Corporate Responsibility

• 
  Mallenbaker.net: Corporate Social Responsibility News

• Zambia: Chinese companies accused of creating 'slave labour' conditions

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:29 am

  The leader of Zambia's main opposition party, Michael Sata, has said that Chinese and other Asian mining companies are showing almost no consideration for worker safety or local culture. Mr Sata - who may become the new president in elections in 2011 - attacked current government policies that give special tax status to foreign investors. (25 Jan 2010)

• Four factors that create irresponsible businesses

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:50 am

  It's possible that people become leaders of major businesses with the full intention of earning money in the most unethical, disreputable way possible. But more likely, they don't. Companies end up doing the wrong things for a variety of reasons - none of which necessarily begin with evil intent. (25 Jan 2010)

• Japan: Court finds tobacco company not liable for illnesses

  21 Jan 2010 | 4:29 am

  Japan Tobacco has been cleared of liability for the illnesses of three former smokers by the Yokohama District Court. The suit said that health problems, including lung cancer, had been caused by smoking and the company had continued to sell cigarettes despite its knowledge of the harmful effects. (21 Jan 2010)

• UK: GlaxoSmithKline targets low cost vaccine for malaria

  21 Jan 2010 | 3:10 am

  GlaxoSmithKline has said that it will aim to keep prices for its planned malaria vaccine low - taking only a five percent profit on manufacturing costs - in order to make it available to poor communities where it is needed. The company has also put into the public domain thousands of potential drugs that might help spark future non-profit research into the disease. (21 Jan 2010)

• UK mining groups failing to reduce deaths

  18 Jan 2010 | 4:09 am

  The leading UK-listed mining companies are failing to make inroads in their attempts to reduce deaths at their sites, according to a recent survey by the Financial Times. With the exception of Anglo American, which has made progress, the number of fatalities has remained at 2004 levels. (18 Jan 2010)

• 
  CSRwire.com

• Sodexo Joins First Lady Michelle Obama in National Fight Against Childhood Obesity

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:03 am

  Sodexo, Inc., world leader in Quality of Daily Life solutions, serving more than 2.8 million school meals daily to students in more than 470 school districts nationwide, announced today its participation in First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation. Collectively, Sodexo and its industry partners serve over 750 million school meals annually. The agreement will affect 135,000 students in the 2010-2011 school year alone. In addition, representatives estimate a potential increase of 18,700,000 meals conforming to standards outlined in the HealthierUS…

• Yellow+Blue Wines go a Shade Greener

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:31 am

  Wine importer J. Soif, Inc. has today announced two significant partnerships it has established through its certified organic wine brand, Yellow+Blue, making it the only carbon-neutral wine importer in the U.S. and the only wine importer in the world to put a portion of its sales towards global microloans. Due to its eco-friendly Tetra Pak packaging, the carbon footprint of Yellow+Blue wines is 46% less than that of wine in traditional glass bottles. In order to offset the remaining 54%, the company has purchased 472 metric tons of verified carbon offsets to take responsibility for one…

• University of Phoenix Announces Finish Strong(SM) Scholarship Recipients

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:18 pm

  As part of its ongoing commitment to making higher education highly accessible for working students, University of Phoenix is proud to announce the recipients of the 2010 Finish StrongSM Scholarship, which will provide full-tuition undergraduate or master's degree scholarships to 16 deserving men and women. "These recipients have persevered through incredible circumstances and life challenges in their pursuit of higher education," said Bill Pepicello, University of Phoenix President. "We are excited to partner with them, providing a flexible learning environment where they can complete their…

• Groundbreaking 93-Page CSR Insight™ Report Just Published On Global Sustainability Regulation, Metrics, and Trends

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:26 am

  The CSR Insight™ Report, the product of over two years of research, is available now for a limited time on a complimentary basis at www.csr-insight.com. Published by CSR Insight™ LLC, an independent advisory firm focusing exclusively upon global Sustainability Regulation, Metrics, and Public Policy, the CSR Insight™ Report provides a comprehensive and global perspective on key issues pertinent to Sustainability Reporting, Sustainability Investment, and Sustainability Regulation. CSR Insight™ Report Highlights include: TRENDS Section: an overview and comprehensive…

• Starbucks, TransFair and the DOL are Paving the Path Toward a New CSR Landscape

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am

  The STR RS 5th Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit has gained exceptional traction among senior compliance and ethical trade managers, who are finding the two-day Summit of specific relevance to them. The event will take place on February 25-26, 2010 at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. STR Responsible Sourcing proudly presents Rachel Rigby of the Department of Labor's (DOL) International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB). Ms. Rigby will be traveling from Washington D.C. to discuss the recently published "DOL List" which highlights a group of 122 goods deriving from 58 countries that the ILAB…

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  CSR Reporting

• Down with Womenwashing!

  elaine

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:58 pm

  Diversity .. gender equality ... advancing women in business. Anyone who has ever heard the words Corporate Social Responsibility and/or Sustainability knows that advancing women in business is a both moral obligation in the context of upholding of human rights, and a major business opportunity because, let's face it, many women are good leaders, good managers, good communicators, good listeners and good assets in any business. Note that I say many, because I wouldn't want to over-generalize. Note that I say good and not better (than men) , because I believe that an ideal world is one of…

• Where's the popcorn ?

  elaine

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:29 pm

  Here is an innovative CSR Report. Is it a global first ? Maybe. Except for the fact that it is Solar Century's second video CSR report. It's the only report I have seen in video format. Here it is:Solar Century CSR Report 2007-2008It's a 22.04  minute video which talks about the Company's CSR performance.  It covers most topics that are usually included in a CSR report, following a structure which is based on the 10 principles against which the Company does business. Company people, starting with the Executive Chairman, talk through the key issues, and the report includes…

• Don't shoot the piano player

  elaine

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:59 am

  I just re-read an intersting conversation on JustMeans which was started back in May last year by Martin Smith the CEO who said:This generated 36 comments to date and others are still trickling in. Here are my pick of the most interesting ones:Martin Smith: CSR reports do not work because the process of creating them is artificialSandra Van der Lingen: We need to distinguish between CSR reporting as a business process and a CSR report. I think the old fashioned printed version of a CSR report is dead. CSR reporting as process however will remain a crucial component of CSR because of…

• 16 recently published CSR reporting resources

  elaine

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:19 am

  CSR Reporting comes in for its fair share of flack. The love them-hate them syndrome is no stranger to the CSR Report. If I were a CSR Report, I would move around with a bodyguard, just in case (whatisname from the movie with Whitney Houston would do just fine). If I were a CSR Report, I would probably need ongoing psychotherapy as I would constantly be questioning the reason for my existence. If I were a CSR Report, I would probably never get invited to the best parties. (Ok, apparently I AM a CSR Report). But despite being something that everybody loves to hate, CSR Reports…

• Anyone for haggis ?

  elaine

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:49 pm

  Macsween call themselves the Guardians of the Scottish National Dish. They have been making authentic, award-winning Haggis for the past 50 years. In 2009, the Company published its first Sustainability Report (having published an Environmental Report in 2008). For those of you who have never tasted Haggis, well, believe me, it just can't compete with Chunky Monkey. When you realise that Haggis is made of sheep's liver, lungs and heart, plus onion, oatmeal, suet and spices, and cooked in the sheep's intestines, then you probably can understand why.(>> no walnuts).  This…

• 
  Business & Sustainable Development News

• Australia aims to halve agricultural emissions

  PointCarbon

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  Australia today launched a A$70 million initiative to halve emission intensity from agriculture.

• "Smart" power key as EU sparks electric car debate

  Reuters

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  Electric cars must be backed by "smart" power networks if they are to help the world's climate problems, environmentalists warned on Monday as European ministers prepared to debate a strategy for the sector.

• Riding green wave, Philips says 'let there be LED'

  Reuters

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  More than a century into its existence, Philips is once again betting heavily on semiconductors. This time the consumer electronics firm is looking to harness their potential as a source of light.

• UK should press EU for tigher carbon caps -report

  Reuters

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  Prices for European carbon emissions permits are too low to deliver low-carbon investment and the British government should press the EU to tighten limits on emissions, a UK Parliamentary committee said on Monday.

• Hot, dry and crowded - Australia's expanding population

  The Economist via LN Publisher

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  As he prepares to call an election later this year Kevin Rudd, Australia's prime minister, is hoping his government's handling of the global financial crisis might help him win a second term. Australia was one of the few rich countries to avoid a recession. Unemployment in December fell to 5.5%. But a report published on February 1st announces an even bigger challenge for the economy: a population explosion.

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  Business in the Community News

• The Prince’s Seeing is Believing announces its 2010 National Programme

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  The Prince’s Seeing is Believing is proud to announce its 2010 National Programme.

• Marketers have crucial role to play in creating positive societal change on sustainability

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  On Monday 1 February, Business in the Community (BITC) and the Marketing Society launched a new publication entitled ‘How Can Marketers Build Sustainable Success?’.

• Employers: Have Your Say on education

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  As the nation gears up for the most important election for education in decades, independent education foundation Edge is encouraging the public to have their say on the issue – which affects every family, business and school in the country.

• HRH The Prince of Wales visits Southwark school with business leaders

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  HRH The Prince of Wales visits Southwark school with business leaders to see impact of his Seeing is Believing programme

• Young people out of work are less happy with health, friendships and family life

  10 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  The Prince’s Trust YouGov Youth Index (insert link to report) reveals that young people out of work are significantly less happy with their health, friendships and family life than those in work. One in ten (11%) claim that unemployment drove them to drugs or alcohol.

