Local Food as a CSR marketing tool - Mayo!

Company News
Tuesday, 16 June 2009

Unilever's mayonaise brand Hellmann's uses buzzwords "real" and "local" foods in its current multimedia advertizing campaign. There are CSR, sustainability and marketing implications of this strategy relevant to a wider discussion of corpobligation. mayo.jpg

Hellmann's Campaign calls consumers to join the "Real food movement": "As part of Hellmann's commitment to healthy and informed eating we believe that fresh, locally grown ingredients should be brought back to Canadian tables." Real is an interesting term to describe food, because the opposite would either be imaginary or fake food. Putting aside delicious imaginary delicacies s like manna or liger burgers (lion-tiger hybrids),  Hellmann's is likely contrasting its ingredients to products that are full of artificial flavours and highly processed foods. This has potential to appeal to consumers trying to get back to basics.

Consumers are also concerned about local farmers and communities in a world of economic crisis. "Local" food labelling allows consumers to contribute to their community through everyday consumption. Hellmann's also encourage community and household gardens. But is Unilever a force for local food?

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Carton Recycling - Big 4 Commit

Green News
Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Corpobligation: Shared environmental commitments between packaging competitors can lead to change. Packaging creates waste but is essential for getting products to consumers. Can packaging producers be expected to minimize packaging?paper_container.jpg courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1104560

  • The Carton Council includes Tetra Pak, Elopak, Evergreen Packaging and SIG Combibloc
  • "We are very proud that the environmental impact of cartons already is among the lowest in the packaging industry," said Ed Klein, executive director of the Carton Council. "Cartons are source-reduced and made primarily of paper, a renewable resource, from responsibly sourced, well-managed forests. But we want to take our commitments to the next level, and that's where significantly increasing recycling comes in."
  • Can packaging ever be green?
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Climate Savers Computing Initiative

Environment
Thursday, 12 March 2009

Did you leave your computer on last night? Do you use hibernate, sleep settings?

Corpobligation: Efficiency, hardware changes, software power management, more efficient cooling systems can all make computing more climate friendly. 

Climate Savers Computing Initiative:

  • power users must purchase ENERGY STAR rated computers 
  • power management features such as the "sleep" or "hibernate" settings on client computers, whenever possible. The Initiative’s power management policies recommend computers turn off the display and hard drive after 15 minutes of inactivity, and put the system into "sleep" mode after 30 minutes of inactivity.
  • computer manufacturers must at a base meet ENERGY STAR specifications and work toward Climate Savers Computing bronze, silver, gold standards.
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Google's Green Ideas - Bill Weihl

Company News
Thursday, 12 March 2009

Corpobligation: Clean energy at a price competitive with natural gas or even coal is the goal for google, according to Bill Weihl, Google's clean energy czar

  • ...there are a lot of computers out there — over a billion PCs around the world. And there will be 2.5 billion in a few short years. Individually, each one's like a light bulb. But add them all up, and it's a lot of energy. 
  • But one of the basic problems with carbon-neutral or very low-carbon sources of energy is that it's expensive, particularly compared with coal. I've spent three years trying to understand what technology is out there, and the somewhat disturbing answer is, there are billions of dollars going into clean tech, and lots of companies have interesting generation technologies that in a small number of years hope to be at grid-parity. But that means cost parity with natural gas, which is 8 or 9 or 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Coal is half or a third of that.
  • We've invested $45-million in startup companies. We also have a small group of engineers doing our own internal R&D, free from the constraints of, "We actually have to build a business and show our investors a return in three years." … The goal is to think very big. And if we're successful, we may actually make a significant return from doing this. Because anybody who figures out how to produce clean energy at scale and at a cost that competes well with coal is gonna make a lot of money.
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New era of responsibility - Obama

Financial News
Thursday, 22 January 2009

Corpobligation: At a time when the world is experiencing financial turmoil largely as a result of a runaway market and failed risk management strategies, President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address strikes a chord when he calls for a "new era of responsibility."

  • Does Obama's address signal a change in the United States government`s approach to regulation as a positive force for society?
  • Will corporate voices be heard in Washington lobbies? Stay tuned... 

 

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Blackwater Guards Indicted - Implications

Legal News
Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Corpobligation: In war zones, private military contactors face risks of death and now indictments for manslaughter.

  • "Victim shot with hands up" - Department of Justice Spokesperson
  • Individual Blackwater guards charged not the company
  • The five men are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, as well as weapons violations and attempted manslaughte, for the events of September 16, 2007. One man has already pled guilty on one count of manslaughter.
  • The charges call into question the immunity agreements that the US provided to military contractors after the invasion of Iraq.
  • What effect will this have on attracting employees and investment overseas?
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INGO Accountability Charter

Legal Framework
Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Corpobligation: Responsibility and obligations extend to international non-governmental organizations (INGO). These obligations to donors and other stakeholders include transparency, independence, and commitments to promoting human rights and equality. ingo_acc_char.gif

  • INGO Accountability Charter created in 2006 by leading INGOs
  • The "Charter outlines our common commitment to excellence, transparency and
    accountability. To demonstrate and build on these commitments, we seek to: 
    · identify and define shared principles, policies and practices;
    · enhance transparency and accountability, both internally and externally;
    · encourage communication with stakeholders; and
    · improve our performance and effectiveness as organisations."
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