Of Prime Concern to Many Companies: Water!
Will Corporate Advertising Claims “Around” The Water Issue Click With Customers? California....Water: The place name and the liquid substance are interconnected in the minds of sustaianbility professionals thinking about climate change and the effects that we are already seeing in the American landscape. The chronic drought in the Golden State has brought the water shortage issue in sharp relief, especially since California is for many crops the "breadbasket" of America, and sufficient water for irrigation and food processing is a critical need. Water crises in the American West in general are now being seen as possible marketing opportunities by companies in the beverage, clothing and water-dependent products, at least in the claims being made about "sustainable products" to offer to consumers. Matt Weiser, Contributing Editor, Water Deeply -- brings us news about this in a commentary that is our Top Story. The growing scarcity of water in the west and especially in California is prompting companies to broadcast water use reduction (such as in beverage manufacturing), or using recycled waste water in their apparel manufacturing. Matt interviewed Kellen Klein, a senior manager at Fortune 500, a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit that "works to find common ground between corporations and environmental groups to help solve global problems." A number of companies see water as critical to their brand, says Kellen Klein; this is in many ways the social license to operate, at least in certain geographies. Coca Cola Company is an example that he advances (he has worked on KO projects); the company has adopted a goal of replenishing water that goes into their products (which are sold in every country but a handful of nations around the world). Levi's (California-based for more than a century) sells cotton jeans, which requires water to grow (the crop) and more water for washing. The company started an education program -- "Water-Less" to encourage consumers to use cold water settings and wash their Levi products less often (to conserve energy for hot water production and to conserve water). Have you heard of Bonnesville Environmental Foundation? Coca Cola and other companies partner with this NGO in the "Change the Course" program, which has the aim of encouraging consumers to use less water. Consumers sign a pledge; money is then invested in projects to restore 1,000 gallons to critical watersheds. ' In the Top Story there is also news along these lines about Cerveza Imperial, the Costa Rican beer company; Fiji Water; Stone Brewing and an Arizona project. Water, water, water - it's like location, location, location to Realtors for many companies. The challenge for many companies that depend on water as the basic resource for their products and services.There's interesting details for you in the Top Story about water and the corporate sector meeting the challenges. Top Stories This Week... How Water Became the New Focus of Corporate Sustainability
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: News Deeply - Water crises in the West have pushed some companies to apply sustainability labels to their beverages, clothes and other water-dependent products. Kellen Klein, a senior manager at Future 500, helps sort through the claims. About Sustainability: Progress Is Being Made - We See Forward Momentum! A big bank bets on sustainability
(Monday - July 31, 2017)
Source: MarketPlace - organ Chase announced today a $200 billion commitment to financing clean energy. On top of that, divisions across the firm, from retail to real estate, are working to switch all Chase properties around the world to 100 percent... Championing sustainability under the big top
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: Sustainable Life - Cirque Du Soleil will plug directly into city's electric grid to avoid using a generator to power the show... Creating Holistic Supply Chain Sustainability: Not a Choice, a Given
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: Supply Chain Management Review - When the Sustainability Consortium (TSC) released its 2017 Impact Report last July, supply chain managers were presented with evidence that the act of integrating sustainability into every decision and process in their network... Largest McDonald’s franchisee makes sustainability pledge
(Wednesday - August 02, 2017)
Source: Seafood Source - The largest global McDonald’s franchise, Arcos Dorados, recently committed to sourcing all of its seafood sustainably by 2020... Revolutionizing Sustainable Operations by Doing 'More Good'
(Wednesday - August 02, 2017)
Source: NRDC - NRDC has a strong history of leading commercial sustainability in the built environment with our offices. We were recognized 30 years ago for the uniquely sustainable renovation of our New York office. Since then, we’ve pursued... Source: Morning Star - The most frequently asked questions about sustainable investing still have to do with performance. In theory, when investors limit their investment universe for moral or ethical reasons, they risk underperformance because they... Report Recommends Standardized Sustainability Reporting
(Thursday - August 03, 2017)
Source: OHS Online - A new report from ASSE's Center for Safety and Health Sustainability covers its second analysis of how recognized "sustainable" companies report occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Titled "The Need for Standardized... Which Country is the Most Sustainable?
