Results Announced for 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices Review This week, the results of the RobecoSAM's annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) were announced. Along with it, we see the flurry of press releases coming from companies announcing their results -- their inclusion in the various DJSI family of indexes or being recognized with the various other highly coveted recognitions (such as the Gold Class, or Sector Leader recognitions, among others). This year the three largest additions to the DJSI World index are: - Bank of America Corp
- Telfonica SA
- BHP Billiton Ltd
The three largest deletions, or companies dropped from the DJSI World Index are: - Cisco Systems Inc
- PepsiCo Inc
- Royal Bank of Canada
This morning on the RobecoSAM 2015 Results Webinar, we learned that the participation of companies in the CSA has been increasing dramatically year over year, with this year being no exception showing an increase of 4%. This year was also the first year that companies which had a Media & Stakeholder Analysts (MSA) case against them in the RepRisk ESG risk monitoring tool received a report which details the way the case was considered in the scoring, and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how negative public media attention can affect the CSA scoring by Robeco. Companies that participated also received their benchmark scorecards last week, which gives a comprehensive view of how they performed on various dimensions of the CSA, and compares their results to their peers and the entire group of participating companies. At G&A, several of the clients we assisted with the CSA increased their scores dramatically, and meetings are underway to discuss their benchmark scorecards. Now we begin the process towards identifying their gaps, deciding on strategies to fill them, and ultimately become a more sustainable enterprise. In addition, our clients are increasingly focused on working with us and their IR teams to engage with investors -- the goal being to cultivate long term, patient, stable, and sustainable investors in their shareholder base. If you'd like to know more about how G&A can assist your organization with the RobecoSAM CSA, and strategically engage with the growing number of investors integrating ESG, please contact Louis Coppola at lcoppola@ga-institute.com to explore this opportunity. Congrats to all the winners, and good luck to all the participants for next year! Top Story of the Week Results Announced for 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices Review
(Thursday - September 10, 2015)
Source: MarketWatch - S&P Dow Jones Indices, one of the world's leading providers of financial market indices, and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, today announced the results of the annual Dow... Mea Culpa & About the Headline
Last week we called your attention to our Top Story, about the Citi Group study that explored the cost of investing – or not investing – in a low carbon economy. The gremlins were at work – or the proof readers were not – because the headline was incorrect. We meant to say: “Do We Invest Up Front Or Not…” Sorry if we caused confusion, dear reader. The Editors.
Sustainability in Focus
BLOG: Why participate in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index?
( September , 2015)
Source: Ethical Performance - There is always a competitive edge to sustainability ratings and rankings and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) is no different, writes André Veneman, Corporate Director for Sustainability & HSE, AkzoNobel. However in the race to earn the highest scores and become an industry leader it is easy to lose track of the real value and purpose of the index.... Integrated fish farming praised for sustainability 'releases significant methane emissions'
(Monday - September 07, 2015)
Source: Phys.org - Integrated fish farming is common in aquaculture and a particular system from southern China combining silk production and aquaculture has been regarded as a prime example of multi-functional agriculture with a 'closed-loop'...
Corporate sustainability: innovation’s next port of call?
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: Information Age - As awareness around the consequences of consuming natural resources grows, businesses must turn to innovation to overcome the mounting challenges in economic, societal and environmental sustainability
Sustainability reporting lacking among world’s largest firms
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: IR Magazine - Reporting of major sustainability indicators by the world’s large listed corporations has slowed, leaving investors ‘in the dark’ when it comes to creating portfolios that take into account environmental and social issues,...
Forests are key to sustainable development
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015) Associated Profiles : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Source: The Jakarta Post - The findings were revealed in the Global Forest Resources Assessment, an effort led by the î??Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that is the result of the most...
WSJ Editorial Calls Consumer Reports a Sustainability ‘Prostitute’
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - A columnist for the Wall Street Journal has taken umbrage with the thumbs-up rating that Consumer Reports gave Tesla last month, accusing the inveterate product reviewer of serving to “prostitute” itself through a top-scoring...
Choose Between Prosperity and Sustainability: Both?
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - We all know that the world must urgently deal with climate change. This is a very real and growing threat to all of us: a global problem that calls for a global solution. Can we solve this problem, while at the same time securing... The Next Big Thing For Entrepreneurs: Sustainability
(Wednesday - September 09, 2015)
Source: Forbes - When looking for leadership on sustainability, and for those who are going to deliver the solutions that are needed, the search typically begins with big businesses like Wal-Mart and Unilever and their leaders. The search tends... Institutional investors, managers team up for infrastructure sustainability benchmark
(Wednesday - September 09, 2015)
Source: P & I - A group of institutional investors has partnered to launch a global sustainability benchmark for infrastructure assets, called GRESB Infrastructure ESG Issues & Players Indian coal-fired power plants ordered to adopt solar
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015) Associated Profiles : Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Source: Power Engineering - The lower price ensures the competitiveness of this power in the wholesale market, thus easing the search for alternative buyers," said Bharat Bhushan Agrawal, a solar analyst for Bloomberg...
