Top Story of the Week Our top story this week is a look at the key issues in the coming corporate proxy season, as a powerful coalition of investors focus on companies and their public policy advocacy and stance on climate change. Gathering large investment interests in the coalition focused on climate change issues, the “Raising the Bar” campaign is targeting companies for engagement including ExxonMobil, AEP, Chevron, Conoco, and other firms. The expectation: That corporate boards will examine the activities related to public policy advocacy. That is, lobbying, directly and through surrogates such as the US Chamber of Commerce and other groups. Because of “alarming scientific evidence” of the economic and environmental impacts of climate change, the coalition investors are concerned about the impact on their investment in the companies. This is a muscular coalition – members include New York State Common Fund (the public retirement system) and the Treasurer’s Office of Connecticut, plus foundations and faith-based institutions. For 20 years now, sustainable and responsible investors have focused on climate change. The “Raising the Bar” campaign expands the dialogue and presents “expectations” of the investors to the companies in focus. This is an important story to read as the 2014 proxy season gets underway. Investors Raise New Set of Issues with Companies About Public Policy and Climate
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014)
Source: Walden Asset Management - Investors have engaged companies for over 20 years about climate change but this year there is a new set of shareholder resolutions challenging companies to evaluate their public policy advocacy specifically related to climate... Sustainability in Focus Let's be honest: real sustainability may not make business sense
(Thursday - January 09, 2014)
Source: The Guardian - Considerations such as 'what do you really care about' and 'who do you serve' should be drivers of sustainability, not profit... Sustainability Execs Should Look to ‘Mavericks and Outsiders’
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014)
Source: Environmental Leader - Corporate sustainability professionals should reach out to “mavericks and outsiders” to find fixes to key sustainability challenges in 2014 such as food security, climate change and resource constraints, according to a Guardian... McDonald’s looks to use sustainable beef by 2016
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014)
Source: Restaurant News - McDonald’s Corp. says it will attempt to purchase “verified sustainable” beef for its restaurants by 2016, according to a new “Beef Sustainability” page on its website... Microsoft's sustainability predictions for 2014
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014)
Source: GreenBiz - 2013 was a busy year for sustainability activities: More companies purchased more green energy, we saw advances in wind and solar penetration and efficiency, "natural capital" became a better defined and more prominent phrase... Investors increasingly aware of sustainability in emerging markets
(Tuesday - January 07, 2014) Associated Profiles : Jantzi-Sustainalytics, Sustainalytics
Source: Blue & Green Tomorrow - Responsible investors are increasingly investigating and using their power to encourage sustainability in emerging markets â developing countries whose economies are progressing quickly... Why Sustainability Needs A Balanced Approach
(Tuesday - January 07, 2014)
Source: Forbes - As the global economy continues its slow recovery, business leaders have been turning their attention away from fire-fighting to deciding how to develop their organizations over the medium and long term, on an increasingly global... Balancing Good News and Bad News in Sustainability Reporting
(Tuesday - January 07, 2014)
Source: Triple Pundit - What makes you read a sustainability report and come away thinking: “This company is really honest?” How many times has that happened to you in recent years? (assuming you have read a few sustainability reports). The Openness and... Corporate sustainability is too important to be left to corporates
(Monday - January 06, 2014)
Source: Guardian - Oliver Balch reflects on another year of the usual sustainability suspects and predicts 2014 will be the year of fresh thinking from mavericks and outsiders... 7 Sustainability Trends In India For 2014
(Monday - January 06, 2014)
Source: Clean Technica - As we all bid adieu to a year in which turbulence was the only stable (and ‘sustainable’) phenomenon, we foresee the following 7 key sustainability headlines holding center stage in the year ahead... Seven Sustainability Trends for 2014
(Monday - January 06, 2014)
Source: BusinessGreem.com - Trying to second guess what will be the key sustainability themes of the New Year is always dangerous. For me it is also risky as we will be taking decisions at Global Action Plan which will have implications on how effective we... ESG Issues & Players Activist shareholders' top priorities for 2014
(Thursday - January 09, 2014)
Source: CNN Money/Fortune - Many of us free ride on actions taken by active, long-term shareholders. These unsung heroes goad managers and boards to reach better decisions, make available desirable employment opportunities and, overall, push them to act... Record cold doesn't disprove global warming
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014) Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
Source: CNN - Global warming is one such larger cause. Of course, the cold snap which the current jet distortions have brought us doesn't contradict the fact of warming. It's the exception that proves the rule. This is the coldest... EPA to Publish Reproposed Carbon Limits for New Power Plants
(Wednesday - January 08, 2014)
Source: Bloomberg - The Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to publish reproposed carbon dioxide limits for new power plants on Jan. 8, setting separate standards for coal-fired and natural gas-fired generating units. EPA announced the... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds Great Expectations - Market Structure Map
(Thursday - January 09, 2014)
Source: Tim Quast, president, ModernNetworks IR LLC - Happy New Year! Hope you spent the two-week break from these pages joyfully. We’ve descended this week from the high Denver backbone of the continent to visit west in Santa Monica and sponsor NIRI’s Fundamentals of IR program.... Investment lessons from a sovereign wealth fund
(Monday - January 06, 2014) Associated Profiles : Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)
Source: opalesque.com - the sovereign wealth fund is known for its well structured investing mandate and responsible management of the government's money ... No Barbarians at the Gate; Instead, a Force for Change
(Tuesday - January 07, 2014) Associated Profiles : California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Source: Dealbook – It’s no longer an insult to be called an activist investor ... institutional investors to help them make informed decisions on corporate governance. You can win with persuasion and ideas, Mr. Taxin... Watching the Watchers  Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
Headquarters: Ventura, California
Established: March 1, 2011
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes, a focus on environmental and social issues connected with the apparel industry.
KEY PARTNERS
The Sustainability Consortium. The Outdoor Industry Association and Nike have offered expertise. Sustainable Apparel Coalition is a membership organization.
OVERVIEW/MISSION
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition says its vision is: "An apparel industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm and has a positive impact on the people and communities associated with its activities." The SAC stresses that its work is a collaborative effort that it sees leading its industry.
BACKGROUND
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition was officially launched on March 1, 2011, to "successfully frame a pre-competitive, universal index to measure and benchmark sustainable practices and products for use by the entire apparel and footwear sector." The New York Times provided visibility to the launch.
Members initiated the coalition's founding and support its work through annual dues. NEWS SWEEPS
SAC unveils updated version of the Higg Index
(Saturday - December 14, 2013) Associated Profiles : Sustainable Apparel Coalition
- Fibre2Fashion - This latest iteration brings the Index to an online platform developed by Schneider Electric, adding the ability to share users' sustainability data, increase accuracy and add measurability for new materials and...
Company that cleans laundry with plastic beads joins sustainability group
(Friday - December 13, 2013) Associated Profiles : Sustainable Apparel Coalition
- Plastics News - Sheffield, England-based Xeros Ltd. has developed a method for cleaning clothes that largely replaces water with polymer beads. According to the company, its washing machines use 70 percent less water, 50 percent... Supply chain tool for Gap, H&M, Levi's gets a makeover
(Friday - December 13, 2013) Associated Profiles : Sustainable Apparel Coalition
- GreenBiz - into a dynamic Web portal. The Higg Index is used by the coalition's members to measure metrics such as energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, chemicals policies, waste management and labor... | Check It Out...
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