Tyson Foods, Inc., has released its third sustainability report, titled “Rooted in Tradition. Growing Responsibly.” The report, which is only available online, highlights progress the company has made on a wide range of social, environmental and economic goals in its US operations for fiscal 2008 and 2009.
Without question, the disaster that’s unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico is a case study in the lack of corporate sustainability oversight.
But, now there’s a new report that says the problems aren’t limited to BP or even “big oil.” According to this latest research, most corporations don’t seek out independent sources of information on the impact of business operations on the environment, and most lack detailed procedures and metrics for integrating social objectives into daily corporate activities.
The report, Sustainability in the Boardroom, released yesterday by The Conference Board, reveals that few companies consistently elevate sustainability issues to the strategic discussions that take place at the board level. As a result, the vast majority of directors (89 percent) continue to base their decision on reports by senior executives, and most sustainability discussions with the board only take place in reaction to emergency situations.
Here are a few additional, and equally sobering, findings from the report: (more…)
Two powerhouses in the field of corporate sustainability –the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – have announced an agreement to align their work in advancing corporate responsibility and transparency.
With this new collaboration, the organizations will be able to further develop their combined strengths – the Global Compact’s strategic advancement of key sustainability issues, and GRI’s reporting framework.
Under the terms of the new agreement: (more…)
Kodak, now known as the world’s foremost “imaging innovator,” has launched a new logo to help promote both its eco-friendly products and its overall commitment to environmental stewardship.
The company is adding a green and yellow leaf logo (pictured left), plus the tagline “Kodak Cares,” to marketing, advertising materials and packaging that include claims directly addressing its environmental improvements or programs.
In addition to the new branding, Kodak has launched a new sustainability website dedicated to its policies and performance from the perspectives of innovation, stewardship and responsibility.
And, the company says it will soon be reporting on progress toward its sustainability goals in the areas of social responsibility, product responsibility and operational responsibility. (more…)
I’ve written plenty of posts about CSR reports (see here, here, and here, e.g.), and I’m always interested to see how different companies tackle the complicated task of reporting on their environmental stewardship and social responsibilities.
No surprise, but I’m not the only one.
This week, at its annual conference in Boston, Ceres announced the winners in the Ceres- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Reporting Awards program, which recognizes exemplary reporting on sustainability performance by corporations, and other organizations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“Corporations in the 21st Century need to have transparent and honest disclosure of their environmental and social impacts,” says Ceres President Mindy Lubber. “The winners of the Ceres-ACCA reporting awards serve as best practice models for corporate sustainability reporting and demonstrates their dedication to improving sustainability performance.”
This year, there were 93 entries from companies and organizations, representing over 20 sectors. From these, fourteen reports were short-listed, including those from Citigroup, Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Suncor. In addition, three top finishers were selected. These winners are: (more…)
