Social Impact

What is happening? Tokyo Metropolitan Government will require all new homes beginning in 2025 to have solar power.

Why is this important? The new rule will apply to 50 home builders that operate in Tokyo.

How will this be important? There’s built in flexibility including that “Companies will not have to install solar panels on all buildings they build but be asked to meet a certain target in terms of the share of their buildings with solar panels. “

Japan Times | Tokyo plans to require that new homes have solar panels from 2025

What is happening? We can’t not talk about Patagonia. Its founder, Yvon Chouinard announced that he will donate the entire company, worth about $3 billion, to a trust and a nonprofit organization fighting climate change. Plus, any annual profits that are not reinvested in the company will go to fight climate change.

Why is this important? Chouinard wants to spur a new form of Capitalism that isn’t just a few exceptionally wealthy people.

How will this be important? It is the culture dude, he likes to turn norms on their heads and has been a lifelong supporter of the environment.

NY Times | Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company

What is happening? Limiting PFAs has found its way into 203 bills proposed in 31 states.

Why is this important? Environmental groups say clean water and soil shouldn’t require that you live in certain zip codes. American Chemistry Council says that not all PFAS are the same, and that they should not be regulated the same way.

How will this be important? here’s the laundry list of laws that have passed:

• Maine’s 2021 law banning PFAS in all new products 
• Colorado passed a law in 2022 covering many products, and ending its use in oil and gas production. This bill was supported by Republicans who want to protect clean water
• Hawaii passed a ban on PFAS in food packaging and firefighting foam in 2022
•  California passed laws this year to ban PFAS in cosmetics and textiles, and requiring companies to report data on other products containing PFAS

Route Fifty | States Take on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Bans, Lawsuits

What is happening? First came Colorado to require salary ranges be posted for job listings. Then came NYC, and now we add California to the ranks of officially requiring salary ranges be listed on job postings.

How is this important? Pay disparity for the same job continues to be a concern for improving diversity, equity and inclusion.

How will this be important? It said that posting salary ranges for open positions helps lessen systemic pay disparities.

@businessweek

What is happening? Samsung has created the “balance mouse” that will run away from the user when the user is overworked.

How is this important? Burnt out is real. We’ve all heard of people leaving their jobs in mass or quiet quitting.

How will this be important? Creating a work life balance is a win for everyone. A win as an employee who enjoys life and a win for employers who like happy, productive employees.

Thred. | The Samsung ‘Balance Mouse’ runs away if you overwork

What is happening? Chevron has donated a 53-acre parcel in northwest Houston to serve as Houston Food Bank’s second warehouse and distribution facility. It came to pass because a Chevron employee serves on the board of the food bank. Get to know the relationships your employees have and what is important to them.

Why is this important? The Houston Food Bank is the largest food bank in the U.S. and coordinates service in the 18 counties in Southeast Texas.

How will this be important? “Through our involvement with the Houston Food Bank, Chevron is aware of the tremendous need for food security in our community,” said Eimear Bonner, president of the Chevron Technical Center and food bank board member, “and this is our way to be a part of the solution.”

Houston Chronicle | Chevron makes major land donation for Houston Food Bank expansion

What is happening? Smirnoff (the vodka) is partnering with the Don’t Trash Glass campaign, Glass Packaging Institute, and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling to increase glass recycling in Chicago.

Why is this important? The partnership is making it more accessible for 300 bars, restaurants and local businesses to recycle glass.

How will this be important? Glass is 100% recyclable. The glass recycling process is “easy.” Yet, the EPA estimates only 40% of glass is recycled.

Environment + Energy Leader | Smirnoff Program Seeks Boost in Glass Recycling

What is happening? U.S. is #41 in global rankings that measure democracy and inequality, moving the U.S. to developing country standards, and placing the U.S. between Cuba and Bulgaria.

Why is this important? The U.S. landed at #41 because of a lack of equity, treatment of the environment, and a “flawed democracy” according to United Nations Office of Sustainable Development and the Economist’s democracy index.

How will this be important? Historians say structural inequalities in the U.S. were first noted in 1899 by Scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, and brought into the political conversation by Martin Luther King Jr.

Route Fifty | US is Becoming a ‘Developing Country’ on Global Rankings that Measure Democracy, Inequality

What is happening? Robert Sarver, owner of Arizona’s NBA and WNBA teams, has put the teams up for sale this week, after league enforcement actions related to racism and misogyny. Racism and misogyny, even if in the past, isn’t going to be swept under the rug anymore.

Why is this important? Sarver blames the current cultural climate that he can’t be redeemed. While NBA players”, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Draymond Green have spoken out and said the NBA’s punishment wasn’t severe enough.”

How will this be important? “NBPA president CJ McCollum: “We thank Mr. Sarver for making a swift decision that was in the best interest of our sports community.””

ESPN | Robert Sarver says he’s starting process to sell NBA’s Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury

What is happening? Globally the number of clean energy employees outnumbers traditional energy employees according to the International Energy Agency.

Why is this important? The IEA’s first-ever World Energy Employment report says the energy labor market is in a period of transition and that clean energy jobs are leading the way. The IEA report stresses that the jobs require people-centered employment policies.

How will this be important? The IEA points to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine as creating an energy crisis.

Corporate Knights | The majority of energy workers are now employed in clean energy jobs

Why is happening? Smart science types have developed tattoo ink that can monitor certain biomarkers like pH and glucose.

Why is this important? This monitoring tattoo could alleviate daily needle pricks.

How will this be important? A step toward making health care more efficient.

@leaps.org

What is happening? Council of Fashion Designers of America has pledged to achieve a net-zero goal by 2050.

Why is this important? Some fashion law types say that fashion houses banding together to achieve sustainability may run afoul of antitrust regulators. EU regulators did raid fashion houses over antitrust concerns.

How will this be important? “There are emerging tensions between E.S.G. and antitrust,” said William Kovacic, a former Federal Trade Commission chairman, referring to environmental, social and governance goals. “A vocal group of commentators say antitrust enforcement treats cartels very harshly and that unduly inhibits firms from pursuing environmental and social goals.”

NY Times | How ‘sustainable fashion’ could run afoul of antitrust regulators.

