FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Patagonia is renowned for its consistent environmental support; each year, the outdoor apparel company gives away 1% of its profits to grassroots environmental nonprofits. Now, its new venture capital fund of more than $20 million will support eco-friendly for-profitbusinesses, focusing on energy, food, water or waste-related startups.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Mosaic, an online marketplace that connects investors to solar energy projects, is tackling more and more ambitious projects. Recently, it started the Golden State Series, a string of solar investments that will total $100 million. The first project, seeking a investment $153,000 in a solar charity in San Diego, sold out in just six hours.
NEW METRICS -
Three cheers to Bill McKibben and 350.org for raising much-needed awareness through their campaign urging university endowments and pension funds to divest from fossil fuel-producing companies.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
SAP AG today announced the SAP Integrated Report 2012, its first report that brings together the information usually shared in an annual report with the information normally contained in a sustainability report.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Dunkin’ Donuts will set a target date to source all of its palm oil from sustainable sources or purchase offset certificated covering its sourced palm oil, according to a recent announcement by New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE -
Only one out of eight insurers said they have in-depth climate change strategies, according to a recent survey by investor advocacy group Ceres.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
A record number of investors have filed shareholder resolutions on environmental and social issues as part of the Proxy Preview 2013 report released today.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
The Ethical Markets Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS), which tracks private investments growing the green economy worldwide since 2007, found $4.1 trillion invested or committed as of Q4 2012, promising long strides away from the fossil-fueled Industrial Era in 2013.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
SolarCity has partnered with Honda to establish a $65 million investment fund to make solar power more affordable and available to Honda and Acura customers in the U.S.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Häagen-Dazs has partnered with General Mills to invest $125,000 dollars over two years in Madagascar’s Sava region to encourage sustainable agriculture in one of the world’s most important vanilla production centers.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Last year’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro concluded under a cloud of ambiguity. Some organizations called it an outright failure while others deemed it a moderate success.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Investor decisions can be influenced by a company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure in the short-term but may not lead to higher stock returns over the long-term, Deloitte said in a recent report.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
In response to its recent abandonment by nearly 100 international corporate customers, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has announced an immediate end to the clearing of natural forest across its entire supply chain in Indonesia.
Disney, Levi’s and Mattel were among some of the major brands to jump ship after years of criticism over the paper company’s role in harming Indonesia’s endangered rainforests and communities.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
Facebook and the Cleantech Group have asked contestants to submit concept pitches for products, applications or services that utilize the social network’s billion-person user base to reduce environmental impact and engage in conversation over sustainability challenges.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Divesting from fossil fuel companies does not incur additional portfolio risk, according to a new report by Aperio Group.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Investors seeking environmental and social performance alongside financial returns intend to increase their commitments in the market, according to a new report by J.P. Morgan and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
Smart brands are going a step beyond environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting to assess the material costs and benefits of their sustainability investments, according to "The Changing ESG Landscape," a quarterly analyst program hosted by MetaVu and CRD Analytics.
PRESS RELEASE -
Global Brewer Receives Improved Marks for Brand Management, Climate Strategy and Supply Chain Management
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF Venture Capital invests $7.5 million in
U.S.-based company NanoH2O
BASF Venture Capital co-led a $40 million equity round
together with other investors
NanoH2O produces reverse osmosis membranes for
efficient seawater desalination
Ludwigshafen (Germany) and El Segundo (California) – April 30,
2012 – BASF Venture Capital GmbH has invested $7.5 million in the