Businesses responsible for fixing the environment, say consumers
According to research by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), 80 percent of consumers worldwide agree that businesses should be responsible for solving global environmental issues. The research also indicates that consumers are more likely to trust companies’ environmental claims when they are backed by certification marks, and that the most compelling certifications are those endorsed by trusted brands and environmental NGOs such as WWF and Greenpeace. The study, Global Consumer Research Highlights, surveyed 9,000 consumers across 11 countries. Over 75 percent said that they believed their purchases could make a difference, with many intending to increase their eco-spending in the next year. 59 percent said they were willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. Marcelle Peuckert, FSC’s business development director, said that “consumers have told us clearly that partnering with for-profit brands… can be good for people, the planet and the bottom line.” (Sustainable Brands)
A group of scientists have criticised the coal industry for presenting “high-efficiency coal” as a solution to climate change. The 27 climate scientists released a statement in Warsaw, where the World Coal Association (WCA) has been holding a summit alongside UN climate negotiations. According to Bert Metz, a fellow with the European Climate Foundation, “the solution [the WCA] are offering is completely at odds with the need… There is simply no room to build unabated coal plants.” Earlier in the week, the UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, prompted criticism by telling delegates at the summit that the coal industry had “the opportunity to be part of the worldwide climate solution” by switching off old plants, capturing and storing carbon from new plants and leaving most of the world's coal reserves in the ground. John Gummer, the chair of the government's climate advisers and former UK environment minister, said that “calling coal a clean solution is like characterising sex trafficking as marriage guidance.” (ABC; Grist; The Guardian)
Consumers
Unilever targets sustainable behaviour change with new ad campaign
Unilever yesterday launched its biggest consumer-facing brand campaign to date, called 'Project Sunlight, a multi-million pound initiative that pushes the FMCG giant's sustainability message in all its global markets. Focusing first in five core markets, the campaign will debut in the UK, Brazil, India, Indonesia and the US with a view to changing consumers’ attitudes towards sustainability and their overall consumer behaviour. The campaign will take Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan to its consumers on Universal Children’s Day, working with partners Unicef, Save the Children and the World Food Programme. It encourages consumers to engage through a dedicated site, www.projectsunlight.com. Marc Mathieu, Unilever’s senior vice president, said Unilever felt there was a “hole” in its corporate communications for its sustainability objectives, and that the company wants to become an “accelerator” and an “aggregator” of a consumer sustainability movement through this new work. (Marketing Magazine)
Tax
Barclays criticised for promoting tax havens
A new report from ActionAid criticises Barclays for promoting the use of offshore tax havens to companies looking to invest in Africa. In a corporate brochure published on Barclays' website, Mauritius is promoted as “the experienced and established gateway for investment into Africa and Asia”. The NGO estimates that almost one in every $2 of reported corporate investment in developing countries is routed from or via a tax haven, and argues that Barclays is undermining its recently-announced ambition to be a “force for good”. Toby Quantrill, tax justice adviser at ActionAid, said that “If people want to put their money offshore, they'll find a way to do it, but Barclays should stop promoting this… If you're going to be a big player in Africa, you should promote and support the development of infrastructure for direct investment.” Earlier this year, Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general, said it was “unconscionable” for companies to use unethical tax avoidance to maximise their profits “while millions of Africans go without adequate nutrition, health and education”. (The Guardian)
Responsible Investment
Investors demand action as global carbon emissions reach record high
According to a new analysis by the UK Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, global carbon emissions are set to reach record high levels in 2013. The report, Global Carbon Budget, states that carbon emitted from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal will reach 36 billion tonnes this year, a 2.1 percent rise since 2012. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) says that the new figures “underline the urgent need for governments, businesses and investors to work together.” Caroline Escott, the head of government relations at UKSIF, said that “it’s vital that we raise awareness with policymakers, the public and the so-called mainstream investment community of the importance of environmental and social factors in growing and protecting the value of people’s savings and pensions.” Mark Hoskin, a partner at the UK financial advisory firm Holden & Partners, said that “conventional investment may be heading for a cliff edge when the impact of the global carbon position eventually hits society.” (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
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