Memo to the Corporate Board: Heads Up,
It’s About Sustainability for the Long-Term The boards of directors of publicly-traded companies have considerable influence over the many duties and responsibilities for the corporation to attend to. Among them is oversight of risk (the two halves of risk: risk or threat and opportunity inherent therein). We put effective risk management as one of the over-arching elements of corporate sustainability and responsibility. What better way to address risk management duties at board level than to focus on the company’s ESG strategies? Writing in Forbes, Dr. Bob Eccles (Harvard University, SASB, and Arabesque Partners) focuses our attention on corporate boards and what they are doing – and not doing – to address ESG strategies, initiatives, achievements – as part of their risk management duties as fiduciaries. “Material ESG sustainability issues are increasingly being factored into corporate and investment decisions at the highest level,” Dr. Eccles observes. “It is resulting in genuine sustainable strategies, instead of mere programs that are viewed as side shows to the company’s business.” And so, Bob Eccles says, the strategies executed at scale by [some] of the world’s largest companies and investors will also contribute to planetary benefits. (See the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for examples of how this is working in the business community. Sign up for The Global Sourcing Council's 17 Weeks / 17 SDGs for weekly insight.) While this is good and welcome news, the world’s largest companies and investors – who control vast amounts of capital – are really not yet showing enough leadership in sustainability, says Dr. Eccles. The key is for the board room to ensure that the corporation adopts a long-term focus – as forcefully advocated now to investors and corporate leaders by Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock. The Board should adopt rigorous analysis to identify the limited number of ESG issues that really are material to the company. And then act on them. And oversee the sustainability strategies being implemented at all levels, not just in some minor “set aside” sustainability function as described by Bob Eccles. Read his fascinating – and challenging – commentary in our top story. Keep in mind that Professor Eccles is the leading voice at the Harvard Business School, and in both investor and corporate communities, for corporate sustainability. Top Story of the Week Why It's Time For Boards To Take A Stand On Sustainability
(Wednesday - March 30, 2016)
Source: Forbes - What is the biggest barrier to sustainable development? There are many, but I’d like to flag one that I think hasn’t received enough attention so far: boards of directors of companies and asset managers. Too many are only focused... Rutgers / G&A CSR Certificate Update: Effective Supply Chain Management - What CSR Professionals Need To Know
 Effective CSR & the Supply Chain Management Relationship -- What CSR Professionals Need to Know About Procurement & The Importance of Supply Chain Environmental Archeology
(Source: G&A Institute, Inc.) For corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals, there is an important area that needs to be in focus -- a critical area that presents challenges, risks and myriad opportunities: the global supply chain. Enterprises of all sizes, and in all industries and sectors, are (or are not!) making a difference in society, creating competitive advantages, and mitigating risks as represented by responsible supply chain and procurement practices. Sustainability in Focus How to Know If You Are Living Sustainably
(Monday - March 28, 2016)
Source: Bangor Daily News - How do we know if an organization’s policy on sustainability is meaningful or just greenwashing, the claim of environmental commitment without any real change in behavior? This same question applies to us in our personal lives... Moving from Green Cleaning to Cleaning Sustainability
(Monday - March 28, 2016)
Source: Environmental - For those that may have missed it, the $50 billion-plus professional cleaning industry has become one of the “greenest” industries in the U.S. Once viewed as a fad, environmentally preferable “green” cleaning solutions, tools... Chipotle board opposes idea of sustainability report
(Monday - March 28, 2016)
Source: BizJournal - When shareholders of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. meet for their annual meeting at the Grand Hyatt Denver on May 11, they'll be asked to vote on a proposal that the company file an annual sustainability report on its... Why doesn't sustainability messaging work better?
(Tuesday - March 29, 2016)
Source: Breen Biz - I've been a sustainability strategist at Adobe since 2013, and one challenge I constantly run up against is: how do we frame messaging around genuine sustainability initiatives within our own business in a way that encourages... Water Sustainability is Focus of New Research Center
(Tuesday - March 29, 2016)
Source: Northwestern - Water sustains all life on the planet, but the limited natural resource -- stretched and stressed by climate change, economic development and global population growth -- now is one of the world’s most critical challenges... What Happened to Sustainability?
(Tuesday - March 29, 2016)
Source: Automation World' - The recent Paris climate-change summit notwithstanding, fewer manufacturers seem to be talking publicly about their sustainability programs these days. Has the sustainability movement fizzled in manufacturing, or is... Americans Want Fewer Politicians, More Sustainability In Our Dietary Guidelines
(Wednesday - March 30, 2016)
Source: Huff Post - A recent survey found that a majority of Americans don’t want politicians meddling in the creation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the roadmap for health advice that’s updated every five years, and with which some... The Truth About Sustainability
(Thursday - March 31, 2016)
Source: Forbes - Is our way of life sustainable? For the last several decades—actually centuries—despite a continuously improving quality of life, many of our thought leaders have said “No.” In fact, the most our prosperity has increased, the... New Study Reveals Nearly a Third of Local Governments Have Adopted Sustainability Plans
(Thursday - March 31, 2016)
Source: PR Newswire - Thirty-two percent of local governments have adopted a sustainability plan, according to a national survey of U.S. cities and counties. Among the responding jurisdictions that have adopted plans, nearly 68% indicated that those... What drives cities to pursue sustainability policies?
