VW – Expanding Troubles in Media Spotlight
What About Its Cultivated “Responsibility Profile?” A significant number of large, global industrial companies have been carefully cultivating a public image of being responsible in ESG performance (environmental, social, governance). VW is among those enterprises marketing to consumers and businesses worldwide (in both developing and more developed economies) that publish sustainability reports that chronicle their ESG progress and achievements. But – what if the information is misleading, inaccurate, or worse, utterly untrue? What if data sets and narrative are incomplete, and doesn’t tell the whole story of the company’s responsibility journey? Or really undermines investment in the journey itself? In order for this critical ESG strategy & performance information to be decision useful for important stakeholders, it must be accurate and reliable. When the management of a company makes decisions utilizing ESG data to allocate resources, can they depend on the accuracy of the information? When a public employee pension fund invests on behalf of its beneficiaries utilizing ESG disclosures as a part of their due diligence, can they all rely on the data being accurate -- or will they lose part of assets that are important to beneficiaries ‘retirement because of a serious omission or inaccurate or false data? A growing body of research and evidence argue that sustainability data is in fact "material" to investors as well as other stakeholders, and make the case that this type of ESG-related information should be measured, managed, and disclosed with the same rigor and professionalism that financial data is disclosed. Top Story of the Week VW Sustainability Reports May Have Hinted at Problems
(Saturday - October 17, 2015)
Source: Bloomberg BNA - Research suggests there may have been hints of the still-unfolding diesel emissions scandal at Volkswagen AG hidden in corporate sustainability reports.... “It's definitely something that’s going to be looked at as a case study for years and years to come around sustainability,” Louis Coppola, executive vice president and head of information technology at the Governance & AccountabilityInstitute, told Bloomberg BNA.... “We’ve seen time and time again that self-regulation and voluntary reporting of this type of information is better than nothing, but it’s not good enough,” Coppola said, adding that VW's reports are proof that in order for sustainability data to be trustworthy, it needs to be accurate.
Sustainability in Focus
Meet 5 Companies Making Sustainability Sexy
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - When you talk to people about sustainability, do their eyes glaze over? Do they fall silent and listen to you ramble on … their mind wandering and wondering when you’re going to shut up. Mainstreaming Sustainability: Business Imperatives for Making Sustainability Matter
(Wednesday - October 14, 2015)
Source: Huff Post - One of the toughest things I've had to consider is whether sustainability really matters to companies in a fundamental way. Not too long ago, an executive I very much respect, advised me not to develop a career in sustainability... Tracking sustainability across global value chains
(Wednesday - October 14, 2015)
Source: ICTSD - Following the adoption of the UN “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” governments, international institutions, and stakeholders the world over are now turning their attention to implementation. Achieving the ambitious to-do... Companies pushed to go green find sustainability pays off - text/audio
(Wednesday - October 14, 2015)
Source: MPR - 3M and the environmental group ForestEthics were at loggerheads for years over 3M's use of clear-cut, old-growth logging to get paper for Post-it notes and other products.
Collaborator in Chief: How sustainability leaders are made
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: Greenbiz - In developing the book, Schein interviewed 75 executives — 54 of them in senior-level sustainability positions at multinational companies — about their relationship to the natural world. He heard about what early experiences... Sustainability Has Entered the Political Mainstream
(Wednesday - October 14, 2015)
Source: Huff Post Green - Since 2005, New York City has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 19 percent, and is the largest city in the world committed to reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050. Earlier this year, New York [State] set an aggressive target... Report: Food Companies Gaining Ground on Product Sustainability
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: Sustainable Brands - In the second Pure Strategies review of product sustainability programs, there was an increase of food companies building their efforts and using environmental and social considerations to inform business decisions across the... The Numbers Are (Finally) Making Sense on Sustainability. Here's Why.
