February 2002 - current
Click on the links below to view summaries of press coverage under the following subject headings
Summary of coverage from the BITC Awards for Excellence 2002 - Business in the Environment Award
Print Week - Friday, July 19, 2002
Beacon earns top environment prize
The Beacon Press beats Scottish Power and the Co-operative Bank to win the Business in the Environment award. The Beacon Press use pioneering waterless printing technology, which is rare in the UK. A spokesman commented that "Although it costs a lot to invest in waterless printing, output is better quality and ultimately legislation is going to force everyone to do it… So it's better to be ahead of the game."
Courier (East Sussex) - Friday, July 5, 2002
Company vies for environment glory
Finalist for the Business in the Environment Award, The Beacon Press boasts an impressive track record in environmental management systems. Over the past ten years the company has reduced its use of polluting chemicals by 95% and recycled 90% of the dry waste produced during printing. The winner will be announced at a gala dinner on 11 July.
Argus (Eastbourne & East Sussex) - Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Green printer's award bid
Uckfield - based printing firm Beacon Press is amongst the three finalists for the environment category in the Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for Excellence. The achievement is rewarded by the presentation of the 'Big Tick' mark - representative of best practice in the field of corporate social responsibility. Julia Cleverdon, Chief Executive of BITC commented "Beacon Press has passed the rigorous assessment process and demonstrated the positive role business can have in society". Beacon Press's environmental management programme, which includes schemes to cut waste and pollution, has already earnt the company 20 national and international awards.
Financial Times - Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Business impact awards Good imprint on the environment
Finalists for the Business in the Environment Award are: The Beacon Press, who use good practice and innovative technology to reduce pollution and waste. The Co-operative Bank, which declines to invest in any business that relies for it's core activity on producing fossil fuels; and Scottish Power which is reducing CO2 emissions, investing in wind farms, cleaning up it's power generation and introducing energy efficiency programmes to low income households.
Environmental Supply Chain Management
Supply Management - Thursday, July 4, 2002
Agency raises social pressure on suppliers
Speaking at BiE's Buying into Sustainability conference on 20 June, Mark Yeomans, head of procurement at The Environment Agency stresses the importance of "future-proofing" supply chains as issues such as labour conditions, bio-diversity and respect for local cultures are increasingly attracting public scrutiny.
Spontaneous & Briefed articles
Industry - May, 2002
14K Does it pay?
The growing trend towards ISO 14001 certification is the result of companies increasingly recognising the business benefits of environmental management. Business in the Environment works hard to encourage business to recognise environmentally sustainable development as a strategic, mainstream business issue.
Sustain, Built Environment Matters - Vol 3, issue 4, 2002
First-time corporate environmental reporting
Many companies have recently produced a corporate environmental and social report for the first time, pre-empting potential Government introduction of mandatory reporting. If the internal data collection exercise is designed well it can enable painless completion of corporate social responsibility questionnaires such as the BiE Index.
Summary of coverage from the 6th BiE Index
Investors Chronicle - 21 June, 2002
Beyond the bottom line
Many investors are no longer making decisions based purely on companies' financial indicators, but are looking beyond the bottom line to the wider aspects of company performance. The problem is that corporate responsibility indicators tend by nature to be 'off balance sheet'. Many companies are increasingly reporting aspects of their social and environmental performance in special reports. In a pilot scheme run by Business in the Community (BITC), a group of companies have been publicly reporting their performance across a common set of five indicators, thereby enabling meaningful comparison.
Evidence of a solid link between companies' environmental/social and financial performance has, in the past, been lacking. However, research published in February by BiE shows that high scoring listed companies in the BiE Index of Corporate Environmental Engagement tend to be those with low stock price volatility, which in turn can lower the cost of capital. The causality of this relationship has not been established.
Retail Week - 14 June, 2002
Retailers urged to take lead in recycling waste
British retailers are under increasing pressure to make packaging easier to recycle. While the UK lags behind many European countries, progress is being made. The supermarket Sainsbury's, who for the last three years has been named the leading food retailer in the BiE Index of Corporate Environmental Engagement, has been amongst those to recognise the value of a public commitment to reducing waste.
Corporate Citizenship Briefing - April / May 2002
Index of Green Leaders
Marks & Spencer is the biggest upward climber in the 6th annual BiE Index. "The Index has been hugely influential in raising the bar on systematic environmental management among FTSE listed companies. Few self-respecting companies can today deliberately ignore the annual process."
