Responsible Investment
Investor enthusiasm for clean energy rises
The number of private capital investors planning to invest significantly in Europe’s clean energy sector over the next 18 months has tripled, according to a new survey by the law firm Taylor Wessing. More than 40% of private capital investors will allocate over 10% of their available funds to clean energy over the next year-and-a-half. The increased private investor enthusiasm comes as clean energy producers are undergoing a funding squeeze, with more traditional investment sources such as venture capital and private equity groups reducing their exposure to the sector.
Financial Times* http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7fe92184-9613-11e1-a6a0-00144feab49a.html#axzz1uGY9rW83
Social Investments
ATMs to prompt for charity donations
Under UK ministers’ latest attempt to revive David Cameron’s “Big Society” concept, people will be invited to donate to charity every time they take money out of certain “hole in the wall” cashpoints. Royal Bank of Scotland and cash machine operator Bank Machine have signed up to enable donations to selected charities at 12,000 ATMs by the summer.
Financial Times* p4 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a232e42a-960c-11e1-a6a0-00144feab49a.html#axzz1uGY9rW83
Sustainability
News in run-up to Rio+20
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged companies to step up their commitment to sustainability in the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth summit in Brazil next month. The UN Global Compact Office and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development plan to publish a series of corporate commitments on a forum website and mobile app that will be made available to the nearly 2,000 participants of the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum. In related news, Caring for Climate, a joint initiative between the UN Global Compact and the UN Environment Programme, has recommended the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as a reporting framework for all signatory companies.
Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2172633/un-s-ban-ki-moon-urges-firms-green-run-rio
Safeway, Whole Foods win first ‘Good’ Greenpeace seafood ratings
Safeway and Whole Foods have become the first retailers ever to earn a “green”, or “good” rating for commitment to the sustainability of the seafood they sell, in Greenpeace’s annual Seafood Retailer Scorecard. The supermarket chains earned scores of 7.1 and seven respectively in the scorecard, which has been released each year since 2008. Seven is the lowest score that qualifies for a green rating, according to Greenpeace’s 2012 Carting Away the Oceans report.
Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/04/safeway-whole-foods-win-first-good-greenpeace-seafood-ratings/
Reporting
Media companies can now be more accountable and transparent thanks to new guidance
Editorial independence, a journalist’s freedom of expression, and the responsibility a video game creator takes for influencing the mind of a player can now be reported by media companies, thanks to new guidance being launched Friday 4 May 2012 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Press Freedom Day International conference. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for media companies will help increase transparency and accountability in the media.
Global Reporting Initiative https://www.globalreporting.org/information/news-and-press-center/Pages/Media-companies-can-now-be-more-accountable-and-transparent-thanks-to-new-guidance.aspx
Corporate Reputation
Lloyds owns stake in US firm accused over CIA torture flights
Lloyds Banking Group has become embroiled in a row over its investment in a company accused of involvement in the rendition of terror suspects on behalf of the CIA. Lloyds, which is just under 40% owned by the taxpayer, is one of a number of leading City institutions under fire for investing in United States giant Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), which is accused of helping to organise covert United States government flights of terror suspects to Guantánamo Bay and other clandestine “black sites” around the world.
COMMENTS