You don't have to tell residents in the northeast USA, where Hurricane Sandy combined its tropical moisture with a deep, cold upper air flow last fall and formed "the perfect storm." Nor do you need to remind people in the American Midwest, where back-to-back snowstorms over the past several weeks followed a warmer-than-normal January. Indeed, our climate is becoming more and more "unusual." Does this impact investors as we approach the 2013 proxy season? Yes, big time. Shareholders are filing resolutions asking companies to disclose physical risks posed by climate change. Although these resolutions (based on sustainability issues) may not always be approved by shareowners, they can still prompt companies to take action to avoid risk to their operations, finances and reputations -- while addressing the growing climate change concerns of their investors. SustainabilityHQ's lead story of the week outlines the dramatic impact climate change is having on the 2013 proxy season. Top Stories of the Week Investors Demand Climate-Risk Disclosure in 2013 Proxies
(Tuesday - February 26, 2013)
Source: Bloomberg - Shareholders are filing resolutions asking companies to disclose physical risks posed by climate change for the first time this proxy season, according to representatives of sustainable investor groups.  Ensure that your Sustainability Report is Included in the GRI Global Database
(Wednesday - February 27, 2013)
Source: Governance & Accountability Institute - Governance & Accountability Institute is issuing a final call for organizations headquartered in the U.S.A., U.K. and The Republic Ireland to submit their sustainability reports published during calendar year 2012. Organizations...
Sustainability in Focus CSR Europe: Driving Corporate Sustainability through Social Innovation
(Wednesday - February 27, 2013)
Source: CSR Wire - Undoubtedly, the ongoing financial instability in the Eurozone remains a serious issue for most European countries. However, the real long-term burning problems are in two areas, which are ultimately more interlinked than what... The Three Economic Principles of Sustainability
(Tuesday - February 26, 2013)
Source: CSRWire - The recent global financial crisis has raised widespread concern for the sustainability of the global economy and much has been written concerning the negative impacts of economic development on natural ecosystems and civil... UN Sustainable Energy Initiative Could Put World On a Path to Climate Targets
(Monday - February 25, 2013)
Source: Science Daily - The UN's Sustainable Energy for All initiative, if successful, could make a significant contribution to the efforts to limit climate change to target levels, according to a new analysis from IIASA and ETH Zurich. Corporations Can No Longer Sleepwalk Towards Sustainability
(Monday - February 25, 2013)
Source: CleanTechnica.com - The forces of sustainable consciousness and resource scarcity are making environmental responsibility a necessity, not just a strategy, for major corporations. It is becoming increasingly difficult to simply re-brand products to... Why sustainability is a team sport
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: GreenBiz - One of the great virtues of market capitalism is that power is widely dispersed -- among consumers, corporate executives, investors and regulators. Lots of people get lots of votes that collectively shape business, and that's... RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones introduce Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: S&P - RobecoSAM, the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, and S&P Dow Jones Indices, the world's largest provider of financial market indices, today announced the launch of the Dow Jones Sustainability... Fossil Fuels and Sustainable Investing
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: Huff Post - The growing student movement focusing on divestment from fossil fuels, along with the work of Bill McKibben and 350.org more broadly, have upped the ante in the debate over climate change. While President Obama has promised to... Overcoming Sustainability Challenges Requires Determination
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: Huffington Post - When any company or organization demonstrates its commitment to running its business in a manner that (1) benefits society (2) improves (or at least mitigates negative impacts on) the environment and is able to do so in a way... ESG Issues & Players The Energy Agenda of the 2013 Proxy Season
(Wednesday - February 27, 2013)
Source: Triple Pundit - You might have not noticed but it is proxy season again. This is the time of the year when shareholder activism gets public attention with investors trying to help companies connect the dots between sustainability, growth... Oxfam reveals global food firms' gaping ethical shortfalls
(Tuesday - February 26, 2013)
Source: Guardian.co.uk - The world's largest food companies are failing to meet ethical standards, a report from Oxfam has warned. None of the leading global brands such as Nestlé, Mars and Coca-Cola were given good overall ratings on their commitments... Climate scientists link global warming to extreme weather
(Tuesday - February 26, 2013)
Source: The Register.co.uk - There has been a healthy debate in the scientific community about the linkage, if any, between the recent spate of extreme weather events and the ongoing increase in global temperatures. Now a group of researchers reports they've... Radioactive waste leaking from tanks at Washington state nuclear site
(Sunday - February 24, 2013) Associated Profiles : UN - Global Reporting Initiative GRI
- The Guardian - Six underground storage tanks at a nuclear facility in Washington state are leaking radioactive waste, but there is no immediate risk to human health, officials say. The newly discovered leaks, at the Hanford... CFSGAM set to measure ESG impact on portfolios
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: Money Management.com - First State Investments will soon measure the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues on its portfolios, says global head of responsible investment Will Oulton. Can Socially Responsible Investment Techniques Be Applied to Financial Firms?
