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See also the following sections of this website:

• Auto rental companies
• Tire companies

Websites:

Clean Car Campaign

Corporations and Cooperation with the Nazis (Holocaust History Project)

The Energy Foundation: Toward a sustainable energy future

Financial Compensation for Nazi Slave Laborers website (ReligiousTolerance.org)

Green Power Market Development Group: a collaboration of 10 leading corporations [Alcoa, Cargill Dow, Delphi Automotive, DuPont, General Motors, IBM, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Kinkos, Pitney Bowes] and the World Resources Institute dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. 

Holocaust Litigation (including German Slave/Forced Labor) (Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll law firm)

Mercury in Vehicles (Clean Car Campaign)

Pilot project: Southern Africa Business and Gender Initiative [companies participating: ABSA, SAB-Beer Divisions, Vodacom, Toyota, Old Mutual] (Resource Centre for the Social Dimensions of Business Practice)

Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (Stockholm Environment Institute)

• Impacts on Health - Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (Stockholm Environment Institute)
• Regional Air Pollution in Asia (Stockholm Environment Institute)
• Regional Air Pollution in Africa (Stockholm Environment Institute)
• Contaminación Atmosferica Regional en los Paises en Desarrollo [Regional Air Pollution in Latin America] (Stockholm Environment Institute)

Sustainable Mobility 2030 project (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)

UNEP Greener Driving: UNEP runs this campaign jointly with several sponsors from the automotive industry [BMW, Ford, Michelin, Renault, DVR] to promote sustainable mobility and explain this Greener Driving style. (U.N. Environment Programme)

Volkswagen: street children project -...The project, begun in September 1999 in partnership with the children's rights organization terre des homes, aims to supply continuous, long-term financial support for street children projects that are run by local institutions and initiatives near Volkswagen sites around the world (Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Germany). (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)

Statements by business people about human rights and business:

Bill Ford, Chairman of the Board, Ford Motor Company (USA)

Statements by business people about general corporate social responsibility:

Minoru Mkaihara, Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan)

Ford: case in U.S. court regarding alleged sexual harassment of female workers in USA factories:

• Ford increases settlement: Agreement gives $9 million to female workers at 2 plants (Melita Marie Garza, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2000)

• Judge questions EEOC settlement with Ford: Ruling allows women to file suit instead (Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Oct. 1999)

• Ford pays millions in harassment settlement (Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 1999)

• EEOC finds sexual harassment at Ford plants (Sallie Gaines, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 1999)

• Ford punishes workers for sexual harassment (Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 1998)

• Lawsuit alleges harassment, discrimination at two Ford plants (Nancy Millman, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 1998)

Mitsubishi: case in U.S. court regarding alleged sexual harassment of female workers in USA factory:

• EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] Responds to Final Report of Mitsubishi Consent Decree Monitors: Commission Says Control of Sexual Harassment in Future May Depend on Auto Maker's Adoption of Recommendations [USA] (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 23 May 2001)

• Mitsubishi Settles Sexual Harassment Suit (Court TV Legal Documents, June 1998)

• Isolated incidents? (Online News Hour, Public Broadcasting Service, 26 Apr. 1996)

• Mitsubishi accused of sexual harassment on 'outrageous scale' (Minnesota Daily, 10 Apr. 1996)

Other materials:

2003:

Environmentalists: SUVs cause war - Groups say better SUVs would end U.S.-Mideast conflicts; carmakers say they're doing what they can. - Environmental groups [Natural Resources Defense Council and the Detroit Project] launched a new attack on sport/utility vehicles and Detroit automakers Wednesday, charging that lack of progress on more fuel-efficient vehicles could be responsible for future U.S. wars in the Middle East. (CNN/Money, 7 May 2003)

• Campaign Slams U.S. Automakers For Gas Guzzlers - Environmentalists turned up the heat on U.S. automakers today for stalling on fuel economy and contributing to the nation's dependence on foreign oil. (J.R. Pegg, Environment News Service, 7 May 2003)

Religious Shareholders to Challenge PepsiCo To Report Effect of AIDS in Africa Operations - Coalition's Resolution Asks Company for Report on Business Impact of AIDS - Concerned PepsiCo shareholders today announced their sponsorship of a proxy resolution asking the soft drink industry giant to report on how it plans to deal with the business and employee impact of the AIDS pandemic in Africa. (MMA, 24 Apr. 2003)

• Activists question faith in PepsiCo - A coalition of religious shareholders, co-ordinated by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, has filed a proxy resolution urging PepsiCo to outline its plans to deal with the Aids pandemic in its African soft drink and snacks businesses. The resolution is one of several filed against US companies with businesses in Africa. However, the coalition noted that resolutions filed with Colgate-Palmolive, Chevron-Texaco and Ford Motor have been withdrawn because the companies opened dialogue with the shareholders. PepsiCo, meanwhile, has sought to kill the resolution in a proposal to the Securities and Exchange Commission (Betty Liu, Financial Times, 24 Apr. 2003)

Ford and Fannie Mae Top List of 50 Best Companies for Diversity [USA] -...The ranking took into consideration many different aspects of diversity, including race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability, among others...The top ten companies on the list included Ford, Fannie Mae, American Express, Verizon, IBM, SAFECO, Deloitte & Touche, Eastman Kodak, Bank of America, Xerox (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 24 Apr. 2003)

Low Levels of Lead Damage Children - It can reduce IQ, delay puberty, new research says...The main exposure to lead [in USA] now occurs in housing built before 1950, where paints with high levels of lead are more common. (Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews, 16 Apr. 2003)

• Low lead levels damage kids -...In South Africa, the threat of elevated childhood blood lead levels is not expected to decline in the foreseeable future as very few local consumers are currently using unleaded petrol. (Health24 [South Africa], 16 Apr. 2003)

Women's Group to Target Augusta Members [USA] - The leader of efforts to force the Augusta National Golf Club to admit women said Tuesday she will take her protest next to companies whose top executives belong to the club. Martha Burk, head of the National Council of Women's Organizations, said her group plans to request meetings with the top officers of several corporations - among them IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Ford and Microsoft - who hold memberships at the golf club, home to the prestigious Masters tournament. She said her group also is considering appealing to pension fund administrators and other investors to sell stock in companies whose executives belong to the golf club. (Jonathan D. Salant, Associated Press, 15 Apr. 2003)

{···français} Apartheid: des firmes sommées de réparer - Des plaignants sud-africains réclament des milliards de dollars ( Sabine Cessou, Libération, 12 avril 2003)

7th Worker Dies from Injuries in Corbin Explosion [USA] - A seventh worker has died from burns suffered in an explosion at a manufacturing plant at Corbin [CTA Acoustics, Inc.]. (AP, 11 Apr. 2003)

Michael Smith reports on Tata's army of worker-volunteers, who produce social capital as well as profits [India] -...The Tata group, one of India's largest private sector conglomerates (involving about 80 companies), is renowned worldwide for its commitment to social welfare...Housing for employees, company-run hospitals and schools, and rural development projects such road building, tree planting and well digging are all part of the Tata package...But now Tata's social ethos is under threat because of the forces of globalisation...The company has also sought the help of the Confederation of Indian Industries, in creating a network of like-minded companies that maintain community initiatives. They include Thermax and Forbes Marshall engineering in Pune and TVS, the scooters and automotive giant based in Bangalore. (Michael Smith, Guardian [UK], 10 Apr. 2003)

Firms Cautious On Calls for Apartheid Reparations [South Africa] - Stunned silence from large parts of the business sector greeted the news that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has recommended to government that SA's businesses be made to pay reparations to victims of apartheid unless they offer to play a more substantial role in reconstructing the country. The commission's suggestions included a wealth tax or a one off levy on corporate or private income. The commission singled out three business sectors that benefited particularly from apartheid policies: parastatals like Eskom, mining companies like Anglo American and international institutions like the Swiss banks. (Nicola Jenvey, Lesley Stones, Julie Bain, Carli Lourens & Charlotte Mathews, Business Day [South Africa], 26 Mar. 2003)

• Business responds to reparations call [South Africa] - Business leaders are not happy about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for apartheid reparations. [refers to Anglo American, Grindrod, McCarthy] (iafrica.com, 26 Mar. 2003)

Mirenco Helps Iowa Schools Clear 5 Tons of Soot from the Air [USA] - Mirenco, Inc., the contractor for the Bus Emissions Education Program (BEEP), helped Iowa schools clear an estimated five tons of soot from the air through improvements made to Iowa's nearly 5,000 diesel school buses...BEEP is a partnership among Mirenco, Inc., the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, School Administrators of Iowa, and Iowa Pupil Transportation Association. (Mirenco, Inc., 26 Mar. 2003)

An Age Of Discrimination? The U.S. sees an increase in suits complaining of age and religious bias -...Although EEOC complaints are relatively easy to file, they face tough outcomes. Only about 20 percent of the complainants prevail. [refers to age discrimination complaint against Seal Dynamics; religious discrimination complaint against Computer Sciences Corp., Foot Locker Inc., Ford Motor Co.] (Carrie Mason-Draffen, Newsday, 23 Mar. 2003)

Time for serious action on vehicle pollution [New Zealand] -...It is estimated that at least 500 people in New Zealand die prematurely each year due to the effects of vehicle pollution, mainly in the form of carbon monoxide and carbon particulates from diesel vehicles. (Motor Industry Association, 10 Mar. 2003)

Toyota settles US Clean Air Act suit for $34 mln [USA] - Toyota Motor Corp has pledged to improve anti-pollution controls on old, publicly owned buses that were not made by Toyota as part of a $34 million package to settle a Clear Air Act lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department said..."With this bus retrofit action, our nation's school children will be breathing less of the small particles that can cause lung and respiratory damage," said EPA Administrator Christine Whitman. (Deborah Charles, Reuters, 10 Mar. 2003)

United States Settles Clean Air Act Case Against Toyota - The Department of Justice and the Environment Protection Agency finalized a settlement of the government's lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corporation for Clean Air Act violations involving 2.2 million vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 1998. Under the settlement, Toyota will spend $20 million on a supplemental environmental project to retrofit up to 3,000 public diesel fleet vehicles to make them run cleaner and extend the emission control system warranty on affected vehicles. In addition, Toyota will accelerate its compliance with certain new emission control requirements, and pay a $500,000 civil penalty. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 7 Mar. 2003)

Ethical Supply Chain Management - the story so far - Some of the standards focus on core labour and human rights issues (e.g. Ethical Trading Initiative or SA8000), while others are beginning to tackle wider issues such as terms of trading and criteria for smallholders...Companies are beginning to “green” their supply chain by working on environmental initiatives with their suppliers. [refers to McDonald’s, Cosmair (a subsidiary of L'Oreal), Ford]. (Julian Roche, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 6 Mar. 2003)

{···français} Une nouvelle étude confirme le lien entre la pollution et la mortalité à Paris - L'observatoire régional de la santé (ORS) d'Ile-de-France a publié, lundi 3 mars, une étude confirmant un lien direct entre la pollution atmosphérique, principalement issue des transports, et la mortalité ou la morbidité des habitants qui la supportent. (Benoît Hopquin, Le Monde, 4 mars 2003)

Black clergy set boycott over alleged financing discrimination [USA] - Black clergy members from numerous states have set a March 15 boycott date against DaimlerChrysler AG unless the automaker addresses allegations of racial discrimination. The unnamed coalition claimed 240 ministers from 14 states met at a Baptist church in Harvey to protest alleged credit practices denying loans to minorities, said Sean Howard, a spokesman for the group. Consumers claiming discrimination have filed a lawsuit against the company's financing arm, DaimlerChrysler Services.. (Associated Press, 3 Mar. 2003)

new book: Buying into the Environment Experiences, Opportunities and Potential for Eco-procurement -...Many initiatives have been undertaken in OECD countries, most successfully in Japan and Denmark where green public purchasing has been proven to be workable and highly effective, while, in other countries, city municipalities have successfully pioneered the development of sophisticated public environmental purchasing policies...The book, organised under the auspices of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) analyses national approaches already tested, and provides in-depth surveys on the pioneer cities such as Hamburg, Malmö and Zürich...The most relevant product groups for eco-procurement such as construction, transport, energy, information technology, furniture and food. are also analysed. (Edited by Christoph Erdmenger, International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, Mar. 2003)

DaimlerChrysler widens HIV drive [South Africa] - Car maker DaimlerChrysler SA said yesterday that it would extend its existing treatment programme to employees made redundant as well as to their dependants. (Business Day [South Africa], 28 Feb. 2003)

EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] and Pinnacle Nissan [a Scottsdale, Arizona-based automobile dealership] Settle National Origin and Religious Harassment Lawsuit -...the EEOC alleged that six former employees of Pinnacle Nissan were subjected to a hostile working environment on the basis of national origin, Middle Eastern and Hispanic, and one former employee was subjected to a hostile work environment because of his religion, Jewish. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 19 Feb. 2003)