(Thursday - August 03, 2017)
Source: Food Tank - The Food Sustainability Index (FSI), developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation, ranks countries on food system sustainability based off of three pillars:...
Our Focus This Week on A Range of ESG Topics & Issues -- Things to Think About..
U.S. Infrastructure Needs Resilience, Sustainability
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: The Revelator - On the last two report cards from the American Society of Civil Engineers, U.S. infrastructure scored a D+. This year’s report urged the government and private sector to increase spending by US$2 trillion within the next 10... Developing countries caught up in sustainability contradictions
(Monday - July 31, 2017)
Source: NewsDay - The idea of wanting to move with developed countries, act and think like them, as well as being seen as eco-specific and compliant has contributed to complex structural gaps and adaptation short-comings, that are not inclusive. Air pollution deaths expected to rise because of climate change
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: CBS News - New research predicts that air pollution worsened by climate change will cost tens of thousands of lives if changes are not made.
Bees Are Bouncing Back From Colony Collapse Disorder
(Wednesday - August 02, 2017)
Source: Bloomberg - The number of U.S. honeybees, a critical component in the agriculture industry, rose in 2017 from a year earlier, and deaths of the insects attributed to a mysterious malady that’s affected hives in North America and Europe.
The Wealth Gap in the U.S. Is Worse Than In Russia or Iran
(Wednesday - August 02, 2017)
Source: Fortune - Basically, this wealth gap that we see today is something that has really skyrocketed since about the 1980s and certainly in the past decade, decade and a half.
Boosting resilience to modern-day threats – what is it worth?
(Thursday - August 03, 2017)
Source: Reuters - From protecting coastal towns against storms and rising seas, to helping poor farmers grow new crops, projects that equip people to overcome disasters and other threats can have wide-ranging benefits – but an...
Source: Spend Matters - As of last year, 69 of the world’s 100 biggest economic entities are not nations but businesses, an increase from 63 in 2015. Can it be argued that those behemoth private sector corporations should be held to stricter procurement...
Is a Healthy Environment a Human Right? Testing the Idea in Appalachia
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: Futurism - The idea of environmental human rights is receiving growing attention worldwide, driven by our global ecological crisis. But the United States has lagged behind in codifying these rights into laws and in successfully furthering... Sponsored Message | SAVE 10% Use Code G&A2017CF 
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News for You From the Corporate Sector - With (+) and (-) Signs
The Positive Coca-Cola (UK) launches first sustainability campaign to promote plastic recycling
(Monday - July 31, 2017)
Source: Marketing Week - Coca-Cola has launched a multi-million pound campaign to encourage consumers to recycle its plastic bottles, marking the first time it has run a major sustainability campaign in Great Britain... Eastman Issues 2017 Sustainability Report
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: NASDAQ - Eastman (NYSE:EMN) has announced the release of its 2017 sustainability report, Innovating with purpose. Building on the company's progress, the report provides a review of Eastman's sustainability strategy and... Source: Sustainable Brands - Earlier this year, Heineken released its 2016 Annual Report, marking the first time the company has combined its annual and sustainability reports into one document. To mark the launch of the report in the United States, the... Wells Fargo’s Mary Mack to roll out sweeping changes to branches starting Monday
(Monday - July 31, 2017)
Source: Charlotte Observer - Nearly 11 months after a massive sales scandal, Monday will be a big day at Wells Fargo as Charlotte-based executive Mary Mack begins rolling out new procedures affecting branches... BP swings to profit, but 2010 spill still a drag
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: MarketWatch - BP PLC on Tuesday reported modest profit for this year's second quarter, as its performance continued to be held back by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill that has cost it more than $60 billion...
