New Profiles Added to SHQ - ESG Union of Concerned Scientists - a non-profit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions.
Jantzi-Sustainalytics - a leading global provider of ESG research and analysis, with nearly 20 years of experience in the RI and SRI markets.
The Conference Board - a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest.
Steel Recycling Institute serves as an informational and technical resource for the recycling, life cycle impact and ultimate sustainability of steel, as well as all steel products, including containers, construction and automotive.
National Recycling Coalition's mission is to partner with and facilitate activities between and among 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.
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries calls itself “Voice of the Recycling Industry” – the organization has an active government relations agenda and operates programs for industry standards and alerting law enforcement to theft of metals.
Congressional Recycling Caucus' aim is to educate Senate members and staff on the need for recycling, the benefits of recycling to the U.S. economy and environment, and to support public policies aimed at increasing recycling across the country. New Profiles Added to SHQ - Asset Managers TIAA-CREF (“T-C”) - a leader in helping those in the academic, medical, cultural, governmental and research fields plan for and live in retirement.
State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) - Backed by the strength and stability of the State Street organization,SSgA makes continual investments in our asset management and client service platform, resulting in a client-focused, solutions-driven orientation.
UBS - a global firm providing financial services to private, corporate and institutional clients. US Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Reporting Announcements
Governance & Accountability Institute is the US Data Partner for the Global Reporting Initiative. Here are Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility reports as they are issued in the US:  Crown Demonstrates Commitment to Sustainability with Launch of First Formal Report
(PR Newswire) Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com), a leading supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, today announced the release of its first sustainability report. Titled "Creating an Infinitely Bright Future," the report combines industry and internal data with focused case studies to highlight how the company is addressing the three pillars of sustainability – economic, environmental and social – through its innovations, operations and people.
 Global Impact Releases 2011 Annual Rep
(Global Impact) Global Impact, whose mission is to assure help for the world’s most vulnerable people, released its 2011 Annual Report today, Partnerships: For People, For Impact, For Giving, For Results. The report outlines Global Impact’s sustained effort to meet critical humanitarian needs around the world, and underscores Global Impact’s success in building strategic partnerships and alliances with the corporations, non-governmental organizations and government entities to increase charitable giving and strengthen donor engagement.
 Woolworths Limited (ASX:WOW) publishes Corporate Responsibility Report 2011 (Report Alert)
Woolworths Limited has issued the company’s fourth Corporate Responsibility Report, which outlines the highlights in business performance, responsible retailing, community investment, sustainability and looking after employees. A copy of the report can be found at www.woolworthslimited.com.au
ESG / Sustainability
Nestle ‘sure’ child labour occurs in supply chain as company allows probe
(Confectionery News) Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said that it would almost certainly be the case. Associated Profiles : Fair Labor Association Africa: 'God Wants Us to Live in a Garden, Not a Desert'
(All Africa.com) Durban — The European Union plan to save the Kyoto Protocol may meet its greatest obstacle in the developing world. Abias Huongo, one of Angola's negotiators, says developing country blocs of which it is part - including the Africa and Least Developed Countries groups - are not able yet to express support for a global legally binding deal. Associated Profiles : Union of Concerned Scientists Arab region to face extreme weather events: UN official
(Kuwait Times) The Arab region and the North Africa could witness extreme weather events as a result of the rapid urbanization and climate change, said a UN expert. In an exclusive interview with the Kuwait Times on the sidelines of 19th ASEAN Summit 2011 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General of Disaster Risk Reduction, said many of the countries in the region are already severely affected by water stress, probably one of the most significant issues today. Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) Five questions with GRI
(Corporate Secretary) Mike Wallace helped launch Focal Point USA in October 2010 and now works with various institutions that have committed to the application and development of the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Framework. Here he talks to deputy editor Aarti Maharaj about sustainability performance. Commentary  The Future Of Green Tech, Part II
(Richard Barr –AC/S HQ Featured Commentator) In August I posted The Future Of Green Tech, Part I, and since I know you all have been sitting on the edge of your seats since then waiting for Part II, I decided my wonderful extended summer vacation just had to end at some point. But seriously, if you read Part I it may have been seen as just one more piece of depressing news. Now, I’m here to cheer you up. I’ll repeat part of the introduction for those of you who are reading this without having seen Part II -- but if you have the time, by all means, check it out.
