Rainforest Alliance Friendly Bananas and a More Sustainable Shangri-la.

Now there’s a new banana vying for sustainability attention: Dole has just announced that it is selling bananas from farms in South America that are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, following the lead of Chiquita. And Asia’s Shangri-la Hotel group has just released its first Sustainability Report. EarthCheck, the global benchmarking and sustainability certification programme, confirmed that Shangri-La reduced its CO2 emissions by 7%, energy consumption by 5% and water consumption by 6% per guest night in 2010 over 2009, based on 64 operating hotels.

By Tina Casey For Triple Pundit (4 May 2011):

When it comes to fresh produce, establishing brand recognition is a tricky business. Many commercially grown fruits and vegetables are indistinguishable from one company to the next. Bananas are one standout exception largely thanks to the Chiquita company’s groundbreaking ad campaign in the 1960′s. The company also has a jump on sustainability marketing, having worked with the Rainforest Alliance since the 1990′s. Now there’s a new banana vying for attention in that arena: Dole has just announced that it is selling bananas from farms in South America that are certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

Dole and the Rainforest Alliance…

Dole’s South American certified farms are located in Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala. The farms meet the Rainforest Alliance’s standards for environmental sustainability, but there is much more to the certification program than that. The Alliance uses standards developed through its work coordinating the Sustainable Agriculture Network (pdf), a coalition of local organizations that supports social equity and economic well being in addition to environmental protection.

More Sustainability Points for Dole

In the spirit of competition, Dole has stepped sustainability marketing up a notch by using the Internet to create a personal connection between consumers and farmers. Dole Organic’s website enables consumers to make an e-visit to the exact farm where their banana was grown, by referencing the farm’s code number on the Dole sticker.  The website provides information on the farm’s certifications, along with photos and a map. It’s a creative strategy that reinforces brand recognition by encouraging more consumers to take a closer look at their fruit stickers, while leveraging the company’s Alliance certification. Don’t be surprised if Chiquita comes up with its own extra layer of consumer engagement.

More Companies Aiming for Rainforest Certification

The Rainforest Alliance’s core constituents are the communities of small farmers and local employers who have come to depend on sustainability strategies for their survival, but the organization also recognizes that industry leaders with high name recognition play a critical role in transitioning the global food supply to more sustainable practices. In addition to working with Dole and Chiquita. the Alliance is working with Kraft Coffee and Unilever, which is aiming for 100% sourcing from certified farms for its Lipton teas by 2015.  Mars, Inc. also plans to transition to sustainable cocoa.

Communication Advantages of Rainforest Certification

Communicating sustainability concepts to the general public has always been a challenge, especially in a competitive marketplace where companies only have a few seconds to catch a consumer’s eye and engage their attention. Dole’s solution was to focus on the engaging “farm visit” concept rather than subject consumers to a barrage of information on, say, soil conservation. Similarly, Rainforest certification offers companies a shorthand way to inform consumers. All of their sustainability policies can be summed up by the Alliance’s catchy frog symbol, which is turning into a highly recognizable brand of its own.

Source: www.triplepundit.com

Shangri-La releases first sustainability report

e-turbo news, Global Travel Industry News (5 May 2011):

HONG KONG – Shangri-La Asia Limited today released its first sustainability report outlining the company’s progress in the areas of environment, health and safety, employees, supply chain and stakeholder relations for 2010. The report will be issued every two years to track improvements in its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

Titled Enhance, Enrich, Embrace, the report shows Shangri-La’s commitment to environmental protection and resource management, a focus on social development through investments made in the welfare of colleagues and business partners and Shangri‑La’s Care for People Project committing each hotel to education and health projects in local children’s organisations over a minimum of five years.

Highlights include:

EarthCheck, the global benchmarking and sustainability certification programme, confirmed that Shangri-La reduced its CO2 emissions by seven per cent, energy consumption by five per cent and water consumption by six per cent per guest night in 2010 over 2009 based on 64 operating hotels.

Out of 40,800 permanent colleagues, people with disabilities (PWD) compose over one per cent of the headcount, progressing further towards the company’s target of two per cent.

Sixteen per cent of hotels have been certified with OHSA 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), including 10 hotels that were newly certified in 2010. Sixteen hotels are scheduled for certification in 2011.

One hundred per cent of all group contract suppliers adhere to the company’s code of conduct with regular external audits being performed to ensure consistency and compliance.

