African nations work together to rid supply chains of conflict materials
A group of African nations have developed a framework that will make it easier for companies to keep conflict minerals out of their supply chains. The new certification framework, known as the Regional Certification Mechanism, was developed by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), an intergovernmental organisation of 12 African countries. It includes multiple steps and a system of checks and balances that experts say will make it easier for companies to clean up their supply chains. “For the first time in Congo’s history, there is a thorough, multi-stakeholder process to assess whether rebel groups or the army are profiting from mines,” said Sasha Lezhnev, associate director of policy at the Enough Project, which works to end war crimes in Africa. According to the Enough Project’s latest report, out of 180 mines assessed in the war-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo, 140 have now been validated as conflict-free. (Guardian)
Energy
Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable release energy management guidance
The global Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has released an Energy Management Guidance section to its website highlighting the link between energy management and cost savings. BIER says the guidance reinforces the beverage sector’s commitment to sharing practical sustainability knowledge and expertise in support of all sectors. “The Energy Management Guidance was a collaborative effort by BIER members to define best practice for energy management. It provides guidance and practical examples for how to: set boundaries and baselines; establish metering and tracking requirements; define KPI’s and benchmarks; and plan for energy savings,” said Jamie Mackinnon, Molson Coors representative and BIER Energy group lead. BIER’s annual benchmarking study highlighted last year that 58 percent of facilities had reduced their energy intensity since 2009; the guidance aims to accelerate this process. (3BL Media)
Employees
Thinktank plays down fears over UK national living wage
According to a report by the Resolution Foundation thinktank, UK employers will see their total wage bill rise by only 0.6 percent in 2020 under the new “national living wage” – but the impact will be much bigger for a handful of industries, including retail and hospitality. They also found that small businesses with fewer than 10 employees face the biggest increase in their wage bill under the new minimum pay rates announced in the summer budget. The policy will usher in a 50p increase in the statutory minimum pay rate for over-25s from April, to £7.20 an hour, followed by a series of stepped increases expected to take the rate above £9 an hour by 2020. Campaigners for fairer pay have welcomed the changes, but some employers, including Whitbread, have warned they will have to cut jobs and hike prices to cope. The thinktank further states around one-in-four workers can expect to benefit from the new wage floor. (Guardian)
US auto union focuses on pay in last-minute carmaker talks
Last-minute negotiations between US carmakers and their workers about employee contracts are poised to revolve around the industry’s pay structure. Fiat Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are all in talks with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union ahead of the expiration of worker contracts at the end of Tuesday. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler’s chief executive, has cancelled a planned media event at this week’s Frankfurt motor show to attend the negotiations, which started in July. Analysts have suggested that pay structure would form a “huge component” of the negotiations. About 45 per cent of Fiat Chrysler’s workers are on “tier two” contracts that allow the company to offer new recruits lower pay and benefits compared to longstanding employees. UAW’s choice of Fiat Chrysler as the so-called “pattern” for negotiations suggests that it will focus on arguing for a single hourly wage structure. (FT*)
Environment
Southeast Asia wheezes in haze as Indonesia cracks down on land burning
A worsening haze across northern Indonesia, neighbouring Singapore and parts of Malaysia has forced some schools to close and airlines to delay flights. As a result, Indonesia has ordered a crackdown against lighting fires to clear forested land. Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual bouts of smog caused by slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, but governments in the region have failed to address the problem. The fires have been exacerbated this year by the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon, as a prolonged dry season in Indonesia has parched the top soil, fuelling the flames. Nearly 3,000 military and police personnel, 17 helicopters and four cloud-seeding aircraft have been deployed to fight the fires, according to the country’s disaster management agency. A state of emergency has been declared in Indonesia’s Riau and Central Kalimantan provinces as an air quality index has hit “dangerous” levels. (Reuters)
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