Top Stories
Platts on 08/13/10: Mining Companies Must Disclose Safety Violations Under New US Law
Workplace safety records for companies with US mining operations, in the spotlight since the Upper Big Branch blast, will be more visible to investors, as federal regulators prepare to enforce a law requiring them to detail violations and fines meted out by the Mine Safety and Health Administration in their financial disclosure forms.
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The New York Times on 08/05/10: Investors Ask Oil, Insurance Groups to Disclose Safety Plans
A coalition of mostly institutional investors is demanding oil and gas
companies disclose their existing safeguards and plans of action in the
event of another offshore rig disaster and possible oil spill like the
one experienced by BP PLC and other companies in the Gulf of Mexico. More
Bloomberg on 08/05/10 - California, New York Pension Funds Demand Detail on Oil Groups Spill Plans
The investors sent letters to the chief executive officers
at 27 oil and gas producers such as Exxon Mobil Corp and
insurance companies including American International Group Inc.,
asking them to detail their capability to prevent or respond to
an accident, as well as what they learned from the Gulf spill.
U.S. states, through their public pension funds, invest in such
companies as ConocoPhillips and Chevron Corp. More
Marketplace on 08/03/10: Extracting Oil from Canadian Sand Pits
Canada has some of the most oil in the world, and about half of it comes
from the "oil sands." Oil companies use some of the most expensive,
energy intensive technology to extract the oil from the sand -- which
leaves an impact on the environment too. More
Huffington Post on 07/26/10: The Senate Punts Recklessly on Energy and Climate
Even in hyper-partisan modern Washington one would have thought that, in the end, the Senate would have more plain sense than to turn its back on comprehensive energy and climate legislation this year. But that's exactly what it did last week. More
New York Times on 07/25/10: Health Rules Could Cut Greenhouse Emissions
A proposed rule on mercury, a pollutant bad for fish and the people who eat too many of them, could help the administration of President Barack Obama get near its short-term climate goal, even if the U.S. Congress fails this year or next to pass a bill tackling greenhouse gases directly. More
Asia Water Project on 07/22/10: SEC's Climate Change Guidance Could Mean Increased Scrutiny of Overseas Supply Chains
Jim Coburn, a senior program manager at Ceres, writes about the impact of a new guidance from the U.S. SEC on climate change disclosure. The guidance is likely to improve reporting of the risks and opportunities relating to climate change, including impacts on water. More
Boston Globe on 07/11/10: Green Firms Uniting to Flex Political Muscle
Several green-friendly businesses — including many young tech companies not yet household names — are the regional face of a multimillion dollar lobbying effort aimed at key senators across the country. Their effort is backed by some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands and Fortune 500 companies, lending their corporate names to persuade Congress to support climate and energy legislation on Capitol Hill. Read more
Huffington Post on 07/09/10: BP Drops the Ball, Nike Scores
The World Cup. The BP Oil Spill.Both are reverberating around the world. But in one, you have a
company who responded poorly to risk. In the other, you have one meeting
it head on -- a soccer header if you will. What exactly do the World Cup and the BP oil spill have in common? More
New York Times on 07/09/10: Utilities Face the Decision Point of Big Shifts -- to Gas, Renewables and Efficiency
With or without a climate bill, electric utilities are shifting their investments to efficiency measures that cut long-term costs and integrate more natural gas and renewable energy into their power supplies, according to a new report. More
BusinessGreen on 07/08/10: Record Proxy Season as Shareholders Crank Up Climate Demands
July 8, 2010 - Pressure on US firms to develop climate change policies has reached record levels, according to new figures from ethical investor coalition Ceres showing that more than 100 climate and energy-related shareholder resolutions were filed during this year's proxy season. More
Huffington Post on 07/01/10: Outdoor Industries: Feeling the Heat from Climate Change
Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, blogs about growing effects of climate change on businesses in the outdoor industry. Outdoor pursuits will be among the first activities widely altered by climate change, and many of the $750 billion outdoor industry's largest companies are getting vocal about it. More
Responsible Investor on 06/24/10: $10 Trillion Investor Group to Act Big on Big Oil and Insurance
The Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), an investor coalition representing $10trn of assets, is planning to write to oil majors – as well as insurers and re-insurers – in the wake of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Rob Berridge, senior manager of investor programs at Ceres, said the INCR is currently drafting the letter. More
| | Press Releases
Investors Press Energy Companies to Better Disclose Spill Prevention and Response Plans
August 5, 2010 - In the wake of significant financial losses from the BP oil spill, more than 50 global investors have sent letters to major energy companies asking them to disclose information regarding their risk oversight measures, including spill prevention and response plans. More
Asset Management Firm Legg Mason Join Ceres' Network of Companies
July 12, 2010 - Ceres is pleased to welcome Legg Mason Global Asset Management (Legg Mason) into its network of companies. Legg Mason is one of the largest asset management firms in the world, with $658 billon in assets under management. More
New Report: U.S. Electric Utilities Must Embrace Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency to Compete in 21st Century
July 8, 2010 - To remain competitive, U.S. utilities will need to provide cleaner, low-carbon electricity while enabling customers to reduce energy use, according to a new Ceres’ report. More
Investors Achieve Record Results on Climate Change
July 7, 2010—Investors filed a record number of resolutions in 2010 pressing companies to boost attention to the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. More than 100 climate and energy-related resolutions were filed with 88 U.S. and Canadian companies -- nearly 50% higher than last year. More
New Report Profiles the Emissions Performance of the Top 100 Power Companies in the U.S.
June 29, 2010 - A new report comparing the air pollutant emissions of America’s 100 largest electric power producers offers important insights into the trends shaping the electric power industry and some of the strategies that companies are using to improve their environmental performance. More
Mutual Funds Boosting Focus on Climate Change When Voting Their Proxies, New Report Finds
June 16, 2010 - The financial world increasingly understands that climate change will have far-reaching business impacts on a wide array of industries. And that’s translating into ever-growing support by many of the nation’s largest mutual funds in favor of climate-related shareholder resolutions filed with U.S. companies. More
New Report: Canada's Oil Sands Face Significant Financial and Environmental Risks as Great as Those in BP Spill
May 17, 2010 - While public attention is focused on widespread environmental and financial damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a new Ceres report released today shows that the environmental and financial risks of producing oil in Canada's vast oil sands region may be even greater. More
BICEP Statement on Discussion Draft of U.S. Senate’s “American Power Act” Energy and Climate Legislation
May 12, 2010 - Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), a coalition of major U.S. businesses, issued the following statement on today's release of a discussion draft of the U.S. Senate's energy and climate bill. Read Statement
Ceres President Issues Statement at Annual Conference Condemning Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill; Calls for Policy Actions to Reduce Dependence on Oil and other Fossil Fuels
May 5, 2010 - As the Gulf Coast community braces for what may be one of the biggest environmental disasters the United States has ever faced, it’s time for our great nation to forge a new path toward a cleaner energy future. The oil spill is so out of control that it could make the Exxon Valdez oil spill – the event that sparked the launch of Ceres 21 years ago – seem like a walk at the beach. Read more
Nationwide Discount Retailer Target Joins BICEP Business Coalition Advocating Strong Energy and Climate Policy
May 5, 2010 - Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), a coalition of major American businesses that has been pushing hard over the past 18 months for passage of comprehensive energy independence and climate legislation in the U.S., announced today that Target Corporation has joined the coalition. Read More
Forging the Roadmap to Sustainability:
2010 Joan Bavaria Awards Go to Tim Smith and Center for Political Accountability
May 4, 2010 - Investment advocate Tim Smith of Walden Asset Management in Boston and the Center for Public Accountability in Washington D.C. were honored last night by Ceres and Trillium Asset Management as this year’s winners of the third annual Joan Bavaria Awards for Building Sustainability into the Capital Markets. Read More
New climate change report rates political and regulatory environments as top concerns by corporate risk managers
April 26, 2010 - A survey of risk managers on how climate change risk is perceived and dealt with by their businesses reveals the political and regulatory environments are top concerns among risk managers, survey sponsor Zurich Financial Services Group announced today. More
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