Today's News
NEWS STORY:
SUSTAINABILITY | CORPORATIONS
Companies That Aggressively Pursue Sustainability Are Reaping Benefits
A report from the MIT Sloan Management Review and the Boston Consulting Group finds that while the majority of companies view sustainability as a response to external pressures, some are finding profitability in its practice.
Recent News Headlines
NEWS BRIEF:
CLIMATE CHANGE | CAP-AND-TRADE
Seventh Auction of Carbon Allowances by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Yields $88 Million for Clean Energy Investment
As doubts about passage of federal cap-and-trade legislation grow, total proceeds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auctions increase to more than $582 million.
NEWS BRIEF:
SHAREOWNER RIGHTS | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | LEGISLATION
Draft Financial Reform Bill Includes Provisions for Shareowner Rights
Proposed bill will strengthen corporate governance by providing shareowners with proxy access and annual votes on executive compensation.
NEWS STORY:
SHAREOWNER ACTIVISM | CLIMATE CHANGE | OIL SANDS
Shareowner Activists Request Better Disclosure of Strategic Risks by Oil Sands Developers
Investor group led by Boston Common Asset Management in the US and FairPensions in the UK joins forces to engage with BP and Shell on disclosure of strategic risk mitigation in Canadian oil sands developments.
NEWS BRIEF:
ECONOMIC CRISIS | CREDIT RATING AGENCIES | LAWSUITS
Connecticut AG Sues Rating Agencies for Their Role in Financial Meltdown
Lawsuit charges that Moody's and Standard & Poor's knowingly assigned inflated ratings to investments backed by sub-prime loans in order to earn lucrative fees.
NEWS STORY:
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
Lack of Government Policy, Not Technology, Is Barrier to Climate Change Mitigation
A climate scientist and a business leader join forces to assert the validity of climate science, and recommend the adoption of a market-based cap-and-trade program.
NEWS STORY:
SHAREOWNER ACTIVISM | EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
More Than 60 Companies Voluntarily Adopt Annual Shareowner Votes on Executive Compensation
Companies adopting say-on-pay include many in the financial industries, and all TARP recipients mandated to do so last year; in the absence of legislation or regulations, activist shareowners file more than 70 resolutions on the issue this year.
NEWS BRIEF:
SHAREOWNER ACTIVISM | HUMAN RIGHTS | SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Forced Child Labor Remains Widespread in Cotton Fields of Uzbekistan
A report from the Environmental Justice Foundation finds that up to two million children are forced into working in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields, and recommends that apparel retailers improve monitoring of their supply chains to ensure that forced labor is not a part of them.
NEWS STORY:
SHAREOWNER ACTIVISM | CLIMATE CHANGE
Investors File Record Number of Shareowner Resolutions on Climate Change
Organizations that have filed resolutions addressing oil sands operations, quantitative greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and coal ash waste disposal, express strong support for SEC guidance on climate change disclosure.
NEWS BRIEF:
CLIMATE CHANGE | ENERGY EFFICIENCY | ELECTRONIC WASTE
UNEP Report Describes Urgent Need to Address E-Waste
With growth of e-waste in developing countries expected to multiply by 2020, the report identifies technologies that can increase recycling rates and generate jobs in a low-carbon economy.
NEWS BRIEF:
CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY | INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Vodafone Tops List of Sustainable ICT Companies
Ranking of the largest global information and communication technology companies finds strengths in product innovation and supply chain engagement, but room for improvement in emissions reduction and stakeholder engagement.
NEWS STORY:
SHAREOWNER ACTIVISM | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | POLITICAL SPENDING
Social Investors Brainstorm Responses to Citizens United
Possible actions in response to the Supreme Court decision include voluntary disclosure of corporate political spending, regulatory action by the SEC, and Congressional legislation.
