Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies
Name	Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies
Formation	1989
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	United States, International
Leader title	Executive Director

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 in San Francisco, California, focused on advancing corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, and investor engagement. The organization has operated at the intersection of environmental advocacy, shareholder activism, and standards development, interacting with actors such as Environmental Defense Fund, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace. Over time it engaged with regulatory processes involving institutions like the Securities and Exchange Commission, international bodies such as the United Nations Environment Programme, and market actors including BlackRock, Vanguard Group, State Street Global Advisors, and CalPERS.

History

The organization was established in 1989 amid a wave of nonprofit activism linked to events like the Earth Summit and movements associated with leaders such as Al Gore, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Maurice Strong, and it grew alongside policy shifts exemplified by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Kyoto Protocol, and voluntary initiatives like the ISO 14001 standard. Early campaigns connected with shareholder proponents such as John Chevedden, institutional actors like CalSTRS, and philanthropies tied to Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. In the 1990s and 2000s the group pursued litigation strategies echoing cases before courts influenced by precedents like Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill and regulatory filings at the Securities and Exchange Commission, while interacting with corporate actors including ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, General Electric, and BP. The organization adapted to developments in reporting frameworks exemplified by Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and initiatives linked to the United Nations Global Compact.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission centered on promoting environmental responsibility within corporations, advancing disclosure practices, and empowering investors, in line with agendas advanced by institutions such as Principles for Responsible Investment, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. Objectives included improving corporate transparency through tools comparable to frameworks from Global Reporting Initiative, aligning fiduciary duty debates seen in litigation involving New York State Common Retirement Fund, and integrating climate risk analysis in the manner encouraged by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. The organization sought to influence policy spaces occupied by the Securities and Exchange Commission, standard setters like Financial Accounting Standards Board, and convenings such as the World Economic Forum.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs targeted shareholder resolutions, proxy voting campaigns, and reporting projects similar to efforts by Shareholder Rights Project and As You Sow, while coordinating model filings comparable to initiatives by Proxy Impact and Ceres. Initiatives included developing template shareholder proposals influencing corporations including Apple Inc., Microsoft, Walmart, and Procter & Gamble, and advancing disclosure pilots paralleling early adopters such as Unilever and Patagonia. The organization participated in coalitions that produced guidance akin to CDP reporting, engaged in litigation strategies resembling matters before the Supreme Court of the United States, and convened workshops like those hosted by Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School on corporate accountability. Trainings for institutional investors echoed programs offered by Rockefeller Brothers Fund and The Pew Charitable Trusts, and campaigns drew tactical comparisons to activism by 350.org and Friends of the Earth.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures reflected nonprofit norms with boards comparable to those of Greenpeace USA and Environmental Defense Fund, involving directors, advisory councils, and executive leadership interacting with philanthropy networks such as MacArthur Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Funding sources combined grants, membership dues, and legal-fee support analogous to arrangements at ACLU and NRDC, and the organization navigated compliance obligations under laws like the Internal Revenue Code and filings similar to those required by state nonprofit regulators in California. Partnerships with academic institutions such as Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University informed governance practices and research outputs.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters credited the organization with advancing corporate disclosure practices, influencing rules at agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission, and shaping reporting norms alongside frameworks such as Global Reporting Initiative and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, with impacts cited by institutional investors including CalPERS, New York State Common Retirement Fund, and asset managers like BlackRock. Critics, including commentators from outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times, argued that tactics risked politicizing shareholder meetings and imposing burdens on corporations such as ExxonMobil and Chevron Corporation, while some academics at Harvard University and Columbia University questioned efficacy relative to market-based solutions promoted by think tanks like Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute. Legal challenges and debates invoked precedents from cases argued in venues including the United States Court of Appeals and filings before regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The organization collaborated with coalitions and networks such as Ceres, As You Sow, Principles for Responsible Investment, and United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, and coordinated with institutional investors including CalPERS, CalSTRS, New York State Common Retirement Fund, and private asset managers like Vanguard Group and State Street Global Advisors. Academic partnerships involved entities such as Harvard Kennedy School, Yale School of the Environment, and MIT, and campaign alliances connected with advocacy groups like Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and Rainforest Action Network. International engagement reached forums including the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the OECD, and the World Bank Group.

Category:Environmental organizations based in the United States