CSRHub Blog Research on ESG metrics and comments on sustainability best practice

Join us for part 2 of our two part webinar series on January 20^th, 2016 with two of the field's foremost sustainability practitioners – ‘internal’ strategic advisors to the CSR reporting for many of North America's most well-known companies – and designers of the world’s largest database of ‘external’ Sustainability/ESG ratings. Lorinda Rowledge, PhD, Cofounder of EKOS International, and Cynthia Figge, COO and Cofounder of CSRHub and Cofounder of EKOS, provide practical advice and succinct "lessons learned” on CSR reporting.

During Webinar 401: Using Your Sustainability/ CSR Report for Real Market Advantage on January 20^th, 2016: 

Participants will learn how to increase the positive impact of their Sustainability Report -- improving environmental performance, increasing brand value, connecting with customers, engaging employees, and accelerating a culture of continuous improvement.

If you have been publishing a Sustainability/CSR Report for several years and wonder how to improve it and reach more stakeholders who really care, this webinar will address:

• Trends in Sustainability/CSR reporting in the US and globally
• Amping up the benefits of CSR reporting to various stakeholder groups including customers, investors, employees, communities and partners
• Managing ESG and mainstream investor expectations for reporting
• Ways to leverage your public reporting to improve your ESG analyst ratings
• New reporting standards including GRI G4 and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)
• Evolving software platforms for reporting your metrics and KPIs
• Comparative CSR ratings and benchmarking your progress
• Resources and recommendations

Register for Part Two here.

Miss Part 1, Creating a Winning First Time Sustainability/CSR Report? See the slides or watch the webinar here.

Cynthia Figge is a forerunner and thought leader in the corporate sustainability movement who co-founded EKOS International in 1996, one of the first consultancies integrating sustainability and corporate strategy. Cynthia is COO and Cofounder of CSRHub. Cynthia has worked with major organizations including BNSF, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Dow Jones, and REI to help craft sustainability strategy integrated with business. She was an Officer of LIN Broadcasting/McCaw Cellular leading new services development, and started a new “Greenfield” mill with Weyerhaeuser. She serves as Advisor to media and technology companies, and served as President of the Board of Sustainable Seattle. Cynthia has an MBA from Harvard Business School. Cynthia is based in the Seattle area.

Lorinda Rowledge is Partner and Co-founder of EKOS International, and Founding Provost Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Lorinda has for over 20 years helped executives of leading global companies integrate sustainability and business strategy. She co-authored Mapping the Journey: Case Studies in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies. Prior to co-founding EKOS, from 1986 to 1994, Lorinda was one of four partners managing the Deltapoint Corporation, a consulting and publishing firm leading in advanced Japanese management systems. Lorinda has led 5 Executive Study Missions to Europe and Japan, Lorinda holds a Ph.D., specializing in Organizational Psychology, from the University of Oregon.

Join our two part webinar series on both November 18^th, 2015 and January 20^th, 2016 with two of the field's foremost sustainability practitioners – ‘internal’ strategic advisors to the CSR reporting for many of North America's most well-known companies – and designers of the world’s largest database of ‘external’ Sustainability/ESG ratings. Lorinda Rowledge, PhD, Cofounder of EKOS International, and Cynthia Figge, COO and Cofounder of CSRHub and Cofounder of EKOS, provide practical advice and succinct "lessons learned” on CSR reporting.

During Webinar 101: Creating a Winning First Time Sustainability/ CSR Report, on November 18^th, 2015:

Participants will learn how to increase the positive impact of their Sustainability Report -- improving environmental performance, increasing brand value, connecting with customers, engaging employees, and accelerating a culture of continuous improvement.

Whether you are tackling your first or evolving your nascent sustainability/ corporate social responsibility report, this webinar will help you improve your reporting. They will address:

• The strategic context for sustainability/CSR reporting
• Benefits of CSR reporting to stakeholder groups
• Evolving investor and market expectations for reporting
• Report content: determining what to report
• Metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs) & measurement
• Pitfalls typical for first time reporters
• Creative direction and storyboard
• Insights in CSR report project planning
• Communicating your report to stakeholders
• Company CSR ratings & benchmarking
• Lessons learned & recommendations
• Resources for creating your CSR report

Register for Part One here.

