Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility News from 3BL Media- 21CF and U.S. State Department Host Second-Annual #HiddenNoMore Program, Helping Advance Women Around the World in STEAM Fields 18 January 2019
- 5 Best Practices of Design Thinking Companies Can Use to Ensure Data Privacy 18 January 2019
- Bloomberg, Cox Enterprises, Gap Inc., Salesforce and Workday Close All-New Renewable Energy Aggregation Deal 18 January 2019
- PepsiCo and The Global FoodBanking Network Partnership Delivers More Than 85 Million Servings of Fresh Food to Communities in Need in 2018 18 January 2019
- How DSM is Embracing The Sustainable Development Goals 18 January 2019
Category Archives: Corporate Sustainability
Worker Co-op Model Migrates from Spain to Cleveland
The TakeAway: “The Cleveland Model” borrows from the highly successful Mondragón system of worker-owned cooperatives, adding sustainability practices. On Monday we asked for your thoughts about what the sustainability movement in the US could do to address chronic unemployment and … Continue reading
The Human Side of Sustainability
The TakeAway: Corporate sustainability thrives on authentic, ethical relationship management and communication skills, especially in digital environments. Progress happens when abstract sets of rules and laws meet real world human behavior. Yet all too often, the former gets all the … Continue reading
Who Pays the True Cost of Environmental Damage?
The TakeAway: Institutional investors need to assert their ownership power to offset environmental costs and push for sustainable companies and public policy. Despite the worldwide recession, the economic crisis isn’t the only cause of financial losses affecting innocent bystanders. There’s … Continue reading
Sustainability News Roundup
The TakeAway: This week’s notable news features items on advances in integrated reporting, clean energy, sustainable investing, and women in business Despite the Monday holiday here in the US, it’s been another busy week on the sustainability front. Among the … Continue reading
A New Actor Steps On To The Stage
By Bob Massie, Publisher, The Murninghan Post The TakeAway: A Brazilian Initiative – The Global Sustainability Forum – Signals New Leadership from an Emerging Power Last week in Rio de Janeiro, one of the leaders of international civil society, Oded … Continue reading
Welcome to the USA, GRI!
The TakeAway: The Global Reporting Initiative, with the support of the global Big Four audit firms, launches “Focal Point USA”. Good news for sustainability in the US! Today, the Amsterdam-based Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced that it’s opening an office … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement
Tagged Accounting for Sustainability (A4s), Allen White, Bob Massie, Ceres, Deloitte, Ernst & Young LLP, Ernst Ligteringen, Focal Point USA, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), integrated reporting, International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC), KPMG, Mike Wallace, PwC US, Tellus Institute, The Conference Board, UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)
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Wanted: US Leadership in Sustainability Reporting
The TakeAway: The US played a pioneering role in sustainability reporting, but we currently fall short in advancing it. The US has “the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world,” according to the CIA World Factbook, and traditionally … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability
Tagged Ben & Jerry's, Bob Eccles, Calvert Investments, Carbon Disclosure Project, Ceres, Clark Abt, EIRIS, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Harvard Business School, integrated reporting, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC), Jem Bendell, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Lifeworth, Mike Krzus, signatories, The Conference Board, The Corporate Library, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), Volans
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This Week’s Notable News and Recommended Reading
The TakeAway: We survey developments in fair labor and proxy access, and review Joe Nye’s book on the nature of leadership. After almost three months and more than 60 posts, we at The Murninghan Post realize there’s just too much … Continue reading
Sustainability and Good Governance: A Work In Progress
The TakeAway: Two new reports advance convergence of governance and sustainability, but gaps between formal responsibility and actual performance still need crossing. The rising popularity of the term ESG (environmental, social, and governance) suggests common ground between sustainability and corporate … Continue reading
Power to the People: Mutual Funds and Corporate Reform
The TakeAway: Mutual funds continue to gain power and influence on corporate governance and accountability, which has yet to be fully tapped. Mutual funds are quietly emerging as a key tool for corporate reform, as they bridge populist power and … Continue reading
Corporate Obligation, Sustainable Development, and Human Rights
