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The voters have spoken; their decision is known. It may not have been the news that was expected, or hoped for, but the Office of the President of the United States of America is now in transition. What does that mean for advocates of greater corporate and societal sustainability…corporate responsibility…corporate citizenship…a cleaner, lower-carbon economy? What will happen to the US support of COP 21 goals and objectives? What about the US low-carbon economy? What about the SEC views on expanding corporate disclosure to include more ESG information? What about Dodd-Frank rules now in place – or the rules not yet implemented?
So many questions! We are now monitoring so many commentaries on these questions and more -- and the views offered (very strong, indeed) by experts with deep background in the subject matter. This week’s Top Stories for you are two views offered by such experts.
Chris Bryant of Bloomberg writes from Frankfurt, Germany in his “Trump Can’t Stop the Energy Revolution.” While President-elect Donald J. Trump can slow down the United States participation in the efforts to constructively address global climate change, he “can tell producers which power generation technologies to buy,” writes Bryant. “That decision will come down to cost in the end. Right now, coal is losing that battle, while renewables are gaining…”
Coal plants may stay open for longer, thinks Bryant, under a Trump Administration (IF campaign promises are kept); but coal will struggle to compete with cheap natural gas and a large volume of coal-generating [electrical] capacity will be retired by 2030. This is a terrific piece to share with your colleagues who despair that “coal clouds” will be filling the atmosphere after the new administration comes to office.
Andrew Winston, author of Green to Gold, writing in Huffington Post online, says “Trump Can’t Stop the Clean Economy” in his commentary. We share his views courtesy of our colleagues at Sustainable Brands in the other Top Story. “If there is any force greater than whatever propelled Donald Trump to the Presidency,” says Winston, “it is economic. Nobody, not even a President Trump, can stop all the movement toward the clean economy. The reason is simple: It’s now cheaper to cut carbon and use renewable energy than to keep the status quo.”
This commentary also has encouraging content to share with colleagues. If Donald Trump follows through on what he said he would do on energy and climate, thinks Andrew Bryant, yes, it could have a devastating impact on global political progress on climate change. He goes on to share his views on clean energy and the competitive pricing for renewables in the USA. “Renewables have already won,” says Bryant.
We are receiving commentaries from various colleagues in NGOs, investment houses, the public sector, trade and professional associations, and individuals. We’ll share these over the coming weeks as we move toward the January 20th 2017 transition of power in our federal government. What are your thoughts? Share them with us!
Top Story
Source: Andrew Winston Commentary / Huff Post via Sustainable Brands- If there’s any force greater than whatever propelled Donald Trump into the Presidency, it’s economics. Nobody, not even a President Trump, can stop all movement toward the clean economy. The reason is simple: It’s now cheaper to cut carbon and use renewable energy than to keep the status quo.
Trump Can't Stop the Energy Revolution
(Wednesday - November 09, 2016)
Source: Chris Bryant / Bloomberg Commentary from Frankfurt - The planet is warming, dangerously so, and burning more coal will make it worse. President-elect Donald Trump thinks man-made climate change is a hoax and he's promised to revive the US coal industry by cutting regulation. So renewables are dead in the water, right? Maybe not.
Sustainability in Focus
It’s a Brave New World for Sustainability Professionals
(Tuesday - November 08, 2016)
Source: Triple Pundit - But they kept coming back to a broader topic: the rise of the sustainability professional.
Inside Walmart's 2025 sustainability goals
(Monday - November 07, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - Today, Walmart is taking the next step in its 11-year sustainability journey, as CEO Doug McMillon announces a series of 2025 goals. For the first time, the company is putting some hard targets and timetables on what had...
Prosperity in sustainability
(Monday - November 07, 2016)
Source: Boston Globe - President John F. Kennedy inspired Americans to great undertakings by setting bold goals: to go the moon, to overcome racial discrimination, to make peace with the Soviet Union
How Starbucks Brews Up Sustainable Products
(Tuesday - November 08, 2016) Associated Profiles : Conservation International
- Market Realist - Starbucks employs sustainability standards called C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity), which have been developed along with Conservation International. C.A.F.E. has helped Starbucks to create a long-term supply...
Walmart’s Latest Sustainability Initiatives: Doubling Local Produce, Reducing Emissions
(Tuesday - November 08, 2016)
Source: Organic Authority - Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon detailed Friday the elements of the company’s latest sustainability agenda, in the effort to usher in a “new era of trust and transparency.” The agenda notably includes elements to realize...
