Welcome to 2017 --
At the outset of the Year 2016 we were seeing so many (mostly) positive trends converging in a critical mass that spelled out "s-u-c-c-e-s-s-f-u-l" year ahead for sustainability professionals, whether they toiled in the corporate sector, in the capital markets, in NGO offices, in the public sector, and so on. In January 2016 we began to explore these trends one-by-one and in the collective, to develop commentary around the respective themes and developments.
Throughout the year, a good number of U.S. and global thought leaders and sustainability influencers were publicly sharing excellent content on each or several of the trends and we incorporated that shared input in essays that would help to illustrate the point that important trends were converging -- especially in 2015 and into 2016.
These trends were (and for now, still are) very promising for sustainability professionals. The result was a collection of these essays gathered in one volume: "Trends Converging: A Look Ahead of the Curve for Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Professionals."
So what did we see coming together in 2016 -- and what's ahead for 2017 now that we have a new Administration and a new U.S. Congress in place? Will the positive trends fade in influence, diminishing the value of the public and private sectors' focus on creating a more sustainable nation -- and global society -- through positive actions? What do you think?
There are two parts to that question/answer:
(1) As for the promise of 2016 trends, you can explore these in the collection of our essays available with our team's compliments on the Governance & Accountability Institute web site. Click here for more information on how to download.
(2) And looking into 2017: Yes, there will likely be changes, some perhaps dramatic, that may divert the course of the Federal government, state and municipal governments in terms of addressing climate change and other pressing societal issues. And that may perhaps lessen some of the pressures on the holdouts in Corporate America that are not yet embarked on their sustainability journey. (In our 2016 survey, we determined that 99 of the S&P 500® universe of companies were not reporting on the journey.)
We're keeping the monitoring & charting effort going at G&A Institute and sharing perspective on the trends we described in 2016, and the updates to these -- and new developments -- for the year 2017. We invite you to share your news, research and perspectives on these trends, and others that we have not yet addressed in our trend-watching. (We got to about 50 trends and stopped the writing at that point in Fall 2016.)
Send your thoughts, news updates and shared perspectives to us at: info@ga-institute.com.
The background on our shared perspective effort for 2016 is on our corporate blog at: "So Many Positives in 2016 for Sustainability." We're acknowledging as well the many inputs to the work by sustainability influencers. Check it out here.
We are calling this year's effort "Momentum 2017 - Sustainability Forward!" -- our new shared perspectives will be presented under that title. The first of these updates is presented for you on G&A Institute's "Sustainability Update" blog here.
Best wishes for the new year from the team at G&A Institute.
Top Story
So Many Positives in 2016 for Sustainability – Corporate Citizenship – CR – Sustainable Investing — The Core of “Trends Converging!” Commentaries. It’s 2017 — Now What?
(Friday - January 06, 2017)
 Source: Hank Boerner, G&A Institute, Chairman - Welcome to 2017! We are off to the start of a challenging year for sustainability / responsibility / corporate citizenship / sustainable investing professionals. We are being forewarned: A self-described (by his constant tweeting) “new sheriff is coming to town,” along with the newly-elected members of the 115th Congress who begin their meetings this week. Given the makeup of the new Administration (at least in the identification of cabinet and agency leaders to date) and the members of the leadership of the majority party on Capitol Hill, sustainability professionals will have their work set out for them, probably coming into a more clear focus in the fabled “first 100 days” after January 20th and the presidential inauguration ceremonies.
Of Significance
And in the spirit of "what's ahead for 2017," do check out the Bloomberg perspective on U.S. corporate sustainability reporting:
Carrot Outweighs Stick for U.S. Sustainability Reporting
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Bloomberg - The carrot likely will be even more important than the stick in driving corporate reporting on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in the U.S. going forward...
Sustainability in Focus
Sustainability still key, with challenges ahead
(Thursday - December 29, 2016)
Source: The Straits Times - This focus on sustainability looks set to continue next year, as Singapore strives to limit environmental damage in its quest for development...
Survey says: It’s time to make sustainability a priority
(Thursday - December 29, 2016)
Source: NY Non-Profit Media - Regardless of the rough patches that may arise when the economy is weak, sustainability should be a top concern on every leader’s mind...
Sustainable retail trends to watch in 2017
(Friday - December 30, 2016)
Source: GreenBiz - The year 2016 brought more disruption than ever in every industry. The pace of change in how we work, live, shop and have fun is accelerating. New technologies and customer preferences have challenged the way that all companies...
Report: U.S. AG sustainability grows
(Tuesday - January 03, 2017)
Source: Billings Gazette - Though U.S. farmers have gotten better at sustainability since 1980, their improvement has plateaued in recent years, a new report finds...
