Fashion Revolution Day marks first anniversary of Rana Plaza disaster
On April 24th 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh killed over 1,100 garment workers making clothes for western brands. One year later, most of the 2,400 survivors continue to suffer from crippling physical injuries and emotional trauma, with just a fraction of the surviving workers back in paid employment. “They are having so much difficulty buying food, paying rent, paying debt, or even going back to doctors,” said Farah Kabir, Bangladesh country director of the charity ActionAid, which is monitoring survivors. To mark the anniversary, the inaugural Fashion Revolution Day is hosting a series of global events and initiatives to highlight the fashion industry’s most pressing issues and engage local communities to demand greater transparency. Events include a mass catwalk in Barcelona, a “human chain” along Oxford Street in London, and a fashion show in Bangladesh. Over 20 celebrities, including eco-fashion icon and Fashion Revolution Day Board member Livia Firth, retail expert and broadcaster Mary Portas and entrepreneur Jo Wood, have already lent their support to the campaign. (Fashion Revolution, Financial Times*)
Pioneering companies make commitments on conflict minerals amid legal uncertainty
The illegal trade of tantalum, tungsten, tin and gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries is fuelling conflict in central Africa. Sales of these conflict minerals help fund arms for militias, ultimately leading to human rights abuses. Meanwhile, US companies that use these metals are facing growing pressure to find sources that are conflict-free. A contested US Securities and Exchange Commission rule, which had been scheduled to take effect next month, would require the vast majority of US companies to disclose whether they use conflict minerals from the region. Ongoing litigation has raised uncertainty about exactly how the rule will take effect. However, some US companies are already taking steps to reduce sourcing from conflict zones. Apple has started publicizing which of its suppliers may be sourcing minerals from conflict zones, and has vowed to go completely conflict-free by the end of 2014, meaning that all of its minerals will come from verifiable sources. Intel also recently announced that all of its microprocessors released in 2014 will be conflict-free. (The Guardian)
Responsible Investment
Barclays faces rough ride at AGM over tax havens and bankers’ bonuses
UK based Barclays bank is braced for a stormy annual shareholder meeting with protesters pledging to question its role in tax havens, funding of coal mines and the £9 billion of bonuses paid out to its investment bankers since the financial crisis. Amid warnings from the business secretary, Vince Cable, that major companies need to do more to improve their public image over pay deals, Barclays is expected to face scrutiny from shareholders over its decision to increase bonuses by 10 percent in 2013 even though its profits fell by 32 percent. David Hillman, spokesman for the Robin Hood Tax campaign, which wants a tax on financial institutions, said: “It is stomach-churning to think that in the five scandal-ridden years since the crisis Barclays has doled out such grotesque levels of pay to their privileged few.” Barclays is the first UK bank to test investors’ appetite for such payouts at its annual meeting, but it will be followed by all of its rivals. (The Guardian)
Environment
Google inks major wind energy deal for green data centre push
Google has signed a deal to supply its giant Iowa data centre in the US with up to 407 megawatts (MW) of wind-generated energy. In a blog post, Google’s head of energy strategy and development Neha Palmer, and energy program manager Sam Arons, said the deal with MidAmerican Energy would help dramatically boost its use of renewable energy at the site. “We now have a freshly inked agreement with MidAmerican Energy to supply our Iowa data centre facilities with up to 407MW of 100 percent renewable wind energy, as tracked by renewable energy certificates,” they said. Google said the deal means that it now has over 1,000MW of energy being delivered from renewable energy sources. Around 48 per cent of the energy used to power the company’s data centres comes from renewable sources, while a third of its total operations are fuelled by green energy. (Business Green)
Lufthansa develops taste for ‘alcohol to jet’ fuel
Lufthansa is set to trial biokerosene jet fuel made from alcohol after signing an agreement with Total-backed US biofuel producer Gevo. Lufthansa said this week it will team up with Gevo to research the potential of the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel to mix with kerosene in a project backed by the European Commission. Airlines have been looking to cut carbon emissions and fuel spend by experimenting with alternative fuels, using feedstocks such as waste, algae, and industrial gases. At the moment, producing bio-jet fuel remains up to eight times as expensive as standard jet fuel. However, the technology is seen as a key part of limiting the growth of aviation emissions, which stand at around two percent of the global total, and are expected to make up a much larger share as global trade increases and other sectors decarbonise. (Business Green)
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