Forbes launches ‘Just 100’, ranking America’s best corporate citizens
Forbes and non-profit Just Capital have published the inaugural Just 100 rankings, which “names and celebrates the publicly-traded companies in America that perform best on the things Americans care most about”. Based on surveys of 50,000 Americans, Just Capital identified a total of 36 components of “corporate justness”, covering everything from worker pay and treatment, to leadership and ethics, job creation, customer treatment, supply chains and environmental performance. Companies are scored based on these components, and the top three or four in each industry are included in the Just 100. Among the top-ranked companies are healthcare provider Humana, professional services firm Accenture, used-car retailer CarMax, real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle and technology companies Alphabet, Nvidia and Microsoft. (Forbes)
UNDP launches Gender Equality Seal in Asia Pacific
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched its gender equality certification programme for business in Asia Pacific. The UNDP Gender Equality Seal, which was launched in Latin America in 2009, addresses six critical areas: gender-based pay gaps, women’s roles in decision-making, work-life balance, women’s access to jobs in more dynamic and traditionally male-dominated sectors of the economy, ending workplace sexual harassment and using non-sexist communication. More than 1,400 companies have attained the seal since its launch, including Chile’s copper mining company Codelco and Colombian national family compensation fund CAFAM. (Eco-Business)
The Neighbourhood Food Collection, run by Tesco with foodbank charity TheTrussell Trust and food redistribution charity FareShare, is aiming to provide at least five million meals to help feed people in need this winter. Both The Trussell Trust and FareShare see an increase in the need for their support during the winter, with the extra cost of heating that comes with the cold weather adding another pressure for families struggling to make ends meet. Since the Neighbourhood Food Collection launched in 2012, the equivalent of more than 38 million meals have been donated to people in need by Tesco customers. Tesco also tops up customer donations by 20%, the only retailer to top up customer donations in this way. (Tesco)
Corporate Reputation
Breitbart at ‘war’ with Kellogg’s over advertising
The right-wing US website Breitbart is calling for a boycott of Kellogg’s products after the cereal maker pulled its advertising from the news outlet. Using the hashtag #DumpKelloggs, Breitbart is urging its readers to “ban bigotry from the breakfast table”. On Tuesday, Kellogg’s removed its adverts from Breitbart on the basis that the site did not “align with our values as a company”. Breitbart said the decision was one of a number of provocative moves by “leftist companies” against those whose values propelled Donald Trump into the White House. Those supporting the boycott on Twitter argue that items such as breakfast cereal “shouldn’t be political“. Last month, toymaker Legoremoved adverts from the UK’s Daily Mail, following pressure from campaigners. (BBC)
France becomes first European country to label products from Israeli settlements
France has said goods from the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories must be labelled as such, prompting Israel to accuse the country of aiding a boycott of the Jewish State. The EU ruled that products from Israeli settlements should be clearly labelled a year ago, but France is the first member state to enforce the decision, which sparked a diplomatic crisis with Israel at the time. France’s new guidelines say goods must be clearly marked as coming from an “Israeli settlement,” when that is the case, to avoid “the risk of misleading the consumer”. Israel has accused France of a “double standard” by focusing on Israel and “ignoring the other 200 territorial disputes around the world”. (Independent)
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