EMPLOYEES

Staff at Co-op to be given paid time off for fertility treatments

In what is considered a unique new policy by a major UK retailer, all 60,000 employees at supermarket giant Co-op will be able to take paid time off for fertility treatments. Co-op’s chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, pointed to her own undergone fertility treatment experience, stating that she wants to create a supportive environment for employees. The policy will provide paid leave for staff to attend medical appointments while undergoing fertility treatment, including those using surrogates. The time off is flexible and unrestricted as it cannot assume to know what people will need, Co-op said. The measures also extend to partners wanting to accompany those going to fertility treatment. Co-op, which employs about 60,000 people, said that anyone can access the paid support and it does not matter how long they have worked at Co-op. (City AM)

SUSTAINABLE FASHION

Marks & Spencer to hire out clothes to cost-conscious shoppers

Retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to begin hiring out capsule wardrobes for up to a month, promising a more environmentally friendly way for shoppers to regularly change their look. The womenswear collections can be rented via the specialist site Hirestreet from £39 for a capsule for five days. A total of 78 womenswear items would be included in the scheme. M&S said it was extending its partnership with Hirestreet, as a third of its shoppers said they wanted to change how they bought clothes due to concerns over climate change. One in 10 under-35s have opted to try rental services as part of that shift, and one in 20 of all consumers. The second-hand clothing market is expected to grow faster than fast fashion in the next few years. (The Guardian)

POLICY

GFANZ’s decision to drop Race to Zero criteria sparks concerns

An alliance convening financial institutions covering $150 trillion, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero (GFANZ), has cut ties with the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign. GFANZ was established ahead of the UN COP26 climate summit in 2021 in what was regarded as the global financial sector’s biggest collaboration on the net-zero transition. In its first annual progress report, GFANZ said it has dropped a requirement for its members to sign up to the Race to Zero campaign. GFANZ stated that members will be “encouraged, but not required, to partner with the Race to Zero”. A spokesperson from activist investor group ShareAction said it was “extremely concerned” following the report, noting that it urges “sub-alliances and members to live up to their responsibilities to support the phasing out of fossil fuels in line with a 1.5°C aligned pathway”. (edie)

SUPPLY CHAIN

Apple to increase global supply chain decarbonisation efforts

Global tech giant Apple has called for new steps to be introduced to its global supply chain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the company outlining plans to support suppliers and invest in carbon removal projects. Apple stated that it will evaluate the work of its major manufacturing suppliers and partners to track yearly progress on implementations such as use of clean energy and efficiency upgrades, in a bid to boost wider levels of decarbonisation across the supply chain. Apple said it will provide an array of platforms, digital tools and best practice to help suppliers step up to decarbonisation efforts. Apple has also announced it will partner with Conservation International and Goldman Sachs on three forestry projects in Brazil and Paraguay to restore 150,000 acres of forest and 100,00 acres of native grasslands. (edie)

DIGITAL ETHICS

Twitter targeted by coordinated troll attack after Musk takeover

Social media platform Twitter has been hit by a coordinated trolling campaign in the wake of Tesla owner Elon Musk’s takeover, with more than 50,000 tweets from 300 accounts bombarding the platform with hateful content. Twitter said it had been targeted in an attempt to make users think Twitter has dropped or weakened its content policies. Twitter’s head of safety and integrity said those running the site had not changed content policies but had been subject to “an organised effort to make people think we have”. Twitter said most of the accounts used in the attack were “inauthentic” and the users involved had been banned. Musk’s takeover has led to widespread concern that the platform will relax its content policies and reinstate banned accounts such as those controlled by Donald Trump. (The Guardian)

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