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A group of leading financial investors wants the CEOs of the 500 largest U.S. companies to undertake standardized sustainability reporting measures for 2000. In a presentation timed to coincide with last monthıs GRI symposium, which attracted more than 500 delegates from 38 countries, including representatives from multinational companies, the investment community, interest groups, universities, and government, 39 top investors presented a letter urging adoption of GRI's Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The letter's signatories are leading socially responsible investors, including Calvert Group and Domini Social Investments, and investment advisors for institutional pension funds for the City of New York and the United Church of Christ. They manage investments for foundations, pension funds, religious institutions, organizations, and individuals. The letter cited three benefits offered by this reporting process: aligning economic, environmental and social policies and performance at the management level; tracking and benchmarking organizational performance of operations, products and services; and communicating challenges and accomplishments to internal and external stakeholders. According to Joan Bavaria of Trillium Asset Management, one of the signatories, the need for companies to embrace social and environmental reporting is immediate. ³Consumers are calling for action; investors demand it," she said. .
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