Business groups move to halt EU drive for corporate transparency
Four business sustainability groups have moved to halt the EU’s proposed amendment to its non-financial Accounting Directives that if successful, will see more than 18,000 large European companies forced to disclose key information about their social and environmental impacts and risks. CSR Europe, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the International Integrated Reporting Council and the Global Reporting Initiative are calling for the EU to take a more flexible approach to corporate social and environmental reporting. Jan Noterdaeme, a senior adviser at CSR Europe, said that the EU needs "to provide enough flexibility for companies to define what the board defines as material to them," and is calling for the amended proposal to be "very explicit as to why non-financial reporting is in the benefit of companies." (The Guardian)
BSR/GlobeScan survey: Companies are struggling to integrate sustainability
According to a new survey by the global business sustainability network BSR and the international consultancy GlobeScan, there is a low level of engagement between sustainability functions in businesses and key internal and external stakeholders, which is hindering companies’ abilities to integrate sustainability into their operations. The findings of the State of Sustainable Business Survey 2013 show that only one in five participating companies reported that they had integrated sustainability into their business and that the biggest barriers to integration were convincing leadership of the value and business case for sustainability. These findings echo those of the UN Global Compact and AccentureCEO Study on Sustainability 2013 which showed that whilst CEOs recognise opportunities within sustainability, the lack of short-term benefits is frequently seen as a barrier. Aron Cramer, the president and CEO of BSR, said that the survey demonstrates the need for businesses, governments and consumers “to generate truly collaborative solutions through creativity and new approaches.” (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
Employees
UK women chief executives earn £36,000 less than men
According to a new report by the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC), the average female chief executive in the UK earns nearly £36,000 a year less than her male counterpart despite the UK Equal Pay Act. The TUC analysed data compiled by the UK Office for National Statistics which was based on 53,000 male and female chief executives working full time in both the private and public sector. The TUC argues that the findings show that women effectively miss out on hundreds of thousands of pounds during their working lives, with pay inequality common across the private and public sectors and in all occupations and careers, although it was particularly pronounced in senior positions. Maria Miller, the UK Minister for Women, has called on businesses to “sweep away” the barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential in the workplace, and said that while “progress is being made, we have to see a cultural shift in attitudes in business.” (The Times*)
Waste
WRAP: Businesses must be more proactive in collaborating to tackle food waste
The UK circular economy and resource efficiency organisation WRAP is calling for businesses to be more proactive in working with governments and consumers to reduce food waste. According to a new report by WRAP, the UK throws away 4.2 million tonnes of edible household food per year. The study, Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK 2012, argues that the level of food waste is predominately down to consumers buying more than they need coupled with a lack of clarity around food storage and labelling. Dr Liz Goodwin, the chief executive of WRAP, is calling for a “major combined effort” from stakeholders across the food value chain to work together towards halving avoidable food waste in the UK by 2025. (The Guardian; Edie)
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has announced that it is penalising 34 environmental impact assessment agencies for "falsifying documents" or "poor quality" of assessment reports. Eight agencies, including Qingdao University, have had their licenses revoked by the state for "obtaining qualifications by deception" or for providing assessments beyond their scope of evaluation and have been fined for their misconduct. A further 24 agencies, including Peking University and Tongji University, have been given three to 12 months to rectify their practices and have been banned from offering environmental impact assessment during the rectification period. Two other agencies received warnings and 58 technical personnel have also had their professional licenses revoked under the investigation. (China.org)
UK charities launch carbon cutting network
The UK conservation charity the National Trust and the sustainable energy charity Ashden have launched a new carbon cutting network to help charities and landowners limit their impact on climate change and avoid rising energy costs. The Fit for the Future network aims to bring together experts from across more than 80 organisations to share knowledge and best practices relating to carbon footprint reduction and cutting energy bills. The National Trust said that the network will initially focus on helping organisations to find solutions to a range of common energy problems, before expanding into other environmental management areas. Keith Jones, an environmental advisor at the National Trust, said that charities and landowners are “moving towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, water efficiency and resource management, but nobody's got all the answers. Talking to people who've already done it saves time and also, when dealing with suppliers, helps you know what you're asking for." (Business Green; Blue & Green Tomorrow)
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