SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights March 21,2013

With the official start of spring, we are also just about at the opening days of major league baseball in the USA – and the annual corporate proxy season (at American company AGMs).  The shareowner activists & advocates bring important ESG issues to the table for consideration by the whole shareholder body at dozens of companies.  This year, climate change and corporate lobbying & political spending are two hot issues for activist investors.  In the weeks ahead dozens of shareowner-sponsored resolutions will face a vote. 

We invite you to read the important advice and perspectives of our featured commentator (and G&A Institute Fellow) Steve Viederman – it’s the top item.  As you hear of the “final vote” on these resolutions, keep this veteran shareowner activist’s perspectives in mind.  The actual votes in favor may be more than what is communicated by the company when proxies are tallied.

Top Stories of the Week

THE AGM VOTES ARE IN AND THE WINNER IS ….    
(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: Stephen Viederman, Fellow, Governance & Accountability Institute - The Spring madness of annual corporate meetings (referred to as AGMs) is upon us. Their purpose is to report to shareowners and to listen to shareowners, usually through the mechanism of the shareowner resolution, as dialog and...

Sustainability in Focus

Sustainability to create new drivers of return      
Wednesday - March 20, 2013)
Source: Top 1000 Funds - Sustainability is constructing a portfolio today on the earnings of the future, according to global head of investment content for Towers Watson, Roger Urwin. Not all performance is born equal, he says, and sustainability is...

Scoop on Sustainability: For divestment, the time is now      
(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: The New Hampshire - On Monday, March 4, many UNH community members gathered to discuss, in a democratic fashion, the vital issue of divestment from fossil fuels. It is an issue that has spurred some conflicting views throughout campus.

Improving links between supply chain and sustainability
(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: Green Biz - Get the right product to the right place at the right time. That is the mantra for supply chain operations. But as a profession, supply chain management has only been around for the past 30 years. Early adopters such as Wal-Mart...

UN Post-2015 Goals to Focus on Sustainability - text/audio      
(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: cri.cn - The current UN under-secretary general for Economic and Social affairs has revealed the UN is working on a new set of development plans once the current window for the Millennium Development Goals is reached in 2015.

Where next on sustainability?      
(Monday - March 18, 2013)
Source: Supply Management - More and more CPOs are being asked to lead the sustainability agenda by their board. This is not always wanted, but as soon as supply chains are raised, the natural home is with the CPO.

Sustainability: Past, Present, and Future     
(Monday - March 18, 2013)
Source: The Energy Collective - A variety of factors are coalescing to make 2013 a pivotal year in the growth of sustainability. Year after year, sustainability has gained ground as an increasing number of organizations are incorporating environmental and... 

Sustainably Speaking: Coastal communities need plans for warmer world     
(Sunday - March 17, 2013) Associated Profiles : Union of Concerned Scientists
Source: Democrat and Chronicle - with Brenda Ekwurzel, a climate scientist and assistant director of climate research and analysis at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Using Hurricane Sandy as a case study, Ekwurzel...

The Business Case For Sustainability is Becoming Easier to Make      
(Friday - March 15, 2013)
Source: Triple Pundit - Good news: the business case for sustainability is becoming an easier sell for companies both large and small. One reason why many of the world’s leading companies have become slow to “embrace” green is because folks from top... [more]

ESG Issues & Players

Cheap US energy sparks datacentre rethink      
(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: ZDNet - Low energy costs are making the US a more attractive location for new datacentres than Europe, where power prices have soared over the past decade.

Study: Climate change to worsen hurricane storm surge(Tuesday - March 19, 2013)
Source: USA Today - The frequency of extreme storm surges — the deadly and devastating walls of water that roar ashore during hurricanes — is projected to increase by as much as 10 times in coming decades because of warming temperatures, the study...

Proxy Fight: Why Activists May Be Good for Investors
(Monday - March 18, 2013)
Source: CNBC - Annual shareholder meeting season is getting underway and with activist shareholders likely to make noise at the meetings, that may be a good thing for long-term investors.

Bigger Fish, Sharper Hooks To Define 2013 Proxy Season
(Friday - March 15, 2013)
Source: Law 360 - All's fair in love, war and proxy season: That's the message being delivered by activist investors, according to lawyers and proxy solicitors, who are gearing up for a spring of sharper elbows and tougher tactics aimed at...

This is just a sample of some of the articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights.  You can view the full Highlights by using the following links.  Sustainability | ESG, Highlights for the Week of March,21 2013