Sex-harass suit filed against dealership: Similar complaint settled 2 years ago [USA] - A former salesman is suing Burt Chevrolet claiming that he was sexually harassed by a manager at the dealership and denied promotions because he refused to lie about it. (Mark P. Couch and Louis Aguilar, Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2003)

Automakers, Calif. Spar Over Emissions - Automakers and California Spar Over State's Vehicle Emission Rules...A coalition of 12 automakers, including General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler, is fighting the rules. (Associated Press, 13 Feb. 2003)

Battle against air pollution [Bangalore, India] - Vehicular pollution constitutes over 70 per cent of the total pollution in Bangalore. And getting polluting vehicles off city roads has never been easy. But armed with its ambitious 36-point action plan to tackle pollution, the state transport department claims that it is making slow but steady progress in bringing down pollution levels. (Times of India, 6 Feb. 2003)

UNEP: Agency Seeks More Appealing Environmental Message - UNEP praised KIA for a British campaign urging people to use cars on long trips only and European detergent makers for their Wash-Right campaign calling on people to wash clothes at low temperatures (UN Wire, 5 Feb. 2003)

14 Organizations to Cut GHGs 4% by 2006 - Fourteen organizations, including several large corporations, have entered into a legally binding agreement to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 4 percent within the next four years. The 14 entities announced last week that they are forming the Chicago Climate Exchange...The 14 entities include American Electric Power; Baxter International Inc.; the city of Chicago; DuPont; Equity Office Properties Trust; Ford Motor Company; International Paper; Manitoba Hydro; MeadWestvaco Corporation; Motorola, Inc.; STMicroelectronics; Stora Enso North America; Temple-Inland Inc.; and Waste Management, Inc. (GreenBiz.com, 23 Jan. 2003)

Fuel Cell Vehicle Commercialization Ramping Up -...Honda and Toyota delivered the first customer-operated fuel cell automobiles to customers in California and Japan. (EarthVision Environmental News, 3 Jan. 2003)

Enviros Temperature Rising - Amid growing anger among environmentalists over the record and intentions of President George Bush, three major U.S. environmental groups announced in December that they are suing his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to curb global warming. The lawsuit by the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) charges the EPA with violating the 1977 Clean Air Act by failing to limit air pollution caused by automobiles that "may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare." (Jim Lobe, Third World Network Features/Inter Press Service, in Multinational Monitor, Jan./Feb. 2003)

2002:

Shareholders pressure US carmakers to come clean - A group of shareholders at car makers General Motors and Ford Motor Co are exerting new pressure on management to try and force the firms to cut vehicle gas emissions in the next 10 years. (Reuters, 16 Dec. 2002)

Green groups sue US EPA over global warming - Three environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to force it to combat global warming by limiting air pollution from U.S. automobiles. (Reuters, 9 Dec. 2002)

Honda least-polluting automaker in US - survey - Honda produces the least-polluting vehicle fleet in the U.S. market, while DaimlerChrysler is at the bottom of the list of automakers selling environmentally friendly cars, according to a survey from the Union of Concerned Scientists. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 6 Dec. 2002)

TOXIC SUBSTANCES: Countries Discuss More Public Access To Information - European, Central Asian and North American negotiators began weeklong talks in Geneva Monday to finalize an international pact on the public's right to information about chemical waste and toxic pollutants in the environment, Reuters reports. (UN Wire, 27 Nov. 2002)

• Countries seek tougher 'right to know' on toxics -...the week-long talks...come amid complaints by environmental groups that some toxic substances — radioactive waste and cancer-causing chemicals — risk being dropped from the draft deal under pressure from industry lobbyists.  Friends of the Earth and other activists warn that some countries are pressing for known carcinogenic substances — such as beryllium, a metal used in some electronic appliances, and chromium VI, employed in pigments and dyes, leather tanning, and wood preserving — to be removed from the list. Another area of concern is styrene — a possible carcinogen used widely in rubber, plastics, insulation, fiberglass, and autoparts — which is also in line to be omitted. (Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters, 26 Nov. 2002)

NGO Launches US Apartheid Reparations Law Suit [lawsuit in U.S. court against companies for past conduct in South Africa] - A non-governmental organisation has filed a lawsuit against 21 multinational corporations and leading international banks for helping prop up the apartheid state...The companies and banks named in the lawsuit are: Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Exxon Mobil, Caltex Petroleum, Fluor Corporation, Ford, General Motors and IBM in the United States; German-based Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, DaimlerChrysler, and Rheinmetall; Credit Suisse and UBS in Switzerland; Barclays Bank; British Petroleum, Rio Tinto and Fujitsu ICL in the United Kingdom; Total-Fina-Elf from France and Royal Dutch Shell from the Netherlands.  The list was expected to grow by at least 100 names. (South African Press Association, 12 Nov. 2002)

• Global Firms in Court for Supporting' Apartheid - A lawsuit has been lodged in a US court against 21 global business giants alleged to have earned billions through propping up apartheid. (Rob Rose, Business Day [South Africa], 13 Nov. 2002)

• Apartheid victims file lawsuit in US (AFP, 12 Nov. 2002)

• International Law Suit Filed on Behalf of Apartheid Victims - Khulumani et al. v. Barclays et al. - Today the law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C. along with other firms in the United States, joins with the South African firm, Abrahams Kiewitz, in filing a complaint that seeks to hold businesses responsible for aiding and abetting the apartheid regime in South Africa in furtherance of the commission of the crimes of apartheid, forced labor, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, sexual assault, and unlawful detention...For example: IBM and ICL provided the computers that enabled South Africa to create the hated “pass book system” and to control the black South African population. Car manufacturers provided the armored vehicles that were used to patrol the townships. Arms manufacturers violated the embargoes on sales to South Africa, as did the oil companies. The banks provided the funding that enabled South Africa to expand its police and security apparatus. (law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, 12 Nov. 2002)

• Summary of the Complaint - Khulumani et al. v. Barclays et al. (law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, 12 Nov. 2002)

What can corporate responsibility do in the fight against poverty in Africa? Maya Forstater looks at what business can be realistically expected to contribute to African development and outlines some specific examples of corporate engagement to date...DaimlerChrysler: making cars out of Sisal [South Africa, Brazil]...Divine Chocolate: Bringing farmers to market [Day Chocolate Company; The Body Shop; Ghana]...The Woodlands 2000 Trust [tree farming in Kenya]...South African Breweries...Coca-Cola: measuring the business contribution to economic development [Morocco, South Africa]...Supporting SME development: Richards Bay Minerals [South Africa] (Maya Forstater, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

Investing in Africa, challenges and initiatives - Alex Blyth looks at the principal issues around western business investment in Africa and some of the companies that are attempting to improve their impact on the landscape and people of the continent [refers to Environment: TotalFinaElf in Nigeria; Palabora Mining Company (49% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; Anglo American; DeBeers; Water & sanitation: Suez in Morocco & South Africa; Thames Water in Tanzania & South Africa; Education: ChevronTexaco in Nigeria; Old Mutual in South Africa; Barclays Africa; Economic development: Richards Bay Minerals (50% owned by Rio Tinto) in South Africa; HIV/AIDS:  Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland; DaimlerChrysler in South Africa; Coca-Cola]  (Alex Blyth, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 11 Nov. 2002)

Japan carmakers off hook in landmark pollution suit - A Japanese court yesterday ordered the central and Tokyo city governments to pay compensation for health problems caused by diesel exhaust fumes but rejected a demand that vehicle makers be made to pay as well. (Elaine Lies, Reuters, 30 Oct. 2002)

Sexual harassment suit settled [USA] - Ron Clark Ford settled a male-on-male sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $140,000 last week (Thomas Doyle, Amarillo Globe-News, 30 Oct. 2002)

Car firm probes union 'betrayal' claim - The car firm DaimlerChrysler has announced an external inquiry into claims that one of its subsidiaries handed over 14 union activists to Argentina's military dictatorship in the 1970s. (BBC News, 28 Oct. 2002)

• Argentina: DaimlerChrysler opens human rights inquiry...The Commission is expected to investigate the "disappearance" of some 14 trade union members working in the Mercedes-Benz factory -- now owned by DaimlerChrysler -- at González Catán, Buenos Aires Province, in 1976 and 1977. (Amnesty International, 28 Oct. 2002)

Tribe Joins Chemical Workers to Protest Ponca City, Okla.-Area Pollution [USA] -...Feeling trapped and overwhelmed by industry and environmental contamination, a diverse group of about 150 people rallied recently in a walking "toxic tour" of the major industrial facilities adjoining tribal lands...the group's major environmental concern is focused on a company that was formerly Witco, now Continental Carbon based in Houston. The China Synthetic Rubber Company of Taiwan owns Continental Carbon. [refers also to Conoco] (JoKay Dowell, Indian Country Today [USA], 27 Oct. 2002)

Clouds Over Global Warming -...The oil and coal industry, the auto companies and the electric utilities of the world form such a powerful force that the struggle to defeat them on this crucial environmental issue is not going to be easy. (C. E. Karunakaran, CorpWatch India, 14 Oct. 2002)

Sellers-Sexton Sets the Pace for U.S. Car Dealerships - On September 4, 2002, Ford dealer Sellers-Sexton of St. Robert, Mo., set a precedent when it became the first car dealership in the U.S. to receive ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management. (GreenBiz.com, Sep. 2002)

Activists bring their complaints home to Taiwan - DISPUTE: US workers for plants owned by Taiwan's Koo's Group are angry and they have brought their grievances across the Pacific to Koo's doorstep - Hundreds of labor and environmental activists from 16 countries yesterday protested in front of the Taiwan Cement Corp building in Taipei to urge the Koo's Group to solve disputes involving one of its subsidiaries in the US. The protesters claim that Koo's Group's Continental Carbon Co violated environmental protection and labor rights laws [in USA] (Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 10 Oct. 2002)

3 win discrimination suit: $450,000 awarded to black salesmen fired by car dealer [USA] - Three black salesmen who were fired by an Arapahoe County dealership [Centennial Chrysler Plymouth dealership was owned by the Moreland Automotive Group] on Martin Luther King Day will share $450,000 as part of a race discrimination settlement. (John Accola, Rocky Mountain News, 9 Oct. 2002)

US green group says diesel soot is big cancer risk - Tiny soot particles emitted by diesel-fueled cars, trucks and construction equipment are a major contributor to the cancer risk from air pollution, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said. (Reuters, 7 Oct. 2002) 

Automakers struggle to stem harassment: Part 1 - Race, sex complaints persist despite training [USA] [refers to General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Mitsubishi] (Susan Carney, Detroit News, 6 Oct. 2002)

• Automakers struggle to stem harassment: Part 2 - Worker training (Susan Carney, Detroit News, 6 Oct. 2002)

Pensacola auto dealership accused in racial harassment suit [USA] - An auto dealership [Centennial Imports Inc.] is accused in a federal lawsuit of failing to stop employees from harassing black workers by using racial slurs, jokes and epithets, and displaying a hangman's noose in a work area. (Associated Press, 1 Oct. 2002)

Code of conduct signed at DaimlerChrysler - IMF [International Metalworkers' Federation] welcomes the second global labour agreement for a worldwide player in the automotive industry (International Metalworkers' Federation, 26 Sep. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: Commonwealth Forum Urges Businesses To Respond To Crisis (UN Wire, 25 Sep. 2002)

• Firms 'must wake up to Aids' - Business bosses gathered at the Commonwealth business forum in London have been urged to take a leadership role in tackling Africa's Aids/HIV crisis...Dr Cleves [Dr Julia Cleves, a senior policy advisor at UNAIDS] praised the work of a select few big multinational firms such as Anglo American, Standard Chartered Bank and Ford for being "golden lights who are no longer afraid of dealing with the problem". (BBC News, 24 Sep. 2002)

Corporate Responsibility: Myth or Reality? [includes references to initiatives by Bell Helicopter, Bank of America, Wal-Mart, Caterpillar, ITT Industries, John Deere, General Electric, Procter & Gamble, Sun Microsystems, Daimler-Chrysler] (Otto J. Reich, U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Remarks to the Inter-American Development Bank Conference on Corporate Social Governance, 23 Sep. 2002) 

POLLUTION: Dirty Air Kills More People Than Car Crashes, Institute Says - Air pollution takes a heavy toll in lives worldwide, killing more people than traffic accidents do, the nongovernmental Earth Policy Institute said in an article published yesterday. (UN Wire, 19 Sep. 2002)

• Air pollution fatalities now exceed traffic fatalities by 3 to 1 (Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts, Earth Policy Institute, 17 Sep. 2002)

LA babies get lifetime's toxic air in 2 weeks - study - A two-week-old baby in the Los Angeles area has already been exposed to more toxic air pollution than the U.S. government deems acceptable as a cancer risk over a lifetime, according to a report yesterday by an environmental campaign group...It said diesel exhaust - from trucks and cars, school buses, and farm and construction equipment - was still the worst source of air pollution. But it also took into account chemicals emitted by dry cleaners and factories as well as pesticides, adhesives and lubricant oils. (Reuters, 17 Sep. 2002)