What is happening? Companies with strong DEI outperform competitors by 4 times in India.

Why is this important? Get Z is a large in numbers and strong in its values. It’s a driver policies.

How will this be important? IN addition to profitability, employee retention and brand reputation improve with strong DE&I according to this paper.

Free Press Journal | For Gen Z, gender diversity needs the support of equity and inclusion policies

What is happening?  Boston Planning and Development Agency has adopted a new diversity, equity and inclusion policy. It will apply to developers of certain projects that will have to disclose plans to foster participation by women and minorities.

Why is this important? Diversity Plans will have to be submitted to the Development Agency before a shovel hits the ground in their projects.

How will this be important? Disclosures will include “economic participation, employment, and management roles” by people of color, women and minority- and women-owned businesses. The goal is to better understand disparities in the real estate industry.

Boston.com | What to know about Boston’s new diversity and equity rules for developers

What is happening? Adam Grant of the Wharton School tells us open floor plans lead to 27% more sick days, 14% lower cognitive performance and a whopping 70% less face to face interactions.

Why is this important? With a return to the office, employee wellness should be at the top of mind. Happy, productive employees are not in open office plans.

How will this be important? Doors are important for employee wellness.

@AdamMGrant

What is happening? “A county court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Sept. 6, 2022, became the first in more than 150 years to disqualify a person from public office because they participated in an insurrection.”

Why is this important? Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution permits barring from public office people who participated in insurrections.

How will this be important? Good governance organizations are considering Section 3 if Donald Trump seeks public office again.

Route Fifty | A New Mexico Official Who Joined the Capitol Attacks is Barred From Politics

What is happening? The chief data scientist in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Denice Ross, said “using only the data we have can mask important aspects of our society.” 

Why is this important? The solution is to collect more equitable data that better accounts for the experiences of underrepresented groups.

How will this be important? Let’s let the data experts detail equitable data further: “Equitable data are those that allow for rigorous assessment of the extent to which government programs and policies yield consistently fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals. Most importantly—and this is what really drives me professionally—these data illuminate opportunities for targeted actions that will result in demonstrably improved outcomes for underserved communities.” – Denice Ross

Route Fifty | Lack of Equitable Data Is Harming Underserved Communities

What is happening?  California Management Review says increasing the number of women directors leads companies to improve their environmental, social and corporate governance.

Why is this important? Women directors are more likely to create a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and more likely to appoint qualified directors to that committee.

How will this be important? “… an effective CSR committee helps the company navigate to a greater level of environmental, social and corporate governance, which in turn creates value including top-line growth, reduced regulatory and legal intervention, and improved productivity.”

The University of Sydney | Female directors improve corporate social responsibility

What is happening? In response to US Senate Republicans drafting legislation requiring pensions to make investment decisions based solely on monetary issue. IN pop news parlance this is whether pensions should invest in ESG or should pensions make woke investments—dependent upon your pop news channel.

Why is this important? This issue will play out in state Legislatures throughout the country. Value based investment being solely monetary and values based investing being ” investing according to a set of principles irrespective of any link between those principles and economic value.” The authors say- there is no difference is unclear at best.

How will this be important? Which side wins the messaging….” Conservatives who complain that ESG investing is a way of forcing a social and environmental agenda on companies that has nothing to do with company profitability, perhaps even hurting it, need to look in the mirror if they are creating anti-ESG funds of their own. This is simply swapping out one set of values for another. Both are forms of Socially Responsible Investing.”

The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | The Politics of Values-Based Investing

What is happening? California Legislature passed AB1242 (2022 | CA) that would prevent a California based company from disclosing to an out of state agency abortion related data. This would prohibit California companies from disclosing information pursuant to a warrant  related to an abortion.

Why is this important? The authors of the legislation say “We have no obligation to be complicit in enforcing laws that are antithetical to our own values and legal system in California.”

How will this be important? Might as well start moving the abacus, California isn’t alone in this.

Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan and Attorney General Bonta’s Legislation Protecting Digital Information on Abortion Heads to the Governor

What is happening? California has enacted SB1162 (2022 | CA) that makes position pay scales public and require employers to report employee & contractor demographics and pay to the State.

Why is this important? Public pay scales isn’t unheard of- Colorado, Washington, and NYC require it.

How will this be important? The policy goal is to address pay equity which some say women with children get paid on average 58 cents for every $1 a similarly situated man does.

What is happening? The Cherokee Nation has expanded its paid family leave policy to include fathers and foster parents.

Why is this important? How does this compare to the standards in your jurisdiction? let’s note there is also no reduction in pay, it is full pay, full time off leave policy.

How will this be important? Leading by example.

KTUL | Cherokee Nation adopts policy to provide all employees with paid family leave

What is happening?  Angel investor John Moore was instrumental in launching  ImpactPHL, a nonprofit whose mission is to proselytize social impact investing in Philadelphia.

Why is this important? So how does ImpactPHL make Philadelphia the impact investing capital? By hosting an annual forum to educate financial professionals about the value of purposeful investing; serving as a critical resource for connecting the dots between making money and being philanthropic; solving social problems; and contributing to the system that causes them, living locally and sending money elsewhere.

How will this be important? The intent with which John Moore operates is summed up with “I have this premise that investing in startup entrepreneurs that have a social mission could be financially more profitable than not.”

The Philadelphia Citizen | GENERATION CHANGE PHILLY:THE IMPACT INVESTOR EVANGELIST

What is happening? California Legislature has sent AB 2771 (2022 | CA) to Gov. Newsom’s desk for signature. The bill bans PFAS from cosmetics sold in California.

Why is this important? 2 years ago, California led the nation by banning 13 PFAS from use in personal care products. Now, it continues this work

How will this be important? Maryland, Maine, and Colorado have all enacted laws concerning limiting PFAs. 12 other states have pending legislation.

ewg | California legislature sends to Gov. Newsom bill to ban toxic ‘forever chemicals’ from cosmetics

What is happening? Companies are marketing to politics. Think Black Rifle Coffee, which describes itself as “anti-hipster” and contrast it with Blue State Coffee.

Why is this important? It’s really companies taking a 3 prong approach- marketing, social media stances, and statements that take political stances like company policies that cover travel for reproductive health care.

