January 27th, 2010 by Michel Gelobter

It’s official – investors need to know.

Today, the SEC approved and issued an “interpretive guidance” on climate change – basically guidelines on what publicly-traded companies must disclose to investors about climate-related “material” effects on business operations.

What we’ve seen at Hara tracks closely with the SEC’s ruling. No matter what business you’re in, the ability to manage and optimize your organizational metabolism  (the sum of the collective resources consumed and expended) matters to you. Energy and greenhouse gas management can present significant business challenges, whether responding to new regulation or driving sustainability initiatives across your value chain. Energy use and climate performance also offer unprecedented opportunities for cost savings and new lines of business driven by more efficient production.

It seems natural that investors would want to know about these bottom-line issues. The SEC’s action this morning makes it clear that, to ensure a level investment playing field, investors must be able to get clear and consistent information about these risks and opportunities.

Just over two weeks ago, I attended a meeting at the UN of the Investors’ Network on Climate Risk. There, investors from all over the world (and representing over $13 trillion in investments) called for just this sort of action. It was gratifying to see the people who fund growth in our economy joining with the great companies and government agencies Hara works with to drive sustainable corporate performance.

Our customers already know the many reasons climate and energy are material to the bottom-line. Today, with the world’s first economy-wide climate risk disclosure requirement, the SEC is making it clear that other companies and the investment community as a whole have to join the game.

January 14th, 2010 by Chris Farinacci

On behalf of Hara, a belated happy new year to all of our Hara community members. We hope it will be a prosperous 2010 for all of you and we look forward to continuing to share our insight on a range of topics from developments in sustainability management to Hara customer news and events.

Our customers are leading their peers into the post-carbon economy, by enabling an auditable environmental system of record and accessing best practices in order to increase their operational efficiency, maximize shareholder value and manage risk. News Corporation is one example of a global company that is using Hara’s environmental and energy solution to establish and implement a set of strategies to help make sustainability a competitive – and profitable – advantage.

On that note, I’m pleased to invite you to join Hara, industry analysts Groom Energy and News Corporation for a webinar on February 2 that will discuss approaches, strategies and best practices that enable organizations to identify and implement sustainability initiatives across stakeholders to increase operational efficiency, maximize shareholder value and mitigate risk. The session will also include a real-world case study approach to leveraging on-demand energy and environmental solutions to rapidly and confidently manage environmental and energy information, report against multiple global protocols, find cost savings opportunities, track progress and share best practices across worldwide operations. Register now for this event. We look forward to your participation.