CSR News Stories
US: Shell Nigeria case blow for Alien Tort campaigners
The US Supreme Court has thrown out a case against Shell alleging human rights abuses in Nigeria. The nine justices were unanimous in their view that the use of the Alien Tort Statute was not intended to be applied outside the US.
Peru: Pluspetrol in spotlight over Amazon rainforest pollution
Argentinian firm Pluspetrol is in the firing line after Peru declared an environmental state of emergency in the Amazon rainforest. High levels of barium, lead, chrome and other petroleum-related chemicals have been found. Pluspetrol has operated the oil fields nearby since 2001.
US: BP kicks back over 'fictitious' compensation pay-outs
BP is taking legal action to prevent administrators for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill compensation fund from paying out to people and companies that it said had suffered no damage.
US: Las Vegas Sands owns up to bribery of foreign officials
Casino operator Las Vegas Sands has told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it has "probably" violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Indonesia: Asia Pulp & Paper to stop cutting natural forest timber
Asia Pulp & Paper, one of the most controversial companies worldwide for its forestry practices, has said that it is to stop using timber from Indonesia's natural forests, instead using only trees from plantations.
UK: Waitrose puts hold on Shell partnership after social media storm
Retailer Waitrose has said it is putting its plans to expand its partnership with Shell on hold, following attacks against the company by environmental campaigners. The company, which goes to great lengths to ensure good practices in its supply chain for food, was planning on opening more shops at Shell petrol stations.
China: Protests against polluting plants on the rise
Demonstrations against the proposed expansion of a petrochemical plant in Ningbo have concluded with the city backing down on the plans. The move is the latest chapter in a growing trend of response against pollution caused by Chinese factories.
UK: Companies call for targets on low carbon power
A number of major businesses have called on the government to adopt a 2030 target for reduced carbon from the power sector. The current Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has been hostile to such targets to date, attacking green policies as a burden on business.
Defence firms poor on anti-corruption measures
According to a new report by Transparency International, more than half of 129 defence companies scored zero points on its scale for anti-corruption measures. Fluor Corporation was the company that scored the best.
Glencore attacked by UN and others for seeing business opportunity in a crisis
Commodities trading company Glencore has been the target of widespread criticism after it was accused of celebrating its ability to use the current global food crisis as a good business opportunity. Chris Mahoney, the company’s director of agriculture trading had said: “The environment is a good one. High prices, lots of volatility, a lot of dislocation, tightness ... We will be able to provide the world with solutions ... and that should also be good for Glencore.”
Chile: Fast food companies sued over marketing to children
McDonald's, Burger King and other fast foot restaurants are being sued for being in breach of a new law against the inclusion of toys with children's meals. The action is being taken just three months after the law came into force by its principal author and advocate Sen. Guido Gerardi.
US: GlaxoSmithKline boss promises company has changed after $3bn mis-selling fine
Andrew Witty, CEO of global pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, has expressed his regret over the unacceptable practices of the past which led to the company receiving a record $3bn fine in the US for selling drugs for unapproved uses amongst other breaches.
Japan: Tepco supplier exposed workers in Fukushima crisis
Nine workers for construction firm Build-Up were forced to under-report radiation exposure when they were dealing with the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis. A senior executive at the company order staff to attach lead plates to pocket dosimeters supplied by Tepco in order to keep the readings below government emergency safety limits.
UK: Alcohol advertising under pressure from MPs
The Parliamentary health select committee has said that drinks companies run the risk of "paying only lip service" to the public health needs of reducing the impact of alcohol abuse. It flagged the possibility that new curbs on advertising could be in the pipeline, along with a ban on alcohol-related sports sponsorship.
France Telecom investigation over staff suicides linked to bullying
France Telecom is under investigation after 35 employee suicides in 2008 and 2009 have been linked to a restructuring programme that allegedly undermined employees' well being and was akin to bullying.
Nestle sets out actions on child labour
Nestle has launched an action plan to address child labour in the Cote d'Ivoire in response to an independent review on its supply chain there. The review was carried out by the Fair Labor Association, and made a number of recommendations all of which the company says it has accepted.
UK: Barclays boss gives up bonus after bank fined for "widespread misconduct"
Chief executive Bob Diamond will give up his bonus for the year after Barclays was fined for attempts to rig the key interbank interest rates after a period of what the Financial Services Authority (FSA) called "serious and widespread misconduct."
Walmart targeted over labour practices at CJ Seafood
Over 140,000 people have signed a petition calling on Walmart to end its relationship with supplier CJ Seafood for alleged abusive working conditions.
US: Diageo pulls funding from climate change denier institute
Drinks giant Diageo has said it will avoid funding the Heartland Institute following a campaign that compared people who believe in the reality of climate change with mass murderers.
US: Walmart shares dip over Mexican bribery cover-up
Walmart has been hit by a bribery scandal involving its Mexican business. Executives paid bribes of around $24 million to gain permits for new stores and, most damagingly, executives at the group's headquarters allegedly covered up evidence of the activity according to the New York Times.
The Business Respect email newsletter has been produced since 2001 to give news and commentary on CSR worldwide
See the archive of past issues
Special Feature
Social responsibility and finance - on the precipice
In a recent article, the BBC's economics editor Robert Peston highlighted the fact that in 2012 the chances are that the economy - punch drunk as it is from the various flavours of debt crisis it has been pummelled with over the course of the year - will be hit by the collapse of a major bank and / or government.
Currently most popular articles
Procter & Gamble most consistent top corporate citizen (20 May 2004)
AccountAbility hits back at 'untenable' standards board (14 Jan 2011)
Former Yukos executives to complain to human rights court (22 Mar 2006)
Arguments against corporate social responsibility - redoubled (26 Oct 2008)
Indonesia: Asia Pulp & Paper to stop cutting natural forest timber (5 Feb 2013)
