Story-Telling An Important Skill Set in Corporate / Institutional Sustainability Disclosure and Reporting Corporate managers are becoming very savvy in their practices related to disclosure & structured reporting on the enterprise’s sustainability journey. Data charts are becoming more robust and comparable (year-to-year, impact considering production volume or employee count, etc.) Narratives are more complete, more compelling, more aligned with information that stakeholders are seeking. We at G&A Institute see the results of corporate “journey diaries,” if you will, in our duties as Data Partners for GRI. (Last year we analyzed more than 1200 reports in our research efforts.) As part of our corporate mission we share much of what we learn from our research through our newsletter, blog, research projects, and by other means. And what we learn informs our work with client organizations and our partnerships with key service providers. We do a lot of “connecting” and “conversing.” It’s always good to hear the thoughts of the corporate reporters and what they are doing in their reporting activities. We have conversations with corporate managers several times a week. Along with more savvy reporting we see that corporate managers are becoming more facile at telling the compelling story of the corporate sustainability journey. An example is found in our Top Story – Dan Persica, sustainability communications manager at Domtar Paper, shares his perspective in The Guardian. Headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, Domtar Paper Company LLC is considered North America’s largest manufacturer of uncoated, free sheet paper; the company now makes available “The Paper Trail,” a tool for customers to estimate the “gate-to-gate” impacts of their paper orders. Transparency in practice: Data from the company’s North American pulp & paper mills is factored in to the tool; this includes five environmental factors that are more made transparent in the “Trail”: fiber, GhG emissions, water, renewable energy, waste. There’s many more important lessons shared in the commentary below. Domtar positions itself as “The Sustainable Paper Company” -- As we read Dan’s storytelling, and advice, we’re reminded of the complex roles of major customers: charting their own journey, and through their efforts, helping customers and supply chain partners become more sustainable in their own respective journeys. The corporate leaders in sustainability know this well -- and their sustainability storytelling includes the “how” this is accomplished. There’s also news about The Paper Trail on the company’s web site: https://www.domtar.com/ If you have questions on corporate sustainability reporting, send us an email at: lcoppola@ga-institute.com Top Story of the Week Four steps to elevate your sustainability storytelling
(Thursday - February 05, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - When it comes to corporate transparency, times are changing. Gone are the days when a company could be considered a leader simply by publishing an annual report. Today’s stakeholders want to truly engage with your company’s... Sustainability in Focus Executive Perspective: The seven sins of unsustainable supply chains
(Friday - February 06, 2015)
Source: Reuters - Snowstorms, droughts, flooding and renewed political focus are just some of the factors propelling climate change from an environmental concern into the mainstream. The number of companies moving to build resilience in response.. New UN sustainability agenda needs low-carbon growth to meet goals, Ban tells Delhi summit
(Friday - February 06, 2015)
Source: UN News Centre - Speaking via video message to the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for countries to take a... Top Sustainability Trends for 2015
(Friday - February 06, 2015)
Source: Ethical Corporation - As part of the build up to the 14th Annual Responsible Business Summit we wanted to gauge some of the top priorities for 2015 and beyond. We reached out to our global community to get a snapshot of their key priorities and... Business bosses should speak out against 'anti-sustainability rhetoric'
(Thursday - February 05, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - We need a new generation of business leaders to stand up against dinosaur corporates, argues former chief executive of Kingfisher Ian Cheshire ... Can You Afford Not Being Sustainable? (Part I)
(Thursday - February 05, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - The answer to this question is threefold, and should become evident through the examination of the definition of sustainability, the investigation of global trends (Part II) and through tangible examples (Part III). But, let's... CFOs key to sustainable business: Derek Handley
(Wednesday - February 04, 2015) Associated Profiles : UN - Global Reporting Initiative GRI
Source: Stuff - Less well known, perhaps, are the activities of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which aims to make sustainability reporting universal and is developing new reporting standards to support a broader... Sodexo: 419,317 Reasons to Report on Sustainability
(Wednesday - February 04, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - At Sodexo, every employee counts, and the company aims to engage every employee in the organization’s corporate responsibility efforts. Sodexo is a great example of where the reporting process has become an empowering element of...
