New SEC Guidelines on Climate Change
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.
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Amit Chatterjee is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Hara Software. Prior to founding Hara he led SAP’s fast-growing Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) unit. Mr. Chatterjee developed his strategic and leadership experience while at McKinsey & Co., working with clients such as SAP, Cisco and Oracle. His contributions to environmental and energy management started with Global Reporting Institute, UN Global Compact and at Harvard’s JFK School of Public Policy.
Michel Gelobter is Chief Green Officer at Hara and one of the country’s leading sustainability and climate strategists, having worked for more than 25 years in business, policy, research, and advocacy on energy, environmental and social policy. Michel is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Cooler, a for-profit social venture whose mission is to connect every consumer purchase to a solution for global warming.
Joel Riciputi is Director of Marketing at Hara. Mr. Riciputi has more than 17 years of experience driving global marketing and strategy, product marketing, and business development for fast-growing companies in the cleantech, environmental, software, and energy industries. 
Chris Farinacci is Chief Marketing Officer at Hara. Mr. Farinacci has over 18 years of experience shaping the development of software categories and introducing innovative products in the product lifecycle management (PLM), supply chain management (SCM), and supplier relationship management (SRM) markets. 
