1,000 Companies Delisted by UN Global Compact Since 2008

The number of companies delisted since 2008 for repeated failure to meet the UN Global Compact’s mandatory annual reporting requirement, also known as the Communication on Progress (COP) policy, has now passed 1,000.

As part of the announcement, the Global Compact Office also released a full listing of the 1,005 companies delisted as of 6 October.

Businesses in the Global Compact are required to report annually on progress made in the implementation of the initiative’s ten principles covering human rights, workplace standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. Failure to submit a COP to the public Global Compact database within one year of joining the Global Compact results in a change of a company’s status. Consecutive failures to submit a COP leads to removal (delisting) of the company.

Despite the number of delistings, the Global Compact continues to grow at a rate of roughly 100 new participants per month, with the current total of active business and non-business participants standing at over 7,000 organizations in more than 135 countries.

The COP policy was introduced in 2005 to ensure transparency and public accountability of the business commitment, drive continuous performance improvement, safeguard the integrity of the Global Compact as a whole and contribute to the development of a repository of corporate practices.

The now more than 1,000 delisted companies include both small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and larger companies, and are also proportionally represented among industry sectors and countries in the Global Compact – indicating that the COP framework is equally relevant across business size, sector and geographic region.

“Over the years, the Global Compact’s framework has become increasingly robust, through the establishment of integrity measures, introduction of guidance materials, and the support of the many local networks that provide COP mentoring,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “By all indications, we expect corporate disclosure of policies and practices to become more common, as companies joining the Global Compact increasingly enter with a better understanding of the critical value of reporting on environmental, social and governance performance.”

While delisted companies are removed entirely from the Global Compact’s public database, the initiative allows companies to return to active status. To officially rejoin the Global Compact companies must provide a new commitment from the chief executive officer addressed to the UN Secretary-General and submit a COP to the public database.

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The five Ws of buying local, Part 2

The why and where are the trickier parts of buying local, though the conundrum doesn’t end there.

WHO should buy local?

You, of course. You and your wallet have control over the success of local. Because of all the advantages of buying local, your purchases benefit you and your community. You buy local because you care about the local economy and the place you live in.

On the flipside, I’m reminded of the song chorus, “If everybody looked the same, we’d be tired of looking at each other.” Would we get tired of local if everybody were buying it, the same way mass production makes everything look blandly alike? With economic diversity, which entails better product choice, as a major argument for buying local, this may not happen. Yet by doing just one thing, buying local in this case, you may be undermining the diversity principle of sustainability.

Similarly, just as hybrid owners drive more, you may think buying local takes care of your commitment to sustainability. Though your commitment to buying local may be admirable, buying local is but one piece of a big, complex picture. It also is a matter of prioritizing your sustainable pursuits and how buying local ranks on your list.

WHEN to buy local?

All the time, as the proponents of buying local would have it. If it’s not available locally at the time you need it, like with seasonal produce, you shouldn’t buy it.

Many things stand in the way of buying local only when it’s available. Tradition, habit, convenience, alternatives, seasons… My parents always managed to obtain mandarines around Christmas even in the dead of the communist winter – should I now give them up because no one grows mandarines in Oregon? No cars are made in Oregon – should my wife and I give up our Civic? You get the picture. It all ties back into how buying local fits into the scheme of things. You can’t always buy local.

WHAT is local?

Local products are made or sourced locally; local companies are owned and operated locally. We have seen that the geography of local can be contentious (how far is still local?), and we have seen that not all things local would pass the buying local proponents’ muster (Nike in my city’s backyard). You can’t know the ownership structure or supply chains of every locally-based company.

That original newsletter article asked me to buy from businesses who are my chamber of commerce members. Yet not only does the Portland Business Alliance’s membership comprise a minority of local businesses, the PBA and its members often take stances on community issues I don’t support.

Similarly, the main voice for buying local is the Sustainable Business Network of Portland and its Local First campaign. Again, not every business belongs to the Network, and you can’t source all your needs strictly from the Network’s members.

It turns out local is more complicated than it seems. More than anything, local is a state of mind, a mental shortcut, a preference. It’s certainly not the panacea for building a sustainable economy. At best, it’s one strategy among many.

Implications of buying local for sustainable marketing

Every sustainable business should keep these 5Ws of buying local in mind, if only because local can be argued both ways. Do you really want to have your local-ness scrutinized? Sure, there are customer personas and target audience segments for whom buying local matters, so if you want their business, use the local angle. Just like green, however, local may be a niche strategy and end up coming across as gimmicky. Ultimately, local is a secondary consideration in the purchasing process. People don’t focus on local – they want their problems solved. The quality of your product or service and how it satisfies your customers’ needs trumps what you say about its local origins.

 

This commentary can be found originally at: Sustainable Marketing Blog by Peter Korchnak.  Better triple bottom line.