How will this be important? Companies use to stay away, but now consumers want politics and companies have moved to the market. 70% of consumers want companies to take a political stand.

ABC News | Companies increasingly using politics in marketing, but there are risks: Experts

What is happening? 12 states are taking action against ESG. Legislation ranges from West Virginia-like practice of blacklisting banks to barring state money managers from considering ESG factors when investing

Why is this important? A PR kerfuffle. Investment professionals say they do not boycott fossil fuel companies and indeed invest heavily in fossil fuels. Politicians feel that their state fossil fuel industry is under attack. West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore says anti-ESG legislation will peak in 2023.

How will this be important? Experts say that some ESG factors are conventional risk factors for investors, and legislating investment practices could make managing decisions difficult.

The Hill | Republicans wage war on environmental investing rules

What is happening? The data is streaming in for the Great Resignation. Turns out the majority of people wanted to be treated better and 60% of them got salary increases after leaving in the Great Resignation.

Why is this important? The Great Resignation has always been about whether employers respect their employees- employee wellness, equity and parity in pay, etc… Y0u know having the crazy notion that employees are humans.

How will this be important? Even as inflation increased, the Great Resignation resulted in higher salaries. As someone said- maybe we need think about it as a Great Rebalancing.

@businessweek

What is happening? Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved Burberry’s zero emissions goal. The first luxury fashion brand to receive the approval.

Why is this important? The SBTi is considered the gold standard for companies setting goals to reduce their emissions and develop targets in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 C pathway.

How will this be important? As more companies set ESG standards for themselves as is increasing de rigueur.

@VogueBusiness

What is happening? Scotland became the 1st country in the world to offer period products for free for everyone in the Period Products Act. Prior to Monday August 15th, when the the Period Products Act became effective, Scotland offered free period products in schools and universities.

Why is this important? Many states are considering or have considered removing sales taxes from menstruation products.

How will this be important? Let’s count the states and countries to follow suit. Removing the “Pink Tax” continues…

@theSkimm

What is happening? Data shows that the luxurious sounding, Unlimited PTO, is good for both employees and employers. Employers save money on paperwork & administration.

Why is this important? Unlimited PTO helps with recruitment, retention, cost savings (no paying out unused PTO), less administrative hassle, executive freedom, and the always on mentality “feels better.”

How will this be important? Right now 1 in 10 companies offer unlimited PTO with the documented savings more will join the trend.

@businessweek

What is happening? Research before the Alabama Workforce and Wage Gap Task Force says closing the pay gap will add $15.4 billion in wages and be an economic gain for Alabama of $22 billion. “This could be the single largest economic development tool that is on the table,” said Peregrine Strategies Principal Allen Freyer 

Why is this important? Closing the pay gap also will create 59,000 new jobs.

How will this be important? Alabama is 24th in population. Imagine the economic gain in larger states.

Governing | Closing Alabama’s Gender Pay Gap Could Grow Economy by $22B

What is happening? It is being reported that LinkedIN Recruiter is adding nudges for recruiters who aren’t getting enough diversity in candidate searches.

Why is this important? Supporters say it could make recruiters more aware of their candidate pool.

How will this be important? “there’s a growing pool of research which suggests that increasing gender diversity can lead to better outcomes for all types of organizations, “

Social Media Today | LinkedIn Adds New ‘Diversity Nudges’ to Help Recruiters to Expand their Candidate Search Efforts

What is happening? According to a study by Morgan Stanley 99% of millennials are interested in sustainable investing.

Why is this important? The interest is driven by Millennial women.

How will this be important? It is said that follows trends across the board where the younger generation leads the way to change.

@MITSLOAN

What is happening? Food deserts are defined here as “generally describes the nation’s thousands of low-income census tracts where an estimated 53.6 million people live outside an easy walk or drive to a full-service supermarket.”

Why is this important? Access to fresh, quality ingredients to cook is crucial for wellbeing . To address this, an urban farmer in Buffalo, NY is using $7 million to open a wellness center, with greenhouses and clinic space.  Faith-based development group obtained four vacant lots and announced plans to open a neighborhood grocery. Businesses and nonprofits are “plant[ing] vegetable gardens, subsidize fresh produce purchases and install health-screening stations.”

How will this be important? No U.S. city has solved food deserts. Researchers say it isn’t just solving access it is also solving for community ownership, improving public infrastructure for food access, like public transit and broadband networks. 300 U.S. Cities have created Food Councils to Solve this issue.

Rute Fifty | Advocates Look for New Ways to Fill City ‘Food Deserts’

What is happening? Two counties in rural Kansas supported access to abortion even though the counties have not voted for a Democrat since LBJ in 1964. In Osage County Trump won with 71% of the vote in 2020.

Why is this important?

• Messaging. The message in Kansas was- do you want the government to have this much power? Do you want the government to control your daughter’s healthcare? Supporting “Value to them both”
• Supporters of Abortion Care in Kansas didn’t care if their support came from Republicans, Democrats or Independents. They found quiet Democrats who didn’t want to reveal their Democratic tendencies in the sea of Republicans surrounding them.
• These are Libertarians who oppose government power overreaches, encroachments on freedom, and government mandates.
• Young people were angry and turned that into voters.
• Rural Western Kansas voters are described as ” “Eisenhower Republicans” who reject extremist ideas.

How will this be important? Similar votes could be occurring throughout the country or the issue could impact races throughout the country.

Kansas City Star via Governing | Why Kansas Abortion Amendment Failed Even in Rural Counties

What is happening? The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap report for 2022 says the pandemic and cost of living increases have had a greater impact on women.

Why is this important? The report says efforts need to be made to improve workforce returns for women and to develop workforce skills for women.

How will this be important? In the US women lose up to a million dollars over the course of their careers because of pay disparities for the same work.

Governing | Rising Cost of Living Disproportionately Impacts Women

What is happening? Beaches are the front line for climate issues. Even Florida will acknowledge climate issues when it comes to tourism. No more beaches means no more tourism.

Why is this important? How can a person make beach travel more sustainable?

