Mining giant hands golden share to Alaskan charity
Rio Tinto has pulled out of a contentious gold project, which critics said posed a threat to salmon numbers, and has handed its stake in the scheme to charity. The Pebble gold and copper project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, ran into opposition from native communities and environmentalists who feared its potential impact on the world’s most important fishery for sockeye salmon. Rio owned a 19 percent stake in Northern Dynasty, which until last year owned half of the Pebble project, with the remainder in the hands of Anglo American. Anglo pulled out last year and handed its shares back to Northern Dynasty. The Northern Dynasty shares will go to The Alaska Community Foundation and the Bristol Bay Native Corporation Education Foundation, which is described as a Native Alaskan charitable organisation to support youth programmes. Jean-Sébastien Jacques, who leads Rio Tinto’s copper division, said: “By giving our shares to two respected Alaskan charities, we are ensuring that Alaskans will have a say in Pebble’s future development and that any economic benefit supports Alaska’s ability to attract investment that creates jobs.” (The Times)
CSR Management
Survey of sustainability professionals shows rising salaries, gender inequality
The 2014 corporate responsibility and sustainability salary survey, published this month by Acre, Carnstone andFlag, shows a sector enjoying continued growth, maturity and high levels of satisfaction. The detailed review of CR and sustainability professionals across the globe reveals a sector gaining recognition as a mainstream business activity, with high levels of commitment from senior management teams. Salaries in North America and the “rest of Europe” (excluding the UK) have increased since 2012, while elsewhere salaries have fallen slightly. The survey also shows a disparity in pay between those working in-house and those working for a consultancy as well as presenting a picture of a sector beset by gender inequality. This year’s data indicates that the global average salaries for men and women are £16k apart, and that women continue to be under-represented in the most senior roles. Yet the positive news is that over 80% of the professionals surveyed, whatever their gender, reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs, and 93% would recommend a career in the sector. (The Guardian)
Unilever, Shell, BT, and EDF Energy are among 70 leading companies today calling on governments across the globe to step up efforts to tackle climate change. The companies, which have a combined turnover of $90 billion, say the world needs a “rapid and focused response” to the threat of rising global carbon emissions and the associated “disruptive climate impacts”. In a communiqué coordinated by The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group, the signatories demand that governments create policies to prevent the cumulative emission of more than a trillion tonnes of carbon, arguing that passing that threshold would lead to unacceptable levels of climate-related risk. The statement urges political leaders to set a timeline for achieving net zero emissions before the end of the century, with a credible strategy to transform the energy system. Niall Dunne, chief sustainability officer at BT, commented “progressive climate change can be a huge driver of innovation and create opportunities for growth and prosperity. Collective responsibility across governments, business and civic society is vital to ensure the world is on track for net zero emissions before the end of the century.” (Business Green)
Philippine rice farmers divided over climate change adaptation
Scientists and farmers on the frontline of climate change in the Philippines are at odds over how best to adapt agriculture to the much higher temperatures and weather extremes expected over the next century. While one group, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), argues that hi-tech rice varieties will withstand the greater floods, droughts and storms, others say small farmers can best respond by avoiding chemicals and addressing problems such as soil fertility and water shortages. According to the IRRI’s deputy director general, Bruce Tolentino, climate change has created the need for a new green revolution: “The challenge now is to rapidly adapt farming with modern varieties and feed a fast-growing global population… We need to be able to use swampy areas and develop varieties that can be grown in salty or flooded areas”. However, other farmers are rejecting chemicals and using alternative growing methods such as the system of rice intensification (SRI), which aims to increase yields by stimulating the roots of plants. “We get higher yields, have lower production costs, higher biodiversity and therefore better food supplies with SRI,” said a farmer at a Met Office event for weather prediction training with Oxfam, last week. (The Guardian)
Corporate Reputation
GlaxoSmithKline holds Iraq inquiry after fresh bribery allegations
Global drug company GlaxoSmithKline has been rocked by fresh bribery and corruption allegations after admitting that it was investigating its business in Iraq. The move comes months after the company promised to crackdown on illegal practices in the wake of another emerging markets scandal that involved executives bribing doctors with cash and sexual favours in China. GSK, which promised to “root out corruption wherever it exists” in the wake of the Chinese revelations, was on Monday forced to admit that it was “investigating allegations of improper conduct in our Iraq business”. The FTSE 100 company said it was urgently looking into whistleblower claims that it hired 16 Iraqi government doctors and pharmacists to act as sales representatives and improperly boost its sales. A GSK spokesman said: “We have zero tolerance for unethical or illegal behaviour. We employ fewer than 60 people in Iraq in our pharmaceutical operation and these allegations relate to a small number of individuals in the country. However, we are investigating whether there has been any improper conduct and these investigations are ongoing.” (The Guardian)
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