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 SEC Adopts Rules for Say-on-Pay and Golden Parachute Compensation as Required Under Dodd-Frank Act
(Source: Securities and Exchange Commission) Washington, DC- The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted rules concerning shareholder approval of executive compensation and "golden parachute" compensation arrangements as required under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The SEC's new rules specify that say-on-pay votes required under the Dodd-Frank Act must occur at least once every three years beginning with the first annual shareholders' meeting taking place on or after Jan. 21, 2011. Companies also are required to hold a "frequency" vote at least once every six years in order to allow shareholders to decide how often they would like to be presented with the say-on-pay vote. Following the frequency vote, a company must disclose on an SEC Form 8-K how often it will hold the say-on-pay vote. UN Global Compact expels more than 2,000 companies in enforcement drive
(Source: Responsible Investor) It’s emerged that the United Nations Global Compact has expelled more than 2,000 companies for “repeated failure” to communicate their progress in integrating its sustainability principles into their operations. The Global Compact is a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations with 10 principles covering human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Associated Profiles : UN - Global Compact 100 Percent Renewable Energy Achievable By 2030: Study
(Source: The Huffington Post) Could the world reach a 100 percent renewable energy goal in less than 20 years? New research says we can. A report published in the journal Energy Policy claims that by 2030, the world can achieve 100 percent renewable energy if the proper measures are taken. What exactly are these measures? According to PhysOrg, over 80 percent of our world's energy supply currently comes from fossil fuels. We would need to build approximately four million wind turbines, nearly 2 billion solar photovoltaic systems, and about 90,000 solar power plants. Sovereign Wealth Funds Abu Dhabi wealth fund IPIC puts assets at $48.2 billion
(Source: Middle East Onine) ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), one of the sovereign wealth funds of the oil-rich emirate, said on Tuesday its 2010 investments stood at $48.2 billion. A report released by the fund, which is wholly-owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, said the "value of (its) investment portfolio in 2010 stood at $48.2 billion," according to WAM state news agency. Associated Profiles : Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Sovereign wealth funds must invest more in SMEs – Clinton
(Source: Arabian Business) Sovereign wealth funds in the oil-rich Gulf should pledge a portion of their capital to support local businesses, former US President Bill Clinton has said. Speaking at an event in Riyadh, Clinton said small and medium-sized businesses were key to diversifying the Gulf’s oil-dependent economies and creating jobs for its youth. Associated Profiles : Sanabil al-Saudia - (Has been known as Public Investment Fund), Hassana Investment Company Group strives to shed more light on sovereign funds
(Source: Boston Business Journal) Tufts University’s Fletcher School, State Street Corp. and K&L LLC have partnered on an initiative aimed at creating discussion and providing strategic research — and perhaps policy recommendations — related to sovereign wealth funds. Planned so far as part of the initiative are a series of symposia, webinars and research articles published on The Fletcher School website. Other details of the initiative are evolving and could include a certificate program for sovereign wealth fund managers at the Medford-based Fletcher School. |
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 Five pension funds to outline future
(Source: Columbus Dispatch) For the first time, state lawmakers will hear today how Ohio pension funds plan to restore their long-term stability to what is required by law. And it appears that those in charge of the state's employee retirement systems are hearing the skepticism from lawmakers - and the public - about their benefits. Virtually all will lay out plans to trim their retirement packages, such as requiring police and firefighters to normally work until age 52 instead of the current 48 to be eligible for full retirement. Associated Profiles : Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) House GOP leader says no federal bailout of states
(Source: AP) WASHINGTON — A top House Republican said Monday that the federal government will not bail out fiscally ailing states and said he opposes a proposal that Congress allow states to declare bankruptcy as a way of handling their growing piles of debt. Though there has been little discussion of Washington bailing out states, some congressional Republicans and conservative groups are suggesting that states be allowed to seek protection in federal bankruptcy court, which they are currently barred from doing. Public employee unions, liberal groups and some lawmakers of both parties oppose the bankruptcy idea. Utah pension reform could be model for other states, including California
(Source: Independent Voter Network) California, along with many other states, has unfunded public pension obligations that it hasn't the remotest possibility of being able to meet. A Stanford study last April determined California's unfunded pension liabilities to be $500 billion. That's right, California owes half a trillion dollars and it hasn't a clue where the money will come from. Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Watching the Watchers  GMI – Governance Metrics International
Headquarters: New York City (maintaining offices in Southern California and Portland, Maine of merged The Corporate Library and Audit Integrity).
Established: GMI - 2000
OVERVIEW / MISSION
Company statement: “Our premise is straightforward: companies that emphasize corporate governance and transparency will, over time, generate superior returns and economic performance and lower their cost of capital. The opposite is also true: companies weak in corporate governance and transparency represent increased investment risks and result in a higher cost of capital…”
GMI News Sweeps
How Hugh Hefner is Screwing Playboy Shareholders, and Why They Should Fight Back
(Saturday - January 22, 2011) - Nell Minow, dubbed “queen of good corporate governance” by BusinessWeek, is a member of the board of GovernanceMetrics International (formerly The Corporate ... [more] Jobs Absences Failed to Hinder Apple Rallies: Chart of the Day
(Wednesday - January 19, 2011) - William George, a professor at Harvard University, and Nell Minow, co-founder of the Corporate Library and director of GovernanceMetrics, also speak. ... [more] |
