The Alphabet Soup of ESG / Sustainability / Etc Etc
Again in Focus – is Triple Bottom Line Obsolete? Author John W. Maxwell of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Board of Directors, and W. George Pinnell Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, looks at “Triple Bottom Line” and asks if it it time for this “frame” of reference to be retired. A very thoughtful commentary – and a contribution to the very worthwhile discussion going on about nomenclature for the New Normal (to employ still another frame). Last week at the NASDAQ-hosted event for corporate managers and asset owners, managers & analysts, the topic of nomenclature or frames or terms of reference, or whatever, was front and center. The event, organized by Skytop Strategies in collaboration with G&A Institute and other partnering organizations, was standing-room-only (“SRO”). Not only did every registrant come to the party, the usual percentage for no-show was the percentage for “did-show” over the roster of the registered. ESG / Triple Bottom Line / CR / CSR / CorpGov / SRI / SI / RI …and so forth …were terms of reference and lively discussion for the assembled. One session: How do we get companies and investors to use the same vocabulary? We’ll have more on this landmark meeting in New York City on June 19th for you in the weeks ahead. For now -– we point you to the commentary on Triple Bottom Line -– thoughtful, with case histories on what is occurring in the United Kingdom / EU ... which is an arena a few years ahead of the United States of America in the “frame of reference” discussion. Top Story of the Week Reframing Corporate Sustainability
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - One of the most famous frames related to corporate sustainability is the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line separates the way we think about business into three broad areas: economic, social and environmental. This frame... Sustainability in Focus Why Sustainability Needs to Be Sexy -- And How It Can Be
(Monday - June 15, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - Sexy and sustainability -- two words that go together like fun and root canal. Sustainability is a lot of things, but for most of us, sexy isn't one of them. That needs to change. Guest Comment: The rise of sustainable banking
(Monday - June 15, 2015) Associated Profiles : UN - Principles for Responsible Investing PRI
Source: IFR ASIA - Many financial institutions in OECD countries now adhere voluntarily to sustainability schemes, such as the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. However, the trend is not limited to... Bloomberg Becomes First Company to Report on Sustainability Using SASB Standards
(Monday - June 15, 2015)
Source: Just Means - Bloomberg’s commitment to link market transparency through quality sustainability data with investment performance has led the company to build a dynamic partnership with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). The... Three Sustainability Trends That Have Companies on Their Toes
(Monday - June 15, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - As a hospitality company that happens to have wings, customer expectations lead to our constant innovation. Listening to hundreds of other sustainability-focused leaders gathered at the 2015 Sustainable Brands Conference, some... European Companies Profit from Sustainability - The Minute -text/video
(Tuesday - June 16, 2015)
Source: 3BL Media - European commerce has always accepted a large degree of regulation as part of the cost of doing business, no matter how much of a surtax that might seem to be in a competitive global market. This is especially true in addressing... Four Strategies for Responding to Sustainability-Oriented Competitors
(Tuesday - June 16, 2015)
Source: Knowledge Insead - Employees want to work for them, customers are willing to pay more for their products and investors are eager to become shareholders. “Hybrid social ventures” like Whole Foods, Patagonia, and Honest Tea that combine commerce with... The case for a human-centered sustainability strategy
(Wednesday - June 17, 2015)
Source: Green Biz - The goal of green building is to make the building perform better. Historically this has led to a focus on energy, water and materials, with a heavy emphasis on predicting performance on such things as energy usage but not... Walmart’s Sustainability scorecard: How do you measure up?
(Wednesday - June 17, 2015)
Source: Farm Industry News Blog - Last week Robert Kaplan, director of sustainability for Walmart, announced he was moving on after four years of promoting sustainability at the world’s largest retailer. In his farewell letter, Kaplan outlined some of the... Six things business needs to know about water and sustainability
(Wednesday - June 17, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - While the debate over climate change continues to rage, most people agree that the era of cheap, easy access to water is over. Estimates suggest demand for water will exceed viable resources by 40% by 2030 if we continue business... GRI Plans to Make Sustainability Reporting Available in Real Time
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: Environmental Leader - As part of its updated strategy, called GRI: Empowering Sustainable Decisions, GRI says it will collaborate with leading technology companies to explore ways to make sustainability information more accessible, comparable and...
Four multinationals shifting their business models for sustainability
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: The Guardian - Last year, the CEO of Fortune 250 energy provider NRG wrote a letter to shareholders about the lack of innovation in the energy industry. “There is no Amazon, Apple, Facebook or Google in the American energy industry today,”... Stimulate Sustainability By Closing the Generational Gap
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - No one can deny that there is a need for a big picture. The sustainability movement is still in the process of searching for a clear vision of the future. In order to motivate individuals, groups and corporations to large-scale...
Organic farmers see green both in sustainability and profits
(Friday - June 19, 2015)
Source: AZ Daily Sun - The analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the premium organic farmers can charge for their products makes their operations financially sustainable. ESG Issues & Players The Five Worst Boards of 2015
(Tuesday - June 16, 2015)
Source: the Deal - With the 2015 proxy season drawing to a close and a number of companies dealing with new faces in the boardroom because of activist campaigns, The Deal is already looking forward to 2016 to see which companies might be more... Global Water Shortage: Study Says Third of Aquifers Running Dry
(Wednesday - June 17, 2015)
Source: NBC News - California isn't the only place where water is in short supply. More than a third of the world's groundwater basins are distressed, according to a new study, and climate change and a growing population will only make things...
