Lara Abrams Communications

Ceres Conference…

Saturday, April 15th, 2006

…No, I didn’t have a chance to go, because Jon and I were in the midst of moving. However, for those of you who don’t know what Ceres is all about - and would like to learn more - here is a brief overview, as excerpted directly from their website:

Ceres (http://www.ceres.org) is a national network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses. Ceres is renowned for its unique ability to bring diverse groups together to find positive solutions for complex environmental and social challenges. For example, in May 2005 at the United Nations, Ceres brought together representatives of U.S. and international pension funds representing $5 trillion in capital to address the profound investment risks and emerging business opportunities driven by climate change. This groundbreaking event received media coverage around the world.

Mission

Ceres’ mission is to move businesses, capital, and markets to advance lasting prosperity by valuing the health of the planet and its people.

Core beliefs

Ceres works closely with a select group of companies that have made public commitments to stakeholder engagement, public disclosure, and performance improvements. The 85-member Ceres coalition and our 70-plus partner companies share these core beliefs:

• environmental stewardship and company value are strongly linked;
• the bedrock of sound corporate governance is measurement and disclosure;
• responsible companies must provide their investors and stakeholders complete and transparent information about their environmental performance.

History

Ceres was formed in 1989 as a groundbreaking partnership between leading environmental groups and institutional investors. Ceres emerged just as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska motivated the environmental and investor communities to push for higher standards of corporate environmental performance and disclosure. That work resulted in the creation of the Ceres Principles, a pioneering 10-point code of corporate environmental conduct that has led to the widespread adoption of environmental principles by companies worldwide.

In 1997, Ceres launched the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which has now become the de-facto international standard for corporate reporting on economic, social and environmental performance. Since 2002, GRI has been an independent institution. Today over 700 companies from around the world use the GRI reporting guidelines.

In 2002, Ceres launched the Sustainable Governance Project to raise global climate change and other emerging sustainability issues as significant risks that must be addressed by corporate boards and investment fiduciaries.

Programs

Ceres’ work falls into four areas:

Company Programs The Ceres coalition of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups engages directly with companies on environmental and social issues. Over 70 companies have become "Ceres Companies" by making public commitments to stakeholder engagement, public disclosure and performance improvements through Ceres. Companies believe these actions lead to long-term business value and improved management quality.

Industry Programs Ceres brings investors and environmental experts together with companies and industries to find solutions to a range of environmental problems. Ceres is coordinating dialogues on climate change in the electric power sector, working with oil companies to protect biodiversity and address climate change, supporting regional efforts to address climate change in the northeastern U.S. and Canada, and working with the insurance sector to adequately assess environmental risks.

Sustainability Reporting Programs Ceres is widely recognized as a leader in stakeholder engagement and corporate sustainability reporting. Since founding the Global Reporting Initiative in 1997, Ceres has promoted the adoption of the GRI by U.S. companies and has assisted many corporations in developing their reports. Ceres has also developed the Facility Reporting Project and created the Ceres-ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards to recognize outstanding sustainability reporting by North American companies.

Investor Programs Ceres works with investors worldwide to improve corporate and public policies on climate change and other environmental, social, and corporate governance issues. As part of this mission, Ceres launched and coordinates the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), an alliance of four-dozen leading U.S. and European institutional investors with assets of over $2.7 trillion. Through INCR, Ceres has mobilized major institutional investors to press companies for climate risk analysis and disclosure.

Interestingly, there is another organization, called the Investor Network on Climate Risk (http://www.incr.com), an organization which was launched in 2003.  Not so long ago.  In 2003, eight state and city treasurers and comptrollers, and two major labor pension fund leaders launched the organization with the goal of promoting a better understanding of the risks and opportunities posed by climate change among institutional investors.  Essentially - a group that decided it was time to do a little pr on behalf of Mother Nature, and get investors gung-ho and involved.  Today, the company has grown  from a $600 million alliance of 10 investors to a $3 trillion alliance with more than 50 members. 

The organization works quite closely with Ceres.org, and it’s fascinating to see what they’re accomplishing.  Check it out.  And Happy Easter, Happy Passover…whatever you may celebrate — enjoy the weekend…

L 

 

 

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

^ back to top

 

Contact Lara Abrams

To contact Lara, please email her at lara@laraabrams.com or call 415 613 1704.