Diesel fuel exhaust likely to cause cancer - US EPA - U.S. environmental regulators in a new report this week formally classified for the first time diesel exhaust from trucks and buses as likely to cause cancer in humans. (Reuters, 5 Sep. 2002)

Sustainable development: the contribution by the automotive industry (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers / Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles, 1 Sep. 2002)

Ecology opens for business [World Summit on Sustainable Development] -...Sir Mark [Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, former chairman of Shell who now heads Business Action for Sustainable Development] is lobbying for global leaders to disregard calls by NGOs to introduce multilateral rules governing business conduct. "The summit is taking place just as massive corporate scandals are undermining economic growth and confidence throughout the world. There is widespread recognition that self-regulation has failed," says Daniel Graymore, a campaigner for Christian Aid, the UK charity. Sir Mark concedes that greater corporate accountability is needed. But he argues that standards for business should be enforced at a national rather than global level...while some NGOs remain openly hostile to business, others are keen to work with it. BASD is promoting 230 partnerships between business and NGOs at the summit. They include the secondment of staff from HSBC, the banking group, to Earthwatch environmental projects, carmaker Fiat's development of gas-powered cars and the treatment of sleeping sickness in Africa by Aventis, the pharmaceuticals group. (James Lamont & John Mason, Financial Times, 31 Aug. 2002) 

Court nixes GM harrassment verdict [USA] - A divided appeals court panel threw out a $1 million verdict for a woman who said she was sexually harassed at a General Motors plant, ruling that the treatment she received, while "boorish," did not create a hostile workplace. (Jim Suhr, Associated Press, 23 Aug. 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: Firms, Investors Fret Over Costs, Liability -...the Times [New York Times] reported that companies are likely to face huge costs from climate change and could be sued by governments, investors and others if they fail to protect themselves against warming-related risks...Companies such as DuPont, BP and Ford have begun addressing climate change risk in annual reports and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, and Dow says it is set to release a social responsibility report in which it charts its greenhouse gas emissions reductions for the first time. The Times reports that Swiss Re is considering denying coverage to firms that do not address the problem (UN Wire, 19 Aug. 2002)

Spotlight on corporates reveals need for global rules - Some corporations continue to abuse the rights of people, destroy the livelihoods of communities, and pollute water and forest resources for future generations, according to a new report by Friends of the Earth International published today. The report graphically illustrates the need for governments to agree to introduce tighter rules for multinationals at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. (Friends of the Earth, 16 Aug. 2002)

• Call for 'global enviro rules' - The environmental group, Friends of the Earth, on Friday called on world leaders meeting at the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg to introduce global rules for business....In the report the environmental group mentions the mining giant, Rio Tinto that is prospecting for gold in the Poboya protected forest in Indonesia despite opposition from local people. South Africa's chemical company Sasol also comes under fire. (South African Press Association, 16 Aug. 2002)

• full report: Clashes with Corporate Giants: 22 campaigns for biodiversity and community (Friends of the Earth, Aug. 2002) 

includes section entitled "Towards binding corporate accountability"

also includes the following case studies:

8. Czech Republic: Ford, Nemak (car plant on agricultural land)

Asian smog cloud threatens millions, says UN - A three-km (two-mile) thick cloud of pollution shrouding southern Asia is threatening the lives of millions of people in the region and could have an impact much further afield, according to a United Nations-sponsored study. (Jeremy Lovell, Reuters, 13 Aug. 2002)

• ASIA: UNEP Says "Brown Cloud" Threatens Climate, Economy, Health - A three-kilometer-thick accumulation of smog over much of Asia and the Indian Ocean threatens the global climate and regional weather patterns, crops and economic progress, according to a study released today by the U.N. Environment Program....Researchers...lay most of the blame on Asian megacities with "unacceptably high emissions of health-endangering gaseous and particulate matter." (UN Wire, 12 Aug. 2002)

• 'Asian Brown Cloud' menaces the world -...Scientists call it the Asian Brown Cloud. It is an accumulated cocktail of pollution from Asia's great cities, a dramatic increase in the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, industries and power stations, forest fires in Indonesia and the emissions from millions of inefficient cookers burning wood or cow dung. (Barry James, International Herald Tribune, 12 Aug. 2002)

Latest twists and turns on Autotrim/Customtrim NAFTA case - Workers at the Autotrim and Customtrin/Breed Mexicana plants in Mexico who filed a workplace health and safety complaint under the NAFTA "labor side agreement" have blasted attempts by the Mexican and U.S. governments to close out their complaint with the appointment of a government-to-government committee to discuss for the next three years why occupational health laws are not enforced in Mexico. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 8 Aug. 2002)

Ford Chairman Laments Automakers' Credibility Gap on Environment - Ford Motor Co. Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. told an automotive industry management conference that the consumer perception of the industry as environmentally damaging and its opposition to environmental regulation have left consumers with a “lack of trust” similar to that caused in other industries by accounting scandals. (Business for Social Responsibility News Monitor summary of article in New York Times, 8 Aug. 2002)

Bangladesh bans polluting three-wheelers - Bangladesh said on Wednesday it would ban three-wheeled vehicles with two-stroke engines on the streets of the capital Dhaka from next month to cut down on air pollution. (Reuters, 8 Aug. 2002) 

No delay for US rules for clean diesel engines - EPA - The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday formalized penalties against manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel engines that fail to meet lower government-mandated emissions standards by the 2004 model year, rejecting an industry request to delay the rules. The decision is a defeat for Caterpillar Inc. and other diesel engine makers, as well as their allies in Congress, who had lobbied the Bush administration to delay the anti-pollution rules. (Reuters, 2 Aug. 2002)

Citigroup backs sustainable business - Financial services giant Citigroup is encouraging sustainable enterprise in Latin America through its work with the World Resources Institute on the New Ventures initiative. Through a series of competitions open to entrepreneurs across Latin America, a panel of experts selects small and medium sized enterprises whose business ideas promise sustainability while respecting social and environmental factors. Selected companies attend an international investment forum, and can win access to business mentoring services...Entrepreneurial schemes to benefit from the New Ventures initiative include ecotourism operators, and producers of shrimps, charcoal, wood, coffee, and electric vehicles for delivering goods in densely populated cities. One Argentinean firm is dedicated to the sustainable breeding of the guanaco - a wild Patagonian camelid - for its wool. In Brazil, Ouro Fértil...uses coconut fibres to create biodegradable and organic products for sale on the local and international markets. (International Chamber of Commerce, 1 Aug. 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: SUVs Causing Increased U.S. Emissions, NGO Says - Cars and light trucks produce one-fifth of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, and overall emissions are rising rapidly in the United States after decades of declining steadily, Environmental Defense said this week in a new report...The group identified General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler in particular as accounting for disproportionately high levels of emissions for their market shares. (UN Wire, 31 July 2002)

• General Motors Is Global Warmer Number One - New Report Measures U.S. Automakers' Corporate Culpabilities For Global Warming Pollution - A new report issued today by Environmental Defense appraises for the first time the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the new vehicles sold each year by major auto manufacturers. General Motors' fleet imposes the largest "carbon burden," producing 6.7 million metric tons per year. GM is followed closely by Ford, whose fleet produces 5.6 million tons. (Environmental Defense, 30 July 2002)

• full report: Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens: Reframing Public Policy on Automobiles, Oil and Climate (John DeCicco & Feng An, Environmental Defense, 29 July 2002)

• Carbon Nation: How U.S. Automakers Contribute to Global Warming -- And What They Can Do to Stop It -...DeCicco talks about how the "big six" automakers for the U.S. market contribute in a big way to global warming and challenges the industry to do what's right for the planet by designing vehicles that improve fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions. (Environmental Defense, 29 July 2002)

• Sinful Emissions: Weighing In on Automakers' Carbon Burdens (Environmental Defense, 30 July 2002)

• Surge in Carbon Dioxide Emissions Cited - Report Blames Automakers for Catering to Demand for Fuel-Inefficient Vehicles (Eric Pianin, Washington Post, 31 July 2002)

Finnish study links pollution [coming from factory smokestacks and the tailpipes of some diesel-powered buses and trucks] with heart disease (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 31 July 2002) 

US proposes pollution cuts for motorcycles, boats - The Bush administration has proposed a 50 percent cut in polluting air emissions produced by motorcycles and an 80 percent reduction for gasoline-fueled recreational boats. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 31 July 2002)

Beijing plans crackdown on car fumes before Olympics - Beijing plans to ban vehicles failing to meet European emission standards from January to reduce pollution in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics Games (Reuters, 29 July 2002)

Californian governor signs landmark auto emissions law - ...making his state the first in the nation to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb global warming...But the auto industry, which strongly opposed the California law, vowed to dismantle it in federal court by invoking federal laws that reserve for Congress the power to set fuel economy standards. (Gina Keating, Reuters, 24 July 2002)

PACE Intl Union Files Federal Lawsuit Against Continental Carbon over Violations of Environmental Laws in Oklahoma [USA] - The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) today filed a lawsuit against Houston-based Continental Carbon Company. The company is majority owned by Taiwan-based China Synthetic Rubber Company and Taiwan Cement Corp. The federal lawsuit...charges Continental Carbon with past and continuing violations of federal hazardous waste laws through the unsafe, improper and unauthorized operation of its Ponca City carbon black plant in Kay County, Okla. (Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, 23 July 2002)

Japan govt, car,energy firms in fuel cell projects - Japan's government said yesterday it will work with automakers and energy firms in three-year projects to encourage the development of fuel cell technology for vehicles and households. Fuel cells are seen as one of the leading environmentally friendly energy sources of the future. (Reuters, 19 July 2002)

Supporting Science, Supporting Sustainability - Earthwatch Institute's Corporate Fellowship Program places corporate employees in the field with top scientists for the benefit of both the environment and the sponsoring companies [refers to Ford Motor Co., Royal Dutch Shell, Rio Tinto, Starbucks] (Anne Moore Odell, SocialFunds.com, 18 July 2002) 

California legislature OKs greenhouse gas emissions bill - The California legislature approved a controversial bill that would make the state the first in the nation to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. The Assembly voted 41 to 30 for the measure, which opponents such as the automobile industry have criticized... (Alex Gronke, Reuters, 3 July 2002) 

Fiat is geared up to reducing pollution on Italy's roads - Car-maker Fiat has teamed up with the Italian Ministry for the Environment and the country's oil industry association Unione Petrolfera in a new drive to promote low-emission methane-powered vehicles and reduce air pollution in Italy's cities. (International Chamber of Commerce, 28 June 2002)

NIGERIA: Focus on pollution in Lagos -...According to medical sources, respiratory ailments due to air pollution have become one of the leading problems encountered in the city's hospitals...Medical experts do not find the development surprising considering that Lagos is a city of cars and electricity generators. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 20 June 2002)

PACE International Union and Ponca Tribe Initiate Legal Action Against Continental Carbon Over Environmental Violations [USA]: Protest at Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality over Agency Inaction - The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) and representatives of the Ponca Indian Tribe today served Continental Carbon Company and its Taiwan- based parent companies, China Synthetic Rubber Company and Taiwan Cement Corp., with a "Notice of Intent to Sue" for alleged violations of state and federal environmental laws in Ponca City, Okla. (PACE International Union, 19 June 2002)

Age-bias claims up 23% over two years [USA]: It is the fastest-growing category of discrimination cases. Complaints tend to rise as layoffs increase. - On June 6, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Philadelphia office filed a lawsuit against Honeywell, seeking class-action status. (Jane M. Von Bergen, Philadelphia Inquirer, 17 June 2002)

Sierra Club presses US Big Three on fuel economy - A leading US environmental group launched what it described as a major campaign yesterday to force Detroit's Big Three automakers, and Ford Motor Co., in particular, to boost the fuel efficiency of their cars and trucks. (Tom Brown, Reuters, 13 June 2002) 

Cleaner off-road diesel vehicles may save 8,500 lives [USA] - report - The Bush administration should adopt tough federal pollution emission standards for bulldozers, farm tractors and other off-road diesel vehicles to prevent 8,500 premature deaths and 180,000 asthma attacks each year, state and local environmental regulators said in a report released yesterday. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 11 June 2002)

Volkswagen signs code of conduct - The IMF [International Metalworkers' Federation] welcomes the "Declaration on Social Rights and Industrial Relationships at Volkswagen", the first Code of Conduct for a worldwide player in the automotive industry...The Declaration states that the principles of core labour standards - which are defined in a number of conventions of the International Labour Organisation - will be assured within Volkswagen (International Metalworkers' Federation, 7 June 2002)

• full text of declaration: "Declaration on Social Rights and Industrial Relationships at Volkswagen" (Volkswagen, 6 June 2002)

New Report Assesses the Status of Corporate Social Responsibility: Echo Research reports on how corporate social responsibility is increasingly important for global corporations, and rates how CSR is being incorporated into business practices -...Ford and BP topped Echo's CSR Perception Index for the second year in a row. IBM and GlaxoSmithKline rounded out the top four this year. Echo applauded Ford's "Time Budget" program, which encourages employees to advance CSR initiatives, and BP's integration of social reporting into its business model. IBM earned high ranking due to its promotion of education, while GlaxoSmithKline distinguished itself as the most prominent CSR practitioner in the pharmaceutical industry. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 6 June 2002)

