Encouraging News & Opinion Coming Out of Ceres Gathering in San Francisco -- Progress in Corporate Sustainability Continuing!

Water scarcity, resource depletion, climate change impacts... these were top-of-the-agenda items at the annual Ceres Conference convened last week in San Francisco.  These of course are pressing challenges for the domestic and global business communities, for investors and various stakeholders.  While there are many aspects to these issues to consider, the takeaway from the conference, writes Aaron Pickering, is that the focus on sustainability is good business (and good for business).

Among the key issues and topics in the Ceres dialogue:  the role of clean-energy in driving economic growth.  Clean energy creates jobs -- lots of them.  Clean energy power -- think renewables -- making for cheaper consumption than traditional fossil fuels in many parts of the word.  (A study by Ceres, WWF, CDP and Calvert indicated that Fortune 500 companies saved almost US$3.7 billion through their climate and energy commitments in 2016. That is good for business -- and many stakeholders!) 

Cheers to Walmart Stores, General Motors, Bank of America, Google, Apple, and Facebook -- these are among F-500 companies that have set or are setting definitive science-based goals -- and (23) are setting practices in place to power 100 percent of their operations with renewables.  IBM is working toward the 2020 renewable energy goal the company has set, with more than 3,000 energy conservation programs in place; in 2015, the company saved $30 million and avoided emissions of 250,000 metric tons. 

Lots of good news coming out of the very popular Ceres gathering in San Francisco, welcome indeed in contrast to some of the news coming out of the nation's capital as the Trump forces and members of the Congress look to dismantle vital parts of the Obama Administration environmental and energy-saving policies.   Tune in to the Top Story by Aaron Pickering (VP of Cone Communications; Ceres is a client of his company).

And there is much more encouraging news in the selections for you  in this week's newsletter by our Editor-in-Chief Ken Cynar and the G&A Team.  The forces arrayed against the foes of U.S. environmental protection, clean energy and greater sustainability policies are broad-based and influential.

This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.