research efforts. Top Story of the Week 10 Places that could disappear due to Global Warming
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015) Associated Profiles : Union of Concerned Scientists
Source: Speaking Tree - According to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), there are many national parks and landmarks under serious threat from climate change, so much so that they will be irreparably... Sustainability in Focus Drought's silver lining: Attracting investors to sustainability
(Monday - August 17, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - Earlier this summer, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced mandatory water restrictions that renewed concerns about water availability in California and the potential economic impacts of the restrictions. Arabia CSR Forum to be the Year’s Most Important Sustainability Related Event
(Monday - August 17, 2015)
Source: Business Wire - DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--On October 27 & 28th, UAE will witness the largest congregation of thought leaders and change makers in the field of Sustainability. The Arabia CSR Forum 2015 will set the bar high in leading... Sustainability the new norm, at least for the top end
(Monday - August 17, 2015)
Source: The Fifth Estate - The top end of the market is seeing sustainability as business as usual, with environmentally minded projects not just confined to the sustainable development award, showing up in the bulk of the 100 projects featured across 15... Why Your Sustainability Strategy Can Be Pivotal to Employee Engagement
(Monday - August 17, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - The business case for implementing sustainable practices is clear, and regardless of what industry you’re in, the strain on natural resources is rising as a result of population growth and climate change. Today, many companies...
EEF's new sustainability chief vows to push environment onto manufacturers' radar (UK)
(Tuesday - August 18, 2015)
Source: Business Green - "It's about educating senior management to understand the bigger impacts of the environment on them, and understanding what they need to do to keep their business going for the next 10 or 15 years," he tells Business Green. Eight Points About PSI’s Phone Directory Sustainability Report
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015)
Source: Waste 369 - Telephone directory publishers have taken steps to improve the recycling and sustainability of their products, but they continue to fall short based on certain measures, according to a new report from the Product Stewardship... How green is the Maize and Blue? U-M's big sustainability goals
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015)
Source: Concentrate Media - After all, how "green" a university is depends on a number of factors, including carbon footprint, environmental sustainability, food waste, chemical waste and greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of a definitive ranking of... Corporate governance and sustainability: Who's connecting the dots?
(Thursday - August 20, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - Scrutiny of how companies handle sustainability governance — the “G” in the ESG triad of environmental, social and governance issues — won’t be subsiding anytime soon. While the United States tunes into presidential debates over... Jumpstarting sustainability — without big ideas, money or executive support
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: GreenBiz - Meanwhile, your company might be only minimally engaged on sustainability issues (if at all), and executives might not view sustainability as a value-add essential to achieving business goals or mitigating operational risks.
Boom in marijuana industry spurs sustainability concerns
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: USA Today - A recent study by researchers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found each of four watersheds in northern California — an area within the Emerald Triangle — supplies water to between 23,000 and 32,000 marijuana...
Sustainability of some tech business models still in question
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: The News Tribune - As with many business-jargon terms that morph quickly from hot buzzword to tired cliche, “sustainable” is rapidly approaching its expiration date for usefulness 6 Factors That Help Sustainably Minded Firms Rake in the Green
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: The Street - Companies can't just go "green around the edges" if they want to turn sustainability into profitability. They need to make major transformations, said Freya Williams, author of Green Giants: How Smart Companies Turn...
ESG Issues & Players Chief executives earn '183 times more than workers' (UK)
(Tuesday - August 18, 2015)
Source: BBC News - A report by the High Pay Centre, a think tank which monitors income distribution, shows that top bosses earned on average £4.964m in 2014. That compares to £27,195 median pay for a full-time employee in 2014, according to... 1,000 sq miles of England to be opened up for fracking
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - Large areas of Yorkshire, the north-west and the east Midlands are to be opened up to fracking after the government announced it will offer a fresh round of licences for oil and gas exploration.
You can’t pay a good person too much
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: Banking Exchange - I used to work for a bank president who said, “You can’t pay a good person too much.” That’s not a statement meant to be taken literally. But it’s an excellent guiding principle for executive compensation, especially today in... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds DiNapoli: First quarter pension fund returns were low
(Saturday - August 15, 2015) Associated Profiles : New York State Common Retirement Fund
Source: Times Union - Here are the details: The New York State Common Retirement Fund's (Fund) overall return in the first quarter of the state fiscal year 2015-2016 was 0.52 percent for the three-month period ending...
Grim China data caps worst week of year for stocks
(Friday - August 21, 2015)
Source: Reuters - Aug 21 World stock markets tumbled towards their worst week of the year on Friday and commodities got another kicking, as more alarming data from China sent investors scurrying to the safety of bonds and gold.
Quebec pension fund says must raise 'game' to maintain returns
(Monday - August 17, 2015) Associated Profiles : Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Source: Yahoo News - Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, Canada's second-largest pension fund manager, said it will have to raise its "game" if it is to continue to deliver yields like the weighted... Watching the Watchers Union of Concerned Scientists Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Established: 1969
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes, a very strong focus on environmental, social, and sustainability issues.
KEY PARTNERS
Scientists from the UCS network, Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology OVERVIEW/MISSION
The Union of Concerned Scientists describes itself as “a non-profit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions.” BACKGROUND
The Union of Concerned Scientists was founded in 1969 after a “teach-in” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: the group formed “to protest the militarization of scientific research and promote science in the public interest” and asked that science be used to resolve environmental and social problems instead of creating military technologies. On the History page of its Web site, UCS cites as milestones a first report about anti-ballistic missiles, the U.S. government’s reduction of the strategic defense initiative, and a “blueprint for vehicle fuel-efficiency that Ford Motor Company is now following.” News Sweeps Simple Ways Your Business Can Reduce Travel Emissions
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015) Associated Profiles :Union of Concerned Scientists
- Triple Pundit - according to a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Because CO 2 is one of the gasses that is most responsible for climate change, this is a significant figure. In addition to helping the... 'Concerned' but not credible II
(Wednesday - August 19, 2015) Associated Profiles :Union of Concerned Scientists
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Regarding Union of Concerned Scientists senior energy analyst Jeremy Richardson's letter Not future's fuel about coal, it doesn't take many clicks on the Internet to show...
As States Battle New EPA Rules, Some Make Surprising Progress on Emissions
(Tuesday - August 18, 2015) Associated Profiles :Union of Concerned Scientists
- The Fiscal Times - A new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists underscores an intriguing dichotomy in the battle over climate change: While many states are bitterly contesting the Obama administrations... 'Concerned' but not credible I
(Tuesday - August 18, 2015) Associated Profiles :Union of Concerned Scientists
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - A Trib editorial daring to question the effectiveness and costs of EPA's Clean Power Plan precipitated a blanket rejection by Jeremy Richardson of the Union of Concerned Scientists. After... | Check It Out...
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