• sleep away from the beach (hotels on the beach contribute to erosion
• avoid or limit flights which contribute greatly to your vacations carbon footprint
• support businesses that plant local trees (coconut palms are not local to say Miami Beach and do little to prevent erosion with their shallow roots)
• identify resorts that empower locals
• avoid overdeveloped areas

How will this be important? Embrace sustainable tourism

National Geographic | 6 tips to make your next beach trip more sustainable

What is happening? Zippia says that 70.8% of managers in the U.S. are white, while 14.4% are Latinx, 6.2% are Asian, and 6% are Black. At the executive level, Investopedia reports that the Fortune 500 has only six Black, 40 Asian American, and 20 Latinx CEOs.

Why is this important? Diversity and Inclusion isn’t working its way up management ladders

How will this be important? Solutions to avoid the stall on DEI are to : include more voices in management decisions, address poor communication from executives, address exclusion from the executives, executives must actively diversifying talent

CNBC | Companies’ DEI plans often stall at ‘frozen’ middle management—here’s how to fix it

What is happening? After the overturning of Roe v Wade multiple companies announced plans to cover travel expenses for those seeking abortion care in states that do not offer abortion care.

Why is this important? Communication is key and companies are figuring out how to word policies- mostly broadly to cover a range of items that would include abortion and to structure the financial assistance in a way that does not create a taxable event for the employee.

How will this be important? Some state laws will put employers in the legal crosshairs for aiding and abetting a person seeking an abortion. It’s complicated.

Wall Street Journal | After Roe v. Wade Ruling, Employers Weigh In on Abortion and Benefits—Cautiously

What is happening? In June, there were  273,000 job openings in a 13 county area around Houston. At the same time there were  170,400 people who were unemployed across the region. Uh yeah that’s an extra 100,000 job openings.

Why is this important? The desire for flexibility is strong. Employees will take pay cuts and leave jobs to gain flexibility. 66% of Houston area employees surveyed said they work at least part time remotely. “The sweet spot is generally two to three days a week in office.”

How will this be important? An HR consultancy is advising Texas employers that if they do not offer some for of remote work that they will miss out on 50-70% of available candidates.

Houston Chronicle via Governing | Houston Workers Still Don’t Want to Return to an Office

What is happening? Abt Associates reviewed voting information in Arizona where 1/3 of voters are Democrats, 1/3 Republican, and 1/3 Independent. Their survey showed that when Republicans and Democrats formed friendships with Independents, the reliance on moderate media consumption increased, especially for Republicans.

Why is this important? independents have social networks that are structurally different from those of partisans and that impacts the way their Democratic and Republican friends see their own political views.

How will this be important? The number of independents has been concisely growing to 40% of the overall electorate.

Governing | Can Independents Be a Bridge Over Our Partisan Divide?

What is happening? Investors are opposing the election of a management-backed director at 225 U.S. companies over unhelpful climate positions. This is up from 157 companies where directors were blocked for anti-climate awareness in 2021 & 83 in 2020.

Why is this important? The investor that are voting from a climate change perspective are European investors, sustainability-oriented managers, and big U.S. institutions such as asset manager Nuveen LLC and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

How will this be important? Investors learned from their previous push for diversity, which was successful and are applying those tactics to climate.

Wall Street Journal | More Investors Vote Against Corporate Directors Over Climate Change

What is happening? Wyoming, Vermont, and Tennessee are exploring decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), a structure that allows all shareholders to vote on everyday company actions that are enforced by smart contracts.

Why is this important? In theory shareholders could decide on whether a company accepts cryptocurrency. Or a DAO could be used like it is in a Texas where a village, Montanoso, is establishing a “neighborhood DAO”; with a goal of overriding anti-development sentiments.

How will this be important? It is likely that state and local governments will follow Wyoming’s lead in fully legalizing DAOs.

Governing | Can We Turn Shareholders into Public Decision-Makers?

What is happening? The River Heritage Conservancy is working on Origin Park to be built on 600 acres of post-industrial wasteland along the banks of the Ohio River.

Why is this important? The park will remediate past environmental abuses, adapt to future flooding events, and slow years of riverbank erosion.

How will this be important? The park will not only restore land it will connect 3 communities: New Albany, Clarksville, Jeffersonville and Louisville.

Governing| The Midwest Gets Its First Climate-Adaptive Park

Why is happening? California was the 1st state to prohibit food waste in land fills. Landfills are the 3rd largest source of methane from human activity.

Why is this important? California also made it mandatory that all cities and counties provide organic waste collection services to all businesses and residences.

How will this be important? In 2021, 50 bills addressing food waste were introduced in 18 states. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington all prohibit food waste in landfills. The food waste is turned into compost, biofuels, and sometimes ultimately into electricity.

Governing | It’s Time America Stopped Throwing Out Food Waste

What is happening? Oregon’s 2022 gubernatorial race will see 3 women face off: Republican, Democrat, and an Unaffiliated candidate.

Why is this important? 1st time event in the United States and the 3rd party candidate has out-raised the republican and democrat candidate having raised $9.4 million compared to $4.3 million (Republican) & $3.2 million (Democrat)

How will this be important? Oregon is also on target to increase their Congressional delegation from 2 women to 4 women.

Governing | Oregon’s Three-Woman Gubernatorial Race Is a First

What is happening? Texas No. 49 for Life, Health and Inclusion which pulled Texas down to 5th for CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business

Why is this important?Elected officials like to tout the ratings

How will this be important? Watch and see if elected officials react.

CNBC | By putting partisanship aside, North Carolina ranks No. 1 in America’s Top States for Business, with the nation’s strongest economy

What is happening? The EveryLibrary Institute, a library-focused political action committee, is encouraging libraries to get involved in cannabis legislation.

Why is this important? Cannabis legislation tends to dedicate revenue to education but that revenue isn’t specifically directed to libraries. Library participation in the legislative process could help open this funding source.

How will this be important? This could increase the revenue stream for libraries with a revenue source that has proven to be solid through a pandemic.

Marijuana Moment | Public Libraries Can Benefit From Marijuana Tax Revenue And Should Be Involved In Shaping Legalization Plans, Library PAC Argues

What is happening? Cities are turning to night mayors to lead revitalization of night life in downtown areas since COVID.

Why is this important? The idea started in Amsterdam. The position in Amsterdam was cooperative and independent. Now San Francisco is considering a night mayor.

