Strategic CSR - Bank of America
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
6d ago
The article in the url below contains a headline that I don't see very often:   "Bank of America Pledged to Stop Financing Coal. Now It's Backtracking."   What strikes me about it that is different is not that companies are not taking climate change seriously or that they are saying one thing and then doing the opposite (both of which have always been true), but that they feel comfortable saying so, so directly. In other words, backtracking like this is exposed by the media, all the time, but it is rare to see the company announce its own backtrack:   "Two years ago, Bank of Am ..read more
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Strategic CSR – Solar
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
1w ago
This graph from the article in the url below, for me, sums up the challenge inherent in many renewable energies: The chart shows a single day (October 11, 2020) and plots demand for electricity in South Australia against the amount of electricity generated by solar power. Of course, this issue would not matter so much if we could adequately store solar energy and transport it over long distances. Since we haven't solved those challenges, we need to use solar energy as we create it, but that might not be when it is in most demand, as the chart demonstrates. No doubt, the challenge of repla ..read more
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Strategic CSR - COP 28
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
2w ago
I thought Bloomberg's summary of the agreement reached at COP 28, last December, was telling. First, the good news (with an essential qualification, right at the end, my emphasis): "The latest UN climate summit ended with an announcement that nations have committed to transitioning away from all fossil fuels. … The deal calls for countries to quickly shift energy systems away from fossil fuels in a just and orderly fashion, albeit in a non-binding deal." Then, quickly followed by the reality check: "The history of adherence to such pledges is spotty at best. After a ple ..read more
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Strategic CSR - Coal
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
2w ago
With the newsletters, I am going to start mixing up the level of insight I provide, with some longer in-depth commentaries (as usual), and some shorter, harder-hitting points, like this quote that I read in the article in the url below about the inertial trajectory of coal consumption:   "While coal remains the world's biggest source of electricity, the increase in renewables installations is outpacing rising demand for power. Moving away from coal will be a critical part of the global fight to reduce carbon emissions."   To be clear, this is the point I wanted to highlight: &n ..read more
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Strategic CSR - EVs
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
3w ago
Following on from Tuesday's newsletter, the data in the article in the url below represent an additional challenge to the wider adoption of EVs:   "Americans are keeping their cars longer than ever. The average age of a passenger vehicle on the road hit a record 12.5 years [in 2023], according to data gathered by S&P Global Mobility. Sedans like Holdsworth's are even older, on average – 13.6 years."   Why is this happening?   "Blame it mainly on the pandemic, which in 2020 triggered a global shortage of automotive computer chips, the vital component that runs everything fro ..read more
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Strategic CSR - Electricity
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
3w ago
The article in the first url below argues that, for all the talk about the shift to electrification, and the focus on producing electrical versions of goods already in existence (e.g., EVs; see Strategic CSR – EVs), we are not nearly as prepared as we think to transition:   "It makes sense: Electrification is often the fastest and cheapest way to decarbonize our energy consumption. The technologies to decarbonize electricity already exist and are, for the most part, readily deployable at a large scale by the private sector. But here's a sobering fact about all the talk of the 'elect ..read more
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Strategic CSR - Allbirds
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
1M ago
The article in the url below records the rapid rise and equally dramatic fall of Allbirds – the once trendy "eco-friendly wool sneakers worn by Silicon Valley tech bros." The story also highlights the obvious fact about business (life?), which has always been true – good intentions do not necessarily lead to good outcomes. And, in particular in the marketplace, good intentions do not replace the need to have a great product:   "It turns out that not everyone wants to dress head-to-toe in merino wool, which although better for the environment than nylon or polyester, isn't as du ..read more
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Strategic CSR - Sea temperatures
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
1M ago
The article in the url below hints at the extent to which climate change is accelerating: "The exceptional warmth that first enveloped the planet last summer is continuing strong into 2024: Last month clocked in as the hottest January ever measured. … It was the hottest January on record for the oceans, too. … Sea surface temperatures were just slightly lower than in August 2023, the oceans' warmest month on the books. And sea temperatures kept on climbing in the first few days of February, surpassing the daily records set last August." The graphic accompanying the article makes the differe ..read more
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Strategic CSR - LGBTQ+
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
1M ago
The article in the url below frames one of the most challenging issues in implementing strategic CSR – how does a company know what their stakeholders truly care about? In other words, how can company leaders better understand the real interests and demands of the firm's stakeholders. There are certainly plenty of examples to demonstrate that what stakeholders say and what they do are different (and potentially diametrically opposed – see Strategic CSR – Uber, Strategic CSR – United, and Strategic CSR – Accountability):   "Most consumers want brands to support inclusion. But when they do ..read more
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Strategic CSR - Child labor (II)
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
by David Chandler
1M ago
The article in the url below provides an update on my recent newsletter about child labor in the U.S. (see Strategic CSR – Child labor (in the U.S.)). I think the report reveals a remarkably quick reaction from the companies that were named in The NYT's initial article:   "Now, McDonald's says it is requiring private inspectors to review overnight shifts at slaughterhouses that provide some of its meat, where children as young as 13 were cleaning heavy machinery. Suppliers for Ford Motor Company must now scrutinize the faces of employees when they arrive for work. Costco is commissioning ..read more
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