SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights August 11, 2011

Newly Added Profiles

• World Water Forum (July 28, 2011)
• One Water (July 22, 2011)
• Water Working Group III: Water Conflict Resolution in the United States and China (July 22, 2011)
• International Water Management Institute (July 22, 2011)
• China-UK Water and Wastewater Working Group (July 21, 2011)
• International Programme on the State of the Ocean (July 19, 2011)

ESG / Sustainability

Water Is Now, and Forever, a Human Right
(Source:  The Epoch Times)  Last year, on July 28, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the human right to water—a right that is essential for life itself. This past week, at the one-year commemoration of this historic vote, President Evo Morales of Bolivia referred to the right as “la Madre de todos los Derechos,” “the Mother of all Rights.”

G7 financial policymakers from major industrialized nations will stand ready to provide extra cash if markets seize up
(Source: Balkans.com) Political leaders failed to halt a global stock market rout that gathered steam yesterday (8 August) as investors lost confidence that Europe and the United States can rein in their budgets quickly and fear spread of a double-dip recession. The European Central Bank swept into the bond market to buy up Italian and Spanish debt and sling a safety net under the euro zone's third and fourth largest economies. But bickering persisted in Europe over a longer-term rescue plan. Associated Profiles : Standard & Poors

Commentary

The Economy, The Deficit & Jobs: The President’s Max Bialystock Moment  
(Source: Peter Kinder,  VSHQ Featured Commentator )  ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’  That phrase widely attributed to Bill Clinton in his successful 1992 campaign spotlights what’s been wrong with our past two Democratic presidents.  They substituted in their minds a mushy, two-word concept – ‘the economy’ – for one, four-letter word – ‘jobs’.

No-Confidence Vote: Poor governance is at the root of S&P’s downgrade 
(Source: Syracuse)  It’s hard to predict even the short-term effects of Friday’s decision by Standard & Poor’s to lower the credit rating of the U.S. government. It’s never happened before, so it’s uncharted territory. One conclusion is inescapable, however: The consequences won’t be good.  Another sure bet: If Congress and the White House continue their “chicken” game of taking the nation’s economic security to the brink in conducting routine business, things can only get worse.  Associated Profiles : Standard & Poors

CSR Report Special Edition: ESG for Investors, Part One: How Investment Funds Identify and Measure ESG Impacts  
(Source: 3BL Media)  The initial segment of "ESG for Investors -  How Investment Funds Identify and Measure ESG Impacts" is an interview with Anne Simpson, CalPERS, Senior Portfolio Manager for Corporate Governance. Simpson discusses integrating ESG data into financial analysis, and describes the three "P's"—performance, priorities, and procurement— as a framework for capital allocation. The interview is conducted in three parts. Associated Profiles : California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)

Taking stock of your company's social impact  
(Source: Guardian, UK)  If you gave a leading CEO two minutes to tell you about their company's record on the environment, they'd probably give you a few insightful statistics on water, carbon and waste management that would let you know they were focused on the issues that matter and were making progress. Now ask them their about their impact on society and you'll probably still get their donations budget and the number of employees who volunteer – not the interesting and relevant stuff on the difference they've made to their local communities, or how they've been part of solving a big social problem. Associated Profiles : UN - Global Reporting Initiative GRI

This is just a sample of four articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights.  You can view the full Highlights by using the following links.  Sustainability | ESG, Highlights for the Week of August 11, 2011