Corporate Responsibility

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    Mallenbaker.net: Corporate Social Responsibility News

  • India: Balco executives arrested over chimney collapse

    18 Nov 2009 | 3:07 am
    Police have arrested three executives, including a former vice president, of Bharat Aluminium Co (Balco) following a fatal accident which killed 40 workers. The three have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. (18 Nov 2009)

  • A case study of a different approach to reporting

    16 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pm
    Supposing you put to one side the rules about how you're supposed to produce a CSR or sustainability report. Supposing you started with almost a blank page and focused on what might make the people you most want to communicate with actually read your report. What would that look like? (16 Nov 2009)

  • UK: Survey shows impact bad management has on staff

    15 Nov 2009 | 1:58 pm
    Almost half of workers polled in the UK said that they had left a job because of bad management and that, given the option, they would rather take a pay cut than be managed by someone with poor skills. (15 Nov 2009)

  • BP faces damages claim over pipeline through Colombian farmland

    11 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm
    BP is being sued by a group of Colombian farmers who say that the company's activities have damaged their land and crops. The case, which is the first of its kind being brought in a UK court, alleges that the company's Colombian subsidiary has caused landslides and pollution to water supplies and soil. (11 Nov 2009)

  • US: Intel accused of 'bribery and coercion' by NY attorney-general

    5 Nov 2009 | 2:26 pm
    Intel has been targeted in a lawsuit detailing how it had allegedly maintained a dominant market position by using bribery and coercion to stifle fair competition. (5 Nov 2009)
 
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    CSRwire.com

  • National NeighborWoods Month Exceeds Expectations

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm
    In October, The Home Depot® Foundation worked with the Alliance for Community Trees to sponsor National NeighborWoods Month, a month long series of tree planting events by 24,000 volunteers in 231 cities across the country. As a result, more than 36,000 trees were planted in just one month. In addition to the NeighborWoods Month tree planting projects, volunteers also provided tree maintenance tips, training activities and educational seminars to improve urban communities. Team Depot volunteers were a critical part of National Neighborwoods Month. They led and participated in many of the…

  • USAID, Walmart, TransFair USA and SEBRAE-Minas Gerais Sponsor Brazil Coffee Cupping Competition

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:33 am
    Winners for this week's Brazilian Fair Trade Certified coffee cupping competition have been announced. Sebastiao Reguim of the producer association, Unipcafem, and Marcos Antonio Nali of the producer association, Pro-nova, won first place in the natural and semi-washed coffee categories. The competition, which is a specialized tasting process to assess quality, capped off several months of intensive quality training for farmers and was attended by high-ranking Brazilian and U.S. officials, representatives of the Brazilian coffee industry and international coffee buyers. The event was…

  • CVS/pharmacy Kicks Off Annual Thanks and Giving(R) Campaign for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:06 am
    CVS/pharmacy kicks off its annual in store fundraiser for the sixth year to support the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thanks and Giving campaign, beginning this Sunday and running through December 12. CVS/pharmacy store colleagues will encourage customers to add $1 to their purchase at the register to support the lifesaving research of St. Jude, one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. In the first five years of the campaign, CVS/pharmacy and its customers raised more than $13 million for the…

  • Universal Children's Day Commemorated With New Research: 300 Million School Children Worldwide Lack Acces To Clean, Safe Drinking Water

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    In recognition of Universal Children's Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly as a day to promote the protection, welfare and education of the children of the world, Global Water Challenge (GWC) today released "Clean Start: Focusing on School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene." The report identifies the challenges and solutions associated with the global water crisis and its effect on children. It identifies access to clean drinking water as one of the leading health threats to children around the world today and the cause for millions of deaths and education loss each year.

  • The Levi's(R) Brand Announces charity: water as $100,000 Green Charity Winner

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm
    The Levi's® brand is proud to announce charity: water as the winning charity of its recent GO IV Fortune $100,000 green charity giveaway. Beginning in mid-October, GO IV Fortune players nominated hundreds of charitable organizations with a commitment to sustainability and the environment. The list was narrowed down to ten finalists and thousands of gamers voted for the charity they felt best embodied the Levi's® brand's pioneering spirit and rich legacy of promoting sustainability. Today charity: water was announced as America's choice. charity: water (www.charitywater.org) is a…
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    CSR Reporting

  • Prostitution, fashion and communicating CSR

    elaine
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:19 am
    Embed. Once more. Interweave CSR into the fabric of your business. This is my fifth and final post on this subject, (for now!) inspired by Ethical Corporation's 2009 research report called How to Embed Corporate Responsibility across different parts of your Company.We already covered how people do it (embedding CSR in Human Resources ), how buyers buy it (Procurement function ), how accountants count it (Finance function ) and how truckers truck it (Operations and Logistics Function). Now, we examine how they all talk it. Embedding CSR in  corporate communications -…

  • Paper conservation at Heinz - or not?

    elaine
    14 Nov 2009 | 2:28 am
    Heinz published their fifth #csr report yesterday It's a GRI B self-declared report. Congratulations!  I didn't read it yet. But something struck a nerve with me, so i decided to use Heinz as a scapegoat in my upcoming rant. Heinz is by no means the only Company who does this, but, well, they just happened to plop only my screen as I have the energy to rant. Here is what they say about the online report: "Reflecting our commitment to environmental responsibility, Heinz has conserved paper and the energy used to produce it by publishing our 2009 Corporate…

  • Inform, inspire and involve to embed CSR in operations

    elaine
    14 Nov 2009 | 12:13 am
    Embedding, post number 4. We already covered embedding CSR in Human Resourcesthe Procurement function, and the Finance function All of this, as you may recall, is based on Ethical Corporation's2009 research report called How to Embed Corporate Responsibility across different parts of your CompanyThis time, i will cover the ways Companies embed CSR in the "Facility, Logistics and Operations" bits of the Company. Having managed logistics for many years with Procter and Gamble in Europe, this is an area of the business I am familiar with. The report looks at:How to make facility or manufacturing…

  • 12 ways to engage stakeholders and the AA1000SE standard

    elaine
    12 Nov 2009 | 3:14 am
    So you think you know how to engage stakeholders, right ? Most of the CSR reports I read and review don't really address stakeholder engagement with any real depth. It is always included as a headline, but more often than not, the headline is followed by a list of declarative generic hot-air such as "engaging with stakeholders helps us understand their concerns and respond appropriately" or "we regularly engage with stakeholders on the issues they care about" or "it is an important part of our mission to listen to our stakeholders and respond to their concerns" or the best of all "engaging…

  • Can Finance Managers count CSR ?

    elaine
    7 Nov 2009 | 2:46 pm
    Embeding CSR in .... wait for it ... the FINANCE function. Oops! Did i hear that right ? Do CFO's have a CSR mindset ? Isn't CSR just a cost center and not a revenue generator? Isn't that how most CFO's think? So what's the deal with embedding CSR in the financial division of the corporation? This is another post in my series relating to embedding CSR in the business, prompted by  Ethical Corporation's latest research publication on How to embed Corporate Responsibility across different parts of your Company. , a 100 page report published at end September 2009. It provides an…
 
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    Business & Sustainable Development News

  • Clearing ground for a deal to save forests

    Financial Times
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    One does not have to venture off the beaten track to discover why south-east Asia's biggest economy is the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

  • Offsets lose credibility as salves for carbon glut

    The International Herald Tribune via LN Publisher
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    It has proved difficult to monitor or quantify the emissions-reducing potential of the thousands of green projects financed by customers' payments, and there are no industrywide standards.

  • Allianz eyes renewable China, India projects

    Reuters
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Allianz SE plans to invest in renewable projects in India and China as it seeks to expand its overall clean energy portfolio by more than a billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the next three years, a company executive said.

  • As smart grid expands, so does vulnerability to cyber attacks

    ClimateWire
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    As he prepares to leave office as head of the nation's electric grid operations monitor, Rick Sergel is warning the power industry that if it doesn't move faster and harder to protect itself against cyber threats, Congress and federal regulators will increasingly impose their own rules.

  • India's cabinet approves solar power programme

    Reuters
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    India's cabinet on Thursday approved its first solar power plan, pledging to boost output from near zero to 20 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 as part of its plan to fight global warming.
 
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    NYT: Green Inc.

  • Home Improvement, With Tax Collector as Lender

    By KATE GALBRAITH
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm
    New York has joined more than a dozen other states in approving a fast-spreading new method of financing renewable-energy and efficiency improvements.

  • On Our Radar...

    By R.M. SCHNEIDERMAN
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm
    Climate change and national security, and other energy and environment coverage on the Web.

  • India to Spend $900 Million on Solar

    By VIKAS BAJAJ
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am
    The Indian cabinet approved a plan on Thursday that would vastly increase the amount of solar power produced by the country.

  • Green Builders' Study Forecasts Job Growth

    By COLIN MINER
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:57 am
    Building green could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy, according to a new report released by the United States Green Building Council.