Sustainability Reporting Standards: Time to Trade Competition for Collaboration
(Thursday - November 10, 2016)
Source: Triple Pundit - Sustainability information is still a fuzzy concept, but by using the terms ‘standards’ SASB and GRI , to convey a sharp image. After all, ‘standards’ are very well defined, with consensus among users. Both SASB and GRI are...
Source: Green Biz - Organizations are now under intense scrutiny due to the environmental pressures of resource scarcity and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Stemming from this, three corporate risk profiles present opportunities to create...
An Effective Sustainability Plan Needs Group Effort
(Thursday - November 10, 2016)
Source: Sourcing Journal - It’s a well-known fact that sustainability in the apparel industry is a team effort that needs to encompass all stakeholders in the supply chain. Basically, no brand is an island and big change requires a community behind it.
Source: Daiji World - Growing inequalities, caused by the concentration of global wealth in just a few hands, could jeopardize the sustainability of economies, societies and communities, undermining efforts to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development...
HBR's Top Performing CEOs: Financial Results and Sustainability — A Complex Relationship
(Thursday - November 10, 2016)
Source: Sustainable Brands - The Harvard Business Review (HBR) recently published its 2016 list of the world’s top 100 CEOs. As in the past, HBR’s staff looked at the financial and ESG (environment, social, governance) performance of the CEOs of 1,200 large...
Sustainable cities: a systemic approach
(Thursday - November 10, 2016)
Source: Open Democracy - In the search for sustainability in Latin American megacities, a systemic approach should include public transport, participatory budgeting and ‘place making’.
ESG Issues & Players
Business ethics affect 58% of buying choices in advanced economies
(Wednesday - November 09, 2016)
Source: Supply Chain Drive - Supply chains are inherently B2B, but as consumer demands for transparency and end-to-end sustainability grow, all links in the chain are being forced to adapt to consumer trends.
Delhi smog: Air purifiers, masks flying off digital shelves
(Tuesday - November 08, 2016)
Source: The Times of India - Customers are thronging e-commerce platforms such as Snapdeal, Flipkart and Amazon to buy air purifiers and masks to protect themselves from the health-threatening thick cloud of smog that has been enshrouding Delhi...
Frequently asked questions on climate change and disaster displacement
(Monday - November 07, 2016)
Source: UNHCR - An annual average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by weather-related sudden onset hazards – such as floods, storms, wildfires, extreme temperature – each year since 2008.
Oil leaders meet in Abu Dhabi, hoping market now at bottom
(Monday - November 07, 2016)
Source: US News - ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The international oil market has hit its bottom, though how long it will be there remains in question, leaders in the industry said at an Abu Dhabi conference on Monday.
Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds
Here’s Why the Pundits Were Wrong About Trump—and the Markets
(Thursday - November 10, 2016)
Source: Fortune - On Tuesday, Bridgewater Associates—the world’s largest hedge fund—told its clients that if Donald Trump won, the Dow Jones industrial average would plunge 10%, or just over 1,900 points
Sovereign Funds Improving Transparency, Many Still Fall Short - Study
(Tuesday - November 08, 2016) Associated Profiles : State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ)
Source: Wealth Management - But Azerbaijan's state oil fund SOFAZ came fourth with a score of 92 percent, and two Chilean funds also made the top 10. "One often hears that SWFs from emerging market and developing countries are...
The government's retirement problem is headed for a disaster
(Friday - November 04, 2016) Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
Source: The Business Insider - Perhaps the most concise assessment of public pensions came from the former chief actuary for the nation's largest public pension fund CalPERS, who noted simply that: â??Politics and pensions just...
Watching the Watchers
Carbon War Room
Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA
Established: 2009
ESG/Sustainability Focus: Yes, a focus on “harnessing the power of entrepreneurs to implement market-driven solutions to climate change.”
KEY PARTNERS
Virgin Unite is a co-founder, and Carbon War Room’s Web site lists partner organizations for certain specific issues, such as Oceana, Forum for the Future, and Blue Communications for shipping, and Environmental Defense Fund and Vote Solar on Green Cities Finance Forum.
OVERVIEW/MISSION
Carbon War Room describes its activity: “The War Room fulfills a critical strategic role in monitoring all areas affecting climate change and identifying areas that need resources and implementation support.”
CWR is a collaborative group that incorporates business, scientific, and national security concerns as it looks for market-based technologies for mitigating climate change and creating a post-carbon economy.
BACKGROUND
Sir Richard Branson (Virgin) co-founded Carbon War Room in 2009. Other founders listed on the CWR site are Virgin Unite, Michael Haas, Vladas Lasas, Strive Masiyiwa, Shelly Meyers, Boudewijn Poelmann, and Mark Shuttleworth.
STRUCTURE
Carbon War Room is a US-based nonprofit organization.
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