back to home

back to index for this section

 

Business and Human Rights: a resource website

 

  Environment & human rights: 1 Oct. 2002 to present  

See also other materials on "Environment & human rights"

NEW (recent additions to this section; top item is most recent addition)
EU assembly tells polluters to pay debts to nature - The European Parliament approved a bill on Wednesday that would force companies to pay to clean up the mess they create in nature. (Robin Pomeroy, Reuters, 14 May 2003)

OIL POLLUTION: IMO Seeks To Set Up New Compensation Fund - International Maritime Organization Secretary General William O'Neil yesterday called for ensuring that those affected by oil pollution around the world are fairly compensated for damages. (UN Wire, 13 May 2003)

Suit Says ChevronTexaco Dumped Poisons in Ecuador - A group of American lawyers representing more than 30,000 indigenous people in Ecuador filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the ChevronTexaco Corporation yesterday. The suit was filed in Ecuador on behalf of 88 plaintiffs in Lago Agrio, a small oil town in northern Ecuador, and asserts that during two decades of operation, from 1971 to 1992, ChevronTexaco dumped over four million gallons a day of toxic wastewater, contaminated with oil, heavy metals and carcinogens into open pits, estuaries and rivers. It also says the company left behind nearly 350 open waste pits that killed people and animals. (Abby Ellin, New York Times, 8 May 2003) 

Trade Unions Call for Social Dimension at UN Commission on Sustainable Development - Trade union representatives at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) have called on governments to prioritise social concerns in their actions for sustainable development. The plans under discussion will form the basis for implementing the outcomes of last year’s Johannesburg World Summit for Sustainable Development...The union movement has criticized the “sidelining” of social and employment concerns in the draft conclusions of the CSD meeting...While social and employment issues are linked to water, energy, access and some other priorities for action in the draft conclusions, the main thrust of the document pays insufficient attention to poverty eradication and the overall social dimension of sustainable development. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 7 May 2003)

Environmentalists: SUVs cause war - Groups say better SUVs would end U.S.-Mideast conflicts; carmakers say they're doing what they can. - Environmental groups [Natural Resources Defense Council and the Detroit Project] launched a new attack on sport/utility vehicles and Detroit automakers Wednesday, charging that lack of progress on more fuel-efficient vehicles could be responsible for future U.S. wars in the Middle East. (CNN/Money, 7 May 2003)

Disclosure vote on Dow meeting agenda [USA] -...If approved, the [shareholder] proposal would require the company to compile a report on dioxin-contaminated sites, submit plans to remediate the contamination and plans to phaseout dioxin-producing processes and products. Dow says it already supplies an abundance of information about dioxin and its plans and successes to reduce the toxin. (Kathie Marchlewski, Midland Daily News, 7 May 2003)

Nationwide Kodak Protest Hits Albany [USA] - Around the country environmental groups are gathering outside stores that sell Kodak products...Those chemicals include dioxin and up to 64 other cancer causing emissions. Kodak has long been accused of polluting the air and water in Rochester where the company's main plant is located. And New York State consistently lists Kodak as the state's top individual polluter. (WTEN/ABC, 23 Apr. 2003)

Environment groups call on Rio Tinto for action [Australia] - Leading Australian environment groups have called on mining giant Rio Tinto to deliver on a commitment to rehabilitate the Jabiluka uranium mine site in Kakadu National Park. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 17 Apr. 2003)

Groups File Claim Against BP and Pipeline Partners in 5 Countries: "Green" Company Violating International Norms in Controversial Caspian Oil Pipeline - As political and business leaders gather in Paris for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Forum 2003, environmental organizations today submitted complaints to the British, French, German, Italian, and US governments charging that BP and its consortium partners [SOCAR (Azerbaijan), Unocal, ConocoPhillips, (US) Statoil (Norway), TPAO (Turkey), ENI (Italy), TotalFinaElf (France), Itochu, Inpex (Japan), and Delta Hess (joint US-Saudi)] in the proposed Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline are breaching the OECD's "Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises." (Friends of the Earth, 29 Apr. 2003)

End of a killer chemical - Making Cambodia a safer place with an endosulfan ban - Environmentalists welcome the timely ban of endosulfan in Cambodia. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) today applauds the Royal Government of Cambodia's decision to ban the chemical. Endosulfan is a highly dangerous pesticide, which has caused dozens of accidental deaths in Colombia, Cuba, the USA, Benin, India, Malaysia, Sudan, the Philippines and, most recently, South Africa. (Environmental Justice Foundation, 29 Apr. 2003)

{···français} Barrage des Trois Gorges (Chine): les violations des droits humains risquent de s'accentuer avec la mise en eau du réservoir (Sébastien Godinot, Les Amis de la Terre, 9 avril 2003)

Shell feels heat at AGM -...Shell’s managers were also given a tough time by environmental activists who had flown in from around the world to raise issues at the AGM. They criticised the company for not doing enough and providing spin over substance in key areas of environmental and social performance. Activists from the US, South Africa and the Philippines made varied accusations (Tobias Webb, Ethical Corporation Magazine, 25 Apr. 2003)

Unilever’s bid for responsible agriculture - Roger Cowe takes a look at Unilever’s forays into sustainable development -...The research was part of Unilever’s sustainable agriculture project, which includes spinach in Germany, tomatoes in Australia, tea in several countries and peas in the UK. The pea project is a rigorous assessment of farming methods and has as its aim the development of a more sustainable approach. The aim is to improve the soil and biodiversity, reduce energy inputs and water pollution and provide benefits to local rural economies. (Roger Cowe, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 24 Apr. 2003)

GlaxoSmithKline, seeking a cure for public mistrust - Mallen Baker assesses GSK's most recent social and environmental report. (Mallen Baker, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 23 Apr. 2003)

Shell meetings hit by protests over pay, ethics -...Environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands urged Royal Dutch Petroleum to have an independent investigation into the quality of its oil pipelines in the South African city of Durban. Friends of the Earth activist Paul de Clerck said millions of litres of gasoline had leaked from the pipelines in a series of incidents over the past two years...Royal Dutch Petroleum president Jeroen van der Veer acknowledged there had been oil leaks and Shell Chairman Watts urged communities which felt they had suffered health problems due to Shell pipelines to get in touch with the group. (Sudip Kar-Gupta and Otti Thomas, Reuters, 25 Apr. 2003)

Sierra Club & Staples team up to recycle mobile electronics - New Program With CollectiveGood Makes Recycling Used Cell Phones, PDAs and Pagers Easy & Convenient [USA] (Sierra Club, 24 Apr. 2003)

Shell faces international protest at AGM - Oil giant Shell is still putting short-term profit before people and the environment, despite its public commitment to a "green" future, according to a shocking new report launched today to coincide with the company's London AGM.  Failing the challenge: The Other Shell Report...contains first hand testimonies from communities living next door to Shell in the US, the Philippines, South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina and China and catalogues the environmental damage, the health problems and the impacts of accident these communities face.  But the report also shows how inadequate current UK company law is in protecting local people and the environment from UK companies who profit at the expense of people's health and the natural world. (Friends of the Earth, 23 Apr. 2003)

  • full report: Failing the challenge: The Other Shell Report 2002 (Friends of the Earth, Refinery Reform Campaign, groundWork South Africa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South African Exchange Program on Environmental Justice, Fundacion Ala Plastica, Global Community Monitor and FreeTibet Campaign, Apr. 2003)

Earth Day Founder Not the Only One to Link Climate Change and Investing - The voices of institutional investors representing public pension funds join those from the insurance industry to advance a business case for addressing climate change...Mr. Hayes [Earth Day founder Denis Hayes] pointed out that precious few companies are following the examples of BP, DuPont, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson, which are recognizing the business case for improving environmental performance and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 22 Apr. 2003)

Pollution from small industry up in Canada, US - Industrial pollution in the United States and Canada dropped 4 percent from 1998 to 2000, but a 32 percent surge in toxic emissions from smaller facilities has researchers worried, according to a new study published...The smaller facilities studied include a cross-section of industry, scattered across communities in both countries, and ranging from metal fabricators to food processing plants to lumber mills. (Robert Melnbardis, Reuters, 22 Apr. 2003)

ENERGY: OECD-Linked Agency Pushes Efficient Appliances - The International Energy Agency called today on rich countries to use more efficient appliances, a move the agency said could cut the countries' energy use by one-third in seven years and curb greenhouse gas emissions...Home appliances like toasters, computers, refrigerators and televisions are quickly emerging as the biggest energy drains, after automobiles, in OECD countries. The devices consume about 30 percent of the electricity flowing in OECD countries and produce about 12 percent of the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions.  (UN Wire, 22 Apr. 2003)

Office Depot Announces New Environmental Procurement Initiatives (Office Depot, 22 Apr. 2003)

1 Oct. 2002 to present:

2003:

EU assembly tells polluters to pay debts to nature - The European Parliament approved a bill on Wednesday that would force companies to pay to clean up the mess they create in nature. (Robin Pomeroy, Reuters, 14 May 2003)

OIL POLLUTION: IMO Seeks To Set Up New Compensation Fund - International Maritime Organization Secretary General William O'Neil yesterday called for ensuring that those affected by oil pollution around the world are fairly compensated for damages. (UN Wire, 13 May 2003)

Suit Says ChevronTexaco Dumped Poisons in Ecuador - A group of American lawyers representing more than 30,000 indigenous people in Ecuador filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the ChevronTexaco Corporation yesterday. The suit was filed in Ecuador on behalf of 88 plaintiffs in Lago Agrio, a small oil town in northern Ecuador, and asserts that during two decades of operation, from 1971 to 1992, ChevronTexaco dumped over four million gallons a day of toxic wastewater, contaminated with oil, heavy metals and carcinogens into open pits, estuaries and rivers. It also says the company left behind nearly 350 open waste pits that killed people and animals. (Abby Ellin, New York Times, 8 May 2003) 

Trade Unions Call for Social Dimension at UN Commission on Sustainable Development - Trade union representatives at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) have called on governments to prioritise social concerns in their actions for sustainable development. The plans under discussion will form the basis for implementing the outcomes of last year’s Johannesburg World Summit for Sustainable Development...The union movement has criticized the “sidelining” of social and employment concerns in the draft conclusions of the CSD meeting...While social and employment issues are linked to water, energy, access and some other priorities for action in the draft conclusions, the main thrust of the document pays insufficient attention to poverty eradication and the overall social dimension of sustainable development. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 7 May 2003)

Environmentalists: SUVs cause war - Groups say better SUVs would end U.S.-Mideast conflicts; carmakers say they're doing what they can. - Environmental groups [Natural Resources Defense Council and the Detroit Project] launched a new attack on sport/utility vehicles and Detroit automakers Wednesday, charging that lack of progress on more fuel-efficient vehicles could be responsible for future U.S. wars in the Middle East. (CNN/Money, 7 May 2003)

Disclosure vote on Dow meeting agenda [USA] -...If approved, the [shareholder] proposal would require the company to compile a report on dioxin-contaminated sites, submit plans to remediate the contamination and plans to phaseout dioxin-producing processes and products. Dow says it already supplies an abundance of information about dioxin and its plans and successes to reduce the toxin. (Kathie Marchlewski, Midland Daily News, 7 May 2003)

Groups File Claim Against BP and Pipeline Partners in 5 Countries: "Green" Company Violating International Norms in Controversial Caspian Oil Pipeline - As political and business leaders gather in Paris for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Forum 2003, environmental organizations today submitted complaints to the British, French, German, Italian, and US governments charging that BP and its consortium partners [SOCAR (Azerbaijan), Unocal, ConocoPhillips, (US) Statoil (Norway), TPAO (Turkey), ENI (Italy), TotalFinaElf (France), Itochu, Inpex (Japan), and Delta Hess (joint US-Saudi)] in the proposed Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline are breaching the OECD's "Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises." (Friends of the Earth, 29 Apr. 2003)

End of a killer chemical - Making Cambodia a safer place with an endosulfan ban - Environmentalists welcome the timely ban of endosulfan in Cambodia. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) today applauds the Royal Government of Cambodia's decision to ban the chemical. Endosulfan is a highly dangerous pesticide, which has caused dozens of accidental deaths in Colombia, Cuba, the USA, Benin, India, Malaysia, Sudan, the Philippines and, most recently, South Africa. (Environmental Justice Foundation, 29 Apr. 2003)

Shell feels heat at AGM -...Shell’s managers were also given a tough time by environmental activists who had flown in from around the world to raise issues at the AGM. They criticised the company for not doing enough and providing spin over substance in key areas of environmental and social performance. Activists from the US, South Africa and the Philippines made varied accusations (Tobias Webb, Ethical Corporation Magazine, 25 Apr. 2003)

Shell meetings hit by protests over pay, ethics -...Environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands urged Royal Dutch Petroleum to have an independent investigation into the quality of its oil pipelines in the South African city of Durban. Friends of the Earth activist Paul de Clerck said millions of litres of gasoline had leaked from the pipelines in a series of incidents over the past two years...Royal Dutch Petroleum president Jeroen van der Veer acknowledged there had been oil leaks and Shell Chairman Watts urged communities which felt they had suffered health problems due to Shell pipelines to get in touch with the group. (Sudip Kar-Gupta and Otti Thomas, Reuters, 25 Apr. 2003)

Unilever’s bid for responsible agriculture - Roger Cowe takes a look at Unilever’s forays into sustainable development -...The research was part of Unilever’s sustainable agriculture project, which includes spinach in Germany, tomatoes in Australia, tea in several countries and peas in the UK. The pea project is a rigorous assessment of farming methods and has as its aim the development of a more sustainable approach. The aim is to improve the soil and biodiversity, reduce energy inputs and water pollution and provide benefits to local rural economies. (Roger Cowe, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 24 Apr. 2003)

Sierra Club & Staples team up to recycle mobile electronics - New Program With CollectiveGood Makes Recycling Used Cell Phones, PDAs and Pagers Easy & Convenient [USA] (Sierra Club, 24 Apr. 2003)

Nationwide Kodak Protest Hits Albany [USA] - Around the country environmental groups are gathering outside stores that sell Kodak products...Those chemicals include dioxin and up to 64 other cancer causing emissions. Kodak has long been accused of polluting the air and water in Rochester where the company's main plant is located. And New York State consistently lists Kodak as the state's top individual polluter. (WTEN/ABC, 23 Apr. 2003)

GlaxoSmithKline, seeking a cure for public mistrust - Mallen Baker assesses GSK's most recent social and environmental report. (Mallen Baker, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 23 Apr. 2003)

Shell faces international protest at AGM - Oil giant Shell is still putting short-term profit before people and the environment, despite its public commitment to a "green" future, according to a shocking new report launched today to coincide with the company's London AGM.  Failing the challenge: The Other Shell Report...contains first hand testimonies from communities living next door to Shell in the US, the Philippines, South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina and China and catalogues the environmental damage, the health problems and the impacts of accident these communities face.  But the report also shows how inadequate current UK company law is in protecting local people and the environment from UK companies who profit at the expense of people's health and the natural world. (Friends of the Earth, 23 Apr. 2003)

Earth Day Founder Not the Only One to Link Climate Change and Investing - The voices of institutional investors representing public pension funds join those from the insurance industry to advance a business case for addressing climate change...Mr. Hayes [Earth Day founder Denis Hayes] pointed out that precious few companies are following the examples of BP, DuPont, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson, which are recognizing the business case for improving environmental performance and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 22 Apr. 2003)

Pollution from small industry up in Canada, US - Industrial pollution in the United States and Canada dropped 4 percent from 1998 to 2000, but a 32 percent surge in toxic emissions from smaller facilities has researchers worried, according to a new study published...The smaller facilities studied include a cross-section of industry, scattered across communities in both countries, and ranging from metal fabricators to food processing plants to lumber mills. (Robert Melnbardis, Reuters, 22 Apr. 2003)

ENERGY: OECD-Linked Agency Pushes Efficient Appliances - The International Energy Agency called today on rich countries to use more efficient appliances, a move the agency said could cut the countries' energy use by one-third in seven years and curb greenhouse gas emissions...Home appliances like toasters, computers, refrigerators and televisions are quickly emerging as the biggest energy drains, after automobiles, in OECD countries. The devices consume about 30 percent of the electricity flowing in OECD countries and produce about 12 percent of the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions.  (UN Wire, 22 Apr. 2003)

Office Depot Announces New Environmental Procurement Initiatives (Office Depot, 22 Apr. 2003)

In the green dock: corporate targets [sub-section of article entitled "Asda 'exploiting loophole' for store space"] - FoE [Friends of the Earth] is also targeting some of Britain's largest listed firms, which it claims are putting profits before people and the environment; it has bought shares in 18 publicly quoted firms and has been questioning boards about the impact their businesses are having on the environment. The campaign, to run through the summer, started this week when FoE accused Rio Tinto of human rights abuses and environmental destruction in Indonesia at its AGM. FoE is also pushing for UK law changes requiring firms to take account of their wider responsibilities and offer affected communities redress or compensation when they fail to do so. The 18 firms targeted...: British American Tobacco (Activities in Burma and use of pesticides in Brazil); Associated British Ports; Rio Tinto (Destructive mining activities in Indonesia); Shell (Environmental damage in the Philippines; South Africa, Nigeria and US); Barclays (Rainforest destruction in Indonesia); BP (Impact of the Baku to Ceyan Russian pipeline); Anglo American (Mining in South America and Africa); BAE Systems; Amec (Subsidiary Spie has a construction contract for BP's Baku-Ceyan pipeline); Premier Oil; Balfour Beatty; P&O; HSBC (Oil industry involvement in Sudan); Tesco; British Airways; Sainsbury; Safeway; BAA. (Julia Finch & Neil Hume, Guardian [UK], 19 Apr. 2003)

Investors barrack Rio Tinto bosses -...Rio Tinto was barracked by small shareholders and special interest groups at an annual meeting that marked a bad-tempered send-off for chairman Sir Robert...The mining group was attacked over pension issues, alleged safety problems in Utah and for not making provisions for a number of legal cases being taken out against it..."The government must change company law to ensure the directors of irresponsible companies like Rio Tinto are made fully liable and accountable for their destructive impact overseas," said Friends of the Earth campaigner Ed Matthew. (Terry Macalister, Guardian [UK], 18 Apr. 2003)

