Law firm, DLA Piper, has launched its global sustainability initiative across all 62 of its offices in 24 countries. The aim is to reduce the impact of the company’s operations in four key areas – energy, waste, procurement and business travel.
Instead of relying exclusively on offsetting, the company aims to reduce environmental impact at the source, setting annual targets that will be audited using an accredited system. The sustainability initiative uses ISO 14001 as a framework for tackling its key environmental challenges and while the UK offices have been ISO 14001 certified since 2003, DLA Piper aims to achieve worldwide certification in 2007. The company also held an internal environmental awareness week to coincide with the launch of the initiative, in order to encourage its staff to practice sustainability in each office.
CSR can improve brand reputation and corporate image according to top managers in European companies. 49% of European managers interviewed for this year’s UPSEurope Business Monitor, released on February 1, said one of the main drivers behind corporate responsibility initiatives is the need for a better image. 43% felt attracting and retaining top employees was the key reason for their responsible business practice, while a third felt that CSR initiatives gave them a competitive edge. 36% of respondents said the chief reason for their participation in CSR was that they comply with legislation and industry standards. The study showed the Dutch and French executives to be least socially minded, with only 20% and 25% respectively saying that making contributions to their societies is a major motivation for CSR activity. Although, on the other hand, 38% of the 1,450 top executives surveyed, said that one of the biggest drivers for them was the desire to give something positive back to the community.
Bank of America is embracing sustainable business practice by lending its resources as well as financial support to any businesses that aim to adapt to and mitigate the risk posed by climate change. It will do this through investment, resource sharing and the development of new products and services.
The bank has committed $20bn to support environmentally sustainable business activity and believes that further to reducing the environmental impact of its own operations, it also wants to support its customers’ efforts to build an environmentally sustainable economy.
An example of its new initiative is the development of an eco-friendly credit card, which will mean that for every dollar spent by the customer, BOA will invest in a renewable energy scheme. Further to helping the environment, BOA also announced in March that it is to introduce Emergency Relief Cards – a selection of pre-paid cards that will help businesses and government organisations to make emergency purchases during events such as Hurricane Katrina. Believed to be the first scheme of its kind in the financial sector, money can be stored on the cards and only activated in the event of a crisis. The aim is to make funds available to organisations when technology systems might be out of action (such as during severe weather), thereby allowing them to continue with ‘business as usual’ or carry out rescue missions.
– Alcan and the IBLF have launched the 2007 Alcan Prize for Sustainability, which is open to all not-for-profit, non-governmental and civil society organisations that work to advance economic, environmental and social sustainability.
The public services are leading the way on sustainability and can serve as an example of best practice to the private sector, with the London Fire Brigade taking overall first prize at the City of London Corporation’s annual Sustainability City Awards on February 21.
The fire brigade also took the sustainable procurement award with the Metropolitan Police as the runner-up. The Met Police also won the traffic and transport award.
Improving sustainability in the built environment is the aim of 36 companies that launched the UK Green Building Council on February 27. Companies that have signed up include British Land, Land Lease, Hanson, HBOS, Aggregate Industries, Land Securities, Sir Robert McAlpine, Willmott Dixon Construction and Jones Lang LaSalle. The UK GBC aims to grow its membership by encouraging SMEs across the supply chain to join. Its main purposes will be to ensure sustainability is “built-in” to all stages of the built environment cycle, from initial funding and procurement, to post-construction maintenance, and is currently developing clear targets on how to achieve a change in sustainability across the entire built environment.
Shell is the worlds most sustainable and ethical oil company according to a report released on February 21, and is followed by Petrobas and Total in second and third places respectively. BP dropped from second to fourth as a result of the Texas City oil refinery accident and the subsequent Baker Report.
The rating, carried out by sustainability research and rating firm Management & Excellence, ranks the companies’ compliance with 386 relevant international standards such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the GRI.
Partnerships between cultural and commercial organisations were honoured at the 29th Arts & Business National Awards on March 8 at the Hayward Gallery in London.
The overall winner – Arts & Business Champion of the Year – was voted for by the attendees of the award ceremony and will be announced on March 28.
Mandatory social responsibility standards for business
The European Parliament backed mandatory reporting on social and environmental impacts of business when it voted on the issue on March 13 – setting a new standard for social responsibility in Europe.
The vote took place after a report was published by British Labour MEP, Richard Howitt – the European Parliament’s spokesperson for corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility: A New Partnership calls for the divide between the voluntary, regulatory and industry sectors to be bridged and for Europe to be a global leader in promoting worldwide standards on CSR.
Howitt emphasised the importance of the vote by stating that the vote “has demanded of companies that they stand up and make a visible and significant contribution to combating climate change and global poverty”. He added that “there cannot be patchy implementation of social responsibility efforts by some businesses with others doing zero”.
Twelve business leaders have taken a lead and announced that they will encourage sustainable business practice with regard to their business activities in the developing world. In a Statement of Intent for Doing Business with the World, the companies (all members of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development) pledged to develop new business models that will be responsible, sustainable and inclusive – good for business and good for development.
They believe that the “leading global companies of the future will be those that do business in ways that address, openly and transparently, the world’s major challenges, including poverty and inequity, climate change, pollution, resource depletion, globalization and demographic shifts”. The companies that signed up are ABN Amro, AES Corp, Anglo American, BP, ERM, Eskom, GE, GrupoNueva, Statoil, Toyota, Unilever and Vodafone. All are also members of the Development Focus Area Core Team within the WBCSD.
The logic of this statement of intent is impeccable – and very welcome. Moving the most of humanity out of poverty and into the mainstream economy can’t be achieved by corporate philanthropy.
Business will have to ‘reinvent’ many of its processes and mindsets, if it’s to see to the 3 billion who survive on less than $2 a day.
Pity the ‘poor bloody infantry’ who have to figure out how to make it work in the field – and still keep the shareholders happy – once the corporate generals have adjourned to the officers mess.
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