Corporate Social Responsibility

Consider this: a report that isn't confined to a piece a paper, that contains financial and non-financial information, that is shareholder friendly, and interactive. It's One Report, and it's here.

The SEC voted to issue an interpretive release providing guidance for disclosures relating to climate change. While the release imposes no new disclosure obligations, it does serve to remind reporting companies that a number of existing SEC disclosure regulations may require disclosure of certain matters relating to the potential effects of climate change.

The SEC has announced that it is encouraging companies to disclose climate change-related risks. Ceres’ president believes sustainability isn’t merely about mitigating risk, it’s about increasing opportunity. She discusses Ceres’ work influencing the SEC and its goal for a sustainable economy by 2020.

In 1996, Delaware's Court of Chancery made waves in the compliance and corporate law communities when it stated that a director's duty of good faith includes a duty to attempt to assure that a corporate information and reporting system exists, and that failure to do so may, under some circumstances, render a director liable for losses caused by the illegal conduct of employees. While the standard articulated in Caremark was dicta, it created a keener awareness of the importance of board oversight of a company's compliance program, and had a substantial impact on compliance best practices.

Leading board advisers from Alston & Bird LLP and Houlihan Lokey discuss the current state of the market for M&A among energy companies and how directors can take advantage of strategic growth opportunities in the year ahead.

The IT industry is a major consumer of energy and a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. As use of technology intensifies, IT leaders must place environmental sustainability high on their agendas.

Given the increasing demand for companies to address sustainability and corporate social responsibility, boards around the world are sharpening their focus. From the perspectives of risk management and financial reporting oversight, audit committees may have an important role to play in ensuring these issues receive the attention they require.

Legislation over the last several years has greatly expanded the universe of energy tax incentives available to ordinary businesses. The bulk of these incentives are geared toward conservation, energy efficiency, and alternative and renewable fuels. Businesses can also take advantage of many of the energy tax incentives meant for consumers or the energy industry.

It used to be that businesses addressed corporate social responsibility issues such as environmental practices and labor standards through professional functions such as legal, HR, communications, and corporate philanthropy groups. But those discussions and concerns are moving from cubicles to the c-suite and the boardroom as companies come under increasing pressure to address these issues at the highest strategic level.

This report looks at corporate social responsibility (CSR) and what is driving privately held businesses to adopt CSR related practices. It also examines what initiatives are being adopted and which countries are adopting CSR formally. CSR is no longer the domain of the large corporate and is now a necessity rather than a choice for all businesses. Those failing to act now face an uncertain future.