Death toll among Qatar’s 2022 World Cup workers revealed
Nepalese migrants building the infrastructure to host the 2022 World Cup have died at a rate of one every two days in 2014, despite Qatar’s promises to improve their working conditions, according to the Guardian. The government commissioned an investigation by the international law firm DLA Piper and promised to implement recommendations listed in a report published in May. But human rights organisations have accused Qatar of dragging its feet on the modest reforms. The Nepalese foreign employment promotion board said 157 of its workers in Qatar had died between January and mid-November this year, while other figures suggest the total during that period could be as high as 188. “We know that people who work long hours in high temperatures are highly vulnerable to fatal heat strokes, so obviously these figures continue to cause alarm,” said Nicholas McGeehan, the Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch. (The Guardian)
Corporate Reputation
Four in five Americans favour companies with green behaviours
Three in five Americans said that they will make a New Year’s resolution to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle in 2015, according to a new consumer survey by cause marketing agency Tiller. The survey reveales that 78 percent, or nearly four out in five American consumers believe that it is important to “purchase products from a socially or environmentally responsible company.” Furthermore, 43 percent of the respondents said that they have declined to buy a product over the last 12 months out of concern for the impact that the product or its packaging might have on the environment. Rob Densen, CEO of Tiller, said that there is no doubt that the environment is emerging as a central concern for most Americans. (Just Means)
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s has announced that it is now sourcing 95% of its palm oil from certified sustainable suppliers, accounting for more than 1,100 of its own-brand products. More than two-thirds of these sustainable palm oil products utilise the ‘mass balance’ model, which requires processors to purchase palm oil from certified sources, but allows them to mix it with conventional palm oil during transportation, processing and packaging. This reduces the cost and complexity of handling separate supply chains and fosters greater uptake of certification. This week, Sainsbury’s became the first UK supermarket to launch a washing-up liquid using mass balance certified sustainable palm oil. Director of Sainsbury’s Brand Judith Batchelar said: “Sourcing sustainable palm oil is extremely important for our business as it helps tackle deforestation and reflects the expectations of our customers”. (Edie)
Campaigns
Campaigners call on UK government to transform the financial system
A group of 11 UK campaigning organisations, including ShareAction, Friends of the Earth and the New Economics Foundation have called on the next UK government to create a finance system that serves society, the environment and the wider economy. The Transforming Finance Network’s statement proposes five major policy measures: increased diversity in banking; more responsibility in financial markets (including the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax); transparency in savings and investment through a Responsible Investment Bill; the expansion of the Green Investment Bank; and a review of democracy in banking. Each of these recommendations is backed by a specific campaign with its own coalition of support. For example, ShareAction has drafted a Responsible Investment Bill, which would enshrine savers’ rights to transparency over where their money is invested and clarify fiduciary duty regarding savers’ long-term interests. (The Guardian)
Environment
Global campaign aims to inspire British cities to choose 100% clean energy
Environmental campaigners are hoping that 2015 will be the year when the UK’s cities go green. Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Munich, Seattle, Sydney and Lima have all committed to switching to using 100% clean energy by 2050, and now grassroots campaigns calling on civic leaders to endorse the initiative have been launched in 123 towns and cities across the UK. It is hoped that as many as 20 will pledge their commitment before the end of this year. One city expected to be at the vanguard of the scheme is Oxford, which has launched a “low-carbon hub” that aims to install solar panels on schools, put water turbines in its stretch of the Thames and develop solar farms. “Cities all over the world have already started announcing 100% clean-energy targets, and where cities lead, entire countries can follow,” said Bert Wander, senior campaigner at Avaaz. (The Guardian)
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