1. US SRI RETIREMENT PORTFOLIOS HAVE MORE OPTIONS TO DIVERSIFY
ExpertPlan administers a 401(k) platform that solves the problem of limited asset class diversification by offering 25 SRI funds from nine fund families than span the spectrum of asset classes. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1124854062
2. CalSTRS FOLLOWS CALVERT BLUEPRINT ON MONEY MANAGER DIVERSITY
Both CalSTRS and Calvert pioneer efforts to identify emerging money managers as smart business and socially responsible as well. Last week, the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) launched a new initiative to leverage the value of diversity in investment management firms. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1124090043
3. ACCOUNTABILITY TO LAUNCH WORLD'S FIRST STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT STANDARD
AccountAbility has launched an exposure draft of the first international standard for stakeholder engagement: the AA1000SES, on 22 September. The standard is a principle-based, open-source framework that offers coherent and practical guidance for designing, implementing, and assuring the quality of stakeholder engagements.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1126147486
4. $21 TRILLION INVESTOR COALITION SPURS GREATER AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG U.S. CORPORATIONS
More U.S. corporations than ever before now factor climate change into the risks and opportunities faced by their businesses, according to a report released by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a coalition of institutional investors with more than $21 trillion in assets. Increased interest from the investment community, in conjunction with related macro-economic developments, is encouraging the development of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1126759118
5.REDUCE YOUR CLIMATE FOOTPRINT TO ZERO WITH CARBONFUND.ORG
US businesses or individuals concerned about climate change can eliminate their remaining climate footprint with Carbonfund.org. Carbonfund.org purchases and retires carbon dioxide credits for individuals and businesses, reducing CO2 and the dangers of climate change, while supporting climate-friendly projects globally. Their website provides a handy calculator for calculating your own personal or corporate carbon emissions.
http://asp.sriworld.com/asria/press_releases/article.cgi/4248.html
6. TAKING ACCOUNT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORTS
A Pleon survey of CSR reporting finds differing opinions on best practice for report assurance and verification amongst respondents as well as professional experts.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1127199614
7. HOW TO COMMUNICATE CSR: BSR'S 'LEADING PERSPECTIVES' ONLINE
Business for Social Responsibility's Summer issue of "Leading Perspectives" examines what has proven to be a perplexing issue for many professionals: the how, what and why of communicating a company's CSR work.
http://asp.sriworld.com/asria/press_releases/article.cgi/4277.html
8. ARTHUR D LITTLE STUDY IDENTIFIES TRENDS IN SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION
The study, entitled Innovation High Ground: How Leading Companies are Using Sustainability-Driven Innovation to Win Tomorrow's Customers, surveys 40 technology companies across Europe, the US, and Japan. The study finds that 95 percent of companies surveyed believe that sustainability-driven innovation has the potential to bring new business value, with 25 percent feeling this will definitely happen. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1124089875
9. REPORT FINDS YOUNG SELL-SIDE ANALYSTS FAIL TO FILL VOID IN SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI) recently surveyed young analysts to see if sustainability is taking root. The survey expected to find the analysts eagerly assessing environmental, social, and governance issues in their recommendations but discovered the exact opposite. They found that young analysts appear unconvinced over the materiality of most environmental, social, and governance issues to business; unable to consider them because of inadequate information, training, or tools; and unwilling to depart from business as usual because of conflicts with remuneration, career advancement, or culture. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1124694075
10. IIGCC AND CARBON TRUST PUBLISH CLIMATE CHANGE GUIDE
Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and Carbon Trust commissioned Mercer Investment Management to produce a guide for pension trustees on climate change: 'A climate for change: a trustee's guide to understanding and addressing climate risk'.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1126149128
11. 7TH ANNIVERSARY TBLI CONFERENCE
2-4 November 2005, Frankfurt, Germany. ASrIA is a Network Sponsor of the 7th annual TBLI Conference. It is the largest global conference on sustainable investments (Triple Bottom Line Investing), providing social and environmental returns in addition to financial returns and covering the fields of public equity, private equity, debt financing, microfinancing, bonds and more.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1120011413
12. CARBON FINANCE 2005: RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN EMISSIONS MARKETS
31 October and 1 November, 2005, London, UK. This conference, from Environmental Finance Publications, will provide an invaluable update on all the major global developments shaping the fast-moving markets in carbon credits and allowances. There will be a keynote address on what to expect at December's COP11/MOP1¡Xthe progress made to date and issues to be resolved and a keynote address from the European Commission on Phase II of the EU ETS. Other topics include: where next for carbon prices; panel discussions on what carbon buyers expect and carbon sellers want; and forthcoming developments in Japan, the US and Russia.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1127373847
13. UNEP FINANCING INITIATIVE 2005 GLOBAL ROUNDTABLE
25-26 October, New York, US. The UNEP FI Global Roundtable is recognized as the principal event on sustainability in the finance sector. Melissa Brown, ASrIA's Executive Director, will be a speaker.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1121827810
14. THE END OF CSR AND THE RETURN OF ETHICS
14 October, Nyenrode University, Vught, Netherlands. The event will feature presentations from the chairman of Unilever, the chairman of CSR Europe and director of Caux Round Table.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1126596844
15. LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE TO HOST RENEWABLES EVENT FOR INVESTORS
13 October, London, UK. The London Stock Exchange, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme's Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative (SEFI), is hosting a Capital Markets Day to highlight AIM-listed and pre-IPO companies specialising in renewable and low-carbon energy.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1127374851
16. THE FOREST DIALOGUE: DIALOGUE ON ILLEGAL LOGGING
6-7 October, St. Petersburg, Russia. This second dialogue is a follow-on from the first dialogue on illegal logging held in Hong Kong in March of this year. The meeting will coincide with the VII International Forestry
Forum and WRI's Forest Information Forum.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1125887126
17. REINVENTING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
3-5 October, London, UK. AccountAbility's 10th Anniversary Conference offers business, politicians, civil society and public bodies the opportunity to consider, anticipate¡Xand ultimately change¡Xthe future of accountability. Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Anwar Ibrahim, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia, are among speakers. http://www.asria.org/news/events/1126596675
