Apple, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Pfizer and Microsoft are among 278 companies in the U.S. to file a “friends of the court” brief outlining their opposition to laws banning gay marriage. The US Supreme Court is due to hear an appeal next month against the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA), which blocks same-sex partners from receiving federal benefits such as tax deductions and healthcare. The companies are objecting to the federal ban primarily because it conflicts with laws in nine states that permit gay marriage, causing confusion and expense in determining employee benefits. However, while the brief is primarily presented as an issue of cost, the companies do not shy away from the issue of equality. The signatories say they object to the law on principle as it requires them to treat one set of employees differently from another. (Times*, New York Times, Reuters)
Environment
WWF assesses RSPO members’ performance
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has conducted a wide ranging analysis of data from Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) member producers, showing that a handful are making ‘adequate’ progress on the road to 100 percent RSPO compliance. However, WWF says that the majority need to move much faster if the RSPO is to reach its goal of transforming the palm oil sector toward 100 percent sustainability. Only 54 of the 93 growers have disclosed the extent of estates that they manage and only 32 growers reported that they had some certified estates – a total of 1.4m hectares or 37 percent of their total reported area. Only 50 of the growers (54 percent) had set themselves any sort of time-bound plan for certification of their estate land. (WWF)
Corporate Reputation
Britons shun companies avoiding ‘fair share’ of tax
A third of Britons are boycotting companies that do not pay their “fair share” of tax in the UK, according to a survey by the charity Christian Aid. Public anger over tax avoidance mounted last year, according to Christian Aid, which found four out of five people agreed that tax avoidance by multinationals made them “feel angry”. Two out of three people said tax avoidance was morally wrong, up 10 percentage points since a similar survey in August 2012. The charity described the findings as “a wake-up call to all business”. (Financial Times*)
Consumers
New mobile phone service to raise money for charity
A new mobile phone service set up to raise £15m for UK charities over the next five years has been launched. Donate Mobile will give 10 percent – including Gift Aid – of its customers’ monthly mobile bills or top-up charges to their chosen charities. Users can choose to support any UK-registered charity. Charities can sign up to become partners of the scheme for free and benefit from promoting the service to their supporters and feature as partners on Donate Mobile’s website. The service, which uses the Vodafone network, is being marketed as a way for people to support charities without affecting their household budgets because they can incorporate giving into their mobile bills. (Third Sector)
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