Think Big & Bold -- Think Grand Vision: Embrace Sustainability As "Americas Grand Strategy?"
Does the United States of America have a "grand strategy" in this second decade of the 21st Century? Henry Luce, publisher of Time magazine, famously labeled the 20th Century "the American Century," in recognition of the nation’s leadership in world affairs, military power, economic & financial power, cultural dominance, and more. So what is the definition for this new century and what should the nation’s "grand strategy" be (in practical terms)? The exploration of the questions and answered provided by a team of deep thinkers makes for a very fascinating story, and provides policy makers and all of us with a vision of where we might/should be going as the leader of the free world in an often very dangerous neighborhood (Planet Earth). The question was posed by then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who in 2009 was concerned that the USA did not have a grand vision for the future -- not only military, but also industrial, economic, political and more. His subordinates, US Marine Corps Colonel Mark "Puck" Mykleby and US Navy Captain Wayne Porter set out their thoughts in a document -- "The National Strategic Narrative." S-l-o-w-l-y, the narrative made its way around the Pentagon and Washington power circles. National public prominence came as such thought leaders as The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman voiced his favorable comments. Of importance to you, our dear newsletter reader: The #1 national strategic imperative for the 21st Century: Sustainability! Over many months the original team moved on and was joined by other powerful voices. Three authors -- Colonel Mykleby (who with Patrick Doherty co-created Case Western University's Strategic Innovation Lab), and Joel Makower, CEO of Greenbiz, have a new book out that brings the powerful story of the narrative (and its content) to us: "The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America’s Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century" -- published this month by St. Martin’s Press. Notes GreenBiz in it our Top Story this week: The book tells the story of a grand strategy, born within the Pentagon, to recapture America's greatness at home and abroad by elevating sustainability as a strategic imperative. It aligns America's enduring national interests of prosperity and security with a new framework that blurs the lines between domestic and foreign policy by addressing pressing economic, security, political, social and environmental issues at home, and looking at how those issues impact and connect with the global community. The journey of the book from Pentagon conversation to greater public attention -- we might say against the odds -- is in capsule form in the Top Story. Much more is available to us in the new book. What is encouraging is that "sustainability" is seen as a national imperative and the pathway to the future for the USA in the 21st Century. We shouldn’t fail as a People to embrace the vision presented to us by the three authors! Top Story Why sustainability should be America's 'grand strategy'
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - Suddenly, the pieces fit together: a military strategist, a policy strategist and a sustainable business strategist who arrived at a similar vision from different disciplines, perspectives, political leanings, even generations Sustainability in Focus Sustainability agenda gets a huge boost
(Monday - June 06, 2016)
Source: Gulf Times - The world’s environment ministers, gathered at the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), passed far reaching decisions on issues such as marine litter, illegal trade in wildlife, air pollution,...
Supply Chain Visibility Critical for Seeing the True Cost, Sustainability of Our Products
(Monday - June 06, 2016)
Source: Sustainable Brands - As Sustainable Brands marks its 10th anniversary, many of us find ourselves in a reflective mood. We can recall the decade’s pivotal milestones like they were yesterday as we also consider the challenges that lie ahead. Millennial Finance: Breaking New Ground In Sustainability Ratings
(Monday - June 06, 2016)
Source: Forbes - Since the GFC, financial markets have been in the doldrums. Risk seems to lurk everywhere, and yields are shrinking. “Uncertain” and “shrinking” sum up precisely the dilemma for newly minted graduates with MBA and Finance MS... Top brands failing on cotton sustainability
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016)
Source: WWF - The majority of international companies using most cotton globally are failing to deliver on cotton sustainability according to new independent research published today by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK, Solidaridad and WWF. Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Pay Gap is Decreasing
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016)
Source: Blue & Green Tomorrow - The pay gap between men and women working in the corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS) sector is closing and more women are now employed in the top jobs. That’s according to the sixth edition of the Corporate... Goldman Sachs says China's debt poses a 'sustainability risk'
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016)
Source: Business Insider - China's debt has been under calculated and the true extent of the country's leverage "increases our concerns about China's underlying credit problems and ... How The World's First Sustainability Ratings Agency Works
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016)
Source: Forbes - “World’s first” in what sense? Initially I was skeptical when Filippo claimed a “first” in sustainability ratings. He explained: Many agencies or consultants provide ESG research work on behalf of investors, but the opportunity... The 3 C’s of Sustainability and Supply Chain
(Wednesday - June 08, 2016)
Source: Pamela Styles, Principal of Next Level Investor Relations LLC - Supply chain management is a key factor for many companies — growing in sophistication and scrutiny. I recently used AlphaSense to look at supply chain in context with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) / Sustainability,...
