Greenpeace calls for Nestlé to act over single-use plastics
Environmental group, Greenpeace, have accused Swiss transnational food and drink company, Nestlé, of not doing enough to reduce single-use plastics polluting landfills and oceans. Jennifer Morgan, executive director at Greenpeace International, said the world’s biggest food group should set a target for reducing single-use packaging and invest in alternatives focusing on refill and reuse. “Nestlé is a major contributor to the plastic crisis and environmental problem that we have right now,” stated Morgan. According to a 2018 report from Greenpeace and the Break Free From Plastic movement, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé are the world’s biggest producers of plastic waste. Duncan Pollard, Nestlé’s Head of Sustainability, said the company agreed about the need to reduce plastic use, but that “we need to make sure the new packaging solutions are safe and that consumers accept them.” Nestlé has vowed to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 and push the use of compostable and biodegradable materials polymers. Greenpeace criticised Nestlé’spromises as lacking transparency, clear targets and significant investment. (Reuters)
Energy
Apple to exceed 4GW renewable energy goal for supply chain
American multinational technology company, Apple, has almost doubled the number of suppliers that have committed to 100 percent clean energy, as part of a wider goal to deliver 4GW of renewable energy into its supply chain by 2020. Having already powered 100% of its global facilities across 43 countries with renewable energy, Apple has been targeting uptake of clean energy in the supply chain since 2015. Through the ‘Supplier Clean Energy Programme’, Apple has encouraged 44 suppliers to commit to run their Apple production sites and facilities on 100 percent clean power. Apple claims that the 4GW target will be exceeded by 2020, with more than 1GW of additional renewables uptake projected in the timeframe. Since 2011, Apple’s use of renewable energy has reduced operational emissions by 54 percent worldwide, preventing more than two million metric tonnes of CO2e from being emitted. (Edie)
Employees
Report: Sustainability is a top priority for young employees
Research into the workplace priorities of Millennial and Generation Z employees has found they rank sustainability as a leading concern when evaluating the companies they work for. BRITA Professional conducted a survey of 1,000 Millennials, classified as those born between the early 80s to mid-90s, and Generation Z, classified as those born between the mid-90s and mid-00s, to gauge the importance they place on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the workplace. Sustainability emerged as a top priority, with 86 percent of respondents saying they would stay at a company longer if it reported back on how it is lowering its impact on the environment. The research asked what CSR objectives matter most to the younger generation, with sustainability again coming top. The highest proportion of respondents – 46 percent – chose an environmentally friendly building as a key concern. In addition, 45 percent highlighted programmes to support health and wellbeing as a priority, while another 36 percent selected opportunities to get involved with charity partnerships. (Business Green)*
Accountability
Airbnb reverses decision to remove Israeli West Bank homes from website
The US home-sharing company, Airbnb, has announced it will continue to list Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank, in a reversal of a previous decision. The announcement came after Israeli lawyers filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of property hosts and others, following the decision last year by Airbnb that it would remove such listings due to years of accusations that the company was benefitting from rentals in the illegal outposts. Airbnb has now said in a news release that it was settling all lawsuits brought by hosts and potential hosts and guests who had objected to its most recent policy. While the properties in the West Bank will now be listed, the company said it will not accept profits from the area and will instead donate to charity such revenue made. Many Palestinian activists have expressed disapproval of the latest decision. The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights released a statement calling the decision “shameful” and “a blatant attempt to whitewash reality”. (The Guardian)
Digital Ethics
Lush UK quits social media because it’s “tired of fighting with algorithms”
British cosmetics brand, Lush, announced this week that it will be quitting several social media platforms in the UK. The company has amassed more than 570,000 Instagram, 200,000 Twitter and 400,000 Facebook followers. It has used its social media platforms to promote its products, which are not tested on animals and use minimal packaging, and to advocate for environmental awareness. Lush’s decision to quit social media may be the company’s latest ethical manoeuvre. In posts on its social media platforms, Lush said “we are tired of fighting with algorithms, and we do not want to pay to appear in your newsfeed.” Social media companies are facing mounting criticism over issues such as misinformation and toxic content. Facebook, which owns Instagram and the popular messaging service, Whatsapp, sparked outrage last month when it allowed footage of a New Zealand mosque attack to live-stream on its website for 17 minutes before it was removed. Lush Cosmetics North America has announced that it will continue to use social media for now. (TIME)
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