Going Dutch: why the country is leading the way on sustainable business

The Netherlands continues to punch above its weight when it comes to sustainability. So what’s its sustainability secret?  Thursday is a big day in the corporate sustainability calendar. The latest Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) series is out.The frontrunners remain unknown, yet if previous years are anything to go by, there’s a good chance that a hatful […] ... lees meer

DESSO® participates in circular economy debate on World Economic Forum China

Desso, a leading global carpets, carpet tiles and sports pitches company is participating in discussions on the transition to the circular economy at the ‘Summer Davos’ meeting held in Dalian, the People’s Republic of China, organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF) during 11-13 September. It is the seventh World Economic Forum meeting held in […] ... lees meer

Companies Shifting from Commitment to Action in the Drive Towards a Sustainable Future

Today the United Nations Global Compact released its flagship Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2013. Based on survey responses from nearly 2,000 companies across 113 countries, the report provides a snapshot of the actions taken by business to embed responsible practices into their strategies, operations and culture. Findings show that companies committed to the UN Global […] ... lees meer

International Book publication: ‘Managing the Transition to a Sustainable Enterprise’

The book “Managing the Transition to a Sustainable Enterprise: Lessons from Frontrunner companies”, was published by global publisher Routledge last week and is now available for an international audience. The book is jointly written and researched by Royal HaskoningDHV consultants Rob van Tilburg and Mara Francken, and Rob van Tulder and Andrea da Rosa from […] ... lees meer

Why CDP, GRI, DJSI stand out among sustainability frameworks

Got a sustainability framework? So does everyone else. But which one? That’s the question we recently asked members of our GreenBiz Intelligence Panel. Specifically, we asked them to rate various sustainability frameworks in terms of credibility and importance. Three rose to the top. Work by CDP (the group formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) is […] ... lees meer

New RobecoSAM’s Country Sustainability Ranking

Robeco and RobecoSAM have worked together to develop a comprehensive and systematic ESG ranking framework for countries, designed to complement sovereign bond ratings developed by traditional rating agencies.  59 countries where ranken on a broad range of environmental and social governance issues such as carbon emissions, social cohesion and civil liberties. Sweden ranked number one, […] ... lees meer

Bribe paying still very high worldwide but people ready to fight back

More than one person in two thinks corruption has worsened in the last two years, according to the world’s largest public opinion survey on corruption from Transparency International, but survey participants also firmly believe they can make a difference and have the will to take action against graft.  The Global Corruption Barometer 2013 is a survey of 114,000 […] ... lees meer

Retailers plan Bangladesh factory inspections under safety pact

A group of mainly European retailers has finalised a plan to conduct coordinated inspections of factories in Bangladesh in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the Rana Plaza disaster that killed 1,129 people in April. The collapse of Rana Plaza, a factory built on swampy ground outside Dhaka, on April 24 ranks among the […] ... lees meer

80% of Europeans are concerned about the environmental impact of products

According to a new survey, most Europeans would be prepared to change their purchasing habits and buy more environmentally-friendly products, but many feel they lack information and distrust manufacturers’ environmental claims. The survey on the “Attitudes of Europeans towards building the single market for green products” indicates that more than three-quarters of respondents are willing […] ... lees meer

Investing in Working Conditions in China Good For Business

Manufacturers that invest in working conditions can improve their profit margins and increase their competitive advantage, according to recent research by KPMG. Business Case Analysis for Responsible Electronics Manufacturing was commissioned as part of the IDH Electronics program, which focuses on establishing worker-management dialogue as a means to improving working conditions and facilitating operational efficiency. KPMG analyzed […] ... lees meer

Ambitions and objectives of UN sustainable development agreement subject to wide interpretations from stakeholders around the world, finds ACCA

New ACCA report shares the opinions of sustainability reporting experts to help in the development and take-up of paragraph 47. ACCA offers 11 recommendations to help governments intending to proceed with paragraph 47 implementation. The collective thinking of 49 sustainability reporting experts is captured in a new report from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified […] ... lees meer

37% of the employees in 24 countries find CSR behaviour of their employers ‘very important’

Four in ten (37%) employees in 24 countries indicate it is ‘very important’ for their own employers to be ‘responsible to society and the environment’.  This importance rises to 80% when it is combined with those employees who believe it is somewhat important (37% very/43% somewhat) their employer is responsible. Three in ten (29%) report […] ... lees meer