  • Study Says Air Cars are Inefficient

    By JIM MOTAVALLI
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am
    A paper from the University of California, Berkeley, concludes that compressed-air energy storage is a relatively inefficient technology when it comes to personal transportation.
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    WSJ.COM: Environmental Capital

  • Hacked: Sensitive Documents Lifted from Hadley Climate Center

    Keith Johnson
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am
    Well, this should get interesting. The Hadley Climate Research Unit in Britain was hacked yesterday, apparently by Russian black hats, and thousands of sensitive documents, including emails from climate scientists dating back a decade, were posted online. More here. Officials at Hadley, a leading global-warming research center, have apparently confirmed to an Australian a Kiwi publication that the documents are genuine. The whole affair has much of the blogosphere alight. Blogs skeptical of man-made global warming see blood in the water. Some of the old emails from scientists made public…

  • Duke’s Rogers: Why Nuclear Power Will Probably Trump Coal

    Keith Johnson
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:34 am
    Duke Energy boss Jim Rogers is a big voice on energy and climate change for a couple of simple reasons. He runs a big utility, heavily invested in coal power, and he’s an outspoken proponent of climate-change legislation that spooks many of his peers. Associated Press Duke’s Jim Rogers: “We could find ourselves in 2050 where coal has a limited role, if any.” So his take on America’s energy future is usually interesting. No exception in this recent interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, where he makes the case for why nuclear power will likely beat coal in a…

  • Green Ink: Gas Pacts, Climate Primers, and the Smart Grid

    Keith Johnson
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:22 am
    Crude oil future fell below $77 a barrel as the dollar gained against the euro for a second straight day, Bloomberg reports. Europe might dodge the bullet for now: Russia and Ukraine agree to a new gas deal meant to avoid natural-gas cutoffs, protect Gazprom’s market, and keep Ukraine as a viable transit country, in the FT. The Senate has spent months working on different versions of a climate bill. Why, then, has John McCain gone awol from that debate?, in Politico. The big Copenhagen summit is just around the corner. Grist offers a handy package ahead of the climate talks, including a…

  • Peak Oil Files: Why Is Saudi Aramco Building Supercomputers?

    Russell Gold
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am
    Saudi Aramco pumps about 10 million barrels of oil a day, about four times as much as Exxon Mobil Corp. How much oil Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, can pump has an enormous impact on oil prices – and therefore the global economy. Saudi Aramco Teraflops in the desert. So, what to make then of Aramco’s recent interest in supercomputers? The biannual list of the world’s 500 fastest computers was released on Tuesday and Aramco had two new entries at No. 119 and No. 134. Both are Dell clusters, running Intel processors and both are very, very fast. The oil industry uses…

  • How Much of China’s Emissions Mess Is Really Ours?

    Keith Johnson
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    There’s plenty of interesting stuff in the latest paper in Nature Geosciences about the growth in global greenhouse-gas emissions—that the growth is overwhelmingly concentrated in developing countries, for example, or that natural carbon “sinks” such as oceans appear to be less effective at absorbing carbon dioxide than in years past. (More on the paper here and here.) Associated Press Right back at you But one thing in particular stands out: The role played by the rich world’s “offshoring” of manufacturing emissions to the developing world, especially China. The idea that rich…
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    CSR-NEWS.net

  • “Sustainability: A New Supernova”

    Annika Maschwitz
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:32 am
    Landmarks for Sustainability: Events and Initiatives That Have Changed Our World (Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf, 2009) By Wayne Visser A review by William C. Frederick, October 2009. supernova: an explosive brightening of a star where the energy radiated by it increases by a factor of 1010, taking several years to fade and dominating the whole galaxy in which it lies. It occurs when [...]

  • “Meet the New Boss”

    Annika Maschwitz
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am
    Primal Management: Unraveling the Secrets of Human Nature to Drive High Performance (New York: AMACOM, 2009) By Paul Herr A review by William C. Frederick, September 2009© The view—not to mention the location—was totally and completely mind boggling. A full-page advertisement in, of all places, that refuge and champion of free-market capitalism—none other than The Wall Street Journal—and paid for by the [...]

  • Voting opens for ANGRY MERMAID AWARD for Worst Climate Lobbying

    Kristin Vorbohle (editor)
    15 Nov 2009 | 3:48 am
    Copenhagen / Brussels, Monday 16 November > The damaging impacts of corporate lobbying on international efforts to fight climate change are exposed today with the announcement of the eight candidates for the Angry Mermaid Award 2009. The Angry Mermaid Award is named after the iconic Copenhagen mermaid who is angry about the destruction being caused by [...]

  • China-Japan-Korea Roundtable Established by Global Compact Local Networks

    Matthias Stausberg (Global Compact)
    13 Nov 2009 | 1:23 am
    (Seoul) – The first Global Compact China-Japan-Korea Roundtable Conference was held today to further advance corporate responsibility in the region. The Roundtable, jointly organized by the Global Compact Local Networks from each country, provides the opportunity for formal collaboration between the Northeast Asian Networks to intensify. At the Roundtable Conference, which brought together more than 150 [...]

  • What’s Ecological Intelligence? Daniel Goleman Explains

    Kristin Vorbohle (editor)
    12 Nov 2009 | 7:30 am
    On this week’s Sea Change Radio, Host Bill Baue speaks with Daniel Goleman about his new book, Ecological Intelligence — the followup to his bestselling Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence series. Recently, my good friend Sanford Lewis, who composed the Sea Change Radio themesong, posted a heads-up to search the terms #sustainability and #risk on Twitter. [...]
 
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    FabianPattberg.com

  • Video: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature

    Fabian
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am
    Learning from the natural world is something we are not doing often enough. This is a quote form the very interesting and inspiring video from a self-proclaimed nature nerd Janine Benyus. Her concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature’s successes can inspire humanity. Definitely worth the investment of 20 minutes for your time. Enjoy! Related posts:Video: Visionary Architecture for a Sustainable FutureTechnology – The Important Role in our Sustainable FutureVideo: Serious Sustainability – Food and…

  • Money over Sustainability

    Fabian
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    The question from my last poll was whether you thought that CSR / Sustainability activities where influencing your decision which product to buy or not to buy. This is the link to the post about the poll question. The Result The result (details in the chart below) show that the users that answered this poll where strongly influenced by the CSR / Sustainability practices by the company (58% of votes). They where also willing to pay more for these products at the same time. But this result also shows that there are also significant doubts when it comes to the price of the product in question.

  • Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?

    Fabian
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am
    I have been working in the Sustainability /CSR business for many years now. And I am increasingly coming across more and more people that are of the opinion that the Sustainability Business sector is totally different from all the other business sectors. So I asked myself that question. Is this business sector different to other sectors for example the chemicals business sector? Is the Sustainability business sector different? Can we actually say this is correct just because we as Sustainability professionals and enthusiasts, claim to have the moral high ground and possible answers on how to…

  • My Four Tools to make my Sustainable Day more Productive

    Fabian
    11 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pm
    I am getting a lot requests about the online applications and tools I use. That is why todays post is about the four tools I use to make my life easier when it comes to online productivity. One of the next posts will be about the Google applications and tools I am using. So stay tuned for that as well. These are my four most useful tools: Remember the Milk http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ Managing tasks is generally not a fun way to spend your time. Remember The Milk is a free service where you no longer have to write your to-do lists on sticky notes, whiteboards, random scraps of paper, or…

  • Poll: Does a corporation’s CSR / Sustainability activity actually influence your purchasing decisions?

    Fabian
    9 Nov 2009 | 8:01 am
    I have not been conducting one of polls for several weeks now so I thought it was a good time to start a new poll running all of this week. This time on the question whether the CSR / Sustainability activities and practices of a company actually influences your decision as a consumer to buy or not to buy a certain product/ products of a company. Please either vote below or visit http://twtpoll.com/s5rsdy to vote. As always no registration needed. Just click and vote. Related posts:Poll: Should CSR reporting become mandatory for all public companies?Poll: CSR just a Management Fashion?Poll…
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    Worldchanging: Bright Green

  • Oceans’ Ability To Absorb CO2 May Be Diminishing, New Study Says

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm
    A study of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the world’s oceans from 1765 to the present shows that as humanity pumps more CO2 into the atmosphere, the capacity of the world’s oceans to continue absorbing carbon appears to be decreasing. Researchers from Columbia University and NASA estimate that since 2000, the proportion of fossil-fuel emissions absorbed by the oceans may have declined by as much as 10 percent. In effect, researchers say that industrial activity has been producing so much C02 since 1950 that the oceans are slowly becoming saturated with the gas. “The more carbon…

  • Seattle as North America's First Carbon-Neutral City

    Alex Steffen
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:01 am
    Last week, I stood on the stage at Seattle's Town Hall and called on Seattle to become North America's first carbon-neutral city, dropping its per capita climate emissions to nothing by 2030. Since then, I've gotten a whole slew of great emails and calls from people who are thinking that goal through, and have questions. Mostly, folks have been wildly supportive, generally wanting most to know how they can help build the movement to do that. I'm a writer, not an organizer, and I don't have the plan, but I can explain a little more my thinking, and share some observations about what seems to…

