Month of May , 2008

Carrier partners with Airbus on ‘second-generation biofuels’

JetBlue doesn’t envision adding corn-based products to its fuel menu.

Instead, the low-cost carrier entered into an alternative fuel partnership with Airbus, Honeywell Aerospace and International Aero Engines to develop alternative jet fuels from renewable biomass sources instead of fuels derived from food products.

Resolution to establish an independent chairman fails to gain a majority  

Exxon Mobil shareholders rejected a resolution, opposed by the company, that would have split the CEO and chairman roles, both held by Rex Tillerson, according to published reports.

First task will be to take stock of service’s greenhouse gas emissions

The U.S. Postal Service put its stamp on a trend: It created the position and named its first corporate vice president of sustainability.

Sam Pulcrano, a 33-year veteran of the service and its director of safety and environmental performance management, takes on the new sustainability role and is charged with coordinating energy and environmental programs throughout the Postal Service.

On his immediate agenda, according to the service, will be completing an inventory of the service’s greenhouse gas emissions and formulating a plan to diminish them.

Justices state federal workers protected from retaliation in age-bias complaints

Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings bolster workers’ protections against retaliation in age discrimination and racial bias cases, respectively, according to published reports.

Nearly one half of Global 2000 companies have no women executive committee members

 Corporate suite turnover continues at a “torrid pace” amid turmoil in financial markets and the risk of worldwide recession, a new study finds. IMD International Search & Consulting’s report found that ncreases in senior management turnover in the 2008 first quarter measured 55 percent for CEOs, 11 percent for CFOs and 10 percent for other C-level management.

Some marketers call for clear definitions, enforcement to curtail unsubstantiated claims

At the Federal Trade Commission, it’s not easy being green. The agency’s Green Guides for years have provided guidance on what sort of environmental claims are permissible.  But words like “sustainable” and “renewable” weren’t commonly thrown around in 1998 amid the last revision.  And few at that juncture had dreamed of “carbon offset” markets or heard of  “carbon neutral” behavior. So while there is general agreement the guides need to be updated, the effort has stirred lots of comment.

Management opposes first resolution in the sector on Sudan genocide

Fidelity Investments finds itself facing the mutual fund industry’s first shareholder resolution campaign, a drive generating a lot of heated rhetoric and investor protests. The Investors Against Genocide campaign asserts that two Chinese oil companies, PetroChina and its parent China National Petroleum Co., by doing business with Sudan, are providing funding that the Sudanese government uses to “conduct genocide in Darfur.”

Firm to tackle independent chair issue later this year

In connection with its IPO in January and public company status, RiskMetrics, the global financial risk-management firm, disclosed details about how it goes about practicing what it preaches in terms of hot-button governance issues. For the most part, except for having one person holding the chair and CEO roles, the company appears to be walking the walk.

Summer CRO Conference June 18 Agenda