All hotels comply with eco-friendly packaging of bathroom amenities made of Plastarch material, which decomposes by almost 70 per cent in 80 days.

Over HK$2 million has been invested by hotels on various health and education projects offering over 3,300 children better school facilities, enhanced learning environments and hotel service skills.

The company launched its first CSR initiatives in 2005, which were streamlined and refined in 2009 with the hiring of a dedicated CSR officer. The programme’s three main areas were formalised in 2009 with Sustainability, Embrace and Sanctuary.

“Shangri-La has made a long term commitment to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We are pleased to present this report which will serve as a benchmark for monitoring our development and progress,” said Greg Dogan, president and chief executive officer of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited. “The report is another step towards our goal of being leaders in corporate citizenship and sustainable development and improving the quality of life for the communities in which we do business.

The report references the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G3) in order to accurately present economic, social and environmental performance. This report meets GRI’s Application Level C, and covers 44 GRI performance indicators. All indicators have been selected for their relevance and where the most updated and accurate information for reporting is available. Information on GRI is available at www.globalreporting.org .

Source: www.eturbonews.com

The effects of climate change, the scarcity of food, future energy sources and how businesses treat the environment and their workers are all significant global issues that companies and investors can no longer ignore. It is little wonder then, that so-called responsible investing – also referred to as ethical, green or sustainable investing – is striking a chord with a growing number of individuals and fund managers. Sustainable investment advocate Kassia Klinger, an active environmentalist, is also a keen advocate for change through the newly established Climate Advocacy Fund set up by Australian Ethical Investment.

Sydney Morning Herald (1 May 2011):

The rise in ethical investment heralds an era in which people are preferring clean, green industries, writes Bina Brown.

THE effects of climate change, the scarcity of food, future energy sources and how businesses treat the environment and their workers are all significant global issues that companies and investors can no longer ignore.

It is little wonder then, that so-called responsible investing – also referred to as ethical, green or sustainable investing – is striking a chord with a growing number of individuals and fund managers.

At a time when many people are still reeling from the effects of the global financial crisis, the consumer demand for responsible investment products has almost doubled.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) reports ethical adviser portfolios grew from $972 million to $1.46 billion in 2010, following a decrease of 21 per cent in 2009.

Managed responsible investment portfolios rose 10 per cent, from $14.02 billion to $15.41 billion.

While small compared to the overall funds management industry, the trend towards responsible investment is growing.

The executive director of the RIAA, Louise O’Halloran, says there are three main reasons people invest responsibly. The first is the improved investment returns from picking companies with strong governance, a robust culture, good management of people and progressive environmental strategies.

The second reason is how an investor thinks about the future for their children and grandchildren and any difference it may be possible to make.

Finally, some investors want to invest in line with their values and beliefs, avoiding companies that do harm to people and the environment and supporting those trying to make a difference.

Significantly, there is no reason returns should be sacrificed just because you want to invest responsibly.

The RIAA’s figures show the average responsible investor in Australia made better returns than investors in mainstream funds over one, three, five and seven years, in both Australian and international shares, as at the end of 2010.

Follow your beliefs

You may be more passionate about some issues than others. Your strategy then would be to make investment decisions based on your beliefs. You may wish to avoid supporting companies that profit from activities such as tobacco, gambling or uranium.

This method is known as a ”negative screen” – making a decision at the very start to exclude all such businesses from the investments you would consider for your portfolio.

Meanwhile ”positive” screening actively favours investment in companies that make products or engage in activities expected to benefit people or the environment.

Professional investors may differ in the way they construct a portfolio of responsible companies but generally they start with negative and positive screening.

Before the Perpetual Ethical SRI Fund will invest in a company, it must first pass four quality filters identified as sound management, conservative debt, quality of business and recurring earnings.

It then applies an ethical screen, which excludes companies that earn more than 5 per cent of their revenue from alcohol, gambling, tobacco, uranium and arms.

Its ”socially responsible investment” screen then assesses companies based on their performance in areas such as human rights, the environment, occupational health and safety, work and labour standards, animal rights and corporate governance.

Investing sustainably

There is no strict definition of what is sustainability or any uniform standards in reporting on environmental, social and governance issues, so a lot of what goes into a direct ”responsible” share portfolio will come down to an individual’s values.

