SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights May 21,2013

The growing interest in corporate and institutional "Sustainability" and "Responsibility" is a global phenomenon.  Each day as we monitor news, trends and activities related to S&R, we see examples of business organizations innovating -- from large-cap publicly-traded firms to small start ups and entrepreneurial ventures.  Public sector and not-for-profit institutions are embracing S&R strategies and programmatic approaches.  Investors are tuning in - and long established investor-centric organizations are driving change in corporate and investor behavior.  These include leading universities such as Harvard, and federal, state and municipal agencies.
Old building (c 1931) become new again - and more sustainable, as you will see in the Highlights this week with the focus on New York City's landmark - the Empire State Building.

Virtually every sphere of business activity is being impacted by the changes in how we consider the corporation - one of the miracle creations of humankind, with its ability to marshal resources (financial, human, natural) and make things happen.  Levi Strauss creates sustainable jeans -- what's next!  And, a perennial question - what responsibility to society does the corporation have (in return for the benefits enjoyed such as rule of law)?  What is the appropriate relationship of the corporation to society? 

Answers are more frequently found now in the close examination of corporate sustainability.  This week's Highlights focuses on a few aspects (and answers) -- you'll news about companies and investors and NGOs and public sectors below.  Be sure to read Lisa Woll's comments as carried on Bloomberg -- "Call It What You Like - New Investing Approach Gains Followers." She's CEO of the US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) -- see below Asset Managers, US Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds heading.

As always, we select an important player in the S&R space and present a short introduction to the organization...as we "Watch the Watchers.". This week it is Global Water Partnership in focus. More complete profile and other information is on our SustainabilityHQ(tm) platform - available by subscription. 

Top Stories of the Week

CSR Disclosure: Expanding the Conversation on Materiality and Sustainability       
(Friday - May 10, 2013) Associated Profiles : UN - Global Reporting Initiative GRI 
Source:  CSR Wire - Our materiality map presents the relative priority of sustainability issues within an industry. Consultants, corporations and investors are already using these tools to evaluate risks and opportunities for their... 

Sustainability in Focus

When will emerging economies embrace sustainability?
(Thursday - May 16, 2013) 
Source: GreenBiz - Each year, GlobeScan's Sustainability Leaders survey asks experts to name a company they regard as a leader in sustainability. As Joel Makower noted recently, one company above all others -- Unilever -- has emerged as the...

Will ‘Resilience’ Replace Sustainability?      
(Wednesday - May 15, 2013) 
Source: Triple Pundit - Last week, the wine-making town of Sebastopol became the second California city after Lancaster to require that solar panels be installed in all new building construction. Among the driving forces for Sebastopol’s solar are local... 

Many Entrepreneurs Claim to Care About Sustainability, Yet Make Decisions That Are Harmful to Environment
(Tuesday - May 14, 2013) 
Source: Science Daily - Many entrepreneurs claim that they care about sustainability, yet they make decisions that are harmful to the environment. Economic researchers from Germany and the USA have discovered that many bosses do indeed have firm...

Sustainability ‘Highly Important’ to 42% of Supply Chains
(Tuesday - May 14, 2013) 
Source: Environmental Leader - Less than half of executives say sustainability is highly important to their company’s supply chain, according to a PwC survey. Of the 42 percent of respondents who rated sustainability as highly important, 87 percent named...

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 May,21 2013