CSR Minute: Google Stops Censoring in China; Equator Coffee and Teas’ Facebook Store

Corporate Social Responsibility News: Google Stops Censoring in China, Announces Unethical Hacking; Equator Artisan Coffees and Teas’ FaceBook Store

CSR Minute: LEED’s Status in China Construction; Home Deport Foundation Award to SC

Corporate Social Responsibility News: LEED’s Status in China Construction; Home Depot Foundation + Sustainability Institute of South Carolina’s Sustainability Award to North Charleston.

CSR Minute: Deloitte’s Center for Sustainability Performance; INFACT’s China Social Compliance Seminar

Corporate Social Responsibility News: Deloitte’s Center for Sustainability Performance; INFACT’s China Social Compliance Seminar

CSR Minute: GE Partners with China; Boston College Corporate Citizenship Advice

Corporate Social Responsible News: GE Partners with China; BOS College Center for Corporate Citizenship on Web Advice

GE and China MOR Sign Strategic MOU to Advance High-Speed Rail Opportunities in the U.S.

GE and China’s Ministry of Railways today announced that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly advance high-speed rail (HSR) opportunities in the United States.  This collaboration will allow GE Transportation to be the first U.S. locomotive manufacturer to more effectively compete for high-speed rail projects against global competitors.  In addition, the partnership would accelerate GE’s passenger rail technologies and create in the near future up to 150 high technology jobs in the U.S.  The announcement was made as part of “GE’s Clean Technology Week in China” activities.

Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation said, “China is a vital partner to GE Transportation’s future growth, and we find that China’s Ministry of Railways and GE share a common goal – driving high-speed rail technology development more quickly and broadly.  We look forward to pursuing this collaboration.”

Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China, said, “High-Speed Rail in the U.S. and in markets worldwide is a significant opportunity for infrastructure and business growth.  With the signing of today’s framework agreement, GE and China’s Ministry of Railways have provided the basis for a cooperation-focused framework that will enhance economic development, create new jobs and promote research and development for high-speed railway technology.

“While GE currently is the world leader in locomotive diesel-electric and electronic control systems technology, China currently is a leader in high-speed rail technology for speeds of 220 miles per hour.  Working together, both parties could develop the best solutions faster to serve America’s high-speed rail needs for many years to come.”

More than $13 billion will be spent over the next five years to support higher- and high-speed rail infrastructure development in the United States.  Over the next three years, China will invest about $300 billion into its railways infrastructure, expanding its network by more than 20,000 kilometers, including 13,000 kilometers of track designed for high-speed trains capable of traveling up to 220 miles per hour.

GE currently is working with China’s largest diesel locomotive manufacturing company, CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd., to provide China’s Ministry of Railways with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and low-emissions diesel-electric, heavy-haul locomotive available to date.  More than 100 of these locomotives already have been placed in revenue service by the MOR.

This current project as well as past projects in cooperation with China’s Ministry of Railways have sustained and created high technology manufacturing jobs in the U.S. for American workers to manufacture and assemble key components essential to these types of projects.

The signing of the framework agreement on high-speed railway cooperation reflects a partnership expansion between GE and China’s Ministry of Railways and has the potential for 3,500 U.S. jobs to support HSR development.  By terms of the framework agreement at least 80% of the content of any potential high-speed locomotives or signaling equipment would be sourced from U.S. suppliers, and all final assembly would be performed in the U.S.

To learn more about GE’s announcements in China this week, visit http://www.ge.com/chinanews.

via 3blmedia.com

 

GE Transportation and CSR Qishuyan Finalize Locomotive Diesel Engine Joint Venture

GE Transportation announced today the formation of a joint venture company with CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd., a unit of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR), to develop, build and service GE’s Evolution® Series locomotive diesel engines in China.  The announcement as made as part of “GE’s Clean Technology Week in China” activities.The joint venture is scheduled to launch operations at the end of 2011, including the assembly, testing and overhaul of engine components such as power assemblies and turbochargers in China.  During the second phase, starting in 2013 engines as well as components will be assembled, tested and overhauled.

“This new joint venture directly aligns with GE’s strategic direction to design, manufacture and service product within the region or country in which they are used,” said Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China.  “GE will continue to supply key engine components for the final engine assembly such as turbocharger and fuel injection kits.  Providing these key components also helps sustain approximately 120 U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

In October 2005, GE Transportation marked the formal beginning of its partnership with CSR Qishuyan by signing a strategic contract with China’s Ministry of Railways to supply 300, 6,250-horsepower Evolution Series HXN5 China Mainline Locomotives.  Today more than 100 of these Evolution Series China Mainline Locomotives already have been produced by CSR Qishuyan and placed in revenue service by the Ministry of Railways.

