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In This Issue
Editor's Note
The Power of Partnerships
“Cross-sector collaboration” may sound like a mouthful, but in this week’s feature article, BSR Vice President Kara Hurst unpacks its meaning and highlights the potential for great progress when business, government, and civil society work together on sustainability challenges.
Hurst notes that in addition to advancing progress more effectively, partnerships give business the opportunity to engage the next generation of leadership. “Working with partners across sectors is not only the best way to address complex environmental challenges or seemingly entrenched labor issues,” Hurst writes. “It is a way for business to practice, learn, engage, and evolve.”
With proxy season upon us, we also look at shareholder activism. According to a new report, shareholder activism is more effective at driving changes in corporate strategy and behavior than other tactics, including public criticism, dialogue with companies, and civil disobedience.
Finally, we highlight a report that says consumer support for clean energy is declining in the United States.
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In Depth
How Partnerships Give Business Power, Prescience, and Potential
By
At BSR, we have seen game-changing solutions to complex, systemic issues, from conflict minerals to women’s health. The common denominator? Cross-sector partnerships.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Shareholder Activism, SRI Identified as Useful Tools for Change
By Laura Gitman, Managing Director, Advisory Services, BSR
Shareholder activism and socially responsible investing (SRI) are viewed as important tools of social and corporate change, according to a recent SustainAbility and GlobeScan study (available with free registration).The study, which surveyed more than 640 sustainability experts from 77 countries, revealed that shareholder activism is more effective at driving changes in corporate strategy and behavior than other tactics, including public criticism through social and traditional media, dialogue with companies, and civil disobedience. Findings suggested that only product boycotts and preferential purchasing are more effective than shareholder activism. At BSR, we have found that shareholder activism has been most powerful in driving governance changes, increasing corporate reporting and transparency on sustainability issues, and raising attention to critical issues such as conflict minerals. Companies should look to engage their investors proactively and communicate about their material environmental, social, and governance issues, which can help them avoid shareholder resolutions and ensure their progress aligns with investor expectations.
Toolbox
Report: U.S. Consumer Support for Clean Energy Waning
In the United States, consumer support for clean energy declined significantly between 2009 and 2011, according to a report released last month by Pike Research, a sustainability market research company. Pike’s annual Energy and Environment Consumer Survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults found that the average percentage of consumers with an “extremely” or “very” favorable view of 13 clean energy concepts declined from 50 percent in 2009 to 43 percent in 2011. Among the 13 concepts surveyed, biofuels suffered the largest decline in favorability, dropping 17 percentage points to 39 percent in 2011 from 56 percent in 2009. Carbon offsets and nuclear power garnered the highest percentage of unfavorable reactions, scoring 25 and 23 percent, respectively. Other concepts on the interview list included solar energy, wind energy, clean coal, hybrid vehicles, natural gas cars, electric cars, smart grid, smart meters, cap and trade, and LEED certification.
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