The TakeAway: A variety of efforts on policy and regulation work to assure a world economy that is more stable, inclusive, and sustainable, despite occasional setbacks. Last week’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit provided a glimpse into how far we’ve … Continue reading
The New Fiduciary: Stewardship and Sensibility
The TakeAway: Changes in financial regulations place new responsibilities on institutional investors, requiring new forms of engagement, education, and behavior. These days, financial and corporate governance reform advocates have concentrated a lot of attention on corporate boards, and for good … Continue reading
State Law, Supply Chains, and the End of Slavery
The TakeAway: Pending California law seeks to end slavery and trafficking in business supply chains, part of a renewed broader trend of state-level action to address global sustainability and social justice issues. When thinking about corporate reform toward sustainability and … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy
Tagged Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET), California, California Catholic Conference, California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010, CalPERS, Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST), Darrel Steinberg, David Schilling, Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), Forest Footprint Disclosure Project, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), human trafficking, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), John Ruggie, Julia Ormond, Julie Tanner, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Responsible Cotton Network, slavery, supply chains, SweatFree Communities, Western Climate Initiative (WCI)
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Climate Skeptics’ Arguments Crushed By Global Bank
The TakeAway: Deutsche Bank powerfully rebuts arguments used by climate deniers, and snubs US for lagging on climate policy and clean energy investments. Climate deniers faced another massive debunking of their flimsy claims in last Tuesday’s release of a white … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, Sustainable Investing
Tagged climate change, sustainability
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NOTABLE PEOPLE: Bob Monks and the Battle to Change Corporate America
The TakeAway: Bob Monks believes new corporate governance reforms fall short, but digital tools can help advance accountability goals. Robert A.G. Monks has a long history of pioneering work on corporate accountability. From his tenure as first Department of Labor … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Investor Governance, Notable People, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing, Web 2.0
Tagged beneficial owners, Bob Monks, CalPERS, Corporate Governance, ERISA, institutional investors, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), interactive technology, LENS, Nell Minow, proxy access, Robert A.G. Monks, Roebuck, Sears, SEC, The Corporate Library, trustee
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Say Hello to AfricaSIF!
The TakeAway: The Africa Sustainable Investment Forum adds a new chapter to the history of using finance for social progress that started in South Africa. Most people think the US-based divestment movement toppled apartheid in South Africa. The reality is … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Sustainable Investing
Tagged AfricaSIF, apartheid, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Development Bank of South Africa, economic sanctions, FIFA World Cup 2010, Ford Foundation, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Graham Sinclair, integrated reporting, Jay Naidoo, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Padraig O'Malley, Responsible Investor, SinCo, South Africa, sustainability, XBRL
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The Greening of Hollywood
The TakeAway: The new Green Production Guide and longstanding Environmental Media Association help Hollywood pursue sustainability. At last night’s Emmys, George Clooney received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for charitable work on behalf of disaster and terrorist victims—including those affected … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Media & Entertainment
Comments Off on The Greening of Hollywood
Fighting the Fury: Climate Change, Natural Disasters, and the Business Response
The TakeAway: Companies and investors need to deal with natural disaster mitigation, resilience, and rebuilding efforts. Five years ago this Sunday, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, where the wounds remain raw. Two years ago, Cyclone Nargis in Burma … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Natural Disasters, Public Policy
Tagged Ceres, China, climate change, Copenhagen Climate Conference, Fritz Institute, Global Reporting Initiative, Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, Isaiah Funds, Munich Re, natural disasters, Pakistan, ProVention, Russia, Swiss Re, UN, Web 2.0
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Make Money by … Saving the World: The Biosphere Economy
