Electronic industry coalition launches initiative to address forced labour
The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), a non-profit coalition of leading electronics companies dedicated to improving social, environmental and ethical conditions in their global supply chains, today announced the launch of its Responsible Labour Initiative to help companies address the root causes of forced labour. This initiative will extend the EICC’s existing standards and programs to other industries, thereby accelerating change through collective influence and action. Guiding principles on forced labour are well-established, however, solutions tend to be fragmented across industries and geographies and only address certain aspects or specific points in a worker’s journey. The Responsible Labour Initiative (RLI) will build on leading EICC standards, programs and partnerships that will be extended to other industries through membership in the RLI and will work in conjunction with complementary solutions to better address these issues. (CSR Wire)
Corporate Reputation
Arconic ends sales of panels used at Grenfell Tower for high-rises
Arconic Inc said it will stop global sales of plastic-filled aluminium cladding panels for use in high-rise buildings after a fire in London’s Grenfell Tower, which used Arconic panels, killed at least 79 people. Shares of the company, formerly a part of Alcoa, fell as much as 11.3 percent after it was reported that the company had supplied the cladding knowing it would be used at Grenfell Tower, despite warning in its brochures those specific panels were a fire risk for tall buildings. Lawyers have suggested that Arconic could face lawsuits on both sides of the Atlantic over its role in the fire, including claims brought by victims and their families, although the extent of the company’s legal liabilities is not clear. (Reuters)
Environment
UK private sector not doing enough to reduce CO2 emissions
A new study by Philips Lighting has revealed that large public and private organizations across the UK aren’t doing enough to reduce their CO2 emissions. The company’s analysis of the most recent data published by the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme showed that participating organizations emitted over 41 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from 2015 to 2016. According to the report, only a third of these organizations said that they disclose carbon emission reduction targets in their annual reporting, and only 29 percent of organizations disclose their performance against carbon emission reduction targets. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a mandatory carbon emissions reporting and pricing scheme that covers large public and private sector organizations in the UK. The sectors targeted by the scheme generate over 10 percent of UK CO2 emissions. (Sustainable Brands)
Germany to demand costly recall of 12 million diesel cars
Germany’s Transport Ministry is pushing carmakers to update the engine management software in up to 12 million diesel vehicles in the country, suggest people familiar with the talks. The move shows how German lawmakers are flexing their muscles ahead of national elections on Sept. 24th, forcing carmakers to reduce polluting nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. The dangers to public health from diesel fumes became a political issue in the wake of revelations in September 2015 that Volkswagen had systematically cheated emissions tests to sell cars that produced excessive pollution. Germany’s top car manufacturers volunteered a recall of 630,000 cars in April 2016 to fix diesel emissions management software but that failed to reassure regulators and policymakers that pollution levels are under control. Since then several European cities including Stuttgart and Munich have considered banning some diesel vehicles, blaming emissions for causing increased respiratory disease. (Thomson Reuters)
Energy giants launch ‘Make Power Clean’ campaign to cut subsidies for polluting plants
Some of Europe’s most powerful players in the energy sector joined forces yesterday to launch a new drive to set an emissions cap for future energy projects that benefit from public subsidies. The Make Power Clean campaign is backed by 13 companies and organisations, including Shell, Statoil, Siemens and Total. It is calling on EU countries and MEPs to endorse a European Commission proposal to set an emissions limit on new power plants that receive government subsidies for providing stand-by capacity to the grid. The cap, suggested at 550 grams of CO2 per kWh, would in effect exclude coal from receiving capacity mechanism subsidies within the EU – although the group insists the proposals are technology neutral with more polluting plants free to pay for their emissions under the Emissions Trading Scheme. (Business Green)
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