sustainability

Corporation’s role in mitigating risk to attract investor assets

A great deal of attention has been focused lately on the idea of socially responsible investment (SRI). According to an annual report from the Social Investment Forum, approximately $1 of every nine under professional management in the U.S. is involved in SRI. Assets under management linked to SRI in the U.S. alone reached $2.71 trillion by the end of 2007. This number represents 18 percent growth from since 2005, compared with 3 percent growth across the broader investment universe, according to the same report.

How to attract environmental staff when Western-educated talent looks for new challenges

For decades, U.S. and European corporations have been importing talent--programmers from India, researchers from China, and many other permutations of competence and geography. But in sustainability, Western-trained talent will reverse the tide, as individuals increasingly seek opportunities to work in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries and other developing nations. To win the war for this increasingly valuable human resource, Chief Responsibility Officers (CROs) of multinationals and domestic companies operating in those countries must understand the dynamics of this movement of environmental talent--and they must act strategically to tap into it.

Awards to be presented at CRO Conference Oct. 29 in Chicago

CRO Magazine introduces its first CEO of the Year Awards Nominees 2008 to recognize the achievements of the all-star CEOs in Corporate Responsibility.

With the exception of the Mid Market Award, all 2008 CRO CEO of the Year Awards will be named live at the CRO Conference Oct. 29, 2008, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The Mid Market Award was named at the CRO Conference in San Francisco June 24.

New index tracks alternative energy, water, waste-management businesses

Institutional and retail investors tracking the performance of the global environmental technologies market can access a new tool to benchmark that sector.

FTSE Group introduced its Environmental Opportunities All-Share Index, which includes 450 companies involved in alternative energy, water and waste-management businesses.

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.

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.