How Big Data is driving sustainability
(Wednesday - June 08, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - Big Data allows businesses to analyze large data sets in order to make more informed strategic decisions. Thanks to connected devices and predictive analytics, data is more prevalent than ever, and companies that effectively can... How Marketing Teams Can Appreciate, Apply, Amplify Sustainability Priorities
(Wednesday - June 08, 2016)
Source: Sustainable Brands - It’s no secret that the audience at any Sustainable Brands conference lives and breathes social impact. From CSR strategists to climate change experts to sustainability technicians, our careers are devoted to integrating business... Why Social Media and Sustainability Should Go Hand in Hand
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: Triple Pundit - Over the last decade, we have seen social media and sustainability play an increasingly important role in the way that businesses conduct and talk about themselves. Together they’ve helped push corporations to new levels of... Why sustainability should be America's 'grand strategy'
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - Suddenly, the pieces fit together: a military strategist, a policy strategist and a sustainable business strategist who arrived at a similar vision from different disciplines, perspectives, political leanings, even generations Saving The World With Technology: The Role of Technology In Global Sustainability Efforts
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: Forbes - Large tech companies like Google GOOGL +1.58% are making a push towards developing both environmentally friendly practices and technology-driven sustainability solutions. Increasingly, smaller businesses are following suit. ESG Issues & Players Norway may become the first country to ban sales of gas-powered cars
(Monday - June 06, 2016)
Source: Digital Trends - The drive toward electrified vehicles will come faster and easier for some countries and cultures than others. If legislation pending in Norway is enacted, it will be the first country to mandate the shift from cars with gas... Conservatives don't hate the environment, new research suggests - text/audio
(Monday - June 06, 2016)
Source: PRI - Liberal and conservative disagreement on climate change and the environment reflects the hyper-partisan times we live in. But it doesn't have to be that way, new research suggests. Janet Yellen Speech Indicates Fed Will Rethink Interest-Rate Plans
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016)
Source: New York Times - The Federal Reserve has abandoned hope of raising interest rates at its next meeting in June, but Fed officials say they are still thinking seriously about raising rates in July or September. Dry Taps and Lagoons of Sewage: What America’s Water Crisis Looks Like
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: The Nation - The report documents the impact of rising water costs and inadequate infrastructure, which are putting millions of people at risk for shutoffs, illness, foreclosure, and even of losing their children, as lack of running water can... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds Stocks climb, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average above 18,000
(Thursday - June 09, 2016)
Source: Los Angeles Times - Stocks rose for the third day in a row Wednesday as machinery and mining companies traded higher. Oil prices also continued their rise, and stocks and oil prices are at their highest in almost a year. Sovereign wealth funds throw funding lifeline to tech ventures
(Wednesday - June 08, 2016) Associated Profiles : Kuwait Investment Authority
Source: StreetInsider - Saudi Arabia's $3.5 billion stake in Uber was the largest ever single private investment in a tech company while the Kuwait Investment Authority took the lead this year in a $165 million private equity funding for... More pension funds join chorus opposing GM pay package
(Tuesday - June 07, 2016) Associated Profiles : California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Source: Pensions & Investments - Barra, chairman and CEO, and other top executives at General Motors Co. The C$278.9 billion ($214 billion) Toronto-based CPPIB; $187.4 billion West Sacramento-based CalSTRS and $179.5 billion... Watching the Watchers  Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Headquarters: New York City, USA
Established: 1970-71 – formed by leading church denominations, the National Council of Churches; later became an independent not-for-profit investor coalition.
KEY PARTNERS Trucost
OVERVIEW / MISSION
As stated by ICCR: "Through the lens of faith, ICCR builds a more just and sustainable world by integrating social values into investor actions."
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility writes that its members are "nearly 300 faith-based institutional investors including denominations, religious communities, pension funds, healthcare corporations, foundations, dioceses with combined portfolios worth an estimated $100 billion." ICCR members are in the vanguard of many corporate annual proxy season campaigns, filing and supporting (each other’s) shareholder-sponsored resolutions. ICCR itself does not file resolutions; the organization serves as a gathering point for members and affiliated organizations, and conducts extensive research on issues of interest to the ICCR investment and asset management community. The Coalition states its core values as: - "Faith: We shape our priorities for action through faith.
- "Justice: We challenge ourselves to accountability for right relationships with all creation.
- "Integrity: We are striving to be credible practitioners of the values we set forth.
- "Inclusive: We embrace and promote diversity as we covenant to work together."
BACKGROUND & STRUCTURE
ICCR is an international coalition of institutional investors that is more than 40 years old – today, ICCR is comprised of more than 275 faith-based and institutional investors including:
- religious denominations (American Baptist Churches, United Methodist Church; United Church of Christ Pension Boards; Reformed Church in America, etc.)
- religious communities and orders (Jesuits, Sisters of Mercy, Marianists, etc.)
- employee pension funds (such as New York City’s public employee pension funds)
- healthcare corporations (typically not-for-profit such as Bon Secours Systems)
- SRI mutual funds (many of the major advisory firms are members)
- Endowments
- Foundations (such as Deaconess Foundation)
- and dioceses and local religious bodies
The direct investments (combined portfolios) of the member organizations total around USD$100 billion. ICCR member advocacy influences an estimated $1 trillion of equity investment in capital markets. Note that “affiliated” non-religious members include: - American Federation of Teachers
- New York City Pension Funds – NYC Comptroller and staff
- SRI mutual fund advisors (Calvert, Domini, Pax World Fund)
- And others with an interest in SRI (Jantzi Sustainalytics; Legg Mason; Neuberger Berman; TIAA-CREF; Rockefeller & Co., Inc.)
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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