How will this be important? Funding for night mayors comes from the city and local club owners. The night mayor advocates for and grow the city’s nightlife scene — all while working with residents, clubs and city officials to implement smart, forward-thinking policy around alcohol, safety, late-night transit and other infrastructure.

Governing | Could a Night Mayor Help San Francisco Revitalize Its Downtown?

What is happening? States that have legalized cannabis have taken varying methods of taxation which has led to pricing for the same 1/8 of weed to be  $41.39 in Las Vegas, but $48.48 in Los Angeles

Why is this important? Generally there is up to a 15% deviation among prices between states.

How will this be important? Within a state the deviation is related to local tax rates. Aspen has 21% and Fort Collins 19%

Westword | Where Are the Cheapest Cities to Buy Pot? We Crunched the Numbers.

What is happening? The IRS permits donations to non-profits in the form of crypto currency. The non-profit then immediately converts the crypto into dollars upon receipt to provide the tax benefit at the time of the donation.

Why is this important? Hawaii has a pilot program that helps Hawaii businesses use digital currency. Since the pilot program began in 2020, the program assisted with more than 800 million dollars in crypto-transactions.

How will this be important? Hawaii Governor has a bill on their desk that would license crypto currencies.

KITV 4 Hawaii | Many Hawaii non-profits are accepting crypto currency donations

What is happening? To keep plastic from making its way into the ocean, Dutch company RanMarine operates aquatic drones called WasteSharks that capture plastic in the water and bring it back to land.

Why is this important? Each drone can hold hold 160 litres of trash before retuning to shore.

How will this be important? Once the plastic hits the ocean it breaks into pieces and ultimately microplastics, which are incredible difficult to remove from the ocean

Euronews.green | These drones are swallowing tonnes of plastic waste before it reaches the ocean

What is happening? The Netherlands is making the right to work from home a legal right.

Why is this important? remote work flexibility has been shown to increase employee morale and productivity.

How will this be important? As more governments codify the importance of remote work flexibility

@bloombergbusiness

What is happening? For the 2d year, the California Governor has not included funding for the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund.

Why is this important? The Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund supports community-based groups, clinics and tribal organizations offering services and programs to address health disparities. The House and Senate agreed on $75 million annually. More than 240 cities, counties, states and health-related associations and departments support the funding.

How will this be important? Critics say it shows the Governor does want to tackle racial issues.

Los Angeles Times | Community groups criticize Newsom for omitting health equity funds

What is happening? Netflix had a policy that allowed all employees to pose questions to the Chief Executives and to receive open and honest answers. The days of brutal honesty are over after the Dave Chappelle comedy special which became a political and societal lightening rod for appropriate and inappropriate humor.

Why is this important? The issue has been framed as ” where does Netflix draw the line between commentary and hate speech?”

How will this be important? The management philosophy at Netflix had been ” laying out their management philosophy: lead with context, not control; don’t hire brilliant jerks; and, most crucially, always be honest.” Then a pivot to include artistic freedom and ““If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.”” More so, what are business headlines saying about Netflix and its growth? Is there a correlation?

The Verge | NETFLIX DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR IT ANYMORE

What is happening? California Governor issued an executive order to have the state producing pharmaceuticals, including insulin.

Why is this important? The state sees this as a way to cut costs, calling the cost of pharmaceuticals a market failure.

How will this be important? Will more states follow suit.

@GavinNewsom

What is happening? First mushroom based “leather” and now Ikea will begin using packaging materials made from fungi.

Why is this important? The fungi based packaging materials can break down in your garden within weeks.

How will this be important? Key step to limiting the amount of packaging materials that end up in landfills.

@sunnythefarmer

What is happening? As we see more adoption of EV and drone delivery service, we see UPS double down with four-wheel electric “cargo bikes” that could help in congested cities.

Why is this important? The “trucks ” do not “rumble down the street, emit toxic fumes, or block any traffic. “

How will this be important? The cargo electric bikes are being tested in NYC and European cities. The company calls it a full circle moment since it began as a big messenger.

@goodgoodgoodco

What is happening? The results are in from the 3rd annual CSR survey show that “CSR teams do not have the staff and budget to meet the rising demands and expectations “

Why is this important? let’s check out some key metrics:

• 80% indicated company leadership demands of the CSR function have increased since 2021, representing a continued trend.
• Only 20% believe they have sufficient staff
• Only 25% believe they have sufficient budget
• In greatest demand are more integration with ESG (44%), more data on impact (39%), and more integration with DEI (36%).
• Only 33% consider their leadership’s understanding of CSR strategy to be high

How will this be important? Meeting leadership and stakeholder expectations will require funding. 50% identified a need for greater alignment between business and social goals, 42% seek enhanced ESG expertise on their teams, and 40% seek greater leadership support and buy-in for their work on behalf of the company.

CSR Wire | Corporate Social Responsibility Survey Reveals C-Suite Expectations of CSR Rising but Resourcing Lags

What is happening? Hawaii Governor signed SB2821 (2022 | HI) that requires all public schools to provide free period products.

Why is this important? “It’s simple. No child should be forced to miss class because they can’t afford period products and need to stay home. Thanks to all who helped make this bill a reality for our kids.”

How will this be important? As some states try to remove taxes on period products, others are offering period products for free.

@GovHawaii

What is happening? Women appear to be blowing the whistle on bad practices in Tech at a higher rate than they are employed by tech.

Why is this important? Delving into root causes, the women all reveal corporate practices that “thwart the public interest.” Others point to women being more altruistic, less inclined to accept bribes, are more ethical, and women have been shown to be less corrupt.

How will this be important? Others say its the nature of women being marginalized. “Marginalized people often lack a sense of belonging and inclusion in organizations. The silver lining to this exclusion is that those people may feel less obligated to toe the line when they see wrongdoing.”

Governing | Why Are So Many Big Tech Whistleblowers Women?

What is happening? TonToTon has a plastic credit system that “allows companies to take responsibility of the orphan plastics surrounding their products. While companies increase the amount of recycled plastic into their products, they can also take care of the non-recyclable plastics. Once the plastic is collected, we send the waste to be co-processed at cement factories.”

