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Of Prime Concern to Many Companies: Water! California….Water: The place name and the liquid substance are interconnected in the minds of sustaianbility professionals thinking about climate change and the effects that we are already seeing in the American landscape. The chronic drought in the Golden State has brought the water shortage issue in sharp relief, especially since California is for many crops the “breadbasket” of America, and sufficient water for irrigation and food processing is a critical need. Water crises in the American West in general are now being seen as possible marketing opportunities by companies in the beverage, clothing and water-dependent products, at least in the claims being made about “sustainable products” to offer to consumers. Matt Weiser, Contributing Editor, Water Deeply — brings us news about this in a commentary that is our Top Story. The growing scarcity of water in the west and especially in California is prompting companies to broadcast water use reduction (such as in beverage manufacturing), or using recycled waste water in their apparel manufacturing. Matt interviewed Kellen Klein, a senior manager at Fortune 500, a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit that “works to find common ground between corporations and environmental groups to help solve global problems.” A number of companies see water as critical to their brand, says Kellen Klein; this is in many ways the social license to operate, at least in certain geographies. Coca Cola Company is an example that he advances (he has worked on KO projects); the company has adopted a goal of replenishing water that goes into their products (which are sold in every country but a handful of nations around the world). Levi’s (California-based for more than a century) sells cotton jeans, which requires water to grow (the crop) and more water for washing. The company started an education program — “Water-Less” to encourage consumers to use cold water settings and wash their Levi products less often (to conserve energy for hot water production and to conserve water). Have you heard of Bonnesville Environmental Foundation? Coca Cola and other companies partner with this NGO in the “Change the Course” program, which has the aim of encouraging consumers to use less water. Consumers sign a pledge; money is then invested in projects to restore 1,000 gallons to critical watersheds. ‘ In the Top Story there is also news along these lines about Cerveza Imperial, the Costa Rican beer company; Fiji Water; Stone Brewing and an Arizona project. Water, water, water – it’s like location, location, location to Realtors for many companies. The challenge for many companies that depend on water as the basic resource for their products and services.There’s interesting details for you in the Top Story about water and the corporate sector meeting the challenges. Top Stories This Week… How Water Became the New Focus of Corporate Sustainability About Sustainability: Progress Is Being Made – We See Forward Momentum! A big bank bets on sustainability Championing sustainability under the big top Creating Holistic Supply Chain Sustainability: Not a Choice, a Given Largest McDonald’s franchisee makes sustainability pledge Revolutionizing Sustainable Operations by Doing ‘More Good’ Source: Morning Star – The most frequently asked questions about sustainable investing still have to do with performance. In theory, when investors limit their investment universe for moral or ethical reasons, they risk underperformance because they… Report Recommends Standardized Sustainability Reporting Which Country is the Most Sustainable? Our Focus This Week on A Range of ESG Topics & Issues — Things to Think About.. U.S. Infrastructure Needs Resilience, Sustainability Developing countries caught up in sustainability contradictions Air pollution deaths expected to rise because of climate change Bees Are Bouncing Back From Colony Collapse Disorder The Wealth Gap in the U.S. Is Worse Than In Russia or Iran Boosting resilience to modern-day threats – what is it worth? Source: Spend Matters – As of last year, 69 of the world’s 100 biggest economic entities are not nations but businesses, an increase from 63 in 2015. Can it be argued that those behemoth private sector corporations should be held to stricter procurement… Is a Healthy Environment a Human Right? Testing the Idea in Appalachia
News for You From the Corporate Sector – With (+) and (-) Signs The Positive Coca-Cola (UK) launches first sustainability campaign to promote plastic recycling Eastman Issues 2017 Sustainability Report Source: Sustainable Brands – Earlier this year, Heineken released its 2016 Annual Report, marking the first time the company has combined its annual and sustainability reports into one document. To mark the launch of the report in the United States, the… Wells Fargo’s Mary Mack to roll out sweeping changes to branches starting Monday BP swings to profit, but 2010 spill still a drag Tesla cheered as results beat forecasts, but Wall Street braces for another capital raise The Negative Germany open to class action lawsuits in emissions scandal Meat industry blamed for largest-ever ‘dead zone’ in Gulf of Mexico News & Opinion: Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund invests in risky peer-to-peer lending platform from China Source: worldbulletin.net – While it had already set aside some funds, Societe Generale had to book a charge of nearly billion euros against second-quarter profits for the out-of-court settlement with the Libyan Investment Authority in May. French bank… Russia to Exhaust Reserve Fund in 2017, Resort to National Wealth Fund Why Are “Activist Investors” Silent on Corporate Social Responsibility? Why Socially Responsible Investing Is Not for Me Connecticut General Assembly approves new hybrid plan, contribution and COLA changes Sacramento Report: The Pension Wars Aren’t Over Trump Administration News… Affecting Directions on Governance, Sustainability & Climate Change Can We Put Coal Miners Back to Work in Clean Energy?
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The Sustainability Highlights eNewsletter is prepared by Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. based on continuous monitoring of trends and developments in Sustainability and ESG. Governance & Accountability Instiute is the “Sustainability Headquarters™” for clients in the corporate, investment, public and social sectors. Based in New York, G&A is a for-profit consulting organization providing a range of value-added strategies, services and resources related to ESG & sustainability to clients in the corporate and capital markets communities. For G&A’s full range of services, click on each of the links below: For more information, contact Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. |
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Of Prime Concern to Many Companies: Water! Will Corporate Advertising Claims “Around” The Water Issue Click With Customers?
August 14, 2017
SDG Alignment Analysis and Strategic Advice
