sustainability Archives

World Benchmarking Alliance: Assessing firm performance on SDGs

Fund manager Aviva, in partnership with Index Initiative, the United Nations Foundation and the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, has launched the consultation phase of the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). This global multi-stakeholder initiative aims to develop and …

United Utilities: UK water supplier fined for polluting river

Water supplier, United Utilities, which has customers based in the North West of England, has been fined £666,000 and ordered to pay costs of over £32,000 after pleading guilty to polluting a river with untreated sewage effluent in Greater …

Companies step up action on renewable energy

Four major companies – Estée Lauder, Kellogg’s, DBS Bank and Clif Bar – have joined RE100 – the 100% renewable energy campaign for businesses, led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP a week before Climate Week NYC 2017…

Vanguard writes to global companies specifying engagement priorities

Global investment firm Vanguard has written an open letter to the directors of public companies worldwide specifying its priorities that it will engage with firms about as part of its stewardship programme.

The letter, from its chairman and chief executive …

UK consults on non-financial reporting

The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has begun a consultation on amendments to its guidance on the strategic report which aims to improve non-financial reporting by companies. The guidance was originally issued in 2014 when strategic reports were introduced.

The …

Vanguard: Walden Asset Management ESG engagement success

Sustainable investment specialist, Walden Asset Management, has withdrawn a resolution due to be voted on at a Vanguard mutual fund meeting in November. The resolution had challenged the proxy voting records on shareholder resolutions addressing significant social and environmental

Climate change risk disclosure: shareholders take Australian Bank to court

Two private investors are taking legal action against Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) for failing to adequately disclose climate change risk in the bank’s 2016 annual report. The shareholders are being represented by Environmental Justice Australia which has filed a …

Deforestation: shareholders get response to resolutions

Investors are increasingly pushing some of the world’s biggest companies to commit to reducing their impact on the global forests, according to an analysis of shareholder resolutions put forward at US AGMs. The report was published by the Global Canopy …

responsible investment Australia New Zealand

New Zealand and Australia see RI growth surge

The level of responsible investing has risen in New Zealand and Australia according to recent reports from the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA).

The steep rise of over 2500% in responsible investment within in the New Zealand market, which jumped …

UK staff: Companies can achieve ESG standards without hitting profits

Nearly half (47%) of UK staff can achieve higher environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards without sacrificing profitability, according to research carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Better Society Awards and Citigate Dewe Rogerson.

The online …