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  NYT: Green Inc.

• Good Energies Invests in Massachusetts Clean Energy Firm

  By JOHN LORINC

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Nexamp, a Massachusetts clean energy firm, announced Tuesday that it has raised $6.5 million in venture financing from the Dutch-Swiss investment giant Good Energies and other investors.

• Nuclear Power Giant Buys Solar Firm

  By MATTHEW L. WALD

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm

  Areva, French nuclear power company, has bought Ausra, a small manufacturer of solar thermal systems that can be used for electricity production or industrial steam.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Says Pika Not Imperiled by Climate Change

  By TODD WOODY

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

  The Obama administration has determined that the American pika, a small rabbit-like mammal that lives on alpine mountain ranges in the West, is not threatened by climate change. Environmentalists disagree.

• Quebec's Vehicle Emission Law Is Disputed

  By JOHN LORINC

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:14 am

  Canada's environment minister has denounced Quebec's vehicle emissions rules, calling them "counter-productive."

• Trucking and Oil Industries Protest Fuel Mandate in California

  By SINDYA N. BHANOO

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

  The trucking and petrochemical industries are calling California's new clean-fuel mandate unfair and prohibitively expensive.

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  WSJ.COM: Environmental Capital

• So Long, And Thanks for All the Fish

  Keith Johnson

  14 Jan 2010 | 1:03 pm

  After more than two years and over 2,000 posts, Environmental Capital is closing its virtual doors. It’s been, in equal measure, a fun, grueling, and educational ride. Special thanks are owed to the folks who got it all started and kept it going—Mark Gongloff, Jeff Ball, and Russell Gold—not to mention all the Dow Jones and Wall Street Journal folks who fed the beast so well all this time. Of course, the biggest thanks of all goes to our readers—both of you. You’re what got us out of bed in the wee hours every morning. Well, that–and the paycheck. And you can still get your…

• Who’s Afraid of a Clean-Energy Future?

  Keith Johnson

  14 Jan 2010 | 12:33 pm

  Two years ago, when we launched Environmental Capital, we set out to chart the tectonic shift in the global energy landscape, affecting everything from what keeps the lights on to what’s under the hood of your car. A big part of that shift was—and still is—environmental concern. The world’s (half-hearted) efforts to rein in greenhouse-gas emissions were meant to spur (and might yet) the development and deployment of a whole new world of cleaner energy. But we also noted another rationale for a shift in the way the world produces and uses energy: the bottom line. Whether it’s a…

• Wind Jammers: More ‘Buy’ Recommendations for Denmark’s Vestas

  Keith Johnson

  14 Jan 2010 | 8:34 am

  Here’s a stumper: Why are shares in the global leader in the most mature renewable-energy technology so moribund? Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems, the biggest maker of wind turbines in the world, can’t get any love from investors. Its share price, after an up-and-down 2009, is roughly where it was at the start of last year. Some analysts think that’s out of whack. HSBC today put a “buy” on Vestas shares and reiterated a target price of 500 Danish kroner; the stock today trades at around 333, well off the highs it reached last spring and summer. Jeffries Research also put out a…

• Boiling Point: High Hopes for Geothermal Energy

  Paul Glader

  14 Jan 2010 | 8:06 am

  Geothermal is boiling hot these days. Wind and solar might even want to watch out. The industry is adding 144 geothermal power plants in 14 states, says Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association. That’s up from 121 projects on the books last March and a 73% increase from the 83 projects underway two years ago. Flickr Building up a head of steam “We’ve added 200 megawatts in the last year,” said Mr. Gawell, during a stop at The Wall Street Journal’s New York office on Wednesday ahead of the industry’s big finance forum today.

• Green Ink: Magical Climate Thinking, Offshore Wind, and Chinese Coal

  Keith Johnson

  14 Jan 2010 | 5:27 am

  Crude oil futures hovered around $80 a barrel amid renewed confidence in the economic recovery. “Sentiment is such that dips below $80 are seen as buying opportunities,” an analyst tells Bloomberg. The U.S. CFTC will outline today limits on positions energy traders can hold, the belated response to worries speculators were behind big price spikes in 2008, in the WSJ. Iran will start winding down fuel subsidies, which eat up 30% of its budget, AP reports in the WSJ. If North Sea oil and gas production was already reeling, the recession kicked the industry while it was down and lowered…

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  CSR-NEWS.net

• Senior Auditor, Corporate Responsibility (Shanghai, China)

  Annika Maschwitz

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:02 am

  The senior corporate social responsibility auditor is responsible for assessing and rating of suppliers/factories on social compliance & CTPAT and their CAP(corrective action plan), providing advice and support to suppliers/factories on corrective actions for sustainable compliance. This person is also responsible for communicate the assessment result with cross-functional team to ensure the social risk is [...]

• CSR Director, USA – West Coast

  Annika Maschwitz

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:40 am

  Global brand leader and innovator, committed to continuous investment and improvement, is seeking a talented and experienced individual to join the team as CSR Director. Working with the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability team, you will deliver strong, focused and creative strategies that tackle complex sustainability issues. Embedding these high level strategies into the business model, you [...]

• Ethical Supply Chain Manager, China

  Annika Maschwitz

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:36 am

  Our Client is one of the most established international premium brands in the food and beverage sector. They are expanding their commitment to ethical sourcing through the hire of the Ethical Supply Chain Manager for China. The right Candidate will help define, develop, implement and maintain their code of conduct though needs assessment, remediation and appropriate capacity [...]

• Sustainable Schools: Education Goes Green

  Kristin Vorbohle (editor)

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:28 am

  This edition of Sea Change Radio studies sustainable education. Co-Host Bill Baue speaks with Sustainable Endowments Institute Executive Director Mark Orlowski about the College Sustainability Report Card. Co-Host Kelsey Flynn then chats with Josh Stoeffel, the new Sustainability Coordinator here at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where we produce Sea Change Radio, [...]

• BEES Business Ethics Education Seminar

  Kristin Vorbohle (editor)

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am

  “Business Ethics Education and Embedded Capitalisms: Canada, Poland, Germany” The workshop took place in Berlin (29-30th January 2010). Goals of the workshop were: to understand the cultural context of the three countries, the role of business ethics education in universities in these countries, and the concrete issues that are taught in business ethics classes. Berlin – hot [...]

• 
  FabianPattberg.com

• Video: Enabling people to lead a better life – The example of ‘Dancing Bears’ in India

  Fabian

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:50 am

  Today’s post is a video from TED about enabling individuals to lead a better life and the cruel practice of ‘Dancing Bears’ in India. These two subjects seem to be very different from each other but once you will have watched the video below you will see that if you want to solve a problem such as the cruel practice of the ‘Dancing Bears’ in India you need to enable the person earning a living from this practice to lead a different life and not just penalizing them for animal cruelty. Kartick Satyanarayan describes how he and his organization changed the lifes of bear handlers…

• Sustainability blogging at its best

  Fabian

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:21 am

  Blogging on Sustainability topics is not as easy as it might sound. I am calling myself a blogger but I can honestly say that writing high quality blog posts is an art by itself. Todays post is another recommended website category post about one person that really knows how to write excellent Sustainability related blog posts and more. His name is Paul Smith and run the blog called the “GreenSmith Consulting Blog”. Paul has been around in the Sustainability blogging field for a long time and in my opinion is one of the most interest and engaging bloggers in the Sustainability field at the…

• Good intentions – Bad execution

  Fabian

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

  Greenbanking – sounds somehow strange doesn’t it? The French bank Credit Agricole has embarked on a media campaign to promote its self proclaimed ‘responsible and ethical” banking practices. This in itself is nothing new and particularly shocking. The big question is whether the Credit Agricole stakeholders will actually believe this in the current “Do not trust banks” business climate? This is how Credit Agricole are going about this campaign to convince its stakeholders. This website: Credit Agricole – GreenBanking It is a nice website with a good design…

• The 3bl TV CSR Web Video Channel – A new challenge for me

  Fabian

  28 Jan 2010 | 9:40 am

  Some of you may have noticed by now that I have now started to use video messages or short clips within posts or as the main message for the post. Today this whole video challenge has even got more exciting. 3blMedia has launched 3bl TV. 3bl TV is a Web Video Channel that will feature regular video segments produced by Christine Arena, Chris Jarvis, and myself. This is an exciting new challenge for me and I am really looking forward working with 3blMedia, Christine Arena and Chris Jarvis on this together. We will bring you weekly videos about some of the latest news, discussions and other…

• A big challenge: Being a Sustainability / CSR professional at Shell

  Fabian

  27 Jan 2010 | 8:21 am

  Imagine you are working for Shell in the Sustainability / CSR department and you really want to make a difference by showing that Shell is a responsible company. Todays post is about the challenges someone working at Shell might face. This is all from the viewpoint of a normal Shell stakeholder such as myself. I have also included a video response with some additional aspects to consider. The Sustainability / CSR professional working at Shell as far as we can tell is facing the following situation at the moment: Worsening reputation: Shells reputation with regards to Sustainability / CSR is…

• 
  edie.net

• UK to consult on sustainable pesticides

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  The UK Government has launched a consultation on how to put into action European rules on sustainable pesticides.

• Boris Johnson turns to YouTube in climate fight

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Viral video, social networking and celebrity endorsements are all part of London's latest strategy to engage the public in the fight against climate change.

• £60m for ecotowns

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Four communities in southern England are to share £60m of Government cash to build 'eco show homes' as part of the wider ecotowns agenda.

• New label launched for certified green electricity

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Suppliers of green electricity can now showcase their environmental credentials through a new certification scheme.