Pensions Week - Monday, April 1, 2002
Environmental investment risk
John Rogers, Director, NAPF Voting Issues Service comments that major companies not choosing to be involved with the Business in the Environment (BiE) Index are likely to be questioned more closely by analysts. Index participation rates have increased to more than 80% of FTSE 100 plus many more FTSE 250.
The Safety & Health Practitioner - April, 2002
Environment Index hits £1 trillion mark
Total market capitalisation of participants in the 6th annual Business in the Environment of Corporate Environmental Engagement is now 1 trillion. For the first time, this year's survey asked questions about performance improvement, and not just how the environmental management system is doing.
Governance - March, 2002
Green Index
Companies that fail to report in detail on their environmental impact run the risk of damaging their reputation and ultimately raising their cost of capital, according to Business in the Environment (BiE), which has recently unveiled its 6th index of top UK companies, ranked by their environmental reporting standards.
Express & Echo (Exeter) - Friday, March 15, 2002
Cat gets the cream
Jaguar, a first-time enterant in the Business in the Environment Index of Corporate Environmental Management, has achieved a top-five ranking out of over 200 companies.
Managing Director Mike Beasley saysd: "Environmental performance is an effot that'sa close to my heart. I know the amouny of hard work that goes into the continous improvement of Jaguar's environmental credentials."
Surveyor - Thursday, March 14, 2002
Waste recycling Group records improvement on environemntal performance
Doncaster-based Waste Recycling Group has recorded a marked improvement in its environmental performance. The company has listed 17th out of 206 firms in the BiE annual index of corporate environmental engagement. The results improves on last year's 41st position.
Eurofood - Thursday, March 14, 2002
Sainsbury award
Sainsbury was ranked the top of the food retailer and third out of the 83 FTSE 100 companies in the BiE Index. The supermarket group issued a 'Raising the Standard' brocheure to 1250 own-brand suppliers, aimed at improving environmental practice among its supply chain. Sainsbury also stocked the world's first wild Alaskan Salmon sourced from fisheries certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Dunmore & Braintree Times - Thursday, March 7, 2002
Survey praises airport
Stansted Airport owner BAA has been heralded the best transport company in an environmental management survey. The Business in the Environment Engagement Index gavce BAA a 99per cent success rate for managing environmental impacts and setting targets to reduce it. The airport company achieved an 88 per cent score the previous year.
Yorkshire Evening Post - Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Green matters
A national survey of companies environmental credentials had given Bradford-based Kelda Group its highest placving ever. The latest BiE Index has placed the company, which owns Yorkshire Water, 31st out of 192, which is 51 places higher than last year.
Kelda environment managers Deborah Pedly, said: "Being the region's biggest land owner means nothing unless we have solid environmental practices in place. over the last few years we have sharpened our focus on these policies and we are beginning to see results."
Water Magazine - Wendesday, March 6, 2002
Industry fares well in green index
The Water industry has once more done well in Business in the Environment's sixth annual Index, although two water companies fell out of the prestigious listing because of international mergers. Four of the companies reported on global warming, attaining nearly 100% for performance improvement. Four of the companies also chose to report on biodiversity, and received among the highest sector marks for this category.
Pensions Week - Monday, March 4, 2002
Reds turn green in premier league
Mancherster United were the first football club to enter the premier league for environmentally friendlt companies. The BiE Index revealed that much corporate work had been achieved on environmental matters but more remains to be done. Minister for State for Environment Michael Meacher said "While the government is encourgaed by the improvements shown by the Index, companies are still lamentably failing when it comes to global warming and waste issues. It is becoming clear that bad environmental practices are detrimental to brand image."
Financial News - Monday, March 4, 2002
Fund managers snub BiE survey on SRI attitudes
A stream of fund management firms failed to participate in the 6th BiE Index.BiE, chaired by UBS Warburg adviser, Derek Higgs now has sufficiently strong reputation for 83% of constituents of the FTSE 100 to take part. SRI managers, as well as green lobbyists, use it as a key reference point.
Building - Friday, March 1, 2002
Carillion is greenest contractor, says survey
Carillion is the most environmentally friendly contractor, according to a survey published this week. The 6th BiE Index placed Carillion ninth in an industry sector league table of environmentally friendly firms. It is the first time that Carillion has entered the Index. The survey also highlighted that construction and builkding materials was a sector that had a high nuber of non-participants. Nine firms failed to comply to the survey.
Professional Pensions - February 28, 2002
Firms improve attitude to environmental risk
Top companies are showing significant improvement in their attitude to environmental risk, a ket index used by the NAPF's Voting Issues Service has shown. The BiE ranked Lattice, IBM and Scottish Power in joint first place, with Shields Environemntal and Unilever second.
