Advisory Group Structure
A key part of the SOLAR Commitment is the Stakeholder Advisory Group that informs the development and use of the SOLAR Commitment and the performance indicators for Participating Companies to report on annually. Its primary purpose is to:
»Provide guidance and advice on a range of CSR matters pertinent to the SOLAR Commitment
»Act as a “sounding board” for communication and engagement strategies on key CSR and reputational risks
»Provide input on key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure continuous improvement of the SOLAR Commitment
»Review current policies and position statements, and inform decisions for future policies and position statements with regard to the SOLAR Commitment.
»Advise on stakeholder relationships and targeted engagement with specific stakeholder groups
»Provide a public statement on the KPIs and review process to the SOLAR Commitment report.
Advisory Group Representative Recommendations
We will select 5-7 members, at least one from each category.
Advisory Group members will be chosen on the following criteria:
- Globally representative with representatives from different regions and global perspectives
- Diversity of experience and content expertise within reporting, performance, social and environmental responsibility, business and/or corporate responsibility.
- Mix of people that understand business and those that work primarily in civil society
- Aim for gender and racial diversity
Category: NGOs
(listed in order of decreasing preference)
1. GRI
2. Ma Jun
3. WWF
4. NRDC
Category: SRIs
(listed in order of decreasing preference)
1. Boston Common
2. As You Sow
3. SAM
Category: Business Representatives
(listed in order of decreasing preference)
1. EICC
2. World Business Council for Sustainable Development
3. AIAG
Category: Academic
1. Net Impact Organization
2. Joint Research Centre (EU)
Organization Descriptions
1. AIAG (Business)
Organizational Description: The Automotive Industry Action Group is a globally recognized organization founded in 1982 by a group of visionary managers from Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors. The purpose: To provide an open forum where members cooperate in developing and promoting solutions that enhances the prosperity of the automotive industry. AIAG's focus is to continuously improve business processes and practices involving trading partners throughout the supply chain.
Representative:TBD
Reason: AIAG is another industry association that has done a lot of work on reporting and sustainability progress. There may be a particularly helpful in terms of sharing lessons.
2. As You Sow (SRI)
Organizational Description: As You Sow was founded in 1992 and strives to increase corporate accountability. Two programs of work drive As You Sow’s mission - the Environmental Enforcement Program that seeks to reduce and remove carcinogenic exposures and the Corporate Social Responsibility Program (CSRP) that uses shareholder advocacy and the financial markets to catalyze positive change within publicly held companies.
Representative: Amy Galland, Research Director
Amy Galland is an expert in best practices in recycling, sustainability, product safety, purchasing, and supply chain monitoring. Amy also conducts the research for all shareholder campaigns and leads shareholder engagements on sustainability, greenhouse gas reduction/renewable energy, and environmental health.
Reason: Amy is an expert on codes of conduct and looks specifically at the solar industry.
3. Boston Common (SRI)
Organizational Description: BCI is an investment manager and a leader in global sustainability initiatives. BCI uses rigorous analysis of financial, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to identify attractively valued companies for investment. BCI urges portfolio companies to improve transparency, accountability, and attention to ESG issues.
Representative: Steve Heim is primarily responsible for ESG research on domestic and international companies and for our shareholder engagement work. He has 20 years experience in the SRI field. In collaboration with Geeta Aiyer, he has contributed to the book The SRI Advantage: Why Socially Responsible Investing Has Outperformed Financially (New Society Publishers, 2002). Steven served for three years as the Co-Chair of the Global Warming Working Group of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. He serves on the Steering Committees of the Social Investment Forum's Sustainable Investment Research Analyst Network and the Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IPWG) and is chair of the IPWG's advocacy subcommittee.
Reason: BCI is an influential SRI that works in collaboration with other SRIs on critical issues, particularly with the UN’s PRI. BCI participated in developing the SVTC Scorecard and influences the solar industry.
4. EICC (Business)
Organizational Description: The EICC is a coalition of the world’s leading electronics companies working together to improve efficiency and social, ethical, and environmental responsibility in the global supply chain.
Representative: TBD
Reason: The EICC code of conduct is used as the base code of the Solar Commitment. It would be useful to have an active and expert member that is independent to SEIA to be part of the advisory committee.
5. GRI (NGO)
Organizational Description: GRI promotes economic, environmental and socialsustainability. GRI provides all companies and organizations with a comprehensive sustainability reporting framework that is widely used around the world
Representative: Nelmara Arbex is Deputy Chief Executive of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Arbex joined GRI with a wealth of experience in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. She was manager for Corporate Responsibility at Natura Cosmetics, Brazil for three years. In that role she developed and implemented a management system for corporate responsibility, led participatory processes of sustainable development planning with communities, implemented national social and environmental campaigns, and was responsible for the company’s internal sustainability education program for managers. She also led the preparation of the company’s annual sustainability report
Reason: GRI is an influential reporting framework and is represented by multi-stakeholder governance input. Expertise on reporting on KPIs is their expertise.
6. Joint Research Centre (EU) (Adademic)
Organizational Description: The mission of the Joint Research Centre is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of the European Union Policies.
