(Knowledge @ Wharton) Bart Houlahan worried about how the coronavirus pandemic would affect B Lab, a nonprofit he co-founded to certify socially responsible companies that create value beyond shareholder portfolios. Thousands of companies around the world have earned the coveted “Certified B Corporation” title since B Lab began in 2007, but during the COVID-19 pandemic,…
(Inside Philanthropy) A lot can change in a decade. Back in 2009, as the world’s economy reeled from crash and recession, a coterie of billionaires gathered over dinner in New York City to talk philanthropy. Oprah was there, and so was New York’s billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg. The late David Rockefeller was in attendance, and…
(nature) Climate change is causing distress, anger and other negative emotions in children and young people worldwide, a survey of thousands of 16- to 25-year-olds has found. This ‘eco-anxiety’ has a negative impact on respondents’ daily lives, say the researchers who conducted the survey, and is partly caused by the feeling that governments aren’t doing…
(NY Times) It marks a major shift for one of the biggest backers of coal-fired plants globally. Still, China remains heavily reliant on new coal plants at home, and is the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases. In a move designed to bolster Beijing’s climate credentials, President Xi Jinping of China said Tuesday that his…
(The Washington Post) President Biden launched a government-wide strategy Monday to combat extreme heat, including the development of new federal labor standards aimed at protecting workers from the impact of rising temperatures linked to climate change. Extreme heat has cost the lives of hundreds of Americans this summer and affected the health and livelihoods of…
(Bloomberg) Amazon.com Inc. said it has added 86 new signatories to its Climate Pledge, expanding the number of companies that commit to aggressively reducing carbon emissions. There are now more than 200 global brands, including Nespresso, ASOS Plc, Procter & Gamble Co., and Salesforce.com Inc., as well as three new signatories in India, who have…
(Bloomberg) Timnit Gebru says regulators need to provide whistleblowers working on artificial intelligence with fresh protections backed up by tough enforcement. Read more here.
(WSJ) An increasing number of companies are tying the interest rates on their corporate loans to environmental and other sustainability targets as they face pressure from investors and regulators to go green. Sustainability-linked loans carry interest rates that adjust based on whether a company meets a predetermined environmental, social or governance goal, such as reducing…
(CNBC) Breakthrough Energy, a non-profit founded by Gates in 2016, announced Monday that it has secured investments from Microsoft, BlackRock, General Motors, American Airlines, Boston Consulting Group, Bank of America and ArcelorMittal. The Washington-headquartered firm said the money will be used to fund its “Breakthrough Energy Catalyst,” a project launched earlier this year that’s aiming…