In 2015, Companies Address Climate Change through Corporate Sustainability
(Tuesday - February 03, 2015)
Source: Environmental Leader - Eco-sustainability will matter more than ever in 2015; this is the year the US’s leading companies must prove they are finally addressing climate change through corporate sustainability, thanks to two presidents and the Pope. Wal-Mart seeks sustainability opt-in from more suppliers
(Monday - February 02, 2015)
A leader of Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index initiative says the tool gives the company another way to evaluate suppliers and eventually will give consumers an incentive to buy their products... Four Ways to Secure Sustainable Sourcing Networks
(Monday - February 02, 2015) Associated Profiles : CSRwire
Source: CSR Wire - Multinationals like Coca Cola, Interface and others are making public commitments to ramp up their sustainability efforts across the supply chain in response to escalating consumer pressure... Sustainability through disruption
(Monday - February 02, 2015)
Source: Eco Business - Global disruptions such as pollution or financial instability can be an opportunity for leaders to take steps that secure a sustainable future in the long-term, says Simon Zadek, co-director of the UNEP Inquiry into the Design of... ESG Issues & Players Americans are finally taking climate change seriously. Here is why that might not last.
(Friday - February 06, 2015)
Source: The Week - A big new poll has raised some optimism that public opinion on climate change is finally catching up to the science. But the poll is a welcome reflection that more and more people understand the seriousness of the climate threat... The FCC is going to make a proposal that will change the internet for the better
(Tuesday - February 03, 2015)
Source: Business Insider - The FCC plans to unveil a new proposal later this week that will regulate the internet as utility and forbid internet service providers (ISPs) from intentionally slowing down internet traffic, according to reports from The New... Institutional investors demand SRI/ESG mandates
(Tuesday - February 03, 2015)
Source: Funds Europe - US asset managers are receiving more requests for socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, governance (ESG) mandates from institutional clients, according to new research from global analytics firm, Cerulli... 5 Benefits of Harnessing Solar Energy
(Tuesday - February 03, 2015) Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
Source: GroundReport - Get a little creative, and you can save even more. Based on the scientific evidence, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that most of the warming across the planet since 1950... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds Shareholder activism - Why activist investors are good for the public company
(Friday - February 06, 2015)
Source: The Economist - As inventions go, the public company is one of capitalism’s greatest. Initial public offerings promote innovation, by providing an exit route for entrepreneurs; being listed makes a firm open to scrutiny; and ordinary people have... Oil plunge will siphon Gulf petrodollars from global markets
(Friday - February 06, 2015) Associated Profiles : State General Reserve Fund (Oman)
Source: Trade Arabia - The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Qatar Investment Authority and Oman's State General Reserve Fund all declined to comment. Bahrain's Mumtalakat, the Kuwait Investment Authority, Saudi... California Pensions to Recover $320M from S&P
(Wednesday - February 04, 2015) Associated Profiles : California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Source: aiCIO - The California Public Employeesâ Retirement System (CalPERS) and California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) are set to recoup more than $320 million from credit rating agency Standard... Watching the Watchers  National Recycling Coalition
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Established: 1978
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes, recycling, with a focus on cooperation between business, NGOs, and government.
KEY PARTNERS
Works with affiliated groups in 15 states, plus other recycling industry trade groups.
OVERVIEW/MISSION
The National Recycling Coalition states that its mission is “to partner with and facilitate activities between and among non-profit organizations (NGO’s), businesses, trade associations, individuals and government to maintain a prosperous and productive American recycling system that is committed to the conservation of natural resources.”
The vision for NRC links environmental sustainability with waste: “Waste reduction and sound management practices for raw materials in North America lead to an environmentally sustainable economy.” News Sweeps MSU gets recycling bins as part of grant
(Thursday - January 01, 2015) Associated Profiles : National Recycling Coalition
- Daily Independent - Morehead State University has received 25 recycling bins designed specifically for placement in its athletic facilities as part of a national recycling bin grant made possible by Keep America...
Groups taking next step toward merging
(Wednesday - December 31, 2014) Associated Profiles : National Recycling Coalition
- Plastics News - The boards of both the National Recycling Coalition and the Recycling Organizations of North America Inc. are expected to vote before the end of the year on a letter of agreement they have drafted to...
10/13: National recycling award; DuBois named Military Friendly School; Pumpkin festival
(Thursday - December 18, 2014) Associated Profiles : National Recycling Coalition
- Penn State University - National Recycling Coalition names Penn State 'Best of the Best' The National Recycling Coalition presented Penn State with its 2014 Outstanding Higher Education Award as... | Check It Out...
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