Poor fellow mining country - Steering a big bank and a huge mining company, Leon Davis [chairman of Westpac, deputy chairman of Rio Tinto] puts Aboriginal disadvantage first on his unusual agenda...Westpac recently issued Australia's first comprehensive triple bottom line report...Rio Tinto has made striking progress in its relations with Aboriginal communities in Australia, winning praise from indigenous leaders such as Marcia Langton and Mick Dodson. Davis was key to this policy, spearheading the company's decision to set aside legal hostilities and negotiate with Aboriginal people to form binding voluntary agreements covering native title...Westpac staff volunteers spend four weeks in Aboriginal communities providing mentoring on family financial and small business skills...Rio Tinto has a huge legacy of community conflict to come to terms with [including] the Jabiluka uranium mine, the Weipa industrial dispute, the Bougainville copper mine, allegations of human rights abuses at the huge (albeit minority-owned) FreeportGrasberg copper mine in West Papua, and ongoing debate about disposal of mine tailings at the Lihir gold mine in Indonesia. Recently, for example, Rio Tinto has opposed any ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change by Australia. (Paddy Manning, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 Apr. 2003)

Environment groups call on Rio Tinto for action [Australia] - Leading Australian environment groups have called on mining giant Rio Tinto to deliver on a commitment to rehabilitate the Jabiluka uranium mine site in Kakadu National Park. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 17 Apr. 2003)

Air Pollution May Damage Brain, Heart - Studies suggest it can cause Alzheimer's-like lesions, heart problems (Leonard Lee, HealthScoutNews, 16 Apr. 2003)

Low Levels of Lead Damage Children - It can reduce IQ, delay puberty, new research says...The main exposure to lead [in USA] now occurs in housing built before 1950, where paints with high levels of lead are more common. (Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews, 16 Apr. 2003)

EPA steps up study of Teflon chemical risk to humans [USA] - An unregulated chemical used in furniture, carpet and Teflon could be a serious health risk to the public, prompting the Environmental Protection Agency this week to launch an in-depth assessment to determine its safety. (Reuters, 16 Apr. 2003) 

Citigroup's statement re Rainforest Action Network & the environment [RAN and Citigroup call ceasefire] - Citigroup has been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with Rainforest Action Network and other stakeholders regarding our mutual concerns about the environment and related issues. We have now entered into a period to explore comprehensive solutions to these issues...Citigroup has led efforts to establish industry-wide environmental standards for project finance, and has released a draft known as the Equator Principles...In the short term, Citigroup will take additional measures to reduce degradation or destruction of endangered ecosystems in the conduct of our business...We believe that our partnership with RAN can lead to an even deeper understanding of how the financial services industry can help promote sustainable development while protecting the environment. (Citigroup, 15 Apr. 2003)

U.S. proposes rules to cut diesel pollution - The Bush Administration proposed new rules Tuesday that aim to drastically reduce diesel pollution generated by farm and industrial equipment over the next decade. (Todd Zwillich, Reuters, 15 Apr. 2003)

Seven activists win top environmental prize (Michael Kahn, Reuters, 15 Apr. 2003)

FleetBoston Financial Releases Sustainability Report - FleetBoston Financial today released its first annual sustainability report...The report further emphasizes Fleet's leadership role in promoting sustainability in the finance industry in partnership with the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES), and the United Nations Environment Programme Financial Institutions Initiative (UNEP FI). Fleet further built upon its longstanding commitment to the community when it became the first financial institution to endorse both of the voluntary codes of conduct associated with CERES and UNEP FI. (FleetBoston Financial, 11 Apr. 2003)

Environmentalists set sights on Sasol - A website has been established to keep an eye on the environmental impact South African oil and chemicals group Sasol's operations has on communities in South Africa and the US. (Justin Brown, Sunday Times [South Africa], 10 Apr. 2003)

{···français} Barrage des Trois Gorges (Chine): les violations des droits humains risquent de s'accentuer avec la mise en eau du réservoir (Sébastien Godinot, Les Amis de la Terre, 9 avril 2003)

Banks in drive for project principles - The drive by Citigroup and large European providers of project finance in emerging markets to obtain industry-wide adherence to the International Finance Corporation's social and environmental guidelines may increase pressure on export credit agencies to do the same..."In the past, the US Export-Import bank has taken the lead on environmental standards and issues of transparency," said John Sohn, an expert on export credit agencies at Friends of the Earth...The impetus behind the US lead was in part due to financing of the controversial Three Gorges dam in China in 1996. The US Export-Import bank decided not to finance the project...Non-US ECAs, such as Germany's Hermes and Export Development Canada, less constrained by environmental standards, provided some finance for the dam. In an attempt to create a level playing field, the US Export-Import Bank began promoting within the OECD the concept of common and transparent environmental standards but its moves have generally been met with resistance. (Demetri Sevastopulos, Financial Times, 9 Apr. 2003)

UK industry cuts CO2 emissions by well over target - Britain's industry has slashed emissions of polluting carbon dioxide (CO2) by more than three times above targets as plans to cut greenhouse gases take effect, the government said. (Reuters, 9 Apr. 2003)

Just what we’ve all been waiting for - Steve Hilton is impressed by Business in the Community ’s new Corporate Responsibility Index [UK] -...After a lengthy gestation period and much speculation, Business in the Community introduced its Corporate Responsibility Index to the world in March...It provides a centralised focus for the evaluation and improvement of social and environmental performance, but it also shows senior managers – often for the first time – how, in an operational sense, CR cannot be seen as a centralised function and that it relates to everyone in the company, not just the corporate affairs department or equivalent. (Steve Hilton, Ethical Corporation Magazine, 8 Apr. 2003)

2 Companies Said to Agree to Settle Suits on Emissions [USA] - Alcoa and Archer Daniels Midland have agreed to settle federal air pollution complaints by upgrading smelters and other factories at a cost the government estimates at $700 million (Jennifer Lee, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2003)

People's Congress Urges Land, Food Without Poisons - Agricultural workers and their families are being poisoned, rural lands, forests, oceans and waters are devastated, biodiversity is being destroyed, and food is unfit for human consumption. With these words, 140 participants from 17 countries at the First Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific Congress in Manila last week warned the world that industrial agriculture as conducted by transnational corporations is undermining the resources needed to sustain food production. (Environment News Service, 7 Apr. 2003)

Director arrested for Brazilian disaster - Brazilian authorities Monday arrested an administrative director of the paper and pulp company [Felix Santana of the Cataguases Paper and Pulp Co.] blamed for a recent chemical spill, considered by some to be the worst environmental catastrophe in the country's history. (Carmen Gentile, UPI, 7 Apr. 2003)

Alleged culprits of Brazil toxic spill on the run - The owners of a pulp and paper factory that caused one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters are on the run, the judge who ordered their arrest said last week. (Reuters, 7 Apr. 2003)

Group Opposing Mining of Titanium is Dissolved [Kenya] - A farmers' group formerly opposed to the titanium mining project in Kwale has been disbanded. The farmers said they would join hands with a committee elected last week to look into the project. The Maumba Nguluku Welfare Association chairman, Mr Frank Mutua, said they took the decision because the government had shown the willingness to address their grievances. (Jonathan Manyindo, The Nation [Kenya], 7 Apr. 2003)

Office Depot Commits to Develop All-Encompassing Environmental Policy [USA] - Office Depot, Inc., the world's largest seller of recycled paper products, today announced additional efforts to bolster its leadership position on key environmental issues related to the office supplies industry. These measures include the development of a comprehensive environmental policy. (Office Depot, 7 Apr. 2003)

Blacks join to dump harmful waste sites [USA] - They say a form of 'racism' puts facilities that process hazardous materials in their communities. -...Like Baker, citizens in many poor, black communities around Alabama and the South in recent years have fought companies that have located pollution-spewing industrial plants, hazardous landfills and waste incinerators near homes and schools. Known as "environmental racism," the practice of locating such toxic operations near politically powerless blacks has been stymied by emerging citizen groups. [refers to lawsuits against chemical plant in Anniston, Alabama - defendants were Monsanto, Solutia, Pharmacia; also refers to Waste Management Inc, Shintech Inc] (Dave Bryan, Associated Press, 6 Apr. 2003)

A detailed European action plan will soon be unveiled to deal with the growing problem of illness and disease caused by environmental pollution. Special focus will be given to children who are most vulnerable to environmental hazards. (Welcomeurope, 4 Apr. 2003)

Brazil fights spread of toxic spill from factory - Brazil battled yesterday to prevent the spread of toxins from reservoirs at a pulp and paper factory in southeastern Minas Gerais state and environmental groups said it was the country's worst industrial accident. (Reuters, 4 Apr. 2003)

Jury rules Solutia owes $3.6M to Alabama plaintiffs [USA] - Solutia must pay more than $3.6 million to six people whose property was damaged by Solutia's production of PCBs, an Alabama jury ruled Friday...More than a year ago, the jury found Solutia, then Monsanto, liable for knowingly contaminating Alabama homes and bodies with PCBs, known carcinogens. More than 3,500 residents of Anniston had sued both companies. (St. Louis Business Journal, 4 Apr. 2003)

Environmental Expert Warns: Toxic Waste, Fumes Endanger Tema [Ghana] - Mr. Lambert Faabeluon, the Senior Programme officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that Tema would be in a big catastrophe if the chemical deposits into the Chemu lagoon is not well-tackled. He stated that the heavy toxic and chemical deposits from the companies in the heavy industrial area of Tema, over the years, have caused destruction to the Chemu lagoon (Richard Attenkah, Ghanaian Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2003)

Ramatex Says Enviro Report 'Too Sensitive' to Be Released [Namibia] - Malaysian textile firm, Ramatex, yesterday claimed it had not made its Environmental Impact Assessment study public because "it contains sensitive information" that could be used by competitors to the detriment of the textile plant. (Chrispin Inambao, The Namibian, 4 Apr. 2003)

Suing over climate change - The debate over global warming is gaining a new dimension: litigation. The vast numbers affected by the effects of climate change, such as flooding, drought and forest fires, mean that potentially people, organisations and even countries could be seeking compensation for the damage caused. (BBC News, 3 Apr. 2003)

Colonial Pipeline to pay $34 mln for oil spills [USA] - Colonial Pipeline Co., the nation's largest petroleum products pipeline, agreed to pay a record $34 million to settle a government investigation into a series of oil spills that fouled water in seven states, the U.S. Justice Department said this week. (Reuters, 3 Apr. 2003)

When Lightning Strikes: Portfolio 21 Applies The Natural Step's Sustainability Theories - Portfolio 21 applies environmental screens based on the principles of the Natural Step, which promotes sustainability. [refers to Electrolux, Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Horizon Organic] (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 3 Apr. 2003)

Analysis: Social and environmental responsibility does pay off - Recent research indicates that corporate responsibility plays an important part in increasing and preserving shareholder value, writes Marc Epstein and Karen Schnietz (Marc J. Epstein & Karen E. Schnietz, professors at Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 3 Apr. 2003)

Treasurers Express Concern About Risks to Investments From Climate Change [USA] - Four state and city treasurers and comptrollers, representing approximately $130 billion in investments, yesterday expressed concern about the risks of climate change to long-term investments, and announced plans to hold a summit with other institutional investors to examine the issue. (GreenBiz.com, 3 Apr. 2003)

WWF Analysis Shows US Power Sector Can Prevent Environmental Damage from Global Warming; WWF Challenges Power Sector to Move Toward Clean Energy Future - The U.S. power sector can cut carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming nearly 60 percent by 2020 and reduce its dependency on dirty fossil fuels by using available energy technologies and supporting innovative polices, according to a new peer-reviewed analysis released today by World Wildlife Fund. (World Wildlife Fund, 2 Apr. 2003)

Caustic Soda Spills Down Two Brazilian Rivers - A chemical spill at a wood pulping factory at Cataguazes in Minas Gerais state has affected the water supply of seven cities in Minas Gerais and the neighboring state of Rio de Janeiro. (Environment News Service, 2 Apr. 2003)

More U.S. Companies Launch Climate Change Initiatives - A growing number of U.S. corporations and states are taking actions aimed at sharply reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap heat within the Earth's atmosphere. (GreenBiz.com, 2 Apr. 2003)

Europe's New Chemicals Plan Requires Market Authorization - European Commission proposals for the central feature of a revised EU chemicals policy - a strict market authorization procedure for chemicals of very high concern - will include persistent and bioaccumulative substances, Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said Monday...Wallstrom said, "In the future, the chemicals industry will be responsible for generating and providing the necessary information about their own products in line with corporate responsibility." (Environment News Service, 1 Apr. 2003)

Guide Identifies 'Levers' for Green Production/Consumption -...A new guide aims to help grantmakers -- from companies, government agencies, and foundations -- more strategically target their financial resources in a more effective fashion. (Green Business Letter, 1 Apr. 2003)

GIANT goes for Wild Rubber -...Yet rubber can be sustainably produced and in the Amazon rainforests [of Brazil], forest people are doing just that – helped by the multi-national bicycle manufacturer GIANT that has just ordered thousands of "wild rubber" bike-bags and saddlebags…the French company "Hermes" has used wild rubber in the production of some of its bags and purses these last four years. (Anne Blair Gould, Radio Nederland, 31 Mar. 2003)

Hindustan Lever Will Export Mercury Waste to USA [India] - Pollution control authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadu have ordered Hindustan Lever Limited, a subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, to export to the United States 286 tons of waste contaminated with mercury from its controversial thermometer factory in Kodaikanal, now closed. The company has been directed to decontaminate the site and its surroundings to global standards. (Nityanand Jayaraman, Environment News Service, 31 Mar. 2003)

Southern Peru says will commit to Ilo upgrade in May [Chile] - Southern Peru Copper Corp said last week it would meet a three-month government deadline to commit to overhauling its aging smelter technology to reduce pollution (Reuters, 31 Mar. 2003)

EU pushes ahead with ban on 'rustbucket' oil tankers - European Union transport ministers endorsed last week a ban on old single-hull tankers carrying heavy fuel oil, in an effort to prevent oil slicks like the Prestige disaster which sank off Spain last year. (Robin Pomeroy, Reuters, 31 Mar. 2003)

GSK confirms global commitment to Corporate and Social Responsibility - GlaxoSmithKline today reinforced its commitment to connecting GSK business decisions to ethical, social and environmental concerns...GSK believes that it has a responsibility to make its products as affordable as possible in the poorest countries. (GlaxoSmithKline, 28 Mar. 2003)

Steel Manufacturer Lauded for Climate Change Policy [Canada] - Steel manufacturer Dofasco Inc. has been recognized for the success of its voluntary program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company earned the 2002 Leadership Award from Canada's Climate Change Voluntary Challenge and Registry Inc. [a not-for-profit partnership between the private sector and governments across Canada]. (GreenBiz.com, 28 Mar. 2003)

Clif Bar [producer of energy bars] Forms Wind-Farm Partnership to Offset CO2 Footprint [USA] - Clif Bar Inc. has announced it is supporting the construction of the first large-scale Native American-owned wind farm to offset the carbon dioxide generated by the energy used in its offices, manufacturing, and business travel during 2002...The company joins Stonyfield Farm, The Timberland Company, Ben & Jerry's, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and other companies in sponsoring the project. (GreenBiz.com, 26 Mar. 2003)

Titanium Mine License Eludes Canadian Firm in Kenya - The mining of the world's largest titanium fields on the east African coast of Kenya appears to have hit another snag after the country's new government announced that it is planning to conduct a public forum to discuss whether Tiomin Resources Inc., a Canadian mining firm, should be licensed to start mining the mineral in Kenya. (Jennifer Wanjiru, Environment News Service, 26 Mar. 2003)

Meridian stock hit by opposition to Argentine mine - Shares of Meridian Gold Inc. fell hard this week after the company said residents near its Esquel Mine project in Argentina had voted against the project because of concerns it will damage their water sources. (Reuters, 26 Mar. 2003)

AccountAbility Launches Assurance Standard for Corporate Responsibility Reporting - Investors and other stakeholders stand to benefit from the standardized verification of corporate reporting on social, environmental, and economic performance...As a complement to the launch of the AA1000 Assurance Standard, AccountAbility also released a report entitled The State of Sustainability Assurance. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 26 Mar. 2003)

Mirenco Helps Iowa Schools Clear 5 Tons of Soot from the Air [USA] - Mirenco, Inc., the contractor for the Bus Emissions Education Program (BEEP), helped Iowa schools clear an estimated five tons of soot from the air through improvements made to Iowa's nearly 5,000 diesel school buses...BEEP is a partnership among Mirenco, Inc., the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, School Administrators of Iowa, and Iowa Pupil Transportation Association. (Mirenco, Inc., 26 Mar. 2003)

Activists Call for Moratorium on Turkish Pipeline [BP leads consortium of oil companies investing in the pipeline] - Amid tensions in eastern Turkey arising from the U.S. invasion of Iraq, environmental and Kurdish rights groups are calling for a moratorium on the construction and financing of a pipeline that will link the Caspian Sea to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 25 Mar. 2003)

EBRD [European Bank for Reconstruction and Development] meets demonstrators on Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline proposal [Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey] - EBRD officials today received a letter from demonstrators protesting the planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The EBRD is evaluating whether to finance the project and is in the midst of a thorough examination that involves dialogue with local communities as well as financial, legal, economic and environmental issues. (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 25 Mar. 2003)

The UK Corporate Sustainability Reporting Awards [refers to The Co-operative Bank, Shell,  BT Group, Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd., Unilever, Scottish Power, Canary Wharf Group, Best Foot Forward Ltd, FRC Group, Co-operative Insurance Society, Traidcraft, British American Tobacco] (Tobias Webb, Ethical Corporation Magazine, 25 Mar. 2003)

Kill a watt and save the planet - and your money - It is 10 in the evening at Liverpool Street in the heart of London's financial district. The work day is over and office blocks are deserted but every window in row upon row of office buildings is ablaze with light...It is the same in every business district across Britain, throughout Europe and indeed, the world - a waste of electricity that is adding billions of tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases every year to Earth's atmosphere. (Reuters, 25 Mar. 2003)

Must do better to stay on FTSE4Good - The first companies were ejected from the FTSE4Good 'ethical' stock market indices last week after environmental criteria were tightened, and many others were warned that they will have to do better if they want to stay in after the next review in six months' time...Three UK companies have been kicked out by the FTSE4Good committee: the printer St Ives, financial software house RoyalBlue, and Goldshield, which sells vitamins and other food supplements such as Evening Primrose Oil and Flexeze. Elan, the troubled Irish pharmaceutical firm was also evicted from the indices. (Roger Cowe, Observer [UK], 23 Mar. 2003)

The Shell Report and Annual Reports published today - The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies published its sixth Shell Report today, alongside its 2002 Parent Company Annual Reports. This year's report, entitled "Meeting the Energy Challenge" describes Shell's economic, environmental and social performance in 2002. (Royal Dutch/Shell, 21 Mar. 2003)

