General Motors CEO Mary Barra has long been an advocate for girls enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education[1]. Now GM is cutting checks to help more females enter these professions.
The world faces a looming challenge of handling our waste, an in creasing percentage of which is made of plastic, which simply does not go away. Plastic usually accounts for up to 20 percent of a municipality’s waste generation by weight, but by volume, the proportion is significantly higher. Most small communities do not have access to solutions, and this is where \”catalytic philanthropy,\” particularly in the resource recovery sector, can make an enormous impact on peoples’ lives on a global basis.
Wildlife Works announced in July the launch of Everland LLC, a specialized marketing company representing an established group of high-impact forest conservation projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America that have successfully stopped deforestation by applying REDD+, a performance-based mechanism, to conserve highly threatened forests.
In a continuing and growing commitment to helping investors integrate sustainability considerations into portfolio decisions, Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, and Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and ratings, announced in July 2017 that Morningstar has acquired a 40 percent ownership stake in Sustainalytics. The direct investment represents an important milestone in Morningstar’s long-term sustainability strategy and intends to support Sustainalytics’ ability to deliver high-quality, innovative ESG products and services to the global investment community.
>> Back to September/October 2017 The GreenBiz team is proud and excited to reveal our second annual list of promising young professionals in the field of sustainable business. This year\’s “30 Under 30” cohort was selected by GreenBiz editors in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (www.wbcsd.org), based on a global search
UPS announced in late June 2017 aggressive new sustainability goals to add more alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to its fleet while increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources.
We can’t completely predict what our world will look like in 25 years, but we constantly study trends to anticipate the rapid changes taking place in our industry. By 2040 it is estimated that: Global population will exceed nine billion; 40 cities with have populations over 10 million; Renewable energy will account for half of installed capacity and a third of electricity generation worldwide. Add shifting consumer attitudes about vehicle ownership to these insights and it is why I believe the auto industry is changing more today than it has in the past 50 years.
As an entrepreneur, I lean optimistic, and so here are a few predictions for where the organic marketplace is heading. Several megatrends will combine to keep the sales of organic foods growing at a robust rate, they include: Increased awareness about the negative health impacts and costs of widespread agrichemical exposures; Organic Certification will remain the only reliable standard for consumers seeking real, clean foods; the positive role that organics can play in mitigating the effects of climate change including better data on the benefits of organic production; and Lower cost organic offerings. (Sept./Oct. 2017)
When SRI industry leaders look at the future of sustainable investing, our tendency is to pat ourselves on the back for the tremendous progress we have made and make optimistic predictions about the wonderful progress that still lies ahead. While not wanting to be the skunk at the garden party, and while remaining a die-hard optimist when it comes to possibilities, I am more pessimistic about probabilities if we remain on our current course. We need to up our game and here is how.
The SRI field has grown rapidly to nearly $9 trillion and the next decade will bring continued expansion in assets and in the types of investors who control those assets, as well as further growth in the products and services available. From high net worth individuals to retail investors to new robo-advisor platforms all will increasingly bring their assets into SRI. Foundations of all sizes will be changing their investment process to better connect their mission to their endowments and Pension funds, including private sector funds will offer sustainable investment options.
