Insurers and re-insurers have been warning about the potential consequences of climate change for years. Munich Re has calculated that by 2050, climate change could cost up to $300 billion annually in weather-related damages, industrial and agricultural losses, and other associated expenses. A Ceres report “From Risk to Opportunity 2007: Insurer Responses to Climate Change” …
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Category:Responsible Investing
Being green is more profitable
Companies with sophisticated and comprehensive climate change strategies have financially outperformed their competitors over the last three years, according to a major new report from investment research firm Innovest. The Carbon Beta and Equity Performance study of 1,500 companies found that there is a “strong, positive, and growing correlation between industrial companies’ sustainability in general, …
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GRI financial services guidelines for public comment
UNEP Finance Initiative and the Global Reporting Initiative have jointly coordinated a working group to pilot and review the draft versions of the GRI Financial Services Sector Supplement (Environmental and Social Performance). The revised Supplement including all these changes is now available for public comment until 10 January, 2008. The new Supplement and the response …
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Lots of talk about Environmental Disclosure, little action among FTSE All-share
The U.K.’s Environment Agency published “Environmental Disclosures,” its second major review of environmental reporting among FTSE companies. Since the last review, in 2004, significant progress has been made in reporting. Almost every single company, 98%, listed on the FTSE All-Share Index now mentions the environment in their annual reports, unfortunately, for some that’s all they …
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Solar demand outstrips supply and raises valuation concerns
China’s solar technology industry has experienced explosive growth in just a few short years as it becomes the principal supply of solar product. But in early October the challenge of getting enough raw material to satisfy demand has caused valuation concerns over listed Chinese solar businesses. At issue plaguing the global industry is an acute …
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Businesses attract the best by being green and ethical, in all sectors
New research by Monstertrak shows that employees want to work at green companies and are happiest at companies with solid corporate social responsibility programs in place. Results from the survey show that a surprising percentage of young workers want employment with a green company: 80% of those surveyed said they are interested in a job …
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Corporate investor relationship failing to communicate to investors.
The results of a summer survey from Thomson Financial make worrying reading for investors. On the plus side, 36% of the mainly US-based investors questioned said they considered corporate responsibility criteria “very important” when making investment decisions. But only 8% of investor relations officers (whose job it is to communicate with shareholders) said investors considered …
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Case studies in green portfolios
The September issue of Sustainable Business‘s Progressive Investor discusses three green portfolios describing the manager’s rationale and an analysts’ evaluation in each case. It is a useful starting point for building your own green portfolio. If you are not US based, it still offers insight in to the trade-offs you’re likely to have to make …
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Global CSR review by EIRIS
EIRIS‘ new report “The State of Responsible Business” details growing corporate responsibility in businesses worldwide. The study, “The State of Responsible Business: Global corporate response to environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges” casts a wide net, offering an overview of current corporate responsibility. It also points out trends in corporate responsibility. Generally, more and more …
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Carbon auction on regulated exchange
The first carbon auction held on a regulated exchange just concluded in Brazil. 800,000 tonnes of carbon rights were sold by the City of Sao Paolo which is earning them from power generation from methane released by a massive urban landfill. The winning bidder, Fortis a European bank, paid € 13 million or about € …
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