“Our Common Future” – the Masterpiece of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Also Known to Many As the Influential “Brundtland Report” Former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway (and then special envoy for the United Nations) was invited by the UN to create and manage a “World Commission on Environment and Development (“WCED”), which over time became known as the “Brundtland Commission.” The commission gave the world a framework for moving forward on what would become known as “sustainable development.” The commission report (in 1987) was titled, “Our Common Future,” paved the way for the world leader gathering in 1992 – the “Earth Summit.” Her work continued after the commission work concluded; she led the Norwegian government peace initiative in the Middle East, bringing the PLO’s Yasser Arafat and Israel’s Yitzak Rabin. (This led to the “Oslo Accords.”) Ms. Brundtland moved on to the World Health Organization (WHO) as Director-General. Then it was on to be one of the UN’s Special Envoys for Climate Change. And to close comradeship with President Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu and other leaders as “the Elders,” bringing attention to pressing societal issues. She is a fascinating – and inspiring – woman in key global and regional leadership roles. So what are her thoughts on the current state of sustainability? How has the concept moved forward – and after 28 years, what has the world accepted (of the thoughts of Our Common Future)? (The main message remains: Our generation has a responsibility to address the destiny of the planet.) How does she view the meetings in Paris (COP 21)? She shares her views on these questions and on electric-powered cars and the beneficial impact on public health. How can countries encourage the adoption of EV’s? (Remember, her home country of Norway is a major oil-producing nation – pumping fossil fuel for powering of internal combustion engines.) Thinking back to 1987 and the commission work – that is not so long ago, is it! The current generation of undergrad and grad students focused on the many dimensions of sustainable development, and after graduation moving into positions in companies, governments, civil societies, will be shaping the direction of those organizations…advancing the seminal work of the Brundtland Commission and many others inspired by the commission’s work. The Top Story is a 10-minute video interview of Gro Harlem Brundtland by Zachary Shahan. Top Story of the Week Interview With Gro Harlem Brundtland, Grandmother of Sustainability (Video)
(Thursday - February 11, 2016)
Source: Clean Technica - Gro Brundtland is the “grandmother of sustainability.” She is a true legend, and the roots of “sustainability” and “sustainable development” sprouted in the famous report named after her, Our Common Future, also known as the... Sustainability in Focus Super Bowl 50 An Environmental Sustainability Champion
(Monday - February 08, 2016)
Source: Clean Technica - Since opening up in 2014, the home of the San Francisco 49ers garnered a lot of buzz for its high-tech initiatives, including stadium-wide Wi-Fi. Yet, its green initiatives really put this stadium on the map.
How to see through the Sustainability Kaleidoscope
(Monday - February 08, 2016)
Source: Greenbiz - It often strikes me that the sustainability reporting has been bit like a snowball, gathering up all sorts of agendas and wish lists as it thunders down the slope. How can banks spur the palm oil industry toward sustainability?
(Monday - February 08, 2016)
Source: Mongabay.com - Banks and investors are increasingly looking for ways to hold companies accountable for their actions. Previous articles in this series looked at how financiers might deny capital to palm oil companies with poor environmental...
Study: Companies Prioritizing Supply Chain Sustainability, But the Real Work Remains Ahead
(Monday - February 08, 2016)
Source: Sustainable Brands - Our recent research suggests that sustainability is gaining some traction in business, yet few organizations have taken meaningful steps toward developing a green supply chain. Furthermore, North American companies lag their...
Luxury Brands Can No Longer Ignore Sustainability
(Tuesday - February 09, 2016)
Source: Harvard Business Review - But according to a new report, 2016 Predictions for the Luxury Industry: Sustainability and Innovation, that sustainability gap is closing fast. Two organizations that work closely with high-end product companies, the Luxury... Fostering collaboration to address water sustainability
(Tuesday - February 09, 2016)
Source: Arizona State University - Cities in the United States' Western region face a higher demand for water as populations grow and drought diminishes supply. That’s why the mayors of several Western cities recently agreed to work together on water... Strategist Sees Broad Range in Public Sustainability Reporting = text/video
(Tuesday - February 09, 2016)
Source: Reit.com - According to Suki, a broad range of disclosure practices exists across different industries. At the far end is robust disclosure, from companies that are framing sustainability as part of how they create business value, she said....
