The Sustainable Consumption Roundtable published its final report on May 1, I will if you will. The roundtable, a joint effort of the Sustainable Development Commission and the National Consumer Council and co-chaired by SABMiller’s Alan Knight, concluded that consumers are ready and willing to make ethical choices but need strong leadership from government and business.
Among other recommendations, the report calls on government to collaborate with businesses in expanding the markets for high-impact products such as energy efficient lighting, low-carbon cars, and low-energy home entertainment.
Former environment secretary Margaret Beckett welcomed the report, saying: “This is an issue for us all; business, industry, individuals and government all share a responsibility to use our power as consumers to reduce our impact on the planet.” Contact SDC 020 7238 4995 www.sd-commission.org.uk
Choosey Co-op
The Co-operative Bank announced on May 30 that the total value of business turned down for ethical reasons in 2005 was £9.9m, up from £8.7m the year before.
Environmental concerns were cited as the reason for more than half of the declined business, followed by global climate change, animal welfare, human rights practices, and involvement with problematic chemicals.
Director of business management Craig Shannon said “through thick and thin we are prepared to turn away business for ethical reasons in line with our customers’ concerns.” He noted, however, that customers who seek them out because of their ethical policies drive a growing portion of the bank’s business. Contact Duncan Bowker, Co-operative Bank 016 1829 4245 www.co-operativebank.co.uk
Trust in me
The Co-operative Group is viewed as the most trusted brand in the UK, followed by Marks & Spencer, The Body Shop, John Lewis, and Tesco, according to a research published in June by AccountAbility and the National Consumer Council. The ranking is based on a ‘net trust’ rating – a ‘most trusted’ score minus a ‘most distrusted’ score. Tesco was the top scorer in both categories.
The research is part of What Assures Consumers?, a broader initiative investigating how companies go about assuring the public on social and environmental issues. It found that issues such as favourable familiarity, a fair price and product/service quality are fundamentals for trusted companies.
Tesco lost ground for a perceived focus on profits and failure to advertise responsibly. Marks & Spencer scored highly for a perception that it offers healthy and safe products and is honest and transparent. Contact Philip Monaghan, AccountAbility 020 7549 0400 www.accountability.org.uk
Abbot, Pfizer, GSK and Roche are among drug companies accused of endangering public health through widespread marketing malpractice, in a report published by Consumers International on June 26.
Branding the cure: A consumer perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility, Drug Promotion, and the Pharmaceutical Industry in Europe analysed the conduct of 20 of the biggest pharmaceutical companies. Examples of alleged malpractice include persuading consumers to take drugs unnecessarily, misreprenting safety results, and providing inappropriate hospitality and gifts to healthcare professionals. CI says drug companies spend twice as much on marketing as on research – but do not publish information on their drug promotion practices. Of the 20, only Bristol-Myers Squibb provides a marketing code of practice. Contact Richard Lloyd, Consumers International 020 7226 6663 www.consumersinternational.org
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