November 14, 2006
.......................................................................................................................................... In an Era of Corporate Social Responsibility, what is the role of the Courts?
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Venue: Credit Suisse Auditorium
Panelists: Mitchell Bernard, Litigation Director, NRDC; Chris McKenzie, Director, Beveridge & Diamond PC; Chris Walker, Managing Director of Greenhouse Gas Risk Solutions, Swiss Re.
Moderator: Chris McKenzie, B&D Law, cmckenzie(at)bdlaw.com
Historically, changes as momentous as the mainstreaming of environmentalism or sustainability required extensive courtroom
battles between activists and the status quo, often all the way to the supreme court (cf. Abolition of slavery, equal rights, civil rights).
Social unrest related to corporate dominance began in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States with attacks on corporations like
the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation for assisting in the attach of the Allende government in Chile and Dow Chemical for
producing agent orange. As Jane Anne Morris wrote in Corporate Social Responsibility: Kick the Habit, in the 1970s corporate management began
to "answer to the people" out of fear of prosecution or reputational destruction. This social unrest resulted in the first "surge" in corporate
social responsibility that many would argue was voluntary, but cheap and temporary. How has the definition of a corporation and
shareholder/office protection impacted sustainability and corporate cultures changes towards sustainability? The Federal Corporate Sentencing
Guidelines were developed by the Federal Sentencing Commission to ensure that good behavior was rewarded and that certain operations would
allow officers to prevent breaches of certain legislations that may put the corporation at risk (Young and Young 2003). The guidelines even
go so far as to make recommendations for appropriate corporate behavior. If legislation continues to address corporate behavior and the
mitigation of corporate risk, what role will the courts play? And as corporations evolve and embrace CSR how will legislation evolve? Will
GHG emissions regulation follow the pattern of the Voting Rights Act, for example?
December 12, 2006
.......................................................................................................................................... Messaging Sustainability - Trend or Sign of Systemic Change?
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Venue: Citigroup Smith Barney
Panelists: Michael Connor (CRO/Business- Ethics), Anthony Russell (The
Corporate Good) and Nicholas Eisenberger (GreenOrder)
Moderator: Helena Barton, DNV, helena.barton(at)dnv.com
Corporate responses to environmental risks are receiving more and more publicity through articles, editorials and advertising in the media - see recent editions of Time, Newsweek, Fortune and Vanity Fair as well as national newspapers, television news programs and cinema features. This panel discussion will explore the recent increase in media coverage of environmental issues (and broader corporate responsibility topics) alongside the growing number of companies reporting on their sustainability initiatives. Is this just a vogue - 'eco-chic' - or does it reflect a wider embrace of the idea that corporations are accountable to a broader range of stakeholders? How are companies measuring the value of communication on environmental and social issues? How are they integrating corporate responsibility into their brand processes? How are they strategically marketing their superior environmental and social performance? What risk, if any, does this pose to their brand and reputation?
January 9, 2007
.......................................................................................................................................... Quarterly Earnings Treadmill: Barrier to Sustainability or Keeping it Real?
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Venue: Smith-Barney or NYAS, NYC
Panelists: Jeffrey MacDonagh, Domini Social Investments, Marc Brammer, Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, John L. Manley, Jr., CFA, Managing Director, Citigroup Investment Research
Moderator: Bruce Kahn, Smith Barney, bruce.m.kahn(at)smithbarney.com
America has long been criticized as a country in need of instant gratification; the same could be said for some shareholders. CEOs are beholden to
Wall St and analysts' expectations regarding the magical 'quarterly earnings' results ('Real men make their numbers'), but how can the game be changed so
that management can make long-term plays and still deliver meaningful quarterly and annual results in a market that is dominated by hedge funds, day traders,
and speculation? Betsy Morris of Fortune magazine recently challenged Jack Welch's old rules of management with a new set:
New Rules
Old Rules
1.
Agile is best, being big can bite you
Big dogs own the street
2.
Find a niche, create something new
Be No. 1 or No. 2 in your market
3.
The customer is king
Shareholders rule
4.
Look out, not in
Be lean and mean
5.
Hire passionate people
Rank your players, go with the A's
6.
Admire my soul
Admire my might
What has pushed management to re-examine Welch's rules that have (in the quarterly earnings respect) been successful? Are these the best "new rules"?
What are the risks associated with these new rules? Which corporations may be using the old rules but seeking to reform? Welch still argues that his rules
are sustainable in the long term. Is that an accurate statement? Do American corporations need to change the rules- that is sacrifice some immediate benefits
for longer term investments?
February 13, 2007
.......................................................................................................................................... How Can Shareholder Activism & Engagement Influence Corporate Behavior?