WATER: Multibillion Dollar Plan Launched At Forum Amid Protests - International financiers at the World Water Forum today in Kyoto launched a $180 billion plan to prevent a worldwide water crisis...Environmentalists and anti-poverty activists have criticized the plan, saying that the forum, which is largely sponsored by construction and drug companies, was being used by the private sector and focuses too much on large-scale funding at the expense of small-scale efficiency gains. (UN Wire, 21 Mar. 2003)

Peru warns Southern on copper smelter upgrade - Peru will give Southern Peru Copper Corp three months to catch up on commitments to overhaul its aging smelter to curb pollution or face fines that could lead to the facility's closure, the government said...The Mexican-controlled firm had no comment. (Reuters, 20 Mar. 2003)

Tanzania orders destruction of toxic transformers - The Tanzanian parliament has ordered the removal of electrical equipment containing highly toxic polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) from Dar es Salaam International Airport. The order reflects growing concern about the alleged 'dumping' of harmful or outdated products by industrialised countries in Tanzania. The equipment, consisting of 12 transformers, was installed in the airport in 1984 by the French company, Bouygues, that built the airport...some members of parliament have alleged that Bouygues knew that the transformers were prohibited at the time that they installed them, and are considering filing for compensation. (Deodatus Balile, SciDev.Net, 19 Mar. 2003)

CEOs Advocate Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability at Conference - The Forum for Corporate Conscience calls on CEOs and corporations to promote triple bottom line performance. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 19 Mar. 2003)

Strategic alliances and partnerships to tackle urban water problems - As delegates pour into Japan this week for the Third World Water Forum, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – a long-standing advocate of public-private partnerships for delivering water to those without access to it – used today’s CEO Forum to announce the start of its new project on urban water. Co-chaired by Gérard Payen of Suez, France, the project will be supported by a broad cross section of business, including water users, water operators and the financial sector. Its vision is to find ways to deliver affordable and sustainable water supply and sanitation for 100% of the world’s urban and peri-urban populations. (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 19 Mar. 2003)

Michigan bars corn farmers from using herbicide [Balance Pro, manufactured by Bayer Crop Science] that critics say is linked to water pollution [USA] (Associated Press, 19 Mar. 2003)

UK votes to keep highly toxic pesticide - The highly toxic pesticide aldicarb will continue to be used on vegetables in the UK following a decision by European farm ministers yesterday. (Friends of the Earth, 19 Mar. 2003)

CEOs Advocate Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability at Conference: The Forum for Corporate Conscience calls on CEOs and corporations to promote triple bottom line performance -...The leadership section advocates the adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative...The white paper, which was written by academics from the McColl Graduate School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, points out that companies and investors do not necessarily sacrifice financial returns to advance triple bottom line performance. (KLD Research & Analytics, 19 Mar. 2003)

Ski resorts get creative to battle global warming [USA] - Ski resorts across the country are launching a new campaign to highlight the impact of global warming on winter recreation and the opportunities both resort operators and their guests have to start solving the problem. (GreenBiz.com, 19 Mar. 2003)

Oekom Applauds Insurers Employing SRI but Chides Rest of Sector's Non-Transparency - Lack of transparency prevented the German corporate research firm from conducting corporate responsibility ratings on the majority of global insurance companies. - Few insurance companies are making the effort to disclose their social and environmental performance...Norway-based Storebrand, which scored the highest overall rating of "B" on a scale from "A+" to "D-", received kudos for employing negative as well as best-in-class screening in substantial portions of its investment portfolio...The report highlighted the shareowner advocacy practices of UK-based Aviva, which placed second in the overall rating with a "B", and Australia-based AMP, which placed twelfth with a "C".  "As an example, Morley Fund Management [Aviva] is committed to vote against FTSE 100 companies, which do not publish environmental reports" (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 18 Mar. 2003)

Victims of industry poisons demand better medical care [Thailand] - All talk, no action, protesters claim (Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, Bangkok Post, 18 Mar. 2003)

Office Depot and Office Max stores urged to improve their use of paper [USA] -...Staples' Office Supply stores last year announced a major environmental policy that included increasing the acquisition and sales of recycled fibre content paper. Consumers and their citizens' groups are now focussing boycott demands on two other large U.S. office supply stores - Office Max and Office Depot. (Gary Gallon, The Gallon Environment Letter, 17 Mar. 2003)

Brazil Amazon jungle fires reach Indian reserve - Forest fires burning in Brazil's northern Amazon jungle have spread to the reserve of the Yanomami Indians, one of the world's last hunter-gatherer tribes, and the government urged farmers not to light more fires during the dry season. (Reuters, 17 Mar. 2003)

UK says aviation industry should pay pollution costs - Britain's aviation industry will have to pay for polluting the environment, and the estimated bill could more than triple to 4.8 billion pounds ($7.7 billion) a year by 2030, the government said. (Daniel Morrissey, Reuters, 17 Mar. 2003)

Alcoa Honors 16 Suppliers of Recycled Beverage Containers - Alcoa’s Rigid Packaging Unit has recognized 16 companies with its UBC Supplier Quality Awards for shipments of outstanding quality used beverage containers (UBCs) in 2002. (GreenBiz.com, 17 Mar. 2003)

World Water Forum: March 16-23, 2003 Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, Japan

The launch of the UK Corporate Responsibility Index - Toby Kent reports from the launch of the BitC [Business in the Community] Corporate Responsibility Index, highlighting its main components and the major issues it raises. (Toby Kent, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 14 Mar. 2003)

Dow Chemical to Use Landfill Gas to Reduce Plant Emissions [USA] -...This use of landfill gas is expected to reduce emissions by more than 27 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the company says. (GreenBiz.com, 14 Mar. 2003)

BP faces record fine for spoiling Los Angeles air [USA] - BP is facing a record $320m (£200m) pollution fine and allegations that the oil company submitted false documentation to air quality control regulators (Terry Macalister, Guardian [UK], 14 Mar. 2003)

Government consults on the environmental cost of aviation [UK] - The Government today published a discussion paper on how economic measures could be used to encourage the aviation industry to take more account of its environmental impact. (Friends of the Earth, 14 Mar. 2003)

World Bank to call for more dams - More dams must be built in developing countries to meet future demands for water and electricity, the World Bank will tell an international water conference starting on Sunday in Kyoto, Japan. Although new dam projects must be socially and environmentally acceptable, the need for more hydropower must be accepted, Ian Johnston, the World Bank vice-president for sustainable development, told the Financial Times. (John Mason and Vanessa Houlder, Financial Times, 14 Mar. 2003)

Alberta picks companies to provide "green" power [Canada] - Alberta chose two firms this week [Canadian Hydro Developers and Enmax Corp] to power its courthouses, prisons and other public buildings with renewable electricity, a move the western Canadian province said puts it on track to meet 90 percent of its needs with "green" energy by 2005. (Reuters, 14 Mar. 2003)

Indigenous Struggle in Ecuador Becomes a "Cause Beyond Control" - Transnational Oil Companies Free to Leave Amazon -...On March 4, 2003, the Ecuadorian newspaper Hoy reported that the Ministry of Environment has agreed to allow two transnational companies to cancel their oil concession contracts under the provision of force majeure. The force majeure they are referring to is the determined opposition of Kichwa, Shuar and Achuar people who live in the concession areas to ongoing activities by the companies, Burlington Resources of Texas and Compania General de Combustibles (CGC) of Argentina. The CGC concession is owned partly by ChevronTexaco, according to Platt's Oilgram News. (Kenny Bruno, EarthRights International, CorpWatch website, 13 Mar. 2003)

ELECTRONICS: UNESCO Explores Recycling Outdated Equipment - UNESCO plans to host electronics specialists in Paris tomorrow and Saturday to discuss strategies for recycling outdated high-tech equipment by giving it to developing countries lacking technology...A survey of 20 European and U.S. global corporations found that more than 1 million personal computers will be decommissioned in the next three years. (UN Wire, 13 Mar. 2003)

Pension funds and SRI [UK] - Recent research suggests that even when current financial troubles have receded the onward march of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) may be much slower than many have predicted, writes Roger Cowe - Trustees seem to be suffering from a general state of depression about the ability of pension funds to influence companies’ social and environmental performance – and the likely financial benefits even if companies do improve. (Roger Cowe, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 13 Mar. 2003)

Staples joins Green Power Market Development Group -...Convened in 2000 by WRI, the Green Power Market Development Group is a unique commercial and industrial partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for green power, that is, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and landfill gas. (World Resources Institute, 13 Mar. 2003)

Dow [Dow Chemical Company] joins Green Power Market Development Group (World Resources Institute, 13 Mar. 2003)

Prudence Pays - practical steps to bridge conflicting views on climate change - Climate change is a fundamental challenge in a world where energy needs could grow threefold over the next 50 years. There is compelling evidence that climate change is a threat, although there are still huge uncertainties about the risks and impact. There are no quick fixes so we need to take action now (Philip Watts, Chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors, Royal Dutch/Shell, 12 Mar. 2003)

Kinko’s to Ban Suppliers from Purchasing Wood Products from Endangered Forests - Copy store chain Kinko’s Inc. has announced it will not purchase any paper or wood products derived from old-growth or endangered forests as part of a new corporate environmental policy. (Business for Social Responsibility summary of article in AFX Global Ethics Monitor, 12 Mar. 2003)

D.C. Developer Buys Green Power for 13 of Its Buildings [USA] - The Tower Companies, a Bethesda, Md.-based commercial and residential building developer, has announced the purchase of more than 24 million kilowatt hours of green power. (GreenBiz.com, 12 Mar. 2003)

Bankwatch: Baku-Ceyhan pipeline in Turkey poorly planned - The CEE Bankwatch Network today released a report critical of an environmental and social impact assessment (EIA) of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Bankwatch's report, a quality analysis of the EIA for the pipeline's Turkish section, criticises the BTC company -- led by BP (formerly British Petroleum) -- for inadequately assessing the effects of the planned pipeline. (CEE Bankwatch Network, 12 March 2003)

Green groups challenge US EPA on manure controls [USA] - The Bush administration needs to rewrite its rules for controlling manure runoff from the largest U.S. cattle, hog and poultry farms, three environmental groups said in announcing a lawsuit to overturn the rules. (Reuters, 12 Mar. 2003) 

Reps Order Shell to Pay Ijaw $1.5b Compensation [Nigeria] -...the House of Representatives has ordered Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigeria Limited to pay the sum of US$1.5 billion to Ijaw Aborigines of Bayelsa State as compensation for the untold hardship and environmental devastation it has brought the Ijaws since 1956. The House of Representatives issued this directive to Shell (SPDC) following the recommendation of a-four-man advisory legal panel which it set up to consider the petition filed by Ijaw Aborigines against Shell. (Lemmy Ughegbe, Vanguard [Nigeria], 12 Mar. 2003)

CLIMATE CHANGE: Report Indicates Companies Ignore Warming Threat - Investment advisers Innovest said last week that the financial sector is not taking climate change seriously enough, even though global warming poses one of the most tangible risks to companies' financial performance. (UN Wire, 12 Mar. 2003)

Pollution agency seeks $319 million from BP Arco [USA] - The South Coast Air Quality Management District filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking more than $319 million in damages from BP Arco for alleged violations of emissions standards. (Associated Press, 12 Mar. 2003)

Lion Oil Reaches Clear Air Settlement With Government [USA] - The U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said they had reached a comprehensive Clean Air Act settlement with Lion Oil Co. to reduce harmful air emissions from the company’s El Dorado refinery by 1,380 tons per year. (Arkansas Business, 12 Mar. 2003)

Shell chief delivers global warming warning to Bush in his own back yard - Shell chairman Sir Philip Watts risks stirring up a controversy in America today when he calls for global warming sceptics to get off the fence and accept t hat action needs to be taken "before it is too late". (Terry Macalister, Guardian [UK], 12 Mar. 2003)

{···français} Notation sociale - Vigeo en ordre de marche, le capital constitué - Vigeo, l'agence de notation sociale et environnementale, annonce mercredi qu'elle est désormais opérationnelle et qu'elle a bouclé son tour de table. (Reuters, 12 mars 2003)

Dow's Texas headquarters blockaded; contaminated water returned - "Our message is simple," said Greenpeace's Casey Harrell. "Dow must clean up Bhopal now and accept full responsibility for the health and environmental damage in that city. Until it does so, Dow will never be a responsible corporate citizen." (Greenpeace, 11 Mar. 2003)

press release: Global Buyers of Wood Products “Going Green” - ‘Greenward Shift’ a warning for British Columbia’s government and industry: future market share will depend on producers’ environmental responsibility - Environmental groups today applauded the release of a new report demonstrating that major customers of BC forest products are shifting their purchasing toward greener, more environmentally friendly products. Greenpeace Canada, ForestEthics and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter, are reacting to a report released today by IBM Business Consulting Services (formerly Pricewaterhouse Coopers) titled: A Greenward Shift in the Market for Forest Products from British Columbia. (Greenpeace Canada, ForestEthics and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter, 11 Mar. 2003)

New EU deals with Africa still fishy - WWF - A new report released today by WWF shows that the new ‘cash for access’ deals signed by the EU to allow European boats to fish in African waters, while better than the previous ones, are still highly questionable...current deals are far from being environmentally, socially, or economically sustainable. (WWF, 11 Mar. 2003)

CHEMICALS: U.N. Panel Calls For Further Controls On Asbestos, Pesticides - A panel set up under the Rotterdam Convention on hazardous chemicals called yesterday for tougher trade controls on all forms of asbestos, several deadly pesticides and two highly toxic lead fuel additives. (UN Wire, 11 Mar. 2003)

FORESTS: FAO Calls For Fundamental Policy Change In Africa - The Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report released today that forests in Africa will continue to disappear, causing damage to local environments and disrupting delicate ecosystems, unless fundamental policy changes are made. (UN Wire, 11 Mar. 2003)

NEC Announces Environmental Management Vision for 2010 - NEC Corporation recently announced a new companywide environmental management vision, which aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions by fiscal year 2010. (GreenBiz.com, 10 Mar. 2003)

Listing rules to go green [UK] - Company listings requirements should be overhauled to include environmental, social and ethical information, according to new research published today by Claros Consulting and Friends of the Earth...Information disclosure is at the heart of listing and the report concludes that this must include providing information to investors on the social, environmental and ethical risks to a company. (Friends of the Earth, 10 Mar. 2003)

Private sector need to do more environmental reporting [Malaysia] - The private sector still needs more awareness on doing environmental reporting as part of corporate governance and transparency. Of the thousands of companies in Malaysia, only 40 did some form of corporate environmental report in 2001. Recent trends, however, revealed slow but gradual progress. (Deborah Loh, New Straits Times, 10 Mar. 2003)

Factory fined RM20,000 for discharging effluents [Malaysia] - An electronics factory here was today fined RM20,000 by the Sessions Court for discharging effluents above the permissable levels into Sungai Melaka. (A. Hafiz Yatim, New Straits Times, 10 Mar. 2003)

Charter for voluntary pollution control [India] - The Ministry of Environment and Forests and industrial sector are all set to enter into a partnership on voluntary pollution control by releasing a charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection in New Delhi on March 13...The 17 major polluting industries identified for preparatory approach towards pollution control are: cement, aluminium, thermal power plants, oil refineries, pesticides, iron and steel, pulp and paper, copper and zinc, distilleries, sugar, petrochemicals, dye and dye intermediates, caustic soda, pharmaceuticals, tanneries and fertilizer industry. (The Hindu, 10 Mar. 2003)

Asbestos Case Ruling Sides With Workers [USA] - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that some workers who were exposed to cancer-causing asbestos can win money damages in court even though they do not yet have cancer and may never get it...The fear of developing cancer is grounds enough to collect for workers who already have asbestosis, a separate asbestos-related ailment, and can document their health fears, a 5-member majority of the court found. (Associated Press, 10 Mar. 2003)

Toyota settles US Clean Air Act suit for $34 mln [USA] - Toyota Motor Corp has pledged to improve anti-pollution controls on old, publicly owned buses that were not made by Toyota as part of a $34 million package to settle a Clear Air Act lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department said..."With this bus retrofit action, our nation's school children will be breathing less of the small particles that can cause lung and respiratory damage," said EPA Administrator Christine Whitman. (Deborah Charles, Reuters, 10 Mar. 2003)

Heavy fines loom for pollution cover-ups [state of Western Australia] - New laws aimed at people and businesses who do not report contaminated sites will be debated in the Legislative Assembly this week. (Steve Butler, West Australian, 10 Mar. 2003)

Triboard plant releases pollutants, says report [New Zealand] - A health impact report on emissions from the Kaitaia triboard plant run by Japanese-owned Juken Nissho has identified pollutants being released into the air by the two mills in the area. (Tony Gee, New Zealand Herald, 10 Mar. 2003)

Uranium plant workers exposed to harmful metal [USA] - Forty-four workers at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant have tested positive for exposure to a metal that can cause long-term lung problems...The U.S. Enrichment Corp. leases the plant from the Energy Department to separate beneficial uranium and process it into fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. (Louisville Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2003)

China to Issue White Paper on Environmental Protection in Tibet (People's Daily, 9 Mar. 2003)

Scientists blame industry for unchecked pollution [India] - Addressing a conference on 'Impact of emerging pollutants on health, environment & agriculture,' he [Dr AP Mitra, honorary scientist of eminence, National Physical Laboratory] said the industry should adopt environmental norms as practiced in developed countries and strictly adhere to environmental safety standards to improve the situation. (Press Trust of India, 7 Mar. 2003)

United States Settles Clean Air Act Case Against Toyota - The Department of Justice and the Environment Protection Agency finalized a settlement of the government's lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corporation for Clean Air Act violations involving 2.2 million vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 1998. Under the settlement, Toyota will spend $20 million on a supplemental environmental project to retrofit up to 3,000 public diesel fleet vehicles to make them run cleaner and extend the emission control system warranty on affected vehicles. In addition, Toyota will accelerate its compliance with certain new emission control requirements, and pay a $500,000 civil penalty. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 7 Mar. 2003)

EU proposes criminal penalties for sea polluters - Ships that pollute the ocean by flushing out their tanks at sea would be subject to criminal sanctions, including jail sentences those responsible, under a draft law proposed this week by the European Commission. (Reuters, 7 Mar. 2003)

Staples’ Ink-Jet Recycling Program To Support Oklahoma Education [USA] (GreenBiz.com, 7 Mar. 2003)

{···español} PCB en las calles Plantenses [Argentina] - La Defensoría Ecológica de La Plata denunció ayer a la empresa de energía eléctrica Edelap por la utilización de transformadores con la sustancia tóxica PCB luego de que el viernes pasado vecinos de Gonnet presentaran un reclamo ante el organismo en donde afirmaban que por lo menos 10 personas, en una cuadra del barrio donde viven 15 familias, contrajeron diversos tipos de cáncer por la contaminación ambiental. (Página/12 [Argentina], 6 marzo 2003)