• World-wide recall for leading hybrid car

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Toyota has announced a Worldwide recall of its market leading hybrid electric and petrol car the Prius.

• 
  Worldchanging: Bright Green

• De-Industrializing the City

  Alex Steffen

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

  One of my favorite quotes by Bjarke Ingels: "Engineering without engines. We should use contemporary technology and computation capacity to make our buildings independent of machinery. Building services today are essentially mechanical compensations for the fact that buildings are bad for what they are designed for—human life. Therefore we pump air around, illuminate dark spaces with electric lights, and heat and cool the spaces in order to make them livable. The result is boring boxes with big energy bills. If we moved the qualities out of the machine room and back into architecture’s…

• Vote Today and Help Us Win $5K!

  WorldChanging Team

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

  Just by clicking a button, you can help us win a $5,000 grant from Brighter Planet. Worldchanging's project proposal, Advocate for Climate Neutral Cities, has just been accepted for Brighter Planet's Project Fund, which provides seed money for people and projects working to help others fight or adapt to climate change. Our idea to create a climate neutral cities mini-magazine is one of nine projects up for the grant money. Brighter Planet members decide—as a community—which projects to fund. The project with the most votes at the close of a voting period receives the grant. Join today to…

• Visions Desirable, Present and Future

  Mark Tovey

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:03 am

  Here at WorldChanging, we often have conversations about how best to envision desirable futures. Not just on how to collaborate on designing them, or accelerate development on the kind of technology that would get us there, but how to portray inspiring green futures that people would want to live in. Help us change the world - DONATE NOW! (Posted by Mark Tovey in Features at 11:03 AM)

• Headlines from Worldchanging Canada (December 2009 - January 2010)

  Mark Tovey

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:32 am

  Top stories from our Canadian blog: Tokyo's Transforming Tower | Madeline Ashby "I wish there were a way to combine these shutters and some form of external cladding, but in a year both the tower's designers and its inhabitants will understand how best to exploit this building's transformation potential." Event Summary - 2009 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference | Stefanie Bowles We feature notes from Stephanie Bowles on a couple of talks from the 2009 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change (BECC) conference in Washington DC. Bowles, quoting Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez: "... the BECC…

• Where Did We Go Wrong on "Green Jobs"?

  Alex Steffen

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:12 pm

  I was in a meeting today with some smart folks that got me thinking again about "green jobs," specifically Van Jones' message about the intersection of environmentalism and social justice. They're not polished thoughts, but I thought I'd share them and see what folks think. Ever since Van Jones got essentially lynched by Glenn Beck's teabaggers, I've been wondering why it was so easy to target him, why the green jobs message (which seemed to me at the time uncontroversial) so clearly failed to connect, and why the green jobs conversation in Northern Europe seems to be going so much better.

• 
  NextBillion.net

• Senior Manager, Business Development, Global Business Division

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:01 pm

  Organization: IntuitLocation: Bangalore, INAbout Intuit Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) is the world's leading provider of software and web-based services for consumers and small businesses. Our flagship products and services include well-known brands such as TurboTax, Quicken and QuickBooks. Founded in 1983, Intuit has annual revenues of over $3 billion and reaches over 25 million customers with ~8,000 employees in several countries. Fortune Magazine recognized Intuit as "America's Most Admired Software Company" and one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the last several years running.

• Introducing NextBillion’s Newest Managing Partner: WDI

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

  Authored by: Bob KennedyAs announced in January (link), The William Davidson Institute (WDI) has joined the World Resources Institute and Acumen Fund as co-Managing Partners of the NextBillion.net site.  The Managing Partners set strategy, fund enhancements to the site, manage the site, and work together to grow the NextBillion community. This post is intended to introduce WDI to the NextBillion community and to invite you to explore ways to engage with the Institute.  WDI is a think tank located at the University of Michigan (UM) that focuses on business and policy issues in…

• Market Linkages: The Achilles' Heel of Livelihoods

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:55 am

  Authored by: Sriram GuttaOver the last two decades, models for livelihoods for the poor have come of age and many organizations have focused their efforts on reducing the vulnerability of marginalized communities. A lot of these activities have been through the efforts of NGOs, international funding agencies, and local organizations working in specific regions and with specific segments. Though these models have been successful in creating employment, they haven't scaled to realize their true potential. One such example is of Chamba chappals where over 500 artisans make sturdy and beautifully…

• Portfolio Servicing Associate

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:09 pm

  Organization: Root CapitalLocation: Cambridge, MA, USSupervisor:  Director, Loan Operations Start Date: April 2010 Contact:  Jen Stine             Director, Human Resources and Administration             jobs@rootcapital.org SUMMARY Root Capital seeks a detail-oriented Portfolio Servicing Associate to join Root Capital's growing portfolio servicing team based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The Associate will coordinate closely with different teams within…

• Staff Writer

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:09 pm

  Organization: Root CapitalLocation: Cambridge, MA, USSupervisor:  Director, Marketing and Communications Start Date: April 2010 Contact:  Jen Stine             Director, Human Resources and Administration             jobs@rootcapital.org SUMMARY Root Capital seeks a talented and versatile Staff Writer to join the Business Development and External Affairs department.  Working closely with the Director of Marketing and Communications as well as senior staff…

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  CorpWatch

• CHINA: China Ratchets Up Web Privacy Fight

  28 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  Chinese state-run media trumpeted comments by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates that played down China's Internet restrictions, as the government continued to ratchet up its rebuttal of recent U.S. criticisms of its Web policies.

• UK: U.K. to Crack Down on Tax Evasion in Developing Countries

  26 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  The U.K. government will on Wednesday set out proposals to broaden the crackdown on tax evasion to benefit developing countries, setting a year-end deadline for a U.K.-led multilateral tax-information-sharing accord with emerging nations. That could eventually open the way for multination tax-information accords, which would include former tax havens, developed and developing nations.

• Greenwash 101 Fact Sheet

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  Here is a CorpWatch Fact Sheet about Greenwash.

• Shed a Tear for Our Democracy

  22 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  Yesterday, in the case Citizens United v. FEC, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence election outcomes. Money from Exxon, Goldman Sachs, Pfizer and the rest of the Fortune 500 is already corroding the policy making process. Now, the Supreme Court tells these corporate giants that they have a constitutional right to trample our democracy.

• US: Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit

  21 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am

  Overruling two important precedents about the First Amendment rights of corporations, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

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  Richard Murphy: Tax & Corporate Accountability

• UBS leaks cash

  Richard Murphy

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  FT.com / Lex / Financial services & property - UBS. UBS has announced its fourth quarter results: [O]utflows from the group’s wealth management and Swiss banking operations nearly doubled to SFr33bn compared to the previous quarter, and SFr12bn leaked from its US wealth business. Those leaks are having the desired result.

• Time for transparency – guest blog by Alex Cobham

  Richard Murphy

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:50 am

  There are many reasons to get angry about the financial crisis. One is that the people and countries with least responsibility are paying the highest price – as is also true of climate change. Another reason is that the G20 group of leading countries has already broken a key promise to the poorest. But European policymakers can play a crucial role in ensuring that the policy response to the crisis also addresses the fundamental obstacles to independent, sustainable development. The crisis that began with banks and other financial institutions in the richest countries has spread through…

• Post QE gilt (auction)

  Richard Murphy

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  FT Alphaville » Post QE gilt (auction). This morning’s UK gilt auction over subscribed. Crisis, what crisis?

• Ireland’s suffering offers a glimpse of Britain’s future under the Tories

  Richard Murphy

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:39 am

  Ireland’s suffering offers a glimpse of Britain’s future under the Tories | Business | guardian.co.uk . Larry Elliott on the carnage that’s been unleashed on Ireland and which the Tories would create here.

• If you don’t read this….you’re missing out

  Richard Murphy

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am

  There are at least five articles on the TJN blog in the last day I’d like to copy and paste here. The Swiss have conceded the need for automatic information exchange. Belize may suffer sanctions. Mark Thomas is saying let’s invade Jersey. The sadness of Guy Hands is revealed – a man who won’t see his own children so save tax. And more. Go read, or you’re missing out.