  • Companies Increase Commitment To Tackling Climate Issues, Report Says

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    Major corporations in the U.S. have shown an increased willingness to voluntarily reduce their impact on climate change despite a sluggish economy, according to a new scorecard produced by the nonprofit group Climate Counts. Eighty-one of the 90 major companies assessed saw an average increase of 22 percent from last year’s scorecard, with Nike topping the list with a score of 83 out of a possible 100 points. Scores are based on 22-criteria in four general areas: measurement of impact on global warming; reduction of impact; engagement in climate-related public policy; and transparency. In…

  • A Womb of One's Own

    WorldChanging Team
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am
    by Anna Fahey The womb is not free of toxic pollution. This week, the Washington Toxics Coalition released a study that should raise the ire of pregnant women like me. Their findings in a nutshell: developing fetuses spend their first nine months in an environment that exposes them to a range known toxic chemicals. That environment? Their mothers’ bodies. That means my body. The first-of-its kind study analyzed blood and urine samples from nine women in Washington, Oregon, and California during their second trimester of pregnancy, to test for 23 chemicals from five chemical groups. Their…

  • How Carbon Markets Work in Europe

    WorldChanging Team
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:28 am
    by Eric de Place In spite of what you may have heard, Europe's carbon market is working beautifully. The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has been operational since 2005 and we're now getting a good look at how it functions. It turns out, it's a remarkable success story, both environmentally and economically. Let's briefly review the major pieces of evidence. 1. European Environment Agency. A November 2009 report finds that the continent is well on its way to meeting its Kyoto targets thanks in large part to its cap-and-trade program. In fact, by 2007,14 countries had already…
 
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    NextBillion.net

  • Vittana: Student Loans and a New Generation of Microfinance

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Authored by: Manuel BuenoMicrofinance is widely touted as a major private sector success in tackling development. According to the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2009, microfinance now reaches more than 100 million people through more than 3,500 organizations. Nonetheless, like many forms of financing, microfinance is a coarse tool to lift people out of poverty insofar as it usually lends to people who may be willing to invest in the development of fixed assets, traditionally in farming or small businesses. More recently, microfinance products have tried to sharpen their…

  • Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Authored by: Diana HollmannIt's Friday in the 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Week! 20,000 events involving 5 million people around the globe are taking place this week lasting from November 16-22.On Monday, here in Washington, IFC held a one-day conference addressing the issue of achieving scale in entrepreneurship. The conference featured representatives from IFC and World Bank, the White House, the US Department of State, Kauffman Foundation as well as entrepreneurs. Michael Fairbanks from the OTF Group and Iqbal Quadir, founder of GrameenPhone and the MIT Legatum Center, were…

  • Investor Management

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:39 am
    Organization: New Ventures IndiaLocation: Hyderabad, INNew Ventures India is a joint initiative between CII GBC and World Resources Institute aimed at developing the ecosystem for green SMEs and, in particular, facilitating capital transfer to green enterprises. New Ventures. The New Ventures program of the World Resources Institute runs in six countries: India, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Columbia. New Ventures reaches out to the green SMEs and entrepreneurs through a variety of outreach programs, identifies promising enterprises by engaging with them in a constructive dialogue and…

  • Enterprise Management

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:39 am
    Organization: New Ventures IndiaLocation: Hyderabad, INNew Ventures India is a joint initiative between CII GBC and World Resources Institute aimed at developing the ecosystem for green SMEs and, in particular, facilitating capital transfer to green enterprises. New Ventures. The New Ventures program of the World Resources Institute runs in six countries: India, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Columbia. New Ventures reaches out to the green SMEs and entrepreneurs through a variety of outreach programs, identifies promising enterprises by engaging with them in a constructive dialogue and…

  • Net Impact 2009: A Wrap-Up

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    Authored by: Diana Hollmann2 days, 2600 participants and over 350 speakers on more than 100 panels - those are some of the stats of this year’s Net Impact conference. One thing is for sure: It was an intense and inspiring conference!Clean Technology at the Base of the PyramidOne of the two keynotes on the second day focused on clean technology at the Base of the Pyramid and featured Stuart Hart from Cornell University. He argued that there is still not enough attention paid to the commercialization and distribution of clean technology products and services for low-income…
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    CorpWatch

  • FRANCE: France jails 'Angolagate' power players

    27 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    A French court slapped jail terms Tuesday on the main players in a network that smuggled arms to war-torn Angola and included an ex-minister and the son of the late president Francois Mitterrand.

  • Berkeley, Oakland urge oil money transparency

    20 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am

  • IVORY COAST: Trafigura offers deal to 31,000 Africans over dumped waste

    17 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    British oil trader Trafigura has offered to settle a court case brought by 31,000 Africans who say that they were injured in the largest personal injuries class action mounted in an English court. The action resulted from the dumping of 400 tonnes of waste in the Ivory Coast by an oil tanker, the Probo Koala, in 2006 — one of the worst pollution disasters in recent history.

  • IVORY COAST: Trafigura offers deal to 31,000 Africans over dumped waste

    17 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    British oil trader Trafigura has offered to settle a court case brought by 31,000 Africans who say that they were injured in the largest personal injuries class action mounted in an English court. The action resulted from the dumping of 400 tonnes of waste in the Ivory Coast by an oil tanker, the Probo Koala, in 2006 — one of the worst pollution disasters in recent history.

  • FRANCE: French nuclear plant reveals plutonium level discrepancies

    15 Oct 2009 | 12:00 am
    The French government has demanded answers from a nuclear research facility after nearly triple the registered amount of plutonium was discovered there during its dismantling this summer.
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    Richard Murphy: Tax & Corporate Accountability

  • What happens in a Jersey fund? Not a lot, since you ask

    Richard Murphy
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:46 am
    A commentator on this blog has said, initially quoting me, and overall in response to comment by Dave Hartnett: “Tax compliance is seeking to pay the right amount of tax (but no more) in the right place at the right time where right means that the economic substance of the transactions undertaken coincides with the place and form in which they are reported for taxation purposes” Where would you say the economic substance takes place in a collective investment fund that is established in Jersey, has a Jersey board of directors, Jersey Administrator and Jersey Custodian, UK based investment…

  • Do you know any tax superheroes?

    Richard Murphy
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:32 am
    Christian Aid today launches its latest Alternative Tax Award – Tax Superhero of the Year – and invites nominations of suitably qualified firms and individuals. The award has been introduced to highlight the  tremendous potential accountants have to change the world for the better by helping developing countries collect more of the billions of dollars’ tax that they are owed. ‘Do you know of an individual accountant, or perhaps a firm which deserves recognition for its outstanding contribution to the health of developing countries’ tax administrations or revenues?’, asks Dr…

  • India recognises the threat from trusts

    Richard Murphy
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:33 am
    Trusts, NGOs under ambit of money-laundering law . India is to extend its money laundering laws: Charitable trusts, whether temples, churches or mosques, non-government organisations (NGOs), educational institutions or societies, if registered as non-profit organisations (NPOs), will not only have to disclose the source of their funds, but also be scrutinised for large monetary transactions. The change has been done by an amendment to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, notified in the Official Gazette on November 12, to bring NPOs under the purview of the law. Earlier, the…

  • Did we really hoodwink them? - Isle of Man Today

    Richard Murphy
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Did we really hoodwink them? - Isle of Man Today . From today’s editorial: Once again the tax black hole is dominating the news. Lord Bach, the government minister who’s responsible for the Crown Dependencies, has been in the Island. Our reporter, John Turner, interviewed him. Lord Bach was very complimentary about the way the Manx negotiated the VAT agreement two years ago. In fact, you might be tempted to draw the conclusion that he thinks we outflanked the UK and got a much better deal than we deserved. That conclusion would, I am sure, be hotly disputed by our political…

  • Hartnett whips up a storm on tax compliance

    Richard Murphy
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    Hartnett whips up a storm at the ICAEW - Accountancy Age. The permanent secretary for tax and commissioner of HM Revenue & Customs has never been afraid of ruffling a few feathers and Dave Hartnett did not disappoint at a recent address to some of the UK’s most eminent tax advisers. Hartnett set out plans for a higher level of trust between the taxman, corporates and advisers at the ICAEW’s annual Hardman lecture but hit out at those still looking to cheat the UK’s tax system. Although his speech was entitled Tax, Transparency and Trust, he still took a swipe at those salting away…
 
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    Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward

  • Searching for Greenwash at Greenbuild

    joelmakower
    15 Nov 2009 | 10:18 am
    I'll admit to entering the halls of Greenbuild — the mammoth green building conference and expo, held last week in Phoenix — with a cynical theory: Greenbuild would be filled with greenwash. I assumed that with nearly 1,100 exhibitors, up 25% from the previous year amid a horrid economy, the U.S. Green Building Council, the event's organizers, had lowered its standards, accepting anyone that had a green story to tell. It would be, I surmised, a case study in what happens when green goes mainstream: that good intentions and high standards give way to the lowest common denominator…