Double Duty Dollars: Behind The Crazy Idea That Investors Can Make Money And Change The World At The Same Time
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: Forbes - In 2001, after 29 years cultivating Napa’s Silver Oak Cellars and its iconic cabernet sauvignon, Justin and Bonny Meyer sold their 50% stake to partner Ray Duncan for $110 million. With Justin’s health iffy, they hoped it would... The Pope’s Green Theology
(Friday - June 19, 2015)
Source: Wall Street Journal - Let’s cut to the chase: Much of what is in Pope Francis’ encyclical on environmental stewardship, Laudato Si’, poses a major challenge for free-market advocates, those of us who believe that capitalism is a powerful force for... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds Exclusive: Qatar's secretive sovereign fund to restructure, say sources
(Wednesday - June 17, 2015) Associated Profiles : Qatar Investment Authority
Source: Reuters - Qatar Investment Authority, one of the world's most aggressive sovereign wealth funds, will set asset allocation targets for the first time and restructure internal decision-making, sources say, in response to a drop in... Does It Really Matter Exactly When the Fed Raises Rates?
(Thursday - June 18, 2015)
Source: NY Times - If there’s one message that Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve chairwoman, tried to hammer home in her news conference on Wednesday, it is this: Don’t make so much effort to discern the precise timing of the Fed’s decision to raise... Pension tidal wave is about to crash down on taxpayers
(Monday - June 15, 2015) Associated Profiles : Moody's
Source: Washington Examiner - But digging out of pension debt for other states will be far harder because they're so deep in the mire. A 2013 Moody's report ranked the states with the biggest pension debt relative to their... Watching the Watchers As You Sow (AYS) Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Established: 1992
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes: focus on corporate responsibility.
KEY PARTNERS
Collaborates with numerous organizations, including Proxy Impact, Social Investment Forum (SIF), Sustainable Investments Institute (SI2), Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), Trillium Asset Management,Walden Asset Management, and Green Century.
Clients include Domini Social Investments and Calvert Group – two of the largest SRI asset managers and mutual fund companies in the US.
Also – clients and partners include these firms: Disney; McDonald's; Dell; HP; Starbucks; Coca-Cola; Time-Warner; Gap; Home Depot; Staples.
OVERVIEW/MISSION
As You Sow states that its mission is: "To promote corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, grantmaking, and innovative legal strategies."
The organization's vision is "A safe, just, and sustainable world in which environmental health and human rights are central to corporate decision making."
The organization's focus is on: Corporate Responsibility; Sustainability; Human Rights; Health & Safety; Environmental Enforcement; Grantmaking.
As You Sow has been a prominent player in proxy voting and shareholder action for many years. News Sweeps Dissent rises from within at Big Oil
(Wednesday - June 10, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- Sentinel & Enterprise - 1 trillion to its shareholders instead. Attending the company's annual meeting in San Ramon, Calif., and led by "As You Sow," a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting environmental...
Benny Hinn Claims 'Greatest Wealth Transfer in Human History' Is Coming According to Bible Passages; Asks People to Sow Money
(Tuesday - June 09, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- The Christian Post - And as you sow it into the Lord's work, He will get you out of your bondage." He added that he's starting a new preaching tour, where he will visit Dallas, New York, Miami, Tampa, Washington,...
TOP FIVE BLOOMBERG BNA ENERGY AND CLIMATE REPORT STORIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 29
(Tuesday - June 09, 2015) Associated Profiles : As You Sow
- Bloomberg BNA - Supporters such as the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and the As You Sow Foundation say that just having them on the ballot can spur important dialog that can advance their movement. With a... 
These feeds are provided for Accountability-Central in partnership with 3BL Media. 3BL Media distributes press releases, blogs, videos, podcasts, reports, newsletters and more to the growing audience of stakeholders interested in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability. Visit 3BLMedia.com for more.
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Should Public Company Boards Tie ESG Performance Metrics To CEO / C-Suite Compensation & Incentives? NASDAQ OMX Group and CRD Analytics Announce Companies In/Out of the Sustainability Benchmark Sweeping Changes in Corporate Sustainability? Yes – Check Out Sustainable Brands Top 10 As Part of Trust Across America’s “North American Trust Awards” – the new “Hank Boerner Accountability Award” Goes to Intel Disclosure -– It’s All About Materiality So – What is Material in Climate Change? An interesting dialogue is going on… _______________________________
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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 _______________________________
Corporate ESG Performance Factors & SustainabilityHQ Corporate ESG Performance Factors are important to financial analysts, asset owners and managers, and many stakeholders. The ESG framework or approach considers environmental issues and impacts, the company’s positioning and actions on social/societal issues, and important aspects of corporate governance. ESG key performance indicators are considered by investors as proxies for effective governance and management. Increasing numbers of of independent research and financial analysis firms monitor and measure these and advisie investors. The Sustainability HQ™ platform is an important profiling and monitoring resource for the G&A team, and for our clients and subscribers. ESG market players and corporate reputation influencers are profiled and monitored by G&A Institute. In these Highlights we provide some results of our continuous global scanning for ESG, sustainability and corporate responsibility news. The Associated Profiles indicated are in our Sustainability HQ™ platforms. For more information, please email us at info@sustainabilityhq.com
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