Sustainability relates to a company’s ongoing ability to protect and grow shareholder value through positively managing its impacts on, and relationship with, diverse stakeholder constituencies. This means integrating economic, social and environmental concerns and opportunities within decision-making and applying them to help deliver business goals.See full...
The Government has announced details of the final commencement timetable for the Companies Act 2006. All parts of the Act will come into force by October 2009, but there will be early commencement of some of the provisions. The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) website sets out the final implementation timetable.Following discussions and meetings with key stakeholders, the Government has decided that the following provisions should be commenced with effect from 1 October 2008: * sections 69 to 74: objection to company names; * sections 82 to 85: trading disclosures; * sections 155 to 159: provisions relating to corporate directors and under-age directors; * sections 175 to 177: general duties of directors in respect of conflicts of interest; *...
Highlights of Alcoa's Commitment to Sustainable DevelopmentThis periodic newsletter offers a roundup of recent highlights from Alcoa's operations worldwide. Taken individually, these summaries provide insight into Alcoa's performance in the economic, environmental, and social realms. Taken together, they reveal the breadth of activity that ultimately delivers a sustainable outcome.More detail about Alcoa can be found on our website, www.alcoa.com.Alcoa Again Named One of the World's Most Sustainable CompaniesAlcoa was named one of the most sustainable corporations in the world in the fourth annual Global 100 ranking of the top role models in sustainable business practices, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Alcoa has been on the list every year since the ranking...
Global Compliance Services, Inc. announced recently that it has completed the acquisition of Ethical Leadership Group, the leading global ethics and compliance consulting firm. Founded in 1993, Ethical Leadership Group has helped 25% of the Fortune 200 in over 40 countries around the world foster business cultures of integrity. Ethical Leadership Group’s areas of expertise encompass assessment, strategy, communications, and training. Dennis Muse, CEO of Global Compliance, states, “The addition of ethics and compliance risk assessment, program evaluation, and customized, instructor-led training to our already broad product and service line firmly solidifies Global Compliance as the single provider able to deliver an integrated solution including all the elements of an effective...
Defence firm BAE Systems is facing a series of corruption probes surrounding its activities in six countries, the government has confirmed.Detailing the investigations - all but one were already known - is widely seen as a political move by Solicitor General Mike O'Brien.The SFO controversially dropped a probe into a BAE arms deal with Saudi Arabia in December.The company denied all claims of corruption, ministers said.In a statement, BAE said the SFO's investigation had been going for three years and it could not comment on it for legal reasons. See full...
As a significant step toward tackling climate change, an unprecedented group of companies and organizations from around the world have endorsed a bold post-Kyoto framework for affecting change at the levels of policy and industry, particularly in regard to creating sustainable energy systems necessary for achieving economic growth.Signatories of statement (PDF) — endorsed by Allianz, Bayer, Citigroup, DuPont, General Electric, Volvo, and many others — calls on governments to set scientifically informed targets for greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The agreement also urges governments to place a price on carbon emissions and to set forth policies aimed at addressing energy efficiency and de-carbonization in all sectors. Calling climate change "an urgent problem," the...
La petrolera cambia de rumbo y pone fin a la financiación de organizaciones contrarias a las tesis del cambio climático. El grupo admite que el riesgo es real y abre negociaciones sobre la posible regulación de las emisiones de gasesEl coloso norteamericano ExxonMobil, primera empresa del mundo por ingresos (263.760 millones de euros) y primera potencia petrolera en valor bursátil (405.000 millones), utilizó las mismas tácticas de desinformación que la industria del tabaco en relación con la nicotina para neutralizar las tesis del cambio climático, con el fin de evitar o retrasar las políticas de reducción de la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero. Un informe de la Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) afirma que entre 1998 y 2005, Exxon invirtió 12,5 millones de euros en...
The existence of strong internal controls and adequate oversight of management are just as important to creditors as they are to equity investors.These days, more and more people are asking: "What role does corporate governance play in credit ratings?" Generally speaking, corporate governance is thought of as a way to ensure the rights and address the concerns of equity holders, not creditors. Holders of a company's debt obtain their rights andremedies through contractual terms used to create a debt instrument. Shareholders' rights, although formally dependent upon the provisions of a company's charter and bylaws, are made truly effective through the quality of the board of directors' oversight of management--the core subject matter ofcorporate governance. But effective corporate...
Another european country participating in anti market practices.The European Unión needs to keep governments honest, as they have a tendency to protect their national champions and, in these matters, Europe is still foreign.Onésimo Alvarez-MoroSee article:Taking 40 winks in the middle of the day may reduce the risk of death from heart disease, particularly in young healthy men, say researchers.A six-year Greek study found that those who took a 30-minute siesta at least three times a week had a 37% lower risk of heart-related death.The researchers took into account ill health, age, and whether people were physically active.Experts said napping might help people to relax, reducing their stress levels.See full...