Guangdong governor says pollution plan in place [China] - The Chinese province of Guangdong says it has a full plan to tackle its serious environmental pollution [refers to curbs on cement & brick factories, automobiles, pig farms] (Eric Hall, Reuters, 6 June 2002)

Bush - Global climate report is bureaucratic hot air [USA] - President George W. Bush yesterday called a recent report that blames humans for global warming nothing more than a product of government "bureaucracy" and said he would not accept an international accord to reduce heating-trapping emissions. The report by the Environmental Protection Agency, whose top officials are appointed by the president, appeared to back the view of many scientists who believe that global warming is primarily caused by emissions from automobiles, power plants, and oil refineries. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 5 June 2002) 

Labor Board Issues Complaint Against Continental Carbon Company on Behalf of PACE Locals in Oklahoma and Texas [USA] - The National Labor Relations Board regional office in Fort Worth, Texas, issued a consolidated complaint against Continental Carbon Company for two different unfair labor practice charges [threatening employees with arrest while engaged in legally protected activities, and refusal to hand over safety & health information about leaks and possible well contamination] (PACE International Union, 4 June 2002)

Air Pollution Boosts Cancer Risk for Americans [USA] - Breathing toxic chemicals in the outdoor air exposes all Americans to a lifetime cancer risk at least 10 times greater than the level considered acceptable under federal law, shows new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Environment News Service, 3 June 2002)

Major automakers' eco-friendly efforts - Tighter emission rules and worries about dependency on fossil fuels are spurring automakers around the world to develop eco-friendly vehicles [refers to Toyota, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, Ballard Power Systems] (Reuters, 31 May 2002)

Trees, Trash And Toxic Leaded Petrol Targeted In This Year's World Environment Day Celebrations In Kenya -...The action plan to phase out lead in petrol is to be drawn up by representatives of governments, industry and civil society from countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya. (U.N. Environment Programme, 30 May 2002)

Sustainable development is serious stuff for industries - ‘Sector projects’, a new WBCSD brochure, outlines the groundbreaking work carried out by six industry sectors toward sustainable development. [the 6 sectors: Forestry; Sustainable Mobility; Cement Sustainability Initiative; Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development; Electricity Utilities; Financial Sector] (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 28 May 2002)

• WBCSD Sector Projects brochure (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, May 2002)  [scroll down to "Further information", where this pdf file can be downloaded]

• The WBCSD’s sector projects. Speech by Mr Björn Stigson, President, WBCSD at the WBCSD Sector Report Launch side event at Prepcom IV in Bali, May 28, 2002. (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 28 May 2002) [scroll down to "Further information", where this pdf file can be downloaded]

• The WBCSD’s sector projects. Speech by Nabiel Makarim, MPA MSM, Indonesian State Minister of the Environment and co-chair of PrepCom IV, at the WBCSD Sector Report Launch side event at Prepcom IV in Bali, May 28, 2002. (Nabiel Makarim, Indonesian State Minister of the Environment, 28 May 2002) [scroll down to "Further information", where this pdf file can be downloaded]

CLIMATE CHANGE: New IPCC Head Defends His Impartiality - Newly elected Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chief Rajendra Pachauri has defended himself, in an interview with the BBC, against allegations that his ascension to the post was aided by support from oil companies. Earlier reports indicated petroleum and automotive interests lobbied on behalf of Pachauri (UN Wire, 21 May 2002)

• Climate chief defends independence - The new head of the world panel assessing the nature of climate change has rejected charges that his appointment is a victory for oil firms. (BBC News, 17 May 2002)

• Sector Reports - UNEP DTIE is facilitating the preparation of a series of sector reports [for World Summit on Sustainable Development], whereby international, industry organisations and associations take stock of progress towards sustainable development and outline future challenges and actions to be taken (United Nations Environment Programme)

• Sector report - Automotive

• Sector report - Road transport

Ford are still racist [UK]: Asian victim tells of years of hell in car giant that vowed to end the hate - Car giant Ford's policy of "zero tolerance" to racism has been shattered after managers were found guilty of bullying and abusing an Asian worker. (Anton Antonowicz & Ruki Sayid, Mirror [UK], 11 May 2002)

US appeals court upholds EPA cut in diesel emissions [USA] - A federal appeals court last week cleared the way for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require diesel trucks and buses to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2007, rejecting an attempt by engine makers and fuel refiners to gut the rule. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 6 May 2002) 

• Earthjustice Praises Court Ruling Upholding Key EPA Rule On Cleanup Of Diesel Trucks -...The result is that Americans will breathe dramatically reduced levels of deadly diesel pollution. (Earthjustice, 3 May 2002)

Car makers face scrap costs under EU waste law - European Union carmakers must pay for recycling of scrap vehicles as from this week (Robin Pomeroy, Reuters, 25 Apr. 2002)

Ford India hands over its first Corporate Assessment Report to the Chief Minister [of Tamil Nadu, India] -...It offers a comprehensive assessment of Ford India's performance on a wide range of social, economic & business issues [including environmental protection]...It is the first country-specific assessment by a Ford affiliate. (Ford Motor Company, 24 Apr. 2002)

Business groups lobby to save SUVs in California: A coalition of business groups unveiled yesterday an ad campaign aimed at stopping a proposed California law they say would drive popular sport utility vehicles off the road by limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from cars and trucks. (Reuters, 24 Apr. 2002)  

Singapore may tighten auto emissions standards: Singapore may tighten its automobile emissions standards to the Euro III level to promote health and cleaner energy sources, Lim Swee Say, Minister for the Environment said yesterday. (Reuters, 23 Apr. 2002) 

Labor Proposal Tipped Scales for Hyundai Alabama Plan [USA]: Hyundai Motor was found to have chosen Alabama as the site for its first production plant in the United States after the state government made a guarantee that there would be no labor union in the plant. (Kim Jong-ho, Chosun Ilbo [South Korea], 21 Apr. 2002)

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Agencies Warn Of Risk To Children - A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Environment Agency says that up to 40 percent of global disease cases caused by environmental hazards are estimated to impact children under the age of 5 [refers to risks including synthetic chemicals, polluted indoor & outdoor air, road traffic, contaminated food & water, contaminants in toys, environmental tobacco smoke] (UN Wire, 16 Apr. 2002)

• Children face environmental risks: Children across Europe have to cope with health risks they should not be expected to tolerate, experts say. (Alex Kirby, BBC News, 15 Apr. 2002)

Home wanted for Britain's burgeoning tyre mountain: British businesses are harnessing new technologies to flatten the country's mountain of used tyres - growing by more than a million a month - as a European law gets set to make landfilling them illegal (Oliver Bullough, Reuters, 16 Apr. 2002)

Environmental Groups Urge Ford to Take Responsibility for Planned Destruction of the Environment in the Czech Republic: Ford Subsidiary [Mexican company Tenedora Nemak] Breaks Ground on Unspoiled Farmland, Risking Health and Environment of Czech Citizens (Environmental Law Service [Czech Republic] & Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, 10 Apr. 2002)

• An Open Letter to Mr. William Clay Ford Jr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Ford Motor Co. (from Environmental Law Service [Czech Republic]  & other environmental NGOs, 10 Apr. 2002)

• Objections of Czech environmental NGOs to the investment plan of TENEDORA NEMAK, S.A. DE C.V. in the Czech Republic (Prepared by CEE Bankwatch Network Czech Republic with the use of documentation of the Environmental Law Service & Greenpeace CZ, Apr. 2002)

{···español} Vinculan a Daimler con la dictadura [Argentina]:...Así lo informó ayer en una conferencia de prensa en Berlín, en la que la entidad pidió investigar la presunta complicidad de directivos de la ex Daimler-Benz en Buenos Aires con desapariciones y asesinatos de 15 sindicalistas que trabajaban en la planta de esa empresa. (Sindicato Mercosul, 10 abril 2002)

{···español} Accionistas de la empresa alemana piden explicaciones [Argentina]: La memoria de Mercedes Benz - En una asamblea de la empresa, la Asociación de Accionistas Críticos pedirá hoy que designe al Premio Nobel de la Paz, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel para investigar el rol de esa compañía en la represión. (Página 12 [Argentina], 10 abril 2002)

Canada to toughen new-vehicle pollution rules: Canada said yesterday it will toughen pollution emission rules for all new vehicles, ending a loophole that allowed less stringent standards for popular sport utility vehicles and minivans. (Reuters, 5 Apr. 2002)

Civic Groups Condemn Abuse of Chinese Migrant Workers [South Korea]: Civic groups in South Kyongsang Province gathered yesterday in Pusan to denounce a local tire manufacturer accused of violating the basic rights of Chinese migrant workers through unfair contracts. (Soh Ji-young, Korea Times, 4 Apr. 2002)

Study Says School Buses are Health Hazards - Those yellow school buses that transport millions of children to school every day are health hazards, according to a study that targets diesel exhaust as a potential cause of widespread respiratory illness in children. (Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 3 Apr. 2002)

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.S. To Endorse Indian Replacement Of Watson For IPCC -...The decision comes after a meeting between State Department officials and energy and automotive lobbyists yesterday, with reports saying the two industries and the U.S. administration itself were displeased with Watson because he has pressed for tough climate control measures. (UN Wire, 3 Apr. 2002)

• U.S. to Back Scientist From India to Replace Global Warming Expert (Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2002) 

China invests in electric cars to combat pollution: Domestic companies would be funded by the government over the next few years (Reuters, 3 Apr. 2002)

{···français} Emploi - Poussées par la justice, des grandes entreprises indemnisent les militants dont la carrière a été pénalisée par leur engagement syndical [France] - Discrimination syndicale les entreprises se rachètent une conduite:...Les exemples de la SNCF et de EDF démontrent une chose que la France ne voulait pas voir : la discrimination syndicale n'est pas uniquement pratiquée dans quelques groupes emblématiques de l'antisyndicalisme comme Citroën et Michelin. La CGT, première organisation à s'être mobilisée sur le sujet, a établi une liste de plus de soixante-dix entreprises «discriminantes». Parmi celles-ci, on trouve le gratin de l'économie française : Renault, Aérospatiale (maintenant EADS), Matra, Thales, Framatome, Snecma, la SNPE, Comurex, Sollac, Ugine, Delphi, mais aussi la RATP, ou encore des PME comme TLD Tracma, près de Tours. (Hervé Nathan, Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

• {···français} Emploi - Discrimination syndicale [France] - Direction et syndicats veulent chacun pour son compte, sauver les derniers militants - François Clerc, technicien, CGT Peugeot - Celui qui a fait plier Peugeot - Dix ans pour prouver l'injustice professionnelle (Hervé Nathan, Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

• {···français} Emploi - Fabien Gache, ouvrier, CGT Renault - Rouge = blocage coefficient - Il a été victime de la chasse aux syndicalistes [France] (Hervé Nathan, Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

• {···français} Emploi - Daniel Richter, ingénieur, CFDT Renault - Seize ans de placard - Longtemps seul cadre syndicaliste, il s'estime lésé de 700 euros par mois (Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

• {···français} Emploi - La loi charge l'entreprise - Pour l'Europe, le patron doit prouver qu'il n'y a pas eu discrimination (Hervé Nathan, Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

Loans for tune-up equipment to help Pakistan cut air pollution: UNDP has joined with the Government of Pakistan to set up a US$3 million revolving loan fund to help auto mechanics and vehicle service stations improve vehicle fuel efficiency, thereby cutting air pollution...The nine-member ECF board of directors includes UNDP Resident Representative Onder Yucer and representatives of the government, civil society and the private sector. (U.N. Development Programme, 2 Apr. 2002)

Broadening the Corporate Commitment to HIV and AIDS [refers to positive steps by Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Unilever, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, DaimerChrysler, De Beers] (Business for Social Responsibility, Apr. 2002)

Customtrim/Autotrim workers build campaign to demand action by US Department of Labor - Supporters of the workers at Breed Technologies’ Mexican auto parts plants – Autotrim in Matamoros and Customtrim/Breed Mexicana in Valle Hermoso – are ratcheting up a campaign demanding that the U.S. Labor Department move their workplace health and safety complaint under the NAFTA to the next level of review within the "labor side agreement" complaint resolution process. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Survey - Business education: Human approach moves up agenda - Although awareness of CSR [corporate social responsibility] is on the increase, some academics feel not enough is happening in corporate training organisations [refers to Unipart and BP as 2 companies that do include serious discussion of corporate social responsibility in their in-house training] (Sarah Murray, Financial Times, 25 Mar. 2002)

Vehicle pollution major killer: Vehicle emissions are killing around 400 New Zealanders aged 30 and over every year, a report shows. (NZPA, in New Zealand Herald, 22 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Mercedes Benz: la empresa no estaba contra los trabajadores, dijo un gerente [Argentina]: El ex gerente de Personal negó que los directivos entregaran el domicilio de los obreros a los represores. (Francisco Martínez, Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos La Plata, 20 marzo 2002)

