IN THIS ISSUE

• Column: December 2004
• Feature Articles
• News
• CSR/SRI Conferences
• TBLI Conference
• CD Rom 2004
• TBLI Award
• Lectures & Teaching
• New Publications
• Jobs: Great jobs in the SRI/CSR business

New Year, Old Excuses

Despite the passage of time, the same old excuses for failing to embrace SRI seem to abound. Much like people make the same New Year's resolution to quit smoking and loose weight every year, the pack-a-day habit persists and the weight stays on......That is what I was starting to write, but reflecting on the past year, I must admit that a significant tipping point is being reached.
I just returned from a very large event on the BOP(Base of the Pyramid) in California, called Eradicating Poverty Through Profit. For an event held late in the year, it was packed with over 900 attendees. During that event, where I was chairing two sessions, many representatives of family offices, private banks, foundations, and high net worth investors approached me to see if Brooklyn Bridge could help them with introducing their clients and staff to sustainable investment. This was occurring on the tail end of similar activity and requests we were receiving in Europe. Some of these projects, we have already initiated in Europe. Were wealthy investors and philanthropists reevaluating the concept of philanthropy with its end of pipe approach. Could you invest money, achieve returns, have reduced risk and have a positive influence on society, thus reducing the need for philanthropy? I believe so, and it seems more and more are believing or at least having an open mind
I couldn't think of a better holiday gift or New Years resolution.

Robert Rubinstein

Brooklyn Bridge-Angel of the Month
The winner of this month's Angel of the Month is Trudy Rubingh. How do you describe Trudy? She is someone who can have a party by herself in a phone booth. When she walks into a room, however somber the situation, she lights it up with enthusiasm, happiness and joy. Equally at home playing with children or making elderly people feel totally accepted, wanted, and loved. In spite of serious health problems which has often made it impossible for her to walk, she remains positive, full of energy and excitement.

Trudy fully understands the concept of service to us all. Applause. We wish you the best of health for the New Year.

Christmas Quote

"There is a wonderful, mystical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."
Author:Unknown

Enjoy your holidays and the best wishes for the New Year to you, your family and everyone and everything close to you.

FEATURE ARTICLES

Motivation: Attitudinal and Behavioral Drivers for Action
MPG International, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Association of Opinion and Marketing Research Professionals (ESOMAR).  (PDF Format)
This report takes a first step at identifying trends that may be inhibiting consumer acceptance of sustainability. Unfortunately, the report’s lack of methodological rigor and refusal to identify research participants and information sources makes it hard to draw concrete generalizations from the results. On the other hand, the report reveals some of the attitudes and structural problems that may be barriers to mainstream consumer acceptance and adoption of sustainability. At least it is a start in conducting much needed research.

Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis
Marc Orlitzky, Frank L. Schmidt, Sara L. Rynes (PDF Format)
This research paper examines fifty-two studies on the correlation between corporate social environmental performance and corporate financial performance. It is a good overview of recent studies on the issue of financial performance and the Triple Bottom Line. The conclusions indicate that corporate social, and to a lesser extent environmental, responsibility is likely to pay off.

Beginning with the January 2005 Newsletter, Brooklyn Bridge / TBLI Group will be presenting monthly feature article written by staff or a member of our network. Feature articles will focus on current trends and investment opportunities in the field of SRI, TBLI and Corporate Governance, offering a source of new information and insights. If you have an idea for an article, or would like to submit an article for publication that meets this criteria, please send a letter to the editor.

NEWS

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
Green Capitalism (Registration Req.)
Shareholder Advocacy: Blue-State Public Pension Funds Counter GOP
Two Reports Reveal Proxy Votes Rubber-Stamp Management Recommendations
Tougher Criteria to be Introduced for FTSE4Good Index Series
Mutual Funds Give Climate Change Proxy Resolutions a Cold Shoulder
What Price a Social Conscience?
Investing in your Beliefs
Time Magazine: The Feel-Good Funds
Outsourcing - A Case For Focus And Examination?
South Africa: Pension Reforms Threaten Social Investment

SCREENING & REPORTING
The Myth of Socially Responsible Investing
Non-Financial Reporting: Corporate Storytelling
Green Reports Shun Supply Chain

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate Conscience Stuck in a Ghetto
Is CSR a Movement for Change that is Underachieving?

COPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate governance has dark side and bright side
Better Governance and Reporting Under Sarbanes-Oxley (Registration Req.)
Calpers’ Battle on Corporate Governance May Only Just Be Beginning
Corporate-Governance Champion Ousted
Investors: We Won’t Police ‘Fat-Cat’ Pay

CLIMATE CHANGE
U.S. Firmly Anti-Kyoto as U.N. Climate Talks Start
CO2 cuts not an issue in China
California and Chicago Climate Programs Join Forces to Harmonize Certification
HSBC Bank to Go Carbon Neutral
Leading bank helps fund new wave of ’green’ research
US GHG Emissions Increases to 6.94 Billion Tonnes in 2003
Renewables Receive Euro 5.3 Billion of Energy Subsidies in Europe


We select a variety of current news items that cover a broad range of issues from different perspectives around sustainable finance and asset management, corporate social responsibility, climate change, and corporate governance. Please let us know if there is a story we should include in next month's newsletter.

Do you have a comment or reaction on any of the material presented in the TBLI Newsletter? Send a letter to the editor. Letters to the editor may be published in future newsletters.

CONFERENCES

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EMISSIONS TRADING: DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE RISK AND TRADING
14-15 February 2005, Central London, UK

BUSINESS/NGO ENGAGEMENT: HOW TO CREATE WIN-WIN OUTCOMES
22-23 February 2005, London, UK

CLEANTECH VENTURE FORUM VI
24-25 March 2005, San Francisco, USA

CALL FOR CONSULTATION INPUT
Consultation on Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), European Comisssion

CALL FOR PAPERS
International Social Entrepreneurship Research Conference
22-24 April, 2005 IESE Business School - Barcelona, Spain
Submit full papers by January 10th, 2005 via e-mail to iserc@stern.nyu.edu

Do you have an upcoming event that you would like to post in the TBLI Newsletter? Send a letter to the editor. We have limited space, so we may not be able to post all the announcements that we receive.

TBLI Consulting is pleased to announce several new packages of consulting, education, and information services. These service packages are customized to meet the needs financial institutions, business organizations, non-governmental organizations and government entities at a substantial discount from base service rates and hourly rates. Details are now available on the TBLI Consultancy website.

NEW SERVICE - TBLI INVESTOR SALON offers a unique opportunity for financial institutions, asset managers, and private banks to market existing or new socially responsible investment products to prospective or current clients. These events can help your organization build better relationships with your investors.

Click here to go to the Consulting website.

Contact Robert Earhart for more information.

3IG Secretary General
The International Interfaith Investment Group (3iG), founded in 2004, provides the world’s Faiths with a reliable and creative vehicle that enables them and their members to harness the economic power of their assets, including shares, land, properties, water resources, and intellectual properties to support and promote programs, policies and practices that are consonant with their shared values and beliefs.

MBA & MA Scholarships
International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility
Six scholarships for students from EU countries developing countries to study at Nottingham University Business School (UK) E-mail for information.

Credit Analyst
Nonprofit Finance Fund (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

Director of Producer Business
FLO International (Bonn, Germany)

Internships
International Business Leaders Forum (London, UK)

Code of Conduct Area Compliance Manager
Levi Strauss & Co. (Chennai, India)

If you would like to post a job opening, email jobs@tbli.org. Please be sure to include an Internet link that can be posted so that interested applicants can obtain more information.