Sustainable Development Reporting (SDR) Workshop

There is increasing interest in SDR (or TBL) reporting, including organisations from outside our membership.  If you are an organisation that may be interested in participating in our 2005 workshop series, or if you know of an organisation that may be interested, please email office@nzbcsd.org.nz

Waikato’s world-class business school status confirmed

Waikato Management School’s world-class status has been confirmed with accreditation from EQUIS, the European Quality Improvement System, an international hallmark of business school excellence.  Click here for the full story.

NZ’s largest general insurer focuses on the environment

New Zealand’s largest general insurer has added hybrid vehicles to their company fleet  - becoming one of the first corporates in the country to do so.   IAG New Zealand Limited, which trades under the State and NZI brands, has leased eight hybrid vehicles and plans to continually add to the fleet.  Click here for the full story.

Vehicle emissions discussion document released

A discussion doument on the proposed shape of the New Zealand vehicle emissions screening programme was released today by Associate Minister of Transport, Judith Tizard.

“The discussion document is an important part of the government’s commitment to ensure the emissions screening programme is fair, equitable, and does not unduly penalise the vast majority of responsible vehicle owners,” says Judith Tizard.  Click here for the full release.

Kaikoura an example of sustainability for all

Tourism Minister Mark Burton is today congratulating Kaikoura for becoming the first town in the world to gain full certification from Green Globe, the world’s only global tourism certification programme.

Kaikoura was benchmarked two years ago to measure its environmental and social performance. And today, after achieving all its targets, it received Green Globe certification.  Click here for the full release.

Finn Brothers star in campaign to Make Trade Fair

The Finn Brothers and other international stars have joined the Oxfam Make Trade Fair campaign to highlight the plight of more than one billion people who are hungry and poor because of the crisis in world agricultural trade.  Click here for the full story.

500th Modern Apprenticeship graduate celebrated

Jacob Taylor’s success in becoming the 500th graduate of the Modern Apprenticeships programme was celebrated today by Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) Steve Maharey.

Visiting Jacob at his Wellington worksite, Steve Maharey said it was a great personal achievement for the young electrician and a great achievement for the programme's work to provide opportunities for young people and address New Zealand’s skills shortages.  Click here for the full story.

OVERSEAS NEWS

Program for report-assurance practitioners launched

Ethical Corporation, 18 November 2004 - AccountAbility and the International Register of Certified Auditors have come together to launch the world’s first individual certification scheme in the field of sustainability assurance.    Click here for the full story.

Coming clean: Growing demand for absolute transparency is forcing companies to reveal details of non-financial issues

National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing, 15 November 2004 - Merck & Co.'s market cap is in freefall, its image in shreds, and now Congress will grill the company over the recall of its painkiller Vioxx.

What's a pharmaceutical to do?  Call in the lawyers and high-priced consultants, of course. But in a possible sign of things to come, America's second-largest drug maker last Thursday also phoned Philippa Moore of SustainAbility, a tiny London-based consultancy that specializes in corporate social responsibility.  Click here for the full story.

Starbucks to Use Cups Made with Recycled Material

LOS ANGELES - Coffee shop chain Starbucks Corp. said on Wednesday it will begin using paper coffee cups made partially from recycled material by the end of 2005.

The move comes as Seattle-based Starbucks is in the midst of an aggressive plan to ensure coffee sold in its stores comes from environmentally friendly farms that pay workers a fair wage.  Click here for the full story. Taxes to be recycled not raised in Lib Dems green finance plan The Liberal Democrats plan to use the tax system to encourage environmentally sustainable behaviour without actually raising the overall rate of tax, Charles Kennedy the Party Leader said in a keynote speech this week.   Click here for the full story. Trade war: the poor versus the poorest

The Times, 24 November 2004 – If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. The advice of the deputy governor of the People's Bank of China to American trade protectionists was that brutal: give up making shoes, quit sewing shirts and even consider abandoning your farms.  Click here for the full story.

Businesses have the power, influence to do good

Business Times, 23 November 2004 - Businesses have the power to do good, Dame Anita Roddick, founder of British personal care products retailer The Body Shop, said.  "We use our stores and our products to help communicate human rights and environmental issues," Roddick said.  Click here for the full story.

Wind power sector out to charm the masses

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) will launch a public campaign to win over those who consider wind farms unattractive to the eye and dangerous to birds. Then the European electricity market can be conquered.  Click here for the full story.

Emissions double heatwave risk

Emissions of greenhouse gases have more than doubled the risk of European heatwaves similar to last year's, according to a study by UK scientists.  Click here for the full story.

Australia Refuses To Sign Kyoto Treaty

Australia is on track to meet targets set by the global Kyoto Treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions but will still not sign the pact because it ignores key areas of the fight against global warming in developing nations.  Click here for the full story.

FTSE4Good Raises the Bar With New Supply Chain Labor Standards Criteria

SocialFunds.com, 30 November 2004 - Launched last week, the new criteria allow companies already in FTSE4Good indexes limited time to implement policies, systems, and eventually reporting on supply chain labor standards.  Click here for the full story.