The TakeAway: We can flip the equation of economic growth through environmental damage, to global prosperity through ecological healing. Evidence of human assault on our fragile biosphere abounds this year: Pakistani floods and Russian drought and wildfire (all related to … Continue reading
Posted in Biosphere Economy, Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, Natural Disasters, Sustainable Investing
Tagged biodiversity, climate change, ecosystems, F&C Asset Management, International Year of Biodiversity, John Elkington, McKinsey, natural disasters, Pavan Sukhdev, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), Trucost, UNEP Finance Initiative, UNEP Green Economy Initiative, Volans
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The Four E’s of Social Media & Sustainability
The TakeAway: Sustainability Leaders Need to Use Social Media to Exchange, Educate, Engage, and Enhance. Social media has exploded within the past few years to become a fixture in our culture. For example, Facebook’s network has mushroomed to 500 million … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Proxy Voting
Tagged 2degrees, Creative Commons, Facebook, Harvard's CSR Initiative, McDonald's, McKinsey, Nestlé Waters, SAP, Shareowners.org, social media, Timberland, Twitter, user-generated content, Voices of Challenge, wikis
13 Comments
Deadline to Red-Line: GRI Invites Input on Gender, Community, and Human Rights
The TakeAway: We outline proposed changes to GRI’s Gender, Community, and Human Rights reporting guidelines to help you submit comments by 23 August. Consistent with its commitment to continual renewal through multi-stakeholder review, the Global Reporting Initiative is hosting a … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement
Tagged Bastian Buck, Carmen Niethammer, Community, CSR Asia, Elizabeth Umlas, G3 Guidelines, G3.1, gender, GRI, human rights, International Finance Corporation, John Ruggie, Katerine Miles, Mary Robinson, Realizing Rights, UN Global Compact, Universal Declaration on Human Rights, University of Hong Kong, WikiGender
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Cutting in Line: GRI and Integrated Reporting
Commentary by Bill Baue, Editor in Chief, Murninghan Post The TakeAway: GRI’s Embrace of Integrated Reporting May Distract from XBRL and Sustainability Context Last October at the Business for Social Responsibility Conference, Global Reporting Initiative CEO Ernst Ligteringen made an … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Web 2.0
Tagged Accounting for Sustainability (A4s), Aron Cramer, Business for Social Responsibility, Ernst Ligteringen, G20, GAAP, GRI, integrated reporting, International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC), materiality, Prince of Wales, Sustainability Context, taxonomy, XBRL
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Human Rights Due Diligence
The TakeAway: Integrating Human Rights Due Diligence into Risk Management May Help Prevent Future Oil Spills and Market Meltdowns We consider the collapse of the global banking system in 2008 as a financial debacle, and the collapse of the Deepwater … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy
Tagged due diligence, Enterprise Risk Management, Harvard Law School Forum, human rights, Human Rights Impact Assessment, John Ruggie, John Sherman, Oxfam, Poverty Footprint, Protect, Remedy Framework, Respect, SRSG
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Pig Iron and Modern Slavery
The TakeAway: Shareowner Activism Can Help Deter Human Rights Violations A few decades ago, The New Yorker ran a famous cartoon in which a startled gas station attendant, having raised the hood of a fancy car to check the oil, … Continue reading
Reactions to Launch of International Integrated Reporting Committee
The TakeAway: Integrated reporting is a great idea, but there are many implementation challenges. Sustainability guru John Elkington calls integrated reporting (which blends financial reporting with environmental, social and governance reporting) a Holy Grail, the “Second Tiger” of the Transparent … Continue reading
Integrated Reporting: Off to A Strong Start
The TakeAway: International Integrated Reporting Committee Launches to Blend Financial Reporting with Sustainability Reporting Good news for proponents of sustainability reporting: On Tuesday, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Accounting for Sustainability project (A4S) sponsored by the Prince of Wales … Continue reading
Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Public Policy
Tagged A4S, Allen White, Amy Domini, Bob Eccles, Bob Massie, Business for Social Responsibility, Ernst Ligteringen, Global Reporting Initiative, IIRC, integrated reporting, Joan Bavaria, Joan Shapiro, John Elkington, King Committee, Mervyn King, Michael Krzus, sustainability
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Social Materiality: A New Lens for Sustainable Investing
Guest Commentary by Liz Umlas As the concept of ESG – addressing environmental, social, and governance factors in business and investment considerations – gains traction, the focus often seems more firmly on the first and last than on the middle … Continue reading →