Corporate Sustainability Reporting is on the Rise But is the Disclosure Falling Short of Expectations? From the land Down Under comes a brief but interesting commentary about the rise of corporate sustainability reporting, which was once of interest (as the author says) on the fringe of institutional investors’ interest, but now common practice among listed companies.
But is the reporting – the disclosure – the level of transparency – meeting the expectations of stakeholders in terms of quality and consistency? In general, we are told “no.” There are differing motivations among the corporations making disclosures. The focus is on Australian public companies and the practices of major companies in that nation. We could apply the views of author Ronald Slew to companies in other countries, when it comes to discussion of carbon emissions or worker safety or energy sources -- and comparisons year-to-year (progress or not?). (Mr. Slew looked at sustainability reports in the construction industry.) What also caught our attention as we scanned for news this week was that this commentary originated on “The Conversation” web platform, so this week’s Top Story is a “re-broadcast” by Phys.Org, a platform created in 2004 by a group of Australian universities. The Conversation content is read by 2 million readers – 80% from a non-academic or research background and mainly in high income brackets. Phys.Org separately reaches another 1.75 million scientists, researchers and engineers. Both platforms state that a sizable number of readers follow content from outside Australia, where both are based. Which demonstrates the broad reach of web-based publishing platforms aiming specialized and general content at an educated, influential audience interested in such (once) arcane topics as corporate sustainability and related disclosure and reporting. Corporate reporting is attracting attention – and the corporate approaches to such reporting are also examined more now for interested stakeholders. Top Story of the Week Sustainability reporting falling short
(Wednesday - September 24, 2014)
Source: Phys.org - But the quality and consistency of sustainability reporting remains a problem, with some companies distorting their reporting to highlight positive news. Despite the sector being driven by the needs of socially responsible... Featured Report RepRisk releases Special Report on Indigenous Communities
(Thursday - September 25, 2014)
Source: RepRisk - Zurich – RepRisk, the leading provider of business intelligence on environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, has released its latest Special Report on Indigenous Communities and the ESG issues that are impacting these... Sustainability in Focus Reporting supply chain sustainability: a myriad of metrics
(Friday - September 26, 2014)
Source: Guardian - Surveys of corporate disclosure practices consistently find that more than 90% of the world’s largest 250 companies now publicly report on aspects of their sustainability performance. However, improving overall performance...
The Specifier: The Business of Sustainability
(Friday - September 26, 2014) Associated Profiles : Michael Pollan
Source: fesmag.com - In the eight years since Michael Pollan released The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation appeared on-screen, the way we think about food in this country has changed... Stewards of Sustainability
(Friday - September 26, 2014)
Source: Biomass - If this issue of Biomass Magazine asserts anything, it is that the best stewards of natural resources are the people who own them.
Why Millennials Are the World's Best Chance to Make Sustainability the New Normal
(Thursday - September 25, 2014)
Source: Mashable.com - Millennials want to work for purposeful organizations and companies, he added. But with 1.8 billion millennials in the world, it's a difficult task to achieve scale in sustainability. Much of the onus falls on big brands and... Sustainable communities are environmentally friendly
(Wednesday - September 24, 2014)
Source: AZcentral - My last two columns dealt with the vision that many of our general plans have set out to establish: compact, mixed-use developments for which automobiles are only one of the available forms of conveyance. How Walmart aims to spread sustainability, one retailer at a time
(Wednesday - September 24, 2014) Associated Profiles : Sustainability Consortium (TSC)
Source: Green Biz - Mailhes: How did that realization come about' Freeze: In order to address our third sustainability goal, we launched the Sustainability Index in 2009 in conjunction with the Sustainability Consortium... The Quest For Sustainable Value In Growth
(Wednesday - September 24, 2014) Associated Profiles : World Economic Forum
Source: Ventures - For the last two years, particularly at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town in 2013, the emphasis on sustainable growth. Let’s face it, the face of business has... McDonald's: Sustainability is Job #1, #2 and #3 - text/video
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014)
Source: The Poultry Site - McDonald's sustainability efforts focus on verifiable sustainable coffee, fish, fiber, palm oil and beef with "beef being Priority Number One, Two and Three." Mayor Bill de Blasio Pivots Toward a Sustainable New York City
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014)
Source: Huff Post - Nine months into his mayoralty, with over 300,000 climate marchers having massed in Manhattan, and a U.N. climate meeting set to start, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has decided the time is right to renew the city's... Malaysia's 'Smart Villages' and 9 other proven ideas for sustainable development
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014) Associated Profiles : Conservation International
Source: Eurek Alert - Brazil - Hosted by Conservation International-Brazil, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Instituto Pereira Passos The Malaysian Industry-Government... The Unexpected Sustainability of Gen Y
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014)
Source: Huff Post - Gen Y has been accused of being selfish, lazy and bad recyclers--hardly poster children of an environmentally sustainable future. However, enabled by technology and in reaction to their financial challenges, Gen Y is finding all... The bottom line is a sustainability one
(Monday - September 22, 2014) Associated Profiles : FTSE4Good
Source: Financial Times - Other index providers soon followed suit with competitors such as the îFTSE4Goodî series, launched in 2001. While some providers (including MSCI) have the research capability in-house, others use the... ESG Issues & Players Carbon map – which countries are responsible for climate change?