  • Green Consumers and the Recession: Is It Really Different This Time?

    joelmakower
    7 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am
    How have consumers' green shopping habits changed during these tough economic times? There are at least a couple schools of thought: one, that green consumerism has gotten steamrolled by the recession, viewed as a luxury no longer affordable; the other, that green shopping has endured as consumers go back to basics, rethinking the need to consume, redefining what it means to be fulfilled, and becoming less wasteful and more conscious of the impact of their purchases. So, which is it? Is a green shopping ethic alive and well, or has "saving the earth" taken a backseat to…

  • Introducing … the Green Confidence Index

    joelmakower
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:55 am
    Today marks the launch of a new monthly index, the Green Confidence Index, aimed at tracking Americans' attitudes about and confidence in their leaders and institutions, nationally and locally, on the subject of environmental responsibility, as well as in their own understanding of issues and their willingness to make green purchasing choices. It is the first comprehensive monthly tracking of consumers' green attitudes and purchasing. The Index was produced by my colleagues at GreenBiz.com in partnership with a leading market research firm, Earthsense, and a leading polling firm,…

  • How to Talk About [Whatever It's Called]

    joelmakower
    25 Oct 2009 | 9:14 pm
    Do people care about the climate?It's an open question these days, and opinion polls offer little help. Some show that climate ranks fairly low among public concerns, while others indicate a high level of concern among the populace. And in the run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit, now a mere six weeks away, those opinions count for something, particularly in the United States, where lawmakers are looking to be swayed one way or another. Here's a sampling of the hodgepodge of public opinion. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press last week reported that "There…

  • A Look Inside Good Housekeeping's Green Seal

    joelmakower
    18 Oct 2009 | 8:34 pm
    It's long stated as near fact by observers of the confusing and confounding green marketplace that what's needed, once and for all, is something akin to a Good Housekeeping Seal for the environment. Good Housekeeping, it seems, represents a pinnacle of credibility and consumer confidence. So, now that Good Housekeeping has introduced its own green seal, what should we make of it? First, some background. The original Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced in 1909, when there was little regulatory oversight of consumer products. It represented an audacious marketing promise from its…
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    PSD: The World Bank Group Blog

  • Weekend Reading

    Brian Hoyt
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pm
    Regulatory failure, special interests, and financial sector lobbying: European Union edition. Negative interest rates on T-bills: This time is different. "The fact that oil is trading at $80 a barrel in this climate should tell you that it is trading more as a financial asset than on supply/demand imbalances". California is doing its part in the fight against deflation, one university at a time. The recession is having quite an impact on migration trends in the United States. Plus, our People Move blog looks at new remittance data. Tyler Cowen describes these two posts from Paul…

  • The Curious Indian Entrepreneur

    Brian Hoyt
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am
    I attended a session from yesterday's Entrepreneurship and Growth Conference on "Indian Entrepreneurial Success in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom". RAND corporation's Krishna B Kumar attempted to explain the extraordinary successes of Indian expatriate entrepreneurs in these three countries, arguing that much can be attributed to observable differences such as education, family ties, and choice of sector. In the United States, the typical Indian entrepreneur has an average business income that is…

  • Today in Capital Controls

    Brian Hoyt
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
    Yesterday I suggested that emerging market economies, rather than the United States, were better poised to criticize China's currency policy. It looks like, rather than criticizing China's policy, many are simply trying replicate it. Brazil and Taiwan are leading the way: Asian currencies came under pressure on Thursday as a move from Brazil to further curb foreign inflows sparked fears that other countries would follow suit. Brazil moved overnight to close a loophole that had allowed investors to avoid a 2 per cent tax on foreign investment in equities and bonds announced…

  • In search of PSD’s “holy grail”

    Alan Johnson
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:44 am
    The “holy grail” for those working in PSD is the scalable and sustainable business model that engages the poor while delivering social and developmental outcomes. Finding the PSD grail will potentially empower large numbers of poor men and women to find their own way out of poverty as well as generating, on a commercial basis, socially desirable goods and services. But there have been many false trails in the quest for the PSD grail. Among them are supply chain development initiatives that remain external to the economic lives of the poor, and heavily subsidized models…

  • Is the US the appropriate renminbi critic?

    Brian Hoyt
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm
    Free Exchange has observed over the past few days that the blogosphere, financial press, and political punditry have put forth a plethora of opinions about Chinese economic policy. Let's take a look at some of the latest: Bill Owens argues for closer cooperation in just about everything: The US-China relationship is a vital interest for the two countries and the world. Throughout history, great powers have tended to become adversaries. Now, for a few years, we have a chance to break that cycle. It will take strong and enduring commitment on both sides. But a new and…
 
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    CSR Europe

  • Survey spotlights MBA programs with integrated social and environmental stewardship into curricula

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    Beyond Grey Pinstripes is a research survey and alternative ranking of business schools that spotlights innovative full-time MBA programs leading the way in the integration of issues concerning social and environmental stewardship into the curriculum.  In October, the Aspen Institute Centre for Business Education released the 2009-10 edition of the ranking, which is the result of over 18 months of rigorous research. The aim is mainly to help ensure that MBA programs are preparing future business leaders to both identify the opportunities and mitigate the costs of business' relationship…

  • Scoring sustainable development around the world

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    A new study has created a system which can measure sustainable development in numerical terms and used it to score the performance of 132 countries around the world. Norway ranked highest in its ‘league table’ of sustainable development, whilst Angola was ranked the lowest. Sustainable Development (SD) is a complex concept with several dimensions. SD has been given many definitions but very few are attached with any quantitative or numerical approach. SD is high on the European agenda and it may be useful to numerically evaluate SD levels to apply policy effectively The study…

  • How do world’s top corporations claim to respond to climate change?

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    There is a large variation in the attention given to the issue of climate change in the nonfinancial reports of the world’s biggest corporations, according to a recent study. Large corporations are important players in the global economy and can influence public opinion on environmental issues, including climate change. As climate change becomes more pressing, society increasingly expects companies to behave in an environmentally responsible manner. Non-financial company reports are therefore seen as major policy statements that signal how businesses are responding to climate…

  • WWF and Forum For The Future lead the UK environmental NGO market

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    To help CSR Directors select suitable partners to support their climate change, sustainability and environmental goals a new report from independent research firm Verdantix compares 12 environmental NGOs on 35 criteria. The report finds that WWF and Forum For The Future lead the UK market and 10 NGOs, including Business In The Community, the Carbon Disclosure Project, The Climate Group and Oxfam offer specialised services which differentiate their value. "Environmental NGOs provide a wide range of advisory, thought leadership, partnering and brand-credibility services to UK…

  • New Report on the Economics of Water Scarcity to be launched by Nestlé, McKinsey & Company, IFC and other business partners

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    On 23 November 2009, the 2030 Water Resources Group is launching a groundbreaking new report that shows that, by 2030, one-third of the world's population could have access to only half the water they need. For the first time, it will show how future demand for water can be met through cost-effective measures using existing technologies. The report provides greater clarity on the scale of the water challenge and the cost of the solutions, and offers a fact-based tool to help all stakeholders make informed investment decisions and guide policy discussions… read more
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    GM: Community Involvement News

  • Chevrolet builds 1,500,000th Corvette

    Pricing also announced for the 2010 Corvette Grand Sport Detroit (June 10, 2009) — At the June meeting of the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association, Karen Rafferty, Chevrolet Product Marketing Director, today announced the recent production of the 1,500,000th Corvette at GM Bowling Green Assembly.  

  • General Motors and the College for Creative Studies on the lookout for next generation car designers

    112 Detroit Public High School students learn techniques of car design Detroit (May 18, 2009) — Car designers are inspired by everything around them. They often draw their inspiration from fashion, architecture, even furniture design. A trendy purse or shoes, a new office building, or a chair can trigger new ideas for the design of a seat or head or tail lamps.  

  • New GM And U-M Institute Of Automotive Research And Education Focuses On Fuel-Efficiency And Reinvention Of The Automobile

    Detroit (May 7, 2009) — General Motors and the University of Michigan today announced the formation of the GM/U-M Institute of Automotive Research and Education, with a strategic focus on reinventing the automobile and developing the next generation of high-efficiency vehicles powered by diverse energy sources.  

  • General Motors Unveils Unprecedented Customer Protection Package - "GM Total Confidence"

    Payment protection for first 24 months of ownership... lose your income and we'll make up to nine payments for up to $500 per month Finance a new GM vehicle we'll help protect its retail value at trade-in time on your next GM vehicle Safety and security of one year of OnStar standard Fully backed, 5 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty with roadside assistance and courtesy transportation... provides the best coverage in the industry GMconfidence.com website launched with program details Detroit (March 31, 2009) — General Motors today announced the most comprehensive customer…

  • GM and Opel Launch Website to Support Fact-Based Discussion

    gmeuropefactsandfiction.com dispels common misinformation and urban legends Find answers to questions around company structure, actions and plans Detroit (March 13, 2009) — The current need for bridge-financing for GM’s European operations is rooted in a catastrophic economic crisis, the worst of its kind in more than 70 years. Given the significance of the situation politically and for society, it’s only natural that rumor, speculation and urban myths should begin to circulate at this time. In addition to informed reporting based on fact there is also misinformation and…
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    GMability: Education News

  • 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.

