A study by the Social Investment Research Analysts Network (SIRAN) finds that an increasing number of the largest public companies in the U.S. are reporting on their environmental and social performance. Key findings include: Nearly 80% of the companies comprising the S&P 100 Index have special sections of their websites dedicated to sharing information about…
A Green Scorecard Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics is a quarterly ranking of 14 major PC and mobile phone companies. In the December 2006 ranking, Nokia and Dell are at the top of the pack with Apple bringing up the rear. The ranking reflects which of these companies are doing the most to remove toxic…
Despite growing financial losses in various business sectors from climate change, over half of the nation’s 500 largest publicly traded companies are doing a poor job of disclosing climate change risks to their investors, according to a first-ever report analyzing climate disclosure practices among S&P 500 companies last year. The Ceres/Calvert report concludes that America’s…
Source: Ecosystem Marketplace In November 2005 Goldman Sachs surprised many people in the financial sector when it announced an ambitious new environmental policy framework. [PDF] The slew of green measures included commitments to consider the environmental and social impacts of investments, encourage the development of environmental markets, and reduce the investment bank’s overall climate footprint.…
An international mix of businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) are joining forces to promote global action on climate change. This activism is of more critical importance in light of the recent report by the leading international network of climate scientists that has concluded for the first time that global warming is “unequivocal” and that human…
The consultancy, SustainAbility, has published its fourth international benchmark of corporate responsibility reporting. Entitled Tomorrow’s Value, the survey asks the question: How far has the value light bulb switched on in corporate brains and boardrooms? Key findings of the survey include: Focus on Opportunities. Leading companies are shifting the focus of their sustainability strategy towards…
Source: GreenBiz.com A survey by The Conference Board finds that companies find potential rewards in corporate citizenship and sustainability but acknowledge they lack an active strategy to develop new business opportunities in connection with corporate responsibility. The survey encompassed 198 medium to large multinational companies. Findings include: A mixed perspective exists regarding corporate citizenship and…
In his best-selling book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell describes the tipping point as "that magical moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire." Business is edging toward such a tipping point, where a new model for business is about to catch on. It’s a model…
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is developing an international standard on social responsibility (ISO 26000). The voluntary standard will augment existing public and private initiatives and help organizations address their social responsibilities by: Developing an international consensus on what SR means and the SR issues that organizations need to address, Providing guidelines on translating…
You’ve probably heard of lifestyles of the rich and famous. Here’s one you may not be familiar with – Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS). LOHAS describes a $228.9 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. Sociologist Paul Ray identified LOHAS customers as…