Why is this important? The “cleanest and safest method to get rid of harmful plastic waste in huge quantities“

How will this be important? TonToTon’s “…community waste pickers are trained, have personal protective equipment, access to healthcare, and competitive wages.”

World Economic Forum | How businesses can help address non-recyclable plastic pollution

What is happening? A new paper from the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance discusses socially responsible divestment

Why is this important? In 2006 the UN established its Principles for Responsible Investment and at the time was supported by the signatures of 63 investors managing a total of $6.5 trillion. In 2021 this is now 4,375 investors, representing $121 trillion.

How will this be important? The paper talks bout tilting when an industry that is viewed as irresponsible takes accretive action.

Socially Responsible Divestment | Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance

What is happening? Submittable just received $47 million in Series C funding funding for its software that helps thousands of organizations worldwide launch, manage, and measure social impact programs

Why is this important? In 2020, 68% of companies increased spending on community investment and 93% allocated more resources for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

How will this be important? Foundations and the government are also entering the social impact realm. Funding by independent foundations more than doubled to $4.7 billion and the U.S. government funding passed $5.3 trillion in stimulus aid.

Pulse 2.0 | Social Impact Platform Company Submittable Raises $47 Million

What is happening? Sodexo won  the Social Impact & Diversity award for its work to end modern day slavery in its supply chains. The award is part of the 2022 Footprint Awards for sustainability excellence.

Why is this important? Sodexo began tackling exploitation in its supply chain in early 2021.

How will this be important? Sodexo simultaneously began working on “Food waste is a key element of Sodexo’s net zero road map and in late 2021 it launched Appetite for Action, a campaign which has provided a powerful platform for it to engage with government and wider stakeholder bodies, while educating audiences on the link between food waste and carbon emissions.”

Hospitality and Catering News | Sodexo wins Social Impact & Diversity award for tackling modern slavery  

What’s happening? Meet the The Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania. The School seeks to be accessible and affordable with a mission to make tools and resources for social impact available to anyone, anywhere.

Why is this important? It is a research and action center based in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice

How will this be important? The programs range from on campus, executive programs, and virtual.

UPenn | The Center for Social Impact Strategy

What is happening? Meet Urban Villages, the company that is building, Populous, the first U.S. carbon-positive hotel in Denver, CO.

Why is this important? The builders are using low carbon concrete and investing in reforesting more than 5,000 acres of land to offset the 4,397 metric tons of CO2 the construction will produce.The hotel also eschews parking lots.

How will this be important? Sustainable building that reduce carbon are no longer just for Milan’s living buildings but are being seen as a way to address climate change.

@globalpositivenews

What is happening? Executives calling for complete return to work are abating their calls.

Why is this important? Let’s look at what the chief executive of Intuit, Sasan Goodarzi, said, ““Being prescriptive creates all kind of bureaucracy, because then you have to get management layers involved and it just becomes very rule-based.” Employees aren’t preschoolers.

How will this be important? Companies are adapting like Goldman Sachs that adopted unlimited vacation days. The question is has work culture changed enough in the US that people will use vacation days?

New York Times | A Full Return to the Office? Does ‘Never’ Work for You?

What is happening? Mass shootings are tragic. The tragic loss of life and emotional strife is coupled with economic losses.

Why is this important? This has led some to say we should tax the guns that cause the financial losses, which boils down to military style weapons sold to civilians.

How will this be important? Supporters say our tax system has many examples of taxing the entity that causes the problem- like taxing polluters.

Governing | Why and How States Should Tax Weapons That Massacre Civilians

What is happening? Misinformation is a powerful tool. Connecticut is hiring a full-time election misinformation expert to support the state’s election security efforts.

Why is this important? Connecticut hired an election misinformation consultant before the 2020 election and was able to get Twitter to take down a post that claimed a tractor was hauling ballots around.

How will this be important? Misinformation is dominating discussions and is seen as an effective tool by some campaign types.

Governing | Connecticut Plans to Hire Misinformation Election Expert

What is happening? Add Albany to the list of governmental entities requiring pay parity disclosures.

Why is this important? Disclosing pay is shown to reduce disparity in pay.

How will this be important? Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) data shows that full-time working women earned just 83 percent of what men made in 2021

Governing | Albany Considers Transparency Law to Help Pay Equity

What is happening? “Any business looking to expand operations and grow revenue must invest in a robust and complete ESG strategy.” Investors, Consumers, Lenders, Insurers all ask about ESG.

Why is this important? “80 percent of investors now report that ESG considerations are a significant influence in their investment decisions” according to Price Waterhouse Cooper

How will this be important? “ESG programs are helping oil and gas companies retain or grow profits and increase overall demand.” Oil and gas benefits from data, especially unified data model, that creates a holistic ESG view. Think of the BP and Shell calling for less carbon and new partnerships in Harris County that bring oil and gas into carbon storage.

Houston Chronicle | ESG in oil and gas and the economics of data

What is happening? In what sounds like mid 1900s, company town images, companies in 2022 are building homes for workers when housing supplies are in short supply.

Why is this important? The Wall Street Journal tells us a story of a women in Cactus Texas looking for housing in her price range per her employer. She can’t find anything. So her employer, JBS, stops in. JBS has a program that helps workers build new homes. Disney and medical-devices maker Cook Group  are doing the same.

How will this be important? Companies want to attract and retain talent. Helping their employees get into housing of their choice near their work is a win-win.

@wsj

What is happening? Studies tell us that salary transparency with laws prohibiting companies from asking an applicant about their current or previous pay can narrow the pay gap.

Why is this important? Women and BIPOC persons most often receive low ball offers. Critics say pay transparency lowers men’s salaries and others say the laws encourage less hiring.

How will this be important? 17 states have pay transparency rules. More states are considering pay transparency requirements, and some cities like New York City.

Route Fifty | Pay Transparency Laws Raise Women’s Salaries (and Slightly Lower Men’s)

What is happening? Before we careen off the rails and assume this program is targeted at stay at home moms or dads, let’s realize there are many reasons for resume gaps- long term illnesses, mid career education breaks, moves, etc… Utah is tackling this issue with Return Utah, a state program to attract people with glaring resume gaps.

