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 Investors Blast 43 Firms for ‘Contradictory’ Climate Stance
(Source: Environmental Leader) AT&T, GE, GM and Ford are among the who’s who of corporate America that has been accused of taking contradictory positions on climate change, in letters by almost two dozen investors and investment groups managing $202 billion in assets. Investors led by Calvert Investment Management and Walden Asset Management sent a letter (pdf) to 43 companies on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), urging them to explain how they reconcile their own greenhouse gas-reduction policies with NAM’s intention to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its powers to regulate GHGs. Associated Profiles : ICCR Semi-Annual Changes to the NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index
(Source: NAZDAQ ) The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and CRD Analytics announced today the results of the semi-annual re-ranking of the NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index (Nasdaq:QCRD), which will become effective prior to market open on Monday, May 23, 2011. The following seven securities will be added to the Index: AngloGold Ashanti Limited (NYSE:AU), Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB), Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE:GG), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT) and Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT). GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Oil in 5 Years
(Source: Bloomberg) Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said Mark M. Little, the global research director for General Electric Co. (GE) “If we can get solar at 15 cents a kilowatt-hour or lower, which I’m hopeful that we will do, you’re going to have a lot of people that are going to want to have solar at home,” Little said yesterday in an interview in Bloomberg’s Washington office. The 2009 average U.S. retail rate per kilowatt-hour for electricity ranges from 6.1 cents in Wyoming to 18.1 cents in Connecticut, according to Energy Information Administration data released in April. Associated Profiles : Bloomberg New Energy Finance Research Kohl's Department Stores Releases First Corporate Sustainability Report
(Source: CSRWire) Kohl's Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) today released the company's first annual corporate sustainability report. As Kohl's continues to implement strategies that deliver on its mission of being a leading environmentally responsible retailer, this report outlines key strategies, important benchmarks and encourages ongoing progress and innovation across the company’s sustainability initiatives. Sovereign Wealth Funds Norway's $525 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund Essentially an Index Fund
(Source: Seeking Alpha) The Statens Pensjonsfond, Norway's sovereign wealth fund, combines the oil profits from its 2/3 stake in Statoil with an aggressive, 60% equities investment strategy. The Pensjonsfund is massive, has a very long investment horizon and is actively managed. Associated Profiles : Norwegian Government Pension Fund (SPF) Qaddafi Reportedly Stashes Billions in Western Institutions
(Source: NY Times) PARIS — Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi has stashed billions of dollars of Libyan oil revenues with financial institutions on Wall Street and in Europe, according to a document made public Thursday by an international advocacy group. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, HSBC Holdings and Société Générale are among the major banks that have helped the strongman to invest some of the Libyan sovereign wealth fund’s $53 billion, according to the document, which was published on the Web by Global Witness. Gulf SWFs to focus on local investments
(Source: KhaleejTimes) DUBAI — The Gulf region’s sovereign wealth funds, or SWFs — which account for 44 per cent of global SWF flows, representing just over $1 trillion — are stepping up their domestic investments in the wake of the Middle East unrest, leading asset management company Invesco said on Monday. Invesco’s latest study suggests geo-political drivers could prompt GCC-based SWFs to shift to more locally-focused investments and balanced-equity investment. Associated Profiles : Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Emirates Investment Authority, Kuwait Investment Authority |
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 Exxon CEO defends natural gas drilling against activists’ warnings
(Source: Dallas Morning News) Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive Rex Tillerson defended natural gas drilling Wednesday and said he expects the company to double its North American production in the next decade. Tillerson acknowledged at the company’s annual shareholder meeting that hydraulic fracturing, a technique used in North Texas and elsewhere on wells, has risks, such as air pollution and water handling. But they aren’t the risk that the public fears — groundwater contamination — and they are risks the industry can handle. Associated Profiles : New York State Common Retirement Fund Gifts to state pension officials are under investigation
(Source: LA Times) California's political watchdog agency has opened an investigation into gifts to state pension officials from private equity fund managers. The state's Fair Political Practices Commission is conducting the investigation, made public Monday, that focuses on executives at the California Public Employees' Retirement System. Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS Liu: NYC Funds Win Support for Political Disclosure
(Source: Press Zoom) NEW YORK, NY – New York City Comptroller John C. Liu announced a victory for NYC pensioners and institutional investors in the effort to increase corporate disclosures of political donations. Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) released vote totals this week that show 53% of votes at its annual shareholder meeting support the New York City Pension Funds’ proposal for transparency on its political contributions. Associated Profiles : New York City Comptroller’s Office: Bureau of Asset Management Watching the Watchers  International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Headquarters: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, with offices in Ottawa, New York, and Geneva, Switzerland
Established: 1990
KEY PARTNERS
Collaborations with numerous organizations, such as Wildlife Conservation Society, Inter Press Service, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development OVERVIEW / MISSION
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) summarizes its work by stating: “IISD is in the business of promoting change towards sustainable development. As a policy research institute dedicated to effective communication of our findings, we engage decision-makers in government, business, NGOs and other sectors in the development and implementation of policies that are simultaneously beneficial to the global economy, the global environment and to social well-being.” News Sweeps Money better spent on flood mitigation than sandbags
(Monday - May 23, 2011) Associated Profiles : International Institute for Sustainable Development - ... show the same kind of leadership where we combine the role of flood planning and mitigation with harvesting co-benefits," says Hank Venema, who heads up the Water Innovation Centre at the International ... [more] Wetlands good flood-fighters
(Saturday - May 21, 2011) Associated Profiles : International Institute for Sustainable Development - ... show the same kind of leadership where we combine the role of flood planning and mitigation with harvesting co-benefits," says Hank Venema, who heads up the Water Innovation Centre at the International ... [more] UN sustainable development talks end in failure
(Monday - May 16, 2011) Associated Profiles : International Institute for Sustainable Development - But a summary produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) shows discussions on chemicals and waste, and on general cross-cutting themes and implementation mechanisms, never reached ... [more] |