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  Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward

• Financing Our Cleantech Future

  joelmakower

  18 Jan 2010 | 9:09 am

  My longtime friend and colleague Bill Green changed jobs recently. That's not normally newsworthy — friends and colleagues do that all the time. But if you're concerned about the future of clean technology — in particular, how we're going to fund the massive scale-up of renewable energy, clean water, and the other infrastructure changes needed to build a clean economy — Green's career move warrants more than just passing interest. Green is a seasoned environmental entrepreneur, with more than 20 years of management and investment experience. He has led five…

• The Green Business Decade in Review

  joelmakower

  3 Jan 2010 | 11:00 am

  Okay, I'll admit: The headline above is a bit of a come-on. I couldn't possibly do justice to the past 10 years' worth of green business activity — at least not in the following 1,500 or so words. But as we view the whatever-it's-called decade in the rearview mirror, it's tempting to assess what's transpired since the good old days of Y2K to see how far we've come — and how far we haven't. So, let's do that. First, the good news: The greening of mainstream business has continued apace since the clock struck 2000, growing continually more…

• You Have to Pay the Piper to ‘Save the Earth™’

  joelmakower

  29 Dec 2009 | 10:45 pm

  If only Kermit truly knew how "isn’t easy" it is. Honda Motor Co. is at the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by the Save the Earth Foundation, a tiny nonprofit group that apparently holds a trademark to the phrase “save the earth.” The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, resulted from a Honda Civic commercial in which an actor wears a T-shirt that says “Save the Earth.” Who knew that those three words were owned by someone you've never heard of? The nonprofit, founded in 1989 and based around Palm Springs,…

• Is There Hope for Business after Copenhagen?

  joelmakower

  20 Dec 2009 | 7:57 pm

  I've been trying over the past few days to find some Hopenhagen in Copenhagen — that is, to see some positive outcome to the COP15 climate summit just concluded. The two-week event ended with a whimper, not a bang, a not-altogether-surprising conclusion to an overhyped event in which all parties had anticipating the entire world coming together to solve a single, critical issue affecting — well, the entire world. When it was all over, the whole exercise — nearly 50,000 official attendees, and probably an equal number of unofficial ones, attending hundreds of events, from formal…

• A Night at Hamlet's Castle: Much Ado About . . . What?

  joelmakower

  13 Dec 2009 | 12:32 am

  Saturday night brought one of the plum events of Copenhagen, at least for the business crowd assembled in this city: a conference held at Kronborg, also known as Hamlet's Castle, in Elsinore, about 50 kilometers from Copenhagen's city centre. The 250 or so well-coiffed business executives who made the trek here did so in large part by the efforts of Danish media magnate Erik Rasmussen, a Michael Bloomberg sort whose business publication, Monday Morning, is the hub of a influential think tank that has placed Rasmussen at the center of the Danish business world. Rasmussen created the…

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  GreenBiz.com

• Green Policies Can Add Billions to the U.K.'s Budget

  James Murray

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:09 am

  A new report argues that axing tax breaks for carbon-intensive industries, curbing spending on road expansion and improving public sector energy efficiency could cut the country's national debt by £12 billion a year.

• Energy Efficiency Gains Horsepower: The State of Green Business 2010

  Joel Makower

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:50 am

  As managing greenhouse gas emissions approaches the importance of simply managing energy bills, a new generation of technology is making it easier for firms to pull the plug on wasted power.

• The Age of Sustainability: Why 'Less' Should Be More of Your Business Strategy

  Mahesh Pethe

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am

  Business has officially entered The Age of Sustainability, and businesses that don't figure in sustainability aren’t likely to survive. Here’s a look at the reasons why as well as pointers on how your company can adapt to the change.

• Toxic Toys Scrutinized Under Washington State Law

  GreenBiz Staff

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm

  The state government has launched its pilot test of a new law that will require manufacturers to disclose potentially hazardous chemicals in toys and children's products.

• KKR Extends Green Program to a Fifth of Global Portfolio

  GreenBiz Staff

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pm

  Global Equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR) has extended its money-saving environmental management program to 20 percent of its portfolio, including two companies located outside the U.S.

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  PSD: The World Bank Group Blog

• The Evolution of Private Enterprise: Russian McDonald's Edition

  Brian Hoyt

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm

  McDonald's is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Russia this week. One of the most interesting aspects of McDonald's' Russian adventure is the evolution of its supply chain, which has developed remarkably in the past 20 years. Today, McDonald's sources all of its ingredients from outside purveyors, an 180 degree shift from when the company opened its first outlet in 1990: The company celebrated a different milestone earlier this year by outsourcing the last product — hamburger buns — it had made at a proprietary factory outside Moscow called McComplex. It was built…

• Utilizing Volunteer Technical Communities in Haiti

  Brian Hoyt

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:36 pm

  Editor's Note: This post was written by Cristina Gonzalez, a Communications Consultant within the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) who is presently supporting the World Bank Haiti Situation Room. The success of World Bank’s engagement with Volunteer Technical Communities (VTCs) is nothing short of remarkable. In a very short period of time VTCs achieved extraordinary results in building an information base about Haiti and useful applications that were applied in the response effort. In the aftermath of the massive Haitian Earthquake, this information and…

• The dubious link between privatization and mortality

  Brian Hoyt

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:10 pm

  Last March, Ryan questioned the veracity of an article in the British medical journal the Lancet, which claimed that privatization in post-communist countries was responsible for massive numbers of deaths. He included rebuttals from both The Economist (subscription required) and John Earle: Earle points out that a very basic link in the chain of reasoning of the Lancet authors is missing - namely, mass privatization did not lead to substantial job loss. In fact, the effects on employment were typically neutral or positive Still skeptical? A new paper by Scott…

• What to do about Haiti's debt?

  Brian Hoyt

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:32 am

  PSD alum Tim Harford links to an article by David Roodman at the Center for Global Development, arguing against the cancellation of Haiti's debt: The practical question for citizens, officials, politicians, campaigners, and other players is whether to push for that. On a few days’ reflection, I say no. I would go so far as to describe such pressure as harmful. Why? For starters, the benefits of debt relief over the next few years, however done, will be tiny…That’s why cancellation does little good in the short run. It is not a coherent response to crisis. Meanwhile, there are…

• Weekend Reading

  Brian Hoyt

  29 Jan 2010 | 1:53 pm

  What is the meaning of the word "friendly"? Greece: It's a bailout! Unemployment today vs The Great Depression. Leonardo da Vinci's CV. Is Botswana in trouble? Holden Caulfield's State of the Union Address. (See previous post for his Davos speech) Our CGAP blog has an excellent account of how cash transfers from the United States literally make it people in Haiti. Nouriel Roubini and friends discuss the "new normal for growth" at Davos. Readers can learn more about the "new normal" for job creation at this year's World Bank Finance and…

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  CSR International

• UN Habitat in Kenya: Antoine King, Programme Support Division

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am

  UN-Habitat is headquartered in Nairobi. In this interview with CSR International CEO Wayne Visser, the Director of the Programme Support Division of UN-Habitat Antoine King talks about the importance of understanding CSR in his work with cities.

• Video Blog - Healthcare in East Africa: Maryjka Beckmann, AAR Holdings

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:35 am

  Maryjka Beckmann is Executive Director of AAR Holdings Ltd, which has pioneered healthcare services in East Africa. In this interview with CSR International CEO Wayne Visser, she talks about the role of generic drugs and how the company uses CSR can tackle health issues.

• Video Blog - Business ethics in Kenya: Ken Njiru, Uungwana Resource Institute

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:33 am

  Ken Njiru is Executive Director of Uungwana Resource Institute and one of the leading proponents of business ethics in Kenya. In this interview with CSR International CEO Wayne Visser, Njiru explains how they are working on rebranding unethical behaviour as "primitive" or "backward" in the public and business consciousness.

• Reflections on CSR in Kenya and China in Africa

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am

  By Wayne VisserLast week, I was hosted by Ufadhili Trust to deliver a 2 day workshop on CSR in Nairobi, Kenya. As I was last in Kenya 20 years ago when I attended an AIESEC African Leadership Development Seminar, it was wonderful to return and compare my impressions.The biggest changes have been political. In 1990, Daniel Arap Moi was still president (from 1978 to 2002) and ruled a one-party state with an iron hand. My impression back then was of relative stability, but no great sense of prosperity or advancement. I recall that the hotel we stayed at on the coast in Mombasa had a water-cut…

• Video blog: CSR in Kenya: Mumo Kivuitu, Ufadhili Trust

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:49 am

  Ufadhili Trust is the leading promoter of CSR in Kenya. In this short interview with CSR International CEO Wayne Visser, Ufadhili Director, Mumo Kivuitu talks about some best practice case studies M-Pesa and Equity Bank

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  CSR Europe

• Novo Nordisk reports strong financial, social and environmental performance for 2009

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Despite continuing challenges in the global economic environment, 2009 was a successful year for Novo Nordisk, the global leader in diabetes care. The company's accomplishments during the year, including strong performance against social and environmental targets, are reported in its sixth annual integrated report.During 2009, Novo Nordisk:Increased sales by 11% (in local currencies) and by 12% in Danish kroner to DKK 51,078 million compared to 2008.Increased reported operating profit by 21% to DKK 14,933 million compared to 2008… read more

• Coca-Cola goes green for the Olympics

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  The Coca-Cola Company makes its biggest statement of the year with carbon-neutral sponsorship of the Olympic Games in Vancouver.  Through a zero-waste effort that has been in the works since 2006, Coca-Cola will provide 1500 eKOfresh coolers, salvaged wood furniture, Drink2Wear Uniforms, and products that are delivered via hybrid and electric vehicles. Thierry Borra, Coca-Cola's Director of Olympic Games Management, understands that sustainability is not only important to consumers, but also expected at large-scale events such as the Olympics… read more

• The winner of 2010 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition and the Intel Student Award

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Hannah Eastwood from Loreto College Coleraine was awarded the prestigious Intel Student Award at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition for her project entitled 'Green Rust the Good Gal'. Hannah's project looked at the preparation ‘Green Rust' (FeOOH Lepidocrite) and the testing of its ability to remove the pollutant soluble chromium from solution by reducing to an insoluble form. The Intel Student Award in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics goes to the best individual or group in that category and the prize is an all expenses trip to the Intel International Science and…

• Europe clinches deal to fund carbon capture technology

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Europe's ambition to become a leading player in carbon capture and storage advanced yesterday after member states agreed a plan that will direct billions of euros to test the unproven technology. CCS - which involves capturing carbon from power plants and other industrial installations and then burying it underground so that it cannot collect in the atmosphere - is seen by some as a vital part of efforts to reduce global warming.But it has also aroused considerable opposition because it has not yet been shown to work on a large scale at commercially viable rates… read more

• The Equity Channel brings together stakeholders and entities to improve health equity

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  EuroHealthNet, a network of public health and health promotion agencies in EU countries, has launched a special project called The Equity Channel. This unique communications tool aims to bring together stakeholders and bodies working in sectors that can have a positive effect on the social and economic determinants of health and can therefore help to improve health equity. The promotion at EU level of good labour and work are essential to a healthy population and a healthy economy, particularly the application of global labour standards and providing support to the growth of micro-level…

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  GM: Community Involvement News

• General Motors Foundation, William J. Clinton Foundation to Deliver 30 GMC Trucks, Supplies, to Haiti

  DETROIT (Feb. 3, 2010) – The General Motors Foundation is donating 30 GMC trucks to the Haitian relief effort to assist victims and aid workers in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation, following President Bill Clinton’s recent public call for vehicles to support recovery efforts. Two of the trucks will arrive in Miami on February 3 and will be present at the NFL Little Haiti Outreach Event held at the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, 5000 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL at 4:00 p.m. EST. NFL players will receive a tour of the Center and will reach out…

• United Way Thanks Lordstown

  In one of the most challenging economic times since World War II, The Youngstown Mahoning Valley United Way has announced that it has reached its 2009 campaign goal of $2.5 million.

