The news stories below primarily concern studies on SRI performance and
surveys of investor attitudes.
Advisers can use this information to better
prepare themselves for meetings with clients.
More Than 60 Companies Voluntarily Adopt Annual Shareowner Votes on Executive Compensation
Companies adopting say-on-pay include many in the financial industries, and all TARP recipients
mandated to do so last year; in the absence of legislation or regulations, activist shareowners
file more than 70 resolutions on the issue this year.
Investors File Record Number of Shareowner Resolutions on Climate Change
Organizations that have filed resolutions addressing oil sands operations, quantitative greenhouse
gas emissions reduction targets, and coal ash waste disposal, express strong support for SEC
guidance on climate change disclosure.
UNEP Report Describes Urgent Need to Address E-Waste
With growth of e-waste in developing countries expected to multiply by 2020, the report identifies
technologies that can increase recycling rates and generate jobs in a low-carbon economy.
Vodafone Tops List of Sustainable ICT Companies
Ranking of the largest global information and communication technology companies finds strengths in
product innovation and supply chain engagement, but room for improvement in emissions reduction and
stakeholder engagement.
Social Investors Brainstorm Responses to Citizens United
Possible actions in response to the Supreme Court decision include voluntary disclosure of
corporate political spending, regulatory action by the SEC, and Congressional legislation.
MSCI Will Acquire RiskMetrics
Implications are uncertain for the ESG investment research industry, whose consolidation has been
driven in large part by acquisitions by RiskMetrics.
Shareowner Activists Galvanized by Citizens United Decision
Financial and reputational risks associated with corporate political spending lead to successful
shareowner engagement and request that S&P 500 companies agree to disclose political donations.
PRI Commits Investors to Consideration of Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues
A white paper published by the Corporate Library explores the impact and potential of the
Principles for Responsible Investment in North America.
People Capital Launches Peer Lending Platform for Qualified Education Loans
Following an SEC clarification of peer lending products as securities, People Capital hopes that
social investors will use its lending platform to execute their missions.
Study Finds No Correlation Between Consumer Perception of Corporate Environmental Performance and Verifiable Data
A study by New Scientist magazine employs data from ESG research provider Trucost, and finds that
companies perceived by consumers as green often lag in environmental disclosure.
Companies Exposed to Water Risks Are Providing Investors With Too Little Data
Report from Ceres, UBS, and Bloomberg Professional finds that reporting on water risks by companies
in water-intensive industry sectors is insufficient.
Investors Call on 86 Global Compact Signatories to Produce Annual Communication on Progress
A coalition of investor signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment identify 86 large,
publicly traded companies as laggard in producing annual Communications on Progress as required by
the Global Compact, and urge them to do so or risk delisting.