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CSRwire Weekly News Alert
7.01.2008 - 11:59pm ET
The Latest Corporate Social Responsibility News - Organizations Learning How to Green Their Communications
Performing a full lifecycle
analysis of the environmental and social impacts of the manufacture,
use, and disposal of products is gaining popularity, but what about
assessing the complete carbon footprint of … print? The spotlight is
beginning to shine on the sustainability of communications, with two
upcoming conferences focusing on the topic. And companies are innovating
– and being held to higher accountability standards – in their
sustainability communications.
The Green Communications
2008 conference takes a case study approach, highlighting success
stories of organizations communicating their green initiatives. SustainCommWorld,
also known as the Green Media Conference, digs several layers
deeper by considering the environmental implications of the communications
supply chain – from the energy efficiency of the computer server hosting
a website to the Forest Stewardship Council certification of paper. Take,
for example, the high-profile campaign to raise climate consciousness by
the Alliance for Climate Protection, chaired by Al Gore. Conference Chair
Don Carli questions the size of the Alliance's We Can Solve It
campaign's carbon footprint: "it could be sizeable and is as yet
unmeasured. Is www.WeCanSolveIt.org a solar
or wind powered website? It doesn't say so on the site."
The We campaign is extremely effective in using innovative ways to
communicate its important message, such as video (the "couch" commercials) and
social networking on sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
Timberland, the boot company, is similarly fusing video, social
networking, and environmental activism with its Earthkeepers campaign
that challenges treehuggers to produce pro-environment videos on YouTube
and promote them on changents.com, a social
networking site linking change agents with backers.
Timberland is also
innovating by extending publication of its sustainability report from
annual to biennial, and filling in the gap with more real-time
communications on at least a quarterly basis via the JustMeans social
responsibility networking website. This novel approach also invites
direct input from readers, encouraging engagement between
company and stakeholders and thus creating an accountability feedback
loop.
Speaking of accountability, the UN Global Compact is baring
its teeth by de-listing 630 companies for failing to uphold its
Integrity Measures by publishing Communication on Progress reports on
implementation of the Compact's ten principles. The move follows up on
the de-listing of over 500 companies in late 2006, and sets an example for
the UN Principles of Responsible Investment to follow. PRI Chair Donald MacDonald of the
BT Pension Scheme recently stated that PRI is "actively" considering
exclusion of signatories who have failed to follow the sixth
Principle: to report on adherence to the five other Principles.
This article was written by CSRwire contributor Bill Baue. Disclosure:
Baue is moderating a panel at the SustainWorldComm conference.
CSRwire's Top Multimedia Picks of the Week
Just when you think you've heard it all. This Environmental Defense Fund
segment "Brewing Gasoline" features Jack Newman of Amyris
Biotechnologies genetically engineering yeast for biogasoline.
Does this video ever get old? The Meatrix remains among our
top most entertaining picks for the story of factory farming.
We just found this great CNN video segment in our inbox: An interview with
the brilliant founder of Global Giving, an innovative organization
that matches donors with charities and causes around the world.
Two interesting reports: 2007 Sustainability Reporting
in California Public Companies analyzes the social responsibility reporting
efforts of California's largest corporations and finds quite a few
surprises. SweatFree's new report: Subsidizing Sweatshops shows
what states can do to ensure that tax dollars are not being used to
increase downward pressure on labor rights, wages and working
conditions.
To read the latest corporate social responsibility news from Leonardo
Academy, Pearson Education, HOPE Worldwide and other leading socially
responsible organizations, visit http://www.csrwire.com/LastAlert.html.
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CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and
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