SOCIETY

Community Development

Innospec and Trafigura pay millions to settle poisoning cases

Two multinational companies agreed last month to massive payouts relating to the dumping of poisonous chemicals in the developing world. […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Car makers ‘ignore abuses’ at their peril

The world’s largest ten car manufacturers are ignoring the human rights impacts of the metals they use – and therefore […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Big firms adopt new voice

Large mainstream companies are beginning to use the bright and breezy language of ‘alternative’ businesses when talking about their corporate […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Tetley agrees to ethical sourcing

The world’s second largest tea manufacturer is to certify all its products with the Rainforest Alliance. Tetley has made a […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Just two nations pass the EITI’s latest test

Only two countries met last month’s deadline for external verification of their progress on transparency under the Extractive Industries Transparency […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

American CSR jobs market grows strongly

The CSR jobs market in the US is showing signs of recovery after a decline between the third quarters of […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Don’t obsess about business case, says Elk

CSR proponents should avoid focusing too much on developing the business case for socially responsible behaviour, the leading CSR thinker […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

MSCI in largest deal yet

RiskMetrics has announced that it is being acquired by investment consultants MSCI in what is the biggest development yet in […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

ICT firms doing pretty well – but not on climate change

The sustainability performance of the information technology industry is being undermined by laggards that fail particularly to tackle climate change, […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Investor takes SRI into new territory

One of the world’s largest asset managers is merging its sustainable investment and emerging market equities services. F&C, which operates […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Agribusiness firms are over-reliant on auditing

Companies involved in agribusiness have been told to stop relying on audit results for ‘off-site issues’ in managing their supply […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Delta and Virgin are best airlines of a ‘sorry’ bunch

Delta Airlines has been ranked top of a recycling league of the world’s largest airline businesses, against the background of […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

CSR election promises are thin on the ground

With voting on a new government imminent in the UK, what do the main political parties have to say on […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Big companies to spend £3.5bn on new projects

This year’s spending on sustainability projects by large UK companies is expected to grow to £3.5billion ($5.3bn, €3.9bn) and increase […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Air Liquide shows the way

The chemicals industry is potentially missing out on €1billion ($1.4bn, £909million) per company by failing to improve its sustainability performance, […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Pay was 2009’s major lapse

Executive pay and the treatment of staff were among the UK’s most common ‘ethical lapses’ in 2009 – and the […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

A short guide to reputational risk

Garry Honey. Paperback. 120 pages. Gower Press. £25/$50. This is precise, explicit and jargon-free – no small compliment for a […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

New technique is useful, but needs careful handling

Rory Sullivan warns that ‘enhanced analysis’ is no panacea in the responsible investment field I’ve recently become involved in Oxfam’s […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Tax-free investment in the community

As CSR fights the image of a luxury in recessionary times, Community Development Finance Institutions claim to be the best […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

We must make the business case – even if it’s a messy, tiresome task

John Elkington has been working with distinction in the corporate responsibility field for so long that he’s perhaps entitled to […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Walmart targets emissions

Walmart has announced a plan to eliminate 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain by […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

M&S reaches for the sky with update of its Plan A

Marks & Spencer has launched a bid to become ‘the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015’ by announcing that it […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

UK government sets out responsibilities on CSR

The UK government has clarified areas of corporate responsibility covered by its departments. In a statement to EP last month, […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

NGOs to get their own reporting requirements

Non-governmental organizations will shortly be given their own version of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines on sustainability reporting. A draft […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Future looks bright, say most CSR practitioners

Corporate responsibility practitioners appear generally positive about their job prospects despite the recession. The latest CR Salary Survey shows eight […]

TriplePundit

March 29, 2010

Community Development

Nestle suspends supplier after social media attack

The power of social media has been revealed again after Nestle suspended direct contracts with a palm oil manufacturer following […]

TriplePundit

March 25, 2010

Community Development

Businesses monitor Congo’s ‘conflict tin’

An initiative to monitor tin mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure armed groups are not profiting from […]

TriplePundit

March 24, 2010

Community Development

One in five businesses have social purpose

An estimated fifth of UK businesses want to make a ‘social difference’, according to new figures. They account for a […]

TriplePundit

March 24, 2010

Community Development

Investors get help with proxy voting

UK investment consultants Eiris have begun advising clients on proxy voting based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. Last […]

TriplePundit

March 17, 2010

Community Development

Indonesian tribe claims $32bn from mining firm

A $32.5billion lawsuit against the US mining firm Freeport-McMoRan has been launched by an Indonesian tribe over the company’s alleged […]

TriplePundit

March 17, 2010

Community Development

Norwegian fund becomes more engaging

The Norwegian government has moved from negative screening of the investments in its Global Pension Fund to an engagement approach. […]

TriplePundit

March 10, 2010

Community Development

Climate change resolutions go through the roof

A record number of shareholder resolutions on the issue of climatechange have been filed over the past year in the […]

TriplePundit

March 10, 2010

Community Development

This code of conduct is a good start, but it needs more clarity all round

Publication of a code of conduct for CSR practitioners (see page one) should be cause for celebration. Certainly it ought […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Law partners put ethics first

New ethical procedures at a global law firm have led to an increase in the number of partners discussing reputational […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Negative corporate impacts cost the earth $2.2trillion

The environmental damage caused by the world’s 3000 largest companies has been estimated at $2.2trillion (£1.4tn, €1.6tn) by the United […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Code of conduct sets out rules for CSR profession

The first ever code of conduct for corporate responsibility practitioners was unveiled last month. The voluntary code, which can be […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Anti-bribery law toughens the stance on corruption

Jerry Hagelberg sees a global culture change reflected in new UK legislation against bribery Business ethics will receive a significant […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Card operator extends financial advice scheme

