Top Story of the Week What is Sustainability? If the CEO Asks…
We have many conversations these days with corporate executives who are becoming aware of the topic of corporate sustainability and ask…what is sustainability? It is not about “being green,” although that may be part of the conversation. It is about excellence in management and “a compass to navigate” to a better business model. In the short article (our Top Story), author Christopher Gleadle (“Sustainable Growth Through Sustainable Business”) shares his views on sustainability with readers of Environmental Leader. He and we share the observation that in operations, and in disclosure and reporting, corporate sustainability must be in balance, material, and relevant to the company and its stakeholders. In that way, as author Gleadle notes, companies can develop a more robust business model for the 21st Century (with all of the challenges to come!). This is a nice short piece to share when asked the question…so what is this all about, this corporate sustainability? What Is Sustainability?
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013)
Source: Environmental Leader - Senior executives are typically foresighted and clear-headed in matters that are material to their business, yet are not sufficiently informed as to understand how externalities can effect financial materiality. So, first,... Sustainability in Focus The Sustainability Leadership Opportunity: Are You a ‘Can Do’ Leader?
(Friday - October 25, 2013)
Source: Triple Pundit - The word “sustainability” means a lot of different things to different people. When we talk about global sustainability though, there is a simple definition: find ways to live today that allow all of us to thrive today and... Green Is the New Black: Levi's, Nike Among Marketers Pushing Sustainability
(Thursday - October 24, 2013)
Source: AD Week - Levi’s boasts of designer jeans made out of used plastic bottles. Nike tempts runners with knitted sneakers that it claims cut manufacturing waste by 88 percent. These products may be the tip of a marketing iceberg, as new... 10 steps to developing an industry sustainability program
(Thursday - October 24, 2013)
Source: GreenBiz - One of the top trends in corporate social responsibility and sustainability is industry collaboration. As companies pursue sustainability goals more aggressively, they realize they cannot work in isolation from their economic... Why ?Better? isn?t Good Enough - On the Journey to More Sustainability
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013)
Recently the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a study that used its strongest language yet indicating human behavior is the leading cause of global warming. For most of us who follow... BP crisis highlights value of sustainability research
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013) Associated Profiles :ECOFACT AG
Source: Financial Times - Investors follow usual US shutdown script One exception is Philipp Aeby, managing partner of Ecofactî, a Swiss consultancy that runs an equities data service called RepRisk. RepRisk monitors global... Strategic litigation: the best way to drive corporate sustainability?
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013)
Source: Guardian - Companies often sue one another for competitive reasons – when a rival steals a top employee, for instance, or allegedly infringes on patents. Can litigation also be used to make markets more sustainable? 3 keys to communicate sustainability without the ego
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013)
Source: GreenBiz - Sustainability communications has got harder -- and much more interesting. Gone are the days of preening and crowing about your own performance. All audiences today, from consumers to specialists, expect to receive a "return on... Sustainablity demands of the next generation
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013) Associated Profiles : Clinton Global Initiative
Source: tradearabia.com - Today, the United Nations reports that 870 million people worldwide are undernourished ... women in management or business travel. Skipping a flight when a video-conference will do makes a difference, so every... 'Sustainability': Is it a dirty word?
