Business leaders and managers are being challenged by the rising expectations of stockholders and stakeholder with regard to the corporate performance in the areas of ESG (environmental, social issue and governance) performance. Peers and competitors are increasingly setting the pace for industries and sectors as they create and implement sustainability and corporate responsibility strategies and actions. Who cares about this? Asset owners and asset managers looking at investments through the ESG/Sustainability lens. And third party stakeholders who are setting the pace in ESG research, standard setting (for industries), media, issue advocates…and others watching the corporate sector. Our team is watching the watchers for you. We bring you news, commentary and research in key areas of interest for both investors and asset managers -- and for corporate boards, executives and managers. As Sustainability and ESG frameworks are adopted by more investors, the capital markets are determining winners, laggards and losers. Track the trends, the news, updates, the important developments – makeSustainability HQ™ your headquarters for ESG knowledge management. ESG / Sustainability Proxy Season to Step Up Efforts on Corporate Sustainability Issues
(Source: Greenbiz) NEW YORK, NY— As the 2011 shareholder resolution season kicks into gear, environmental and social sustainability issues will be front and center. Last week, shareholder advocacy group As You Sow introduced a shareholder resolution aimed at cutting packaging waste from consumer packaged goods giants Procter & Gamble and General Mills. Associated Profiles : As You Sow Investors from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) say new policies are needed to reign in drug costs
(Source: ICCR) As the skyrocketing costs of brand name drugs leave millions of Americans skipping doses or abandoning their prescriptions, investors representing 14 faith and health care organizations are petitioning the nation's top pharmaceutical companies to re-examine pricing for commonly used drugs like Lipitor, Plavix and Celebrex in an effort to make them more affordable. The group is citing several benchmarking reports including one from the General Accountability Office this past February that found branded drugs consistently outpacing generics relative to inflation (6.3% vs. 3.8%). ICCR members are asking management for pricing that hews closer to the consumer price index, a strategy they believe is a more accurate reflection of value and a more sustainable policy over the long term. Associated Profiles : ICCR Cost of Wind Power — Kicks Coal’s Butt, Better than Natural Gas (& Could Power Your EV for $0.70/gallon)
(Source: Clean Technica) What’s the cost of wind power? Well, of course, it depends on where you are and who you ask. But I’m going to do my best here to share some reliable information and put it in a useful context for you. Overall, wind costs have dropped significantly in recent years, and while wind is at least cost-competitive with coal and natural gas these days, looking at its true costs indicates it is much cheaper. Associated Profiles : Bloomberg New Energy Finance Food marketing at kids targeted
(Source: Knoxnews.com) WASHINGTON - The government is pressuring food companies to cut back on marketing unhealthful foods to children, releasing guidelines Thursday that could phase out advertisements on television, in stores and on the Internet if companies agree to go along with them. Under the voluntary guidelines, companies would be urged to market foods to children ages 2 through 17 only if they are low in fats, sugars and sodium, and contain specified healthy ingredients. The proposal sets parameters that are stricter than many companies have set for themselves. Associated Profiles : Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Research Report names U.S. cities with foulest, cleanest air
(Source: LA Times) The nation's 25 most smoggy cities improved air quality over the last year, but half the nation's residents still live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to an American Lung Association report released on Wednesday. Weighing the pluses and minuses in U.S. air quality over the past year, the "State of the Air 2011" report concluded that the U.S. Clean Air Act, the federal law aimed at limiting pollution in the nation's skies, is working. Study: Mandatory Sustainability Reporting Improves Behavior
(Source: Business Ethics) Requiring that companies report on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives leads to broad improvement in socially responsible management practices, according to new academic research. A working paper based on the research - The Consequences of Mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting by Ioannis Ioannou of the London Business School and George Serafeim of the Harvard Business School – concludes “that sustainability reporting not only increases transparency but can also change corporate behavior.” Sovereign Wealth Funds Swiss Government Freezes Assets of Gaddafi, Mubarak and Ben Ali
(Source: Ezaga) In a move that would scuttle the financial assets of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi, the Swiss Government has directed its banks to block assets belonging to the dictator and his regime. Often criticized for its approach on foreign assets, the Swiss Government has been taking some stern steps recently to freeze assets belonging to African and Middle East leaders and to ensure that the country is no longer a safe haven for illicit assets. Associated Profiles : Libyan Investment Authority Australia Wealth Fund Dumps Cluster Bomb, Mine Makers on Weapon Ban Treaty
(Source: Bloomberg) Australia’s sovereign wealth fund dumped holdings in mine and cluster bomb makers as the nation prepares to ratify a treaty banning the weapons. The Future Fund, which has A$74.6 billion ($81.7 billion) in assets, this year excluded 10 companies involved in making munitions from its investments, including selling two of its three biggest defense holdings in Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and General Dynamics Corp. (GD), Will Hetherton, a fund spokesman, said in e-mailed comments. Associated Profiles : Future Fund (Australia Qatar confirms pledge to help Spanish economy
(Source: M&C.com) Madrid - Qatar on Tuesday confirmed its pledge to invest in Spain, which is trying to stave off an international bailout. The two countries signed a string of cooperation agreements, including one on increasing mutual investments, Spanish government sources said after Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani met Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid. Associated Profiles : Qatar Investment Authority Research ANALYSIS-Commodities no cure for China's cash problem
(Source: Forexyard.com) You know the feeling, you have $3 trillion in foreign currency burning a hole in your pocket and you are itching to spend. But on what? A mountain of gold, a sea of oil or a pile of paper? So far China has chosen paper, especially in the form of U.S treasury bills. But comments this week by China's central bank chief that the country's foreign exchange reserves exceed reasonable requirements, and local media reports that Beijing was considering setting up investment funds in energy and precious metals, again raise the question about what the country can do with its money. Associated Profiles : State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) Investment Company (China |
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!