  • GM Sponsored Teams Grab 1st & 2nd as Part of Winning Alliances at FIRST World Championship

    FIRST™ Championship Draws More Than 10,000 Students and 533 Robots from 28 Countries in Robotics Challenge at Georgia Dome in Atlanta Atlanta (April 18, 2009) — Twenty-thousand spectators, students, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, and FIRST™ supporters gathered over the weekend to experience the ultimate celebration of science and technology that ignites students' scientific savvy in three levels of Championship competitions.

  • LIVE Web Chat: Green Wheels for the Future, Please!

    What will our children demand for their tomorrows? DETROIT (April 17, 2009) — In honor of Earth Day, GM Education and Greenopolis have teamed up to bring a unique opportunity to classrooms around the country and to the general public - a live web chat about the future of transportation and sustainability with GM Director of Advanced Technology Vehicle Concepts, Dr. Christopher Borroni-Bird.

  • New “Teach Green” Blog Encourages Conversation and Sharing of Tips and Ideas for Classrooms

    GM’s education web site offers teachers and students resources and activities that highlight energy, environment and sustainability topics Calling all teachers! GM’s K-12 education web site has just launched a new blog to help encourage conversation, information sharing and the exchange of advice amongst teachers who want to promote “green” lessons in their classrooms. To help get the conversation going, GM has tapped a couple of teachers that were recipients of a “Live Green” teacher grant sponsored by GM and Discovery Education last year. These teachers will…
 
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    GMability: Environmental News

  • Testimony of Michael Robinson - General Motors To the EPA & NHTSA

    Regarding Proposed Rulemaking to Establish Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards DETROIT. (October 21, 2009) — Good morning, I’m Michael Robinson, GM Vice President for Environment, Energy and Safety Policy for General Motors. On May 19 th, President Obama announced the Administration’s intentions to adopt a national program to address vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy. GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson proudly joined the President and others in the Rose Garden that day because we recognized the…

  • FastLane Blog Post: Let’s be frank about climate change

    By Mike Robinson, vice president, Environment, Energy and Safety Policy DETROIT. (October 15, 2009) — You may have noticed today is Blog Action Day 2009, and the focus for thousands of bloggers around the world is to engage people in a frank discussion about climate change – something you probably wouldn’t expect us to do.  But like we continuously ask of you, we’re joining the conversation to help raise awareness on this important issue, and more importantly, what we’re doing to be part of the solution.  Quite frankly, this is an issue that affects all…

  • General Motors Statement Regarding Joint EPA/NHTSA NPRM On Fuel Economy/GHG Emissions

    DETROIT. (September 15, 2009) — A strong, single national fuel economy standard will benefit consumers and automakers alike by helping get more clean and efficient vehicles on the road quickly and more affordably.  

  • U.S. EPA Joins Government, Industry and Academic Consortium to Develop Next Generation EcoCARs

    Collegiate Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition to Create Thousands of Green Automotive Engineering Graduates WASHINGTON D.C. (August 6, 2009) — EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has joined the EcoCAR consortium of government, industry and academic leaders who are helping to develop the next generation of automotive engineers who will design and build the environmental vehicles of the future.

  • Flint Metal Center Receives Neighborhood Environmental Partners Award

    FLINT, MICHIGAN (July 24, 2009) — Flint Metal Center recently won the Neighborhood Environmental Partners Program Award for its outstanding commitment to community based environmental projects. The State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality presented the award to plant representatives at an award ceremony in Lansing, Michigan.
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    Triple Pundit

  • EcoFactor and the Truly Smart Grid

    Paul S
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:55 am
    Technology works best when it’s least intrusive and does the heavy lifting for you. Apple understands this. And so, it seems, does EcoFactor, the winner of the recent Clean Tech Open. What it does behind the scenes is fairly complex, but for the user, easy and out of the way: It keeps your home at an [...]

  • Sustainability and Employee Engagement: Anything Goes

    Jennifer Elder
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:21 am
    Engaging employees through sustainability is not a one size fits all approach.  From Walmart’s Personal Sustainability Project to  Sodexo’s Corporate Citizenship Program to Intel’s intranet to FMYI’s online collaboration, the variety is endless.  Each of the four members of the Net Impact Conference 2009 panel on Sustainable Innovation Through Employee Engagement, had differing approaches on [...]

  • Doing a World of Good for Fair Trade Artisans

    Mary Catherine O'Connor
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pm
    The term “fair trade handicrafts” summons images of wicker baskets and hand-dyed sarongs. But the business side of the fair trade marketplace is getting a little less old-world, thanks to World of Good, an organization that connects artisans in developing countries with mainstream retailers (including eBay and Whole Foods). The organization—comprised of a wholesale business, an [...]

  • SABA Motors Vision: an Exotic Electric Sports Car for the Masses

    Steve Puma
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pm
    Ever since I was a kid, when my father used give me Matchbox cars he bought on his way home from work, I’ve been crazy about cars. So I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to speak with Simon Saba of Saba Motors, whose EV vision is something any gearhead can get jazzed about: [...]

  • Innovators Honored for Applying Technology To Brighten People’s Lives

    Dev Crews
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm
    Boats outfitted with solar panels have become “floating classrooms” for children in the low-lying regions of Bangladesh, where floods have destroyed crops, schools, roads and infrastructure. They are among the more than 20 million people who became displaced last year due to climate change. In the past decade, Bangladesh has experienced 70 climate-related natural disasters. [...]
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    The Inspired Protagonist

  • Chamber of Horrors

    Inspired Protagonist
    12 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am
    It's been a rough few weeks for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Once a leading business organization and lobbying force, the Chamber has been hit from all quarters over its opposition to climate crisis action and its aggressive work to undermine current efforts to create new consumer protections, and stronger business and financial regulations. High-profile Chamber members like Apple, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Levi Strauss & Co. have resigned in well-deserved disgust over the group's climate policies. A feud with the White House over proposed business regulations has subjected the group…

  • Will This Conference Make Business More Responsible?

    Inspired Protagonist
    28 Oct 2009 | 6:35 am
    At the registration desk, I got my goody bag. I peered inside and found a corporate responsibility report from ExxonMobil, a sponsor (believe it or not) of the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) annual meeting that took place last week in San Francisco. For a moment, I thought I had checked into the wrong event. Aron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR, began his address to the thousand people at the conference by saying, "Our work is not about creating a green economy but a strong economy." I cringed. His statement both confuses and inverts the truth. The only way to create a "strong…

  • Owning Up to Responsibility

    Inspired Protagonist
    25 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm
    When a corporation gets it wrong and bad things happen, we've come to expect a fairly standard response. Public relations teams twist facts and logic. Blame is aggressively laid elsewhere. Innocence is strongly proclaimed, and not much changes. At best we get a fix or a settlement without any admission of wrongdoing, and business as usual is free to continue. So it was refreshing to see the new president of Toyota offer not just one but a whole series of mea culpas in a recent speech to reporters at the Japan National Press Club. Akio Toyoda offered a mournful apology for an August car crash…

  • Environmentalism's Dirty Secret

    Inspired Protagonist
    22 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm
    It's easy to think of pollution as a problem we all share. Bad air, dirty water, chemical contamination, and other challenges spread themselves out roughly equally. Or so we think. The truth is more complicated: Some places are more polluted than others, and the worst conditions tend to be in poor and minority communities. For too long, this has been environmentalism's dirty secret. Well-intentioned activists work on environmental issues but many go home to the relative health and safety of clean neighborhoods, which have been kept that way by money and influence that force the sources of…

  • Can We Buy Our Way To Salvation?

    Inspired Protagonist
    21 Oct 2009 | 11:33 am
    Anand Giridharadas, in a Sunday New York Times piece entitled "Boycotts Minus the Pain," poses some wonderfully important questions about the role and limitations of ethical consumption. As a lifelong salesman of bath tissue and laundry detergent that aspire to be both sustainable and responsible, it's not surprising that I have my own point of view. Giridharadas asks which, "problems demand politics and which the mall. Child labor in Vietnam and unscrupulous intermediaries in the coffee trade lent themselves to buycotting. What can the market do about Darfur or health care in the United…
 
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    The Business Ethics Blog

  • Can Ethics Be Taught in Business Schools?

