Newly Added ESG / Sustainability Profiles* ESG / Sustainability SAM and Dow Jones Indexes announce 2011 results of Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Annual Review
(Source: SAM/Dow Jones) SAM, the Swiss-based investment boutique focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing, and Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced the 2011 results of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) annual review. Following SAM’s comprehensive Corporate Sustainability Assessment, 41 companies will be added to, and 23 firms will be deleted from the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), resulting in a total of 342 components. Associated Profiles : Dow Jones Sustainability Index, SAM Group Global Renewable Capacity Has Now Exceeded Nuclear
(Source: International Business Times) The world has now breached a tipping point of some significance. According to Phyllis Cuttino, Director of the Clean Energy Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Michael Liebreich, CEO of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the worldwide installed capacity of renewable energy has now surpassed that of nuclear power. Writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the pair note that with increased investment in renewable energy over the last year, the world now has more renewable energy capacity in place than nuclear power. Associated Profiles : Bloomberg New Energy Finance Commentary Proxy Access: What Now, With Ban to be Lifted?
(Source: James McRitchie, CorpGov.net) The SEC will not challenge the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 10-1305, which struck down the agency’s rule to make it easier for shareowners to nominate directors to corporate boards. (see SEC Fails to Appeal on Proxy Access, 9/6/2011 and Statement by SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro on Proxy Access Litigation) That leaves Rule 14a-8(i)(8), which wasn’t challenged. I have a few recommendations for the path forward. According to the statement by Schapiro... Packing Heat
(Source: The American Spectator) The theory that human activity is causing potentially catastrophic global warming is not science. It is politics, driven by special interests with ideological, political and economic stakes in the theory. For environmentalists, global warming corresponds with the authoritarian goal at the core of their movement: repeal of the industrial revolution (which President Obama's EPA has begun to implement). For governments, it presents an opportunity to vastly expand their power and control through taxes, regulation and bureaucracy. Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) Research/Reports Ceres Report: Insurers Slow to Recognize Climate Change Threat to Their Business Models and Larger Economy
(Source: Ceres) Only 11 of 88 major insurers surveyed recently have formal policies in place to deal with growing climate change risks, according to a major new report issued today by Ceres. The report was to have been delivered today at a conference of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) that was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. The new report, “Climate Risk Disclosure by Insurers: Evaluating Insurer Responses to the NAIC Climate Disclosure Survey,” analyzes what 88 leading U.S. insurers are saying about climate change in public filings with state insurance commissioners - and the extent to which they’re factoring it into their business models. The report is the first attempt to analyze responses by insurers to a mandatory 2010 survey. The disclosures were filed with insurance regulators in six states: New York, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. Associated Profiles : Ceres Sovereign Wealth Funds Aust Super funds outpace overseas rivals
(Source: Sky News.com) Australia's major institutional superannuation funds grew at more than double the pace of their global peers last year, new research finds. Australian funds under management grew by 26 per cent in 2010 in US dollar terms compared to a global growth rate of 11 per cent, global consultants Towers Watson and US investment newspaper Pension Investments found. Associated Profiles : Future Fund (Australia) France unblocks Libya cash, NTC denies oil deal
(Source: Reuters) France said on Thursday it had U.N. approval to release 1.5 billion euros ($2.16 billion) of Libyan assets to help rebuild the country, and the interim ruling council denied a report of an oil deal with Paris. Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio that with the situation in Libya now stabilising it was time to give the National Transition Council quick access to the funds it needed for civilian requirements and to start reconstruction. Associated Profiles : Libyan Investment Authority Caisse takes flak for U.S. investment
(Source: CTV News) The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is once again under fire for allegedly not doing enough to foster the province’s economic development. Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois has come out swinging against Canada’s largest pension fund manager for lending $211-million to Montreal-based Kruger Products LP to expand a tissue mill in Memphis, Tenn. Associated Profiles : Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec China bought back a lot of assets
(Source: Asia One Business) A consortium that included the Chinese government was the biggest buyer of a 5 per cent stake in China Construction Bank Corp sold last month by Bank of America, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Associated Profiles : Temasek Holdings | 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. _______________________________
Governance & Accountability Institute Services Portfolio: _______________________________  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
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United States Pension Funds NYC’s Liu Keeps $32 Million in Pension Costs Secret as Openness Has Limits
(Source: Bloomberg) New York City Comptroller John Liu, who campaigned for office pledging transparency in his supervision of municipal pensions, won’t provide records on $32 million in “organizational costs” that his biggest fund paid to money managers. The $41.8-billion New York City Employees Retirement System, whose 347,000 members are the most of any U.S. municipal retirement fund, reported $28.8 million in such expenses for private-equity investments and $3.1 million for real estate in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. That’s enough money to pay almost 1,000 retirees their average annual pensions of $33,000. Associated Profiles : New York City Comptroller’s Office: Bureau of Asset Management On Labor Day, Reasons to Protect Pensions of Public Employees
(Source: The California Majority Report) Misguided attacks on the retirement security of working men and women continue as lawmakers race to wrap up another session and California’s revenue picture becomes increasingly bleak. Ideologically and politically driven forces, including the taxpayer-funded and supposedly impassionate Little Hoover Commission, are back to urging politicians to break promises to millions of public employees. They are issuing ominous warnings. Threats of lost jobs, lost services or worse. Associated Profiles : California State Teachers’ Retirement System Commentary It’s only money
(Source: The Chieftain) Former Gov. Bill Ritter has taken a job at Colorado State University-Fort Collins that pays $300,000 a year. The money is not state funds, but rather money run through CSU from two wealthy, liberal foundations. Watching the Watchers  EUROSIF – European Social Investment Forum
Headquarters: Paris, France
Established: 2001
KEY PARTNERS
Vigeo/Avanzi and Morningstar Europe collaborate with Eurosif on the “SRI Funds Service.” OVERVIEW / MISSION
“Eurosif, European Social Investment Forum, was created in 2001 to serve as an umbrella association to cover socially responsible investment issues at the European level.” Eurosif notes that, "The approach to SRI has specific national characteristics linked to the particularities of the structure of financial markets and the legislative and cultural environments of each country. Eurosif takes these factors into account and addresses SRI issues with the European scope in mind.” Forum members are pension funds, financial service providers, academic and research institutions, and NGOs. Members’ collective assets total more than 1 trillion Euros. Eurosif assists members through four activities:
• European Union lobbying;
• Research related to socially responsible investment (SRI);
• Pan-European initiatives; and
• Events.
News Sweeps
Aerospace, defence investors face ESG challenges – Eurosif
(Tuesday - June 28, 2011) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- GLOBAL – Investors in the aerospace and defence (A&D) sectors face a number of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, as new pressures are mounting, according to a report by the European Sustainable ... [more] Environment: Low carbon index aims to galvanise environmental investors
(Thursday - June 09, 2011) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- A 2010 Eurosif survey revealed the European SRI market holds around €5 trillion in assets under management, up 87% from 2007 when it was around €2.7 trillion. “The EIO is ultimately trying to bridge the gap ... Low carbon index aims to galvanise environmental investors
(Monday - June 06, 2011) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- A 2010 Eurosif survey revealed the European SRI market holds around €5tr in assets under management, up 87 per cent from 2007 when it was around €2.7tr. "The EIO is ultimately trying to bridge the gap between ...[more] |