The managing director of the specialist financial planning firm Ethinvest, Trevor Thomas, starts by asking his clients what issues are critical to them before he builds a share portfolio that meets those requirements.

”Most people don’t have any desire to invest in companies in breach of environmental or social standards,” he says. ”They want to be able to sleep with a good conscience.”

If a client doesn’t want to invest in a big bank or mining company for ethical reasons, he looks for ”proxies” in order to put together a diversified portfolio of companies.

An alternative to a mining company might be Sims Metal, which recycles metal. Financial services companies that aren’t banks include Computershare and the listed ethical fund manager, Hunter Hall.

”The idea is that you don’t have to sacrifice return to invest sustainably,” Thomas says. ”You can find ethically and sustainably screened alternatives in most asset classes. It depends on your criteria but you can put together a good diversified portfolio of sustainable companies.”

Backing her passion

SUSTAINABLE investment advocate Kassia Klinger made a decision 11 years ago to align her shareholdings with her beliefs.

”I have a strong desire to be able to sleep soundly at night, leave the world a better place than the one I found, manage risk and maximise returns,” she says.

With a specialist ethical investment adviser’s help, Kassia, who is studying for a master of management in sustainable leadership at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, directs a family investment portfolio towards companies engaged in activities that benefit people or the environment.

Kassia is a baby boomer born on the cusp of Generation X. At a time of a significant intergenerational wealth transfer, she believes it is especially important to invest according to her strong values when making investment decisions on behalf of others.

As such, there are no mining companies in the portfolio and any energy-related stocks are involved in gas, sustainable-energy solutions or the infrastructure associated with it.

The industrial companies are all screened for the positive contribution they are making to the environment and society.

As an active environmentalist, Kassia is also a keen advocate for change through the newly established Climate Advocacy Fund set up by Australian Ethical Investment.

Rather than screen out companies based on their environment, social and governance (ESG) principles, the fund is an index fund that weights companies on their economic footprint (sales and cashflow) rather than the total value of their listed shares. The fund’s members and selected individuals then engage with companies and put forward resolutions at annual general meetings to bring about better ESG outcomes.

”It’s not just about avoiding the so-called ‘sin stocks’ but encouraging the big investors, like superannuation funds, to put their money where their mouths are,” Kassia says.

”I reckon they should put up or shut up.”

Source: www.smh.com.au

Lord of the Flies: Hook, Line and Sinker

Denial of the seriousness of human-caused climate change or the reliability of the science comes in many guises but none are more eccentric, more rhetorical or more consistently wrong than that manifested in the human form of Lord Christopher Monckton. Despite having no science qualifications, among other things, Lord Monckton argues that attempts by Governments and the United Nations to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and burning fossil fuels are part of a conspiracy to install a world government. In his eyes it’s all a socialist plot. Graham Readfearn reports On ABC’s The Drum. Read More

He’s coming to Australia. Again.

Australia prepares to swallow Monckton yet again

Graham Readfearn On ABC’s The Drum (6 May 2011)

Denial of the seriousness of human-caused climate change or the reliability of the science comes in many guises but none are more eccentric, more rhetorical or more consistently wrong than that manifested in the human form of Lord Christopher Monckton.

English hereditary peer Lord Monckton, the Third Viscount of Brenchley, is one of the world’s most charismatic and omnipresent climate change deniers, despite having no science qualifications.

He’s coming to Australia. Again.

Among other things, Lord Monckton argues that attempts by Governments and the United Nations to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and burning fossil fuels are part of a conspiracy to install a world government. In Lord Monckton’s eyes it’s all a socialist plot. Climate change is not caused by burning fossil fuels and, even if it was, the impact is negligible. No action is required.

Over the last few years as he has toured Australia, the UK and America, working climate scientists have examined and roundly debunked his unique interpretation of climate change science. The Australian science-based blog Skeptical Science currently lists some 75 “Monckton Myths”- each showing how Lord Monckton has misrepresented, misunderstood or misinterpreted the peer-reviewed science.

But as Lord Monckton’s credibility among working climate scientists continues to hover somewhere between zero and the negatives, plans are afoot to fly him to Australia for a repeat of his 2010 nationwide speaking tour, which received much media attention.

In a barely disguised fundraising advertisement, journalist James Massola wrote in his Capital Circle column for The Australian earlier this week how “funds are needed” to finance the tour. Massola helpfully linked to a website with account details for people to deposit money.