• Chevrolet Will Accept Donations to Support American Red Cross Relief in Haiti at Washington Auto Show

  WASHINGTON, D.C.  (Jan. 25, 2010) – During the Washington Auto Show, Chevrolet will accept individual donations to support earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Attendees who would like to support the cause can make a donation at the Chevrolet stand from January 27 to the 31. Donations will be collected in a Chevrolet Colorado, outfitted with a collection box, and donated to the American Red Cross relief fund on February 1.  More ...

• OnStar to Lend a Hand to all Deal-Seeking Subscribers this Black Friday

  DETROIT (November 24, 2009) — OnStar is kicking off the holiday shopping season with a special gift for its subscribers. “Black Friday,” the Friday after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping day of the year, with many stores attracting customers with special deals and steep discounts.  While some find themselves inundated by the bargain-hunting chaos, OnStar is providing peace of mind by opening its navigation services to anyone with an OnStar subscription on “Black Friday” (November 27, 2009).  

• Tonawanda Engine Celebrates Reading

  TONAWANDA, N.Y. (Nov. 13, 2009) — Tonawanda Engine employees participated in a week-long Celebration of Reading event held at the Charter School for Applied Technologies (CSAT) in Buffalo, N.Y. A team of salaried and hourly employees combined to show the students that successful people believe in the 'power of reading'.  

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  GMability: Education News

• Honeoye Falls Fuel Cell Team Helps FIRST Students

  Employees at the Honeoye Falls Fuel Cell site partnered with an energized , comprised of 11 Honeoye Falls Lima Middle School Students, to help them take first place at a robotics competition recently held at the University of Rochester. DETROIT (January 6, 2010) — Team Gear Freeze was named the Regional Champions in the Greater Finger Lakes Region after competing against 100 teams to achieve their championship status.

• Lordstown Experiences A World In Motion (AWIM)

  Lordstown's assembly plant recently welcomed 40 fifth-grade students from a nearby Lordstown elementary school and provided a plant tour and a presentation at the conclusion of the plant's A World in Motion (AWIM) program. DETROIT (December 9, 2009) — GM engineers mentored the students and assisted in the development of their math and science skills. As a planned activity from this effort, students were challenged to build and test a jet toy.

• The Chevrolet Volt Electric Car Stars in a Natiowide School Assmbly

  Middle School Students Lead the Charge From Los Angeles, but Classrooms Across the U.S. Can Participate in Live Web Cast LOS ANGELES (November 23, 2009) —In what may be the world's largest school show-and-tell, nearly 800 middle school students and teachers in Los Angeles – joined via the web by thousands of their peers from across the country – will interact with the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle in a Nov. 30 assembly.

• Fall Updates

  What's been happening on GM Education? DETROIT (October 16, 2009) — For the latest GM Education tips, games, activities and lesson plans for the classroom, check out the latest newsletter edition.

• Summer is Finally Here!

  Looking for fun summer activities for your children? Want to catch up on the latest GM Education updates? DETROIT (July 1, 2009) — Check out the GM Education Newsletter's latest edition.

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  GMability: Environmental News

• GM To Be First Major U.S. Automaker to Manufacture Electric Motors

  WASHINGTON (Jan. 26, 2010) – GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles. By doing so, GM will lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid technology. More ...

• GM Invests $246 Million in Electric Motors and Hybrid Components, Creating Jobs in Baltimore

  BALTIMORE (Jan. 26, 2010) – General Motors will invest approximately $246 million in electric motor and electric drive manufacturing including construction of a high volume electric drive production facility at the Baltimore Transmission plant that will begin to manufacture in 2013 electric motors for GM’s Two-mode Hybrid system. The plant will be the first electric motor manufacturing facility in the U.S. operated by a major automaker. By bringing this capability to the U.S., GM will create approximately 200 jobs. Local and state incentives, along with the Recovery Act funding announced…

• GM Builds First Lithium-ion Battery for Chevrolet Volt

  BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Jan. 7, 2010) – Exactly three years since the day the Chevrolet Volt concept car debuted, GM today manufactured the first advanced lithium-ion battery for a mass-marketed electric vehicle at GM's Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant.  “This is an important milestone for GM – and a critical step in bringing the Chevrolet Volt to market,” said GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre. More…

• EcoCAR Heads to Daytona for Winter Workshop

  Now that winter is upon us, does it have you dreaming of fun, sun and the beach?  For EcoCAR students, their dreams these days are more likely to include HILs, emissions and vehicle inspections.  However, starting January 6, EcoCAR teams have the opportunity to take in some rays as the EcoCAR 2010 Winter Workshop heads to Daytona Beach, Florida.  The Daytona International Speedway and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are this year’s Winter Workshop event hosts and all the sessions will take place at these two sites. More…

• GM Toledo Receives Award for Environmental Stewardship

  TOLEDO (Dec. 10, 2009) - Ohio First Lady Frances Strickland joined Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski on Dec. 10 to present the Ohio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Stewardship. GM Toledo was one of six organizations receiving the award.

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  Triple Pundit

• Tesco Opens World’s First Zero Carbon Supermarket, Pledges $156 M to UK Green Economy

  Kathryn Siranosian

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:56 am

  Last week, Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, opened the world’s first zero carbon supermarket. The store has no net carbon footprint and exports any extra electricity generated back to the national grid. Located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, this new supermarket boasts several eco-friendly features, including: A combined heat and power plant which runs on bio fuels from renewable sources [...]

• Is Climate Change Legislation Dead in 2010?

  Cory Vanderpool

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  The latest chatter on the Hill is that climate legislation is not likely to pass this year. High jobless numbers, financial reform and the health care debate continue to thwart efforts focused on the environment. It is possible that the Senate will settle for an energy-only bill and call it a day. The likelihood of [...]

• Despite Recession, Home Depot Keeps on Giving

  Jim Witkin

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Last week’s announcement from the Home Depot Foundation suggests that even with sales slumps and layoffs, the nation’s largest retailer of home improvement products still views charitable giving as good business. The company is expecting lower revenues for 2009 when results are announced in February, and for the third consecutive January is cutting its workforce.  Still, [...]

• Nominate A Pioneering, Successful, Green Restaurant!

  Bill Roth

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:21 am

  “Does green really sell,” is the question I am most consistently asked. Amanda’s is one of my favorite answers to this question. It is a restaurant that its founder, Amanda West, defines as “Whole Foods meets In–N-Out Burger.” It is also likely that Amanda’s represents the future of the fast food industry. America is a [...]

• Groups Sue California Over Low Carbon Fuel Standard

  Gina-Marie Cheeseman

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Last week the American Trucking Association (ATA) and the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) filed a lawsuit against California’s low-carbon fuel mandate, which calls for the state’s petroleum dependence to be reduced by 20 percent by 2020. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the standard last April. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. [...]

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  The Inspired Protagonist

• Be The First To Read Jeffrey Hollender's New Book: The Responsibility Revolution

  Inspired Protagonist

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:37 am

  On the one-year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, President Obama summoned corporate America "to a new era of responsibility." Considering that 2009 marked new low points in the decline of business behavior, the growing mistrust of business by the public, and the outrage over executive compensation, we have no choice but to rethink corporate responsibility. It's more critical than ever before that we discover new ways to get past the greenwashing and lip service to truly put corporate values on par with profits. The costs of not doing better at doing good are simply too high.

• Middle East Journal, Part 3

  Inspired Protagonist

  25 Jan 2010 | 6:51 am

  From speakers throughout the city, four or five times a day, loud enough to reach through the sealed windows of our 38th floor hotel room, calls to prayer beckon millions of the city's residents. Thousands of stores shutter almost simultaneously. On the hard floors of shopping malls, on the rough cement of side streets, in mosques where I am not allowed to venture, they pray. Through black veils, heavily made-up eyes stare out in a mysterious and alluring dance. Black from head to toe, with hands cradling cell phones that are in almost incessant use and fashion statements made through…

• Middle East Journal, Part 2

  Inspired Protagonist

  24 Jan 2010 | 8:37 am

  As we disembarked in Riyadh we were greet by a group of young men dressed in white robes with red and white headscarves. They ushered us past the long security lines and into a waiting car. We were driven directly to our hotel. It was late at night and I had to wait until the next day to begin to explore the city. Riyadh shows little evidence of having a history. Long avenues running in perfectly straight lines are filled with shops and businesses that no one appears to enter. The streets are almost completely empty. The city is almost perfectly flat. There is a huge amount of new…

• Middle East Journal, Friday January 22nd

  Inspired Protagonist

  22 Jan 2010 | 12:52 pm

  I've arrived in Amman, Jordan in transit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out the window, the late afternoon sun paints the ground a sandy brown. Though there are houses scattered among the hillsides, there is no sign of any greenery to be found. There are no back yard swimming pools or playing fields. Few people here look like me, though my wife, a Persian Jew, at least fits into the visual landscape. My daughter, Chiara, who shares my wife's dark completion, looks like a local, too, with the exception of her teenage fashion accessories. Even though it's not required in Jordan, most women cover…

• Bold Ideas in a World of Incremental Thinking

  Inspired Protagonist

  12 Jan 2010 | 8:36 am

  I recently wrote a piece about the pace of political change in the country. The full text is available on Care2.com. I invite you to read it then come back here and discuss it with me.