Ethical Supply Chain Management - the story so far - Some of the standards focus on core labour and human rights issues (e.g. Ethical Trading Initiative or SA8000), while others are beginning to tackle wider issues such as terms of trading and criteria for smallholders...Companies are beginning to “green” their supply chain by working on environmental initiatives with their suppliers. [refers to McDonald’s, Cosmair (a subsidiary of L'Oreal), Ford]. (Julian Roche, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 6 Mar. 2003)

Logging threatens Cambodian tragedy - UN - Cambodia's tropical rain forests are being systematically destroyed by logging companies, which threaten to unleash fresh tragedy on the war-scarred country, a top United Nations envoy said...critics say much of the current activity appears to flout environmental and social regulations and rides roughshod over the rights and interests of the thousands of impoverished people who depend on the forests for their livelihoods. (Reuters, 6 Mar. 2003)

{···español} Nueva Protesta en Esquel contra la Mina de Oro y Plata [Argentina] - Piden que no se modifique la fecha fijada para el plebiscito que decidirá la suerte de la explotación. Temen que se contamine el medio ambiente...La empresa El Desquite, propiedad de la multinacional canadiense Meridiam Gold, compró en 1.400 millones de dólares un yacimiento de oro y plata ubicado a 7 kilómetros de la ciudad...Hará una inversión de 100 millones de dólares y creará 1.500 puestos de trabajo directos e indirectos. Pero la gente del pueblo y de las localidades vecinas se opone: tienen temor a la contaminación del medio ambiente debido a que, para sacar el oro y la plata de la roca, la empresa utilizará grandes cantidades de cianuro, un elemento altamente tóxico. (Clarín [Argentina], 5 marzo 2003)

Effects of Oil and Gas Development Are Accumulating On Northern Alaska's Environment and Native Cultures - The environmental effects of oil and gas exploration and production on Alaska's North Slope have been accumulating for more than three decades, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council. Efforts by the oil industry and regulatory agencies have reduced many environmental effects, but have not eliminated them. The committee that wrote the congressionally mandated report also said that the social and economic effects have been large, and both positive and negative. (National Academies' National Research Council, 5 Mar. 2003)

INDIA: Banks, UNEP Launch Solar Power Initiative - The U.N. Environment Program and two of India's largest banks [Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank] yesterday launched a $7.6 million solar power initiative aimed at helping 18,000 households in southern India conserve energy and emit fewer pollutants...UNEP backed the project along with the United Nations Foundation and the Shell Foundation. (UN Wire, 5 Mar. 2003)

US EPA proposes cancer guidelines for children - Infants and toddlers have 10 times the risk of cancer from hazardous chemicals than adults do, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said this week in its first guidelines that define the greater risks that children face...Chemicals also can affect babies more. They include vinyl chloride - a gas used in making PVC or polyvinyl chloride - diethylnitrosamine - found in tobacco smoke - and the insecticide DDT. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 5 Mar. 2003) 

Gold Discovered Beneath Ghana's Forest Reserves - Dozens of bulldozers and excavators belonging to five multinational mining companies operating in Ghana [Chirano Goldmines Ltd., Satellite Goldfields Ltd., Nevsun/AGC, Birim/AGC, and Newmont Ghana Ltd.] are poised to tear apart thousands of hectares of forest reserves in the Ashanti, Western and Eastern Regions of the country, if the government gives them approval to haul out what they describe as rich deposits of gold beneath the forests...The environmentalists fear that when the rains come, water laced with deadly cyanide will run off the tailings or waste from the mining activities into these rivers. (Mike Anane, Environment News Service, 4 Mar. 2003)

{···français} Une nouvelle étude confirme le lien entre la pollution et la mortalité à Paris - L'observatoire régional de la santé (ORS) d'Ile-de-France a publié, lundi 3 mars, une étude confirmant un lien direct entre la pollution atmosphérique, principalement issue des transports, et la mortalité ou la morbidité des habitants qui la supportent. (Benoît Hopquin, Le Monde, 4 mars 2003)

New Loans Finance Solar Power Development in India - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today launched a major new $7.6 million initiative with two of India's largest banking groups [Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank] to offer 18,000 southern Indian households low cost financing for solar generated electricity. (Environment News Service, 4 Mar. 2003)

New report shows negative impacts, threats of water privatization - A new report to be released on the eve of the Third World Water Forum shows that water privatization has had negative impacts on communities in many countries and threatens to affect an increasing number of people in 2003 [refers to Suez (France), Vivendi Universal (France), Thames Water (UK but part of German RWE), Betchel (USA)] (Friends of the Earth, 3 Mar. 2003)

When does protest work? Leading campaigners and experts told The Observer what made campaigning effective - and how companies needed to ensure that corporate accountability was not simply a PR exercise if they wanted to protect their brands and reputations. [refers to Shell, ExxonMobil/Esso, Nestle, Unity Trust Bank, Co-operative Bank, Cobbetts solicitors, Enron, Rio Tinto] (Lola Okolosie, Observer [UK], 2 Mar. 2003)

Cruise liners leave marine pollution in their wake -...Huge new liners that can carry up to 3,000 passengers are regularly discharging thousands of gallons of sewage, oily water, chemicals and rubbish into the sea. (Jeremy Watson, Scotsman, 2 Mar. 2003)

Biotech crops Become Common on American Farms Despite Health Concerns - The U.S. government this week approved a new strain of genetically altered corn that promises to reduce the amount of chemical insecticide farmers spray...Despite concerns among critics about possible health or environmental impacts, biotech crops have become common on American farms. (Steve Baragona, Voice of America, 1 Mar. 2003) 

new book: Buying into the Environment Experiences, Opportunities and Potential for Eco-procurement -...Many initiatives have been undertaken in OECD countries, most successfully in Japan and Denmark where green public purchasing has been proven to be workable and highly effective, while, in other countries, city municipalities have successfully pioneered the development of sophisticated public environmental purchasing policies...The book, organised under the auspices of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) analyses national approaches already tested, and provides in-depth surveys on the pioneer cities such as Hamburg, Malmö and Zürich...The most relevant product groups for eco-procurement such as construction, transport, energy, information technology, furniture and food. are also analysed. (Edited by Christoph Erdmenger, International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, Mar. 2003)

Intel's Hudson Plant Stays In the Loop With Water Recycling (GreenBiz.com, Mar. 2003)

report: Development Disasters: Japanese-Funded Dam Projects in Asia - This report features case studies of six exisiting or proposed dam projects funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). JBIC-funded dam projects in Asia have been fraught with problems, which have led to serious and unmitigated social, environmental and economic impacts, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. [refers to dam projects in Indonesia (Koto Panjang Dam: refers to lawsuit by local people in Indonesia against Tokyo Electric Power Services Co., JBIC & Japanese govt.), Philippines (San Roque Multipurpose Project: refers to San Roque Power Corp., consisting of Marubeni, Kansai Electric & Sithe Energies), Thailand, China, Malaysia] (Rivers Watch East and Southeast Asia, International Rivers Network and Friends of the Earth, Mar. 2003)

briefing kit: Dammed rivers, damned lies: What the water establishment doesn’t want you to know - Over 45,000 large dams have been built to meet the world’s water, energy and flood management needs. However, dams have failed to live up to expectations and have devastated communities and ecosystems. This briefing kit exposes the myths behind large dams and promotes equitable and sustainable solutions for meeting the world’s needs. [also available in Japanese] (Friends of the Earth Japan and International Rivers Network, 28 Feb. 2003)

Environmental Groups Sue EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] for Weakening Clean Air Act - Charge Bush administration’s new source review changes illegal - The Bush administration’s changes to a key provision of the Clean Air Act is illegal and will dramatically increase air pollution, threatening the health of millions of Americans, according to a lawsuit filed today by Earthjustice on behalf of a coalition of environmental and public health groups. (Earthjustice, 28 Feb. 2003)

Beyond philanthropy - Roger Cowe looks at attempts by major corporations to tie social opportunities into the very core of product and market development [refers to Lattice work with young offenders & school truancy; Centrica recruitment of disabled workers; BG Group funding a geosciences course at Univ. of West Indies;  EdF providing solar energy in Mali; Hewlett-Packard project in Sao Paolo to bridge digital divide; National grid Transco work with young offenders; Deutsche Bank’s experiments with micro-credit; HSBC’s development of Islamic mortgage products; work by Barclays and LloydsTSB on diversity; Unilever “small pack” initiative that makes detergents affordable to the poor, and its role in creating the Marine Stewardship Council; Procter & Gamble developing products which meet social needs] (Roger Cowe, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 28 Feb. 2003)

World's Largest Window Company Acts to Save Chile's Endangered Forests and Indigenous Communities - U.S. Company Leads Trend Toward Ecologically Certified Wood - Andersen Corporation, the world's leading wood window manufacturer, announced today that it will no longer buy Chilean wood products unless they are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. (ForestEthics, 27 Feb. 2003)

Largest Ever Seizure of Illegal Wood in UK - The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today applauded the announcement by HM Customs of the largest seizure of illegal wood products ever seen in the UK, but stressed the need for new laws to tackle the flood of illegally sourced timber and wood products entering the country. (Environmental Investigation Agency, 27 Feb. 2003)

International Right to Know Campaign Promotes Disclosure of Global Corporate Impacts - In a recent report, the International Right to Know Campaign outlines the benefits of corporate disclosure of global environmental and social policies and practices...The McDonald's (MCD) case study illustrates the use of child labor in China to produce its Happy Meal toys, the Nike (NKE) case study focuses on labor rights abuses in Indonesia, and the Unocal (UCL) case study discusses human rights abuses in its use of security forces in Burma. The ExxonMobil (XOM) case study alone illustrates several of the environmental as well as human rights abuses that the IRTK guidelines are meant to expose. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 27 Feb. 2003)

Banned pesticides poisoning millions - Millions of farmers in the developing world are being poisoned by pesticides that are banned in Europe, environmental campaigners claimed yesterday. A report by the Environmental Justice Foundation found that the use of organophosphates and organochlorines in crop spraying in Asia, Africa and South America was exposing poorly paid workers to a far higher risk of developing cancers. (Matthew Beard, Independent [UK], 27 Feb. 2003)

Electronics Cos. Focus on Eco-Friendly Goods -...Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics (LGE) are developing environmentally friendly lead-free solder handsets, targeting production in 2005...U.S. cell phone maker Motorola has already developed a new type of handset composed of lead-free solder, recycled plastic and which comes with an energy-efficient charger...leading Japanese electronics, including Hitachi and Toshiba, have already stopped using CFC in their freezers, not only for domestic market, but also for that overseas markets. (Seo Jee-yeon, Korea Times, 27 Feb. 2003)

Rural education can cut pesticide deaths - report - Agrochemical giants must make amends for pesticide-caused deaths by funding rural education in the developing world and phasing out their most dangerous chemicals, an environmental group [Environmental Justice Foundation] said yesterday...Leading biotech companies contend that their investment in new technologies is reducing the damage done by pesticides. (Reuters, 27 Feb. 2003)

ExxonMobil Receives 23 Shareowner Resolutions on Issues Ranging from Climate Change to Corporate Governance -...The social resolutions filed with ExxonMobil ask the company to implement a sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy, review and implement human rights standards, affirm political nonpartisanship, and report on the impact of AIDS on operations. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 26 Feb. 2003)

Leading Furniture Manufacturer Gets Green Certification - Leading furniture manufacturer and designer Knoll Inc. recently received Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification for three of its manufacturing plants. (GreenBiz.com, 26 Feb. 2003)

Peru Pipeline Endangering Lives of Indigenous People, Say Groups - Funding should be withheld from the sponsors of a gas pipeline project in the Peruvian Amazon, whose imported workers are seriously threatening the health and well-being of previously isolated indigenous people living in the area, according to six environmental and watchdog groups. The groups, which include Rainforest Action Network, Environmental Defense, and Friends of the Earth International, maintained that the sponsors of the US$1.4 billion Camisea Gas Project, Pluspetrol of Argentina and Texas-based Hunt Oil, were "forcibly contacting groups living in voluntary isolation" in violation of internationally recognized rights of indigenous peoples. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 26 Feb. 2003)

Electronics Recyclers Pledge: “No Export, No Dumping, No Prisons” - Sixteen private electronics recycling firms representing 22 facilities throughout North America have pledged to uphold rigorous environmental and social criteria for the dismantling and recycling of e-wastes. (GreenBiz.com, 25 Feb. 2003)

SRI Issues Will Impact Companies' Financial Performance, UK Pension Fund Trustees Say - A recent survey finds that pension fund trustees in the United Kingdom view socially responsible investing (SRI) issues as linked to companies' future financial performance. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 25 Feb. 2003)

EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] report details how toxics harm kids' health - Additional risks to California children are listed - A new federal report on children's exposure to environmental contaminants blames air pollutants, mercury, lead, pesticides and solvents for damaging health and causing birth defects. (Jane Kay, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2003)

Erin Brockovich firm to sue over Beverly Hills oil -...a lawsuit against the city of Beverly Hills and three oil companies for allegedly ignoring cancer-causing toxic gases leaking from oil wells on the Beverly Hills High School grounds. Masry told Reuters the lawsuit would be filed within a month in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city, the school district and Occidental Petroleum Corp., ChevronTexaco Corp. and privately held Venoco Inc. of Carpinteria, California, on behalf of more than 80 cancer patients who are former students, teachers or school employees. (Gina Keating, Reuters, 25 Feb. 2003)

AGC accused of human rights violation [Ghana] - The Ashanti Goldfields Company is reportedly doing well but at what cost? Wassa Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) says their rights are being violated. Below is the recently released report of a fact finding [includes reports of killings and pollution] (Public Agenda [Ghana], 24 Feb. 2003)

China Serves as Dump Site for Computers - Unsafe Recycling Practice Grows Despite Import Ban -...The real costs are being borne by the people on the receiving end of the "e-waste." In towns along China's coast as well as in India and Pakistan, adults and children work for about $1.20 a day in unregulated and unsafe conditions. As rivers and soils absorb a mounting influx of carcinogens and other toxins, people are suffering high incidences of birth defects, infant mortality, tuberculosis and blood diseases, as well as particularly severe respiratory problems, according to recent reports by the state-controlled Guangdong Radio and the Beijing Youth newspaper. (Peter S. Goodman, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2003)

Groups Launch Effort to Clean Up Shrimp Industry - Intensive farming of shrimp, also known as prawns, to meet the growing demands of global consumers has led to human rights abuses and ecological destruction in parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, according to an international environmental group which last week kicked off a campaign to raise awareness about the trade. (Andrew Wasley, Red Pepper, 24 Feb. 2003)

Factory fined for refusing access to inspector [Australia] - An Adelaide paint manufacturer has been fined $4500 after being found guilty of abusing and barring access to a workplace inspector attempting to measure solvent fumes. (David Eccles, Advertiser [Australia], 22 Feb. 2003)

NIGERIA: Fresh spill reported in Ogoniland - An explosion at an abandoned oil well belonging to oil transnational giant Shell, has created a major oil spill in the Ogoni ethnic minority area of Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta, local rights activists said on Thursday. (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, 21 Feb. 2003)

Scandal of Toxic Waste Exports to Developing Nations Continues - A coalition of NGOs are calling on Thailand to ban the import of all toxic wastes into Thai territory, following the discovery that the country is becoming a target for international toxic waste traders. Last March it was revealed that hazardous waste from the wealthy West was being sent to less well-off nations such as China, India and Pakistan. Basel Action Network (BAN) and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition revealed that poor workers in China were being employed to break apart obsolete computers, coming into contact with toxic substances from lead-laden cathode ray tubes to soldered circuit boards. (Edie, 21 Feb. 2003)

Nigerian Oil Spill Is a Threat to Environment, Say Activists - An abandoned Shell oil well exploded in southeast Nigeria, and activists said the spill had contaminated farms and streams. (Dulue Mbachu, Associated Press, 21 Feb. 2003)

EU Laws on E-Waste Clear the Way for Similar Laws in U.S. -..."The enactment of these laws is a critical first step in the transition to extended producer responsibility as an important new code of conduct for the global electronics industry," said Ted Smith, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and coordinator of the national Computer TakeBack Campaign. (GreenBiz.com, 21 Feb. 2003)

World Corporations Put Environmentalists Under Fire Worldwide - Amnesty International Campaigns for Corporate Accountability on Human Rights - In a new report released today, Amnesty International charges that corporate interests are inflicting a devastating worldwide toll on human rights and the environment. The report, Environmentalists Under Fire, cites the US for failing to use its influence to protect environmental defenders around the world, and highlights cases in Russia, Ecuador, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Chad and Cameroon...While environmental defenders can only appeal to the US government to live up to its rhetoric on rights, the corporations cited in the report - ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Occidental Petroleum and Freeport-McMoRan - have considerable ability to influence the US Government, having collectively made more than $2.8 million in campaign contributions during the 2002 election cycle. (Amnesty International USA, 20 Feb. 2003)

Plastics industry loses out -...When chemicals companies Solvay and EVC decided to sue us in 1997, they were following in a long corporate tradition of using money and the courts to silence critics...Solvay and EVC were suing over our campaign to prevent poisonous PVC plastic being used in children's toys...In Italy the two companies sued us for damage to their image, reputation and for illegal claims. They also maintained "production of PVC and PVC products do not harm the environment". However the judge threw out all claims of the industry and ordered the companies to pay the legal costs. (Greenpeace, 20 Feb. 2003)

Bush Administration Hides Reports on Mercury Risks While Simultaneously Weakening Mercury Protections - The Sierra Club today called on the Bush Administration to immediately release a long-delayed report on the health risks children face from toxic mercury spewing from coal power plants. (Sierra Club, 20 Feb. 2003)

French President Meets With Businesses on Global Compact - French President Jacques Chirac met with leaders of French companies in Paris on 19 February to discuss the Global Compact. The business leaders shared with the President examples of good corporate practices and partnership projects. These examples included an initiative to fight malaria in Africa, access to water in urban areas, voluntary initiatives to advance environmental management as well as other corporate practices in support of the Global Compact. (U.N. Global Compact, 19 Feb. 2003)

TVs, PC monitors should be recycled, says L.A. official - A proposal that would require electronics retailers to set up recycling for discarded televisions and computer monitors, the first proposed law of its kind in the United States, has been introduced by a Los Angeles city official. (Reuters, 19 Feb. 2003)