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: Bisnow.com - We’re entering a new era in sustainability, according to Vidaris senior principal Robert LiMandri. It’s no longer a question of whether it’s worth it to build and retrofit greener buildings. The real question now, he says, is how... Shareholders Achieve Major Corporate Sustainability Improvements
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: 3BL Media - Following another record-breaking season for climate-related shareholder resolutions and company engagements, the sustainability advocacy nonprofit group Ceres today released a report on the implementation of corporate... Why Startups Are Not Interested in Sustainability
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: Triple Pundit - The majority of startups on the demo day focused on topics that have nothing to do with sustainability issues, from creating better marketing tools, automating processes and creating online marketplaces to improving shopping... A Shared Vision for Sustainability
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: The Current - They’re smaller, cheaper and more efficient. They lend themselves well to the diversification of energy sources as well the easy integration of renewables. They’re known as microgrids, and they are increasingly being seen as the... ESG Issues & Players Rising seas to displace millions of Americans if warming unchecked
(Wednesday - October 14, 2015)
Source: Reuters - Millions of people in the United States could be forced to abandon their homes if planet-warming emissions continue unabated through 2100, pushing global sea levels up by more than 14 feet (4.2 metres), researchers said. Oil prices will rebound much faster than market is predicting, Barclays says
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: MarketWatch - Oil prices are likely to jump much faster than the market currently expects, in order to meet expected demand by the end of the decade, according to Barclays’s analysts. Good corporate governance can improve a company's bottom line
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: The Telegraph - As we digest the fallout of yet another big corporate scandal, there are plenty of people left wondering, once again, why there isn’t a better way of doing business. There is. It’s called the B Corporation movement and it arrived... What Scares Americans: Going Broke, Terrorism and Sometimes Zombies
(Friday - October 16, 2015)
Source: ABC News - The survey of America's Top Fears 2015, released by Chapman University, reveals that people are generally afraid of some expected events, including terrorism, bio warfare and identity theft, as well as some more obscure options... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds,
Sovereign Wealth Funds US Public Sector Pensions: Understanding The Risk
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: ValueWalk - The high cost of retiree pensions is putting stress on city and state budgets. Most municipalities will absorb the expense, but some won’t. We’ll see increased market volatility and rating downgrades and, possibly, defaults. Socially Responsible Retirement Investing
(Thursday - October 15, 2015)
Source: Main Street - Data from Calvert Investments shows 87% of retirement savers say they "want investment options that align with their values," and 82% say they want socially responsible investments offered to them in their employer-sponsored... Can Russia Save Itself From The Crisis'
(Friday - October 16, 2015) Associated Profiles : National Wealth Fund
Source: Value Walk - Federal intervention would require the Kremlin to drain much of its $541 billion in reserves, which is spread throughout its currency reserves, the National Wealth Fund and the National Reserve Fund. So far, the... Watching the Watchers Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship Headquarters: Dinuba, CA
Established: 1997
KEY PARTNERS
Collaborates with many types of organizations, including state university branches, water districts, and state agricultural organizations. Funding and support come from such groups as the Almond Board of California and chemical companies, including Bayer CropScience, Dow, DuPont, and Syngenta. OVERVIEW/MISSION
The mission of the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) is to “create and deliver science-based solutions and education to ensure that tools to control pests and grow plants are used in ways that protect people and the environment.” BACKGROUND
The Stewardship is a nonprofit organization, established in 1997 under funding from the Western Plant Health Association. STRUCTURE
The CURES staff and board work with coalitions that unite “stewardship interests” of a broad variety of stakeholders, including academics, environmental groups, government agencies, and representatives of agriculture. News Sweeps
California Department of Pesticide Regulation Names 2012 IPM Innovators
(Wednesday - September 23, 2015) Associated Profiles : Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship
- PCT Magazine - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has named the winners of the 2012 IPM Innovator Awards. Among the recipients was Hearts Pest Management, based in San Diego, which provides... Ag At Large: Growers grade smart sprayer
(Thursday - October 02, 2014) Associated Profiles : Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship
- The Sentinel - Giles and Daniel Downey; Franz J. A. Niederholzer, farm advisor for Sutter and Yuba counties; and Parry Klassen, executive director of the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship. Each...
Northern San Joaquin Valley Farmers Eligible for $2.6 Million to Improve Water Quality and Create Habitat
(Wednesday - October 01, 2014) Associated Profiles : Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship
- Red Orbit - Congress is recognizing an important need of specialty crops farmers in Northern San Joaquin Valley, says Parry Klassen, Executive Director of Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental... | Check It Out...
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