CDP: investors urging companies to improve sustainability
CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, says it has seen an ‘exponential increase’ in the number of investors asking companies to improve their climate performance, with the number of investor signatories to its ‘carbon action’ initiative increasing by 107% in 2013. CDP aims to give investors access to information that protects their investments in the long-term, meaning reducing risks associated with the environment and resources, such as water usage, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. According to its research, carbon reductions generate a positive return on investment of 33.6%, creating £9 billion in value last year. As a result of companies understanding that sustainability can enhance their profits, companies were found to be allocating more capital to emission reduction activities. In 2013, £20 billion was invested in 1,050 reported projects, compared to 860 projects in 2012. However, the CDP said the level of investment still falls short of what is required. (BlueandGreenTomorrow)
Employees
Gentoo, Co-op and Accenture among top employers for gay, lesbian and bi-sexual workers
UK housing firm Gentoo has been named the top gay-friendly employer of the year in an annual list of the most gay-friendly organisations in the UK. The ‘Top 100 Employers 2014’ list, published by the lesbian, gay and bi-sexual rights charity Stonewall, also includes the Co-operative Group, Accenture, Ernst & Young and IBM, with law firms making up 10 per cent of the top 100. The Ministry of Defence was named the most improved employer of the year. The list is based on the result of Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index, which, according to the charity, consistently reveals that employers ranked in its Top 100 have more satisfied and loyal staff members. Stonewall Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill, said that, “this commitment from organisations – across 38 different industries – is changing the face of workplaces for the better for all staff, regardless of their sexual orientation.” (Independent)
Business fear impact of introducing minimum wage in Germany
The introduction of a national minimum wage of €8.50 an hour in Germany has gained support, as workers’ pay has stagnated and inequality between shop floor and boardroom pay has risen. Germany has been unusual amongst European countries for not having a minimum wage, instead favouring sector-by-sector negotiated pay deals. Supporters of the minimum wage argue that higher wages will boost incomes and raise consumption, but businesses fear that a guaranteed hourly wage could hurt Germany’s economy, with analysis suggesting that Germany could lose between 450,000 and 1 million jobs, and that businesses in the east of the country will be particularly affected. The news follows debates over pay in a number of countries, including Switzerland, where voters recently rejected a proposed cap on executive pay, and the USA, which saw strikes by fast food workers last year over low pay. (FT*)
Policy
Food companies want single GMO labelling standard
Companies including Coca Cola, General Mills, Kraft Foods as well as over 300 other members of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) plan to lobby the US food safety regulator and Congress for a single federal standard covering oversight and labelling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The legislation would mean compulsory labelling of non-GMO and GMO foods, and put a stop to state-by-state efforts to mandate labelling, such as those in California and Washington, which the food industry spent more than $70 million to defeat. Another provision would make it mandatory for biotech crop developers to notify the Food and Drug Administration before they introduce a new genetically modified crop to the marketplace, which is currently a voluntary procedure. Louis Finkel from the GMA said that, “we should not be making food safety labelling decisions through a patchwork of state laws,” and that the legislation is designed to, “prevent the label of bioengineered food from being false or misleading.” (Reuters, Environmental Leader)
Waste
Co-op first to offer compostable plastic bags in the UK
The Co-operative Group is claiming to be the first company in the food industry to roll out compostable carrier bags. The bags, which can be reused as food waste caddy liners, will be available in around 400 stores covering 81 local authority areas, where food recycling schemes require households to use compost bags of food waste. The company says that it is the first time a large-scale food retailer has given shoppers over such a wide area the option of alternative carrier bags with a specific second use. Costing 6p each, they work out at around half the price of food waste caddy liners bought on a roll. Iain Ferguson, the Co-operative food’s environment manager, said that, “our aim is to enable our customers to recycle more of the products they buy from us. We believe they will have a significant impact upon the number of plastic bags which end up in landfill sites every year.” (Edie)
COMMENTS