Eastern Daily Press - Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Green accolade for waste group
Norfork-born Waste Recycling Group has been named as one of the Uk's leading companies for environmental management and performance in the 6th BiE Index. BiE Director Dr Belinda Howell said "Waste Recycling Group is to be congratulated on its improvement over the year. Management scores continue to be excellent and the high scores are clearly an indication of the group's commitment to continual improvement."
Waste Recycling Group chief executive Nigel Sandy said "These results are a reward for the huge efforts the company has made in recent years to ensure that we go about our business in an environmentally responsible way....We will continue to challenge ourselves through the setting of practical and meaningful objectives and commit to report on our progress year on year."
Financial Times - Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Many companies are missing out on the benefits of demonstrating responsibility
The environmental risks run by large comapnies have become increasingly important to City Investors, according to the annual Business in the Environment Index published today.
The need to reduce exposure to environmental risk through active portfolio management emerged as a central concern of investors after BiE introduced new detailed analysis of how finance and business were approaching environmental issues. Derek Higgs, chairman of BiE and senior UK adviser to UBS Warburg, said environment-related protfolio management had been a notable feature of the financial sector, including banks, insurance companies and life assurance companies.
The Times - Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Auditors fail to make environmental grade
The auditing profession will sees its tarnished image hit further today with the publication of a new report on corporate responsibility from Business in the Environment. Ernst & Young and KPMG, which boith audit companies for the environmental impact of their businesses, have been found wanting in assessing the environmental risk of their own operations, the report says. PricewaterhouseCoopers joined the Index for the first time this year, and Deloitte & Touche and Accenture have promised to do so next year.
This year's index shows a steady improvement over how firms tackle global warming, energy and tranbsport issues. Even so, 22 per cent of companies involved were still not setting targets and 25 per cent were unable to show any performance improvement over last year. Just 17 of the FTSE100 businesses did not take part. However, many FTSE 250 companies were not involved and were missing the benefits of demonstrating environmental responsibility.
The Daily Telegrapb - Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Game of two halves of environment The latest Index of Corporate Environmental Engagement compiled by Business in the Environment shows the red devils struggeling in 149th place, out of 206 companies. Company secretary David Beswitherick complains that it was a game of two halves with the questions asked before United had got round to formulating all its policies....
The Guardian - Tuesday, Febuary 26, 2002
Accounting sector takes another hit The image of the auditing profession, tarnished after the Enron scandal, faces further embarrassment today with the publication of a new report on corporate responsibility by Business in the Environment. Ernst & Young and KPMG, which audit companies for the environmental impact of their businesses, are found seriously wanting in assessing environmental risk to their own businesses.
PricewaterhouseCoopers performed better but the accountancy sector was rated 36th out of 39 in the latest BiE Index.
The Scotsman: Business - Tuesday, February 26, 2002
ScottishPower tops green list
ScottishPower's green credentials were boosted yesterday, after topping a poll of environmentall friendly UK businesses. Scottish & Southern Energy was in eigth place, while British Energy was the next highest ranking Scottish firms.
A spokesman for ScottishPower said the company's emission reduction programme which included a £20 million investment in clean coal technology at its Longannet Power Station had helkped it succeed. The company recently won a Qeen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development category for its eco-friendly policies.
Pensions Week - Monday, February 25, 2002
City moves to greener investing by Iain Martin, Editor
A leading indicator of fund managers' attitudes to the environment is expected to show the City places far more emphasis on environmental risk than previously. Dr Belinda Howell, Director, BiE told Pensions Week "Financial companies are realising there is an impact on the environment through their investments. The work we have been doing to reduce City scepticism towards environmental influences on valuations is paying off. Institutional investors generally now regard environmental impacts as part of risk." Stephan Howaldt, chief executive of Hermes Focus Asset Management (Europe), said that there was a definite trend to the sustainability of investments in investor decisions.
Reuters International securities report - Monday, February 25, 2002
UK Firms pay more attention to environment
Brisith companies and investors are paying greater attention to the impact of environmental responsibility on the performance of companies, according to the 6th BiE Index.
The survey ranked a power company, a gas firm and a U.S. computer company as the most environmentally responsible corporations, and indicated fund managers are giving greater consideration to environmental risk for their investment decisions. BiE said that although football club Manchester United has joined the ranks of the environmentally responsible, too many of the Uk's midcap sized companies are not paying attention to the benefits of taking environmental responsibility.
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