Ceres Roadmap for The 21st Century Corporation

CERES ups the ante with a new report detailing the roles and responsibilities of corporate stake holders in the low carbon economy. Given the backers of CERES including major institutional investors such as CalPERS, I would expect this document to have some impact.

A couple of words from the very first line caught my eye - 'win' and 'resource-constrained'. These words are meaningful to investors and management. They indicate what the risk (of being left behind, hit by consequences) and opportunity (what is source of new value) are about.

Reuters has an article (Time for next stage of sustainable business) talking about the ceres report.

The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability

Companies must make immediate and meaningful social and environmental improvements if they are to win in the resource-constrained 21st century.

That’s the message of a new Ceres report outlining the urgency, vision and competitive advantages for companies that fully embrace sustainability in their business as energy prices rise, water supplies are increasingly contested and the world’s population grows.

"Sustainability performance is fundamental for business success in the 21st century,” said Mindy S. Lubber, president of the investor coalition Ceres, which published the report, The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability. “If businesses deepen their efforts to solve social and environmental threats, it will position them to innovate and compete in the fast-changing, resource-constrained global economy. It is no longer enough for companies to have special projects or initiatives. Comprehensive sustainability strategies are expected.”
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Anne Stausboll, chief executive officer of the California Public Employees Retirement System, voiced strong support for the report's key findings.

"We expect our portfolio companies to do what is necessary to position themselves for a sustainable economy," said Stausboll, whose office oversees more than $200 billion in assets. "Environmental and social issues are core to business performance in the 21st century. We are looking for companies that are managing these risks and developing opportunities.