Report: senior leadership is the most important factor in driving corporate sustainability
According to a new study commissioned by the European bottler Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), senior leadership engagement is the most important factor in determining the success of corporate sustainability strategies. The study, Sustainability Insights: Learning from Business Leaders, which is based on a survey of more than 300 European business executives, found that only 18 percent of companies have directors that assess the success of sustainability initiatives and that 44 percent of respondents reported that the biggest barrier to implementing a sustainability strategy is the perceived cost, coupled with a lack of belief in rates of return. Joe Franses, the Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at CCE, said that “this research shows that there are companies that are leaders but there is still a way to go in terms of the mainstream business community reaping the benefits from sustainability.” (Edie)
Supply Chain
Oxfam accuses Coca-Cola and Pepsi of taking land from indigenous communities
According to a new report by Oxfam, indigenous communities across South America, Africa and Southeast Asia are being forcibly convicted from their homes and land to make way for sugar plantations that supply companies in the global food and beverage industry that include Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. Coca-Cola has denied Oxfam’s allegations and said that while the company does not buy sugar directly from any of the plantations or mills mentioned in the report, the company will “convene a facilitated stakeholder dialogue to discuss Oxfam’s overall findings.” PepsiCo said that it had “reached out to the suppliers; they have assured us they are in compliance with applicable laws. We continue to engage with our partners to further understand how they are addressing the issues raised by Oxfam.” Oxfam is calling on the companies to commit to zero tolerance of land grabs throughout their supply chains, and to use their power to influence governments and the wider food and beverage industry to respect land rights. (The Independent; Oxfam)
Indonesia signs EU agreement to trade legally harvested timber
Indonesia has signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT-VPA) with the EU, which aims to halt the trade of illegal timber and ensure that only verified legal timber and timber products are imported to the EU. Indonesia is the first country in Asia to sign a FLEGT-VPA with the EU, and is the largest timber exporting country in the world to do so. The Indonesian Forestry Minister, Zulkifli Hasan, said that “the agreement demonstrates both parties have zero tolerance on illegal logging and its associated trade, and reflects our commitment to promoting the trade of legally certified timber.” The European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potonik, said that the agreement was good for responsible business and that it would boost consumer confidence in Indonesian timber. (Eco Business)
Environment
Patagonia launches ‘Responsible Economy’ campaign
The US outdoor apparel company Patagonia has launched a new campaign, The Responsible Economy, which calls on consumers and businesses to rethink disposability for more effective resource allocation. The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, said that during the next two years, Patagonia will explore the question of what an economy would look like that did not damage the planet and how this affects how Patagonia operates. Inspired by the public response to its “Don’t Buy This Jacket” advertisement in the New York Times on Black Friday 2011, when Patagonia asked customers to think twice about buying new clothes, the new campaign challenges the assumption that prosperity and economic growth go hand in hand. Patagonia, which has also joined more than 20 US companies in support for the new carbon pollution standards proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, will promote the concept that everyone must learn to consume less and use resources far more productively to reduce adverse human impact on the environment. (Sustainable Brands)
BASF and Heritage Plastics partner to bring bioplastics production to the US
The German chemical company BASF has announced a manufacturing partnership with the US manufacturer Heritage Plastics to produce ecovio® compostable bioplastic products in the US. BASF’s ecovio products include plastic films such as organic waste bags, agricultural films, compostable packaging solutions, shrink films and foam packaging. With the increase in availability of composting throughout the US, new resources are helping to inform consumers about the proper disposal methods of various materials. Last week, the US Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) released an online catalogue of information on over 3,300 BPI-certified compostable products and labels such as GreenBlue’s How2Recycle label, which is used by companies such as The Kellogg Company, Microsoft, and General Mills to influence consumer recycling behaviour. (Sustainable Brands)
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