Management Involvement Key to Sustainability, Equity One Executive Says - text/video
(Wednesday - February 10, 2016)
Source: Reit.com - Lopez described the adoption of sustainability practices by organizations as a “learning process.” He noted that the initial goal in the early stages of implementation is to get support from the organization’s management team. Safety Is a Cornerstone of Ingredient Sustainability
(Thursday - February 11, 2016)
Source: Food Safety Magazine - With a world population of more than 7 billion people and growing, it is essential that those involved in all aspects of food production strive to produce goods more efficiently and in a more environmentally and socially... Why REITs Emphasizing Sustainability Can Make You Money
(Friday - February 12, 2016)
Source: Seeking Alpha - Sustainability practices are here to stay. It is a rising topic in REIT circles, and increasing numbers of REITs are taking concrete steps to coordinate and implement investments based on sustainability principles. While the... ESG Issues & Players Dimon and Buffett: the odd couple of corporate governance
(Thursday - February 11, 2016)
Source: Opinion - FT - It is one of the oldest battle lines in corporate governance: managerial autonomy versus shareholder rights. The battle is particularly acute in the US at present. Gasoline is 30% dirtier than 10 years ago: new UCS report
(Thursday - February 11, 2016) Associated Profiles : Union of Concerned Scientists
Source: Biofuels Digest - It's not your Dad's gasoline. In fact, it's worse, says the Union of Concerned Scientists in a new report. But the good news is that alternatives, by contrast, are getting cleaner. In Washington, the Union of... The Misguided ExxonMobil Climate Change Inquisition
(Friday - February 12, 2016)
Source: Forbes - Last year witnessed the astounding speed at which public and expert opinion now coalesce around policies that would have seemed unacceptable a few years earlier. From same-sex marriage to marijuana legalization, public opinion... Effects of carbon emissions could last 10,000 years, study finds
(Tuesday - February 09, 2016)
Source: CS Monitor - If humans don’t cut carbon emissions soon, the Earth could feel the catastrophic impact for tens of thousands of years, a new study has found. Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds Yellen - Fed not likely to reverse course on rates despite risks
(Thursday - February 11, 2016)
Source: Reuters - The Federal Reserve is unlikely to reverse its plan to raise interest rates further this year, but tighter credit markets, volatile financial markets, and uncertainty over Chinese economic growth have raised risks to the U.S.... Desperately seeking alternatives to negative interest rates
(Friday - February 12, 2016) Associated Profiles : Pension Protection Fund - United Kingdom
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Britain's Pension Protection Fund said earlier this week that plunging UK rates had ballooned the deficit of its member funds by 37 percent in January alone. William White, a well-known economist and... Reflections on Davos
(Wednesday - February 10, 2016)
Source: Live Mint - This year, the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos focused on the impact of the fourth industrial revolution. If you are under 30, you might be under the impression that the previous revolutions were the iPod, the... G&A 2016 Honor Roll Spotlight In the G&A Honor Roll we feature the talented interns that work with us on our many various research and client related projects. Each of the interns listed on this page has made a significant contribution to the G&A Institute and to the field of Sustainability in general. We thank our Honor Roll members here:
 Ashley Thomsen
Honor Roll 2016
Ashley Thomsen is a senior undergraduate majoring in global logistics management at Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. She formerly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from ASU and spent six years as a public school teacher in the areas of science and social studies. She has a passion for sustainable business and cradle-to-cradle strategies. Watching the Watchers UN - The Global Compact  BACKGROUND
Launched by the Secretary-General in 1999, the Global Compact is a framework for businesses that are "committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption."
The Global Compact claims 8,700 voluntary participants and stakeholders -- of which many thousands are businesses -- from more than 130 countries, making it the world's largest global corporate citizenship initiative. The Global Compact is a purely voluntary initiative with two listed objectives:
"Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world.
"Catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)." To achieve these goals, the Global Compact offers facilitation and engagement through several mechanisms, including participating in local networks and partnership projects, and observing Global Compact principles in regular business operations and activities. The Global Compact itself stresses that it is not a regulatory instrument: "It does not police or enforce the behavior or actions of companies." However, the program does include a Communication on Progress (COP) element, which it calls a "transparency and accountability policy." Participants who do not post annual COPs may be delisted from the Global Compact; as of January 30, 2012, more than 3,000 companies had been delisted. Information on "integrity measures," including failure to comply with COP, is available here. The Global Compact network involves: - "companies, whose actions it seeks to influence;
- "governments,
- "labour,
- "civil society organizations, and
- "The United Nations, the world's only truly global political forum, as an authoritative convener and facilitator."
Organizations must have at least 10 employees to join the Global Compact. Information on Global Compact governance is available here. News Sweeps | Check It Out...
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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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