SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights February 23, 2012

Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Reporting
G&A Institute is the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) sole data partner for the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. As the data partner we monitor, analyze and database information on all Sustainability reports issued in these territories. Recent Sustainability and CR Reports issued in the USA, UK and Ireland are:

USA

• Dakota Provisions Release First Corporate Responsibility Report (Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Source: Dakota Provisions
• Newest Sustainability Report Highlights Eco-Efficient Products, Services and Projects at Sun Chemical (Tuesday - February 21, 2012) Source: Sun Chemical
• AC34 Sustainability Plan released (Friday - February 17, 2012)Source: America's Cup
• Strategic Sustainability Consulting issues 2011 Sustainability Report (Thursday, February 16, 2012) Source: CSR Wire

UK

• Warburtons Releases 2011 Sustainability Report (Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Source: Warburton
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Issues 2011 Sustainability Report (Wednesday - February 22, 2012)  Source: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

ESG / Sustainability

Battle brews over SEC disclosure rules for oil, natural gas firms
(Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Associated Profiles : Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Source: San Antonio Express News - Battle brews over SEC disclosure rules for oil, natural gas firms Express-News Copyright 2012 Express-News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 08:20 p.m...

Fitch ratings agency downgrades Greece from CCC to C, indicating default 'highly likely'
(Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Associated Profiles : Fitch Ratings
Source: AP - ATHENS, Greece - Fitch ratings agency says it has downgraded Greece further into junk status, from 'CCC' to 'C' following the announcement of the details of the country's debt swap deal with private creditors.

Obama Administration Readies Plan to Drop Corporate Tax Rate
(Wednesday - February 22, 2012)
Source: BusinessWeek - The Obama administration will propose today reducing the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 35 percent along with removing tax breaks for companies to help offset lost revenue, an administration official said.

Pressure, Chinese and Foreign, Drives Changes at Foxconn
(Tuesday - February 21, 2012)
Source: NY Times— The announcement Saturday that Foxconn Technology — one of the world's largest electronics manufacturers — will sharply raise salaries and reduce overtime at its Chinese factories signals that pressure from workers...

Coal, not oilsands, causes global warming: study
(Monday - February 20, 2012) Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
Source: CTV British Columbia - One of the world's top climate scientists has calculated that emissions from Alberta's oilsands are unlikely to make a big difference to global warming and that the real threat to the planet comes from burning coal.

The 'secret, corporate-funded' plan to make Americans doubt climate change
(Thursday - February 16, 2012) Associated Profiles : Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
Source: The Week - In a sort of reverse "Climategate," the libertarian Heartland Institute is embarrassed by a major leak. Here, 6 of the highlights

Sovereign Wealth Funds

Who's Buying Gold in China'
(Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Associated Profiles : State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) Investment Company (China)
Source: Resource Investor - China's massive trade surplus is fast shrinking, however. The rate of foreign-currency hoarding is slowing right alongside, but its gold imports just overtook domestic mine output for the year as a whole.

Israel to establish sovereign wealth fund
(Tuesday - February 21, 2012)
Source: MarketWatch - Israel will soon establish a sovereign wealth fund with revenues from oil and natural gas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Sunday. About half of state revenues from oil and natural gas will be put...

Libya: Gaddafi Ghost Still Haunts Investments in East Africa
(Monday - February 20, 2012) Associated Profiles : Libyan Investment Authority
Source: All Africa - Nearly three months since the lifting of sanctions on Libya by the United Nations Security Council, uncertainty surrounds the fate and ownership of businesses owned by Tripoli across East Africa. It has now emerged that the UN ...

Kazakhstan to overhaul $84 billion wealth fund
(Thursday - February 16, 2012) Associated Profiles : National Wealth Fund
Source: Bay News 9 - Kazakhstan's to overhaul its $84 billion national wealth fund after criticism over management

Commentary

Dr China offers sick Europe some advice
(Tuesday - February 21, 2012) Associated Profiles : China Investment Corporation
Source: Sydney Morning News - Once the sick man of Asia, China is now in a posiiton to offer Europe some financial advice.

Asset Managers

Time to Get a Grip on Corporate Governance
(Wednesday - February 22, 2012) Associated Profiles : UBS
Source: PR Newswire - As followers of the news agenda over the past year will recognise, company relations are at a critical juncture. As a result of the executive decisions of certain ...

UPDATE 3-Dubai's Abraaj buys Aureos in emerging market push
(Monday - February 20, 2012) Associated Profiles : Amundi
Source: Reuters - Abraaj Capital, the Middle East's largest private equity firm, sharpened its emerging market focus on Monday with a deal to buy UK-based specialist fund manager Aureos Capital, creating an entity with $7.5 billion in...

Social Media and Mobile Gaming Continues to Grow - Zynga and Sky-mobi Poised to Benefit
(Thursday - February 16, 2012) Associated Profiles : TIAA-CREF ("T-C")
Source: MarketWire - The social media and mobile app market continues to show impressive growth this year. For example, last month's Software & Information Industry Summit in New York featured appeals to publishers ...

This is just a sample of some of the articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights.  You can view the full Highlights by using the following links.  Sustainability | ESG, Highlights for the Week of  February 23, 2012