During Webinar 401: Using Your Sustainability/ CSR Report for Real Market Advantage on January 20^th, 2016: 

Participants will learn how to increase the positive impact of their Sustainability Report -- improving environmental performance, increasing brand value, connecting with customers, engaging employees, and accelerating a culture of continuous improvement.

If you have been publishing a Sustainability/CSR Report for several years and wonder how to improve it and reach more stakeholders who really care, this webinar will address:

• Trends in Sustainability/CSR reporting in the US and globally
• Amping up the benefits of CSR reporting to various stakeholder groups including customers, investors, employees, communities and partners
• Managing ESG and mainstream investor expectations for reporting
• Ways to leverage your public reporting to improve your ESG analyst ratings
• New reporting standards including GRI G4 and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)
• Evolving software platforms for reporting your metrics and KPIs
• Comparative CSR ratings and benchmarking your progress
• Resources and recommendations

Register for Part Two here.

Although this webinar is a two part series, it is not required to sign up for both. Choose the webinar best suited to your needs.

Cynthia Figge is a forerunner and thought leader in the corporate sustainability movement who co-founded EKOS International in 1996, one of the first consultancies integrating sustainability and corporate strategy. Cynthia is COO and Cofounder of CSRHub. Cynthia has worked with major organizations including BNSF, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Dow Jones, and REI to help craft sustainability strategy integrated with business. She was an Officer of LIN Broadcasting/McCaw Cellular leading new services development, and started a new “Greenfield” mill with Weyerhaeuser. She serves as Advisor to media and technology companies, and served as President of the Board of Sustainable Seattle. Cynthia has an MBA from Harvard Business School. Cynthia is based in the Seattle area.

Lorinda Rowledge is Partner and Co-founder of EKOS International, and Founding Provost Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Lorinda has for over 20 years helped executives of leading global companies integrate sustainability and business strategy. She co-authored Mapping the Journey: Case Studies in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies. Prior to co-founding EKOS, from 1986 to 1994, Lorinda was one of four partners managing the Deltapoint Corporation, a consulting and publishing firm leading in advanced Japanese management systems. Lorinda has led 5 Executive Study Missions to Europe and Japan, Lorinda holds a Ph.D., specializing in Organizational Psychology, from the University of Oregon.

By Bahar Gidwani

Apple’s recent decision to reveal details about its supply chain practices has provoked a storm of articles, comments, and protests. Although I already offered my thoughts on this subject in a previous post, I wanted to point out some articles our readers might have missed.

The first article appeared just last week. It tied Apple’s release of a new iPad to the “human cost” of that device. As you may guess, the author—who has personally visited some of Apple’s factories—did not encourage his readers to rush out to buy this new product.

Another article a few weeks ago had a similar message regarding the iPhone. The author examines whether or not we should feel guilty, if we own and use an iPhone—you can guess his conclusion.

Finally, a third article described a protest that greeted the recent opening of a new Apple store.  Interestingly, the author of the first article was taking part in the protest, and is quoted in the third article.

Why would you have missed these pieces? They were printed in the New York Daily News—a decidedly middle market publication that brags about its sports pages and that still has room for two pages of comics. (Although they used to have three pages, not so long ago!) The presence of these articles in “mainstream media” is another proof that supply chain performance has become a mainstream concern. Apple has shaken the tree and is reaping the fruits of its labor! We are happy to see supply chain concerns becoming core consumer and business issues.

Bahar Gidwani is a Cofounder and CEO of CSRHub. Formerly, he was the CEO of New York-based Index Stock Imagery, Inc, from 1991 through its sale in 2006. He has built and run large technology-based businesses and has experience building a multi-million visitor Web site. Bahar holds a CFA, was a partner at Kidder, Peabody & Co., and worked at McKinsey & Co. Bahar has consulted to both large companies such as Citibank, GE, and Acxiom and a number of smaller software and Web-based companies. He has an MBA (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School and a BS in Astronomy and Physics (magna cum laude) from Amherst College. Bahar races sailboats, plays competitive bridge, and is based in New York City.