CSR News Archive
Disclaimer: From time to time the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program shares materials that you may find informative or useful in understanding corporate social responsibility issues. The views expressed in these materials reflect the positions of the outside organization and may not necessarily reflect an official position of ELCA.
Click here to view 2009 Shareholder Network news stories
Click here to view 2008 Shareholder Network news stories
Click here to view 2007 Shareholder Network news stories
Click here to view 2006 Shareholder Network news stories
Click a link below to read the related news story:
Global Handwashing Day
|
October 14, 2010 |
|
Churches Week of Action on Food
|
October 5, 2010 |
|
Fair Trade Month
|
September 30, 2010 |
|
Investor Letter
|
September 21, 2010 |
|
International Day of Prayer for Peace
|
September 16, 2010 |
|
Guide to Safe Tap Water
|
September 2, 2010 |
|
Back-to-School Guide
|
August 25, 2010 |
|
Interfaith Statement for Chemical Policy Reform
|
August 19, 2010 |
|
Access to Clean Water and Sanitation
|
August 12, 2010 |
|
Ad-ucation
|
August 10, 2010 |
|
2010 Trafficking in Persons Report
|
August 5, 2010 |
|
Draft Social Message on Human Disabilities
|
July 7, 2010 |
|
Gulf Oil Spill
|
June 29, 2010 |
|
2009-2010 Resolution Filing Season
|
June 25, 2010 |
|
BPA lining
|
June 9, 2010 |
|
World Environment Day
|
June 3, 2010 |
|
Pay only when you play
|
June 1, 2010 |
Fargo ND Stop-N-Go News
|
May 18, 2010 |
Disclosure in Emerging Markets
|
May 12, 2010 |
World Fair Trade Day
|
May 3, 2010 |
Airline Industry Recycling
|
April 28, 2010 |
|
Proxy Voting Season
|
April 20, 2010 |
Ben & Jerry's
|
April 7, 2010 |
Shareholder Resolution Updates
|
March 31, 2010 |
Easter Good Gifts Options
|
March 23, 2010 |
Intel Water Policy
|
March 22, 2010 |
World Water Day
|
March 17, 2010 |
|
Hybrid Scorecard
|
March 10, 2010 |
|
New Overdraft Rules
|
March 4, 2010 |
|
Making Waves
|
Feb. 25, 2010 |
|
Pesticide Residues
|
Feb. 19, 2010 |
Seven Weeks of Water
|
Feb. 10, 2010 |
Valentine's Day Options
|
Feb. 4, 2010 |
ECPAT disaster/emergency manual
|
Feb. 2, 2010 |
SEC Approves Issuing Interpretive Release on Climate Change Disclosure
|
Jan. 28, 2010 |
Shareholder Resolution Updates
|
Jan. 27, 2010 |
Mindful Living Resources
|
Jan. 25, 2010 |
Filed Shareholder Resolutions/Updates
|
Jan. 12, 2010 |
|
Global Handwashing Day [return to top] |
October 14, 2010 |
October 15 is Global Handwashing Day. All around the world there will be a drive to raise awareness and to promote changes in behavior that can help save lives. "Poor hygiene and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases."
In addition, the World Health Organization's campaign "Clean Care is Safer Care" sets out to improve hand hygiene among health-care workers.
|
|
Fair Trade Month [return to top] |
September 30, 2010 |
October is Fair Trade Month. This year's theme "Every Purchase Matters" encourages one to think about the impact their purchase has, not only on themselves, but on the producers of the products and the environment.
Read the issue paper on sustainability that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Investor Letter [return to top] |
September 21, 2010 |
An open letter  to the investing community:
"As members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and the Investor Environmental Health Network, we are writing in advance of the Toys "R" Us initial public offering to alert you to Toys "R" Us' sale of toys made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, a toxic plastic that poses dangerous risks to children's health."
Read the issue paper on environmental topics that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
Click here to view the ICCR's press release.
|
|
Ad-ucation [return to top] |
August 12, 2010 |
The Web site Admongo offers and education on advertising in a fun interactive way. The teaching tools used help educate children how to make better, more informed choices. It's not just for children - parents and teachers will find this useful as well. Learn more.
|
|
2010 Trafficking in Persons Report [return to top] |
August 5, 2010 |
The U.S. State Department has released the 2010 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report. "The United States takes its first-ever ranking not as a reprieve but as a responsibility to strengthen global efforts against modern slavery, including those within America." The U.S. is committed to combating the crime of human trafficking.
Read the issue paper on human rights that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
2009-2010 Resolution Filing Season [return to top] |
June 25, 2010 |
The 2009-2010 ELCA Shareholder Resolution filing season brought the following results to the thirteen (13) resolutions filed by the Board of Pensions.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
C.R. Bard, Inc. - Sustainability Report - 32.4% vote received at annual meeting
Cimarex Energy Co. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
EOG Resources, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
Gentex Corporation - Sustainability Report - 32.5% vote received at annual meeting
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
Liberty Global, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
NutriSystem, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
PMC Sierra, Inc. - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
Range Resources Corporation - Board Diversity - withdrawn due to constructive dialogue
St. Jude Medical, Inc. - Sustainability Report - 42.8% vote received at annual meeting
Southern Company - Emissions Reduction Report - 9.9% vote received at annual meeting
The Home Depot, Inc. - Equal Employment Opportunity - 26.7% vote received at annual meeting
View the filed 2009-2010 resolutions.
View the issue papers that govern the work of the Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
BPA lining [return to top] |
June 9, 2010 |
How might the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) end up in your food? A recent study released by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice discovered how. The study found detectable levels of BPA in more than 90% of canned foods tested.
View the report entitled No Silver Lining.
