RSS Feed

Calendar

March 2024
M T W T F S S
« Feb    
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Search

Tag Cloud

Archives

Institutional Investor (March 10)

2023/ 03/ 11 by jd in Global News

“A politicized debate over the use of environmental, social, and governance principles in investing has led more than a dozen states to propose legislation that forces institutional investors to boycott certain companies, or bars the use of ESG factors entirely.” While BlackRock “has drawn the most attention from ESG critics.” Still, the massive asset manager has remained “an outspoken supporter of sustainability” and changed very little in its 2023 investment stewardship plan. BlackRock simply “doesn’t seem fazed, even as legislation and divestments could cause allocators to pull billions of dollars from the firm.”

 

Investment Week (January 12)

2022/ 01/ 14 by jd in Global News

“In response to the Financial Conduct Authority’s discussion paper Sustainability disclosure requirements and investment labels, the Association of Investment Companies proposed that ‘demanding standards’ should be set for any funds that make environmental, sustainable or governance claims.”

 

Investment Week (December 21)

2021/ 12/ 23 by jd in Global News

“The asset and wealth management industry is set to face a busy year of regulation, with the impact of recently passed legislation, including sustainability disclosure requirements and new listings rules, combining with that yet to come, such as long term asset funds. Past decisions will also bring change, as LIBOR also comes to an end this year, with very slim exception, while the spectre of Brexit is far from banished.”

 

Supply Chain Management Review (April 27)

2021/ 04/ 28 by jd in Global News

“Global manufacturing and supply chains were severely disrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, forcing companies to adapt and plan for a new business reality.” This year, however, the industry “is already quickly rebounding with investments in digital transformation aimed at improving speed, resilience and sustainability. While areas of concern persist, most report that lessons from the pandemic have paved the way for new innovations.”

 

Reuters (June 4)

2019/ 06/ 05 by jd in Global News

“A Swedish-born anti-flying movement is spreading to other European countries.” The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is “shrinking its carbon footprint” and working to avoid stigma with a sustainability plan that “is among the most ambitious and globally focused of any industry.” Carbon emissions have roughly been halved for flights since 1990, “largely thanks to more fuel-efficient aircraft.” For the moment, however, “trains are benefiting from the anti-flight movement.”

 

Fortune (June 7)

2018/ 06/ 09 by jd in Global News

“As the problem of plastic waste around the world has gotten worse, many countries and companies have begun to ban single-use plastic items.” Ikea has added momentum to this movement. Ikea announced “it will stop selling single-use plastic products in its stores and remove them from its restaurants by 2020.” This ties into the retailer’s larger sustainability vision. Ikea seeks “to become ‘planet positive’ by 2030, and aims to purchase 100% renewable energy by 2020, achieve zero emissions on deliveries by 2025 and start using only renewable and recycled materials in its products.”

 

Institutional Investor (July 28)

2015/ 07/ 31 by jd in Global News

“CSR reporting is on the rise, and so is its impact. More companies are publishing corporate social and sustainability reports on their operations amid fresh evidence that transparency enhances valuations.”

 

CFO.com (March 13)

2012/ 03/ 18 by jd in Global News

“While any good finance executive will focus first on the costs and revenue opportunities in proposed energy-saving plants, the risks and benefits to company employees and external society will be squarely on his or her radar, because they potentially affect the company’s brand reputation.” Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) will also have their eyes open for sweet spots, “where what’s good for the planet melds seamlessly with what’s good for the bottom line. For example, Costco found that changing its energy consumption helped cut its costs.” The problem is that most environmentally based metrics aren’t linked to financial metrics. For example, when a company reduces its carbon footprint, CFOs want to see the link with “an income statement, balance sheet, or cash-flow statement.” Does the smaller footprint reduce costs, increase sales or reduce liabilities such as lawsuits? “The challenge of sustainability at the corporate level is to find a way to answer that question in hard, numeric, provable ways that take into account the self-interest so basic to our free-enterprise system.”

 

Ethical Corporation (March Issue)

2012/ 03/ 15 by jd in Global News

“For decades, many companies have typically responded to sustainability challenges by pursuing incremental operational improvements. But we are beginning to see an interesting new trend—businesses using sustainability as a tactic for long-term offense, rather than just short-term defence.” Who are these companies? Bosch, BMW Group, Daimler, DuPont, Ecolab, GE, Ikea, Kimberly Clark, Kingfisher, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Toyota and Volvo were among the cited companies. What’s driving the trend? “Leading companies are demonstrating a growing belief that their future profit and growth will be tied to how effectively they respond to looming global challenges including resource scarcity, population growth, and climate change.”

“For decades, many companies have typically responded to sustainability challenges by pursuing incremental operational improvements. But we are beginning to see an interesting new trend—businesses using sustainability as a tactic for long-term offense, rather than just short-term defence.” Who are these companies? Bosch, BMW Group, Daimler, DuPont, Ecolab, GE, Ikea, Kimberly Clark, Kingfisher, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Toyota and Volvo were among the cited companies. What’s driving the trend? “Leading companies are demonstrating a growing belief that their future profit and growth will be tied to how effectively they respond to looming global challenges including resource scarcity, population growth, and climate change.”

 

The Economist (November 12)

2011/ 11/ 14 by jd in Global News

A recent survey of top leaders at 300 major global companies showed that 83% want “a legally binding multilateral deal…to update the ailing Kyoto protocol and help to put a price on carbon emissions.” However, less than 20% think that world leaders will accomplish this when they meet in Durban. Companies aren’t, however, waiting for the politicians. Since 2008, 88% have either increased or maintained corporate spending on sustainability, which is increasingly viewed as a core strategy to increase competitiveness by decreasing costs, combating resource scarcity and countering the impact of global warming.

 

« Older Entries

[archive]