Pollution constricts blood vessels, study finds: Air pollution causes the blood vessels of healthy people to close up, which helps explain why high levels of pollution are linked to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, researchers said Monday. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)

POLLUTION: High Altitude Latin American Cities Struggle With Emissions -...200,000 deaths a year in Latin American cities -- mostly among the poor -- are attributable to suspended fine particles, one of the pollutants emitted by vehicles [article refers to Mexico City, and lower-altitude cities São Paulo & Santiago] (UN Wire, 11 Mar. 2002)

Brussels to step up anti-pollution drive: The Independent on Sunday's anti-asthma campaign has lead to a review of European pollution measures. Margot Wallstrom, the European Environment commissioner, has told national ministers that she will carry out the review in the light of new revelations that pollution from cars can cause the disease. She will then bring forward proposals for intensifying Europe's drive to combat exhaust fumes. (Geoffrey Lean, Independent [UK], 10 Mar. 2002)

Global Principles for Cleaner Vehicles Released: Global principles for achieving cleaner, more efficient road vehicles worldwide have been developed by an international group of regulators and industry representatives. Just released by the Energy Foundation, a San Francisco based partnership of major foundations, the "Bellagio Memorandum" is based on discussions held at a meeting last June in Bellagio, Italy. (Environment News Service, 8 Mar. 2002)

• text of Bellagio Memorandum (Energy Foundation)

CHILD MORTALITY: Remove Lead From Gasoline, Conference Delegates Say - The First International Conference on Environmental Risks to Children's Health ended today in Bangkok with more than 300 participants calling on Asian governments to remove lead from gasoline and reduce tobacco smoke in public areas and private homes. (UN Wire, 7 Mar. 2002)

• Asia: Experts call on governments to remove lead from gasoline (World Health Organization, 7 Mar. 2002)

• {···français} Asie : les experts appellent les gouvernements à interdire le plomb dans l’essence

UK stalls on EU directive for recycling old cars: Britain has made little progress in solving a gridlock between car makers and recyclers on how to dispose of scrapped cars under a new European law. (Reuters, 7 Mar. 2002)

US study indicts particulate air pollution: Long-term exposure to the kind of air pollution common in many metropolitan areas increases the risk of death from lung cancer and other heart-lung diseases, according to a study published this week. (Reuters, 7 Mar. 2002)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Desai Speaks Out On Mining, Cars, More -  The Aug. 26-Sept. 4 World Summit on Sustainable Development will be marked by a new level of support from business for sustainable development goals, summit head Nitin Desai told Le Figaro...Desai said...mining companies will be invited to seek new modes of operation. ... Big automobile makers like Renault, Toyota, Honda, Ford and Volkswagen, together with oil companies like BP and Shell, will also have to develop a new strategy of sustainable mobility...All big businesses must become good planetary citizens. (UN Wire, 6 Mar. 2002) 

• {···français} Le deuxième sommet de la Terre se prépare: Le secrétaire général de la conférence qui se tiendra en septembre à Johannesburg affiche sa confiance - Nitin Desai : «Toutes les grandes entreprises doivent devenir de "bons citoyens planétaires".» (Le Figaro, 4 mars 2002)

Lawsuits may be next weapon in climate change fight: Lawsuits may become the next weapon against climate change as impotent, tiny islands, sinking beneath the waves, seek revenge on the rich polluting nations and multinational concerns they accuse of wiping them out...Australia and the United States could possibly be challenged in the International Court of Justice for not ratifying Kyoto...An alternative avenue might be the U.S. alien tort claims act, which could allow Pacific islands to sue car makers, power station operators or oil firms for pollution. (Michael Christie, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002)

• US says Kyoto no help to sinking isles (Paul Tait, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002) 

Carbon plant union files lawsuit [USA]: The union that represents workers at the Continental Carbon plant filed a notice of intent to sue this week against the company, alleging violations of environmental regulations that jeopardize worker safety...The union alleges that Continental Carbon [which converts carbon black oil, a byproduct of oil refining, into carbon black, which is used in tires and plastic products] handles and disposes of hazardous waste without proper permits or procedures to protect workers or the local environment. (Greg Cunningham, Amarillo Globe-News [USA], 1 Mar. 2002)

The Road to Johannesburg: Will Sustainability Be the Coming Norm or a Passing Fad in Travel? In anticipation of next year's World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, the travel and tourism industry is taking stock of what it has accomplished since the Rio summit. What can the industry report in Johannesburg? [refers to companies taking steps to protect environment, including Nepal Electric Vehicle Industry Ltd. in Nepal, Punta Cana Resort and Club in Dominican Republic, Borneo Eco Tours in Malaysia] (Michael Seltzer, BEST - Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel, Conference Board, 28 Feb. 2002)

Honda tunes environmental image with Civic hybrid: While other auto makers voice their opposition to higher U.S. fuel economy standards, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is ramping up production of a compact sedan that gets about 50 miles (80 km) per gallon. (Justin Hyde, Reuters, 28 Feb. 2002) 

{···français} La fin des années antisyndicales [France]: Après PSA il y a quatre ans, de nouvelles entreprises ont discrètement conclu, ces dernières semaines, des accords d'indemnisation en faveur des délégués victimes de discrimination...Officiellement, aucune entreprise ne reconnaîtra avoir pratiqué la discrimination syndicale à l'égard de militants, élus ou délégués du personnel, dont la progression de salaires et de carrière a été entravée en raison de leurs engagements. La réalité est tout autre. (Michel Delberghe, Le Monde, 27 février 2002)

Three Volvo models pose electromagnetic risk - study: Three models made by Volvo Car Corp, known for its safety-conscious luxury sedans, have electromagnetic fields up to 80 times higher than levels considered safe, a study published last week said. (Anna Peltola, Reuters, 18 Feb. 2002) 

Earthjustice Files Brief Challenging EPA’s [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's] Refusal To Control Toxic Emissions From Cars, Trucks and Buses: Blasts EPA’s action as unlawful and irresponsible (Earthjustice, 15 Feb. 2002)

Extreme forms of child labour prevails in Dhaka city [Bangladesh]: ILO - An agency of the International Labour Organisation has found prevalence of "extreme forms" of child labour in Dhaka City. A survey revealed that 12,170 children were working under "very hazardous" circumstances in 5,428 workplaces...Most of the sectors, identified 47 in total, such as automobile engineering, welding, plasto-rubber and plasto-metal and lathe machine were found to be "extremely hazardous (Independent [Bangladesh], 11 Feb. 2002)

• BANGLADESH: ILO Discovers "Extreme Forms" Of Child Labor In Dhaka (UN Wire, 11 Feb. 2002)

Manhattan Beer's natural gas trucks set an example for companies nationwide and mean cleaner air for New York City -...We congratulate Manhattan Beer, Kingdom Group, Bell Power Systems, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York City’s Private Fleet Alternative-Fuel Program, and the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program for this successful collaboration. (Joanna D. Underwood, President, INFORM, 4 Feb. 2002)

Corporate Leaders Discuss Social Role: Corporate leaders have an obligation as global citizens to play a larger role on the world stage, but they need to understand that this role requires them to perform a difficult – and sometimes thankless – balancing act. [panel including CEOs of Microsoft, Renault, Toshiba, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank] (World Economic Forum, 4 Feb. 2002)

Being seen to be green helps corporate image: An FT survey that gave companies plaudits for their environmental record included some surprise choices [includes reference to Body Shop, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell, Toyota, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Vivendi, Honda, Ford, Siemens, GE, IBM, Volkswagen, ExxonMobil, Ben & Jerry's, McDonalds] (Michael Skapinker, Financial Times, 1 Feb. 2002)

• Due recognition given for effort [environmental record of companies, examined in Financial Times Survey of "World's Most Respected Companies"]  (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 13 Dec. 2001)

• Company rankings [by media & NGOs] - 2001 - Companies that best manage and effect environmental resources (Financial Times, 12 Dec. 2001)

• Company rankings [by CEOs] - 2001 - Companies that best manage and effect environmental resources (Financial Times, 12 Dec. 2001)

LIMPFROG -...The exploding number of two and three-wheelers on Asia’s streets promise to flood the continent with pollution. (Down to Earth, Centre for Science and Environment [India], 31 Jan. 2002)

GM Environmental Performance Measured: Conducted with Cooperation of General Motors, Investors and Environmentalists Assess Progress - The first outside assessment of General Motors Corporation's environmental performance concludes that the automaker has made significant improvements since 1994 in reducing its factory emissions, publishing annual reports on its progress, and engaging non-corporate stakeholders in its environmental performance, but that despite the improvement of individual vehicles, it has not improved the overall fuel economy of its fleet. (CERES - Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, 30 Jan. 2002)

Greenwash + 10: The UN's Global Compact, Corporate Accountability and the Johannesburg Earth Summit [includes reference to DaimlerChrysler] (Kenny Bruno, CorpWatch, 24 Jan. 2002)

• company website: DaimlerChrysler (DaimlerChrysler)

ITALY: WHO Study Shows Smog Is Killing 14 People Per Day -...In a 2000 WHO study commissioned by Italy's Environment Ministry, air pollution was blamed for 3,500 annual deaths, including 4.7 percent of deaths among Italians over the age of 30 (UN Wire, 24 Jan. 2001)

Environmental, Labor Groups Expose Johnson Controls, Inc.’s Cleanup Failures in Fowlerville, Michigan [USA]:...The contaminants flowing from the JCI site include chemicals such as trichloroethlyene (TCE), a neurotoxin that can damage the heart, liver, kidneys, and central nervous system, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a known carcinogen. (Michigan Environmental Council, on UAW website, 18 Jan. 2002)

• company website: Johnson Controls (Johnson Controls, Inc.)

Greenpeace will not attend Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum:...In a letter sent to WEF President Klaus Schwab [by Greenpeace]...reference was made to a joint initiative of Greenpeace and the WEF last year regarding Climate Change at Davos 2001. The CEOs of the automotive industry were invited to discuss the entry into force and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, but Greenpeace said that there was no follow up because of lack of co-operation on the part of the WEF (Greenpeace, 16 Jan. 2002)

China kick-starts nationwide pollution cleanup: China will spend 65 billion yuan ($7.85 billion) and set strict environmental control targets to kick-start a five-year clean-up of smoggy skies, polluted lakes and sludge-filled rivers, state media said on the weekend (Reuters, 14 Jan. 2002)

India "Plays Into Hands" of Polluters, Say Environmentalists (Kalyani, OneWorld South Asia, 9 Jan. 2002)

Walden Asset Management Announces Shareholder Advocacy Actions for 2002 [includes shareholder resolutions on the following issues & companies: Climate Change - Exxon Mobil, ChevronTexaco and Occidental Petroleum; Mercury Pollution - J.C. Penney and HCA; Indigenous Peoples' Rights - Lehman Brothers; Sweatshop/Vendor Standards - TJX, Kohl's, Delphi Automotive, Hasbro, Sears and Lowes; Health Risk Caused by Cigarette Filters - Eastman Chemical; Drug Accessibility - Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb; impact of drilling in environmentally sensitive areas - BP Amoco] (Walden Asset Management, 4 Jan. 2002)

U.S. Research Links Birth Defects To Ozone, Carbon Monoxide - Women living in areas with high levels of pollutants may be up to three times more likely to give birth to a baby with heart defects (UN Wire, 3 Jan. 2002)

Tough emission norms to cost Indian refiners $7 bln: Indian refineries need to invest 350 billion rupees ($7.25 billion) in the next eight years to improve the quality of fuels to abide by strict emission norms, a government report said...The report...also said India's automobile industry would need to invest about 250 billion rupees on technology to reduce emissions from vehicles. (Reuters, 3 Jan. 2002)

Bush administration sued [by 3 environmental organisations] over failure to comply with first President Bush's law [Energy Policy Act, requiring federal agencies to buy vehicles that run on alternative fuels] (Earthjustice, 2 Jan. 2002)

Pollution linked with birth defects in U.S. study: Women exposed to air pollution during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children with heart defects, researchers reported on Saturday. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 1 Jan. 2002)

2001:

Sierra Club Welcomes Honda's Civic Hybrid:...the Hybrid combines attributes of electric and gasoline motors...it achieves fuel economy of 50 mpg and emits much less global warming-producing gas and air pollution than other vehicles (GreenBiz.com, 21 Dec. 2001)

Australian scientists warn of new car illness: Australian scientists have warned that the reassuring smell of a new car actually contains high levels of toxic air emissions which can make drivers ill. (Reuters, 20 Dec. 2001)

VW [Volkswagen] workers help Puebla [Mexico] street children:...The donations are used to support street children projects, primarily in regions with VW sites, and the organisation "Terre des Hommes" advises on, looks after and carries out the projects, which run over a relatively long time span and require more than just one-time support. (International Metalworkers' Federation, 19 Dec. 2001)