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: Triple Pundit - "Sustainable and Responsible Investing," or "SRI" for short, has been a trend that has gathered momentum over the past few decades, as a portion of the investing community has become more concerned with the ethical aspects of the... 2012 U.S. Coal Exports Reach Record High
(Friday - February 22, 2013) Associated Profiles : World Resources Institute
Source: Think Progress - In 2012 the U.S. exported 114 million metric tons of coal (126 million short tons) â 12 percent more than the previous high set in 1981. The rapid rise of U.S. coal exports exceeded the Department of... | Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Reporting G&A Institute is the Global Reporting
Initiative's (GRI) sole data partner for the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. As the data partner we monitor, analyze and database information on all Sustainability reports issued in these territories. For a list of recently issued Sustainability reports please follow the links below: -- USA -- UK -- Ireland --
_______________________________ Executive Analysis from Governance & Accountability Institute 
_______________________________ 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 platforms. For more information, please email us at info@sustainabilityhq.com
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Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds Politically Motivated Investment Guidelines Making Bad Public Pension Programs Worse
(Wednesday - February 27, 2013) Associated Profiles : California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS)
Source: Reason - California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERSî) reported a dismal 1 percent return for the fiscal year that ended last June, but has since rallied, getting the numbers back up to 13 percent by the... DiNapoli drops Qualcomm lawsuit
(Sunday - February 24, 2013) Associated Profiles : CII, New York State Common Retirement Fund
- Source: New York Post - The New York pension fund and other members of the Council of Institutional Investors sent letters to 430 companies in 2010 asking that they disclose political contributions made with corporate... A Tax That May Change the Trading Game
(Friday - February 22, 2013)
Source: Floyd Norris, NY Times - To the dismay of the United States government — not to mention Wall Street — much of Europe seems poised to begin taxing financial trading as soon as next year. The World's Safest Banks 2012
(Friday - February 22, 2013) Associated Profiles : Qatar Investment Authority
Source: CNBC - Half the bank is owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, and it makes up nearly a fifth of the country's total stock market capitalization. Qatar National Bank is... World's Biggest Fund Blasts Corporate Governance Rules
(Thursday - February 21, 2013) Associated Profiles : Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global (Statens pensjonsfond – Utland) , Norwegian Government Pension Fund - Norway
Source: CNBC - Norway's gigantic $650 billion sovereign wealth fund has just published an important note on what it expects in terms of corporate governance from the companies it invests with. Watching the Watchers  Water Environment Federation
Headquarters: Alexandria, Virginia
Established: 1928 as Federation of Sewage Works Associations
OVERVIEW/MISSION
The Water Environment Federation describes its work by writing that its members, member associations, and staff have a mission to "provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide." BACKGROUND
The Water Environment Federation was founded in 1928 as the Federation of Sewage Works Associations. The organization has had two other names over the years: Federation of Sewage and Industrial Wastes Associations and the Water Pollution Control Federation. As WEF, the organization continues to focus on water treatment and quality. The WEF describes itself as "a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world." Members work in a broad range of water-related positions. WEF itself employs about 100 people
News Sweeps
220 students from across Hudson compete in Jersey Journal's 55th annual Science Fair
(Wednesday - February 27, 2013) Associated Profiles : Water Environment Federation
- New Jersey Online - Some 220 of Hudson Countyâs young scientists competed yesterday for top honors at The Jersey Journal's 55th Annual Hudson County Science Fair, held at Liberty Science Center. Students from across
Synagro donates $5,000 to Conley School
(Friday - February 22, 2013) Associated Profiles : Water Environment Federation
- Daily Midway Driller - The Taft location is Synagro's largest biosolids-composting facility. Last month it earned the Silver Level Recognition for its Biosolids Management Program from the Water Environment... Responsive Design or an App' Why Not Both'
(Thursday - February 21, 2013) Associated Profiles : Water Environment Federation
- associationsnow.com - Sometimes the best answer to a challenge is actually two answers, according to tech professionals at a conference this week exploring how mobile is changing the way associations are engaging with their... 
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.
| Holcim (US) and Aggregate Industries US Celebrates Centennial with Year-Long Community Service Initiative
February 27, 2013
Gone Fishin?: Australis Aquaculture CEO Josh Goldman
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Living Wage: Challenges & Opportunities Ahead
February 27, 2013
Machine to Machine Technologies: Breaking the Barriers of a $1 Trillion Industry
February 27, 2013
FedEx Listed in the Top 10 on the SMI-Wizness Social Media Sustainability Index 2012
February 27, 2013 | For more news and content from 3BL Media, click here. |
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