Tag Archive for ‘Environment’
Verbatim: How Businesses View Sustainability & CSR Reporting
Investment firm Walden Asset Management recently researched and compiled quotes from sustainability and corporate responsibility reports by several dozen companies in a wide range of industries. The exercise showed, says a Walden executive, that attention to such issues has become vitally important for a company’s business, and that transparent reporting is, as one CEO said, one of “the prices of doing business today.”
Would You Want to Do Business With This Man?
Ventureneer CEO Geri Stengel says she judges people by the way they behave, with her and with others. Which makes her think that, despite the lofty environmental goals of a new start-up company in the dry cleaning industry, she won’t be doing business with that company any time soon.
Activist Investors Claim Record Results on Climate Change
Investors filed a record 101 climate and energy-related resolutions with 88 U.S. and Canadian companies in 2010, a 50% increase from the year-earlier, according to activist shareholder organizations. A record 51 resolutions were withdrawn after the companies agreed to climate change and energy-related commitments.
Opinion: BP puts costs ahead of environment. Are we surprised?
BP’s failure to stop the worst oil spill in U.S. history is indicative of a much larger problem with companies that have embraced one of the central ideas in management today: stakeholder theory. The idea that companies can meet the needs of “stakeholders” leaves them open to moral abuse without normative principles at its core.
Caution: Mercury Levels in Tuna and Other Fish
You should be concerned about contaminants in certain fish, including some kinds of tuna. The non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recommends minimizing consumption of albacore (white) tuna, a large fish that accumulates moderate amounts of mercury in its fatty tissue.
The Controversy Over Triclosan in Consumer Products
Anti-bacterial soaps and other products utilizing triclosan may in fact be doing more harm than good for the people who use it regularly. According to the non-profit Beyond Pesticides, triclosan has been linked to various human health problems.
Banana Industry’s Impact on Rainforests
Historically, growing the world’s most popular fruit has caused massive degradation of rainforest land across the tropics. But the $5 billion banana industry may be slowly coming to terms with greener forms of production. Two of the largest growers – Favorita and Chiquita – now grow bananas on farms that meet criteria for responsible management set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network.
Survey: Companies Lack Basic Sustainability Programs
A Conference Board survey finds that even though corporations lack the structural framework to enable proper director oversight of sustainability programs, they rarely consult outside expertise. At 89 percent of the companies surveyed, directors continue to rely on reports by senior executives for information on social and environmental initiatives.
Environmentalists Are Bullish on Kenaf Paper
Kenaf is a fast-growing, non-invasive annual hibiscus plant related to cotton, okra and hemp. It makes ideal paper fiber as well as great source material for burlap, clothing, canvas, particleboard and rope. Ten major U.S. newspapers have tested kenaf-based newsprint and were pleasantly surprised by how well it held up and how crisply it displayed text and pictures. Toyota is already using kenaf grown in Malaysia for insulation and interiors in some cars.
Is Ethanol Better for Environment Than Gasoline?
Ethanol—a biofuel derived from corn and other feedstocks—is already playing a major role in helping to reduce emissions from many of the traditional gasoline-powered cars on the road today. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nearly half of all the gasoline sold in the U.S. contains up to 10 percent ethanol, which not only boosts octane but also helps meet federally mandated air quality requirements.
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