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  The Business Ethics Blog

• Banana Packaging: The Saga Continues

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am

  This is just an update. Not sure if there's anything ethically interesting here at all.Three weeks ago I blogged about bananas being packaged (in South Korea) in plastic wrappers. Extra packaging for a banana seemed odd. A week later I posted an update with an explanation from Starbucks: the plastic wrappers, they had told me, reflected Korean 'cultural norms' dictating that premium produce be individually wrapped.OK, interesting answer.But now, in a recent issue of MacLean's magazine, there's a story (by Kate Lunau) that gives a much more plausible explanation — and it's about bananas…

• The Superbowl, Abortion, and Corporate Responsibility

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  This story brings together Americans' two 'favourite' battles. One, an annual epic battle between opposing sports teams, carried out on the gridiron, namely The Superbowl. The other, a never-ending battle between opposing moral points of view, carried out in seemingly every nook and cranny of American life, namely the abortion debate. Add to that a debate over corporate responsibility and a debate over free speech, and it's not hard to see why sparks are flying.(That much is cultural anthropology for me. I'm a Canadian. Our "Superbowl" is called the "Stanley Cup," and it's a hockey game not a…

• Corporate Personhood and Citizens United

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:17 am

  This is the third of 3 blog entries on the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. Yesterday I argued that the Court's decision was fundamentally the right one, because the decision struck down a law that sought to use clumsy and intrusive means to achieve dubious ends. (And I pointed out that it's possible to think the decision is the right one even if you worry about the possible consequences of that decision.)Today I want to talk about the role of corporate personhood in the Court's decision and in the underlying issues. Much of the furor over the Citizens United decision seems to…

• Free Speech: Means, Ends, and Citizens United

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:37 am

  (This is the second of 3 blog entries on the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. Yesterday's was about what corporate citizenship requires in light of the decision. Tomorrow's entry will look at the decision from the point of view of the vexed notion of corporate personhood).The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision was fundamentally right, it seems to me. I'm not a lawyer, nor a scholar of the U.S. Constitution, but from what I can see the decision was a sound one constitutionally. More importantly, for my purposes, the decision was the right one ethically. And as Glenn…

• The US Supreme Court, Free Speech, and Corporate Citizenship

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:20 am

  Many of you are already aware of last week's controversial decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United case. Basically, the decision struck down a part of the U.S. government's law that limited the freedom of corporations (and unions) to engage in political speech.But saying that you are free to do something is not the same as saying that you should do it or that there are no limits on the way you should do it. Ethics is, in part, about figuring out what limits we ought to accept on our own behaviour, beyond the limits imposed by law.Here's a very useful piece that looks at the…

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  Principled Profit

• A Fun Book About Marketing…A Great Strategy for Product Launch

  Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:59 am

  I read a lot of business books, and too many of them are so dry you could use them for sawdust. Last year, I happened to meet Kevin Daum at a dinner party Sam Horn threw in Washington, DC (where neither of us live) and we connected quickly and personally. Kevin is a sales and marketing guy who has a similar approach to mine, and he’s also someone who can write. He’s even working on a book about Green business! Kevin’s latest book, Roar! Get Heard in The Sales and Marketing Jungle, is a classic business parable of the sort popularized by Ken Blanchard. I’ve read a lot…

• If You Don’t Tell Them, How Will They Know You’re Doing the Right Thing?

  Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:49 pm

  Tonight I was reviewing the PowerPoint for the talk on Green Marketing I’m giving next week in Davos, Switzerland. And I was struck yet again by the big case study in my talk: a company that has been producing products from recycled paper for 60 years, but only bothered to tell anyone within the last decade. What a marketing advantage they would have had, if they had made this commitment the centerpiece of their marketing–especially in the old days, when it was hard to find recycled paper goods at any price, and their pricepoint was competitive with non-recycled brands. Instead,…

• Building Cooperative Marketing Relationships: Practicing What I Preach

  Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:33 pm

  Cooperate with others to open new markets. It’s one of the key principles of my brand new book, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson), released this week by John Wiley & Sons. The book is a manual for thriving by doing the right thing, showing businesses that Green and ethical practices aren’t just a way to stay out of jail–they’re a success strategy–and cooperation is one of those practices. So–do we practice what we preach? Here are some of the things we’re doing to launch the book: We chose to partner with Green…

• Recapping a Rough Week for Progressives

  Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pm

  Oy, a few more like this and we’re really in trouble: Death toll in Haiti climbed above 200,000, millions more injured and/or homeless. Supreme Court removed restrictions on corporate campaign contributions, and this could have severe consequences for our democracy (I particularly like Rabbi Arthur Waskow’s commentary on this). Not that they were using it anyway, but the Democrats not only lost their supermajority without passing very much important legislation, but they managed to lose it in my own state of Massachusetts. Since the Republicans have made very plain their policy of…

• To Obama and the Dems: Wake Up, Move Left, Be Powerful

  Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert

  20 Jan 2010 | 3:39 am

  Following Martha Coakley’s loss in Massachusetts, Obama will no doubt get a lot of advice to move to the center, to compromise more, to give up any hope for the progressive agenda he was elected to deliver. But that advice is totally wrong-headed! If he wants to be remembered as anything other than an ineffectual one-term president, he and his weak-kneed party need to seize the debate, push the agenda, and present themselves once more as the party of change. Maybe they should even go back to Spiro Agnew’s “nattering nabobs of negativsim” and pin that label on the GOP.

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  Development Crossing: Discussion Forum

• A way to help in Haiti's economic development

  Laura Hartman

  Introducing www.zafen.org, which will soon will offer you the opportunity to lend or contribute to sustainable economic development projects in Haiti. Please visit the temp site and REGISTER so you are among the first to know when we are live. In that way you will have first dibs on the projects that will be featured!! ALSO: Important - we are looking for projects or enterprises that are seeking funding and meet nec. criteria: - Potential for job creation - Potential for poverty alleviation; - Commitment to sound principles of business ethics; - Demonstration of value added for the community,…

• Reporting Climate Change Debates

  CSO Partners

  Climate skepticism is so dangerous because economic interest supports skepticism on a substantial scale In a recent article, R. K. Pachauri, Director General IPCC has cited the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington that said in a report in 2009 that more than 770 companies and interest groups had hired an estimated 2,340 lobbyists to influence federal policies on climate change. It also stated ‘there is a reason to fear that climate policy will die at the hands of special interests’. That represented a 300 per cent increase in numbers in just five years. It is therefore important to…

• The buck stops where? Accountability in Higher Education

  CSO Partners

  The recent governmental step in re recognizing 44 deemed universities is a step in the right direction as it highlights the institutional and quality of education issues in Higher education. However, these universities have 1,19,363 students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, there are 2,124 students pursuing research at M.Phil. and PhD levels and another estimated 74,808 students pursuing distance education programs. Of the 44 re recognized universities, 41 have several constituent institutions under them. The step spells uncertainty for nearly two lakh students who…

• The first East African CSR Awards are announced

  Camilla Flatt

  In one month, the first East African CSR Awards, in partnership with the East African Business Council (EABC), will be launched and open for entries on 15 February 2010. The awards will take place on the evening of 5th May 2010 during the World Economic Forum Africa in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For the first time, East African companies will be honoured for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and awarded for outstanding, innovative and high-class initiatives and programmes that create a high social and environmental benefit for the community and the business. Entries will be…

• The Post Downturn MBA: An Agenda for Change

  Development Crossing

  Business schools were widely criticized for their role in the economic crisis in churning out MBAs more focused on high risk strategies and making money, rather than sustainable and responsible business practices.  As such, the Association of MBAs recently conducted a joint research project with Durham Business School to look at the current value of the MBA and how it may look in the future.  The study surveyed 100 accredited business schools and 544 alumni from 57 countries.    The findings conclude that in these changing times, the focus of MBAs and business schools appears to be…

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  Google Blog Search: Corporate Responsbility

• Survey: Where's the value in corporate social responsibility? | CSR

  Greenbang

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  We're interested in learning more about how much your organisation is spending on corporate social responsibility, who's in charge of funding those efforts and what sort of value your business gains from its CSR programmes. ...

• Senior Auditor, Corporate Responsibility (Shanghai, China ...

  Annika Maschwitz

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:02 am

  Senior Auditor, Corporate Responsibility (Shanghai, China) Tuesday, February 9th, 2010. The senior corporate social responsibility auditor is responsible for assessing and rating of suppliers/factories on social compliance & CTPAT and ...

• Transatlantic Doctoral Academy on Corporate Responsibility | CAUTG ...

  admin

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:49 am

  Séminaire doctoral transatlantique sur la responsabilité sociale des entreprises Le Séminaire doctoral transatlantique sur la responsabilité sociale des entreprises aura lieu au Centre canadien d'études allemandes et européennes à ...

