Sharp perspectives. Deep expertise. Cutting-edge innovations. Purposeful Connections is your bi-weekly source for the latest in purpose and ESG. Subscribe here.
This Halloween, let’s talk about something truly scary: the state of our planet. While September’s Climate Week is past and COP28 is still a month away, it’s crticial to keep climate conversations active. The SEC’s recent decision to remove ESG factors from 2024 audit priorities is proof of how polarizing ESG has become—but it doesn’t mean that companies should back down from their environmental commitments. Action and urgency will be just as important in the months and years ahead.
Investing in a greener tomorrow 🌲
The Nature Conservancy is going high tech. The environmental nonprofit is putting its considerable endowment—$3 billion, to be exact—to work to protect nature and promote sustainability through strategic investments in the business sector. Promising startups the Conservancy is backing include Overstory, which uses satellite data to prevent wildfires, and Yard Stick, a sensor which measures the carbon levels stored in soil on forms. By investing a portion of the endowment in climatech startups, the organization hopes to accelerate the development of sustainable technologies and practices. // Fast Company—Why the Nature Conservancy is investing some of its $3 billion endowment in startups
America’s greenest companies 🪴
The climate crisis presents urgent, complex challenges, but initiatives like Newsweek's America's Greenest Companiesoffer hope. Created in partnership with Plant-A Insights and GIST Impact, this new ranking evaluates companies on greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste generation, and transparency. We are proud that CCOP client Whirlpool Corporation was recognized for their Net Zero 2030 commitments, which include energy retrofits, onsite renewable energy investments, and adherence to World Class Manufacturing standards. // Newsweek—America’s Greenest Companies
An ESG update to watch ⏳
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has removed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues from its audit priorities for 2024. Critics argue that the decision reflects a lack of commitment to sustainable investing and may discourage companies from prioritizing ESG practices. However, supporters believe that the SEC's decision is a result of the evolving nature of ESG reporting and the need for clearer standards. Either way, it’s a move to watch closely through the end of the year, and signals that discourse around ESG may continue to be turbulent in 2024. // Forbes—SEC removes ESG from 2024 audit priorities, is ESG faltering?
The start of a big MO(nth) 🩺
Tomorrow marks Movember 1st…we mean November 1st! Each year, Movember aims to “change the face of men’s health” over the month of November, with a focus on raising awareness about prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. The movement celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. // YouTube—The Mo is Calling
Listen to this episode and others 🎧 What kind of company would you create if you could start from a blank slate? Organon, a spin-off from Merck, had this unique opportunity to define a new mission, establish a board of directors, and unify its impact around a commitment to the global health of women and girls. Listen to Geralyn Ritter, EVP of Corporate Affairs, Sustainability & ESG, as she walks through how Organon was established to create meaningful change and empower women to live their promise.