The five innovations that shaped sustainability in 2016
(Tuesday - January 03, 2017)
Source: The Guardian - From edible cutlery to drone vaccines, we celebrate the technologies and innovations that promise to advance sustainability efforts in the years ahead...
The 6 best sustainability books of 2016
(Tuesday - January 03, 2017)
Source: GreenBiz - With a new year just around the corner, we dug into the GreenBiz vault to bring you a list of some of the best books of 2016 (assuming you already caught up on our earlier round-up of the year's best summer reads, of course)...
UK lags behind emerging markets in consumer attitudes to sustainability, Unilever study finds
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Campaign - Just over half of shoppers in the UK feel better when they buy sustainably made products, a Unilever study has found - a far lower proportion than in India, Brazil and Turkey...
Will 2017 be the year we get serious about sustainable food?
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: The Guardian - The next few years could be pivotal for sustainable food in the realms of organic farming, sustainable fishing and plant based meat alternatives...
Sustainability Over Capital ? This Entrepreneur Duo says Yes
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Entrepreneur - The term ‘sustainability’ is being used more and more frequently in the business. Many companies are integrating sustainability principle to their business to capture growth rather than focusing on capital alone. Although each...
How does workplace safety and health align with sustainability?
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: GreenBiz - In May, we were contacted by representatives from the U.S. government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to discuss how they might engage in efforts that bring the agency’s work into broader sustainability...
4 Steps Toward Sustainability
(Thursday - January 05, 2017)
Source: Just Means - As consumers increasingly seek sustainable products and services, many businesses are making sustainable improvements to operations, reducing costs and inefficiencies while proving what’s good for the planet can be rewarding for...
Almond Board Program Streamlined
(Thursday - January 05, 2017)
Source: California Ag Today - The Almond Board has set a new standard for the Ag industry, according to Joe Browde, a senior research associate for Sure Harvest, which is working with the Almond Board towards sustainability...
How Sustainable Investing Can Help You Meet Portfolio Goals Without Sacrifice
(Thursday - January 05, 2017)
Source: Forbes - This means that $1 of every $4.6 under professional management in the U.S. is now invested in SRI strategies...
Source: Sustainable Brands - A new global consumer study from Unilever reveals fascinating insights regarding consumer interest in and commitment to sustainable products, as well as an over $1 trillion market opportunity for brands that can effectively and...
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ESG Issues & Players
In 2017, disruptive forces will shape climate action
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Reuters - In 2016, exciting new developments unleashed a visionary sense of where renewables can take us, with solar breaking new ground. 2016 delivered the first solar-powered round the world flight, plans to build roads paved with solar...
Insurer: 2016 saw highest natural disaster losses in 4 years
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: US News - A leading insurer says that last year saw the highest costs from natural disasters since 2012, with a pair of earthquakes in Japan in April accounting for the heaviest losses…
The Oil Trade That Shows Where OPEC’s Cuts Are Starting to Bite
(Thursday - January 05, 2017)
Source: Bloomberg - As OPEC starts to make its production cuts work, the true impact of its actions is perhaps most in evidence in an obscure part of the physical oil market…
Five U.S. cities at the forefront of the fight against climate change
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Reuters - From coast to coast, U.S. cities have multiplied their efforts to emit fewer greenhouse gases and brace for climate change-driven natural disasters, scientists and environmentalists say…
The climate struggle is real: 10 biggest global warming stories of 2016
(Thursday - December 29, 2016)
Source: Salon - This year is likely to be remembered as a turning point for climate change. It’s the year the impacts of rising carbon pollution became impossible to ignore. The world is overheating, and vast swaths of the planet have suffered…
Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds
Sovereign-Wealth Funds Threatened by Government Spending
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Wall Street Journal - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev says the country's sovereign-wealth fund has the money to help wean the central Asian nation off its dependence on oil revenue...
Pulling US Public Pensions Back from the Brink
(Wednesday - January 04, 2017)
Source: Institutional Investor - Since the 2008–'09 financial crisis, officials at U.S. state and municipal pension funds — as well as lawmakers — have had to work harder to... |
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Governance & Accountability Institute's blog focusing on the sustainable world evolving daily before our eyes. Read it, absorb it, question it and challenge. Recent posts:Update 2017 – Forward Momentum! For Sustainability – Pope Francis Set the Tone in 2016So Many Positives in 2016 for Sustainability – Corporate Citizenship – CR – Sustainable Investing — The Core of “Trends Converging!” Commentaries. It’s 2017 — Now What?
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