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Venture Capital Crucial to Push for ‘Ethical’ AI and Tech Standards

By lucidcapitalism | March 16, 2022

(INSEAD Knowledge) Venture capitalists’ role as funding source and mentor of tech start-ups makes them uniquely placed to press for more responsible use of technology. When whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed last year that Facebook knew about the impact of its products on teenagers and the extent of misinformation on its platforms, it was only the…

Oil’s ‘biggest supply crisis in decades’ could slow economic growth, IEA says—and open the road up for green energy

By lucidcapitalism | March 16, 2022

(Fortune) So says the world’s foremost energy watchdog, which just released a new report on the global outlook for oil, its first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It predicts slower economic growth this year, but more opportunities for countries to transition away from oil altogether. The International Energy Agency’s latest oil market report states that…

Every VC needs an education in ESG

By lucidcapitalism | March 16, 2022

(GreenBiz) When it was founded roughly 23 years ago, Salesforce was unique in many ways, not just for its core product — software delivered only via the “cloud” — but also for its early embrace of what has become the Pledge 1% movement. It’s a model that designates 1 percent of the company’s equity, revenue,…

Reporting Quality of ESG Issues High on Boardroom Agendas

By lucidcapitalism | March 15, 2022

(Banking Exchange) A new Deloitte survey of 300 senior finance, legal, and sustainability executives shows that the growing expectation for high-quality ESG reporting information is high on the boardroom agenda. Findings from Deloitte revealed that leaders are working toward “more reliable and timely” data, with investments in technology, controls design and implementation resources, and a…

Climate-positive, high-tech metals are polluting Earth, but solutions await

By lucidcapitalism | March 15, 2022

(Mongabay) The rapid development of renewable energy technologies — including wind, solar and hydropower, and the commercial success of hybrid and fully electric vehicles — are helping put the world on track to achieve a net-zero carbon economy and meet Paris climate agreement targets. Yet these positive advances rely on a small number of “technology-critical…

Equal Pay Day 2022: The gender pay gap may get bigger as women return to work after COVID

By lucidcapitalism | March 15, 2022

(Fast Company) We used to say certain things were changing at a “glacial pace” to indicate just how slowly the shift was happening. Given the state of the climate, soon the glaciers may be melting faster than the gender wage gap is closing. According to a new report from PayScale—released on Equal Pay Day, which…

With ESG on the Rise, Asset Managers Target the Murky Underbelly of Supply Chains

By Shu Dar Yao | March 15, 2022

(Institutional Investor) These risks are not trivial: As of 2017, 40.3 million people worldwide were victims of modern slavery, which generates $150 billion in profits annually in the United States alone, according to the International Labor Organization, a subsidiary of the United Nations.  But it’s not easy for investors to reliably get information about companies’…

How California Is Building the Nation’s First Privacy Police

By lucidcapitalism | March 15, 2022

(The New York Times) Mr. Soltani, 47, a privacy expert who once served as the Federal Trade Commission’s top technologist, has to overcome the lack of precedent. So he has reached out to groups not exactly adjacent to what his agency will be, like the racing board and others, for help navigating his new position.…

Executive Pay Tied to ESG Goals Grows as Investors Demand Action

By lucidcapitalism | March 14, 2022

(Bloomberg Law) Chipotle, McDonalds, Caterpillar, and other companies are increasingly tying executive pay to environmental, social, and governance goals as more investors, regulators, and activists scrutinize corporate behavior. Executive pay is usually tied to meeting key financial metrics, such as profit margins or return on equity for shareholders. Now, companies are calculating portions of executive…

Labor Department digging into what action to take with ESG

By lucidcapitalism | March 14, 2022

(Pensions & Investments) The Department of Labor under the Biden administration has made environmental, social and governance investing a key focus during its first year-plus in office and is now seeking public input on a wide array of questions around climate change and retirement savings that could lead to further guidance or requirements, industry sources…