How Climate Change is Behind the Surge of Migrants to Europe
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: Time - Even as Europe wrestles over how to absorb the migrant tide, experts warn that the flood is likely to get worse as climate change becomes a driving factor. New studies deepen concerns about a climate-change ‘wild card’
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015)
Source: Washington Post - Two new studies are adding to concerns about one of the most troubling scenarios for future climate change: the possibility that global warming could slow or shut down the Atlantic’s great ocean circulation systems, with dramatic... What Does Aristotle Have to do With Business Ethics?
(Thursday - September 10, 2015)
Source: The Wall Street Journal - Paul J. Voss, an associate professor at Georgia State University and the president of Ethikos, a company that provides ethics and leadership training, talks about what it means to act ethically in business and what history can... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds 3 reasons to still worry about stocks
(Wednesday - September 09, 2015)
Source: USA Today - The Dow Jones industrial average enjoyed a strong rally Tuesday which added 2.4% and took it to 16,492.68. But the repair has a long way to go and the destruction has left serious marks the bulls still cannot explain away, says... WSJ: UAE fund claims US$1.4b payment from 1MDB missing
(Wednesday - September 09, 2015) Associated Profiles : Aabar Investments PJSC
Source: themalaymailonline.com - While the 1MDB financial statements said that it paid US$1.4 billion as collateral, the WSJ said the Auditor-General's draft report on 1MDB said this sum went to IPIC's subsidiary... Pension giant reducing potential reward to reduce risk
(Tuesday - September 08, 2015) Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
Source: Orange County Register - And the Great Recession remains burned into many people's minds. Under its new policy, reported the Los Angeles Times, CalPERS would begin slowly moving more money into... Watching the Watchers Business For Social Responsibility (BSR)
Headquarters: San Francisco, California; with offices in New York City; Washington, DC; São Paulo, Brasil; Paris, France; Hong Kong; Beijing, China; and Guangzhou, China.
Established: 1992 OVERVIEW / MISSION
BSR is a membership organization that states: "Our mission is clear: We work with business to create a just and sustainable world." BACKGROUND
BSR was founded in 1992 as a membership association: BSR began operations with approximately 45 founding members including Ben and Jerry’s, Patagonia, Tom’s of Maine, and The Body Shop. Until the late 1990s, membership consisted of mostly U.S.-based companies, including many small- to medium- cap enterprises. As of October 2012, BSR claims 300 member companies around the world and has seven offices in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. BSR has devoted considerable effort to raising awareness in the business community that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a legitimate topic of attention. BSR also invests considerable time and energy in building bridges between the private sector and the growing NGO sector, and promoting the mutual value of transparency. BSR has conducted long-term projects -- often funded by charitable foundations -- to raise awareness of the growing field of CSR. BSR operates numerous working groups, has broken new ground in addressing labor issues in global supply chains, and has established ties to the global network of CSR intermediary organizations such as Instituto Ethos Brazil and Forum EMPRESA, which works across the Americas. BSR has also funded and facilitated regional and local networks in the U.S. that focus on education and networking. In the late 1990s, large global companies began embracing CSR in greater numbers. Responding to demand from all size companies looking more closely at translating principles into practice, BSR began developing direct services designed to help companies advance their own CSR policies and practices. The organization pursued such opportunities based on a view that engaging with large companies recognized for their CSR innovation held the potential for BSR to achieve its core mission of creating a “more just and sustainable world.” News Sweep
How a green business group is transforming the way utilities sell renewables
(Wednesday - September 09, 2015) Associated Profiles : Business for Social Responsibility
- utilitydive.com - The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Among the corporate partners are some of...
General Mills aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions 28% in 10 years
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015) Associated Profiles : Business for Social Responsibility
- CBC - "They're setting a big audacious goal, which is going to be good for the business long-term," said Eric Olson, senior vice president with Business for Social Responsibility, a nonprofit that works with... General Mills sets ambitious goal for greenhouse gas cuts
(Tuesday - September 01, 2015) Associated Profiles : Business for Social Responsibility
- KRQE News 13 - They're setting a big audacious goal, which is going to be good for the business long-term, said Eric Olson, senior vice president with Business for Social... | **APPLY NOW!**
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