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Sustainability Practice Network: 2011-12 Meeting Program
September 13 2012, 6-8 pm
Venue: CUNY Baruch College, Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity, 55 Lexington Avenue at East 24th Street, NYC
Invited Panelists: Deborah Goldberg – Managing Attorney, Earthjustice; Terry Engelder – Professor, Penn State University; Joe Martens – Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation; Brad Gill – Executive Director, Independent Oil and Gas Association; Walter Hang – President, Toxics Targeting
Moderator: TBA
The process of drilling for natural gas, commonly known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," continues to be a polarizing issue in communities across the country. The promise of a new source of cleaner domestic energy needs to be weighed against the potential environmental dangers fracking may hold.
Fracking has the potential to provide a domestic source of energy that pollutes less than coal and petroleum when burned. Expansion of the practice would provide jobs and income to thousands in many economically depressed areas and may lessen America 's dependence on foreign energy sources. However, fracking requires injecting sand, water and chemicals deep into the ground, presenting the potential for a number of serious environmental dangers to communities. It also requires an enormous industrial footprint and can contaminate groundwater supplies miles from the fracking site.
Recently, the debate over fracking has taken on greater political importance. For example, some residents in economically distressed areas in upstate New York support the process because they believe it will bring jobs and raise property values. Others believe that the potential environmental devastation far outweighs fracking's potential energy and economic benefits. New York 's Governor Andrew Cuomo appears to be seeking a compromise by allowing fracking in selected areas that approve the process on a local level. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council oppose this plan.
Our panel of experts will discuss how fracking is being addressed in the political and policy arenas. Do supporters of fracking exaggerate its economic benefits while understating its environmental harm? To what extent will fracking benefit local communities and not just the entrenched interests of the mining industry? Do opponents overstate the potential for environmental degradation? Should the decision to allow fracking be left to individual communities? If we reject fracking, what are the implications for the development of alternative sources of energy?
Please RSVP events@sustainabilitypractice.net
October 23 2012, 6-8 pm
Co-host
New School for Social Research, Food Studies & Environmental Studies
Venue: New School for Social Research, 65 West 11th Street NYC, Lang Cafeteria, Ground Floor
Panelists: Alice Varon, Executive Director of Certified Naturally Grown; Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Director, Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group, Consumers Union/Consumer Reports; Howard Brandstein, NOFA-NY, Policy Committee; Jeff Canavan, Deputy Director of Labeling and Program Delivery, USDA;
Invited: Gregory Jaffe, Center for Science in the Public Interest; Megan Eppler, PASA/Food Alliance Certified; Linda Hoodes, National Organic Coalition;
Moderator: Alan H McGowan, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Eugene Lang College New School for Liberal Arts
In our upcoming panel discussion, we will investigate food labeling from a variety of policy perspectives -- from current debates about mandatory labeling genetically engineered (GE) foods to voluntary certifications, like "Organic."
On November 6, 2012, California 's voters will decide whether to support Proposition 37 which would require labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways" and would prohibit such foods from using the label natural."
Anyone who has paused in the supermarket aisle and pondered the meaning of natural" might want to know what that means (or doesn't mean, in the case of Prop 37). Those in favor of labeling emphasize consumers' right to know what's in their food and how it is produced. For instance, many genetically modified plants have been designed to resist proprietary pesticides. Opponents of Prop 37 argue that mandatory GE labels will unnecessarily raise food costs, hurt small businesses and farmers, create frivolous lawsuits, and saddle California with more bureaucracy and red tape." Further, opponents of GE labeling claim: Respected scientific and medical organizations throughout the world have concluded that biotech foods are safe." Interestingly, labeling opponents believe that consumers who want to buy non-GE food already have an option – buying foods Certified Organic" which cannot be produced with any GE ingredients.
Where do you stand on this matter? For the big picture, we will discuss food labeling in general in the United States. We will explore what food labels currently tell consumers (and what they do not). And, the panel will look at the interplay between mandatory labeling and voluntary certifications, such as Organic, Fair Trade and Animal Welfare Approved.
We hope to provoke discussion about the balance between government's role in providing transparency in the food marketplace and consumers' and producers' responsibility to understand the origin of their food.