Central America Deal Must Boost Labour Rights - Report - A proposed trade agreement [CAFTA] between the United States and five Central American nations could further worsen labour and environmental conditions in the region if Washington does not use its clout to press for greater workers' rights there, says a leading U.S. think tank [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace] (Emad Mekay, Inter Press Service, 19 Feb. 2003)

Climate change set to impact global markets - report - Global warming is set to have a big impact on financial markets as investors revalue companies based on their exposure to climate change risk, according to a report published. Businesses could face huge extra costs from increasingly frequent natural disasters and from new legislation aimed at reducing emissions of global warming gases, the report by the Carbon Disclosure Project says. (Simon Johnson, Reuters, 19 Feb. 2003)

Business Travel; Offsetting Environmental Damage by Planes (Harry Rijnen, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2003)

CAMBODIA: World Bank Links Aid To Independent Environmental Monitoring - If Cambodia refuses to continue independent monitoring of its forestry management, it could lose a $20 million World Bank aid package, World Bank Cambodia head Ian Porter has said in comments published in Sunday's Washington Post. The statement follows Cambodian threats to cancel an agreement with environmental monitors from Global Witness. (UN Wire, 18 Feb. 2003)

EU to debate pesticide ban on highly toxic aldicarb (Reuters, 17 Feb. 2003) 

EU under attack over plan to legalise paraquat - Environmentalists, insisting that paraquat is highly toxic for humans and animals, slammed EU proposals to legalise the controversial herbicide across the bloc although it is banned in several member states. (Jeremy Smith, Reuters, 17 Feb. 2003)

A Toxic Legacy on the Mexican Border - Abandoned U.S.-Owned Smelter in Tijuana Blamed for Birth Defects, Health Ailments (Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2003)

BP gas field 'ravaged the rainforest' - The oil giant's green credentials take yet another battering as its subsidiary is sued in the US courts - In a court action launched in the US state of Delaware earlier this month, BP has been accused of despoiling a 70,000- acre area of largely virgin Argentinian rainforest earmarked for a "sustainable" hardwood harvesting project. (Severin Carrell, Independent [UK], 16 Feb. 2003)

Refinery pollution report a shock: [San Francisco] Bay Area plants belching 30% more gases than realized [USA] -..."I was astounded to see how much pollution was being released from the flares," said Contra Costa Health Director Wendel Brunner, who has expressed serious concern about their impact on public health. (Jason B. Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Feb. 2003)

Firm sued over wells it tainted: San Martin residents worry about health [USA] - Five San Martin homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit Friday against Olin Corp., the giant aerospace and ammunition manufacturer whose highway-flare operation in Morgan Hill contaminated their drinking water wells with a chemical used in rocket fuels. (Frank Sweeney, San Jose Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2003)

OECD principles should stick to corporate governance - Business wants the OECD's principles of corporate governance to play a vital role in how companies are run - but opposes efforts to weigh them down with non-governance requirements...Some countries are already calling for the inclusion of human rights; labour rights and the environment in the principles - issues that business maintains are best dealt with in other bodies. (International Chamber of Commerce, 14 Feb. 2003)

Automakers, Calif. Spar Over Emissions - Automakers and California Spar Over State's Vehicle Emission Rules...A coalition of 12 automakers, including General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler, is fighting the rules. (Associated Press, 13 Feb. 2003)

Exxon CEO backs mandatory emissions reports - Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Lee Raymond said this week companies should be required to report carbon emissions before any rules are created to target cuts in gases blamed for global warming. (Reuters, 13 Feb. 2003) 

Yorkshire businesses get stark warning on climate change [UK] - An environmental conference held at York Racecourse today gave Yorkshire businesses a stark warning. Businesses were told to act now or face the affects of climate change and further tough legislation. (Business in the Community, 12 Feb. 2003)

Air travel to knock emissions off target [UK] - The government is unlikely to deliver on its pledges to curb emissions of carbon dioxide, with pollution from air travel threatening to undo progress by industry and other sectors, according to a team of government advisors. (Reuters, 12 Feb. 2003)

Social & environmental impact of Coal India projects [India]: IBRD urged to act fast on inspection report - The Chotanagpur Adivasi Sewa Samiti (CASS), along with other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), has addressed a sign-on letter to the World Bank board, which is scheduled to review in late February its inspection panel's report on two World Bank-supported Coal India projects in eastern and central India, urging the directors "to take seriously and act rigorously" on the report which has commented adversely on the projects' social and environmental impact. (Pratap Ravindran, Business Line, 11 Feb. 2003)

Forest Certification Gains Strength in North America (Forest Certification Watch, 11 Feb. 2003)

UK Paper Companies Supporting Indonesian Rainforest Destruction - Investigations by Friends of the Earth have revealed that UK paper merchants are still buying paper from Indonesian companies responsible for rainforest destruction, illegal logging and human rights abuses [says paper merchant David John is buying paper from Asia Pulp & Paper; Ovenden Papers of Epping, Rosefox of Preston, Frederick Johnson of Enfield and the South Wales Paper Company are buying from Indonesian paper manufacturer APRIL]...James McNaughton, one of the UK's biggest paper merchant groups, recently announced its decision to stop buying Indonesian paper until it can be independently proven that it comes from a non-destructive source. Friends of the Earth is calling on all paper merchants to do the same. (Friends of the Earth, 10 Feb. 2003)

ChevronTexaco Gives Away Greenhouse Gas Management System to Industry Source - ChevronTexaco Corp. has made its proprietary system for estimating and managing greenhouse gas emissions and energy utilization data available free of charge to the worldwide energy industry. (GreenBiz.com, 10 Feb. 2002)

Scrapping Mining Dependence [This study, chapter 6 in Worldwatch Institute’s annual report State of the World 2003, assesses the impacts of global mining activities, and presents alternative ways in which the world can meet its demand for minerals.  Many major mining companies are referred to in the text] -...Mines have uprooted tens of thousands of people from their homelands and have exposed many more to toxic chemicals and pollution.  And mining is the world's most deadly occupation: on average 40 mine workers are killed on the job each day, and many more are injured. (Payal Sampat, Senior Fellow with the Worldwatch Institute and International Campaign Director at the Mineral Policy Center, 7 Feb. 2003)

ENSR Lauded for Using IT to Enhance Environmental Projects - ENSR International, a Massachusetts-based environmental services firm, has been awarded the Environmental Business Journal 2002 Merit Award for Information Technology. EBJ singled out ENSR for its extensive use of "extranets" to provide clients and project teams with global, 24-hour availability to environmental project resources to improve efficiency and performance while reducing costs. (GreenBiz.com, 7 Feb. 2003)

EU aims to improve greenhouse gas monitoring system (Reuters, 7 Feb. 2003)

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.S. Industries Plan Voluntary Emissions Cuts (UN Wire, 7 Feb. 2003)

Battle against air pollution [Bangalore, India] - Vehicular pollution constitutes over 70 per cent of the total pollution in Bangalore. And getting polluting vehicles off city roads has never been easy. But armed with its ambitious 36-point action plan to tackle pollution, the state transport department claims that it is making slow but steady progress in bringing down pollution levels. (Times of India, 6 Feb. 2003)

GE acts to prove PCB case [USA] - Company commissions studies to disprove harm to river that could be cited in damage claims - Anticipating a multimillion-dollar state and federal lawsuit for damages caused by the PCBs it discharged into the Hudson River, the General Electric Co. is continuing what some consider a series of pre-emptive studies to disprove scientific evidence that could be used against the company. (Erin Duggan, Times Union [USA], 6 Feb. 2003)

UNEP: Agency Seeks More Appealing Environmental Message - UNEP praised KIA for a British campaign urging people to use cars on long trips only and European detergent makers for their Wash-Right campaign calling on people to wash clothes at low temperatures (UN Wire, 5 Feb. 2003)

UNEP: Agency Says Mercury Pollution Rising In Poor Countries - Coal-fired power stations and waste incinerators in developing countries are to blame for the majority of the world's new mercury contamination (UN Wire, 5 Feb. 2003)

Ivax submits inhaler that doesn't deplete ozone - Ivax Corp. said this week it submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval for a new asthma inhaler that uses the common treatment albuterol but does not deplete the ozone layer like most devices. (Reuters, 5 Feb. 2003) 

Poland's leading oil company joins public-private partnership - PKN ORLEN, the largest oil company in Poland, has forged a pioneering partnership with the city of Plock, where it is based, and UNDP to promote corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. (U.N. Development Programme, 4 Feb. 2003)

Swiss Aid Group Keeps Watchful Eye on Chad Pipeline -...human rights groups say it is already having a negative impact on ordinary people...Human rights groups have criticised the project, saying it is damaging water supplies and depriving farmers of their land...Ron Royal, the general manager of Esso Chad, says the criticisms are unjustified [refers to Exxon Mobil, Petronas and Chevron] (NZZ, 4 Feb. 2003)

Asbestos Claimants Accept Gencor Offer [South Africa] - Lawyers representing asbestos victims approved a settlement offer from Gencor yesterday...Part of the R460m settlement offer would be set aside for claims against Cape plc (Chantelle Benjamin, Business Day [South Africa], 4 Feb. 2003)

UN Lists Top World Air Polluters -...The report released yesterday at the United Nations Environmental Programme headquarters, Nairobi, warns that mercury poisoning could increase if pollution from power stations is not curbed. (Jeff Otieno, The Nation [Kenya], 4 Feb. 2003)

Banana workers get day in court - For two decades, the workers say, their efforts to win compensation for the damage done by DBCP [a pesticide] - including sterility, cancer, and birth defects in children - have been frustrated by the legal tactics of American chemical and fruit companies. But now they are getting their day in court...A ruling by a federal judge in New Orleans has opened the way for a lawsuit brought by 3,000 Central American banana workers seeking millions in damages, the first time one of these cases would be tried in the United States. (David Gonzalez, Trinidad Express [Trinidad & Tobago], 3 Feb. 2003)

Corporate Social Responsibility - But is it any more than a box-ticking exercise? - Campaigner and writer Marc Lopatin questions whether developed nations are ready to pay more to improve standards -...Kelly Dent, program director of labour rights NGO Transnational Information Exchange, in Sri Lanka says: 'Corporate responsibility has become a PR tool of transnational corporations to convince consumers it's OK to keep buying. In reality, transnational corporations have worsened conditions for workers and communities by pressuring governments to rewrite labour and environmental laws.' (Marc Lopatin, Observer [UK], 2 Feb. 2003)

But is it any more than a box-ticking exercise? Campaigner and writer Marc Lopatin questions whether developed nations are ready to pay more to improve standards -...Companies that outsource production are not exactly benevolent agents of sustainable development brimming with enthusiasm for respecting labour rights and environmental protection...Is it surprising then that some Southern-based NGOs regard CSR as a hollow project to deflect attention from unfair trade rules and bullying on the part of inward investors? (Marc Lopatin, Observer [UK], 2 Feb. 2003)

Oil giants get slick with bid for new image - All the soft-focused ads in the world cannot detract from the fact that the major oil firms don't do enough, writes Faisal Islam [refers to BP and Exxon] (Faisal Islam, Observer [UK], 2 Feb. 2003)

Manistee firm studies effluent: Paper mill gets year to review options for polluted wastewater [USA] - Packaging Corp. of America officials say they'll attempt to address community concerns over wastewater discharge into Lake Michigan with improvements to the wood pulp manufacturing process. (Mike Tyree, Associated Press, 2 Feb. 2003)

RP-based center develops environment friendly shrimp production technology [Philippines] (Rudy A. Fernandez, Philippine Star, 2 Feb. 2003)

Balancing Trade Rules, the Environment and Sustainable Development -...AllAfrica's Akwe Amosu probed these issues with Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, the General Manager of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia. (AllAfrica.com, 1 Feb. 2003)

Ashulia: An environmental time bomb in the making [Bangladesh] - Dhaka continues to expand haphazardly as real estate developers are filling up the wetlands in and around the capital for construction. At least half a dozen small and large developers are engaged in filling up the vast low-lying lands around Ashulia...Water experts at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warn that filling up of this flood-flow zone will threaten the Uttara dam, thus entailing an environmental disaster by endangering the entire ecosystem of the area. [refers to threat of flooding to villages and city] (ASM Nurunnabi, Daily Star [Bangladesh], 1 Feb. 2003)

N.J. fighting Ohio polluters - The McGreevey administration announced Friday that it is dispatching a pair of deputy attorneys general to Ohio to help argue a federal case charging Ohio Edison Co. with polluting New Jersey's air and damaging the health of state residents. (Jack Kaskey, PressofAtlanticCity.com, 1 Feb. 2003)

Letter To The Editor (and Responses) featuring Paul Hawken and Amy Domini [debate on socially-responsible investment; refers to labour, environmental, health & other social issues; refers to Chiquita, McDonald's, Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Horizon Organic, Coca-Cola]  (GreenMoneyJournal.com, Feb./Mar. 2003)

As "Green Banking" Flourishes at the Grassroots Level, 10 Leading Proponents Across the USA - "Green banking" -- in which community investing dollars from banks, credit unions, venture capital firms, foundations and other organizations are directed to support environmentally beneficial businesses and nonprofits that might otherwise be overlooked by "traditional" financial institutions -- is making major strides today across the United States. Today, the Community Investing Campaign...singled out 10 organizations that "best exemplify the building of economic opportunity and hope for individuals through community investing": Chittenden Bank; Coastal Enterprises, Inc.; Permaculture Credit Union; Rudolf Steiner Foundation; Self-Help Credit Union; ShoreBank Pacific; Sustainable Jobs Fund; Underdog Ventures, LLC; Vermont Community Loan Fund; and Wainwright Bank & Trust Company. (Social Investment Forum, in GreenMoneyJournal.com, Feb./Mar. 2003)

Legal Issues in Corporate Citizenship -...Mandatory legislation on various aspects of business transparency is emerging around the world. It can form part of company law, environmental regulation, or tailored legislation for institutional investors or on social and environmental reporting. Pressure for enhanced public sector accountability has also given rise to calls for company reporting on revenues paid to host government by companies in the extractive industries...A new wave of legal actions – mostly in US courts, but also in some EU countries – is testing the boundaries of existing legal principles in relation to some of the most difficult issues of the CSR agenda. For example, a series of cases in the US, France and Belgium are testing how fundamental principles of international law – particularly human rights law – apply to parent companies of multinational corporate groups. (Halina Ward, International Institute for Environment and Development, Feb. 2003)

BP and Pertamina in pipeline safety row [Indonesia] - The British oil company BP has been accused of negligence in maintaining gas collection pipes at its offshore Pagerungan gas field near Madura in East Java. The president of state oil company Pertamina, Baihaki Hakim, said in January that BP should have anticipated a possible gas leak but had "failed to deal with it". (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2003)

NGO to sue Singapore over sand imports [Indonesia] -...Since sand dredging started in 1979 [in Indonesia], coral reefs have been destroyed and fishing has suffered. So far around 500 million cubic metres of sand have been exported for land reclamation projects in Singapore...In 2001, Bisnis Indonesia reported that Dutch, Japanese and German companies had been contracted by Singapore to procure sand for reclamation projects. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2003)

New pollution treaty improves right-to-know - A new international law improving the public’s right to know about levels of pollutants and their sources was finalised late yesterday after a final four-day round of negotiations at the UN in Geneva. The treaty involves countries from Europe, Central Asia and Canada, but not the United States who dropped out last year. (Friends of the Earth, 31 Jan. 2003)

Environment and the poor: Focused action, greater attention needed -...There are inextricable, multidimensional and complex linkages between increasing poverty and environmental degradation. (Dr. A. Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Coordinator of Global Forum on Environment and Poverty (GFEP), in Independent [Bangladesh], 30 Jan. 2003)

Researchers Explore A New Toxic Pollution Site: People - “Body Burden” Studies Are Raising Health Concerns And Prompting Stronger Government Actions -...Subjects contained an average of 91 compounds, most of which did not exist 75 years ago. In total, the nine subjects carried 76 chemicals linked to cancer. Participants had a total of 48 PCBs, which were banned in the U.S. in 1976 but are used in other countries and persist in the environment for decades. (Environmental Working Group, 30 Jan. 2003)

New European Constitution May Erase Eco-Progress - Some of the European Union's greatest milestones in environmental policymaking could be at risk from attempts to draft a new constitution for the bloc (Environment News Service, 29 Jan. 2003)

Logging Pollution Damages North Coast Watersheds [USA] - Accelerated logging has polluted some 85 percent of the waters in California's North Coast region, uprooted protected redwoods and damaged private property, but state officials continue to permit logging companies to avoid complying with environmental regulations. California environmentalists are fighting back with lawsuits (Environment News Service, 29 Jan. 2003)

Grupo Mexico-owned Southern Peru Copper Corp. is behind schedule on its smelter modernization, part of a program to bring the company in compliance with Peru's environmental laws (Mary Powers, Reuters, 29 Jan. 2003)

CAMBODIA: Forestry Dispute Expected To Dominate Donor Meeting - Forestry was likely to dominate today's meeting of international donors to Cambodia following the country's announcement of a plan to cancel its monitoring agreement with the British environmental group Global Witness, the Phnom Penh Post reports. (UN Wire, 28 Jan. 2003)

Link Found Between Nitrates Well Water and Factory Farms [USA] - Studies From An Independent Scientific Organization Show Link Between Higher Contamination Of Well Water Near Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (Environmental News Network, 28 Jan. 2003)

Conservation Fund pursues environmental goals by working with businesses, speaking the language [USA] -...a complex multimillion dollar deal sealed between a conservation group, loggers, and Maryland state officials provides an example of an increasingly common form of cooperation between those two seemingly conflicting groups. (Associated Press, 28 Jan. 2003)

Analysis: BP and the Baku pipeline: Whose standards are high enough? - [regarding the BP-led consortium's Host Government Agreement with Turkey, Georgia & Azerbaijan, which grants the consortium exemption from national laws]...Environmental and human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth (FoE), are concerned the consortium will not be held legally or financially responsible for any environmental or social wrongdoings. (Jaime Eastham, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 27 Jan. 2003)

WATER: UNEP Urges Better Management As Global Supply Deteriorates -...UNEP warns of steep drops in the sizes of bodies of water, the deterioration of coral reefs and oxygen depletion in the seas, a problem the agency says is caused by industrial and agricultural runoff and could lead to fishery collapses and "dead zones" in such places as the Gulf of Mexico. (UN Wire, 27 Jan. 2003)

Globalization tops Social Forum agenda -...For Sergio Gomes, a metalworker from Sao Paulo, Brazil's industrial largest city, globalization "is the new name of colonization." "It means that industrial countries keep the clean industries, like electronics, and force developing countries to work with industries polluting the environment," he said. "They get the best, we are left the worst." (Harold Olmos, Associated Press, 24 Jan. 2003)