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014)
Source: Guardian (UK) - As heads of state from David Cameron to Barack Obama meet in New York for a UN climate summit hosted by Ban Ki-moon, expectations are high for bold commitments on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Use this interactive, in-depth... C02 emissions from burning fossil fuels surge to highest level in human history
(Monday - September 22, 2014)
Source: The Sydney Morning News - Global greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and cement production surged to a record-breaking 36 billion tons of CO2 last year, pushing emissions to their highest level in human history. Fifty foundations pledge to divest from fossil fuels
(Monday - September 22, 2014)
Source: San Jose Mercury News - Organizers of the growing movement to persuade investors to divest from fossil fuels will announce a major milestone Monday, when more than 50 foundations, institutions and wealthy individuals who control at least $50 billion in... Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds CalSTRS to boost clean energy, tech investment
(Monday - September 22, 2014) Associated Profiles : Investor Network on Climate Risk
Source: Private Equity Hub - CalSTRS is a member of Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk, and is a signatory of a global investor statement, announced yesterday, along with 346 other international investors...
Tsunami of sovereign funds threatens world markets, say investors
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014) Associated Profiles : National Fund [of Kazakhstan]
Source: Opalesque Hedge Fund News - With returns on government bonds at rock-bottom prices, sovereign wealth funds are muscling into stock markets and other higher-yielding assets like real estate at a rate that private investors warn...
Asset Managers Find New Source Of Alpha - Responsible Investing
(Wednesday - September 24, 2014) Associated Profiles : Jantzi-Sustainalytics, Sustainalytics
Source: Institutional Investor - Hedge funds are purely alpha-driven, so obviously the hedge funds that are doing this see real value in this data, says Darragh Gallant, who runs Jantzi-Sustainalytics, the...
Global Investors Think Climate Action And Economic Well-Being Go Great Together
(Tuesday - September 23, 2014) Associated Profiles : Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
Source: Think Progress - Four investor groups concerned with climate change the U.S.-based Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk, the European Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, Australia and New Zealand's Investors Group... Watching the Watchers  Fair Trade Federation
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Established: informally in the late 1970s, then as North American Alternative Trade Association in 1994, becoming the Fair Trade Federation in 1995. KEY PARTNERS
World Fair Trade Organization and other Fair Trade groups. Sponsors include Oxfam and Catholic Relief Services. OVERVIEW/MISSION
The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) calls itself the “trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade movement, building equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creating opportunities to alleviate poverty.” BACKGROUND
The Fair Trade Federation concentrates on assisting companies committed to fair trade. It covers the United States and Canada. News Sweeps
FTF Conference Coming May 1-3 in Raleigh
(Saturday - September 13, 2014) Associated Profiles : Fair Trade Federation
- thenews.coop - Fair Trade Federation is hosting its annual conference in Raleigh, NC, May 1-3. Attendees can engage in Fair Trade business & wholesale products, or simply learn more. Special student pricing...
India's Budget Offers No Surprises For Jewelry Trade
(Sunday - September 07, 2014) Associated Profiles : Fair Trade Federation
- Rapaport Diamonds - RAPAPORT... Members of India’s gem and jewelry trade were relieved that the government didn’t further hike the country’s gold import duty as part of the federal budget for fiscal...
October Is Fair Trade Month
(Sunday - August 24, 2014) Associated Profiles : Fair Trade Federation
- Westhampton Hampton Bays Patch - World Village Fair Trade Market is among one of the hundreds of American Fair Trade Federation business members celebrating "Fair Trade Month." This is a month full of ways to "be...
Jewellery sales take hit on election restrictions
(Saturday - August 23, 2014) Associated Profiles : Fair Trade Federation
- Financial Express - Indiaâs gold imports in April and May could be less than half of arrivals in March, as restrictions on the movement of cash during general elections dent the buying power of consumers, jewellery industry... | 
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