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CSR Minute: October 7, 2009 – Mokugift’s Green Quiz on Yahoo; Microgrowth Enterprise Project; Schema’s Corporate Governance Forum

Corporate Social Responsible News: Mokugift’s Green Lifestyle Quiz on Yahoo; Microgrowth Enterprise Growth Facility Project; Schema’s Corporate Governance + Responsibility Forum

(Revised)CSR Minute: October 6, 2009 – Dow Corning’s Green Portfolio; CRO’s Conference; Sulusso’s Sustainable Jewelry

Corporate Social Responsible News: Dow Corning’s Green Innovation Portfolio; CRO’s Summit Conference; Sulusso’s Sustainable Jewelry

Behind the Designers: Midori Ferris-Wayne

Each week we profile a new Sulusso featured designer. All of our designers have one thing in thing in common – a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Hear from Okomido jewelry founder, Midori Ferris-Wayne. Learn about her inspiration and where she can be found when not at the jeweler’s bench.

1.       How did you get started in making jewelry?

I have fond memories from a very young age of playing with my grandmother’s jewelry and dreaming of collecting my own treasures. So jewelry has really been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The idea of actually designing jewelry was a more gradual process. I immersed myself in jewelry history when I worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and then transitioned into the Fine Jewelry auction world. Eventually, through those connections I began designing one-of-a-kind pieces. Creating a full line was a logical extension of this process when I moved back to California.

2.       Sustainability in the jewelry sector is pretty rare, what inspired you to use only reclaimed materials?

Two reasons, really. First, I’ve never been one to do anything halfway, so once I started finding out about the horrifically negative impact of traditional mining practices there was really no turning back – particularly as it became evident that it isn’t as challenging as most designers think to commit to sustainability.

The second reason is that the story behind each piece of jewelry is significant to me, and I love the connection to other people’s histories that comes from recycling. A particular ring from reclaimed materials isn’t just timeless because of the exceptional components and design, but because it literally contains fragments from other jewelry with incredible sentimental value to countless other owners. I think that is tremendously meaningful, not to mention fun.

3.       What one thing would you like all jewelry shoppers to know about traditional jewelry?

I generally try to avoid getting preachy about this issue, but since you asked…  I’ve done my homework enough to know that it’s not just hype–traditional mining really is “as bad as they say.” Personally, it’s definitely a matter of conscience to find alternative sources for my materials, and I think if most people took the time to educate themselves, they would find compelling reasons to demand full-scale change in the industry. I sometimes think of it this way: very few people would enjoy eating even the most delicious food at their favorite restaurant if they learned that the people growing and cooking the meal were exposed to horrible toxins in the process. A purchase as consequential as jewelry should merit at least as much consideration.

4.       Who are you outside of the founder and designer of Okomido?
 
I make jewelry in part because I am inspired by the beauty of my surroundings. So, it’s no accident that you are most likely to find me taking advantage of everything our small town in Sonoma County has to offer: picking apples in the orchard next to our house, going to quirky, local festivals like the Gravenstein Fair, or taking the short drive out to the ocean. I spend as much time outside as possible playing with my kids on the trampoline. I’m also a Project Runway addict, with a weakness for great food and Dwell Magazine.

5.       Who would you be most thrilled to know is wearing your jewelry?

It would thrill me equally to know that the gloriously stylish actor/environmentalist Emily Deschanel was wearing an Okomido Twig Bracelet as it would to know that my grandmother cherishes her Honesty Pod earrings and wears them almost daily.
 
6.       Could anyone who knew you as a young girl have predicted that
you would be a pioneer of sustainable luxury?

Living in the Sierra-Nevada foothills during grade school, just minutes away from one of the oldest hydraulic gold mining sites in the country, made an undeniable impression on me. Any of my family members familiar with that wasted moonscape in the midst of lush forest would agree that it’s hard not to be changed by that experience, and none of them are surprised that I’ve built a business, which reflects that.

Sulusso Website

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Free Book Available for Green Startups and Entrepreneurs

For those considering starting a green-focused business, the just released Startup Guide for Greenpreneurs is a must-read. Information-packed, it outlines the green business startup from A to Z, including how to thrive in the green marketplace, the basics of raising capital and marketing, and how to survive in the years ahead.

Startup Guide for Greenpreneurs includes insightful information on:

- Three essential skills of successful greenpreneurs
–  Step-by-step startup instructions
–  How greenpreneurs will change the dynamics of business
–  Where to find funding for your green startup
–  Greenpreneur business plan checklist
–  The five keys to green marketing success
–  Pitfalls to avoid during the startup process
–  Recommended green resources
 
The release of Startup Guide for Greenpreneurs comes at a time when social responsibility and climate change are at the forefront in today’s business and political arenas. Businesses and entrepreneurs must accept responsibility for their actions and become leaders in reducing their organizational energy consumption. Customers are demanding this and sustainable business practices will soon be a requirement for conducting business rather than an option. Additionally, innovation and new technologies within the green sector will be key economic driving forces in the years ahead. Entrepreneurs can capitalize on these changing market dynamics by starting green-focused organizations right now. Startup Guide for Greenpreneurs has been written for those entrepreneurs and thought-leaders that will bring real change to our world in coming years.      
 
Startup Guide for Greenpreneurs is available for free download at www.Greenergy2030.com and may be added as a free resource to websites/blogs.
 
About the Author
JD Carr is the co-founder of Greenergy2030.com and is an expert on environmental strategy for green-focused organizations. JD is a Certified Green Broker® and specializes in commercial building sustainability and finance. A vocal advocate for environmental issues, JD writes and lectures frequently on the subject and is committed to helping greenpreneurs realize the positive goals their organizations can achieve through sustainable business practices.

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