Corporate Responsibility

Chicago has moved up in a ranking of the nation’s largest metropolises on a recent survey of sustainable office space. According to the 2016 Green Building Adoption Index, over 72% of the Chicago market’s qualified commercial space is certified green, up from 63% last year. And with nearly one-fifth of all commercial buildings in the area certified, Chicago comes in at second on the list of the nation’s 30 largest markets, right behind San Francisco.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced that over 200 Morgan Stanley and community volunteers will build a playground at the KIPP Climb Academy as part of the Morgan Stanley’s Healthy Cities initiative. Providing safe play spaces is a core component of the Healthy Cities Houston program, which provides comprehensive resources children need to succeed – access to health education and screenings, sustainable delivery of nutritious food and opportunities for safe play and exercise. The design for the new playground is based on children’s drawings created at a special design event in May.

Gildan announced today that it is donating $50,000 to assist with the relief efforts in Haiti following Hurricane Matthew to be distributed equally between two organizations – UNICEF and Americares.

Teenagers everywhere have attitude.

This was the initial thought that crossed my mind as I approached this year’s Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit, the tenth annual conference presented by Making Cents International. However, these thoughts were quickly replaced by the acknowledgement that youth are more than the promise of the future. They are powerful individuals. Indeed, they are a force, and it is our collective challenge to ensure that they are a force for good.

The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has announced the results of a new research project, “Sustainable Meeting and Event Practices: The State of the Industry.” Study findings were presented at IMEX America, which took place at Sands Expo in Las Vegas from October 18 - 20. The study was co-sponsored by Las Vegas Sands, along with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau.

Many investors and senior business leaders are growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of disclosures associated with “quarterly capitalism.” The truth is, investors are looking at companies to provide disclosures around environmental, governance and social risks that would encourage rational long-term capital allocation