_______________________________
Governance & Accountability Institute - Benchmarking Services In-depth profiling and analysis of leaders in Corporate Sustainability. Learn from the Leaders to develop Your Winning Corporate Strategies
For information:
hboerner@ga-institute.com
Tel: 646 – 430 - 8239 _______________________________ 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. _______________________________ 
Navigating the way to
Sustainability... Contents © 2009, 2010, 2011
All Rights Reserved Copyrights for other providers
are noted where appropriate.
Please credit the source if quoted. |
United States Pension Funds In Latest Public Pension Exodus, Chief Investment Officer of CT Scheme Quits
(Source: AI-CIO.com) The political and financial strains on public pension plans in the United States have often pushed top-tier investment managers to seek opportunities elsewhere. In the latest example of a chief investment officer at a public pension leaving for the private sector: The $25 billion Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds (CRPTF) CIO Timothy Corbett has resigned to become CIO and executive vice president of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he will be in charge of the firm's overall investment strategy. The resignation of Corbett will take effect May 20. Associated Profiles : Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds – State Treasurer’s Office, Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (Massachusetts), Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board Profile CalPERS Issues Statement on Pension Plan Assets
(Sourc e: CalPERS) SACRAMENTO, CA – Anne Stausboll, Chief Executive Officer for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), today issued the following statement in response to a national study on public pension assets, released this week by the Pew Center on the States. “The fiscal year 2009 that Pew chose completely missed the great rebound in asset value that pension funds experienced in the past two years. Since March 31, 2009, CalPERS has gained at least 35 percent in market value. Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Commentary Are States' Pensions the Next Crisis?
(Source: The News and Advance) Just as America is finally showing signs of digging out of the financial meltdown and the Great Recession of 2008, there are already warning bells being sounded for the next possible scare: government pension programs. Earlier this week, the Pew Center on the States issued the results of its “fiscal stress test” of the 50 state pension programs, and the results are troubling to say the least. Associated Profiles : Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), State Employee’s Retirement System of Illinois (SERS), California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), California State Teachers’ Retirement System Watching the Watchers  European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies
Headquarters: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Established: 1962
OVERVIEW / MISSION
EFFAS describes its communication platform, by writing that the organization "provides a pan-European platform for the individual member societies aimed at promoting communication and building a network for investment professionals across Europe. The Federation represents the interests of the profession in Europe and is an authoritative counterpart for politicians and EU representatives/ legislative bodies in the fields of professional ethics as well as standards and qualification in investment research, asset and portfolio management, investment advice, etc. EFFAS is a strong partner in the achievement of an integrated European financial market." BACKGROUND
The European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies was established in 1962 and has grown into a professional membership association that encompasses 24 organizations that represent over 14,000 "investment professionals."
News Sweeps German Two-Year Yield Reaches Two-Week High After Inflation Data
(Tuesday - May 03, 2011) Associated Profiles : European Federation of Financial Analyst Societies - German government bonds have handed investors a loss of 1.5 percent this year, according to indexes compiled by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies and Bloomberg, while Treasuries have returned 1.2 ...[more] Treasuries at Almost 6-Week Highs on Fed Buying, Slow Economy
(Tuesday - May 03, 2011) Associated Profiles : European Federation of Financial Analyst Societies - Treasuries have outperformed German government bonds this year, returning 1.2 percent compared with a 1.5 percent loss from German securities, according to indexes compiled by the European Federation of Financial Analysts ... [more] Treasuries Drop as Bin Laden's Death Cuts Demand for Safe Assets
(Monday - May 02, 2011) Associated Profiles : European Federation of Financial Analyst Societies - Treasuries have outperformed German government bonds this year, returning 1.2 percent compared with a 1.5 percent loss from German securities, according to indexes compiled by the European Federation of Financial Analysts ... [more] |
