I invented a new word for ‘climate change.’ Should I use it?
The word "overkill" sounds new age, but it’s actually ice age. ... Read More
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Environment & Climate, Fair Trade, Finance & The Social Economy, Media, Communications & Publishing
Fair Trade, Finance & The Social Economy
Do carbon offsets really work? It depends on the details.
The market for offsets is booming as companies seek to burnish their green credentials. But only some investments make a difference. ... Read More
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Environment & Climate, Fair Trade, Finance & The Social Economy
How people came to believe that individual choices could save the Earth
John Javna wrote the book on personal responsibility in 1989. Then he did an about-face. ... Read More
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Reflections from a Field Builder: The Next 25 Years of Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing
While offering the standard disclaimer that past performance is no guarantee of the future, I nevertheless offer some predictions for, and reflections about, the future of sustainable and impact investing. The field has grown from $639 billion in assets in 1995 to $8.72 trillion in 2016. It... Read More
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Sustainable Development Goals: Will The World Stick to Its New Year’s Resolutions?
As those of us who struggle to keep our resolutions know, following through on a New Year’s commitment isn’t easy. This year, however, the world has big plans. Last September, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015, 193 countries signed on to tackle 17 goals and... Read More
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Fair Trade, Finance & The Social Economy, Environment & Climate
2016 Sustainable Investing Themes: ESG Integration, Climate Change and Inequality
Sustainable investing is gaining momentum and increasingly taking its place at the center of mainstream investment conversations. We believe we are at a critical moment of change where integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into quality investment strategies is... Read More
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People, Planet, Profit: The Rise of Triple-Bottom-Line Businesses
Colleen Cordes’ State of the World 2014 chapter, “The Rise of Triple-Bottom-Line Businesses,” explores the role of ethical capitalism in the quest for sustainable economies. Entrepreneurs are beginning to challenge business as usual, infusing ethics into the... Read More
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Green or Greedy? Corporations’ Role in Global Sustainable Development
As national governments struggle to resolve pressing global challenges, corporations are positioning themselves within the United Nations framework as efficient players and crucial partners in international policy debates. But with their immense economic and political sway, can... Read More
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Has China’s Economic Shift Really Ended the Commodity Super-cycle?
The most recent economic “super-cycle,” a decades-long trend of rising commodity prices, has been influenced by the surging growth of China since the turn of this century. Now, as China begins its shift from an export-led growth model to a model based on internal investment and consumption,... Read More
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Energy, Fair Trade, Finance & The Social Economy, Environment & Climate
Global Economy Inches Upward as Environmental and Social Concerns Mount
New Worldwatch Institute analysis examines global economic trends and associated challenges Washington, D.C. — National progress is often measured almost exclusively by growth in the gross domestic product, or GDP. Yet as the global economy inches upward, actual social... Read More