UN report: Take corporate lobbying “out of the shadows”
According to a new report by the UN Global Compact, corporate lobbying is stalling national and international government action on climate change. The new Guide for Responsible Corporate Engagement in Climate Policy provides the framework for what the UN says is a “more responsible approach” to such issues. Corporate lobbying has been a widely used as a strategy for preventing government action on global warming, which both Harvard Business School and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have identified as presenting a stumbling block to progress. The report, which involved interviews with over 75 thought leaders, policymakers, investors and senior executives from companies including Unilever, IKEA, and Allianz, found that many companies have little understanding of the risks that inconsistency in CSR commitments and lobbying can represent. The report findings show that companies are often missing important opportunities to profit from “doing the right thing” on issues such as climate policy and the shift to a low-carbon economy and includes recommendations for how companies can review their current position on these issues. (The Guardian)
Walmart accused of greenwashing environmental credentials
According to the US Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Walmart is failing to carry out the environmental pledges that it made after Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, the US global retailer pledged to rely fully on renewable energy and to sell products that sustain the environment, however according to the report, just 21 percent of Walmart’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources. Walmart said that it had met its goal of cutting greenhouse gases by 20 percent at its existing stores; however, the company’s greenhouse gas emission have risen 11 percent since 2005, when new stores and international shipping are included. Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher at the ILSR, said that “rather than allocate resources to reduce emissions, Walmart has launched a publicity campaign that boasts of solar installations while greenwashing the true environmental costs of its business model.” (Bloomberg)
Supply Chain
China to end cosmetic testing on animals
China’s Food and Drug Administration has announced that from June 2014, China will end its mandatory animal test requirements for domestically manufactured cosmetic products. For the first time, Chinese companies producing “non-special use cosmetics” such as shampoo or perfume will have the option to substantiate product safety using existing safety data for raw ingredients, or European Union validated non-animal tests instead of having to submit product samples to the government for testing on animals. Humane Society International has estimated that 300,000 rabbits, mice and rats may be subject to cosmetics chemical testing each year in China alone. In March 2013, EU regulators announced a ban on the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients that were tested on animals and pledged to push other parts of the world, like China, to accept alternatives. (New York Times; Humane Society International)
Employees
UK survey: Small business leaders struggling to manage energy consumption
According to a new UK survey of small and medium business leaders by the energy firm E.ON UK, 40 percent of participants said that they were struggling to manage their energy consumption owing to a lack of time and difficulty engaging employees. The survey, which involved 1,000 UK business leaders from companies with between five and 249 employees, showed that the catering and hospitality sectors were the most proactive with 72 percent managing their energy consumption. E.ON said that the findings showed while 85 percent of SMEs track overall electricity consumption, only 14 percent monitor their use of air conditioning. Anthony Ainsworth, the sales and marketing director at E.ON UK, said that “it’s important all employees have greater visibility of their company’s energy habits as well as understanding the implications of waste.” (Edie)
Technology and Innovation
Fuel cell technology puts an end to wall socket charging
Intelligent Energy, a global power technology firm based in the UK, has developed a new fuel cell device that bypasses the need to charge electronic devices through a wall socket. The technology, called Upp, uses hydrogen provided by a fuel cartridge to produce clean electricity with water vapour as a by-product. The technology is described as a means of helping to offset some of the increasing energy consumption of the global digital economy. According to a report by the technology investment and advisory firm Digital Power Group, the world’s ICT ecosystem uses approximately 1,500 terrawatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to all of the electricity generated in Japan and Germany combined and the amount of electricity used globally in 1985. The company will launch Upp in Africa where, despite an increase in mobile phone use from 90 million in 2006 to 475 million in 2013, powering options are still limited. (Edie)
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