Evening Standard denies taking cash from Uber and Google for “favourable” news coverage
The Evening Standard has explicitly denied allegations that it has accepted millions of pounds from brands like Uber in return for “favourable news coverage” styled as editorial. The London title, edited by former chancellor George Osborne, is facing claims it has sold “unbranded new stories” to paying commercial partners, set to appear in the paper as early as June 2018. Open Democracy first reported on the matter, alleging Google and Uber to be among the six brands involved in the reported £3 million plan dubbed “London 2020”. Jon O’Donnell, group commercial director at ESI Media, said the idea the Evening Standard was “selling news” was “grossly inaccurate and a wildly misunderstood interpretation of the London 2020 project.” The report comes amid increased scrutiny around branded content, with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) having recently launched a review into how native advertising is signposted online. (The Drum)
“Racism is not a known side effect,” Ambien maker says after drug blamed for racist tweets
The maker of the drug Ambien has sought to distance itself from Roseanne Barr after the actress claimed that the insomnia medication had fuelled her racist tweet to an advisor of President Barack Obama, that led ABC to cancel her show. “People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world,” the US division of pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said in a tweet. “While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.” Ambien’s most common side effects are drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhoea and grogginess according to the company but it can also lead to abnormal behaviour such as memory loss, anxiety, worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts and, very rarely, hallucinations. (The Washington Post)
Environment
Canadian government under fire for buying troubled oil pipeline
The Canadian government has reached an agreement to buy the assets of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said C$4.5 billion ($3.4 billion) deal with Texas-based company Kinder Morgan was “an investment in Canada’s future” and would protect thousands of jobs threatened by the project’s closure. The project has proved controversial in the country with politicians, local communities and activists all seeking to stop the expansion. The government in British Columbia has sought to restrict the flow of oil through the province, which has resulted in a crisis with neighbouring Alberta. Premier John Horgan said the announcement “[does] not change the risks of a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic, or the catastrophic effect a diluted bitumen spill would cause to British Columbia’s economy and environment”. Some campaigners have claimed the deal is at odds with the government’s pledge to protect the environment and take a lead on combating climate change. (Climate Action Programme)
Energy
Mars to shift to 100 percent renewable energy for its Australian operations
Confectionery maker Mars is to shift entirely to renewable energy for its Australian operations in just over a year as part of a company goal to reach carbon neutrality from its global operations by 2040. Mars has signed a 20-year power purchase deal that will support development of the Kiamal Solar Farm near Ouyen in northern Victoria, due for completion in mid-2019. It will also support a second renewable energy project planned by the developer, Total Eren, in New South Wales. The move by the company, which runs six factories and two sales offices around Australia, is part of the Mars group’s $1 billion global investment to reduce its environmental impact. The shift to fully renewable energy brings local operations in Australia in line with those in the US, the UK and about nine other of the 80 nations it operates in. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Policy
China’s pollution controls catch foreign companies out
International companies with seemingly sterling environmental credentials are being caught off guard as China rapidly tightens its green regulations. Some have been hit with fines or orders to shut down, forcing them to either retreat or spend heavily on upgrades. “China now has the toughest emissions standards in the world,” said an official of Japan’s Toppan Printing. Toppan is not the only major player to find itself in hot water in China. Plants or affiliated companies of Toyota Motor, Asahi Kasei, Daikin Industries and Mitsui Chemicals have been fined or ordered to suspend operations. China began tightening its environmental regulations in January 2015, overhauling its environmental protection law for the first time in about 25 years in the face of alarming air pollution. The new law was designed to give the government a larger role in protecting the environment, with the government now required to draft mandatory emission standards. The new law has also removed a cap on how much noncompliant companies can be fined. (Nikkei Asian Review)
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