May2013 SVLG Environment Committee Meeting Notes & Action Items

Host

  • Brian Glazebook, NetApp

Attendees

  • Co-Chairs: Jim Davis (KPMG) and RoseGrymes (NASA Ames)
  • Members:Chuck Wilhelm (Enlight Energy), James Charley (Intel), Lou Ramondetta (Surplus Service), Mary Ellen Leciejewski (Dignity Health), Roy Hays(AERC Recycling),Robin Weiland (KPMG), and Tonie Hansen (NVIDIA)
  • Members calling in: Lori Duvall (Ebay), Jason Llundgaard(Apple), Virginia Klausmeier (Sylvatex),
  • SVLG: Mike Mielke,PriyankaSrinivasan, ShailaNarang

Guests

  • Katie SchmitzEulitt, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board

Agenda Items

  1. Aprilmeeting minutes

Approved unanimously with no changes

  1. Presentation - Katie Schmitz Eulitt: Sustainability Accounting Standards Board(Accounting Standards development for the tech sector)

Katie underscored the importance of SASB Accounting Standards as 80% of S&P market value is now in intangible assets and Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance (ESG) is an important part of that. SASB is trying to help companies account for all forms of capital and works on business specific ESG issues. SASB works with Industry Working Groups that review output from SASB research team to determine materiality issues and this is then followed by a public comment period and the creation of draft Sustainability Standards.By end of 2015, standards for 88 industry groups are expected to be created.SASB also briefs the SEC on a quarterly basis and SEC gives SASB guidelines on how to disclose material issues in mandatory filings.

There are openings for Industry members in the Public Interest, Telecommunications, and Semiconductors Groups at present.

  1. Sacramento Advocacy trip Top items
  2. Water – BDCP + Water Bond: Investment for a Sound State Water System – Leadership Group is supportive of Water Bond and BDCP.
  3. Extended Producer Responsibility – Leadership Group is supportive of effective and efficient waste reduction measures; AB488 is still alive.
  4. Cap and trade: Invest in a Clean Energy Future and a Healthy Environment (Transportation) – Leadership Group is supportive of the cap and trade program and recommends the use of auction revenues as per the guiding principles. We arenot supportive of cap-and-trade funds being loaned to the General Fund.

Questions from members on SB454 (Electric vehicle charging) – To be discussed in the Transportation Committee.

  1. Legislative/Regulatory items
  • SB 279 (Hancock) – SF Bay Restoration Authority

The legislation would provide provisions for submitting a multi-county ballot measure to allow the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (SFBRA) to continue to move forward in seeking voter approval consistent with its mission. The Leadership Group supported the original enabling legislation back in 2008 – AB 2954 (Lieber). SVLG staff (Mike Mielke) sits on the SFBRA Advisory Committee.
The legislation received unanimous support with all committee members in favor and no abstentions.

  • AB 1375 (Chau) –Clean Technology Account

The legislation would establish a Clean Technology Investment Account within the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and utilize Cap-and-Trade auction revenues to fund development and deployment of innovative clean technologies.Cleantech Open would vet the several proposals on clean technology for the State and recommend investments.

This is SEED funding to help technologies develop prior to the venture capital stage.

The legislation receivedsupport with 9 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.

  • SB 405 (Padilla) – Single-use Carryout Bags

The legislation would prohibit grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use bags to customers and require these stores to meet specified requirements regarding providing recycled/reusable grocery bags for purchase by customers. The Leadership Group supported similar statewide single-use plastic bag ban legislation(AB 1998, Brownley) in 2010. Staff has been in direct contact with the Author’s office and the California Grocers Association and we are working together to ensure that the bill is written so that we may support the measure this year. Some language change was suggested at the meeting by members. *Action: Staff will follow-up with members on language change recommendations.

The legislation received support with 9 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.

Update: This legislation fell three votes shy and did not get out of the Senate during a floor vote on May 30 (18-17, with 4 members not voting).

  1. Open forum /Items of Interest

None

  1. Next meeting – June 19 (Joint Environment – Transportation meeting), Host NXP, Primary item of discussion: California Low Carbon Fuel Standard

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