Four out of five leading UK companies are doing little or nothing to reduce global warming emissions, according to preliminary responses for Business in the Environment’s next index of corporate environmental engagement, due out Spring 2001. The survey coincides with a report by the relief and development agency, Tearfund, Before disaster strikes, which argues that the economic impact of extreme weather-related events – occurring four times more frequently in the last decade than the 1950’s – could be reduced by $175 billion though investing a seventh of that sum in disaster preparation. Environmentalists remain frustrated by the failure of international governments to come to any substantial agreements at the Climate Change Convention meeting in The Hague on November 13-24. Contact Matt Larkin, BiE, on 0870 600 2482 (http://www.business-in-environment.org.uk); Keith Ewing, Tearfund, on 020 8977 6061 (http://www.tearfund.org)
Companies take action – in the UK
Sainsbury’s announced on October 1 that it intends to buy sustainable ‘Ecotricity’ from a 65 metre-high wind turbine, built and operated at its East Kilbride distribution depot. On November 1, The Co-operative Bank also announced that three-quarters of its electricity will now be derived from renewable sources, such as the Chester landfill gas scheme it plans to use to supply its sites in Salford and Skelmersdale. BAA also recently announced that it had entered a contract with Powergen as part of its target to source 5% of its energy from renewable sources by 2003. Contact Sue Mercer, Sainsbury’s, on 020 7695 6000 (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk), Paul Monaghan, Co-operative Bank, on 0161 829 5460 (http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk) or Andrew Currie, BAA, on 01293 595 864 (http://www.baa.co.uk)
… and internationally
A consortium of multinational companies – including Shell International, BP, DuPont, Suncor Energy, Ontario Power Generation, Alcan and the French aluminium company Pechiney – announced on October 17 that they have established a Partnership for Climate Action with the US non-profit, Environment Defense. Their aim is to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 million metric tons over the next decade. Contact Allan Margolin, Environmental Defense, on 00 1 212 505 2100 (http://www.environmentaldefense.org)
n Ford getting greener
Ford Motor Company announced a $5 million donation to the Earthwatch Institute on November 26, to fund a series of conservation research stations in especially threatened and valuable global habitats over the next five years. Ford also teamed up with the National Geographic Society on November 14 for a campaign entitled Earthpulse, on key environmental threats facing the planet. The project starts in January with every one of America’s 113,000 public and private schools receiving an ‘eco-regions’ map and educators guide.
The company is also to spend $2 billion on its manufacturing complex at Rouge, Michigan. A new assembly plant will be topped with nearly half a million square feet of foliage, as well as having porous roads and car parks, a roof which reduces storm water run-off and a temperature regulation system to save energy. Contact Ford on 001 313 845 8540 (http://www.ford.com)
Green motoring around the corner
Daimler Chrysler’s NECAR 5, Volkswagen’s Bora HyMotion, General Motors’ HydroGen 1 and Ford’s Focus FCV were among innovations in fuel-cell technology on display at a major motor-show in California during November. In the UK, the secretary for the environment, John Prescott MP, has announced a £30 million package over three years to enable motorists to convert their cars to cheap gas power or to buy new electric vehicles.
The government incentives follow a joint report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the DETR on October 20, which reported that car-buyers would be more likely to buy more environmentally efficient cars if they had better information before purchasing. Contact the DETR Enquiries on 020 7944 3000 (http://www.detr.gov.uk)
Profiting from green technologies
The new UK government body responsible for sustainable development, launched October 25, sees one of its main tasks as being to “encourage businesses to see the profit of the new green technologies”. The 15-strong Commission is chaired by Jonathon Porritt, director of Forum for the Future, and other members include: Alan Knight, head of environmental policy at B&Q; Rita Clifton, chief executive of Interbrand; and Chris Gibson-Smith, group managing director at BP. Contact DETR Enquiries on 020 7944 3000 (http://www.detr.gov.uk)
DuPont VP receives award
The man behind DuPont’s ‘the goal is zero’ environmental motto was announced as winner of Tomorrow Magazine’s Environmental Leadership Award 2000 in November. Paul Tebo, vice president for safety, health and environment, has committed DuPont to sustainable growth targets across all business units. Measures include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent, obtaining a tenth of energy from sustainable sources, and achieving a quarter of revenues from non-depletable resources – all by 2010. Contact DuPont on 00 1 302 774 1000 (http://www.dupont.com)
Eco-labelling leaves consumers unconvinced
Environmental labels used by US companies trading in forest products such as paper and furniture are either too vague or too technical to be of any real use, according to research undertaken by the University of Maine. The research concludes that purchasing behaviour will only change if environmental labelling is both standardised and independently authenticated, including information such as comparisons by product or industry sector. Contact Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station on 00 1 207 581 3203 (http://www.umaine.edu/mafes)
news in brief
• How companies can catalyse market demand for environmentally friendly hotels was the theme of an innovative conference involving Nike, Ford, Bass Hotels, and Sheraton, and hosted by CERES on October 11-12 in Atlanta. Contact Sarah Raposa, CERES, on 00 1 717 246 0700 (http://www.ceres.org)
• AT&T’s employee teleworking programme has won an award from the US Environmental Protection Agency for cutting 110 million miles of commuting in the last year alone. Contact Cindy Neale, AT&T, on 00 1 908 221 7249 (http://www.att.com)
• Communications company NTL has agreed a deal with BTCV to back 12 conservation and education projects throughout the UK. Contact Len Liggins, BTCV, on 01491 821635 (http://www.btcv.org.uk)
• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set up an environmental policy unit, addressing climate change, bio-diversity, environmental security, sustainable development and globalisation. Staff from companies such as British Airways and environmental groups such as WWF have been seconded to the unit. Contact FCO on 020 7270 1500 (http://www.fco.gov.uk)
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