Top Stories
GRI Launches Effort to Marry CSR and
Financial Reporting.—reliability high.
"In an effort to bring about the convergence of environmental, social,
and corporate governance (ESG) reporting with financial reporting, the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), along with the Prince's Accounting
for Sustainability Project (A4S), announced this week the formation of
the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC). ... The goal
of the IIRC is to develop a globally accepted framework for integrated
reporting, which will bring together ESG and financial reporting in a
consistent and comparable format. Its intention is to provide
comprehensive information about corporate performance that will meet
the needs of a sustainable economic model, and support the information
needs of long-term investors as well." See story at Greener
World Media. PDF of press release here.
[Maybe
"sustainability" will end up under the CFO, as suggested in this earlier
post.]
China may launch environmental tax trial:
report.—reliability high.
"Three Chinese ministries will soon submit a proposal for an
environmental tax on a trial basis, the China Business News reported on
Thursday. ... An environmental tax, likely to be levied on emissions of
carbon dioxide and discharges of polluted water, would form part of
Beijing's drive to make its economic growth cleaner." Reuters
story.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Germany expects fast growth of renewable
energy.—reliability high.
Germany is expecting to get 20 percent of its total energy consumption
from renewable sources by 2020 — which would double its current share
within 10 years. At CNBC
from AP. [This
includes energy used in
transportation.]
Three Steps to Green Your Office Printing
Practices.—reliability medium.
"Knowing where to begin is often the hardest part. Many companies
don't have a full grasp of how their current printing affects the
bottom line, let alone their environmental footprint. By following a
simple three-step process, you can get insight into what's working --
and not -- with your office printing, set clear goals, and put an
action plan in motion." See GreenBiz
blog. [Sometimes
I skip over items like this because they are not "news"--these
recommendations have been around for years. But I know many companies
still have not harvested this low-hanging fruit.]
US slips to second behind China for new wind
power in 2009.—reliability high.
"The US dropped to second place in annual wind power capacity
additions in 2009 by installing 26 per cent of global capacity after
four years at the top, falling behind China that captured a 36 per cent
market share, according to US official data. The US Department of
Energy’s (DOE) annual 2009 Wind Technologies Market Report found that
wind power contributed to 39 per cent of all new US electric generating
capacity in 2009, down from 44 per cent in 2008." Other highlights of
report. From NewNet.
PDF of report here.
UK Government: Too many firms ignoring
climate risks.—reliability high.
"Environment secretary Caroline Spelman last night called on UK firms
to urgently improve their resilience to climate change, warning that
too many companies were not prepared for the changes to weather
patterns that climate change will inevitably bring. ... 'We know that
some level of change is now unavoidable and it is the responsibility of
us all to think about what a changing climate will mean for our health,
our businesses and our way of life,' she said. 'I want to ensure that
UK businesses are well placed to take advantage of the new
opportunities that arise as well as ensuring they are ready for the
difficulties that higher temperatures and more adverse weather could
mean for their staff and working practices.'" From BusinessGreen.
Government and
Regulation
Local Governments Push for Producer
Responsibility.—reliability high.
"Local governments are leading the charge by adopting resolutions
calling for state policies for extended producer responsibility (EPR),
otherwise known as product stewardship. In California, the City
of Roseville became the 100th local government, agency or association
to adopt a local EPR resolution. ... EPR is a policy approach to that
makes product brand owners responsible for 'cradle to cradle' design
and recycling of their products and associated packaging." See Product
Policy Institute press release. [A clever strategy.
If enough local governments threaten to create requirements, business
will support
legislation at the state or national level to reduce the complexity of
compliance.]