    10 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm
    It's a common refrain. Don't blame the business schools for all the bad stuff happening on Wall Street. It's not the b-schools' fault, because after all, ethics can't be taught. The first bit there is reasonable enough: the recent financial crisis is the result of a complicated convergence of factors, apparently including bad decisions by quite a number of individuals, and some poorly-structured institutions. But the latter part, implying the futility of ethics instruction at business schools, is simply wrong-headed.For the latest iteration of this mistaken view, check out this opinion piece…

  • Sugar Subsidies, Fraud, and Rationalization

    27 Oct 2009 | 1:34 pm
    Today in class I taught Joe Heath's wonderful paper, "Business Ethics and Moral Motivation: A Criminological Perspective" (J. Bus Ethics, 2008. 83:4, 595-614). It's a paper that draws on the criminology literature to debunk several 'folk theories' regarding what it is that motivates wrongdoing, theories too often drawn upon by scholars and other commentators in business ethics.Coincidentally, this item in today's news illustrates one of Heath's key points about the role that rationalization plays in fostering wrongdoing in business.From the NY Times: Fraud Plagues Sugar Subsidy System in…

  • Can Life-Saving Decisions Really Be "Tough Calls"?

    15 Oct 2009 | 10:22 am
    Big business means big decisions. Tough decisions. In some industries, those decisions affect whether people live or die.Here's a story that gives insight into the thought process that goes into such a decision. From BNET: How I Made the Toughest Call of My CareerNot many CEOs run companies whose products have saved the lives of family members; Bill Hawkins does, and his connection with Medtronic, the $14.6 billion Minneapolis-based medical device maker, runs deep. His father has had eight coronary stents implanted; his father-in-law has both a Medtronic heart valve and a pacemaker; and his…

  • Should Consumers Trust Big Pharma?

    8 Oct 2009 | 1:17 pm
    Lots of people don't trust Big Pharma. And to a significant extent, that's for good reasons. (I've blogged about some of those reasons here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here, just to cite a few examples. See also some of the entries on the other blog I co-author, the Research Ethics Blog.)Trust in big pharma is an important issue. Pharmaceuticals are responsible for saving and improving a huge number of lives. Vaccines alone have prevented literally millions of deaths. Survival rates for many cancers are better than they used to be. And AIDS, once a death sentence, is now regarded…

  • Micro-Philanthropy on Zynga's "Farmville"

    5 Oct 2009 | 7:16 am
    Video game developer, Zynga, has just launched an interesting project that stands to bring significant benefit to the poor of Haiti.Zynga's products include the popular "Farmville" application on Facebook (currently listed as having over 53 million active users). The game lets users play at being farmers — plowing fields, planting seeds, and harvesting crops. The game includes a virtual economy, with virtual cash: seeds have a price, and the crops players eventually "harvest" are sold for virtual money. Players also have the option of ponying up real money (via credit card or PayPal) to…
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    Principled Profit

  • Palin’s Book Trashes Alaska Republican Former Ally: “The Falafel Lady”

    Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:09 am
    Is it possible for Sarah Palin to get any more distasteful? Here’s another example of her viper-like turning on old allies when they cross her, as Geoffrey Dunn writes in Huffington Post: But perhaps the nastiest and most duplicitous passages of all in Going Rogue are those directed at Andree McLeod, the longtime Republican watchdog out of Anchorage who filed many of the Alaska Ethics Act complaints that, by Palin’s own admission, hounded her from office. Because McLeod has some Lebanese heritage, Palin dubbed her “the falafel lady.” And claimed she’s some sort…

  • FAIR: Interlocking Directorates Could Influence Media Reportage on Healthcare

    Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:25 pm
    Just stumbled on this article from a few months back. Never afraid to be controversial, the media watchdog Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) examined the boards of directors of nine major media companies–and found that some of those directors also sit on boards governing health insurance companies. Media properties with interlocking directors with the insurance industry included the Washington Post, Gannett (publishers of USA Today and other papers), NBC, and several others. Hmmmm, wonders FAIR, might this conjunction have something to do with the refusal to discuss…

  • World Wildlife Fund Teleseminar on Climate Change/Corporate Partnerships

    Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert
    13 Nov 2009 | 4:52 pm
    I received the following letter to the editor about the good work 22 corporations are doing, partnering with WWF on climate change and offering a teleseminar November 18. I haven’t checked into it other than to visit the link. Not the sort of thing I usually run, but something about this just felt very sincere. Thanks for your blog. I’m writing to you today to let you know that JohnsonDiversey is one of 22 leading corporations partnering with the World Wildlife Fund to establish ambitious targets to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. I’m thrilled to…

  • A New Low in Anti-Obama/Anti-Muslim Propaganda?

    Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert
    9 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pm
    Last night I saw a video that shocked me: A spliced-together out-of-context montage from Barack Obama’s speeches and media appearances to create the illusion that he is a radical Muslim extremist (and disparaging Islam generally in terms that would be quite familiar to the Jews who were victimized by similar descriptions throughout history. I will not dignify this filth with a link. Nor will I call, as some of my liberal friends might, for it to be taken down, all copies destroyed, etc. In the marketplace of ideas, I like to think the good ideas will win, eventually. It may take 100…

  • Breaking: No Vote to be Taken on Medicare-for-All

    Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm
    This just in: Proponents of single-payer health care, a/k/a Medicare for All–the system used by almost every developed country in the world–will not get our promised floor vote after all. If I were in Congress right now, I’d vote no. The bill has gotten weaker, more complicated, and more expensive with every turn. As I understand it, it is a giveaway to big insurers and might actually leave fewer people insured than we have now. A travesty! President Obama–WHERE is the “change” you promised so loudly one year ago? As The Who sang in my very favorite song,…
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    Development Crossing: Discussion Forum

  • Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC) publishes Annual Review & Sustainability Report 2009

    Development Crossing
    (Source: Report Alert) The Westpac Group’s first combined Annual Review and Sustainability Report, ‘Customer brandwidth’ is now available online here. The report reflects the work to embed sustainability thinking more broadly into the business. The combined report demonstrates the integration of sustainability into strategy and operations. Highlights include: - Progress on the merger with St.George Bank and multiple brand strategy - The inclusion of sustainability criteria into major project funding decisions and product development processes - The support for customers experiencing…

  • "If the price is to low the price tag is to high"

    Mark Harrison
    This phrase appears a bit cryptic but once the meaning is explained it is easy to get your head around and then it might make you think a little deeper. Here the saying "If the price is to low, the price tag is to high" refers to the true cost of things when the cost of something is low (food, clothing, electricity, fuel etc) then the true cost for someone or somewhere else is inevitably to high. As an example, if the low cost of a factory broiler chicken in the shop means that the true costs associated with animal welfare, the environment, workers pay and conditions, inefficient use of grain…

  • Trends in CSR and Sustainability Jobs

    Development Crossing
    The market for corporate social responsibility and sustainability jobs is definitely experiencing significant growth. Have a look at the graphs below, which show the percentage of jobs Indeed.com finds over time that contain the terms "corporate social responsibility" and "sustainability". "corporate social responsibility" Job Trends "corporate social responsibility" jobs "sustainability" Job Trends "sustainability" jobs

  • AXA (EPA:CS) publishes 2008 Activity & Sustainable Development Report

    Development Crossing
    (Source: Report Alert) “Trust is built through proof” marks AXA’s 6th year of public Corporate Responsibility reporting, further elaborating on the Group’s integration of CR into its business of financial protection: life insurance & savings, property & casualty insurance, asset management and banking. 2008 CR highlights include: - AXA Research Fund: a 100M€ endowment to support fundamental academic research over five years. - “Green” products: automotive, homeowners and SME insurance, retail banking. - The pooling of affiliates’ reinsurance capacity to address…

  • Goldman Sachs Announces $500 Million Small Business Initiative

    Development Crossing
    Goldman Sachs Group Inc. announced it’s largest single charitable contribution to date in the form of a $500 million small-business assistance program called “10,000 Small Businesses,” which includes an advisory panel with billionaire investor Warren Buffett. In a statement, the firm said the program is aimed at unlocking “the growth and job creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, mentors and networks, and financial capital.” So how will the money be used? According to the Wall Street Journal, the firm will…
 
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    WordPress Tag: Corporate Responsibility

  • The Global Compact and Children's Rights

    ms
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm
    On the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Global Compact encourages

  • More Than Consumers

    ash_anderson
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    By Tim DeChristopher. Cross-posted from PeacefulUprising.org In the essential film The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard says, “Our primary identity has become that of consumer.” This is certainly a disturbing notion for those of us who are trying to steer our society toward sustainability.  Perhaps even more disturbing, though, is the way that environmentalists endorse and ultimately perpetuate this mutation of our humanity. The vast majority of times green groups ask people to act, it centers on changing our consumption habits.  At first glance this makes sense.  If consumption is the…

  • Request for Comments: Draft Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management

    ms
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am
    This just in: The IFC, IBLF and the Global Compact are now requesting comments on the draft Guide to

  • A Responsibility Platform

    davide chiastra
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am
    Beer & Responsibility: is it possible? MillerCoors, an american brand of beer, launches its Responsibility Platform, a consumer Web site designed to educate and engage stakeholders and consumers on how the company is taking action and ways in which you can “Be Great.” MillerCoors communicates its commitment to alcohol responsibility, environmental sustainability and people and communities. At the beginning of this year, the company released a Sustainable Development Report entitled “From Grain to Glass“. Here you can find this new Platform.