Tesla cheered as results beat forecasts, but Wall Street braces for another capital raise
(Thursday - August 03, 2017)
Source: MarketWatch - Wall Street is celebrating Tesla Inc.’s better-than-expected quarterly results, but the company’s spending needs still are a top worry, leading to fresh chatter among analysts that the electric-car maker is likely to tap capital...
The Negative Germany open to class action lawsuits in emissions scandal
(Monday - July 31, 2017)
Source: Reuters - The German government is in principle open to class action lawsuits against carmakers engulfed in an emissions scandal that broke almost two years ago, a spokesman for the Transport Ministry said on Monday.
S.C. utilities halt work on new nuclear reactors, dimming the prospects for a nuclear energy revival
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: Washington Post - The long quest to revive the nation’s nuclear power industry suffered a crippling setback Monday when two South Carolina utilities halted construction on a pair of reactors that once were expected to showcase a modern design for... Meat industry blamed for largest-ever 'dead zone' in Gulf of Mexico
(Tuesday - August 01, 2017)
Source: The Guardian - A new report shows toxins from companies like Tyson Foods are pouring into waterways in the gulf and surrounds, causing marine life to leave or die
Wells Fargo Insurance Scandal Draws New York Subpoenas
(Thursday - August 03, 2017)
Source: Bloomberg - Two New York regulators sent subpoenas related to practices in the auto lending unit of Wells Fargo & Co., the bank struggling with multiple consumer scandals... News & Opinion: Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund invests in risky peer-to-peer lending platform from China
(Thursday - August 03, 2017) Associated Profiles : Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)
Source: theindependent.sg - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the chairman of GIC, which is formerly known as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. The firm was set up 36 years ago, in 1991, to preserve and enhance the nation’s... Source: worldbulletin.net - While it had already set aside some funds, Societe Generale had to book a charge of nearly billion euros against second-quarter profits for the out-of-court settlement with the Libyan Investment Authority in May. French bank... Russia to Exhaust Reserve Fund in 2017, Resort to National Wealth Fund
(Monday - July 31, 2017) Associated Profiles : National Wealth Fund
Source: sputniknews.com - Russia's Reserve Fund will be depleted in 2017. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia will exhaust its Reserve Fund in 2017 and will start using money from the National Welfare Fund, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Thursday. "In. Why Are "Activist Investors" Silent on Corporate Social Responsibility?
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: Truth Out - Once known by terms like "asset strippers" or "corporate raiders," activist investors -- shareholders who take large stakes in a company and pressure or replace its management in order to raise share prices -- have now entered...
Why Socially Responsible Investing Is Not for Me
(Wednesday - August 02, 2017)
Source: Kiplinger - Once a financial backwater, socially responsible investing is now a virtual tidal wave. Over the four-year period that ended in 2016, the amount invested in the U.S. using professional management that considers environmental... Connecticut General Assembly approves new hybrid plan, contribution and COLA changes
(Thursday - August 03, 2017) Associated Profiles : Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds – State Treasurer’s Office
Source: Pensions & Investments - The Connecticut General Assembly approved an agreement with the state employee unions on contract concessions on Monday, confirmed Chris McClure, a spokesman for Gov. Dannel Malloy's office. The approved resolution will create a... Sacramento Report: The Pension Wars Aren’t Over
(Monday - July 31, 2017) Associated Profiles : California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Source: capoliticalreview.com - CalSTRS has an unfunded liability of over $200 billion—both have announced a 100% increase in mandatory contributions over the next five years—cities are already cutting public safety and other basic... Trump Administration News... Affecting Directions on Governance, Sustainability & Climate Change Can We Put Coal Miners Back to Work in Clean Energy?
(Friday - August 04, 2017)
Source: Gizmodo - n August 2016, fewer coal miners were employed in the US than anytime in modern history: just 48,600. A year later, little more than 50,000 miners are working, but the industry is still in dire straits—layoffs and mine shutdowns.. | | | TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES | 
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