UNIDO [U.N. Industrial Development Organization]: Interview With Director General Carlos Magarinos [includes section on "The Role Of The Public And Private Sectors"; refers to UNIDO agreement with Ericsson to work in Northern Africa to promote the utilization of information communication technologies, and to program with the government of India & Fiat to develop supply components] (UN Wire, 17 Dec. 2001)

Helping China's cities reduce severe air pollution: An initiative supported by UNDP to help China reduce air pollution choking its cities recommends steps to reduce acid rain and let citizens breathe easier...The programme tackled acid rain caused by burning coal high in sulfur, and air pollution from industries and motor vehicles...In Benxi, 15 factories used cleaner production techniques to reduce emissions and boost profits by more than 10 per cent. (U.N. Development Programme, 13 Dec. 2001)

Ford Releases Nazi Labor Report Ford: Study of German Subsidiary in World War II Shows Company Didn't Profit From Slave Labor - The 144-page report commissioned by Ford said the company lost communication with and operational control over Ford-Werke AG after the Nazi government seized the subsidiary's assets in 1941. (David Runk, Associated Press, 6 Dec. 2001)

• Ford Denies Nazi-Era Profit Claims: Ford Motor Co., whose founder was admired by Adolf Hitler and notorious for his anti-Semitic views, sought on Thursday to lay to rest long-standing claims that it profited from the Nazi war machine and the use of forced labor in Germany during World War Two. (Tom Brown, Reuters, 6 Dec. 2001)

• company press release: Ford issues report on Ford-Werke under the Nazi regime (Ford Motor Company, 6 Dec. 2001)

• full report by company: Research Findings About Ford-Werke Under the Nazi Regime (Ford Motor Company, 6 Dec. 2001)

Holocaust Restitution in the United States and Other Claims For Historical Wrongs - An Update [includes updates on human rights-related lawsuits against Credit Suisse, Union Bank of Switzerland, Swiss Bank Corporation, German & Austrian banks, French banks, Barclays Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, J.P. Morgan, European insurance companies, Ford Motor Co., German corporations including Degussa and Siemens; Japanese corporations including Nippon Sharyo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Nippon Steel; New York Life Insurance Co.] (Michael J. Bazyler, Professor of Law at Whittier Law School, in ACLU International Civil Liberties Report 2001 [American Civil Liberties Union], Dec. 2001)

Ford to File Motions to Settle Suits [USA]: Ford Motor Co. plans to file motions next week with proposed settlement terms in a pair of age discrimination class actions lawsuits filed by current and former employees...Negotiations to settle the individual suits have been less fruitful (Ed Garsten, AP, 30 Nov. 2001)

Mexico City's foul air damages young lungs - study (Reuters, 30 Nov. 2001) 

CHINA: UNDP Urges Government To Reduce Smog Emissions: "China's major cities have been characterized by some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world, often with pollutant concentrations at multiples of the levels considered safe for human health and the environment," the report says. The study, produced in cooperation with Chinese institutes, also mentions the need for "market-oriented solutions..." (U.N. Development Programme, 26 Nov. 2001)

Working father's victory in sex bias case over childcare [Scotland, UK]: The rights of working fathers were boosted yesterday when a mechanic, refused shorter hours that would have fitted in with childcare, won a sex discrimination case. Neil Walkingshaw, from North Berwick, took the John Martin Group [auto dealer] to an industrial tribunal after they turned down his request to work part time to look after his son - even though they had granted similar requests from women in the company. (Gerard Seenan, Guardian [UK], 21 Nov. 2001)

• Discrimination ruling could benefit working fathers [Scotland, UK]: Working fathers across the country are set to benefit from a landmark sex discrimation case, in which a mechanic from East Lothian challenged his employers for refusing to let him work part-time. (Scotland Today, 20 Nov. 2001)

BP Australia warns against clean fuels backsliding: BP Australia managing director Greg Bourne warned yesterday against any backsliding in moving toward cleaner fuel standards..."It is too easy for people to settle on the lowest common denominator and to go up to a high standard requires leadership by the governments, the car industries and the oil industries," he said. BP...has invested heavily in its Perth and Bulwer Island refineries to produce cleaner fuels, moving ahead of its competitors in Australia to meet new federal fuel standards being phased in to 2006. (Reuters, 14 Nov. 2001)

Sierra Club Study Shows Cities Fail to Reduce Car & Truck Smog [USA]: A Sierra Club report released today found a clear connection between cities' investments in public transportation and their success at cutting smog per person from cars and trucks...Twenty percent of Americans live in areas where scientists say the air is not safe to breathe. Breathing smog has been implicated in a range of illnesses from asthma to pneumonia. (Sierra Club, 13 Nov. 2001) 

Businesses Convey Interest in Sustainable Mobility - Report on the challenges of achieving long-term sustainable transportation offers multinational automotive and energy companies, as well as governments, food for thought...The study, entitled “Mobility 2001,” was issued by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development’s Sustainable Mobility Project. The Sustainability Mobility Project is a cooperative effort of eleven multinational automotive and energy companies seeking to develop a global vision for sustainable mobility. (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 5 Nov. 2001)

• press release: ''Mobility 2001'' report - Sustainable Mobility - present patterns of transport must change: The state of world transport systems is a very real concern: congestion, poor infrastructure, accident rates, noise and pollution are already at worrying levels and are getting worse in many parts of the world. Early and significant action is needed: mobility as we know it must change. Mobility in the developing World is of particular concern. (World Business Council on Sustainable Development, 11 Oct. 2001)

• report: ''Mobility 2001'' (World Business Council on Sustainable Development, Oct. 2001) {···english}  {···español} {···français}

A Ford takes the wheel at Ford: William Clay Ford Jr., the 44-year-old great-grandson of founder Henry Ford and already chairman of the world's second-largest automaker, replaced embattled President and Chief Executive Jacques Nasser yesterday...As chairman, Ford's most visible efforts have been moves to make the automaker more environmentally friendly, such as the company's pledge to raise the fuel economy of its sport utility vehicles by 25 percent by 2005. Ford has struggled to unite the drive for greater profits with social responsibility, arguing consumers would reward companies which thought about more than simply profit and loss. In the past few years, Ford has reached out to environmental groups such as Greenpeace and admitted the polluting nature of some of its vehicles - something unheard of in Detroit. (Justin Hyde, Reuters, 31 Oct. 2001)

• New CEO Takes Firm, But Not Self, Seriously:...Then there's the E-word. Bill Ford is an avid environmentalist. "He's not a protest in the streets and lobby Congress environmentalist," said Daniel Becker, head of the Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy program. "He's more of a hike in the woods and fishing environmentalist. But he gets it." Ford has been active in Earth Day projects and volunteered for water and land cleanup projects. Such green credentials, of course, are not always valued in the auto industry. "Within the company, there's always been some opposition to all his green talk," said David L. Lewis, a professor of business history at the University of Michigan Business School. (Mark Leibovich, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2001)

Nissan to have fuel cell vehicle technology by 2005 (Reuters, 24 Oct. 2001) 

BP to build Singapore stations for hydrogen cars: British energy group BP and the Economic Development Board (EDB) yesterday signed a letter of intent to build hydrogen refueling stations for future Singapore motorists driving hydrogen-powered vehicles. In May, the EDB signed a similar letter of intent with DaimlerChrysler to develop hydrogen-power cars for the Singapore market. "You'll probably see the installation of hydrogen systems in 2003, with the construction one year ahead of the introduction of the vehicles, which could be 2004," said Gary Oliver, hydrogen market development manager at BP. (Reuters, 23 Oct. 2001)

Corporate America takes another look at diversity: A day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, General Motors Corp.'s vice president of corporate relations and diversity posted a message on an internal company Web site. "We sometimes forget that the GM family consists of 388,000 very diverse employees representing many different countries, religions, ethnicities, as well as points of view," Rod Gillum wrote. "Let us pull together as one GM to value both our differences and our similarities." Similar messages of unity and tolerance have flooded e-mail inboxes of the nation's workers, highlighting corporate America's increased sensitivity to diversity since the terrorist attacks and subsequent retaliation...They fear that the incidents of backlash and racial profiling against Arab-Americans and others since the Sept. 11 tragedy could be repeated in the workplace, leading to potential liability and disruption of business. (Ameet Sachdev, Orlando Sentinel [Florida], 21 Oct. 2001)

WRI [World Resource Institute] Recognizes Eco-Friendly Enterprises: New Ventures program aims to bring together socially responsible venture capitalists with environment-friendly businesses looking to expand. Three enterprises won a competition sponsored by World Resource Institute (WRI)’s New Ventures program at its 2001 Investment Forum in Angra dos Reos, Brazil October 4-5. The award recognizes profitability coupled with environmentally sound practices. Of the nine contenders this year, the three winners are: Vehizero, an urban delivery vehicle provider that brings low-cost, environment-friendly hybrid electricity vehicles to the Mexican market; Rainforest Expeditions, an ecotourism outfit that is expanding to build an eco-lodge in Peru’s Sacred Valley, promising conservation assistance and community development there; and GE Forestal, a Peruvian forestry company that brings certified lumber and wood products to the international market while also investing in innovative reforestation techniques. (Susan Wennemyr, SocialFunds.com, 19 Oct. 2001)

Making the business case for going green -...Mr. McDonough's clientele includes such corporate powers as The Gap, Nike, Ford Motor Co., and myriad smaller firms, for which he has built eco-friendly offices (Michael Fainelli, Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2001)

Ford, EPA in deal for new hybrid engine design: Ford Motor Co. said last week it has signed an exclusive agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a new kind of high-mileage "hybrid" engine for trucks and sport utility vehicles. (Reuters, 15 Oct. 2001)

KARACHI: Noise, air pollution on the rise in city [Pakistan] - Smoke and noise-emitting vehicles have converted Karachi into the most-polluted city of the country, compelling its citizens to breathe in an atmosphere full of carbon dioxide. According to a survey, for every litre of petroleum consumed by an automobile, 2.2 grams of carbon dioxide is released into the air, consequently spreading different kinds of diseases...It is surprising to note that the multinational petroleum-marketing companies operating in Pakistan have adopted dual standards for marketing their products. These oil-marketing companies, while operating in Western countries, maintain minimum levels of lead in petroleum products in order to abide by the strict environmental laws enforced in those countries. However, a doctor observed that they were least bothered about the general health of their fellow human beings in Pakistan and freely marketed heavily lead-loaded petroleum products (Latif Baloch, Dawn [Pakistan], 4 Oct. 2001)

Environmental study shows death rates rise with high SPM [Japan]: Researchers from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) have found a direct correlation between the death rates of residents in Tokyo and the density of suspended particulate matter (SPM) emitted in exhaust fumes from diesel cars and from factories. (Kyodo News [Japan], 4 Oct. 2001)

Scandinavian Companies Work toward Sustainable Business Model: Fifteen prominent [Nordic] companies have agreed to join a partnership launched last week that will focus on developing an entirely new business model centering on sustainability. The project, dubbed the Nordic Partnership, was initiated by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in the four Nordic countries and House of Mandag Morten, a Copenhagen-based news and research provider. Well-known corporate participants include the Danish enzymes and pharmaceuticals group Novo A/S, Volvo Car Corporation, Swedish lumber and paper company AssiDomän, and the Swedish postal service, Posten AB...The objective of the partnership is to develop a business model, based on Nordic values and attitudes, that integrates sustainability into the way businesses are managed, organized and developed. (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 3 Oct. 2001)  (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 3 Oct. 2001) 

EEOC sues Ford over racism discipline: The [U.S.] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against Ford Motor Co. Monday, accusing the company of failing to discipline a white male employee who allegedly told a fellow African American employee that "it was a good day for lynching."...Ford spokeswoman Anne Gattari said the company agreed in principle to settle the lawsuit on Friday and signed a consent decree. Previously, the company made an undisclosed financial settlement to Mazon, she said. Gattari said the company was surprised the EEOC filed the lawsuit. "We have agreed to give everybody in the plant more diversity training," Gattari said. (David Shepardson, Detroit News, 2 Oct. 2001)

India court extends clean fuel deadline by 18 days: India's highest court has extended by 18 days a deadline for buses in New Delhi, one of the world's most polluted cities, to switch to cleaner fuel and cut air pollution (Reuters, 1 Oct. 2001)

Company directors must show zero tolerance of pollution [UK]: Pollution is still being treated as an acceptable risk by too many businesses in England and Wales, the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency said today. A culture change is needed across management, Barbara Young said, with zero tolerance for pollution replacing apathy and acceptance of poor environmental performance. (Environment Agency [UK Government], 28 Sep. 2001)

• Company directors must show zero tolerance of pollution [UK]: Motor Related Industries
• Company directors must show zero tolerance of pollution [UK]: The Transport Sector

