CSR News Stories
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.
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.
China: Wal-Mart apologises for mislabelled pork
Wal-Mart sold pork that was falsely advertised as organic, according to the local government in Chongqing. Thirteen of the company's stores have been temporarily closed and some of its employees have been arrested.
UK: Energy companies dodgy sales tactics pressure customers
A parliamentary select committee has said that energy companies are using sales trickery to push people into switching energy suppliers on the doorstep. It called for the firms to compensate people who were mis-sold gas and electricity contracts.
UK: Topshop pulls super-thin model from online advertising
Retailer Topshop has withdrawn images of 18 year old model Codie Young following criticisms over the use of 'size zero' models encouraging unhealthy body stereotypes and fuelling eating disorders.
Drug companies cut vaccine prices in search of a more humane business model
Several major pharmaceutical companies have announced major cuts in the price for their vaccines in the developing world ahead of a conference in London.
Sustainable tuna claims dropped after Greenpeace campaign
One of the UK's main brands of tinned tuna, Princes, has said it will drop claims from its packaging that fishing methods used for its product protected the environment and marine life. The move came after Greenpeace complained to the Office of Fair Trading about the claims which, the group said, were misleading to the public.
UK: Ethical consumers buck the recession
Spending on products that carry a green or ethical label has grown by almost a fifth over the last two years, in spite of the recession, according to the latest report by Co-operative Financial Services.
McDonald's CEO attacks the rise of 'the food police'
In an interview with the Financial Times, McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner has defended the company's 'Happy Meals' against the growing number of critics that link McDonald's with the epidemic of childhood obesity.
US: Former GlaxoSmithkline executive charged as law targets individuals
The Justice Department has charged a former vice president of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithkline with obstructing an investigation into illegal marketing of the company's drug Wellbutrin. The move is attracting attention because it signals a shift in government focus from suing the companies to one that targets individual executives.
Sony pulls support from climate change campaign after 'tasteless video'
Sony is withdrawing from the climate change campaign 10:10 following a video aimed at building support for the initiative that graphically shows non-supporters being blown up. The company said that the video was "ill-conceived and tasteless".
US: Nestle to drop 'deceptive' health claims
Nestle have said they will drop adverts that were described by the Federal Trade Commission as deceptive. The company's drink Boost Kid Essentials was sold in some ads on its ability to stop children catching colds and missing school.
Monsanto GM seed ban is overturned by US Supreme Court
The bio-tech company Monsanto can sell genetically modified seeds before safety tests on them are completed, the US Supreme Court has ruled.
US: GlaxoSmithKline could face $6bn risk over diabetes drug Avandia
Following biting criticism of its conduct by the Senate finance committee, GlaxoSmithKline is facing a possible flood of lawsuits - as many as 13,000 - with a potential combined liability of $6bn.
UK: Alcohol health labelling may become compulsory
The drinks industry may be required to add health warnings to alcoholic drinks according to proposals published by the government, after it was revealed that only a minority of drinks currently carry approved voluntary labelling.
UK: Ryanair attacked for "puerile and childish" payment policy
The UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has attacked budget airline Ryanair for its payment policy. It said that the company was using a legal loophole to justify charging extra fees while advertising the lowest theoretical fares.
UK: Sustainable palm oil ads banned for the second time
A magazine advert that promoted the sustainability of Malaysian palm oil has been banned by the UK's advertising watchdog for untruthful claims.
US: Smart choices food label collapses
The Smart Choices food label, which numbered amongst its advocates companies such as Unilever, Kellog and Kraft, has been halted following controversy over whether it set the bar too low on how it rated foods.
UK: Doctors call for ban on alcohol advertising
The main doctors' association has called for a ban on all alcohol advertising, including sponsorships, along with an end to cut-price promotions in supermarkets. The British Medical Association said that the measure was necessary to tackle rising levels of consumption that have made alcohol a leading cause of early death.
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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.
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