  • Photos Wanted!

    ms
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    As part of the road-testing process of the Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (
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    Technorati Tag: Corporate Responsibility

  • Tag Results Are Unavailable

    9 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am
    The feed you requested is currently unavailable. Technorati has retired all of the legacy feeds and is in the process of creating new ones based on our new infrastructure. The following new feeds are available now: Hottest Blogosphere Posts Latest Original Articles from Technorati The Technorati Blog
 
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    Change2

  • McKesson Releases Corporate Citizenship Report

    3BL Media
    McKesson Corporation, the nation’s oldest and largest healthcare services and IT company, today announced the release of its 2008-2009 Corporate Citizenship Report and launched the McKesson Foundation’s new strategic focus on chronic disease management. Designed to minimize paper and energy usage, the Company’s new online-only interactive report tells McKesson’s corporate citizenship story through the voices of McKesson employees and stakeholders. McKesson’s Corporate Citizenship Report is available at www.mckesson.com/citizenshipreport. McKesson’s 2008-2009 Corporate Citizenship…

  • A Kinder Gentler Capitalism

    3BL Media
    Greetings! It's official. Japan's long recession has finally ended. The small but highly productive nation has suffered enormous economic set-backs over the past two decades. To pull themselves out of the downturn, the Japanese business community and its government have followed a consistent and socially responsible course to economic recovery. The Japanese business model has emerged as an important example for how to create long-term profits while maintaining a clear code of ethics and honor. No Apeing of America Japan's new Financial Services Minister, Shizuka Kamei took office this past…

  • The end of a fairytale.

    Paige Andrews
    Once upon a time there existed a group of nations who gathered together in a land called Copenhagen to sign a treaty that would protect their collective kingdoms from the evils of climate change and ensure the livelihoods of their people for years to come. Despite years of obstacles and reasons to believe otherwise, the agreement was signed in the nick of time and they lived happily ever after. The End. Do you buy this? Me neither. While this story may seem unbelievable in its simplicity, I think we were all still hoping for a fairytale ending to this climate change dilemma. Sadly,…

  • 'Tis the Season to Be Working for Good

    3BL Media
    This is a article written by Jeff Klein for Working For Good. Out of the ashes of financial crisis, undermined trust, and tattered reputation, a new approach to building and operating companies is emerging, with deep roots and bountiful fruits. With precedents in centenarian companies like Johnson & Johnson and Avon, who have had deep purpose, value creation for multiple stakeholders, and social responsibility baked into their DNA and manifested through their actions for more than 120 years each, and a new generation of companies, such as Whole Foods Market, The Container Store,…

  • PeaceKeeper Campaign Asks Celebrity Make-Up Artist to Help End Violence Against Women

    3BL Media
    This commentary is an excerpt from the Truth Serum Blog, which is written in conjunction with PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics PeaceKeeper’s campaign, “Make-Up Artists For Peace” asked some of the countries leading celebrity make-up artists to donate their favorite make-up tip in support of PeaceKeeper’s work to end violence against women. Recently, we asked Sam Fine, celebrity make-up artist for women like Tyra Banks, Brandy, Aretha Franklin, Halle Berry, Alek Wek, Naomi Campbell, Destiny’s Child, and more. Here is what he suggests: Use foundation to achieve a second skin appearance After…
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    Green Inc.

  • Home Improvement, With Tax Collector as Lender

    By KATE GALBRAITH
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm
    New York has joined more than a dozen other states in approving a fast-spreading new method of financing renewable-energy and efficiency improvements.

  • On Our Radar...

    By R.M. SCHNEIDERMAN
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm
    Climate change and national security, and other energy and environment coverage on the Web.

  • India to Spend $900 Million on Solar

    By VIKAS BAJAJ
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am
    The Indian cabinet approved a plan on Thursday that would vastly increase the amount of solar power produced by the country.

  • Green Builders' Study Forecasts Job Growth

    By COLIN MINER
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:57 am
    Building green could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy, according to a new report released by the United States Green Building Council.

  • Study Says Air Cars are Inefficient

    By JIM MOTAVALLI
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am
    A paper from the University of California, Berkeley, concludes that compressed-air energy storage is a relatively inefficient technology when it comes to personal transportation.
 
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    Canadian Business Corporate Social Responsibility

  • New Media and Corporate Responsibility

    Paul Klein
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am
    The results of Cone’s 2009 Consumer New Media Study include two points that I found to be remarkable: “Forty-four percent of American new media users are searching for, sharing or discussing information about corporate responsibility (CR) efforts and programs…” “Sixty-two percent of users polled believe they can influence business decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels. ” While the findings about how much consumers are using new media are important, what strikes me most is the priority that Americans (and presumably Canadians) are placing on…

  • Lessons from Patagonia

    Paul Klein
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    I just finished reading the Yvon Chouinard’s book, Let My People Go Surfing. In terms of pure authenticity around corporate responsibility, what Chouinard has done at Patagonia is hard to beat. And he makes a solid business case for a business model that many would still consider unconventional. Here’s what I found most applicable to other companies: - Make sure employees use your products and services and that they genuinely believe they are of the highest quality - Embrace constant change – don’t wait for something that is negatively impacting your business - Make…

  • HR: Gateway to Better Corporate Responsibility

    Paul Klein
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:21 am
    The article in Saturday’s Globe and Mail about business schools introducing oaths of ethical conduct for MBA graduates is worth reading. (Here’s a link to MBA oaths from Harvard, Telfer School of Managements, and Richard Ivey School of Business: Sampling of Oaths.) I support these student-sponsored initiatives and also have a practical suggestion for ensuring that employees of corporations, governments, and non-profits act more responsibly: get HR onside. HR executives and managers have control over six opportunities to really entrench CSR at an operational level: job…

  • Queen’s CSR Weekend

    Paul Klein
    31 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am
    The highlight of my participation in the CSR Weekend at the Queen’s School of Business was helping to judge the annual Nexen Awards. Seven teams of MBA students presented their ideas about the best ways for a company operating in the oil sands area to improve their CSR initiatives. Needless to say this is very difficult territory – it’s clear that the impacts of oil sands operations are under scrutiny from advocacy groups around the world, the situation is extremely complex, and that there are no easy answers. However, the judges were very impressed by the degree to which…

  • Queen’s CSR Weekend

    Paul Klein
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:44 am
    I’m in Kingston for 2 days participating as a speaker and panelist in the 3rd Annual CSR Weekend hosted by the Centre for Responsible Leadership at the Queen’s School of Business. Here are two things I learned yesterday. - On Making Ethical Choices in Business: The recession lowered the ethical water mark so that people and business who weren’t doing the right thing became more conspicuous. The danger may be that with an improving economy inappropriate behavior may be become more difficult to discern. - On Young Business Students Today: Boy these people are smart! Perhaps…
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    MakeGood Blog

  • Happy Movember!

    Michelle
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm
    We always hear about Breast Cancer awareness (especially in October) and MakeGood is glad that Prostate Cancer has caught up in terms of awareness and publicity. Which is great becuase males should be more aware of “down there” when it comes to health! Stats show that 1 in 6 males will be affected by prostate cancer and 4,400 Canadian men will die this year from the disease. What is Movember? Movember is a charity event that happens in November where men grow their moustaches (lovingly called the ‘mo’) in support of prostate cancer. Family and friends support these men…

  • Charity Survey for October 2009 - the votes are in!

    Michelle
    30 Oct 2009 | 1:52 pm
    This month, MakeGood was delighted to have received so many suggestions  for some very worthy causes this month. However, there can only be one winner ….and the people have chosen…. *drum roll* Upwardly Global at 62% of the MakeGood Community vote. (Thanks for the suggestion @WorldCupCSR) “Upwardly Global is a nonprofit organization that brings highly qualified immigrants and progressive employers together.” Basically, they provide services and programs to help refugees, asylees and legal immigrants with a high skill level obtain a job similiar to what they were doing…

  • New Model of Corporate Social Responsibility

    Michelle
    22 Oct 2009 | 10:53 am
    MakeGood is a proud MEDIA SPONSOR for …..*drum roll*…… Talk about practicing what you preach, this summit on social responsibility will be a VIRTUAL one! The annual  summit is intended to: Expand understanding and visions about the business case for social responsibility globally Spark more organizations to think out-of-the-box when starting and or evolving their programs Share ideas and practical, how-to information on managing and communicating social responsibilty programs on a budget that can work for organizations of any size, anywhere. Build a knowledge resource and…

  • Universities and Engaging the Next Generation of Volunteers

    rickgoossen
    19 Oct 2009 | 2:31 pm
    How does a large educational institution engage the next generation of volunteers?  Further, what are the lessons for non profit organizations (NPOs), which face similar challenges?  There are both challenges and opportunities as universities grapple with engaging new donors. Many established educational institutions and NPOs have a bedrock or support, but it is often concentrated among so-called “baby boomers” (1949-1966) and “traditionalists” (1922-1945).  Meanwhile, they are missing out on the “Generation X” (1965-1980) and “Generation Y” (1981-present) cohorts. This is…

  • JUST IN - Bill Clinton Receives Honorary Doctorate From McGill for Global Leadership

    rickgoossen
    16 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am
    McGill University conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Bill Clinton today in recognition of his global leadership during and since his two-term presidency.  Clinton is only the second US President to receive an honorary doctorate from McGill, with the other being Franklin Roosevelt in 1944. Clinton’s message was one of spreading hope on a global scale.  He spoke of bringing opportunity to all corners of the globe and to eradicate barriers to equality that exist because of economic, health, human rights and other inequities. Clinton used the term “communitarian consciousness” to…
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    David Coethica's Blog

  • Most Influential CSR Tweets

    davidcoethica
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:18 pm
    David Connor tops wefollow.com list of most influential CSR Twitter people

  • Fox News & US Chamber of Commerce Stung by Yes Men Climate Change Hoax

    davidcoethica
    19 Oct 2009 | 6:22 pm
    Fox News, Reuters and the US Chamber of Commerce stung by climate change hoax annoucment by the Yes Men

  • I’ve not been slacking!

    davidcoethica
    13 Oct 2009 | 6:38 am
    David has joined Justmeans.com to provide additional CSR commentary and apologises for any delay in normal service!