There is significant opportunity for locomotive modernization in China.  CSR produced more than half of the more than 12,000 diesel locomotives currently in service.  Most diesel locomotives in China would benefit from advanced fuel-savings and emissions- reducing technologies.  The Evolution Series locomotive diesel engines are GE’s most fuel-efficient and low emission diesel engines to-date and, thereby, support China’s green initiatives.  The Evolution Series Locomotive is one of GE’s most prominent ecomaginationSM products.  Ecomagination is a GE-wide initiative to help meet customer demand for more energy efficient products.

To learn more about GE’s announcements in China this week, visit http://www.ge.com/chinanews.

via 3blmedia.com

 

Socially Responsible Chinese Business

Elegant Roots blog

We hear a lot of suspicions of Chinese-made products these days. The fears are understandable since they concern deep impact matters of child and pet safety – those dependents/innocents who need our protection and toward whom we need peace of mind. The headlines of recalls or product poisonings have all too often related to Chinese-made products.

The fears of everything Chinese, though, are irrational. We should avoid stereotyping such a large and diverse country as though it were a monolith of manufacturing carelessness. China is incredibly diverse ethnically, geographically, and yes, even in social responsibility and on green issues.

ElegantRoots.com is proud to be associated with a story of social responsibility expressed through an entrepreneurial spirit of doing good – all, as they say, with Chinese characteristics.

Shokay International is the brainchild and heartsong of some very special entrepreneurs, Marie So and Carol Chyau. As they say, Shokay represents luxury with a story and style with a touch of humanity.

Here’s the story: Traditional Tibetan yak herders living in the western Chinese province of Qinghai are minorities living at a dangerously low subsistence level. For centuries Tibetan herders have gathered raw yak fiber by combing out the yak’s undercoat, thus making yak down — a natural, sustainable, renewable and humane resource. Though yak down matches or exceeds alpaca and cashmere in luxurious softness and durability and is washable and lovely in its natural color, yak down has never had a reliable market for the herders to serve.

Meanwhile, Carol and Marie, one from Taiwan and the other from Hong Kong, were studying at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and The Wharton School. They were inspired to create a new business based on two core principles—the business had to be profit-making but not profit-maximizing and it had to have a positive social impact.

Carol and Marie discovered the marvels of yak down and the charms of the Tibetan herding culture. Intrigued by the exotic and lovely yak and the potential to help increase the sustainable income for one of China’s minority populations, Carol and Marie leaped into action. They created a business plan and won a $10,000 prize in the Harvard Business School Plan Contest. And, Shokay, (which is Tibetan for “yak down”), had its launch money.

Shokay started by building a fiber cooperative of 2600 Tibetans from the Hei Ma He Village. Unlike most customers, Shokay directly pays herders a fair price for yak down fiber, thus immediately and reliably putting money into herders’ hands.  Shokay then created other markets for the Hei Ma He villagers to help increase demand. Shokay reinvests a portion of its profits into a development fund to serve the Tibetan community’s greatest needs, such as healthcare and education.

Shokay now has two stores in Shanghai and an office in Qinghai Province. Its sales to 130 stores, mostly in Europe and Japan, have created a dependable international market for yak down that helps to support and preserve the traditional Tibetan nomadic culture and way of life. Elegant Roots is proud to be one in the US. It’s a great way to make a positive economic, social and environmental difference.

Shokay also supports another marginalized Chinese community by providing fairly paid work to the artisans of Chong Ming Island. These talented hand-knitters choose their own schedules and work location, including working from home that allows simultaneous care for their families.

Carol and Marie believe that introducing yak down to the world as a luxury fiber will increase market demand, increasing the value of the raw fiber and the price the herders receive. Carol and Marie started with their wonderful men’s and women’s yak accessories line, then introduced their amazing baby clothes in consult with Shanghai-based American designer Angie Wu: “I took Shokay’s mission as inspiration when designing the Tibetan-inspired [Hoodie] Baby Set.

On August 8, 2009, Shokay launched its Yak Around the World Campaign by sending a hand-knit baby yak to 24 people creating positive social change. When these changemakers receive their yak, they will help kick off the campaign by answering the question, “What are you doing to change the world today?” They will then take a picture with their yak, write a description of their cause or organization, and submit it to Shokay. Then it is then their turn to send the yak to another changemaker, spreading the campaign around the globe. The progress of each baby yak will be trackable on the website Dont Just Yak .  Follow @DontJustYak on Twitter.