Mastercard is to expand its financial education programme for consumers to the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean, after […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Retailers take leadership role by boycotting oil sands products

Two large US retailers are to stop using fuel sourced from Canadian oil sands. The organic grocery chain Whole Foods […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Shareholders 'must have right to curb fat cat pay'

European governments should move swiftly to introduce laws that require executive pay to be subject to binding shareholder votes, the […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

AA1000 revampers named

The heads of CSR at a lottery operator and an Australian bank have been drafted on to a technical committee […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Progress on ethical gold is tarnished by laggards

US jewellery retailers are making progress on the ethical-sourcing of gold – but a number of laggards still remain. A […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

CSR heads take seat at mayor's table

Corporate responsibility experts are among nine new commissioners appointed to the London Sustainable Development Commission, which has the job of […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Trying to bring the Nordic region up to speed

Nordea’s head of SRI, Sasja Beslik, believes responsible investment products in the Scandinavian region are ‘ridiculous’ and, in many cases, […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Human rights concerns prompt big divestments

The Church of England has sold its shares in the mining multinational Vedanta over worries about the company’s community relations […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Lawyers urge OECD changes

A global lawyers’ organization has said the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development should put new advice on ethical supply […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Merck sets up non-profit lab for vaccines

One of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals companies has joined forces with a medical charity to set up a research and […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Another warning on water

New SRI research has warned of the increasing regulatory and reputational risks associated with water, and suggests treating the topic […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Offset ban works for Nike

The sportswear multinational Nike managed to reduce its carbon emissions last year after deciding to stop carbon offsetting. Nike’s latest […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Sustainable event management

Meegan Jones. Earthscan. 384 pages. Paperback. £29.95. What does ‘event’ mean to you? Trade show? Exhibition? Conference? Convention? Festival? If the […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Social bank 'must be independent'

A consultation on the UK government’s planned creation of a Social Investment Wholesale Bank has shown that most respondents – […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Sustainable business 'could be worth $10tn'

Almost five per cent of the world’s economic output could be accounted for by sustainability-related business by 2050. That’s the […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Business schools get ethics guide

Ethical guidance for UK business schools has been produced by a group of management associations and academics. The draft guide […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

BBVA boosts CSR team to 60

Spanish bank BBVA has bucked the recessionary trend by appointing six new corporate responsibility practitioners across its operations. While some […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

ArcelorMittal steps in to push Liberian CSR

A Corporate Responsibility Forum has been formed in Liberia by the steel multinational ArcelorMittal and the German sustainable development company […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Ready for some catch-up

Interest in responsible business behaviour has been growing in Latin America – and there are signs that it may increase […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Deloitte comes up with non-financial KPIs for the future

A breakdown of what are expected to be the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) on corporate responsibility over the […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Business withdrawals upset Obama efforts

Three big companies – BP, Caterpillar, and ConocoPhillips – appear to have withdrawn their support for President Barack Obama’s climate […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Diamond sector grandee quits over 'sham' set-up

A key industry figure has resigned from the World Diamond Council (WDC) over concerns that organizations set up to prevent […]

TriplePundit

March 3, 2010

Community Development

Funds sell $200million in PetroChina shares over Sudan

The largest mutual fund manager in the US has become the latest organization to sell holdings in PetroChina over the […]

TriplePundit

February 24, 2010

Community Development

Executive pay frozen and bonuses linked to sustainability at Shell

Oil giant Shell has announced that it will limit executive pay and consider sustainability performance in its future bonuses. Shell […]

TriplePundit

February 24, 2010

Community Development

Investor coalition demands answers from Global Compact 'laggards'

Investors signed up to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) are targeting 86 large companies that failed to submit […]

TriplePundit

February 17, 2010

Community Development

Peruvian farmers get helping hand from Walmart

Walmart has launched a development initiative in Peru which it says will help more than 2000 small-scale farmers in the […]

TriplePundit

February 17, 2010

Community Development

Mastercard aids Kenyan schooling

Mastercard has announced plans to help children complete secondary school in Kenya. In partnership with Kenya’s Equity Bank, the company […]

TriplePundit

February 12, 2010

Community Development

Coca-Cola and Sony put CSR into sport

Two of the world’s best-known brands are to use two prestigious international sporting events to push through corporate responsibility initiatives. […]

TriplePundit

February 12, 2010

Community Development

Dudok van Heel fills key role

Communications consultancy Radley Yeldar has appointed Oliver Dudok van Heel as head of corporate responsibility. He will lead the UK […]

TriplePundit

February 5, 2010

Community Development

UK ethical sales up threefold

A tripling in the level of British ‘ethical sales’ during the past decade has been announced in research by the […]

TriplePundit

February 5, 2010

Community Development

Swiss firms will put pay to vote

Two Swiss financial institutions have agreed to submit their executive pay deals to a vote at their annual meetings. Swiss […]

TriplePundit

February 1, 2010

Community Development

Arts support hit by recession

Levels of UK business funding of the arts have fallen back by nearly a tenth this year, after record giving […]

TriplePundit

February 1, 2010

Community Development

Major index goes missing as firms hit by data overload

A high-profile annual social responsibility index of pharmaceuticals companies has failed to appear because of wranglings over the ‘extraordinary’ amounts […]

TriplePundit

February 1, 2010

Community Development

World’s postal companies agree 20% cuts

The global postal industry has set itself a 20  per cent carbon emissions reduction target by 2020.   The International […]

TriplePundit

February 1, 2010

Community Development

Google stance puts spotlight on search rivals

Microsoft and Yahoo appear unlikely to reconsider their positions in China in the wake of Google’s announcement last month that […]

TriplePundit

February 1, 2010