  • Responsible Business Triage

    davidcoethica
    6 Oct 2009 | 2:54 pm
    Do we need to triage business leaders who don't understand Corporate Social Responsibility?

  • A Green Football Pitch?

    davidcoethica
    15 Sep 2009 | 3:13 pm
    Here are a few questions about professional football (or soccer to those in the USA) that have piqued my CSR interest recently and need answering. • 29.9 million* people attended a professional game in the UK last season – That’s one hell of a carbon footprint. How big is it, who cares and what is being done? • [...]
 
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    Opportunity Sustainability ℠

  • Rethinking Waste: Walmart Style

    Matthew Rochte
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Here are two Rethinking Waste stories that are worth sharing for their innovative efforts to close the loop and upcycle store waste. These were shown at the Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting – November 12, 2009 1) “The Secret Life of Walmart’s Deli Pizza Box” 2) Of Styrofoam, Workforce Rehabilitation, and Pictureframes: A great story of CSR, waste rethinking, [...]

  • Inspired by Walmart

    Matthew Rochte
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:56 pm
    This summer I was impressed when I watched the Walmart Sustainability Milestone Meeting. The meeting coincided with the announcement of a Sustainability Index and followed the previous month’s release of the Walmart Sustainability Report. I was impressed by the depth and breadth of Walmart’s sustainability efforts.  Many sustainability/green/csr colleagues had to stop in their tracks and [...]

  • Interviewed on Hinton Human Capital Show

    Matthew Rochte
    10 Nov 2009 | 7:40 pm
    Matthew Rochte, LEED AP was interviewed by Stephen Hinton on Blog Talk Radio for the Hinton Human Capital show. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Fact Vs Fiction In this overview discussion we explored the origins of CSR and sustainability. We could have easily spent a show talking about each of these along with any number of the topics we touched upon: philosophy, buzzwords, green, GHG, LEED, environmental stewardship, sustainable value frameworks, green jobs, innovation, and compliance versus opportunity and innovation, Opportunity Sustainability℠, and how business…

  • Trust – Part III: Build, Destroy, Restore

    Matthew Rochte
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am
    Part 3 of 4 series on Trust and Corporate Responsibility. In part 2 we introduced a Model of Trust. In this segment we explore how trust is formed, how it can be destroyed, and what can be done to restore trust. It concludes with a case study using the model to rebuild trust.

  • CSR – Where to start?

    Matthew Rochte
    5 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    Q: My company wants to start a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.  Where do you start CSR initiatives? A: Done right, CSR is a systematic and strategic approach to business sustainability.  Note:  I will be using sustainability and CSR interchangeably. The first questions to ask you and your company revolve around your company’s intent behind CSR, what’s [...]
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    Realizing Your Worth

  • PODCAST - Employee Volunteering: You're Doing It Wrong!

    16 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    Original airdate: November 17, 2009, 1pm (EST)Let’s face it, managing employee volunteer programs can be a real headache.Your participation rates are lower than you’d like. When people do sign up, it often takes a ton of effort to get them to show up the events. Why is this?Simple. You’re trying too hard.Want higher participation and satisfaction rates? Focus less on motivating people to show up to events. Instead, create the right kind of space for people to discover their own motivation. Appeal to self-interest. Without self-interest, volunteers easily opt out of commitments.Join this…

  • Redefining Philanthropy: Introducing The Citizen Effect

    10 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am
    GUEST BLOG POST: Amy Wolff is a 2010 Master's candidate and is involved with several projects including Opportunity International, Imagine This! TV, and the zyOzy Foundation.You can find her on Twitter: @amycarolwolff I’m tired of philanthropy. That is, the current understanding of it. Even the word “donor” has this stodgy air to it that makes me want to yawn. The entire concept wrapped around donations, cold calls, mailings, capital campaigns remind me of how I felt in my computer class during my freshman year of college. “This doesn’t apply to me. Why am I even here?” There’s…

  • Corporate Volunteering: Top 7 Requests & the Bad, Better and Best Responses (1 of 7)

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:30 am
    “We want a volunteer experience that can be done in no more than a day, and no less than a half-day.”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?Everybody wants to volunteer. And those who don’t....well, they’re bound to feel a little left out of conversation at the next cocktail party. Volunteering is the latest and greatest way to contribute to society. It’s trendy - and unlike skinny jeans, this…

  • Who Offers The Best MBA In The World For Corporate Social Responsibility?

    23 Oct 2009 | 7:21 am
    Society is demanding a higher level of responsibility from business and the time has come for academics to step up to the challenge. Turns out, Canada’s Schulich School of Business at York University is doing just that.One of Realized Worth’s most widely read articles was, 'MBA Program Trashed on Harvard Business Podcast.' In the article, we examined some of the push-back MBA programs are facing and why. One central issue in the discussion deals with the tendency of MBA programs to reflect on trends and new ideas rather than developing them. For more on this line of thought read…

  • Where To Find Sustainable Business Employment?

    21 Oct 2009 | 10:38 am
    Socially Responsible jobs in companies really do exist!GUEST BLOG POST: Mark Swartz (MBA, M.Ed.) is the National Career Advisor on Workopolis.com's homepage. His current focus is 'Sustainable Business Employment,' helping people profit their career, company and society. You can find out more about Mark on Linkedin.Green and Ethical Opportunities Are IncreasingThe idea of employment being sustainable has a lot of appeal in this day and age of job insecurity. Now there’s a whole new meaning to the term. “Sustainability” implies that your job involves green, environmental initiatives, or…
 
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    Sustainability & CSR Conversations

  • Ad of the day #13: China Environment Protection Fundation’s Shan Shui Campaign

    admin
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:01 pm
    Thanks at CELB for finally putting a name (and links) on a great advertising campaign aiming at increasing public awareness about environmental pollution that caught my attention several months ago in Shanghai’s metro stations. The adverts titled “Shan Shui Environmental Art” were developed by JWT Shanghai advertising agency for China Environment Protection Foundation (CEPF) and released in March 2009. The concept is fairly simple (some might say it is a cliché), but I think it is pretty effective: from away, the three print advertisements – Global Warming, Industrial Pollution…

  • Weekend Links #9

    admin
    8 Nov 2009 | 12:04 am
    The weekend links are the weekly roundup of what I came across this week 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 caught my attention! This first, second and third links give you a great summary of what happened at this week’s New Models of Social Responsibility virtual summit. To be followed on the 9th. (I do really need to be time difference this time!) This fourth link explores the topic of “trust”: why business…

  • China Insight:: Google Maps, Environmental Pollution and Online Activism

    admin
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    One of the trend anyone can come to grip with when observing the evolution of social and political landscapes in China is the exponential rise of the Internet (338 millions users in June 09)… and with it, the rise of Internet activism as fast as the controls are tightened. Few days ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that a Chinese netizen, Guo Baofeng, put together an open-source Google map that locates major pollution sites around china. As it went publicly-launched, the map attracted a lot of interest on Chinese Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) and forums: the number of views more than…

  • Google Sidewiki & CSR: Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run!

    admin
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pm
    Any company or other type of organization who thought they could escape or avoid the social media revolution, are now in it whether they like it or not, not only via search, conversations on social networking and microblogging sites … but now on their own websites. Two weeks ago, Google released Sidewiki, a Google Toolbar-based plug-in that enables web users to post or view a comment in a browser window alongside any website they are visiting (yes, any, all of them!) – even if that site doesn’t have any social functionality. Sidewiki comes with the new Google toolbar, that…

  • Weekend Links #8

    admin
    1 Nov 2009 | 1:39 am
    The weekend links are the weekly roundup of what I came across this week 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 caught my attention! This first link offers you a selection of online tools to monitor climate change, to learn more about the issues and potential effects of global warming. This second link explains why a “Green Image Better Than the Reality is NOT Good Public Relations”! Yes, and thank you for making the point…
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