Read the issue paper on environmental topics that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Fargo ND Stop-N-Go News [return to top] |
May 18, 2010 |
Cherish Our Children, a ministry of the ELCA recently reported that a Fargo-based convenience store, Stop-N-Go has pulled adult magazines from its shelves.
Through their weekly prayer bulletin, Cherish Our Children encourages one to write and thank owners of convenience stores on their efforts to help combat sexual exploitation.
Read the issue paper on human rights that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Airline Industry Recycling [return to top] |
April 28, 2010 |
Ever wonder where that newspaper or soda can goes when handed over to a flight attendant? Green America has published What Goes Up Must Come Down: The Sorry State of Recycling in the Airline Industry.
Read the report and find out what is and is not being done.
Read the issue paper on environmental topics that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program. |
|
Ben & Jerry's [return to top] |
April 7, 2010 |
Recently Ben & Jerry's announced their commitment to ethical business practices. All of its 58 flavors of ice-cream will be sourced from fair trade certified products by the end of 2013.
Read the press release from Ben & Jerry's.
Read the issue paper on sustainability that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Shareholder Resolution Updates [return to top] |
March 31, 2010 |
The following shareholder resolutions have been withdrawn by the ELCA Board of Pensions due to constructive dialogue with the company.
1) Board Diversity resolution with Intuitive Surgical
2) Board Diversity resolution with NutriSystem, Inc.
View these shareholder resolutions.
|
|
Easter Good Gifts Options [return to top] |
March 23, 2010 |
Looking for a unique basket gift this Easter? Through the ELCA Good Gifts one can choose from a variety of options, such as purchasing ten live chicks. Instead of filling an Easter basket with plastic eggs this year, make a purchase that changes lives.
Additional alternative gift options can be found through Lutheran World Relief:
- Fair Trade Chocolate Project or LWR Gifts.
Read the issue paper on sustainability that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Intel Water Policy [return to top] |
March 22, 2010 |
The following release is from NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. by Julie Goodridge
Intel Inside, Safe Water Outside: Intel Recognizes the Human Right to Water
On the eve of World Water Day (March 22), Boston portfolio management company NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. is pleased to announce successful negotiations with Intel Corporation on the creation of an official Intel policy that supports the human right to water. Intel Corp. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of semiconductor chips, the creation of which requires the ongoing use of large amounts of water.
"This agreement moves beyond the vague promises of water conservation that many corporations purport," says Julie Goodridge, CEO of NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. "It fully commits the company to respecting the human right to sufficient clean water, as well as individuals' rights to be involved in the development of processes that extract water from their communities."
In a post on their Corporate Social Responsibility blog, Intel's Global Environmental Manager wrote that agreeing to this policy "was simply the smart and right thing to do." Intel is the first chip manufacturer to take this bold step, indicating a progressive commitment to the well-being of the communities across the globe where they operate.
Experts in water rights from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) helped NorthStar create a shareholder resolution aimed at urging Intel and other global and local corporations to recognize that their policies around water and water use are not simply manufacturing issues, but ethical ones. To address the multi-faceted nature of water scarcity, NorthStar and UUSC based their proposed policy on the principles expressed in the United Nations' definition of the human right to water: the safety, sufficiency, acceptability, physical accessibility, and affordability of water.
By voluntarily agreeing to respect individuals' human right to water, Intel is furthering its already-established corporate commitment to water conservation. In addition, as part of their promise to "consider the impact on water throughout all stages in [their] operations," Intel affirms its commitment to open communication and engagement on an ongoing basis with the communities in which it operates.
As Intel stated, it is simply the smart and right thing to do.
NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. is a wealth management firm based in Boston, specializing in socially responsible wealth management.
Read Intel's Water Policy
|
|
Hybrid Scorecard [return to top] |
March 10, 2010 |
Thinking of buying a hybrid? A new online tool, the Hybrid Scorecard is available to help one make a more informed decision. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) compared and analyzed over 30 different models.
Read the issue paper on global warming and climate change that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Making Waves [return to top] |
Feb. 25, 2010 |
The Water Channel offers over 400 videos in 24 categories that "brings together insights in today’s water challenges, multimedia expertise, a passion for better water management and better water services for a growing world."
Learn more about the free registration.
Read the issue paper on environmental topics that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Valentine's Day Options [return to top] |
Feb. 4, 2010 |
Unique gift options abound for that special person in your life this Valentine's Day. The following are just a few ways to support those who produce and farm fairly traded products.
- Green America's Green Gift Guide
- TransFair USA's Gifts of Fairness
Read the issue paper on sustainability that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
ECPAT disaster/emergency manual [return to top] |
Feb. 2, 2010 |
To further their work in protecting the rights of children against sexual exploitation, ECPAT/USA has a available a free, downloadable manual, Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation & Sexual Violence in Disaster & Emergency Situations.
Download the manual in English or Spanish
Read the issue paper on human rights that governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate Social Responsibility program.
|
|
Shareholder Resolution Updates [return to top] |
Jan. 27, 2010 |
The following shareholder resolutions have been withdrawn by the ELCA Board of Pensions due to constructive dialogue with the company.
1) Board Diversity resolution with Cimarex Energy Co.
2) Board Diversity resolution with Range Resources Corporation
View these shareholder resolutions.
|
|
Filed Shareholder Resolutions/Updates [return to top] |
Jan. 12, 2010 |
The following shareholder resolutions have been filed through the ELCA Board of Pensions.
1) Board Diversity - Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2) Board Diversity - Liberty Global, Inc.
The following shareholder resolutions have been withdrawn by the ELCA Board of Pensions due to constructive dialogue with the company.
1) Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2) EOG Resources, Inc.
3) PMC Sierra, Inc.
View these shareholder resolutions.
|