Shokay is also sponsoring the Knit a Yak Program 2009 (Hong Kong), to raise public awareness on the issue of single elderly in Hong Kong’s East District through a community knitting campaign.

We congratulate Carol and Marie for designing a company with audacious and far-reaching positive goals for people and planet, thus illustrating the best of socially responsible commerce – with Chinese characteristics.

Elegant Roots Blog

We hear a lot of suspicions of Chinese-made products these days. The fears are understandable since they concern deep impact matters of child and pet safety – those dependents/innocents who need our protection and toward whom we need peace of mind. The headlines of recalls or product poisonings have all too often related to Chinese-made products.

The fears of everything Chinese, though, are irrational. We should avoid stereotyping such a large and diverse country as though it were a monolith of manufacturing carelessness. China is incredibly diverse ethnically, geographically, and yes, even in social responsibility and on green issues.

ElegantRoots.com is proud to be associated with a story of social responsibility expressed through an entrepreneurial spirit of doing good – all, as they say, with Chinese characteristics.

Shokay International is the brainchild and heartsong of some very special entrepreneurs, Marie So and Carol Chyau. As they say, Shokay represents luxury with a story and style with a touch of humanity.

Here’s the story: Traditional Tibetan yak herders living in the western Chinese province of Qinghai are minorities living at a dangerously low subsistence level. For centuries Tibetan herders have gathered raw yak fiber by combing out the yak’s undercoat, thus making yak down — a natural, sustainable, renewable and humane resource. Though yak down matches or exceeds alpaca and cashmere in luxurious softness and durability and is washable and lovely in its natural color, yak down has never had a reliable market for the herders to serve.

Meanwhile, Carol and Marie, one from Taiwan and the other from Hong Kong, were studying at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and The Wharton School. They were inspired to create a new business based on two core principles—the business had to be profit-making but not profit-maximizing and it had to have a positive social impact.

Carol and Marie discovered the marvels of yak down and the charms of the Tibetan herding culture. Intrigued by the exotic and lovely yak and the potential to help increase the sustainable income for one of China’s minority populations, Carol and Marie leaped into action. They created a business plan and won a $10,000 prize in the Harvard Business School Plan Contest. And, Shokay, (which is Tibetan for “yak down”), had its launch money.

Shokay started by building a fiber cooperative of 2600 Tibetans from the Hei Ma He Village. Unlike most customers, Shokay directly pays herders a fair price for yak down fiber, thus immediately and reliably putting money into herders’ hands.  Shokay then created other markets for the Hei Ma He villagers to help increase demand. Shokay reinvests a portion of its profits into a development fund to serve the Tibetan community’s greatest needs, such as healthcare and education.

Shokay now has two stores in Shanghai and an office in Qinghai Province. Its sales to 130 stores, mostly in Europe and Japan, have created a dependable international market for yak down that helps to support and preserve the traditional Tibetan nomadic culture and way of life. Elegant Roots is proud to be one in the US. It’s a great way to make a positive economic, social and environmental difference.

Shokay also supports another marginalized Chinese community by providing fairly paid work to the artisans of Chong Ming Island. These talented hand-knitters choose their own schedules and work location, including working from home that allows simultaneous care for their families.

Carol and Marie believe that introducing yak down to the world as a luxury fiber will increase market demand, increasing the value of the raw fiber and the price the herders receive. Carol and Marie started with their wonderful men’s and women’s yak accessories line, then introduced their amazing baby clothes in consult with Shanghai-based American designer Angie Wu: “I took Shokay’s mission as inspiration when designing the Tibetan-inspired [Hoodie] Baby Set.

On August 8, 2009, Shokay launched its Yak Around the World Campaign by sending a hand-knit baby yak to 24 people creating positive social change. When these changemakers receive their yak, they will help kick off the campaign by answering the question, “What are you doing to change the world today?” They will then take a picture with their yak, write a description of their cause or organization, and submit it to Shokay. Then it is then their turn to send the yak to another changemaker, spreading the campaign around the globe. The progress of each baby yak will be trackable on the website Dont Just Yak .  Follow @DontJustYak on Twitter.

Shokay is also sponsoring the Knit a Yak Program 2009 (Hong Kong), to raise public awareness on the issue of single elderly in Hong Kong’s East District through a community knitting campaign.

We congratulate Carol and Marie for designing a company with audacious and far-reaching positive goals for people and planet, thus illustrating the best of socially responsible commerce – with Chinese characteristics.