Study Links Carbon Management, CSR with Shareholder Value

September 15, 2008

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According to a study by Verizon Business and IR magazine, 87 percent of investor relations professionals say they believe companies can improve long-term shareholder value through better carbon management and that communications technologies can help companies achieve their overall corporate social responsibility goals.

The study investigates the drivers – governmental, regulatory, stakeholder or financial – that are pushing environmental concerns to the top of the investor relations agenda, and identifies how these concerns are affecting overall investor relations practices.

Drawing from 150 responses from IR magazine’s global readership, the study found:

- 60 percent of respondents say CSR concerns affected their decision to use technology to achieve business efficiencies.
- 71 percent say they are already using audio/video and Web conferencing technologies to communicate with stakeholders.
- About 25 percent say they are already using technology to communicate with a closed interest group such as financial analysts.
- 21 percent say they use conferencing to communicate with broad interest groups such as private shareholders.
- 45 percent say that shareholders are increasingly engaged in overall CSR policy.
- 43 percent say their company already includes carbon-reduction measures as a key part of overall CSR policies.

In June, Verizon announced that its call-switching center and office building in Garden City, N.Y. is powered by fuel cells.

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