A global right to know - A new report by a coalition of environmental, labor and human rights groups...argues for an international right to know...they want large companies that are traded on U.S. stock exchanges and have significant international operations to be required to disclose information that could affect the communities in which they operate...The idea of an international right to know is a creative new approach, and for the companies a not particularly burdensome one. (New York Times, in International Herald Tribune, 24 Jan. 2003)

Davos, Shell - Can industries be trusted? [South Africa] -...Shell's contradictory record in south Durban, South Africa, speaks volumes for its "commitment". Here Shell continues its usual practice of dumping pollution on communities due to poor operational systems, misrepresenting information to the public, withholding information from the public and suffering worker injuries...FoE [Friends of the Earth] South Africa raises concerns at the Public Eye on Davos about the reality that multi-nationals like Shell are not being held accountable for their environmental and human rights abuses in the South. (Friends of the Earth South Africa, 24 Jan. 2003)

Protestors force way into EBRD over Baku-Ceyhan - Nine protestors demanding the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development halt funding for the controversial Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline in the Caspian [Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey] forced their way into the bank's London headquarters at midday (Reuters, 24 Jan. 2003)

The Public Eye on Davos 2003 - International Conference - Davos/Switzerland, 23-27 January 2003 - NGO experts, academics and political representatives from the global North and South will provide a critical analysis of corporate-driven globalization and present alternatives towards more equitable and sustainable world economic policies. (Public Eye on Davos, International Conference, 23-27 Jan. 2003)

Beyond petroleum, or beyond the pale? BP left out in the cold -...one of the UK's leading ethical investment funds, Henderson Global Investors, announced it was selling millions of pounds of BP shares because it could no longer assure its investors of the company's commitment to worker safety and the environment in Alaska. (Andrew Gumbel and Marie Woolf, Independent [UK], 23 Jan. 2003)

World Legacy Awards Honor Ecotourism - Three tourism agencies were honored Wednesday with the first ever World Legacy Awards for their emphasis on environmental responsibility and respecting cultural heritage [Wilderness Safaris, for its work in South Africa; ATG Oxford, for its work in Italy; REST - the Responsible Ecological Social Tours Project, for its work in Thailand] (Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, 23 Jan. 2003)

WEF appeals for ethic rules - Critics of the World Economic Forum (WEF) which opened here on Thursday appealed to governments and big business to accept binding rules making them accountable...Klaus Schwab, the founder and president of the WEF, who normally espouses a pro-business line, joined the criticism...The NGOs said that voluntary codes were not enough to stop practices which created environmental, social or even financial damage. (South African Press Association, 23 Jan. 2003)

Alternative Davos opens with criticism of US -...The Public Eye on Davos – set up by NGOs to monitor the activities of the WEF and its participants – wants to see binding international rules introduced, requiring multinationals to sign up to agreed environmental and social standards. “The idea is to launch a convention on corporate accountability and responsibility,” Miriam Behrens of Pro-Natura, the Swiss arm of Friends of the Earth, told swissinfo. (swissinfo, 23 Jan. 2003)

14 Organizations to Cut GHGs 4% by 2006 - Fourteen organizations, including several large corporations, have entered into a legally binding agreement to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 4 percent within the next four years. The 14 entities announced last week that they are forming the Chicago Climate Exchange...The 14 entities include American Electric Power; Baxter International Inc.; the city of Chicago; DuPont; Equity Office Properties Trust; Ford Motor Company; International Paper; Manitoba Hydro; MeadWestvaco Corporation; Motorola, Inc.; STMicroelectronics; Stora Enso North America; Temple-Inland Inc.; and Waste Management, Inc. (GreenBiz.com, 23 Jan. 2003)

Group accuses Doe Run of damage overseas - A coalition of environmental, labor and human-rights groups has singled out St. Louis-based mining company Doe Run in a report that documents alleged environmental and social abuses by American companies operating abroad...The report highlighted lead poisoning among children in La Oroya, Peru, where Doe Run operates a smelter. According to a government test, 99 percent of children tested had elevated lead levels. (Sara Shipley, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 23 Jan. 2003)

ICCR Proxy Resolutions Book Gauges Shareowner Action Climate -...the auto sector resolutions...ask General Motors and the Ford Motor Company to evaluate what new public policies would enable and assist the companies in achieving GHG emissions reductions...The utilities sector resolutions ask American Electric Power, Cinergy Corporation, Southern Company, and TXU Corporation to report on the potential economic benefits of committing to a substantial reduction in GHG emissions...Sr. Wolf also highlighted the resubmission of the renewable energy resolution at ExxonMobil...Finally, Sr. Wolf highlighted the increasing number of Canadian resolutions that are making their way into the Proxy Resolutions Book. Placer Dome (PDG) has received three separate resolutions, and the five top banks in the country have been asked to disclose their social and environmental risks. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 22 Jan. 2003)

press release: Coalition Tells World Economic Forum: Building Trust Requires Disclosure - New Report Highlights U.S. Multinationals' Shameful Human Rights, Environmental and Labor Records - a coalition of environmental, development, labor and human rights groups today released a joint report entitled "International Right to Know: Empowering Communities Through Corporate Transparency."  The report documents the irresponsible environmental, labor and human rights practices committed by ExxonMobil, Nike, McDonald's, Unocal, Doe Run, Freeport McMoRan and Newmont Mining. (AFL-CIO, Amnesty International USA, EarthRights International, Friends of the Earth-US, Global Exchange, Oxfam America, Sierra Club, Working Group on Community Right to Know, 22 Jan. 2003)

AFRICA: UNEP Cites Progress Toward Eliminating Leaded Fuel (UN Wire, 22 Jan. 2003)

Choosing a better world -...Yet what I believe is promising is the evidence of a growing consensus among those of us working in international agencies, and leaders in government, business and civil society, that we can begin to solve these problems only if we forge a new development path linking economic growth to social and environmental responsibility. Without social equity, economic growth cannot be sustainable. (James D Wolfensohn, President, World Bank, Inter Press Service, in Asia Times, 21 Jan. 2003)

Pressure Groups Target the Private Banks Behind Corporate Misdeeds - As the World Economic Forum meets to discuss how to restore trust in corporations, Friends of the Earth (FoE) and other leading environmental, human rights, development and labor groups will launch the Collevecchio Declaration on Financial Institutions and Sustainability as a challenge to big banks and investors (Friends of the Earth, 21 Jan. 2003)

Will the World Bank Go Green? - Countries that rape the environment for high-growth development policies are starting to lose their appeal with global lending agencies after a decade of sustained pressure from the green lobby. (Alan Boyd, Asia Times, 21 Jan. 2003)

Brazil's "green" chief targets Petrobras polluter - Brazil's new Environment Minister Marina Silva says she wants to crack down on the country's record holder for environmental fines, state-owned oil giant Petrobras. (Frances Jones, Reuters, 21 Jan. 2003)

Indonesia military to fight illegal logging (Reuters, 20 Jan. 2003)

Investors want US utilities to disclose emissions - Shareholders at five of the largest U.S power utilities [American Electric Power, Southern Co., Cinergy Corp., Xcel Energy, TXU Corp.] filed global warming resolutions last week that would force the companies to disclose publicly the economic risks of air pollutants they emit. (Reuters, 20 Jan. 2003)

EU plans tougher sanctions against marine polluters (Reuters, 20 Jan. 2003) 

WWF seek curbs on oil tankers cleaning at sea (Reuters, 20 Jan. 2003) 

Dutch Company Perfects 'Green' Roasting of Coffee Beans - Peeze coffee roasters only use green energy generated from wind, water and solar sources, along with electricity generated from their own solar panel (Edie News, on Greenbiz.Com website, 20 Jan. 2003)

McDonald’s Opens World’s First HFC-Free Restaurant - McDonald’s Denmark has opened the world’s first HFC-free [hydroflurocarbon-free] restaurant in Denmark as part of a new initiative to help reduce the potential effects of climate change on the environment. (GreenBiz.com, 17 Jan. 2003)

United States Reaches Settlement with Koppers Industries To Settle Scores of Environmental Violations - Koppers Industries, Inc. agreed to pay the United States $2.9 million to resolve allegations of numerous violations of several environmental regulations at many of the company’s U.S. facilities [Koppers makes coke and coal tar, and engages in wood-preserving] (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Jan. 2003)

New WBCSD web portal guides companies through the motions of SD reporting - Following the Johannesburg Summit call on the corporate sector for increased accountability, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is launching a web-based “reporting portal” to bolster companies’ efforts to report on their sustainable development activities. (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 16 Jan. 2003)

The UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development will cooperate more closely for a coherent approach to corporate social responsibility (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 16 Jan. 2003)

Sierra Club Launches SRI Mutual Funds - The Sierra Club is harnessing its name recognition and expertise on corporate environmental performance with its launching of an SRI equity mutual fund and an SRI balanced mutual fund. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 15 Jan. 2003)

Davos versus Porto Alegre, Round Three - Policy-makers world- wide have a real opportunity to start building a sustainable world by shifting the spotlight from corporate interests highlighted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, (January 23-28) to the priorities emphasized by civil society representatives meeting here during the same days for the third World Social Forum, according to Friends of the Earth International. (Friends of the Earth, 15 Jan. 2003)

Indonesian Government Fails to Stop Illegal Logging - Corruption on the part of Indonesian police and government officials is to blame for continued illegal logging in Indonesia's national parks, a report released today in London by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Indonesian environmental organization Telapak charges. (Environment News Service, 14 Jan. 2003)

Supreme Court to take up Nike and free speech [USA] - S.F. activist sued, saying firm lied about working conditions (Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Jan. 2003)

Deaths on the Job, Slaps on the Wrist [Dangerous Business - Part Three] [USA] - McWane [McWane Inc., Alabama conglomerate that owns cast-iron foundries] is one of the most enduring violators of worker-safety and environmental laws...McWane has persisted largely unchecked by taking full advantage of a regulatory system that has often proven itself incapable of thwarting flagrant and continual safety and environmental violations by major corporations (David Barstow and Lowell Bergman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2003)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Worldwatch Institute Assesses Progress -...Although the institute offered dozens of examples of successful local initiatives to draw on, it said mobilizing governments, business, nongovernmental organizations and the public to support generalizing such action remains difficult. (Joe Fiorill, UN Wire, 10 Jan. 2003)

CLIMATE CHANGE: Commentator Calls For Action By Insurers - Insurers should stop seeking to deny global warming-related coverage and instead lobby for legislation to protect the environment and rate companies they insure according to their environmental records, according to a commentary in yesterday's International Herald Tribune. (UN Wire, 8 Jan. 2003)

press release: Indonesia: Paper Industry Threatens Human Rights - Indonesian police and company security forces are responsible for persistent human rights abuses against indigenous communities involved in the massive pulp and paper industry in Sumatra, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. (Human Rights Watch, 7 Jan. 2003)

Sustainability reporting is setting the scene for the future of business management, report says -...Striking the balance is co-authored by three industry leaders: Bert Heemskerk, Chief Executive Officer, Rabobank Group, Pasquale Pistorio, President and Chief Executive Officer, STMicroelectronics, and Martin Scicluna, Managing Partner, Global Strategic Clients, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 6 Jan. 2003)

Home Depot adopts new wood purchasing policy [USA] - Home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. said it will only buy wood products from suppliers committed to environmentally friendly logging and lumber practices. (Karen Jacobs, Reuters, 6 Jan. 2003)

Fuel Cell Vehicle Commercialization Ramping Up -...Honda and Toyota delivered the first customer-operated fuel cell automobiles to customers in California and Japan. (EarthVision Environmental News, 3 Jan. 2003)

NEC Pioneers "Green" Computer - NEC reverses the computer industry's foot-dragging on addressing environmental liabilities by introducing the PowerMate eco, the first eco-efficient computer. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 2 Jan. 2003)

Nine states sue Bush administration on clean-air rules - Nine Northeastern U.S. states sued the Bush administration over its decision to relax clean-air rules to help coal-fired power plants and other industrial facilities avoid costly pollution controls. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 2 Jan. 2003)

Tanks & Toxics, Planes and Pollution The Ecology of a Military Build-Up [USA] -...Environmental contamination from defense hardware manufacturing dots the U.S. landscape...Communities around defense plants that increase production in the new military boom will face more emissions of pollutants...which especially could affect the health of sensitive populations [refers to Nuclear Metals Inc., Rocketdyne (now a subsidiary of Boeing and formerly operated by Rockwell International), Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Vought Aircraft; also refers to lawsuits] (William Kelly, editor and publisher of California Environment Report, in Multinational Monitor, Jan./Feb. 2003)

Meanwhile, At Home: Oil’s Threat To U.S. Waters -...Floating rustbuckets like the Liberian-registered Prestige are just one of many threats the oil business poses to U.S. waterways. (David Helvarg, founder of Ocean Awareness Project, in Multinational Monitor, Jan./Feb. 2003)

Enviros Temperature Rising - Amid growing anger among environmentalists over the record and intentions of President George Bush, three major U.S. environmental groups announced in December that they are suing his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to curb global warming. The lawsuit by the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) charges the EPA with violating the 1977 Clean Air Act by failing to limit air pollution caused by automobiles that "may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare." (Jim Lobe, Third World Network Features/Inter Press Service, in Multinational Monitor, Jan./Feb. 2003)

2002:

Hun Sen to Sue Global Witness for Defamation [Cambodia] -...Hun Sen accused the Global Witness of unjustly defaming his government when it released an "exaggerated" report alleging the use of excessive force by police in dispersing a group of anti-logging protesters. But on Friday, a group of 18 Cambodian nongovernmental organizations said the Global Witness report was correct and urged the government to reverse its plan to close down the watchdog's office. (Japan Today, 31 Dec. 2002)

CAMBODIA: World Bank Protests Threat To Expel NGO - The World Bank yesterday protested Cambodia's threat to expel British environmental watchdog Global Witness over an allegedly slanderous report by the group. (UN Wire, 31 Dec. 2002)

Xcel to bring Denver cleaner coal power plants (Reuters, 30 Dec. 2002)

W.R. Grace to take $20 million charge for lawsuit [USA] - Bankrupt chemical maker W.R. Grace & Co. (GRA.N) on Monday said it would take a $20 million charge in the fourth quarter to account for potential liabilities relating to a government lawsuit seeking recovery costs for environmental cleanup at Montana mining sites. (Reuters, 27 Dec. 2002)

Oregon Winery Nation's First To Earn LEED Certification - Sokol Blosser Winery has become the first winery in the U.S. to be awarded LEED 2.0 Silver Level Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (GreenBiz.com, 23 Dec. 2002)

Court Orders Bush Administration Must Give Trade Documents to the Public - A U.S. District Court today ordered the Bush administration to make public documents by revealing U.S. and foreign government positions in trade negotiations with potential impacts on domestic public health, labor, and environmental laws. (Earthjustice, Public Citizen, FOE and CIEL, 19 Dec. 2002)

BASF Wins Energy Conservation Award for Geismar Site Project - The American Chemistry Council has recognized BASF for a program that significantly reduces the amount of energy consumed in a steam system at its Geismar manufacturing site. (GreenBiz.com, 17 Dec. 2002)

Jungle energy project sparks controversy in Peru - For Peru's government, a plan to pipe natural gas from the remote Camisea jungle brings hope of economic growth. But to environmentalists, the $2 billion project sounds a death knell for one of the world's last pristine jungles and the indigenous groups who live there. [refers to Pluspetrol, Hunt Oil, Techint, Tractebel, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux] (Missy Ryan, Reuters, 17 Dec. 2002)

Eight oil workers freed in Ecuador's Amazon - Eight workers for Argentine oil company CGC have been freed after being held for nine days by Ecuadorean Indians protesting the firm's exploration in the Amazon jungle (Reuters, 17 Dec. 2002)

Verizon Partners with State of New Jersey to Reduce GHG Emissions - Verizon will implement measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote increased energy efficiency as a result of a recent agreement signed with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. (GreenBiz.com, 16 Dec. 2002)

Shareholders pressure US carmakers to come clean - A group of shareholders at car makers General Motors and Ford Motor Co are exerting new pressure on management to try and force the firms to cut vehicle gas emissions in the next 10 years. (Reuters, 16 Dec. 2002)

New report charts NAFTA environmental record - In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on 17 December 1992, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released today a report detailing some of the effects of NAFTA on the environment. (North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 15 Dec. 2002)

Lawsuits allege hazardous businesses unfairly placed in poor town [USA] -...With three large environmental lawsuits and a fourth likely on the way, the city of 80,000 [Camden, New Jersey] has become the main East Coast laboratory for the environmental justice movement, an assortment of activists, academics and lawyers who believe environmental hazards are placed unfairly in the places where the powerless live. (Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press, 15 Dec. 2002)

OCEANS: General Assembly Adopts Resolutions On Marine Protection - The U.N. General Assembly yesterday concluded its debate on oceans and the law of the sea, adopting three resolutions on protecting the marine environment, harmful fishing practices and compliance of shipping vessels with conservation measures. (UN Wire, 13 Dec. 2002)

New mayor stands firm against Peru Tambogrande mine - The mayor-elect of the northern Peruvian town of Tambogrande said Wednesday residents remained opposed to a $405 million gold and copper mine planned by Canada's Manhattan Minerals Corp. that some locals fear will ruin a fertile farming valley. (Reuters, 13 Dec. 2002)

IADB OK's loan for Enron backed pipeline in Bolivia - The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a controversial loan for a Bolivian company partly controlled by bankrupt U.S. energy giant Enron to build a gas pipeline through an environmentally sensitive forest. [refers to indigenous peoples; refers to Transredes, partly controlled by Enron & Royal Dutch/Shell]. (Anna Willard, Reuters, 13 Dec. 2002)

HAZARDOUS WASTE: Cell Phone Makers, Treaty Countries Join Forces - Basel Convention countries and 10 cellular telephone makers agreed yesterday to cooperate on seeking environmentally friendly ways of disposing of and recycling telephones...The companies that signed the agreement are LG, Mitsubishi, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Panasonic maker Matsushita, Motorola, NEC, Philips and Siemens. (UN Wire, 13 Dec. 2002)

Cut greenhouse gas emissions, investors tell Petro-Canada -...Ethical Funds Inc. and Real Assets Investment Management have jointly filed the resolution to be distributed to all Petro-Canada shareholders in the company's management proxy circular and voted on at the 2003 annual general meeting. (Ethical Funds Inc., 12 Dec. 2002)

Air pollution damages across generations - study - Air pollution from steel mills causes genetic damage that fathers can pass to the next generation, researchers in Canada reported. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 11 Dec. 2002)

Court puts Exxon Valdez punitive damages at $4 bln [USA] (Reuters, 10 Dec. 2002)