• Birmingham Post - Business - Business Social - Thrive - Corporate ...

  unknown

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  Thrive - Corporate Social Responsibility. Fund creates jobs for Birmingham firm ... Partnerships to help Birmingham's highways · Thrive - Corporate Social Responsibility. Related Tags. textiles by st annes · (What's this) ...

• Union of Arab ICT Association Honors Microsoft Gulf with 'Best ...

  admin

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:45 am

  As recognition for its commitment to empowering women with technology, Microsoft Gulf received the 'Best Arab Corporate Social Responsibility Award' of the Year from the Union of Arab ICT Association, IJMA3. The Arab GoldenChip Awards ...

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  WordPress Tag: Corporate Responsibility

• X Games Opened My Eyes

  michaellafemina

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:10 pm

  More than I ever thought, businesses are serious about sustainability. And I’m not talking just small businesses – I’m talking about big corporations like Disney, ESPN, and Aspen Ski Company. I know this because I recently was at the 2010 Winter X Games in Aspen, seeing behind the scenes, meeting the people responsible for environmental projects, and generally witnessing first hand through observation and conversation how serious these companies are getting about environmental stewardship. I journeyed to the X Games this year wearing two hats: I’m an Educator with ACE…

• Toyota's Apology Should Be Just the Start

  dcbarry

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Let’s give a big thumbs up to Toyota’s President, Mr. Akio Toyoda. He stepped up and apologized for various braking problems with millions of that company’s vehicles.  While an apology is far from enough, it is an earnest first step in the right direction.  I hope it will start a trend of corporate leaders accepting personal responsibility for their products and services. I’ve compiled a brief list of other companies that I’d appreciate apologies from: 1. Other Asian car manufacturers: I’d like an apology for the failure of your seats to comfortably…

• Tell Toyota COO to Put the Brakes on Climate Change & the US Chamber

  carolynauw

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pm

  photo: MoveOn Flickr You’ve probably heard about the Toyota vehicle recall, related to sticking accelerators.  But did you know that despite selling the Prius as the eco-conscious vehicle of choice, Toyota is still a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the most backwards trade group on climate? Well, we have an opportunity to ask why. On Monday, Digg is sponsoring a live dialog with Toyota’s US President and Chief Operating Officer, Jim Lentz.  Just like  CitizenTube, our question will be asked if enough people vote for it – so digg it now! Last August, Bill Kovacs, the…

• Jakarta Welcomes New Elm Office

  lmheim

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

  Last week, Elm Founding Partner Patrick Doyle visited the recently-opened Elm office in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Upon his arrival, he was greeted with this very cheery – and very public – welcome. Jakarta welcomes the newly opened Elm office

• Sustainability 2050 - business leaders speak up

  Florian

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:17 am

  How sustainable will the world be in 2050 and what can businesses do to make sure we will get there (to 2050) in the first place? Smartplanet reports on a new report of business leaders: There’s a new prescription for global sustainability being put forth by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The Vision 2050 report is described as nothing less than the pathway to a world that supports 9 billion people “living well, within the resource limitations of the planet” by that timeframe. The analysis represents the viewpoints of about 29 global businesses from 14 different…

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  Change2

• Sustainability of the Commons

  Terence Jeyaretnam

  With the black clouds of the GFC looming upon us at the start of 2009, we were cornered to ask some big questions. So what of business sustainability? Is it still important? Would businesses still seek to be green, or would the sustainability budget be one of the first to be cut? But, we were optimistic. In 2008 we noted that ‘Our feeling is that there will be some natural attrition of sustainability ‘excess’. However, for the large part, there will be retention of sustainability capacity and programs. This is due to a mix of regulatory and competitive drivers that are now in place,…

• Cycling to Work: Sustainable Travel or Russian Roulette?

  Lee Stewart

  I have just recently moved to Naremburn on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. The move was brought on by the immediate need to find a bigger place where we have some room for a new arrival currently known as “Critter” As one of the many New Year’s resolution in trying to keep the fitness up and looking at ways to reduce my own personal environmental impact I have decided to try cycling to work and take advantage of the many cycle paths around Sydney. I thought I would share with you my experience of my first three days of cycling to work. Day One: Helmet, Bright Vest, Bike, Change of…

• Moving beyond Copenhagen

  Nick Potter

  In the wake of the latest round of climate change negotiations, here’s my response to “life after Copenhagen”. Why I’m not disappointed about Copenhagen The Copenhagen Accord does not amount to much at all, but I'm not disappointed with the outcomes of this conference. That's because I’ve learned to live without expectations. That way I don’t get disappointed, but I do get excited when something inspiring happens. This is actually an important skill to learn unless we want to become grim and cynical. As Peter Senge says, if you “scratch the surface of most cynics you will find a…

• Out in the cold: Protests all around as NGOs banned and negotiations delayed

  Paige Andrews

  Chaos has broken out both inside and outside of the Bella Center as access restrictions have gone into effect at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and negotiations have been delayed due to protests by developing nations. The Bella Center has the capacity to hold 15,000 participants, yet the UN has officially registered forty thousand participants. The poor planning has caused considerable disorder, infuriating those who flew great distances to attend (and sometimes host events) and were refused entry. And, as of today, observer organizations (of which I, myself, am included), are…

• Life in the Bella Center - a report from COP15

  Paige Andrews

  December 7th marked the start of two weeks of climate meetings, high level discussions and side events in Copenhagen for the Fifteenth Conference of Parties (COP15), also called the UN Climate Change Conference. This date also marked the start of fifteen-hour days of coffee, typing, running to events, typing, the occasional meal, typing, and more coffee inside an enormous conference center for yours truly. With over fifteen thousand delegates, NGOs, observer organizations, governmental officials and press in attendance at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, this conference is officially the…

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  Green Inc.

• Good Energies Invests in Massachusetts Clean Energy Firm

  By JOHN LORINC

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Nexamp, a Massachusetts clean energy firm, announced Tuesday that it has raised $6.5 million in venture financing from the Dutch-Swiss investment giant Good Energies and other investors.

• Nuclear Power Giant Buys Solar Firm

  By MATTHEW L. WALD

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm

  Areva, French nuclear power company, has bought Ausra, a small manufacturer of solar thermal systems that can be used for electricity production or industrial steam.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Says Pika Not Imperiled by Climate Change

  By TODD WOODY

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

  The Obama administration has determined that the American pika, a small rabbit-like mammal that lives on alpine mountain ranges in the West, is not threatened by climate change. Environmentalists disagree.

• Quebec's Vehicle Emission Law Is Disputed

  By JOHN LORINC

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:14 am

  Canada's environment minister has denounced Quebec's vehicle emissions rules, calling them "counter-productive."

• Trucking and Oil Industries Protest Fuel Mandate in California

  By SINDYA N. BHANOO

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

  The trucking and petrochemical industries are calling California's new clean-fuel mandate unfair and prohibitively expensive.

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  Canadian Business Corporate Social Responsibility

• Taking Action In Haiti

  Paul Klein

  16 Jan 2010 | 7:26 am

  Since the earthquake and ensuing crisis in Haiti, I felt like I should be writing something about our collective responsibility to take action. I haven’t until now partly because I didn’t think I could add anything new, partly because it felt more appropriate to just be quiet, and partly because governments, international aid organizations, citizens, and corporations seem to have all gotten behind this in a remarkable way. However, I would like to contribute one example of a company that’s doing the right thing. My family is scheduled to go on a cruise in March. The cruise…

• You can make money without doing evil.

  Paul Klein

  14 Jan 2010 | 4:23 am

  This one of Google’s 10 guiding principles. It echos what the Google’s co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, wrote in a manifesto they distributed before the company took its stock public in 2004, “We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served – as shareholders and in all other ways – by a company that does good things for the world”. While there are business reasons for pulling out of China (i.e. compromising the security of worldwide services because of inappropriate manipulations by the Chinese state security), the move speaks…

• Executive Giving at Goldman Sachs

  Paul Klein

  12 Jan 2010 | 4:32 am

  According to the New York Times, “As it prepares to pay out big bonuses to employees, Goldman Sachs is considering expanding a program that would require executives and top managers to give a certain percentage of their earnings to charity.” The New York Times article says that for their work in 2008, 953 Goldman employees were paid more than $1 million each. The average annual income of Goldman Sachs employees is reported to be $595,000 (U.S.) and the company has good reason to believe that such high salaries simply aren’t acceptable to the public today. An editorial in…

• CSR Partnerships: The Non-Profit Perspective

  Paul Klein

  8 Jan 2010 | 2:09 pm

  Partnerships between corporations and non-profits are the cornerstones of corporate community investment programs. Beyond community investment, corporations also often have strategic partnerships with NGOs in other areas including environment and supply chain (3r party audits/verifications), HR (non-profit EAP providers), and marketing (cause related marketing programs). H0wever, corporations and non-profits are unlikely bedfellows. There are significant differences in operating styles, decision-making, planning cycles, and measurement systems. And, perhaps most fundamentally, the people who…

• Return on Integrity: The New ROI

  Paul Klein

  18 Dec 2009 | 11:07 am

  I heard a remarkable story from a client yesterday. One of their insurance agents recently had a “catastrophic claim” from a man who had lost one leg in a motorcycle accident. The man is married and has small children and it’s clear that his quality of life will never be the same. After the claim was made, the agent’s first reaction was to calculate the financial impact of the claim on his business. After thinking more about the situation, he realized that the only thing that mattered was how the accident had effected the man’s life. After that, the agent went…

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  David Coethica's Blog

• Viva la Small Business CSR!

  davidcoethica

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:55 pm

  Most small business deliver CSR activities but most don't know they're doing them. Here's my top 5 most common 'unknown' SME CSR activities.