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Venue: NYU Stern School of Business; The Commons, Ground Floor; Kaufman Management Center
Panelists: Victor De Luca, President, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation; Daniel E. Rosan, Director of Public Health and Access to Capital Programs,
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility;
Moderators: Steve Godeke, Godeke Consulting
N. Gregory Pettit, Senior Vice President, Financial Communications, Hill & Knowlton
Aligning one's investments and values can be very challenging - even for Bill Gates. In a recent series in the LA Times, the $35 billion Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation was criticized for holding companies in its investment portfolio with business activities directly at odds with the foundation's
charitable mission. In our panel discussion, we will review the experience of investors who seek to combine their investment and mission goals:
What are the current social and environmental issues for shareholders?
What is the relationship between corporation responsibility issues such as the environment and corporate governance issues such as board compensation?
What obligations do institutional investors such as foundations and universities have to align their investments with their missions?
How can mutual fund investors influence the actions of mutual fund managers?
What are the range of tools open to shareholders such as resolutions and proxy votes?
April 10, 2007, 6-8:30pm
.......................................................................................................................................... The Post-Multinational Corporation: Can new business models deliver business growth alongside social, environmental and development progress?
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Venue: Deloitte, 4th Floor - Meeting Rooms A, B, and C
2 World Financial Center, 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10002
Panelists: Sasha Dichter, Director of Business Development, Acumen Fund
Heather Grady, Director, Policy and Partnerships, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Michele Kahane, author of "Untapped: Creating Value in Underserved Markets"; Director, Special Projects, Center of Corporate Citizenship, Boston College
Kathryn D Pavlovsky, Senior Manager, Global Environment & Sustainability Group, Deloitte
Moderator: Michelle Dow, The Corporate Citizenship Company
'The emerging business model of the 21st century is not the 'multinational' company, but rather a 'globally integrated enterprise' whose new goal is the
'integration of production and value delivery worldwide', according to Sam Palmisano, Chairman and CEO of IBM (Foreign Affairs, May/June 2006).
Such globally integrated enterprises can deliver enormous economic benefits to developed and developing nations: raising living standards, improving working
conditions and creating more jobs in those countries. But this shifting model of globally integrated enterprises presents big challenges for leaders in
every sector of society.
This panel will explore whether new models of multinational corporations can achieve business growth while also creating opportunities for economic,
social and environmental development in emerging markets and low income groups.
The panelists will explore:
How multinational companies and their business models are changing, and why
How new business models are bringing opportunities to low income people and communities - whether as consumers, employees or producers
What the less positive impacts of the new models might be on developing markets, such as impacts on domestic competitors, public policy and local livelihoods
The necessary factors (legislation, engagement, corporate commitments or collaborations) to ensure MNCs have an ethical or equitable impact on developing economies and the people living in them
Examples of scaleable multi-stakeholder partnerships and initiatives to address social and environmental development challenges
April 25, 2007
.......................................................................................................................................... Earth Day Symposium: Sustainable Design
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Venue: The Great Hall of Cooper Union
7th Street between 3rd Ave and Layfayette
Panelists: Dinah A. Koehler, Sci.D. Social Scientist, Office of Research and Development, US EPA
Catherine Nueva Espana and Emilie Hagen, Atelier Ten, Consulting Environmental Designers
Nancy E. Anderson, Ph.D., Executive Director, the Sallan Foundation
Moderators: Bruce Kahn and Jennie Nevin, Smith Barney Financial Advisors and members of Sustainability Practice Network
Topic: How are sustainable design strategies being implemented and how do they effect us?
By incorporating sustainable issues, how does it improve our living environment and what are some of the long-term benefits. What are some of the latest sustainable/green design strategies?
June 12, 2007
.......................................................................................................................................... Innovation
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Venue: Credit Suisse 11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Panelists: Ron Gonen, CEO Recyclebank, Rick Steele, CEO Nuride, Michael Gordon, President & Founder of ConsumerPowerline, Jeff Wolfe, CEO of groSolar
Moderator: Michael Gresty, Kinetix [business ecology], m.gresty(at)kinetixllc.com
A corporation's organizational framework must facilitate and encourage employee innovation and risk-taking. Frequently, integral decision
making must occur at lower employee levels where people have the greatest information on products, markets, customer feedback and relationships.
It is critical that innovation across employee levels is encouraged and supported, but how can a corporation ensure innovation and more importantly,
sustainable innovation? How do companies internalize a culture and process to ensure consistent innovation? GE's 'Ecomagination' initiative to
double global revenue from environmental products by 2012 has radically shifted public attention from the company's reputation as an environmental
laggard to a new role as an eco-innovator. Other companies such as Pfizer (green chemistry) and Toyota (hybrid technology) claim growing markets
for their products among both consumers and businesses. Arthur D. Little's recent report, The Innovation High Ground, finds that as many as 95% of
companies believe that such 'sustainability-driven innovation' has the potential to deliver business value and almost 25% believe it definitely will.
As these companies begin to invest in eco-ventures, we ask what this trend implies for consumer environmental choice and for present and past
corporate environmental challenges? Where are sustainability-driven innovators headed and what can other companies learn from them?
