In The News: EDF's Chief Economist, Vermont Law School & Fujitsu

Taking a break from our ongoing series CSR 2010: Lasting Impressions From a Volatile Year, here are three news stories that have caught my attention this week:

EDF's Chief Economist Joins White House

The Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF) Chief Economist Nathaniel Keohane is joining the White House's National Economic Council. His task: Directing the President's energy and environmental policy. Those who keep a close eye on the energy—and sustainability—industry will recall Keohane's vigorous support for a market-based cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.

When news trickled in October last year that Congress was likely to move forward on increasing funding for clean energy research instead of an effective cap-and-trade bill, the NYTimes' Economix blog quoted Keohane saying, "I would go further and say that we need both cap and trade and sustained investment in clean energy R&D—they are complements rather than substitutes; and if it turns out that we can’t get cap and trade in the near term, we need R&D investment all the more."

Why is this important? Keohane's historical support for renewable and alternative energy means aggressive efforts by the President for driving a green economy, which further translates into many more career opportunities for candidates with varied sets of skills and experiences.

More: NYTimes Green blog

Research First, Cap and Trade Next

Vermont Law School's Top 10 Environmental Watch List for 2011

An inaugural effort by Vermont Law School, the list highlight's the most critical environmental law and policy issues of 2010 and how they might play out in 2011. Now some of these will sound familiar while others not so much. The familiar include:

1.Climate Change in the Courts

2.Congressional Failure to Enact Climate Change Legislation

3.US Military Going Green

4.The Nation's Worst Oil Spills

The objective behind this list? In the words of Dean Geoffrey Shields: "We can continue our short-sighted addiction to fossil fuels or we can adopt innovative, healthier, more sustainable practices. The Environmental Watch List will help improve public understanding of how to use the law to take action on the critical issues of our time."

More:The Complete list

Fujitsu Issues Formal CSR Policy Focused on Employees

According to Greenbiz, technology company Fujitsu's policy will focus on five issues: "Opportunities and security from ICT, protecting the global environment, diversity and inclusion, employees contributing to society and the planet, and stakeholders."

Particularly interesting: The part that focuses on employees covers "developing globally-minded employees that desire to help advance society with their work." Well, that shouldn’t be too hard. Right?

Why the need for a formal CSR policy? Besides a prevailing herd mentality among organizations, Fujitsu said it felt compelled because of an increasing pressure from stakeholders for information on the company's CSR actions as well as the need for having an active voice on world issues and guidelines related to sustainability.

We'll definitely be keeping an eye out on how the policy unfolds internally as well as externally.

More: Fujitsu's Formal CSR Policy Prioritizes Employees, Green ICT

Got anything that caught your eye so far? Feel free to leave a comment, email In Good Company, or connect on Twitter @VaultCSR.