GM bias lawsuit settled for $1.25 million - Automaker to adopt policies to fight discrimination: General Motors Corp. will pay $1.25 million to 16 workers at a Linden, N.J. [New Jersey], assembly plant to settle lawsuits charging the company with sexual and racial discrimination. The automaker also agreed Wednesday to new policies over the next two years that will make it easier for plant workers to report incidents of discrimination, while speeding the investigation of future discrimination claims. The Linden settlement represents the fourth major payout in three years by an automaker involving harassment lawsuits. In 1998, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. paid out $34 million to settle a harassment lawsuit brought on behalf of about 500 women at a Normal, Ill., assembly plant, and Ford reportedly agreed to a seven-figure settlement of a harassment lawsuit at a Chicago stamping plant. In 1999, a female worker at Chrysler's Jefferson North assembly plant won a $21-million lawsuit against the automaker for sexual harassment. Chrysler is appealing the decision. (Joe Miller, Detroit News, 27 Sep. 2001)

EPA Partners with Businesses to Promote Green Power [U.S.]: Voluntary program has enlisted companies, cities, universities and others with the aim of boosting the market for renewable energy. The [U.S.] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program to increase the use of energy generated from renewable sources. Fortune 500 companies such as 3M, Ford, General Motors and office furniture manufacturer Steelcase have signed on as founding partners, along with several cities, universities and federal government offices. (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 27 Sep. 2001)

Emissions from vehicles can cause illnesses: Pollution from diesel exhaust fumes can lead to heart attacks, bronchitis, asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases and even premature death, the Emirates Environmental Group's monthly meeting heard..."A World Health Organisation ministerial report reveals that pollution from cars kills more people than traffic accidents" (Gulf News [Dubai], 27 Sep. 2001)

EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] resolves lawsuits for $1.25 million against General Motors Corporation: The suits...alleged that GM had failed to provide Mary Scott a work environment free from sexual harassment and similarly failed to address incidents of racial harassment affecting her and other African- American employees. In addition, the EEOC charged that Melvin Wood was retaliated against when he supported Ms. Scott's complaints to management about discriminatory treatment...According to the settlement, GM will pay $1.25 million to Ms. Scott, Mr. Wood, and a group of 14 other African-American workers who had alleged they had been subjected to racial harassment on the job. GM also agreed to revise its procedures, to report the results of all investigations of complaints, and to continue to train all employees in positions of authority concerning worker rights and employer responsibilities under Title VII. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 26 Sep. 2001)

California enforces emissions standards for lawn and garden equipment: Californians who own lawn and garden equipment that emits more air pollution than state standards allow are trading those tools for cleaner ones this month. The exchange is part of an overall settlement worth approximately $200,000 between John Deere Consumer Products Inc. and the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board. (Environmental News Network, 21 Sep. 2001)

EPA Orders Cut in Snowmobile, Boat, ATV Emissions [USA] - The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed to curb emissions from snowmobiles, diesel-powered boats, off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles to help reduce pollution (Reuters, 19 Sep. 2001)

LEAD: One In Five Beijing Children Exhibits Excessive Levels -- Study: One in five children in Beijing has unsafe blood lead levels, a Chinese national study says, adding that the problem could affect growth and intellectual development...Professor Gao Junquan, director of the survey, said children can absorb lead through outdoor pollutants, food and even toys. (UN Wire, 19 Sep. 2001)

Air pollution cuts 'will extend a million lives' [UK]: Air pollution controls planned by the Government will extend the life of about one million people a year by six months, health experts have told ministers. They said that cleaner air and a reduction in poisonous chemicals from vehicle exhaust fumes will significantly improve life expectancy for many, particularly those with breathing problems. (Valerie Elliott, Times [London], 17 Sep. 2001)

UK aims for halving of particle pollution: Emissions of fine particles from traffic and chemical plants should be halved by 2010 according to recommendations published on Monday by the British government. Experts welcomed the targets, but said a greater understanding of how particulates damage health is needed if industry is to make effective cuts...A common source of particulates is diesel engines, says Tony Burgess of the Combustion Research Group at University College, London. (Ian Sample, New Scientist, 17 Sep. 2001)

Pollution crackdown after health warning: The Scottish Executive is imposing new controls on air pollution after health experts warned that current policies are too lenient. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (Comeap) said the long-term effects of particle air pollution are much more severe than previously thought. In a report to ministers, the committee said that prolonged exposure to pollutants increases the risk of premature death, particularly from heart disease. (BBC News, 17 Sep. 2001)

GM expect to mass produce fuel cell cars by 2010: U.S. car manufacturer General Motors expects to mass produce fuel cell cars by the end of the decade, said Matthew Fronk, a senior executive at the company yesterday (Reuters, 14 Sep. 2001)

India may pull old vehicles off roads: The Indian government has asked an automobile industry body to draw up a plan for retiring older vehicles in a bid to reduce pollution and improve road safety, an industry official said last week (Reuters, 10 Sep. 2001)

Together at Last: Cutting Pollution and Making Money - Some 30 years after the environmental movement took hold, many companies are giving second lives to raw materials, fuels and other products that previously went to landfills. "The notion that environment is just an expensive cost is way out of date," said Glenn T. Prickett, executive director of the Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, a unit of Conservation International created with money from the Ford Motor Company. [examples of projects at Starbucks, Nova Chemicals and Los Angeles International Airport undertaken with only environmental goals in mind, yet yielding unexpected savings or revenue streams] (Claudia H. Deutsch, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2001) 

Global Reporting Initiative Receives Nearly $1 Million from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for HIV Work: Grant Awarded to Develop Corporate HIV/AIDS Reporting Protocol - The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced today that it has received a $950,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a corporate HIV/AIDS reporting protocol. The grant...will fund research and development of a standardized approach for companies to share information on HIV/AIDS policies, practices, and programs. The extractive and itinerant-worker industries of mining, forestry, agriculture and ground transportation will be the initial focus for the project. (Global Reporting Initiative, 7 Sep. 2001)

Environmental regulators reject industry petitions to reconsider diesel sulfur rule [USA]: Federal environmental regulators said Friday they had denied three industry petitions asking the government to reconsider a Clinton-era rule demanding cleaner diesel trucks and buses. The Bush administration previously said it would enforce the rule. But the American Petroleum Institute, the American Trucking Association and Mack Trucks/Volvo Powertrain had each petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to take another look. (Associated Press, 7 Sep. 2001)

Tiny Opel best, big BMW worst in exhaust fume test: Small Opel, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen cars emit the least polluting exhaust fumes of the 76 models sold in Sweden, an authoritative Swedish motor magazinesaid this week. Big BMWs, Porsche sports cars and a brand new Saab model were the worst polluters in a test, which measures emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as well as hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide and other polluting particles, the Teknikens Varld magazine said. (Reuters, 7 Sep. 2001)

Committed Environmental Champion Receives Volvo Environment Prize 2001 (Volvo, 6 Sep. 2001)

Panel Discussion in Durban about Discrimination is Everybody's business - Discrimination is Everybody's Business: From Discrimination to Diversity - A Corporate Led Initiative in the Framework of the UN Global Compact - The World Conference Against Racism...is the launching ground for this initiative...The six companies behind this initiative are the South African Financial Services Group Sanlam, the Swedish Car Manufacturer Volvo Car Corporation, the Brazilian Media Corporation Organizações Globo, the Indian IT Company Satyam, the South African Energy Utility Eskom, and the American Car Manufacturer Ford Motor Company. (United Nations, prepared in advance of the World Conference Against Racism, 31 Aug. - 7 Sep. 2001)

Mississippi company [Truck Trailer and Equipment, Inc.], employees charged with conspiracy: The indictment alleges that spent solvents and other wastes were dumped from truck cleaning activities into a wetland and a Pearl River tributary bordering its facility. It is further alleged that when ordered by public safety officials to stop the dumping, the defendants arranged to dump the caustic wastes into an outlying area in Rankin County. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 31 Aug. 2001)

China to tackle pollution, congestion caused by motor vehicles (Xinhua [New China News Agency], 28 Aug. 2001)

Auto Industry Slams Environment Minister [Germany]: The president of the Association of the German Automotive Industry on Tuesday lashed back at German Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin for criticisms of the industry's technological record. Mr. Trittin told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Monday that carmakers were improving gas mileage too slowly and not doing enough to reduce emissions, among other criticisms. (Associated Press, in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [Germany], 28 Aug. 2001)

Measure Puts SUVs [sport-utility vehicles] on Road to Tax Credits Congress [USA]: Incentives to aid sales of 'hybrids' had bipartisan support. Now industry is said to have violated spirit of the deal. In an unusual meeting of the minds, environmentalists and auto industry representatives got together with lawmakers earlier this year and agreed on a new incentive to advance both of their causes: a tax credit for fuel-efficient "hybrid" cars. The idea seemed like a winner. Now, with legislation approved by the House and headed to the Senate, environmentalists say the industry has finagled the fine print to give the tax credit to the very epitome of excess: gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles. (Richard Simon and Terril Yue Jones, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2001)

Japan plans subsidies for green buses, trucks: Japan's Transport Ministry plans to offer subsidies to bus and truck operators in the three main metropolitan regions to encourage a switch to cleaner fuel, a newspaper reported on the weekend. (Reuters, 21 Aug. 2001) 

Missouri company, former manager indicted on asbestos charges [USA]: the indictment alleges that Barr used Leeds employees who were not trained to remove asbestos. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 20 Aug. 2001)

Air pollution labeled a killer: Direct link to deaths, study claims - A study released today provides substantial new evidence that air pollution from automobile exhausts and smokestacks is killing people worldwide. (Charles Seabrook, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 17 Aug. 2001)

AIR POLLUTION: Fossil Fuel Pollution A Current Health Hazard, Study Says - Pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels may have devastating effects on the global climate in years to come, but it is already killing people in cities around the world by contributing to asthma, heart disease and lung disorders, five scientists say in a study appearing in today's Science. (UN Wire, 17 Aug. 2001)

Ex-UNEP [United Nations Environment Programme] official pushes business solutions to environment problems: "We believe that economic sustainability and profitability are possible, if you initially invest to create environmentally sound products," [Noel] Brown said in an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo.  He also said that the degraded environment would eventually lead to low productivity by harming workers' health. (Hiroko Nakata, Japan Times, 11 Aug. 2001)

CLIMATE CHANGE: Delhi, Shanghai Emissions Could Rise -- Studies: Indian, Chinese and US researchers report that transport-related greenhouse gas emissions could rise as much as fourfold in Delhi and sevenfold in Shanghai during the next two decades if nothing is done to reduce them. (UN Wire, 8 Aug. 2001)

Brazil sees a new forest for the trees: The reconstruction of [41,500 acres of] the Atlantic Forest, one of the world's most diverse and endangered wooded areas, was under way. The restoration project has been made possible by an unusual collaboration between Brazilian ecologists and U.S. multinational corporations [General Motors and American Electric Power]. They [the multinationals] hope to one day recoup their investment from institutions that will pay big companies, through the much-vaunted carbon sequestration market, to keep the atmosphere clean. (Andrew Downie, Washington Times, 31 July 2001)

Attempt To Weaken Clean Air Standards Called An Attack On Public Health [USA]: Industry Up To Old Tricks Again (Earthjustice, 27 July 2001)

Financial Sector Responding To Climate Change - Impatient With Pace Of Political Progress: At a meeting here today, senior executives from leading financial companies told government officials gathered in Bonn for the climate change negotiations that key business sectors, facing both liabilities and opportunities associated with global warming, will see a new investment dynamic emerge. The bankers and insurers predicted that capital will shift from "carbon fuels toward renewable energy, efficiency programmes, and advanced public transit systems." (United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 18 July 2001)

Air pollution kills 3 lakh [300,000] in South Asian cities a year: Survey - The World Bank has stressed the need for launching out a strong campaign to create public awareness about urban pollution and halting the use of high emitting two-stroke engines that cause premature deaths in cities and their suburbans, reports BSS. (Independent [Bangladesh], 18 July 2001)

Parts of Asia face deadly climate changes and natural disasters: With much of the world transfixed by the goal of economic growth and maintaining oil supplies, parts of Asia face deadly climate changes and natural disasters blamed on pollution and atmospheric warming. (Scott McDonald, Reuters, 13 July 2001) 

$1.8 million consent decree ends EEOC federal employment discrimination suit in Rockford [Illinois, USA] against Ingersoll: Hundreds May Receive Compensation For Alleged Race And Sex Bias By Leading Area Employer - Federal District Court Judge Philip G. Reinhard today approved a $1.8 million Consent Decree resolving a major race and sex employment discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on behalf of blacks and women alleged to have been discriminated against by Ingersoll Milling Machine Company and its related companies. (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 13 July 2001)

Diesel Cancer Risk Dwarfs All Other Air Toxics Combined: New EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] Data Reveal Much Higher Than Expected Risk Levels (Environmental Defense, 12 July 2001)

Benchmarking Corporate Environmental and Social Reporting: Recent survey examines the environmental and social reporting practices of the 100 largest global firms. With increasing shareowner interest in the environmental and social performance of their companies, more and more firms are trying to meet demand with increased reporting. While international cooperative efforts such as the Global Reporting Initiative are working to standardize such disclosure, companies can find themselves in uncharted territory in the meantime. A recent survey, "The State of Global Environmental and Social Reporting: The 2001 Benchmark Survey," was conducted to help companies gauge their progress on reporting and identify areas that need improvement. (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 12 July 2001)