• Greed is good, again.

  davidcoethica

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:17 am

  Gordon Gekko is back, greed is good again and this time it's legal. Has anything changed in the real world of corporations?

• 5 Reasons Against CSR from Smaller Business

  davidcoethica

  19 Jan 2010 | 6:12 am

  5 reasons against Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from the mouths of small and medium sized business (SMEs)

• Haiti – Do Something

  davidcoethica

  16 Jan 2010 | 10:38 am

  Do something to support the Haiti earthquake relief effort, its not just another disaster played out on TV and internet.

• Google takes a stand against China

  davidcoethica

  12 Jan 2010 | 6:18 pm

  Google takes a stand against Chinese cyber attacks on human rights activist accounts and censorship

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  Realizing Your Worth

• Telling The Story of Corporate Social Responsibility

  28 Jan 2010 | 9:33 am

  Companies have to start telling the story of corporate social responsibility. People have to be able to share stories about CSR. That’s how ideas become actions, and ideologies become movements. I came across two blog posts today that made insightful and accurate assessments of CSR reporting. I tend to defer to the wisdom of the ever prolific @elainecohen on the matter of CSR reporting (and I strongly suggest you follow her blog if you want to learn everything there is to know about CSR reports and Chunky Monkey ice cream - don’t ask). Yet I thought both of these blogs made some excellent…

• How Volunteering Changed My Life: An Interview With Chris Jarvis

  24 Jan 2010 | 2:37 pm

  Everyone has a story. Call it a journey, an explanation, the reason we are who we are, but one thing is sure: there’s always more to a person than can be seen from the outside. There is value in learning each other’s stories. Together, in the messiness of our lives, we can encourage each other to live further into who we’re meant to be. More often than not, we would never have predicted where our stories take us. Realized Worth has evolved from more than 20 years of career choices that were far from what I’m doing now. Turns out, there’s a Toronto radio show that talks about just…

• New Ideas For A New Year - What Do You Think?

  16 Jan 2010 | 5:08 pm

  It’s a new year, it’s a new decade and for Realized Worth it is bound to be the best one yet! For you, our friends and readers, we have gifts to bestow.... 1: Video. That’s right, we’re ready to let you see our faces. We’ve been so safe here behind the screen of this trusty macbook, but with the genesis of 2010 we are resolved to take risks. (It helps that we’ve been asked to join our name with some other CSR-obsessed types for this endeavor.) Our new and improved blog style will be ready for your viewing soon and will enlighten you with more and better corporate volunteering info…

• Corporate Volunteering: Top 7 Requests & the Bad, Better and Best Responses (4 of 7)

  12 Jan 2010 | 8:59 am

  Companies want to engage their communities through employee volunteering programs. For most, this means calling a non-profit and scheduling an activity. But how should non-profits respond? Is there a “best” answer for everyone? (Part 4 of 7) New realities necessitate new thinking As employee volunteering leaps into popularity, the larger picture - Corporate Social Responsibility - presents the world of business with new realities. It is these realities that motivate corporations to find their way onto the band wagon. There are two, in particular, that find their way into the spotlight…

• Corporate Volunteering: Top 7 Requests & the Bad, Better and Best Responses (3 of 7)

  4 Jan 2010 | 8:41 pm

  Companies want to engage their communities through employee volunteering programs. For most, this means calling a non-profit and scheduling an activity. But how should non-profits respond? Is there a “best” answer for everyone? (Part 3 of 7) If men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, then non-profits and businesses must be from opposite corners of the universe. Their shoes, memos and boardrooms may look the same, but let me tell you - they do not speak the same language. Take, for example, the following: When a business says, “We want to help out for a day” the non-profits hears,…

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  Sustainability & CSR Conversations

• Weekend Links #14

  admin

  24 Jan 2010 | 4:43 am

  The weekend links are the weekly roundup of what I come across on the web – blogosphere, twittosphere, and online media – and that are the most representative of what’s going in the CSR and Sustainability space. In few words, some online conversations that catch my attention! This first link looks at the infinite possibilities of online sustainability reporting. This second link offers a great deal of tips for all the job seekers and young graduates dreaming of a CSR job. This is actually all for this week. Have a great one!

• A Sixth ‘C’ For Sustainability Branding: Consistency

  admin

  23 Jan 2010 | 7:44 pm

  Earlier this week, Change, a brand innovation agency in Canada, launched “MapChange2010“, a new study comparing the real efforts that brands are making in fighting climate change, and the perception consumers have of those brands. The results of the study showed that, across every sector (i.e. 10 of the largest consumer-facing sectors in North America), a brand’s actual sustainability record does not correlate with consumers’ perceptions and awareness. This means that, down the road, all of a company’s investments in sustainability may not pay off in terms consumer behavior…

• Weekend Links #13

  admin

  17 Jan 2010 | 4:23 pm

  The weekend links are the weekly roundup of what I come across on the web – blogosphere, twittosphere, and online media – and that are the most representative of what’s going in the CSR and Sustainability space. In few words, some online conversations that catch my attention! This first link looks at how to drive and/or reframe sustainability communications in the COP15 aftermath, while the second link looks at the COP15 failure from a more holistic point of view.  Two very good recaps. This third link lists the tops tactics for proving green’s worth. Straightforward tactics, but…

• Six Tips To Rise Above The Clutter In Sustainability Communications

  admin

  13 Jan 2010 | 2:35 am

  As more and more companies seek to communicate their progress towards sustainability, it gets more and more challenging to stand above the average in the media mix. In today’s world of shortened attention span, increasing green fatigue and ever-changing media landscape, how can companies rise above the clutter? And do so with credibility and impact? What advices should we, comns and PR professionals, give to our clients? This is the question Nathan Schock of the Greenway Communiqué tried to answer in an article published in the first PRSA Tactics issue of 2010: Communicate your…

• Weekend Links #12

  admin

  8 Jan 2010 | 9:59 pm

  The weekend links are the weekly roundup of what I come across on the web – blogosphere, twittosphere, and online media – and that are the most representative of what’s going in the CSR and Sustainability space. In few words, some online conversations that catch my attention! This first link explores human responses to environmental issues and the issues behind the state of news coverage of climate change. A MUST read. The second link looks at the state of public opinion on environment: confusion is the word. Perhaps the public opinion is just fatigued and does not see what in it for…

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  3BLMedia

• Can Forest Preserves Become Greener?

  gbl

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Source: Green Business League PRESS RELEASE: (3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Richmond, IL - February 9, 2010 - One would think that every park is naturally Green, wouldn't they?  The presence of trees, flowers, and even compost would lead anyone to conclude that there is no Greener place in the community than a forest preserve.  Well, there is still plenty of room to improve nearly any Green program.  Ryerson Woods has continually stepped up its environmental standards and has recently earned the silver level certification from the Green Business League. Ryerson Woods…

• Beware of Whole Foods' Healthy Employee Discount

  Favole

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:50 am

  Source: Elegant Roots SUMMARY: Buy less but buy better. Make it meaningful. And we deliver it all exquisite, eco-conscious gift wrap. Each week, on Elegant Roots' Tuesday tracts, we will recognize one of the artisans/designers whose creations grace the pages of our website or present other currencies you may find worthy of notice. BLOG / NEWSLETTER: In Drive, Daniel H. Pink explores "The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us." The intro concepts break down the broad types of motivation -- Motivation 1.0 covers our striving to satisfy survival needs. Motivation 2.0 covers our…

• CSR Minute: State Farm Insurance's First Green Business League Certification; International Center for Research on Women's Study + Ashoka Changemakers' Tech Challenge

  3BL

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Source: 3BL Media, LLC SUMMARY: theCSRminute is your daily video digest of the most relevant Corporate Social Responsible news of the day. Our team of 3BL Media correspondents tracks the global world of corporate social responsibility to bring you coverage of the most important announcements, initiatives, issues, trends, ideas, and breaking news. theCSRminute can be seen daily on 3BL Media’s CSR Network—the largest network of CSR channels across the internet, on  Reuters Project Insider, and right here on the 3BL Media website.      PRESS RELEASE: Hello,…

• CSR Trends: "Consumer Driven Aid" For Haiti - A blog by Cause+Integration

  3BL

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:39 am

  Source: 3BL Blogs SUMMARY: The 3BL Media blog roll is a select list of the most influential, respected, and authoritative voices in corporate social responsibility. Compiled from the 3BL Media staff’s extensive contacts with longtime CSR commentators, these bloggers offer relevant news, opinions, and ideas about all things CSR in one convenient place.   BLOG / NEWSLETTER: Remember Haiti? Okay, good. Just checking. While it’s been hardly 4 weeks since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Port-Au-Prince, destroying over 200,000 lives and an entire capital city, the media cycle…

• Wasteland to Resources: New Orleans rises from Katrina and Saints win Super Bowl XLIV!

  Greenopolis

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  Source: Greenopolis BLOG / NEWSLETTER: If the New Orleans Saints win last night in Super Bowl XLIV is an indicator for what a turnaround can be, there might be hope for our blue green planet after all. New Orleans became the unhappy poster child for environmental catastrophe back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and burst levees that put it underwater. The place was literally a wasteland. The Saint’s showcase home, the Superdome, was a trashed refugee shelter. The team nearly left town. But the Big Easy is rising from the watery grave. Not just restoration here folks,…