Why is this important? This is modeled after the private sector. Since 2008 Goldman Sachs has had a return ship program. The Governor of Utah, with insight from Goldman Sachs as Utah built its return to work program, issued Executive Order 2021-8

How will this be important? New Mexico and Washington are watching Utah which has found the program a way to fill state jobs too.

Route Fifty | A State Tries to Attract Public Workers Who Have Resume Gaps

What is happening? Companies are adding a Chief Happiness Officer to keep their employees happy, content, and productive. CHOs are naturally positive people. “The late Zappos Chief Executive Tony Hsieh was famously committed to a fun working environment, and his book, “Delivering Happiness,” prompted other business leaders to give priority to workers’ emotional well-being.”

Why is this important? A CHO listens to employees explain what makes them unhappy, plans events, deals with questions about benefits and payroll but isn’t the HR officer.

How will this be important? The Great Resignation is most a result of employees being unhappy with their employer/employment. If you want to retain employees, you want happy employees.

WSJ | Confessions of Your Company’s Chief Happiness Officer

What is happening? A city kid from the Bronx who didn’t like vegetables turned into an urban farmer and composter extraordinaire. He brought composting and urban gardens to Public Housing in New York City. He called his initiative “Compost Power,” and gave it the slogan “Making Composting Cool.”

Why is this important? In his words…. “For many years, compost has been that evil, stinky upper class thing that white people do,” Mr. Morales said. “But it’s really a great introduction to sustainability as a whole.”

How will this be important? “Composting is the only form of recycling you can do from start to finish and watch your work be put to good use,” Mr. Morales said.

New York Times | The Unlikely Ascent of New York’s Compost Champion

What’s happening? The Sports Bra in Portland, OR is a sports bar that features only women’s sports.

Why is this important? “Ultimately, my mission is to expose as many people as possible to women’s sports, give people access,” the pub’s owner, Jenny Nguyen

How will this be important? Customers tell the pub owner that they “prefer watching women’s sports because female athletes “give 110% all the time.”⁠’

@NBCOUT

What is happening? California Governor is proposing $75 million in state funding to support abortion services.

Why is this important? Included in this funding will be reproductive health care for persons without private insurance but not Medicaid qualified, public eduction campaigns, creating a website that lists abortion services across the state, & research into “unmet needs.”

How will this be important? States are positioning themselves to be safe havens for people who want reproductive healthcare.

AP | California governor backs plan to pay for some abortions

What is happening? A partnership in Sweden will help enforcement actions against people who send unsolicited dick pics.

Why is this important? The start up behind it includes lawyers, sociologists, PR professionals and more.

How will this be important? The app may just be the missing link between laws against unsolicited pics and enforcement.

@dagens_nyheter

What is happening? A recent study of transit agencies across 11 cities found that transit boards do not reflect people who ride bus, subway or rail. “Too often members are old, white and male and don’t use transit much or at all.”

Why is this important? “In New York, 88 percent of riders live in the city but only 18 percent of board seats go to their representatives. In Philadelphia, 71 percent of riders are urban residents but they only get 13 percent of board seats.”

How will this be important? AS doe Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: ” Of the 11 cities covered, nonwhite residents comprised 63 percent of ridership but only 36 percent of boardmembers. Women were just 30 percent of boardmembership while making up a little over half of ridership.”

Governing | There’s a Big Difference Between Transit Boards and Riders

What is happening? In 2020, the number of home owners increased. Overall homeownership rose in 2020 to 65.5% but fell to 43% for Black home owners

Why is this important? 2020 was the largest annual increase on record

How will this be important? In 2010 Black home ownership was 44%. In contrast current home ownership rates are  white (72.1%), Asian (61.7%) and Hispanic (51.1%) To address this racial homeownership gap, National Association of Realtors, the NAACP, the National Urban League, and other are working with the Black Homeownership Collaborative to improve home ownership diversity

Route Fifty | Black Homeownership Declines as Overall Rate Rises

What is happening? Nashville Public Library’s Freedom to Read campaign includes allowing Nashvillians to turn in their library cards for library cards that read: “I read banned books.”

Why is this important? The Library acted in direct response to a member of the Tennessee Legislature suggesting that banned books should be burned.

How will this be important? As a gut check- there are books about what happens when you ban books. But burning books act the stake…. uh, what?

@washingtonpost

What is happening? Pappa Johns is the 1st US pizza company to require that corporate incentive bonus plan now includes an ESG metrics

Why is this important? For Pappa Johns that means  “enhance diversity, equity and inclusion, assess environmental impacts and opportunities and further Papa John’s commitment to Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.”

How will this be important? Environmental impacts include donating surplus meals and limiting waste.

Environment + Energy Leader | Papa John’s Announces ESG Metric for Incentive Compensation

What is happening? GM is asking its global suppliers to sign an ESG pledge. This pledge is an expansion of GM’s goal “to establish a collaborative supply chain that endeavors to minimize environmental impact and enhance long-term sustainability. “

Why is this important? Gm has 3 goals for suppliers. (1) to commit to carbon neutrality (2) the development of social responsibility programs (3) implementation of sustainable procurement practices

How will this be important? For checks and balances, Gm will utilize a 3rd party assessor, EcoVadis. Eco Vadis evaluates how well a company integrates the principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility into their business and management system.

Energy + Environment Leader | General Motors Asks Suppliers to Sign ESG Pledge

What is happening? Colorado may be the 1st state to grant its legislators parental leave. SB22-184 (2022 | CO) has no fiscal impact.

Why is this important? Colorado legislators describe their state as pioneering. IN 2020 a statewide initiative passed for medical and family leave in Colorado but did not apply to legislators.

How will this be important? It is said as Legislatures gain younger members and more women, these types of proposals will become more common. The Center for American Women and Politics says that as women make up 30% of elected officials. State Houses are seen as unwelcoming to women and people from marginalized communities.

Route Fifty | Colorado May Soon Be the First State to Guarantee Lawmakers 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave

What is happening? A working paper from academics in France, Los Angeles, Canada and the Brookings Institute shows that women owned business were more adversely impacted by the pandemic with losses of more than 3% and closing for 17% longer.

Why is this important? Researchers say that containment policies skewed and increased women’s family responsibilities more than they did for men.