Representative: Dr. Arnulf Jäger-Waldau has been a Scientific Officer and Senior Scientist at the Renewable Energy Unit, since 2001. He works on the assessment of renewable energy technologies, the effectiveness of their implementation and their integration into energy infrastructures. Since 1987 he has worked in the field of material research for solar cells and holds patents on semiconductor material deposition for thin film solar cells and solar module design. He has more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings ranging from materials research for PV and solar cell development to market studies and policy evaluations for Renewable Energies. He is the author of the European Commission's annual "Photovoltaic Status Report", which is published annually since 2002.
Reason: Dr. Jager-Waldau is a technical analysis/scientist that looks at how science and policy relate. His input can be a good bridge between the US and EU expectations.
7. Ma Jun/IPE (NGO)
Organizational Description: IPE is a non-profit organization based in Beijing dedicated to research and transparency of environmental issues in China. The IPE works to increase public awareness and disclosure of environmental information, in part by publishing information about water and air pollution in China. In addition to publishing reports on critical environmental issues facing China in several manufacturing industries, IPE maintains an online database that contains published information related to industrial air and water emissions that is searchable by company name, year, industry type, province, and city.
Representative: Wikipedia describes Ma Jun as a Chinese environmentalist, non-fiction writer, environmental consultant and journalist. From 1993 – 2000 he worked as an investigative journalist for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) becoming bureau chief for the paper in Beijing. In 1999 he wrote “China’s Water Crisis” which outlined the most serious problem affecting China today. Pressed by his readers heset up the influential NGO, IPE (Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs) to try and help solve the problem. Time magazine named Ma Jun as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2006.
Reason: Ma Jun is an influential activist that is focused on environmental issues. He serves on other advisory boards to help collaborate with business for improvement and results on the ground.
8. Net Impact Organization (Academic)
Organizational Description: Net Impact's mission is to mobilize a new generation to use their careers to drive transformational change in their workplaces and the world.
Representative: TBD
Reason: Provide connection to university/academic initiatives, specifically regarding sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
9. NRDC (NGO)
Organizational Description: NRDC is said to be the nation's most effective environmental action organization. NRDC uses law, science and the support of 1.3 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. One of its focus areas is the future of clean energy and renewable energy for the United States.
Representative: Noah Long is an Energy Program Attorney. He has had two MAP fellowships, one of them being in the Air and Energy Program working on electricity policy and implementing California’s global warming law, AB 32. At NRDC he focuses on clean energy.
Reason: The NRDC is an influential NGO that has partnered with business for improvement and collaboration. Nick was helpful in his suggestions and advice during the stakeholder engagement process.
10. SAM (SRI)
Organizational Description: Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes and SAM they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.
Representative: TBD
Reason: SAM is the data and reporting organization behind the DJSI. They provide expertise in sustainability performance indicators.
11. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Business)
Organizational Description: The WBCSD is a CEO-led organization of forward-thinking companies that galvanizes the global business community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment.Together with its members, the council applies its respected thought leadership and effective advocacy togenerateconstructive solutions and take shared action.
Representative: TBD
Reason: Member companies include leading companies on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Participation was suggested by SEIA member companies.
12. WWF (NGO)
Organizational Description: WWF’s mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
Representative: Nick Sundt joined WWF in January 2008 from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) coordination office where he served as communications manager. Prior to joining the CCSP office in 2000, Nick edited two climate-related publications: Global Change magazine (1995-2000) and a monthly newsletter, Energy, Economics and Climate Change (1991-1994). From 1982 through 1990, he was an analyst with the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) where he contributed to six major assessments -- including OTA's first report on climate change.
Reason: WWF is an NGO that has partnered with business on specific areas that they believe can make progress for environmental protection. They are known to be more innovative and to ‘push’ the boundaries for progress.
Other Organizations
1. United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) (Multi-lateral institution)
Organizational Description: The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. By doing so, business, as a primary driver of globalization, can help ensure that markets, commerce, technology and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere.
Representative: Jerome Lavign-Delville, Head of Participants Management & Communication on Progress or Anita Househam, Supply Chain Sustainability
Reason: The UNGC works on reporting against its principles and progressing business implementation of those voluntary principles.
2. EPA (Governmental Agency)
Organizational Description: The EPA is the governmental agency tasks with protection health and environment for the United States. The EPA identifies five strategic goals to guide the Agency’s work:
- Goal 1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality
- Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters
- Goal 3: Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development
- Goal 4: Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and Preventing Pollution
- Goal 5: Enforcing Environmental Laws
Representative: TBD
Reason: The EPA is the governmental agency with interest in environmental protection and advancing renewable resources for the State and country.
3. CSC 9000T (China) (NGO/Service Provider)
Organizational Description: The CSC9000T is an industry specific management system for social compliance for China’s textile and apparel sector, which is based upon the Chinese laws and regulations and relevant international conventions as well as in line with the Chinese characteristics.
It aims at improving CSR management and practice and building a harmonious society
Representative: TBD
Reason: China perspective that has supply chain management expertise.