Green groups sue US EPA over global warming - Three environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to force it to combat global warming by limiting air pollution from U.S. automobiles. (Reuters, 9 Dec. 2002)

How Green Is BP? -...he [Lord John Browne, group chief executive of BP] has shown the ambition to redefine the very nature of Big Oil: pushing BP to confront global warming, candidly acknowledge the company's mistakes (environmental penalties against the company appear on its Web site), enter into dialogue with environmental groups, hire people with strong environmental ethics and opinions...But to persuade the public that BP is no rapacious multinational, that it is instead an organization thinking first and foremost of the public good, may not come so easily as long as BP remains an oil company, deriving the vast majority of its profits from the black stuff that -- from drilling rig to oil tanker to refinery to gas station -- scars the earth, pollutes the air and eventually warms the planet. (Darcy Frey, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2002)

Panel votes to ban perc: Dry cleaners target of action [USA] - Southern California air-quality officials voted on Friday to impose the nation's first ban of the most commonly used dry cleaning solvent due to health concerns. (Los Angeles Daily News, 6 Dec. 2002)

Greenpeace slams Canadian gold project in Romania - Greenpeace urged Romania this week to pull the plug on a controversial Canadian gold mining project in the Carpathians which it said would seriously damage the environment...As part of the project, it [Gabriel Resources, a Canadian company] plans to relocate the 900 families of Rosia Montana, a poor mining town 500 km (310 miles) west of Bucharest, and has promised them money and new homes. (Adrian Dascalu, Reuters, 6 Dec. 2002)

Green Mountain, lung group team up for wind power - Texas-based power generator Green Mountain Energy Co. and the American Lung Association of Texas said this week they had joined forces to educate Texans about renewable, wind-generated power. (Reuters, 6 Dec. 2002)

Honda least-polluting automaker in US - survey - Honda produces the least-polluting vehicle fleet in the U.S. market, while DaimlerChrysler is at the bottom of the list of automakers selling environmentally friendly cars, according to a survey from the Union of Concerned Scientists. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 6 Dec. 2002)

Global Funds Tell Union Carbide To Settle Bhopal Gas Leak Claims - A group of international investor funds which includes Trillium Asset Management, Domini Social Investments and the Calvert Group (together managing a combined asset value of $13 billion) have advised Union Carbide to settle claims of economic, health and environmental liabilities of over $500 million (Rs 2,500 crore) stemming out of the Bhopal gas leak...A letter has been sent jointly by a group of funds to the Dow Chemical Company, which took over Union Carbide in 2001 along with all its assets and liabilities. (Ajay Jain, Financial Express [India], 5 Dec. 2002)

Negligence caused Bhopal disaster: Report - Negligence by Union Carbide and not sabotage was responsible for the Bhopal gas disaster, the British journal New Scientist said on Thursday basing its conclusion on documents just released in the United States. (Times of India, 5 Dec. 2002)

PERU: $5 Million IDB Loan To Fund Monitoring Of Natural Gas Project - The Inter-American Development Bank said yesterday it has approved a $5 million loan to Peru to strengthen hydrocarbon safeguards, particularly in relation to the country's Camisea natural gas project. The loan is meant to help Peru monitor the Camisea plan's impact and other social and environmental measures...Preventative health care for native communities is also planned. (UN Wire, 5 Dec. 2002)

Swiss want big Syngenta chemical on UN control list - The Swiss government wants a top selling chemical from Syngenta AG, the world's biggest agro-chemical maker, put on a list of products the United Nations is seeking to have tightly regulated. The substance, paraquat, is already banned in some countries and is contained in the Syngenta product Gramoxone. (Jon Cox, Reuters, 5 Dec. 2002)

Fresh evidence on Bhopal disaster - The company that built and owned the Bhopal chemical plant in India [Union Carbide, acquired by Dow Chemical in 2001] cut crucial corners in its design, documents just released in the US suggest. (Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist, 4 Dec. 2002)

Peru's Camisea - Economic boon or environmental bane? For Peru's government, the Camisea natural gas project brings hope of economic growth and freedom from costly energy imports. But to environmentalists, the $2 billion project sounds a death knell for one of the world's last pristine jungles and the indigenous groups who live there. [refers to Pluspetrol, Hunt Oil, Techint, Pluspetrol, Tractebel - a unit of Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux] (Missy Ryan, Reuters, 4 Dec. 2002)

MEXICO: Rainforest Destruction Continues Despite Protection Efforts - Farming and logging during the past three decades in one of Mexico's largest rainforests has reduced the 12,000-square mile Lacandona jungle by two-thirds...One of the conservation program's organizers, who also helped start small-scale ecotourism, said that until local residents find a way out of poverty, sustaining the Lacandona rainforest will be impossible. (UN Wire, 4 Dec. 2002)

Dow Chemicals asked to clean up toxic waste in Bhopal [India] - Nearly 300 people held a demonstration outside the headquarters of Dow Chemicals at Corporate Park, Chembur, yesterday in view of the 18th anniversary of the Union Carbide disaster, known as the Bhopal gas tragedy...Dow Chemicals acquired Union Carbide in February 2001. (Hemal Ashar, Yahoo India News, 3 Dec. 2002)

OZONE: Countries Pledge $573 Million To Phase Out CFCs - Representatives from 140 countries have adopted a $573 million funding package meant to halve by 2005 the consumption and production in developing countries of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), chemicals that damage the stratospheric ozone layer, the U.N. Environment Program said Sunday. (UN Wire, 3 Dec. 2002)

OIL SPILLS: EU To Consider Blacklist Of Ships After Accident Near Spain - Following last month's oil spill off the coast of Spain, the European Commission today published a blacklist of ships that could be banned from European waters and urged the European Union to prohibit the transport of heavy fuel in single-hulled tankers. (UN Wire, 3 Dec. 2002)

International effort results in new tool to calculate greenhouse gas emissions of pulp and paper mills - The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA), in association with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) today announced the development of a methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from pulp and paper mills. (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 2 Dec. 2002)

Eco-warriors fail to stop Estonia tanker departure - Greenpeace activists failed to stop an elderly oil tanker from leaving an Estonian port last week on a journey they feared might result in a repeat of a disastrous oil spill 10 days ago...Like the Prestige, the Byzantio is chartered by Swiss-based Russian oil trader Crown Resources (Reuters, 2 Dec. 2002)

Earth on the market: Beyond the limits of sustainable growth - Despite all the hype, the UN-sponsored world summit on sustainable development in South Africa in August could not introduce any real constraints because they would have meant re-examining globalisation. So could sustainable development just be a pretext for maintaining a growth that must be, by nature, destructive to the environment? - ...Sustainable development has been diverted by business, which has equated it with sustainable growth (Sadruddin Aga Khan, Bellerive Foundation, Dec. 2002)

Honduran villagers battle over Canada-owned mine [owned by Glamis Gold] -...Velasquez and others like him contend mining has devastated the forests and dried up water sources in their poor valley. (Gustavo Palencia, Reuters, 29 Nov. 2002)

Three Gorges Probe: 'World's greatest air-conditioner' gives rise to a lot of hot air [China] - The extent to which the huge Three Gorges reservoir will affect the climate in the region is the hot topic at the centre of a perplexing series of contradictory statements issued recently by the corporation building the dam [Three Gorges Project Corp.] (Kelly Haggart, Probe International, 28 Nov. 2002)

Russia Greens say security service oppressing them - Ecologists said this week a police swoop on a group [Baikal Environmental Wave] denouncing radioactive pollution of Russia's unique Lake Baikal was part of a long-term security service campaign to crush environmental movement...the group...publicised business and government activities it said were harmful to the vast lake's environment...It also campaigned against a pipeline due to run to China through the area and backed by YUKOS, Russia's number two oil company, and the China National Petroleum Corp. (Oliver Bullough, Reuters, 28 Nov. 2002)

ExxonMobil Caves To Science: Slick Maneuvering By Oil Giant On Climate Change -...The world's largest oil company softened its long-standing campaign of disinformation against mainstream science by acknowledging the potential risks of climate change and announcing a 10-year $100 million grant to Stanford University for research on "low-emissions" technologies. Still, ExxonMobil can't seem to break its disinformation habit. (Ross Gelbspan, TomPaine.com, 27 Nov. 2002)

WATER: U.N. Issues General Comment On Right To Water - The U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a "general comment" yesterday on the right to water, stressing that water is a limited natural resource and a public commodity fundamental to life and health. (UN Wire, 27 Nov. 2002)

TOXIC SUBSTANCES: Countries Discuss More Public Access To Information - European, Central Asian and North American negotiators began weeklong talks in Geneva Monday to finalize an international pact on the public's right to information about chemical waste and toxic pollutants in the environment, Reuters reports. (UN Wire, 27 Nov. 2002)

Sustainability and Leadership (Rémi Parmentier, Political Director of Greenpeace International, speech to Second International Conference on Globalisation, 26 Nov. 2002)

Oil spill cripples Spain fishing villages' economy (Adrian Croft, Reuters, 26 Nov. 2002)

RODDICK: It's the Real Thing -- Thievery and Corruption [India] -...Coca-Cola is anything but a savior to the indigenous people (Adivasis) and members of the oppressed castes (Dalits) around Kerala. To them, Coca-Cola Corp. is a thief operating with impunity, polluting their land, killing their crops, stealing their water and then selling it back to them as fizzy sugar drinks, and ironically, bottled water. (Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, AlterNet, 25 Nov. 2002)

Argentine court orders Shell to clean up spill - mayor - An Argentine court ruled that Royal Dutch Shell Group must pay an estimated $10 million to clean up damage from a 1999 oil spill, the mayor of the city which filed the suit said. (Reuters, 25 Nov. 2002)

Companies Will Pay for Polluting New Jersey Water [USA] - Nineteen polluters will together pay a total of $3 million to compensate the state of New Jersey and East Hanover Township for contamination of the local drinking water supply...The settling parties are: Voltronics Corporation; G & F Management; Vincent and Irene Muccione; Viscot Industries, Inc.; MCE/KDI Corporation; Colgate-Palmolive Company; Deforest Investment Co. L.L.C.; Philomena Gasparine; Estate of Sylvio Gasparine; Prime Fabricators, Inc.; Township of East Hanover; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Dorine Industrial Park Partnership; Precision Rolled Products, Inc.; Phelps Dodge Corporation (f/k/a Cyprus Amax Mineral Company); GTE Operations Support Incorporated; Ingersoll-Rand Company and Royal Lubricants Company, Inc. (Environment News Service, 25 Nov. 2002)

Cheap products' human cost - China's success in the PC revolution lies in its mostly young and low-wage workers, who put in stunning amounts of overtime -...With its estimated 100 million migrant workers and its notoriety for low wages and lax enforcement of labor and environmental laws, China is fast becoming the world's premier electronic workshop...Pilla [a Microsoft spokesman] said Microsoft plans to monitor compliance with labor standards as part of routine quality audits of its contractor factories. [also refers to Dell, Flextronics, Seagate] (Karl Schoenberger, San Jose Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2002)

ELECTRONIC WASTE: Asian Summit Examines Threats To Health, Safety (UN Wire, 22 Nov. 2002)

POSCO enhances corporate value via environmental management [South Korea] -...POSCO Co., the world's largest steelmaker in terms of production capacity, has been working tirelessly to not only become a globally competitive company, but also to clean up the environment and solve local environmental problems. (Park Sang-soo, Korea Herald, 21 Nov. 2002)

Public right-to-know undermined in new pollution treaty - Negotiations on a new international treaty to increase the public’s right-to-know on sources of pollution enter the final stages with a United Nations meeting in Geneva next week. But environmentalists are warning that key chemicals and radioactive waste are likely to be excluded from the treaty, following lobbying from industry and the conservative positions taken by governments. (Friends of the Earth, 21 Nov. 2002)

The hunt for oil-spill compensation - As efforts continue to limit or clean up the mess caused by oil from the sunken tanker Prestige [off the coast of Spain], the question of who will pay is coming to the fore. (Keith Somerville, BBC News, 20 Nov. 2002)

Timber Certification Tainted, Forest Group Alleges - The international body created to certify responsible forestry management has for years been knowingly "misleading" the public according to a new report released today by the Rainforest Foundation. The report finds serious flaws in the certification system used by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which is responsible for auditing timber companies worldwide and for certifying that wood and paper is produced in an environmentally and socially acceptable way. (Environment News Service, 20 Nov. 2002)

OIL SPILL: Cracked Tanker Sinks Off Spain; Ecological Disaster Feared -...According to Reuters, major oil companies have stricter standards for tankers than smaller operations such as Crown Resources, the Alfa Group-owned company that chartered the Prestige. (UN Wire, 20 Nov. 2002)

'prestige' oil tanker sinking today: make oil companies liable for damage, says friends of the earth (Friends of the Earth, 19 Nov. 2002)

DEVELOPMENT: Toepfer Calls For Consideration Of Indigenous People - Large-scale development projects should be allowed only after assessments are conducted of their possible effects on indigenous people, U.N. Environmental Program Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said yesterday at the fourth conference of the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests. (UN Wire, 19 Nov. 2002)

press release: New report spotlights trends in corporate sustainability reporting -  Companies struggle to breach the 'glass ceiling' of transparency and accountability - Reports are getting bigger - but not better (18 Nov. 2002, Sustainability and U.N. Environment Programme)

Shell green record holds lessons for Big Oil - book - All big oil companies have their share of environmental record blemishes, but examining the way Royal Dutch Shell has dealt with its problems may lead the industry to a greener future, according to a new book. In "Riding The Dragon: Royal Dutch Shell and the Fossil Fire," Jack Doyle chronicles a sampling of 300 incidents of fires, leaks and explosions throughout the petroleum infrastructure of the world's second-largest oil firm, including in the United States, Nigeria and South Africa. (Timothy Gardner, Reuters, 18 Nov. 2002)

Oil spill off Spain: FOC [flag of convenience] ship behind latest environmental disaster - An oil slick has blackened 20 miles along the Spanish coast as the Bahamas flagged tanker Prestige threatened an ecological and economic disaster in a region where shellfish farming and fishing are important industries. (Maritime Union of Australia, 18 Nov. 2002)

Australian Company's Toxic Waste Dumping Breaches International Law [Papua New Guinea] - Australian company Rio Tinto’s gold mining operation in Lihir, Papua New Guinea has been under scrutiny by the Secretariat of the London Convention for dumping toxic waste at sea. (Mineral Policy Institute and Greenpeace, 16 Nov. 2002)

Environmentalists level charges against Citigroup - A California-based environmentalist group [Rainforest Action Network] this week ran a big print ad claiming Citigroup Inc., the No. 1 U.S. financial services firm, has been funding companies whose activities have hurt the environment. (Reuters, 15 Nov. 2002)

COMPUTER CHIPS: Manufacture Takes Heavy Toll, U.N. Study Shows - A new U.N. University study shows that computer chips take a heavier toll, by weight, on the environment than do automobiles, BBC Online reported Tuesday. (UN Wire, 15 Nov. 2002)

GUATEMALA: UNDP Helping Coffee Growers Adjust To Economic Crisis -...the U.N. Development Program is supporting a project to help farmers offset the global collapse of prices for their crop and a regional drought by developing environment-friendly alternative sources of income. (Scott Hartmann, UN Wire, 15 Nov. 2002)

Staples says to sell environment-friendly products (Reuters, 15 Nov. 2002) 

WORLD BANK: Institution Contradicts Itself By Backing Incineration, NGOs Say - Some activists cited by Inter Press Service allege that the World Bank continues to promote development projects that include environmentally harmful waste incineration (UN Wire, 13 Nov. 2002)

New business/academic partnership delivers £14 million for low carbon innovation [UK] - Today...Carbon Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) announces the launch of a new £14 million investment initiative which will marry the needs of business with the capabilities of University R&D departments to deliver on low carbon technologies and solutions in the UK. (Carbon Trust, 11 Nov. 2002)

"Older and wiser" Exxon listens to the locals - Oil major Exxon Mobil is now working more closely with non-governmental organisations on upstream projects to help avoid the social unrest it has suffered in the past, a senior executive said. [refers to Exxon-led Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline, Exxon's operations in Aceh] (Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 11 Nov. 2002)

Greenpeace activists block Hungary chemicals plant - More than 20 Greenpeace activists chained themselves to the gates of Hungarian chemicals plant EMV, protesting against what they said was the factory's pollution of the environment with pesticides. (Reuters, 11 Nov. 2002)

Nicaragua growers open sustainable coffee conference (Ivan Castro, Reuters, 11 Nov. 2002)

What can corporate responsibility do in the fight against poverty in Africa? Maya Forstater looks at what business can be realistically expected to contribute to African development and outlines some specific examples of corporate engagement to date...DaimlerChrysler: making cars out of Sisal [South Africa, Brazil]...Divine Chocolate: Bringing farmers to market [Day Chocolate Company; The Body Shop; Ghana]...The Woodlands 2000 Trust [tree farming in Kenya]...South African Breweries...Coca-Cola: measuring the business contribution to economic development [Morocco, South Africa]...Supporting SME development: Richards Bay Minerals [South Africa] (Maya Forstater, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

Investing in Africa, challenges and initiatives - Alex Blyth looks at the principal issues around western business investment in Africa and some of the companies that are attempting to improve their impact on the landscape and people of the continent [refers to Environment: TotalFinaElf in Nigeria; Palabora Mining Company (49% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; Anglo American; DeBeers; Water & sanitation: Suez in Morocco & South Africa; Thames Water in Tanzania & South Africa; Education: ChevronTexaco in Nigeria; Old Mutual in South Africa; Barclays Africa; Economic development: Richards Bay Minerals (50% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; HIV/AIDS:  Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland; DaimlerChrysler in South Africa; Coca-Cola]  (Alex Blyth, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

ASIA: Asian Development Bank Issues New Environment Policy - The Asian Development Bank today announced it has approved a new environmental policy to respond to Asia's increasing environmental degradation. (UN Wire, 11 Nov. 2002)

PESTICIDES: UNEP, WHO Discuss Stockpiles At Africa Workshop (UN Wire, 8 Nov. 2002)

TRADE: U.S., EU Square Off Over Environmental Concerns -...Speaking at a discussion in New York hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Zoellick said the European position that trade and the environment should be linked is endangering progress on global trade negotiations with developing countries. (UN Wire, 7 Nov. 2002)