Please RSVP events@sustainabilitypractice.net
November 13 2012, 6-9 pm
Co-hosts
NYU Stern - Social Enterprise Association
Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc
Venue: NYU Stern / Social Enterprise Association – Kaufman Management Center , 44 West 4th Street NYC NY – 11th Floor Conference Room 11-185
Invited Panelists: Mike Wallace, Director of Focal Point US, Global Reporting Initiative; Michael Muyot, President and Founder, CRD Analytics; Louis Coppola, Senior Vice President, Governance & Accountability Institute; Kip Cleverly, Director of Global Sustainability, International Flavors and Fragrances
Moderator: Mark A. Serwinowski, President & Founder, Metavu
The GRI US Focal Point was officially launched at the NYSE on Monday January 31, 2011 with great fanfare. Since the launch there has been tremendous growth in companies reporting on their Environmental, Social, and Economic performance through the Global Reporting Initiative's Framework. In 2010, US based companies published roughly 180 reports, and in 2011 approximately 333 reports were published according to the Governance & Accountability Institute, the GRI Data Partner in the US. Though this growth is certainly significant, how material are ESG performance metrics to corporate decision making?
On the investor side, more and more mainstream investors are including ESG factors into their portfolio management using information gleaned from sustainability focused GRI reports to make decisions on best long term value and growth. These asset managers are identifying opportunities that others in the markets may be missing. Are there tangible indications that Wall Street's singular focus on quarterly financial performance has been modified by an increasingly higher rate of corporate ESG reporting?
This panel of experts will look at the current status of GRI reporting in the US from an investor and corporate perspective. What are the obstacles to broader corporate reporting? What are the value drivers and benefits? What processes and cultural factors contribute to best corporate ESG reporting? And how is this information being used by Investors?
February 12 2013, 6-8 pm
Co-hosts
NYU Stern - Social Enterprise Association
Venue: NYU Stern / Social Enterprise Association – Kaufman Management Center, 44 West 4th Street NYC NY – 5th Floor Room KMC 5-50
Invited Panelists: Sergej Mahnovski, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability; Ernest Tollerson, NYS MTA; Donna Walcavage, FASLA, LEED AP Principal/Vice President AECOM; David Gmach Director Public Affairs, ConEd; Rob Pirani, Vice President for Energy and Environment, Regional Plan Association
Moderator: Klaus Jacob, Geophysicist, Columbia University
Climate change means higher sea levels and extreme storms are the new normal. Hurricane Sandy , snow in Jerusalem , heat waves in Australia , and other recent weather events underscore the importance of preparing for climate variability. As these changing weather patterns create uncertainty, local governments, businesses and communities face the question of how to reduce their contributions to climate change, adapt to its effects and prepare for the next natural disaster.
Sandy caused unprecedented damage to hundreds of communities and has led to a critical examination of all options for enhancing resilience. PlaNYC has explored long-range climate questions in its waterfront planning which would require development projects that need city approval to plan for sea level rise. NYC's new city-managed development projects are being elevated out of the floodplain. A recently passed amendment to the zoning code amendment will make it easier to elevate electrical equipment to building roofs. The city is also working with FEMA to update floodplain maps, which will inform planning and zoning and trigger building code requirements. Local jurisdictions face many questions as they move to rebuild. With rising sealevels, what is the best method for rebuilding? If we rebuild along the same footprint, are we setting ourselves up for the same vulnerabilities?
For many cities like NYC, a comprehensive adaptation strategy will include soft measures, such as restoration of wetlands and oyster beds, and zoning changes, as well as hard adaptation measures with major infrastructural development including levees, sea walls and barriers. Perhaps there are lessons we can learn from the Dutch who have built massive storm surge barriers. We should be asking such questions as: What is the role of ecosystems and green infrastructure in protecting against storms? Should the solution involve more hardscape or greenscape or a combination?
March 27, 2013, 6-8 pm
Co-hosts
NYU Stern - Social Enterprise Association
Save-the-Date
Venue: NYU Stern / Social Enterprise Association – Kaufman Management Center, 44 West 4th Street NYC NY – 11th Floor Conference Room 11-185
Invited Panelists: Russell Tencer, CEO, Wind Analytics; David Roe, VP of Energy Solutions at Hess; Cai Steger, Energy Policy Analyst, National Resources Defense Council; Anthony Fiore, Director, Office of Energy NYC Department of Environmental Protection; Ricardo Gotla, Legislative Director, New York League Of Conservation Voters
Moderator: TBA
In February's State of the Union (SOTU) speech, President Obama called for renewed efforts to advance alternative energy. He urged Congress to "pursue a bipartisan, market based solution to climate change" and to develop "every available source of American energy." For Obama this includes wind and solar power as well as fossil fuel reserves, namely, a clean energy standard where utilities would be required to obtain 80% of their power from non-petroleum and coal sources by 2035.
