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June 2007
Here's a quick look at some of the relevant news crossing our desks recently:
Special Report on Climate Change
The Economist recently included a 15-page "special report" on business and climate change; several key articles are included in the brief. In particular, there is analysis of the new Bush Administration stance on carbon limits.
http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9217992
When Employees Drive Giving
The Charlotte Observer notes that a trend to have employees shape corporate giving and volunteer programs has far-flung communities benefiting more than the company's headquarters city, which contradicts some of the conventional wisdom about why communities want to attract corporate headquarters.
http://www.charlotte.com/carolinas100/story/145622.html
Black Marks for "Green" Banks
Business Week takes a close look at recent corporate environmental reports, which reveal that, despite the rhetoric, certain financial giants are struggling with the first step: diminishing the CO2 and other gases discharged from their buildings and the jets on which their employees travel.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_25/c4039011.htm#ZZZQB5C3N2F
Can CSR Work for Farmers?
Consumer awareness of food production methods is really changing the industry, and the American Farm Bureau is worried that what’s good for the consumer may not be good for the farmer – or maybe this is just a fear of change?
http://www.fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=newsroom.focusfocus&year=2007&file=fo0611.html
Cows, Climate Change, and Carbon Credits
The biggest coal burner in the U.S. thinks cow dung can start fixing its global-warming problem, but it's just a drop in the bucket, says the Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118178859139934868-hxfrRwOWXUamNWH4e0aaraQALyI_20070713.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top
Drug Industry Economics Not Sustainable
Global pharmaceutical market to double in value to $1.3 trillion by 2020, estimates PricewaterhouseCoopers, but industry must change to capitalize on opportunities.
http://www.pwc.com/extweb/ncpressrelease.nsf/docid/4172DC6A00DC626E852572F8006CCA95
Who Believes in Climate Change?
"What Assures Consumers on Climate Change?," a joint study by Consumers International and AccountAbility, says that corporate and government efforts to inform consumers about climate change are falling on deaf ears, with barely one in ten people in the UK and U.S. believing what they say on the issue. The study also shows that three quarters of those surveyed felt unable to alter their purchasing habits to reduce their personal carbon footprint.
Download the report at http://www.consumersinternational.org/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=96683
New Global Warming Scorecard
If the above survey had only happened a little later, perhaps the consumers who felt they couldn't alter their buying habits would have been singing a different tune. A new scorecard from the nonprofit Climate Counts is being introduced to help consumers factor a company's track record on climate change into their purchasing decisions for everything from sneakers to soft drinks. The Scorecard scores 56 major corporations across eight sectors - from apparel to electronics to fast food — on their commitment to reversing climate change.
Consumers can review all the company scores and download a pocket-sized shopping guide at http://www.climatecounts.org.
Abbott Fund opens Tanzania's first corporate foundation office
Further deepening its commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, Abbott Fund announced that it is opening a new program office in Tanzania to manage its extensive HIV/AIDS philanthropic efforts and partnerships there. The new Abbott Fund office, located in the capital city of Dar es Salaam, is the first and only corporate foundation office in Tanzania and Abbott Fund's first office outside of the foundation's Chicago-area headquarters.
http://www.abbott.com/global/url/pressRelease/en_US/60.5:5/Press_Release_0469.htm
Wal-Mart's summer dimming program saves energy
Wal-Mart Canada stores are dimming their lighting by over 30 percent for the summer, as part of a strategy to help the company reduce its carbon emissions by more than 19,000 tons over the course of the year. The 240 stores that are part of the dimming project will save an estimated 4,500 tons of carbon emissions, the company estimates, and will also help reduce summer smog and lower the strain on the country's power grids during peak energy demand.
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=35296
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