Unilever is the top Food & Beverage company on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Through Bullfrog Power, Unilever recently became the largest commercial purchaser of renewable energy in Canada at 59,000 MWh per year. What is Unilever’s sustainability strategy and why do they do it? To find out, I took a tour of their Brampton plant and talked to John Coyne, Vice President and General Counsel of Unilever Canada.
For decades HP has worked to manage its environmental impact by adopting environmentally responsible practices in product development, operations and supply chain. At a recent Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series event, Frances Edmonds, Director of Environmental Programs at HP Canada, told the story of how HP developed its sustainability program over the years.
How does sustainability affect raising capital? How do investment banks see sustainability when analyzing opportunities? What’s the point of view from venture capital firms? How does sustainability affect a business’ credit rating? This article looks at the current views from Standard & Poor’s, Toronto-Dominion Bank, MissionPoint Capital and others on this matter. We also look at what a business can do to attract capital.
A new environmental reporting guidance was released by the Canadian Securities Administrators for companies listed on Canadian stock exchanges, including the Toronto Stock Exchange which ranks third in North America and eighth in the world. What is involved and how should public and private companies respond? Let’s take a look.
At the summit in Toronto that drew senior executives from Canada and around the world, one common thread emerged: Capital favours sustainable businesses. Deutsche Bank have more confidence investing in companies that disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. Investors see climate change issues as material to their investment decisions. Accountants see environmental information as an integral part of a company’s full performance picture.