Clorox Named to Climate Innovation Index; Northern Trust Sets 2012 CSR Goals; The Empire State Building Gets Greener - CSR Minute for May 16, 2012

Clorox has ranked number 48 in the Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, which evaluate the largest multinationals in the U.S. and how they manage and adapt to climate change. Since 2007, Clorox has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent; water usage by 13 percent; energy usage by 4 percent; and total waste to landfill by 25 percent. Clorox also now has four zero-waste facilities. Northern Trust has released its second CSR report. Highlights for 2011 include 187,000 volunteer hours donated by employees and 8 million dollars spent with minority and women-owned firms in the U.S. CSR goals set for 2012 include efforts to reduce paper consumption by 2 percent and to introduce a broader array of responsible investing investment solutions. New York City’s Empire State Building is changing its lighting system. The building, which has undergone a green retrofit that earned a LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency, will install 1,200 new fixtures housing 68,000 LED lights to replace regular bulbs. LED lights are more energy efficient, and will also minimize light spill while creating a broader palette of blended colors. For more information on these and other stories, go to thecsrminute.com