Inform Corporate Strategy NOKIA LEADS THE WAY
Nokia mobile phone hand- sets are top of O2’s latest eco rating scheme. The Nokia C6-01 and E7-00 share the top spot with scores of 4.1 out of 5 and Nokia handsets comprise three of the top six best handsets.
O2 launched Eco rat- ing last August as part of its Think Big sustainability programme. The rating tool, developed in partnership with Forum for the Future, assesses every handset O2 sells and gives a score out of five based on the environ- mental impact of the device, how it helps people lead more sustainable lives, and the ethical performance of the manufacturer.
Simon Lee-Smith, O2’s head of devices, said: “We know more and more cus- tomers want this level of product transparency.”
Film industry launches standard
Oscar winner Colin Firth backs move to manage impacts
The British film industry is tak- ing a stand to improve the sus- tainability of the sector. It used the recent Cannes Film Festival to launch a new BSI standard it hopes will improve the sector’s environmental, social and eco- nomic impact.
In London alone, screen pro- duction accounted for 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2009, 40% of which came from studios and 28% from TV and film production.
After seeing how the British Standard BS 8901 has helped the events sector address sustainability issues and save money ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games, the UK Film Council asked BSI to work with it to develop a new industry standard for film. The resulting standard, BS 8909, is a specification for sus-
Firth described the BS 8909 as an exciting step forward
tainability management in the film industry from production through to cinema exhibition and home entertainment that helps companies focus on how their activities impact the environment, the communities they work in and their wider influence. Oscar winner Colin Firth, who
is fully behind the new British Standard said: “BS 8909 is an exciting step forward. It gives the film industry a robust framework for managing our social and envi- ronmental impacts.”
Firth is one of the founding partners of the corporate sustain- ability consultancy, Eco Age.
Majority of green claims ‘lack credibility’
Under 20% of FTSE350 firms provide formal assurance
The vast majority of environmen- tal claims made by FTSE350 com- panies lack credibility.
That is the view of the envi- ronmental consultancy Carbon Smart, whose new research reveals that just 19% of FTSE350 firms provided a formal assurance statement for their sustainability reports last year. Even where assurance was
provided, Carbon Smart found that many statements failed to meet minimum requirements that would render
them accessible.
Only 24% of the assurance state- ments provided met acceptable standards, said the consultancy. Companies that have been keen to promote their corporate sus-
tainability credentials but failed to provide any kind of assurance include Britvic, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
“These results are worrying. Verified data is the only real way to assess whether companies are actually lowering their emissions. Currently we don’t have the data to make that assessment,” said Ben Murray, managing director of Carbon Smart.
“It is surprising that compa- nies think they can carry on like this. Investors would not accept a financial report which had not been audited, why would they accept carbon data at face value?” Sustainability assurance is pro- vided by the likes of KPMG, Ernst and Young, PwC and Deloitte, among many others. But the research revealed that some
‘MAKE IT MANDATORY’
Mandatory carbon report- ing rules for large businesses could come into effect from as early as next April, accord- ing to the Government’s long-awaited consultation on whether or not to intro- duce new carbon reporting requirements.
The consultation from Defra set out four options designed to encourage wider corporate reporting on carbon emissions. The first proposal is for a voluntary reporting regime. The other three ideas involve mandato- ry schemes that would force larger businesses to deliver annual carbon reports.
assurance statements failed to make it clear whether the assur- er was independent (33%). And many were unclear as to what had been covered by the assurance and why (35%).
“Maybe most worryingly, 75% of assurance statements did not discuss how KPIs were chosen for review or whether material issues were covered,” said Carbon Smart. The
company singled
out
Vodafone, Royal Bank of Scotland Group and British American Tobacco as being good examples of credible reporting. And BSkyB and HSBC “published excellent carbon assurance”, it added. “Mandatory carbon reporting is a vital step to enable the UK to decarbonise its economy,” said the Aldersgate Group’s executive director, Andy Raingold.
FOLLOW ON TWITTER @COMMERCIALGREEN, @JEWSON, @TREWINR, @MARK_LYNAS, @STUARTPOORE, @COLIN_WWF, @JOANNAYARROW... 8 | Sustainable Business | June 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52