(Friday - April 01, 2016)
Source: Cornell Chronicle - Examining preliminary results in a national survey of 1,900 local governments, half of U.S. cities and towns had specific environmental goals but only one-third had concrete sustainability plans, according to Cornell University... Rethinking attitudes towards sustainability
(Friday - April 01, 2016)
Source: Boulder Weekly - Sustainability is an all encompassing concept that affects every part of our lives. It’s not just about science and the environment but also includes art, family, movement, politics and education. And while most of us, to some... ESG Issues & Players Morningstar and the democratization of ESG information
(Monday - March 28, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - The ordinary investor is more likely to have most of his money in mutual funds than individual stocks or bonds, but until recently there have been few options to determine how sustainable these funds may be.
Too early to hail dip in China’s CO2, despite coal fall-study
(Tuesday - March 29, 2016)
Source: Reuters - Reports of a historic dip in China‘s carbon dioxide emissions in the past two years are premature because of uncertainty over data showing the pace of a decline in coal use by the world’s biggest consumer, a study showed on... America Needs An Energy President
(Friday - April 01, 2016)
Source: Forbes - Anyone who has been waiting for leadership on energy policy during this year’s tumultuous Presidential campaign may be waiting in vain. There’s little talk of energy and, even when the candidates offer a few proposals on their... What Americans Really Think about Free Trade
(Monday - March 28, 2016)
Source: Magic Valley - For decades, the benefits of free trade have been something that both political parties have agreed on. Eliminating tariffs, proponents said, would reduce the cost of goods for U.S. consumers and put more people to work in… Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds 40 Things About Apple Computer On Its 40th Anniversary
(Friday - April 01, 2016)
Source: NBC - Forty years ago the U.S. was marking the bicentennial, the Cold War was raging, "Son of Sam" was terrorizing New York City, and two nerds brainstorming in a Los Altos, California garage were about the change the world. EDITORIAL: Time is ripe for pension reform
(Thursday - March 31, 2016) Associated Profiles : Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (NVPERS)
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal - Last year, the unfunded liability for the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System was pegged at about $12.5 billion, and the state Legislature, with Republican majorities in the Senate and Assembly,... Libya urges UN to act to protect sovereign wealth fund
(Friday - April 01, 2016) Associated Profiles : Libyan Investment Authority
Source: India - Libya's UN Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the council that he was surprised there had been no response to the government's request last week for an exemption from UN sanctions for the Libyan Investment Authority so it... Watching the Watchers 
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Headquarters: New York, NY USA
Established: 2003
KEY PARTNERS:
10member U.S. states plus several observer U.S. states and Canadian provinces OVERVIEW / MISSION
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) summarizes its activity: “RGGI is the first mandatory, market-based CO2 emissions reduction program in the United States.” RGGI also states that the organization's "exclusive purpose is to provide administrative and technical services to support the development and implementation of each Participating State's CO2 Budget Trading Program."
RGGI covers over 200 facilities: these are fossil fuel-fired electric power plants 25 megawatts or greater in size. The coalition hopes to reduce CO2 emissions with minimal effects on energy prices. The program went into effect January 1, 2009, and the first compliance period lasts three years. BACKGROUND
RGGI Inc. is a non-profit corporation that grew out of conversations between governors of northeastern U.S. states in 2003: they discussed developing “a regional cap-and-trade program addressing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.” Seven states signed a memorandum of understanding in 2005 and published, in 2006, a “model rule” with the proposed program. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland signed on in 2007, joining Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. The Canadian provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec are all observers. RGGI holds quarterly CO2 auctions to sell CO2 allowances rather than distributing them to power plants. Auction revenues will be reinvested into the region with the intention of benefiting consumers through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other clean energy technologies, according to RGGI. News Sweeps | Check It Out...
G&A Institute & Rutgers Business School CSR Certificate Program
FACULTY / COURSE UPDATE:
What is "Materiality"? Why Is It important? How Do I Assess What ESG Issues are Strategically Important?
 An Interactive Course to Answer These Questions Led by Louis D. Coppola
Registration includes breakfast, lunch, dinner Wednesday evening, parking, and course materials. Upon completion of the program, participants will be awarded a certificate in executive leadership. The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, April 27 and Thursday, April 28, at the Rutgers University Business School in Newark, NJ. Click here to register.
For more information, call 973.353.1134, email leadership@business.rutgers.edu, or click here.
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G&A Supports GSC
17 Weeks / 17 SDGs Initiative  The Global Sourcing Council (GSC) proudly commits its support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda by educating and inspiring companies to do their part and take action to help achieve extraordinary sustainable results throughout the globe. To join us, please download our GSC 17/17 SDG Prospectus and contact Louis Coppola or Wanda Lopuch.
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G&A Institute Sustainability Update™
Informative, insightful, thought provoking
Governance & Accountability Institute's blog focusing on the sustainable world evolving daily before our eyes. Read it, absorb it, question it and challenge. Recent posts:
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Measuring, managing and reporting on the progress of the organization's Sustainability Journey – ensuring that ESG market players, corporate reputation influencers, shareholders and stakeholders understand the strategies, goals, program elements of the journey and accomplishments and recognitions earned. Learn more About G&A's Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility Reporting _______________________________
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Initiative's (GRI) in the USA, UK and Ireland. A G&A team of six or more perform this pro bono work on behalf of GRI. Over the past 5+ years, G&A has analyzed more than 5,000 sustainability reports in this role and databased more than 100 important data points for each of the five thousand reports.
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