Two events this week suggest that the drugs industry is developing a positive story to tell about its role in Africa. On Wednesday, Bill Gates will hail the “phenomenal” efforts of companies such as Sanofi, Novartis, Merck and Johnson & Johnson to tackle neglected tropical diseases – mostly in Africa – as the Microsoft founder and other donors commit $240 million of fresh funding. This follows an announcement by GlaxoSmithKline on Monday that it plans to invest up to £130 million in Africa over the next five years to increase access to medicines, build capacity, deliver sustainable growth, and to set up an innovative new research facility. The world’s first R&D Open Lab for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa will give independent researchers access to GSK facilities, resources and knowledge to help them advance their own research into diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and leishmaniasis. The developments show how some drugs companies are looking at Africa as a commercial opportunity even as they continue to work on a philanthropic basis there. “Now is the moment for business to play a more active role in contributing to a more prosperous future in Africa,” said Andrew Witty, chief executive of GSK. “Our long-term goal is to equip Africa to discover, develop and produce the medicines required for Africa.” (Financial Times*; GSK)
Waste
50 million tonnes of e-waste generated every year – and it is increasing
Only 13% of electronic waste is recycled each year, as the developing world increasingly becomes the west’s “digital dumping ground”. Every year around 50 million tonnes of unwanted electronic devices make their way to vast e-waste dumps in China and Ghana – often illegally. Some of them will be repaired and resold, or broken into their components, at considerable expense to the environment and people’s health, and sold as raw materials to manufacturers. However, far more will be left as piles of toxic refuse. The Electronics TakeBack Coalition(ETBC), a group of environmental and health campaign organisations that promote green design and responsible recycling of e-waste, has challenged the absurdity of manufacturing a device in China, shipping it around the world to a European consumer and then, when it is disposed of, shipping it straight back to an e-waste dump. “We’re buying more, getting rid of it [more quickly] and design changes are, in some ways, making recycling even more challenging,” says Barbara Kyle, the ETBC’s UK co-ordinator. (The Guardian)
B&Q reduces polystyrene packaging with new ‘teabag technology’
British retailer B&Q is harnessing ‘teabag technology’ to help increase peat-free gardening products and remove 15 million polystyrene trays from a range of plant products. From April 2014, B&Q will replace all polystyrene packaging across its range of bedding plants with a new material that is 100 percent recyclable and up to 95 percent peat-free. As well as tackling the issue of non-recyclable polystyrene trays, which end up as non-degradable waste in UK landfills, the technology, branded easyGrow, will see each bedding plant rooted in up to 95% peat-free compost. According to B&Q and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which is supporting the move, peat-free gardening takes the pressure away from exploiting lowland peat bogs, which are vital for local wildlife. B&Q CSR director, Matt Sexton, said: “We are keen to ensure that our horticulture products have the lowest level of environmental impact possible. In line with Defra’s voluntary targets, we are aiming to have removed peat from our horticultural products by 2030”. (Edie)
Employees
Half of young UK women are bullied in the workplace
A study of women in the workplace by PwC and Opportunity Now, the gender equality campaign, has found that more than half of British women aged between 28 and 40 have suffered some form of bullying or harassment at work over the past three years. It also found that those with disabilities, black employees and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) staff were most frequently bullied and harassed. Manual workers and board directors were all affected, highlighting the fact that bullying is rife at all levels of the workforce. “The thing that really surprised all of us on the team was the high level of bullying and harassment that still happens in the workplace in 2014. That is unacceptable and is something employers have to prioritise,” Julie McClean, a senior manager at PwC, said. Helena Morrissey, chairwoman of Opportunity Now, also commented: “If business leaders are serious about change, we need to take the lead on women’s progression, moving this from a diversity initiative to a core business priority. Set aspirational targets for the number of women you want to see at every level of your organisation.” (The Times)*
Corporate Reputation
Fixing financial firms’ moral compass will take years, says UK regulator
Martin Wheatley, chief executive of UK regulatory body, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has said it will take years for culture changes to filter through financial services firms. His comments coincide with the publication of the FCA’s 2014/15 business plan which announces an investigation into how borrowers that have fallen behind on their repayments are treated and reviews into benchmark manipulation and sales practices at retirement. Wheatley said, “I think in the period leading up to the crisis, 2007/08, the industry lost its moral compass. Ethics fell out of the industry… Recalibrating is a painful process but that’s what we are doing.” The UK financial services industry has faced intense criticism in recent years following a number of scandals. This includes manipulating rates in the Libor and foreign exchange markets and the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) to consumers. Wheatley added, “I think the moral compass is coming back; it certainly is from the senior figures I talk to.” (Blue and Green Tomorrow)
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