Uzbekistan cuts emissions of ozone depleting compounds -...A two-year project, carried out by the Government and UNDP in cooperation with the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS), has virtually ended accidental emissions of CFCs...Lykke Anderson, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, called the project "an excellent example of fruitful cooperation between GEF, UNDP, UNOPS, the Government and the private sector." (U.N. Development Programme, 7 Nov. 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: Countries Call For Emissions Reduction, Adaptation - The eighth meeting of parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change ended Friday...One of the main achievements of the conference, according to the United Nations, was making the protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, designed to funnel investment from the private sector into emissions-reduction programs in developing countries, fully operational. (UN Wire, 4 Nov. 2002)

US court refuses to dismiss Vectren pollution case - An Indiana judge refused to dismiss a federal lawsuit against Vectren Corp. that accuses the utility of failing to install costly anti-pollution equipment at its aging coal-fired plants. (Reuters, 4 Nov. 2002)

New Code of Conduct on Pesticides adopted - A revised 'International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides' should significantly reduce the threats posed by agro-chemicals in developing countries. (U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization [FAO], 4 Nov. 2002)

Analysis: Is relief for the poor embodied in the wealth of the rich?...the globalization of capital markets contains within its mechanisms the financial means to eradicate abject poverty while also addressing environmental degradation worldwide (Jeff Gates, President of Shared Capitalism Institute, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 3 Nov. 2002)

Amerindian Researcher Brings Grassroots Views on Mining to Fore - In Guyana and Colombia, as in most Latin American countries, mining has dramatically increased over the past two decades. But from the contamination of healthy rivers to the lawless atmosphere of mining towns, few have felt the ill effects of mining more than these countries’ Indigenous peoples. (Colin Campbell, International Development Research Centre, 1 Nov. 2002)

Indigenous Assembly Condemns FTAA - The Continental Assembly of Peoples of the Americas, meeting Friday in the Ecuadorian capital, exhorted the region's governments to reject the Free Trade Area of the Americas, saying it will harm their cultures and the environment and deplete natural resources. (Kintto Lucas, Inter-Press Service, 1 Nov. 2002)

Delhi Climate Justice Declaration -...We recognize that the impacts of climate change are disproportionately felt by the poor, women, youth, coastal peoples, indigenous peoples, fisherfolk, dalits, farmers and the elderly; We recognize that climate change is being caused primarily by industrialized nations and transnational corporations;... (India Climate Justice Forum, 1 Nov. 2002)

Scottish Power wins environmental awareness award [UK] - British utility Scottish Power Plc won an environmental awareness award at the first annual National Business Awards. Judges applauded the company's commitment to wind power and insistence that the cost of its development is properly recognised and accountable to stakeholders. (Reuters, 1 Nov. 2002)

Defining Global Business Principles: Towards a new role for investors in promoting international corporate responsibility [refers to human rights, labour issues, environmental issues; includes sections entitled "Globalisation and coporate responsibility", "Global ethical principles", "The Global Business Principles Project"]  (Dr. Craig Mackenzie, Head of Investor Responsibility, Insight Investment, Nov. 2002)

New plan to save Amazon forests [Brazil] -...Logging and cattle ranching in recent decades have already removed an area the size of France from the Amazon forest (Tim Hirsch, BBC News, 31 Oct. 2002)

Activists criticise BP-led Baku-Ceyhan pipeline [Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey] - Environmental and human rights groups launched a campaign against a BP-led trans-Caspian oil pipeline...BP holds a 33 percent stake in the venture, Unocal has 8.9 percent, Norway's Statoil 8.7 percent and the Azeri state oil company SOCAR 25 percent. The remainder is owned by Turkish, French, Japanese and Saudi firms...the campaigners say the pipeline will further damage the Caspian's delicate ecology and that the impoverished populations of the three participating countries will not benefit from the oil revenues because of corruption. BP denies the allegations (Reuters, 30 Oct. 2002) 

Japan carmakers off hook in landmark pollution suit - A Japanese court yesterday ordered the central and Tokyo city governments to pay compensation for health problems caused by diesel exhaust fumes but rejected a demand that vehicle makers be made to pay as well. (Elaine Lies, Reuters, 30 Oct. 2002)

Unity Platform on Corporate Accountability - After Enron, WorldCom, and Other Scandals 200 Global Justice Groups Call for Corporate Accountability - The statement outlines an agenda for public funding of elections, an overhaul of corporate governance, controls on speculative investment, stronger labor and environmental obligations, an end to international corporate welfare, and a redefinition of financial accountability, among other proposals. (US-based global justice groups, 29 Oct. 2002) 

Six Businesses Vie for Top Sustainability Prize - The World Resources Institute has announced that six sustainable enterprises in Latin America are finalists in a competition [AmazonLife S.A., Cafe La Selva, Comercio Alternativo, Empresas ESM, Solar Trade Corporation, TopAir] (GreenBiz.com, 29 Oct. 2002)

Greenpeace shuts down Esso Luxembourg petrol pumps -...Greenpeace alleges that intense lobbying by Esso's parent company ExxonMobil contributed to the U.S. pulling out of the U.N. Kyoto Protocol on climate change, as well as to watered down commitments to renewable energies at last month's Earth Summit in Johannesburg. (Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 28 Oct. 2002)

California wine sector to go green to avert regulation - Under fire from environmentalists, California's 150-year-old wine industry will announce a green code of conduct next week in a bid to head off potentially costly state regulation...Critics, who charge the wine industry with contributing to soil erosion, watershed loss and pollution, contend the voluntary code may not go far enough. (Jim Christie, Reuters, 28 Oct. 2002)

IOD gags Blairite think-tank report [UK] - A furious row has erupted between Britain's most influential think-tank and the Institute of Directors (IoD) over a report which questions the commitment of business to corporate social responsibility...Among the findings are: · Only four out of 10 company boards discuss social and environmental issues, routinely or occasionally...· Eight out of 10 directors say their organisation does not publish reports on their social or environmental impact (Oliver Morgan, Observer [UK], 27 Oct. 2002)

Tribe Joins Chemical Workers to Protest Ponca City, Okla.-Area Pollution [USA] -...Feeling trapped and overwhelmed by industry and environmental contamination, a diverse group of about 150 people rallied recently in a walking "toxic tour" of the major industrial facilities adjoining tribal lands...the group's major environmental concern is focused on a company that was formerly Witco, now Continental Carbon based in Houston. The China Synthetic Rubber Company of Taiwan owns Continental Carbon. [refers also to Conoco] (JoKay Dowell, Indian Country Today [USA], 27 Oct. 2002)

US crafts labor, green sanctions on trade pacts - The United States and some of its closest trading partners would face millions of dollars in fines if they fail to enforce their own labor and environmental laws as a way of gaining a trade advantage, under a plan being drafted by the Bush administration...Seligman [trade specialist with the Sierra Club] said the new trade law sets "a very low bar" of guidelines for labor and environmental enforcement standards. (Reuters, 25 Oct. 2002)

World's ecotourism promoters promise dollars, sense (Patrick Chalmers, Reuters, 25 Oct. 2002) 

Greenpeace Challenges Dow Chemicals to Clean up site of world's worst industrial disaster - Guidelines for Clean up delivered to multinational chemical giant -...The waste was abandoned by Union Carbide (now Dow Chemicals) after an explosion at its pesticide plant in Bhopal, India left 8,000 dead and half a million injured. (Greenpeace, 24 Oct. 2002)

Save H2Opi Water: A water fight in the desert [USA] -...In seeming indifference to the impact of its operations on the Hopi and Navajo people and their natural environment, Peabody [Peabody Energy company] filed an application to substantially expand its operations and to increase its water usage by 32% percent in January of this year. (Laura Inouye, Oxfam America, 24 Oct. 2002)

Blacks hurt more by power plant pollution - US study - Blacks are more likely than whites to live near areas polluted by power plants and suffer adverse health consequences as a result, civil rights and environmental activists said yesterday. (Karen Jacobs, Reuters, 24 Oct. 2002)

US, Solutia revise deal for faster PCBs clean up [USA] - The clean up of dangerous PCB chemicals from a former Monsanto Co. plant in Alabama will begin two years sooner than previously planned as part of a revised settlement...The revised terms of the settlement, which also involves Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia Corp., call for the Environmental Protection Agency instead of the companies to assess the risk to human health from the contaminated site (Reuters, 24 Oct. 2002)

California smog agency seeks ban on dry clean chemical - Southern California's clean air agency has proposed the nation's first ban on a toxic chemical used in dry cleaning that officials say makes the cleaners a greater cancer risk than oil refineries or power plants. (Reuters, 24 Oct. 2002) 

Methanex to file new NAFTA case on Calif MTBE ban (Allan Dowd, Reuters, 23 Oct. 2002)

PluggedIn - Recycling phones to charities, not landfills [refers to Sprint PCS, Cingular Wireless, Verizon Communications, AT&T Wireless, Working Assets, NPI wireless, Radio Shack, The Body Shop] (Elinor Mills Abreu, Reuters, 23 Oct. 2002)

WRI Promotes Sustainable Business in China - The World Resources Institute has launched a project that will support green business initiatives in China. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 22 Oct. 2002)

Glamis Gold unit hit by Honduras protest - Several hundred residents of a Honduran town last week protested against an open-pit mine run by a unit of Canada's Glamis Gold Ltd., saying it was damaging their environment...They said the open-pit mine was destroying their forests, and threatening local water supplies. (Reuters, 21 Oct. 2002)

Four refineries face Texas environmental probes - Four out of five refineries and chemical plants in the Texas town of Port Arthur are under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality...The plants being investigated are owned by Premcor Inc, ChevronTexaco Corp. , BASF Corp. and Atofina, a subsidiary of France's TotalFinaElf. (Reuters, 21 Oct. 2002) 

POLLUTION: European Studies Target Health Implications - Two European studies published over the weekend in The Lancet emphasized the damaging effects of air pollution -- particularly that caused by the burning of coal -- on the heart and lungs, intensifying concern about the health of residents of smoggy, coal-dependent Asian behemoths China and India. (UN Wire, 21 Oct. 2002)

Norway's green rebel befriends oil industry -...Norway's leading environmental campaigner Frederic Hauge seeks to promote his vision of a green and sustainable future by working as a friend rather than foe of the oil industry...Hauge says Shell and British Petroleum rank ahead of the competition in their environmental policies, but others are responding to the new trend. (Barbara Lewis, Reuters, 18 Oct. 2002)

UNEP Advises Financial Sector on Threats and Opportunities Related to Climate Change (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 17 Oct. 2002)

Holland America crew subpoenaed in Alaska pollution probe - Cruise giant Carnival Corp. said this week that officers from the Ryndam at its Holland America Line had been subpoenaed by U.S. officials investigating possible pollution by the cruise liner. (Reuters, 17 Oct. 2002)

Toxic clean-up programme in Africa receives international funding support - WWF, the conservation organization, applauds the decision by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to endorse the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP), which aims to clean-up and safely dispose of over 50,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticide waste stockpiled throughout Africa. (WWF International, 16 Oct. 2002) 

Hearing on Human Rights and Environment - Inter-American Commission on Human Rights - Organization of American States (CEDHA - Center for Human Rights and Environment, 16 Oct. 2002)

"Socially responsible" funds emerging in Asia -...Compared to developed markets, there was an even more compelling case for Asia to develop socially responsible investments, as governments in the region grapple with issues like pollution, human rights and deforestation, he [Euan Marshall, director of Kingsway Fund Management Ltd in Hong Kong] said. (Jill Wong, Reuters, 16 Oct. 2002)

Activists say US task force favors mining industry - A coalition of nearly 50 environmental interest groups said yesterday a Department of Interior task force may be giving mining, oil and gas companies an edge in discussions over toxic chemical cleanup costs. (Reuters, 15 Oct. 2002)

Clouds Over Global Warming -...The oil and coal industry, the auto companies and the electric utilities of the world form such a powerful force that the struggle to defeat them on this crucial environmental issue is not going to be easy. (C. E. Karunakaran, CorpWatch India, 14 Oct. 2002)

Firms to pay for EU electronic waste clean-up - A new law to make companies meet the cost of recycling their own electronic goods from refrigerators to hairdryers has won approval from EU parliamentarians and governments, officials said. (Reuters, 14 Oct. 2002) 

UK Alkane Energy launches green energy park - UK energy group Alkane Energy opened a new energy park in north England to turn polluting methane gas into power to supply 8,000 homes and cut greenhouse gas emissions. (Reuters, 14 Oct. 2002)

The Secretary General [U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan] - Address at Event Marking the 50th Anniversary of the MIT Sloan School Of Management -...there is growing recognition that we must move beyond the politics of confrontation, and that solutions to poverty, environmental degradation and other challenges can only be found if the private sector is involved (U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, 11 Oct. 2002)

Beer Boiling, Green Traffic Lights Scoop EU Business Awards - Ten companies have won European Business Awards for their efforts in sustainable development [includes reference to BP, B&Q, Bofferding brewery, brewing-technology expert Steinecker, Integral Umwelt und Anlagentechnik, ST-Microelectronic] (Edie News, 11 Oct. 2002)

TRADE: EU Calls For UNEP To Be Given Observer Status In WTO Talks (UN Wire, 11 Oct. 2002)

New Delhi Climate Justice Summit - New Delhi, India October 26-28, 2002 -...JOIN US for the Climate Justice Summit as we expose the false solutions being promoted by corporations and Northern governments, and more importantly, articulate and demand a solution to climate change from a human rights, environmental justice and worker's perspective -- from a people-centered perspective. (Organizing Committee of the India Climate Justice Forum: CorpWatch, Mines, Minerals & People, National Alliance of People's Movements, National Fishworkers Forum and The Other Media, on CorpWatch website, 10 Oct. 2002)

Activists bring their complaints home to Taiwan - DISPUTE: US workers for plants owned by Taiwan's Koo's Group are angry and they have brought their grievances across the Pacific to Koo's doorstep - Hundreds of labor and environmental activists from 16 countries yesterday protested in front of the Taiwan Cement Corp building in Taipei to urge the Koo's Group to solve disputes involving one of its subsidiaries in the US. The protesters claim that Koo's Group's Continental Carbon Co violated environmental protection and labor rights laws [in USA] (Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 10 Oct. 2002)

ANGOLA: WWF concerned about EU fisheries deal (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 10 Oct. 2002)

Coffee Company [Thanksgiving Coffee Company] Delivers Using 100% Biodiesel [an alternative fuel made from vegetable oil that greatly reduces harmful emissions] [USA] (GreenBiz.com, 9 Oct. 2002) 

US top court rejects appeal over cyanide poisoning - The U.S. Supreme Court let stand this week the conviction of an Idaho fertilizer company's owner and his 17-year prison sentence, the longest ever for an environmental crime, for improper disposal of hazardous cyanide waste that left an employee with permanent brain damage. (Reuters, 9 Oct. 2002) 

CLIMATE CHANGE: Group Warns Of Greenhouse Emissions From Airplanes - Environ warned yesterday that air travel produces large amounts of the greenhouse gases that scientists believe cause global warming. (UN Wire, 9 Oct. 2002)

Wood-Door Maker Gains SmartWood Certification [USA] - Iowa-based VT Industries, manufacturer of architectural wood doors, has qualified as a provider of SmartWood-certified wood doors, the Forest Stewardship Council recently announced. The chain-of-custody certification was awarded by the Rainforest Alliance, an FSC-accredited certifier. (GreenBiz.com, 8 Oct. 2002) 

DISASTERS: UNEP, Financial Companies Warn About Climate Change (UN Wire, 8 Oct. 2002)

Environmentally Preferable Paint Earns Governor's Award [USA] - PPG Industries has received the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for "outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship" for its new line of eco-friendly architectural paints. (GreenBiz.com, 7 Oct. 2002)

US green group says diesel soot is big cancer risk - Tiny soot particles emitted by diesel-fueled cars, trucks and construction equipment are a major contributor to the cancer risk from air pollution, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said. (Reuters, 7 Oct. 2002) 

EPA, Justice announce Minnesota ethanol settlement - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department this week announced a settlement with 12 Minnesota ethanol plants for alleged Clean Air Act violations (Reuters, 4 Oct. 2002)

The Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) 2002 World Climate Technology and Leadership Awards -...The winner of the 2002 CTI World Climate Technology Award (organisations) is: The Centre for Power Efficiency and Environment Protection (CenPEEP), for supporting the adoption of more-efficient coal power plants in India. (Climate Technology Initiative, 3 Oct. 2002)

12 Ethanol Plants to Install Emissions Controls [USA] - Twelve ethanol plants in Minnesota have agreed to install new pollution control equipment to slash their emissions of volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. (Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, 3 Oct. 2002)

Toxins put Arctic polar bears and humans at risk - The health of polar bears and the indigenous peoples of the Arctic is at serious risk from man-made toxins being carried there by air and sea, a new report showed yesterday. (Paul de Bendern, Reuters, 3 Oct. 2002)

Alcoa Urges Aluminum Association to Embrace Sustainability - Alcoa Executive Vice President G. John Pizzey urged the Aluminum Association to adopt an ambitious approach to sustainable development that positions the organization and its members as leaders and innovators. (GreenBiz.com, 2 Oct. 2002)

Iscor faces court action on pollution - A South African High Court has begun hearing an application by families seeking a court order to stop giant steel producer Iscor from allegedly polluting their underground water sources. (Reuters, 2 Oct. 2002)

HK to join China pilot pollution-control scheme - Hong Kong and Macau will be included in a Chinese pilot project to curb air pollution...Under the scheme, strict pollution limits will be imposed on power plants and factories...Hong Kong's two electric companies, CLP Power and Hongkong Electric, which account for most of the territory's sulphur dioxide emissions, have reacted coolly to the idea in public (Reuters, 2 Oct. 2002)

EU Banks Come Up Short on Environmental Issues - European banks have much room for improvement with regard to their assessment of the environmental credit risk of projects for which potential clients are seeking funding, says a leading investment company. The study of 10 Western European banks by investment company ISIS Asset Management was designed to benchmark the environmental credit risk assessment (ECRA) procedures of banks...The leaders are Barclays, Credit Suisse Group and Lloyds TSB. Behind them the chasing pack are HSBC, ING Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered. Finally, the starting grid plays host to Santander Central Hispano, Société Générale and UniCredito Italiano. (Edie News, 1 Oct. 2002)

Kinko's, City of Chicago Tops in Green Power Purchasing - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the winners of the 2002 Green Power Leadership Awards for environmental leadership by purchasing green power, an alternative to conventional electricity. (GreenBiz.com, 1 Oct. 2002)

2002 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence [Pennsylvania, USA] (State of Pennsylvania, Oct. 2002)

End of the Road for Endosulfan: A call for action against a dangerous pesticide -...In this report, we present compelling evidence of the considerable threats the pesticide endosulfan poses to human health and environmental integrity...The chemical is out of patent and is marketed by many different companies and under a variety of names... (Environmental Justice Foundation, Oct. 2002)