Sovereign Wealth Funds
Britain 'would welcome' China investment in infrastructure
(MSN News) Britain said on Monday it would welcome investment by China's $400 billion sovereign wealth fund in infrastructure projects, saying it would represent a "very significant boost" to the ailing economy. Ministers are expected to detail a 30 billion ($46.7 billion, 34.9 billion euros) programme of investment in roads, railways and high-speed broadband on Tuesday as part of a package of measures to try to boost stalled growth. Associated Profiles : China Investment Corporation Federal judge orders class-action status against Countrywide
(Thomson Reuters) A federal judge in California signed an order on Monday granting class-action status to retirement funds suing Countrywide Financial Corp for deceptive practices. The order, signed by U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer in the Central District of California, certified a class consisting of several state retirement funds that bought mortgage-backed securities sold by Countrywide entities before Jan. 14, 2010. Associated Profiles : Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) China's Forex Purchases Fall for 1st Time in 4 Years
(Business China) China's funds outstanding for foreign exchange (FOFE) fell in October, the first time since 2007, down RMB 24.89 billion ($3.9 billion) from September, the People’s Bank of China, or central bank, said on Monday. Prior to the decline, the central bank bought RMB 376.94 billion worth of foreign exchange from commercial banks in August and RMB 247.26 billion in September. Associated Profiles : State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) Investment Company (China) | Corporate ESG Performance Factors are important to financial analysts, asset owners and managers, and many stakeholders. The ESG framework or approach considers environmental and energy issues and impacts, the company’s positioning and actions on social/societal issues, and corporate governance. ESG key performance indicators are also considered proxies for effective governance and management of corporations by investors. Dozens of independent research and financial analysis firms are monitoring and measuring these and advising investors. The Sustainability HQ™ platform is an important profiling and monitoring resource for the G&A team, and for our clients and subscribers. Many of the ESG market players and corporate reputation influencers are profiled by G&A Institute. In these Highlights we offer a few of the results of our continuous global scanning for ESG, sustainability and corporate responsibility news, commentary and research from thousands of global sources. The Associated Profiles indicated are contained in our platforms. For more information, email us atinfo@sustainabilityhq.com. _______________________________
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 Make SustainabilityHQ™ your daily headquarters for important news, commentary and research results – your HQs for Sustainability and ESG knowledge management. The key capital market players focused on Sustainability and ESG (environmental management, social issues and effective corporate governance) are profiled with an abundance of relevant information. Updates are continuous. The third party organizations helping to shape corporate valuations and corporate reputations are profiled and news about these players is updated every day. Log in and check it out! _______________________________
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Strategic Governance - Enabling Financial, Environmental, and Social Sustainability
A new book by Hank Boerner and Mark Sickles of the Governance & Accountability Institute. Click here for more information. _______________________________ For more on: ESG & Sustainability Players
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Asset Managers Questions and answers about Europe's debt crisis
(CBS News) European finance officials who met Tuesday in Brussels were trying to save their common currency and prevent a meltdown that could tip the global economy into recession. The debt crisis that began in Greece is threatening to overwhelm much bigger economies in Spain, Italy and even France. Associated Profiles : UBS U.S. 30-Year Yield Below German Bond for First Time Since 2009
(SF Chronicle) Yields on U.S. 30-year bonds dropped below those on similar maturity German government securities for the first time since May 2009 as European officials struggle to contain the region's sovereign-debt crisis. Associated Profiles : Credit Suisse Group AG Wall Street Unoccupied With 200,000 Job Cuts
(Bloomberg) John Brady, co-head of MF Global Inc.’s Chicago office, was having a vodka cocktail at the Ritz- Carlton in Naples, Florida, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, on the day his company reported its largest-ever quarterly loss. “Wow, the sun just set,” Brady said to his wife and two colleagues attending a conference with him, he recalled in an interview. “I hope it doesn’t set on MF Global.” Associated Profiles : UBS US Pension Funds La. State Employees Retirement System wants to reduce pension system contribution by $40M
(The Republic) The Louisiana State Employees Retirement System wants a change in state law that will reduce state government's pension system contribution by $40 million. LASERS Deputy Director Maris LeBlanc said Monday that the system's board of trustees will ask the Louisiana Legislature to change the calculation method that determines employer payments. Associated Profiles : Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (LASERS) Pension fund remains strong in midst of sluggish economy
(Empire State News) The New York State Common Retirement Fund was valued at $133.8 billion after Fund investments posted an estimated negative 7.48 percent rate of return through September 30, 2011, the end of the Fund’s second fiscal quarter, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Associated Profiles : New York State Common Retirement Fund Pensions Resist Accounting Rules That Would Magnify Liability
(Bloomberg) U.S. public pension systems, facing as much as $3 trillion in unfunded promises to current and future retirees, are resisting proposed new standards that might double their funding deficits. Investment losses in 2008 and 2009 left state and local pensions with $3.6 trillion in unfunded obligations, according to an October 2010 study by Joshua Rauh of Northwestern University and Robert Novy-Marx of the University of Rochester. By last month, states had 74.6 percent of assets needed to fulfill obligations, down from 82.8 percent in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Associated Profiles : Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Watching the Watchers  World Water Council
Headquarters: Marseille, France
Established: 1996 KEY PARTNERS
Include Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the United Nations, French government ministries. OVERVIEW/MISSION
The World Water Council defines its mission as: "to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, including the highest decision-making level, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on earth." WWC calls itself an “international multi-stakeholder platform” and stresses its ability to enable those stakeholders to debate issues related to water and participate in activities including the World Water Forum. The World Water Council receives financial and other support from memberships and the city of Marseille, where the Council is based. World Water Council News Sweeps Daegu to Host 2015 World Water Forum
(Wednesday - November 16, 2011) - The Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday said the decision was made at the World Water Council in Rome earlier this week. Held every three years, the World Water Forum brings together ... Korea's 4th Largest City Daegu Named Host of 2015 World Water Forum
(Wednesday - November 16, 2011) - Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs announced on Tuesday that the decision was made at the World Water Council in Rome, Italy earlier this week. Held every three years the World Water Forum ... Is there room for all of us'
(Monday - October 31, 2011) - The World Water Council, an international think tank with members as diverse as private sector corporations, academic institutions and financial institutions, has set as a goal that by 2015, half the population ... [more] |