But even before the tour’s schedule is established, Lord Monckton has secured his first engagement with a spot at the annual convention of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies in Perth at the end of June, which includes the CSIRO among its official supporters.  His presentation is titled “Maths Lessons for Climate-Crazed Lawmakers”.

But support for Lord Monckton’s unique brand of climate denial is nothing new for the Australian mining community. At key stages in Lord Monckton’s 2010 tour of Australia, wealthy and respected mining figures were there to lend a hand, provide a forum and, in some cases, to give cash support.

In Queensland, the Brisbane Institute hosted a debate which was filmed and later broadcast by the ABC’s Big Ideas program and was covered in newspapers and on television news (I was on the debating panel).

But the Brisbane Institute ‘debate’ would likely not have gone ahead had it not been for the intervention of mining entrepreneur Bob Bryan. As one organiser stated in an email obtained by this writer, Mr Bryan underwrote the event to cover the $16,000 deposit required by the venue, the Hilton Brisbane.

Mr Bryan is as close to mining royalty as miners can get in Queensland. In 2009, he was inducted into the Queensland Government’s Business Leaders Hall of Fame for “outstanding entrepreneurship in the mining industry significantly contributing to Queensland’s economic development”.

Mr Bryan is also the inaugural “Honorary Life Member” of Queensland’s peak mining industry body, the Queensland Resources Council. He has a successful career as a director of mining companies and co-founded and chaired coal seam gas company Queensland Gas Company until it was sold in 2008 to UK-based BG Group for $5.6 billion.

In Perth, it was the turn of another of Australia’s mining elite to back Monckton’s climate denial tour. Mining magnate and Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart, chairman of Hancock Prospecting, offered a donation to the cause. She also made available a member of her own Hancock Prospecting staff to help co-ordinate the event, held at the Parmelia Hilton.

Accompanying Lord Monckton as a speaker at many of the venues, including Perth and Brisbane, was the University of Adelaide mining geologist Professor Ian Plimer, who is also non-executive director at CBH Resources and Ivanhoe Australia, a director of UK-listed Kefi Minerals, a director of Australia-based coal gas company Ormil Energy and chairman of tin mining company TNT Limited.

Appearing on several online lists of contacts and supporters of Lord Monckton’s 2010 tour was Ian Runge, a director of the Brisbane Institute. Mr Runge is a founder of Runge Limited, which the Brisbane Institute says is “one of Australia’s leading mining technology services organisations” working with 18 offices in 10 countries “with sales to major resource companies worldwide”.

Whatever the motivations of climate change deniers, the result of their activities is to generate doubt in the minds of the public, whether that be doubt about the greenhouse properties of carbon dioxide or doubt about the need or impact of legislation to try and reduce fossil fuel burning.

The idea that anyone should take Lord Monckton seriously is treated with puzzlement in his native UK. Former Conservative MP John Gummer, who was Mrs Thatcher’s environment minister, commented to the ABC in March that Lord Monckton “isn’t taken seriously by anybody.” He added: “I mean he was a bag carrier in Mrs Thatcher’s office. And the idea that he advised her on climate change is laughable. The fact of the matter is, he’s not a figure of importance and has made no difference to the debate. We always find it rather surprising that he should come (to Australia).”

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, says a recent claim by Lord Monckton that Europe’s emissions trading scheme had doubled the cost of electricity was “utter rubbish”. Analysis by the UK’s electricity regulator ofgem in March showed that environmental costs amounted to just eight per cent of energy costs for consumers.

“I am amazed that anybody in Australia takes Monckton seriously,’’ says Mr Ward. “He is not a scientist, but the deputy leader of a fringe UK political party. Frankly his credibility in the UK has sunk to near-zero since the broadcast of a documentary on the BBC earlier this year, during which Monckton was filmed on his last hilarious visit to Australia.”

So what is the motivation of the mining industry in Australia to support climate change denial of any kind? Do they fear that climate legislation such as a carbon price will simply hurt their bottom line? Do they see a public confused or apathetic about climate change as a potent part of their lobbying efforts in Canberra?

Who knows? But as the donation plate for the Lord Monckton 2011 Denial Tour is passed around their offices they should ask themselves this: Can we fool the Australian public a second time.

Graham Readfearn is a freelance journalist and writer covering the environment and sustainability.

Source: www.abc.net.au