How will this be important? Takeaway for policy makers is to aim to improve economic recovery with special attention to the needs of women enterprises

Route Fifty | Women-owned Businesses More Adversely Impacted By Pandemic

What is happening? Money.co.uk ranked U.S. states on LGBTQ+ acceptance by looking at “how difficult it is to change the gender marker on a birth certificate and driving license, the level of state support for LGBTQ+ adults who have started or wish to start a family, work safety records, the percentage of adults age18 or older who identify as LGBTQ+ and the percentage of LGBTQ+ adults over 25 years old raising children.”

Why is this important? The Top 10 states are Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, California, Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado and New York. The Top 5 cities are San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago.

How will this be important? There’s a strong geographical marker in that most of the Top 20 states are coastal.

Route Fifty | The States Most Accepting of LGBTQ+ Residents

What is happening? Employee surveys show the 1 in 7 say their boss is hostile. This abuse/hostility ranges from lying or not giving credit for work to insults or ridicule.

Why is this important? Managers who blame employees for poor outcomes are statically more likely to be abusive. It is estimated that this causes losses of up to $24 billion a year in lost productivity.

How will this be important? Researchers found that perceptual errors on part of the managers are the problem. The more perceptual errors a manager makes abut an employee, the more hostile and abusive they are.

Route Fifty | Abusive Bosses Often Blame Workers for Poor Performance When Their Biases May Be the Problem

What is happening? Saks, the department store chain, announced its first senior vice president of environmental, social, and governance- Cara Chacon.

Why is this important? Chacon says ““Within the fashion industry, there remains a greater opportunity for Saks to play a role in making a positive environmental and social impact.”

How will this be important? As a bigger picture, the Saks CEO says ““Bolstering our ESG efforts will enable us to make an even more positive impact on our industry and communities. “

Fashion United | Saks appoints first senior vice president of ESG

What is happening? Austin’s MLS Stadium, Q2, diverted 71% of its waste during the stadiums first year.

Why is this important? Sustainability is part of the ethos in Austin.

How will this be important? It is important to talk about sustainability efforts. Be proud of your work.

@q2stadium

What’s happening? Turns out those bosses wanting people back in the office 5 days a week, well, the bosses aren’t showing up 5 days a week.

Why is this important? Employees are noticing and it is not sitting well.

How will this be important? Employees not happy with their lack of flexibility are 3 times more likely to look for another job.

@bloomberg BusinessWeek

What is happening? Champagne Drappier became the first Champagne estate to be carbon neutral.

Why is this important? To Michel Drappier, ““Going natural, ecological, organic, was the only way to keep our planet a good place to live,”

How will this be important? On the family champagne estate, it is all about saving the grapes, and this they believe is their part to save the grapes

Barrons | Good Company: Champagne Drappier, France’s Carbon Neutral Pioneer

What’s happening? Adam Grant, Wharton School, professor focusing on organizational psychology, tells us companies are reserving 1 day a week where no meetings can take place

Why is this important? 76 companies tested it & saw satisfaction and productivity increase. Communication and cooperation improved.

How will this be important? Happy employees are loyal and productive thereby leading to increased earnings.

@AdamMGrant

What is happening? companies with a good CSR rating have returns 19% higher 

Why is this important? 59% of consumers say businesses have a responsibility to social good.

How will this be important? 52% of UK Business Owners say that it adds value to their business. 47% see financial performance improve 33% see a positive business reputation improvement & 27% say they see operational savings

Fintech & Finance News | The Power of Giving Back: Why Corporate Social Responsibility matters

What is happening? 42% of employees have a hybrid schedule. 39% worked exclusively from home. As for their long term work goals,  53% expect a hybrid arrangement and 24% expect to work exclusively remotely.

Why is this important? 54% will look for other jobs if they don’t have a remote work option.

How will this be important? Workers reported the following reasons for supporting the hybrid work model:

• Avoiding commutes
• Better overall wellbeing
• Flexibility to balance other obligations
• Still have the option to work in-person with co-workers
• Allows for feeling both more productive and still connected to organization

Rute Fifty | Easing the Transition to a Long-term Hybrid Workplace

What’s happening? IN, UT and now KY Governors have vetoed their state’s transgender sports ban legislation.

Why is this important? In KY, the Republican legislature passed the bill and the Democrat Governor vetoed it because the bill does not treat all student athletes equally for equal protection purposes.

How will this be important? IN 2021, LA, ND and KS Governors also vetoed the legislation.

NY Times | Kentucky Governor Vetoes Transgender Sports Bill

What’s happening? European Securities and Markets Authority research shows that “were overall cheaper than non-ESG peers, while their performance reflected the strong performance of specific sectors since the Covid-19 crisis.”

Why is this important? Because old adage be damned… this isn’t true:  investors must sacrifice profits for purpose

How will this be important? Dig down and find… ” impact funds performed better than other ESG strategies and funds with sustainable investment as [an] objective performed better in net terms… than those promoting environmental or social characteristics despite slightly higher costs,”

Investment Executive | ESG funds outperformed in 2020: ESMA

What is happening? A study by USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has Rolling Stone calling the music industry a “sausage fest”

Why is this important? In 2021, 23.3% of artists, 4.4%of songwriters, and just 3.9% of producers for the biggest tracks were women. “On average for the decade, 12.7 percent of songwriters, 2.8 percent of producers, and 21.8 percent of artists behind the year-end Hot 100 were women.”

How will this be important? While gender equity has not increased, racial equity has improved. ” 57% of artists on the 2021 Hot 100 year-end chart coming from underrepresented racial groups compared to just more than 38 % in 2012.”

Rollingstone | The Music Industry Is a Sausage Fest, and This Study Proves It

What is happening? The NFL has created a committee to review its diversity hiring practices.

Why is this important? The NFL determined there is a lack of diversity, or the lack of diversity was brought to the NFL’s attention. Tomato/to-mah-to Either way the NFL has a committee. People know about the committee and its report will be public. The committee members include business leaders, academics, and former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith.

How will this be important? In addition to improving diversity, equity and inclusion, teams will now be required to hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant. The 32 teams signed a letter agreeing to diverse ownership too.

NFL.com | NFL forms new committee to review policies regarding diversity hiring; teams mandated to hire minority coach as offensive assistant