The speech also highlighted the complexity of the energy transition facing our economy with calls for accelerated natural gas exploration to boost energy independence and reduce emissions from more polluting fuels, combined with innovative financial efforts to reduce building energy use and to wean cars off fossil fuels.
Obama urged that we be competitive in the international clean energy markets, "as long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we." But even as Obama touted alternative energy, he also made it clear that natural gas production --with stronger environmental protections -- was also on his list of initiatives. His administration will speed up new oil and gas permits, he said, as well as research ways to burn natural gas in a cleaner manner.
The most interesting proposals came towards the end: an Energy Security Trust funded from gas and oil royalties to "support research into a range of cost-effective technologies" aimed at shifting cars and trucks off oil. Lastly, Obama called to "cut in half the energy wasted...over the next twenty years" with an energy efficiency race to the top," the states with the best ideas for more efficient building would receive federal support.
There's plenty of room for debate around America 's energy future. Is expanded gas drilling and use truly a transition step toward a carbon free future? What measures will be taken to increase wind and solar production and drive down costs? Has the natural gas boom hindered the spread of alternative energy? Will the EPA be directed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions? Will the Energy Security Trust receive Congressional approval and if it does, will it be effective? Which states are best positioned to receive energy efficiency funding?
Join representatives from the solar, wind, and energy efficiency sectors to discuss these and other questions and Obama's SOTU energy proposals during a panel on alternative energy in Obama's second term.
Please RSVP events@sustainabilitypractice.net
April 25 2013, 6-8 pm
Co-host
The Yes Lab at the Hemispheric Institute at NYU
Venue: The Einstein Auditorium (room 105) in the Barney Building (34 Stuyvesant St at E.9th St)
Invited Panelists: Andy Bichlbaum, co-founder of the Yes Men; Amielle DeWan, Director of Conservation Research and Monitoring at RARE Conservation; Shin Furuya, Vice President of Investment Research and Engagement Specialist at Domini Social Investments;
Josh Levin, Senior Program Officer in Finance & Commodities at World Wildlife Fund; Soledad Milius, Director of Standards, Governance, & Accountability at Equitable Origin
Moderator: Conan Magee
What can you do when you have a problem with how a company behaves?
While companies are made-up of generally well-intentioned people seeking to do their respective jobs, nevertheless we end up with the BP Macondo oil spill, fires at factories in Pakistan, unsafe financial products, tax dodging, exploitation of workers, risky chemicals in consumer products and the environment, and climate change, just to name a few of the impacts of industry on society. When government fails to prevent harm, what can the rest of us do to hold for-profit behavior accountable to our social values?
Change seekers have pioneered a diverse array of strategies and tactics to influence the behavior of businesses, from protest to partnership and litigation to investment. These groups and individuals vary, too, in the issues they pursue and scale of their actions.
Our April panel includes leaders representing a wide variety of approaches to changing corporate behavior. We'll talk about how they pick their battles, what tactics they've found the most productive, who they target with their messaging efforts, and how various activist approaches reinforce or undermine each other. Input in the conversation from activists, companies, and others in the audience will also be encouraged.
Please RSVP events@sustainabilitypractice.net
May 8 2013, 6-8 pm
Host Baruch College
Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity
Venue: Baruch College's Newman Conference Center, 151 E 25th Street (between Lex and 3rd), Room 750
Panelists: Erika Karp,UBS; Mariela Vargova, Rockefeller & Company; Bruce Kahn, Columbia University / Earth Institute; Mark Tulay, GISR (Ceres); Rina Levy, Bloomberg LP
Moderator: Hank Boerner, President, Governance and Accountability Institute
Despite the increasing interest regarding corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) behaviors, the investment community continues to struggle with how best to incorporate ESG factors into corporate valuation models. At the same time, companies find it difficult to define materiality as it relates to their business practices and associated risks, let alone quantify and report on the effects of these behaviors.
Case-after-business case demonstrates that lower risk and greater rewards stem from better environmental and social performance. Recent corporate sustainability initiatives include Berkshire Hathaway’s switch to gas from oil to power rail train engines, and the continuing success of GE’s broad based, branded "Ecomagination" products and services offerings. Still, the impact on financial markets is miniscule compared to the totality of considerations and methodologies that determine valuations.
What are the ESG performance metrics, societal issues and cultural trends that investors need to consider to more astutely quantify corporate valuation? What do investors really need to know about a company’s ESG record to accurately value the enterprise? What ESG factors must a corporation disclose today and what will be expected of corporations in the future?
Please join our panel of experts to explore this important topic in pursuit of sustainable development.
Please RSVP events@sustainabilitypractice.net
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