Trust Digest December 3, 2012

How sustainable investors impact industries and corporate policies

The 2012 Report on Sustainable and Responsible Investing Trends in the United States, released last week by U.S. SIF, is the sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investment industry’s primary barometer of both the growth of professionally managed values-based and community development investments and the important environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues of
our time.

Key Words: Corporate Governance, Socially Responsible Investing, Integrating Values into Investing

Trust Issues: Governance/Transparency

Google Transparency Report: Government Surveillance on the Rise in 2012

To Web-savvy users, the idea of privacy may seem quaint. Even so, there’s something unsettling about seeing indisputable proof that governments all over the world are trying to surveil users or influence data. But that’s just what Google delivered in its sixth bi-annual Transparency Report, released this week.

Key Words: Internet Business practices, Government Web Surveillance

Trust Issues: Transparency, Invasion of Privacy

Conference to put rule of law behind women’s rights

Trust Women Conference: Putting the rule of law behind women’s rights will bring together women and men from the legal, financial, government, corporate and non-profit sectors to drive pragmatic action to fight violence against women and other injustices including trafficking, domestic slavery and discrimination.

Key Word: Women’s Rights

Trust Issue: Governance

U.K. Media Ethics Report: Britain Needs Independent Press Regulator

A senior British judge concluded Thursday that the country needs a new, independent media regulator to eliminate a subculture of unethical behavior that infected segments of the country’s press.

Key Words: Regulation, Unethical Journalists

Trust Issues: Trust in Media, Transparency

US, China Militaries Hold Exercise to Build Trust

The U.S. and Chinese militaries on Friday wrapped up a modest disaster-relief exercise hailed as a tentative trust-building step. Though this was the eighth meeting to discuss disaster relief, it was the first time both sides discussed a joint response to a simulated disaster. The leading officers called that a step forward in building familiarity and trust.

Key Words: Disaster Relief Training, Military Operations

Trust Issue: Building Trust

BP banned from new US business over ‘lack of business integrity’

The decision by the US Environment Protection Agency to freeze BP out of both supply and

exploration contracts comes in the wake of BP admitting to criminal liability with regard to the Gulf of Mexico disaster. The EPA said it would not lift the suspension until BP demonstrated “sufficient evidence that it meets federal business standards.”

Key Words: EPA, Environmental Issues, Business Standards

Trust Issues: Integrity, Transparency, Competency

 

Putin’s Anti-Corruption Campaign May Backfire

The fight against corruption could be President Vladimir Putin’s new lethal weapon. But Putin is a reluctant crusader against corruption. He knows that the benefits from a tough anti-corruption campaign come at a price he might ill afford to pay.

Key Word: Corruption

Trust Issue: Transparency

City’s top leaders take to social media to increase transparency

Whether there’s an emergency or not, more elected officials are taking to Twitter and Facebook to communicate with constituents.

Key Word: Social Media

Trust Issue: Transparency