Responsible Investing
UK banks and insurers blacklist cluster bomb manufacturers
Major firms such as Lloyds Banking Group (through its investment arm Scottish Widows), Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer, and the Co-op have imposed a blanket ban on holding shares in companies that make or supply cluster munitions, purging them from nearly all their share portfolios. The unpublicised but co-ordinated move represents a significant strengthening in the ethical investment and lending policies of the institutions involved, which is expected to put the UK’s other major banks, Barclays and HSBC, under pressure to follow them.
The Guardian p23 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/09/uk-banks-blacklist-cluster-bomb-manufacturers?INTCMP=SRCH
Environment
RBS aims to bank £200 million savings through green targets
RBS hopes to save £200 million by the end of the decade through a wide-ranging environmental policy based on ambitious new targets for energy use, recycling, and business travel. The bank’s new three year plan includes commitments to cut energy consumption and related CO2 emissions by 15%, reduce waste to landfill by the same amount, while increasing the amount of waste recycled, reused or recovered to 70%, and trimming water use by 12%.
Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2166382/rbs-aims-bank-gbp200m-savings-green-targets
UK to press EU on emissions targets
Britain will push to deepen the EU’s 2020 carbon reduction targets at talks in Denmark next week in a sign of renewed government commitment to the fight against global warming. The UK will seek a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels, an increase from the 20% target at present. An informal April 19 meeting, to take place in Horsens in eastern Denmark, aims to offer ministers the opportunity to have “an open and frank debate” about the world’s largest emissions trading scheme.
Financial Times* http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/473ef85c-8161-11e1-8aae-00144feab49a.html#axzz1rcr8eOct
China promises to strengthen environmental standards with new rare earth body
The Chinese government has formed a new rare earth trade association to help improve management of the strategically important sector and beef up environmental protection across the industry, according to state media reports. The association would bring together 155 members, including industry giants such as Aluminum Corporation of China and China Minmetals Corporation.
Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2166622/china-promises-strengthen-environmental-standards-rare-earth-body
P&G makes sustainability analysis tool freely available
Procter & Gamble is to make its environmental sustainability scorecard analysis tool freely available to for use by any company. The Excel-based tool, launched last year, enables companies to measure and interpret key environmental sustainability metrics across their supply chains and identify progress as well as opportunities for improvement. It measures absolute or intensity improvements in nine key metrics including energy use, water use, waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions on a year-to-year basis. P&G estimates that the scorecard has led to nearly $1 billion in bottom-line operational savings from reductions in energy, water, waste and CO2 at its facilities over the past ten years.
Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/04/05/p-heineken-rolls-out-supply-chain-analyzer/
Responsible Advertising
Cigarette and tobacco displays banned in UK supermarkets
New legislation, aimed at reducing the temptation to smoke for children and young people, will require all large shops and supermarkets to scrap displays at the point of sale. Campaigners argue that these have become more visual, colourful and attractive as bans on other forms of advertising have closed down marketing opportunities for tobacco companies. Cancer Research UK, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and others also say that displaying cigarettes alongside sweets normalises tobacco in the minds of children, making appear harmless and available.
The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/05/cigarette-tobacco-displays-banned-supermarkets?INTCMP=SRCH
COMMENTS