2.12.2008 - 11:59pm ET

This Valentine's Day, the Investor Summit on Climate Risk at the United Nations will act as a paramour, wooing many climate investing thought-leaders--such as venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Goldman Sachs Chief Investment Strategist Abby Joseph Cohen--to prioritize their love for Mother Earth (and money.) Companies and investors increasingly recognize that climate solutions present prospects for profit--and the profit motive may advance environmental solutions more efficiently than anything else.

Summit attendees can rest easier sending chocolate to their sweethearts to make up for their absence, as the launch of the International Cocoa Verification Board promises to bring greater social and environmental responsibility to the West African chocolate trade. A multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together industry, government, NGOs, unions, and academics convened by the nonprofit supplier auditor Verite. The diverse board is establishing a certification process to monitor and verify that cocoa is produced in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire sustainably and free from child labor that has plagued the sector. The initiative has drawn comments from experts both impressed with its scope and concerned about its limitations from the likes of John Tepper Marlin of CSRNYC, Rodney North of Equal Exchange, and Susan Smith of the National Confectioners Association.

Other ways lovers can celebrate V-Day sustainably and responsibly: a "Kiss Hunger Goodbye" Valentine card from Heifer International, a tax-deductible donation that provides farm animals and technical assistance to help the poor in developing countries create sustainable livelihoods. Or, how about "eco-love products" such as personal lubricants, pleasure butters, love oils and passion candles made with 100 percent natural ingredients by Good Clean Love, a woman-owned, Coop America-approved Green Company. No Valentine's Day would be complete without one of OrganicStyle.com's charitable bouquets, each supporting an important environment, health, social justice or human rights non-profit organization.

This article was written by CSRwire contributor Bill Baue.

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Post a comment below: Tim    2008-02-13 13:38:59 There are very serious concerns with the chocolate industry's redefinition of certification in terms of child labor -- and with the new verification board. The latest industry efforts should not ease either consumers or shareholder's concerns about the continued use of child labor on cocoa farms in West Africa. In fact, the first study conducted by a Tulane University research team (contracted by the U.S. Department of Labor to report on industry efforts in the cocoa sector) called the industry's definition of certification a "misnomer." Seven years after the story of abusive child labor on West African cocoa farms broke, the problem continues. Check out a press release on this topic for more information here: http://www.laborrights.org/stop-child-labor/cocoa-campaign/1075 Rodney North    2008-02-13 15:24:53 I would add that contrary to what many, even some journalists, THINK is being offered with the cocoa Protocol there is, in fact, no promise that the cocoa exported from West Africa will be free of the "Worst Forms of Child Labor" in the near or long term. Nor will there be a tracking system to assure that even some portion of the cocoa exported is "clean". Due to this underwhelming prospect some of us (Equal Exchange, The International Labor Rights Forum, Global Exchange and others) are asking companies and interested civil society groups to endorse a commitment to ethical cocoa sourcing that establishes a much higher bar, and communicates to all that a greater effort needs to be made. see: http://www.equalexchange.com/reverse-sign-up/CommitmentToEthicalCocoaSourcing.pdf *Your Comment: *Name: *E-mail (will not be displayed):   Notify me when others add comments to this discussion. Verification String (Six characters shown at left)