States [in USA] ask Ford to remove mercury switches: Ford Motor Co. has been asked by 26 state attorneys general to remove mercury light switches from vehicles getting replacements for their Firestone Wilderness AT tires. (Reuters, 4 July 2001)

{···français} 30.000 Cas de Maladies Respiratoires par An: Plus de 30000 cas de maladies cardio-vasculaires dues à la pollution de l'air sont enregistrés chaque année à Dakar. (Sud quotidien [Senegal], 27 June 2001)

West By Far East: China, one-fifth of humankind, is at a crucial juncture. The economic reforms of the late 1970s have propelled China to the forefront of the global economy. This has come at a steep environmental cost. The country is one of the most polluted in the world. As China strives to expand the economic growth of its eastern coastal belt to its untapped western parts, Changhua Wu, expert on China at the World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, analyses the state of the country’s environment and what it is likely to be. (Changhua Wu, Down to Earth, 30 June 2001)

• executive summary of the report: Making the Invisible Visible: A Study of the Purchasing Power of Maquila Workers in Mexico - 2000

Air pollutants make transcontinental journey (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 26 June 2001)

Guide to pay $14.1 mln for water pollution violations: Guide Corp., a manufacturer of automotive lighting, agreed to pay more than $14.1 million for dumping in an Indiana river toxic wastewater that killed more than 100 tons of fish and other animals, the U.S. government said this week (Reuters, 20 June 2001) 

Worldwatch Report Cites Sprawl's Impact: International efforts to control global warming will become more difficult unless governments act to discourage the building of cities designed for automobiles, according to the Worldwatch Institute. (UN Wire, 19 June 2001)

Daimler Provides AIDS Help To Employees in South Africa: German-American car maker DaimlerChrysler AG's South African subsidiary has launched perhaps the country's most far-reaching corporate program to manage AIDS among employees and dependents, including providing free antiretroviral drugs to infected workers and their families. (Robert Block, Wall Street Journal, 19 June 2001)

Heart attack risk seen in tiny pollution particles [produced by combustion processes in automobile engines, power plants, refineries and smelters] (Will Dunham, Reuters, 13 June 2001) 

Road to oblivion: The Amazon jungle has long been ravaged by developers. But now it faces what conservationists are calling a 'final assault' from a £29bn superhighways project. [Brazil] (John Vidal, Guardian [UK], 13 June 2001)

GM (General Motors Corp.) takes steps towards fuel cell vehicles (Michael Ellis, Reuters, 13 June 2001) 

Japan's Idemitsu [oil refiner] plans to stop MTBE [gasoline additive; suspected carcinogen] production (Reuters, 6 June 2001) 

Kofi Annan's Remarks To The US Chamber of Commerce: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan today called on American business to join the global fight agains AIDS. Below is the text of Mr. Annan's address. (United Nations, in allAfrica.com, 1 June 2001)

Custom Trim Workers Vindicated: But will they be compensated?  On April 6, two weeks before heads of state gathered in Quebec City to discuss the extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the rest of the hemisphere, the US National Administrative Office (NAO) released a report documenting the failure of the NAFTA labour side agreement to ensure enforcement of even existing labour legislation. The NAO report confirms allegations of workers at two formerly Canadian-owned maquila autoparts factories in Matamoros and Valle Hermoso, Mexico of exposure to dangerous chemicals and other workplace hazards. It also documents the failure of Mexican government agencies to enforce their own health and safety regulations. (Maquila Solidarity Network, June 2001)

•  {···español: Reivindicación de los trabajadores de Custom Trim ¿pero serán compensados?}

Cars fouling Asian air but high-tech offers hope (Amy Tan, Reuters, 31 May 2001) 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Market Emerges in Chicago: A diverse group of 25 large corporations and nonprofit organizations has agreed to participate in the design phase of a voluntary pilot trading market, the Chicago Climate Exchange. (Environment News Service, 30 May 2001) 

Bangalore: City's chance to fight pollution [India] (Kanak Hirani, Times of India, 26 May 2001)

New York, Connecticut sue EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] over car pollution rule (Patrick Connole, Reuters, 25 May 2001) 

Navistar unit calls on Pemex to clean up diesel [Mexico] (Fiona Ortiz, Reuters, 25 May 2001) 

EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] sues two Indiana employers for race harassment (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 22 May 2001)

Advocates to Meet in Dallas: They push to hold business accountable (Carolyn Barta, The Dallas Morning News, 22 May 2001) 

GM (General Motors Corp.) gives $10 million for endangered Brazil forest (Reuters, 18 May 2001) 

General Motors Mexican automobile plant wins prestigious Stockholm Industry Water Award: GM de Mexico honored for effective water stewardship in a water scarce area (Stockholm International Water Institute, 17 May 2001)

• {···español: General Motors México gana el premio "Estocolmo 2001 - Agua en la Industria": El Complejo Ramos Arizpe de GM México, reconocido por el uso eficiente del agua utilizada en una región en donde escasea este recurso}

Ford seeks environmental leadership role (Tom Brown, Reuters, 4 May 2001)

Protecting Human Rights is a Strategic Business Issue (Ford Motor Company, in 2000 Corporate Citizenship Report, May 2001)

Outside Perspective: Michael Posner [Executive Director, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights] on The Role of Business in Promoting Human Rights (in Ford Motor Company's 2000 Corporate Citizenship Report, May 2001)

Changing Our Approach to a Changing Climate (Ford Motor Company, in 2000 Corporate Citizenship Report, May 2001)

Outside Perspective: Bob Massie [Executive Director, Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, CERES] on Climate Change (in Ford Motor Company's 2000 Corporate Citizenship Report, May 2001)

Outside Perspective: Rajendra Pachauri [Director, Tata Energy Research Institute, TERI] on Climate Change (in Ford Motor Company's 2000 Corporate Citizenship Report, May 2001)

Cut-throat transport is killing workers and the environment (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 27 Apr. 2001)

Calvert Celebrates Environmental Achievement at America's Corporations, Tracking Progress in E-Recycling and Energy Efficiency (E-Wire, 23 Apr. 2001)

Families of killed strikers want justice [Indonesia] (Jakarta Post,19 Apr. 2001)

Public concern rising over pollution, poll shows [Japan] (Japan Times, 10 Apr. 2001)

Public Report of Review of NAO Submission No. 2000-01 [Custom Trim case, Mexico]: Submission 2000-01 raises concerns about occupational safety and health and compensation in cases of occupational injuries and illnesses at Auto Trim of Mexico in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and at Custom Trim/Breed Mexicana in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas.  The failure of the Government of Mexico to communicate to the workers about its efforts undertaken in response to the 1998 petition, the lack of records on the 1999 petitions, and the failure to respond to workers’ inquiries about the petitions are inconsistent with the Government of Mexico’s obligations under the NAALC [North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation], which obligate the government to require record keeping; to give due consideration to any request for an investigation of suspected violations of labor law; to ensure that persons have appropriate access to administrative proceedings for the enforcement of labor law; to ensure that proceedings are transparent; to provide for procedural guarantees in those proceedings; and to promote public awareness of labor law. (U.S. National Administrative Office, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 6 April 2001)

Green Scissors 2001 exposes $55 billion in wasteful federal spending that harms the environment [USA]: Taxpayer and Environmental Groups Target 74 Pork Barrel Programs (press release by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, 22 Feb. 2001)

Profits Raise Pressures on U.S.-Owned Factories in Mexican Border Zone (Sam Dillon, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2001)

Paving the Planet: Cars and Crops Competing for Land (Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute, 14 Feb. 2001)

Tests Reveal High Levels Of Toxics Inside Diesel School Buses: New Report Finds Children's Exposure Dozens Of Times Higher Than EPA Acceptable Cancer Risk Level (Natural Resources Defense Council and Coalition for Clean Air, 12 Feb. 2001) 

• {···español: Estudios Revelan Altos Niveles Toxicos en los Buses Escolares que Usan Combustible Diesel}

• full report: No Breathing in the Aisles: Diesel Exhaust Inside School Buses (Natural Resources Defense Council and Coalition for Clean Air, Feb. 2001)

BANGLADESH: Pollution Causes 15,000 Deaths Annually -- Report (UN Wire, 7 Feb. 2001)

DaimlerChrysler Fights Back as AIDS Damages Productivity in South African Plants (EuropaWorld, 12 Jan. 2001)

Environmentalists seek urgent solutions to air pollution in Nigeria (Chuka Nnabuife, Guardian [Lagos], 1 Jan. 2001)

2000:

Mercedes Benz: Industry and Human Rights -...During the Argentinian dictatorship at least 13 members of the union Internal Commission at Mercedes Benz disappeared...While the criminal prosecution was not allowed in Germany against Daimler Chrysler, German justice did allow proceedings against the company branch in González Catán and the current director of the firm, Tasselkraut...In November 2000 Juan Carlos Capurro, lawyer for the Legal Action Committee of the Argentinian workers’ union CTA (Central de Trabajadores Argentinos), lodged the Mercedes case with the Secretariat of Human Rights in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Gaby Weber, Le Monde Diplomatique, Southern Cone edition, Dec. 2000)

• {···español} Mercedes Benz: La Industria y los Derechos Humanos -...Durante la dictadura desaparecieron por lo menos trece miembros de la Comisión Interna sindical de la Mercedes Benz en Argentina...Mientras la denuncia penal no se acceptó contra Daimler Chrysler en Alemania, la justicia alemana abrió la causa contra la sucursal de la empresa en González Catán y el entonces y actual gerente de la empresa Tasselkraut...En Argentina, Juan Carlos Capurro, abogado del Comité de Acción Jurídica adherido a la Central de Trabajadores Argentinos (CTA), presentó en noviembre del 2000 el caso de la Mercedes a la Secretaría de los Derechos Humanos en Buenos Aires. (Gaby Weber, Le Monde Diplomatique, edicíon Cono Sur, diciembre de 2000)

• company website: Mercedes-Benz Argentina (Mercedes-Benz Argentina)

• company website: DaimlerChrysler (DaimlerChrysler Group)

Double Standards: U.S. Manufacturers Exploit Lax Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement in Mexico's Maquiladoras: An interview with Garrett Brown (Multinational Monitor, Nov. 2000)

Burma Activists Target Suzuki Worldwide (Free Burma Coalition, 12 Oct. 2000)

Death by Overwork: Corporate Pressure on Employees Takes a Fatal Toll in Japan (Darius Mehri, Multinational Monitor, June 2000)

Ford's Smokescreen (Charlie Cray, Multinational Monitor, May 2000)

U.S. firms plan fund for victims of Hitler: Move partly aimed at heading off lawsuits (Joseph Kahn, New York Times News Service, Chicago Tribune, 30 April 2000)

Workers Claim Plant Ignored Racial Discrimination [Mitsubishi's auto assembly plant in Illinois] (Jay Hughes, AP, AsianWeek, 27 Jan. 2000)

Ford and the Führer: New Documents Reveal the Close Ties Between Dearborn and the Nazis (Ken Silverstein, The Nation, 24 Jan. 2000)

The business response to HIV/AIDS: impact and lessons learned [Section 5, "Profiles of business activities in response to HIV/AIDS", includes profiles of American International Assurance, Thailand; The Body Shop, Japan; Warsaw Marriott Hotel; Larsen & Toubro, India; Volkswagen do Brasil; Molson Breweries, Canada; Chevron Nigeria; Standard Chartered Bank, UK; International Hotel & Restaurant Association; Anglo Coal, South Africa; Eskom, South Africa; ALMS, Czech Republic; Teddy Exports, India; Bristol Myers Squibb, USA; The Shell Company of Thailand] (Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum in collaboration with UNAIDS and Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS, 2000)

1999:

Breakthrough: $5.2 Billion Settlement Reached in Nazi Slave Labor Case (Burt Herman, Associated Press, 15 Dec. 1999)

The Ford Motor Company and The Third Reich (Simon Reich, Dimensions: A Journal of Holocaust Studies, Vol. 13, No. 2, Dec. 1999, Anti-Defamation League)

relevant sections of Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change (Christopher Avery, Nov. 1999):

• Chapter 2.11: Shareholder resolutions and annual meetings

1998:

Corporations and Conscience (editorial, New York Times, 6 Dec. 1998)

Mexico - A Job or Your Rights: Continued Sex Discrimination in Mexico's Maquiladora Sector (Human Rights Watch, Dec. 1998)

GM, Ford deny collaboration with Nazis during WWII (CNN, 30 Nov. 1998)

Ford and GM Scrutinized for Alleged Nazi Collaboration (Michael Dobbs, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 1998)

• Response to Washington Post article by General Motors (General Motors, 14 Dec. 1998)

Mexico: the shameful side of the maquiladoras (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 11 Feb. 1998)