Investing for positive social impact can align with generating financial returns
A new report released today by InSight at Pacific Community Ventures and the Initiative for Responsible Investment at Harvard University, and funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, examines the practices of the largest United States investors in investing for both financial return and positive social and environmental impact. The report, Impact at Scale: Policy Innovation for Institutional Investment with Social and Environmental Benefit, explores the extensive role of public policy in shaping how institutional investors channel capital.
Tesco has offered to pay young people on a government work scheme, in an attempt to end controversy over its involvement in the programme. Tesco has taken hundreds on four–week work experience schemes for no pay except their expenses and jobseeker’s allowance. The company has now announced that any young person accepted for work experience in the future would be offered a choice of participating in the government scheme, or be paid by Tesco for the placement, with a guaranteed permanent job at the end, provided they complete the placement satisfactorily.
Apple polishes green credentials with giant 20MW solar array
Apple has revealed plans to build a giant 20MW solar array to help power its North Carolina data centre, as part of its latest efforts to reduce the firm’s environmental footprint. The computing giant unveiled the plan in a facilities 2012 report launched this week, which claimed that once built the system will be the largest user-owned onsite solar array in the United States. The array will be installed on land surrounding Apple’s recently opened Maiden data centre in North Carolina, which the company claims has already been built to demanding energy efficiency standards.
Miniature wind turbines to help power SC Johnson’s Arkansas office
SC Johnson, the United States based leading manufacturer of household products, announced plans for a wind energy programme at its Lowell, Arkansas sales office. The three SWIFT turbines will be located on the office roof. Once fully operational, they will be connected to the site’s electrical distribution system and will be capable of generating as much as 3.6 kWh of electricity annually.
Santander, BBVA and APG join Carbon Disclosure Project call
European financial giants Banco Santander, BBVA and APG have become the latest signatories to join the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) call for cost-effective greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. As part of the ‘Carbon Action’ initiative, which aims to “accelerate company action on carbon reduction activities which deliver a satisfactory return on investment”, letters have been sent to more than 400 of the world’s largest public companies urging them to implement carbon emissions reduction strategies and cost-effective management.
Fashion brand launches with 100% transparency policy
The fashion brand, Honest, has launched with what it claims is a 100% transparency policy in a bid to prove its sustainability credentials right down the supply chain. The brand, which launched last month, claims it is the first company in the world to share the full cost breakdown of its products by revealing every production detail of every garment, from the origination of fabric to the amount of store mark-up. Honest says it conducts extensive research into the different aspects of the product production process including raw materials sourcing and fabric origination to provide full transparency.
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