(Monday - October 21, 2013)
Source: Guardian - Whether it's through overuse or green washing, terms like "eco" and "green" often seem to elicit eye-rolling and sighing from a wide swath of the sustainability community. Distaste for those terms may be about the only thing on... The new standard in making cars: innovating sustainability
(Monday - October 21, 2013)
Source: Business Day Live - Once upon a time, before the great recession, innovation was a value embraced by brands prepared to push the envelope and take risks. The old adage that greater risks mean greater returns was gospel. ESG Issues & Players U.S. Carbon Emissions Lowest Since 1994
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013)
Source: National Journal - U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions dropped again in 2012, says the Energy Information Administration, down 3.8 percent from the year before and the lowest since 1994. The country's energy data-collector pegged emissions at 5.29... Activist Investors Gear Up for 2013 Proxy Season
(Thursday - October 24, 2013) Associated Profiles :Sustainable Investments Institute
Source: Daily Finance - The 2013 proxy-voting season is about to begin, and activist investors are increasingly using the process to advance corporate environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, improvements. The movement to use... The United States of Drought
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013) Associated Profiles : World Resources Institute
Source: iede.co.uk - In the future, 16.7 percent of water supplies in the state are projected to come from agricultural irrigation conservation strategies, according to the 2012 State Water Plan ... as they are less likely to have to... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds NY Comptroller: Wall Street Profits May Slow
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013)
Source: ABC News - Though Wall Street recorded $10.1 billion in profits for the first half of 2013, New York's comptroller said Tuesday that federal budget dithering, higher interest rates and litigation may slow earnings for the last half in a... $760bln Norwegian oil fund considering boosting sustainable investments
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013) Associated Profiles :Government Pension Fund (Thailand)
Source: opalesque.com - The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund of Norway (GPF), could begin investing in renewable energy. The country’s newly-formed minority conservative... Slash and Burn: The War Against California Pensions
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013) Associated Profiles : North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS)
Source: truth-out.org - Benjamin Gamboa doesn’t know John Arnold, but they are linked by a shared concern over the fate of public-employee pensions in California. “I’m proud to have a pension,” the 30-year-old... A view from the front line of impact investing
(Tuesday - October 22, 2013)
Source: GreenBiz - According to a recent article in Forbes, impact investing is gaining momentum but has not yet taken off. If Margot Kane, director of strategic initiatives at Calvert Social Investment Foundation, has her way, impact investing... Watching the Watchers Institute for Food Safety and Health
Headquarters:Summit-Argo, Illinois
Established: 1988 KEY PARTNERS
Illinois Institute of Technology, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food industry partners
OVERVIEW/MISSION
The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) describes itself as “a unique research consortium composed of scientists from the Illinois Institute of Technology, US Food and Drug Administration, and the food industry.” IFSH is also home to IIT’s graduate degree and certificate programs for, respectively, graduate students and food industry scientists and engineers.
BACKGROUND
IFSH's roots date back to 1988 when the Corn Products Refining Co. donated seven buildings to the Illinois Institute of Technology for use as a National Center for Food Safety and Technology. NCFST has been part of IFSH since 2011, when IFSH was formed: IFSH writes that the institute is "strongly positioned to continue this legacy [of NCFST], assisting the nation’s food companies and regulators with practical, authoritative information that supports science-based decision making, especially in light of new requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act." The complex includes labs, a library, a greenhouse, and a pilot plant. News Sweeps The Best of Food Safety in Education
(Thursday - October 24, 2013) Associated Profiles :Institute for Food Safety and Health
- foodsafetynews.com - Mike Doyle is a Regents Professor of Food Microbiology and Director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. He is an active ... and Associate Professor in the School of Family and Consumer... Water wars: Industry association defends bottled water
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013) Associated Profiles :Institute for Food Safety and Health
- Packaging Digest - Moreover, EWG claims that bottled water is less regulated than tap water. classifications: bottled, drinking, artesian, groundwater, distilled, deionized, reverse osmosis, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring... Libya and Iraq: Mirror Images in the Grip of Big Oil
(Wednesday - October 23, 2013) Associated Profiles :Institute for Food Safety and Health
- newamericamedia.org - The U.N. Security Council’s mandate, which authorized NATO’s military operations to “protect civilians” in Libya, was just as specious as the one that allowed the Bush administration... | G&A Announces...
G&A Institute Sustainability Update™
Informative, insightful, thought provoking... The new blog from the Governance & Accountability Institute focusing on the sustainable world evolving daily before our eyes. Read it, absorb it, question it and challenge it. G&A's Sustainability Update™ – insights and perspectives for your sustainable Journey
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G&A's Awards & Recognitions Program
Your corporate sustainability journey may have begun. Or, the journey may be far along, maturing – and the story being told through the GRI sustainability report. Who is taking notice? Who is recognizing the company's reporting effort (the progress report for corporate achievements), and bestowing recognition? Which of the many “best of” lists, and ratings, rankings, scores ,and other third party judgments is your company being included in – where are you positioned in the race to the top?
Learn more About G&A's Awards & Recognitions Program _______________________________ Governance & Accountability Institute Research Reports Learn more @ G&A! _______________________________ 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 atinfo@sustainabilityhq.com
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