Doug Cornelius on compliance for private equity real estate
Later today, we will hear President Trump announce from the Rose Garden about whether the US will pull out of the Paris climate accord. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil shareholders have stated that they do care about climate change. As an ExxonMobil shareholder, I see that the firm is the frequent subject of activist shareholder items. There were…
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal published a story by Aneel Karnani, Professor of Strategy at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M Ross School of Business with a controversial headline: The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility. He manages to pull in some corporate governance arguments: “The movement for corporate social responsibility is in direct opposition, in such…
After many people slapped Toyota with the unethical label over its unintended acceleration problem, it appears that Toyota may be vindicated. The Wall Street Journal is reporting some early results form the U.S. Department of Transportation’s analysis of data recorders. They found that throttles were wide open and brakes not engaged on Toyotas involved in…
With Toyota’s problems all over the news, I started to think about whether compliance and ethics professionals could learn anything from these problems. To begin, I don’t think there is a systemic problem with their vehicles or with the company. I think the sudden acceleration problem is bunk. Yes, I own a Toyota, but my…
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to provide public companies with interpretive guidance on existing disclosure requirements as they apply to business or legal developments relating to the issue of climate change. The SEC has now released the text of the guidance: Guidance Regarding Disclosure Related to Climate Change Those who are fired…
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to provide public companies with interpretive guidance on existing disclosure requirements as they apply to business or legal developments relating to the issue of climate change. Chairman Mary Schapiro pointed out in her speech that the SEC is not commenting or opining on the issue of climate…
The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship released their findings in the 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship in the United States. Despite the upheaval in the economy, a majority of U.S. companies are not making major changes in their corporate citizenship practices. Of those who made changes: 38% reduced philanthropy/giving, 27% increased layoffs, and 19%…
Organizations or all types and sizes are adopting policies to provide standards for environmental responsibility and sustainability initiatives. But adopting green policies may impose risks on your organization if the policies are not properly followed. Perkins Coie published a piece on these risks and issues: Green Policies – Understanding and Addressing Compliance Risks. False Advertising….
Ted Nunez, Ph.D. Director, Ethics & Corporate Compliance at Kaplan EduNeering gave the presentation on this webinar. Compliance already has a lot on its plate, does sustainability also belong there? These are my notes: To start, what is corporate social responsibility? It depends on who’s asking. Different companies have different views and different needs. It’s…
Today is the 39th celebration of Earth Day, celebrated in the U.S. each April 22 since 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970. In that same year, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed to consolidate federal research, monitoring, and enforcement. About…