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See also sections of this website entitled:

• Construction companies
• Logging & lumber industry
• Cement companies
• Engineering companies
• Logging & lumber industry
• Tool companies
• Garden supply companies
• Flooring companies
• Carpet & rug companies
• Asbestos companies
• Insulation companies
• Fiberglass companies

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2003:

Leaders Urged to End Child Labour [Uganda] - The workshop was organised by the Federation of Uganda Employers and Rural Development Media Communications (RUDMEC). Mr Rwebembera urged religious and political leaders to advocate an end to hazardous child labour...RUDMEC executive officer, Hamidu Kizito, said the worst forms of child labour were in sugar plantations, brick-laying sites, commercial sex and homes. (Wossita Samuel, The Monitor [Uganda], 12 May 2003)

Race discrimination victim still waiting for tribunal cash award [UK] - A Rastafarian who won a race discrimination tribunal against his employers [Adam Fire Surrounds Ltd] is still waiting for his compensation. (Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 18 Mar. 2003)

World's Largest Window Company Acts to Save Chile's Endangered Forests and Indigenous Communities - U.S. Company Leads Trend Toward Ecologically Certified Wood - Andersen Corporation, the world's leading wood window manufacturer, announced today that it will no longer buy Chilean wood products unless they are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. (ForestEthics, 27 Feb. 2003)

NGO to sue Singapore over sand imports [Indonesia] -...Since sand dredging started in 1979 [in Indonesia], coral reefs have been destroyed and fishing has suffered. So far around 500 million cubic metres of sand have been exported for land reclamation projects in Singapore...In 2001, Bisnis Indonesia reported that Dutch, Japanese and German companies had been contracted by Singapore to procure sand for reclamation projects. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2003)

Home Depot adopts new wood purchasing policy [USA] - Home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. said it will only buy wood products from suppliers committed to environmentally friendly logging and lumber practices. (Karen Jacobs, Reuters, 6 Jan. 2003)

2002:

COSATU welcomes crackdown [South Africa] - The Congress of SA Trade Unions on Monday welcomed the order by the Department of Labour to close part of the Bresmen factory in Durban and the inspection of the Foskor fertiliser company in Richard's Bay. Spokesman Vukani Mde said that a spate of recent incidents in which workers had been injured confirmed Cosatu's view that many employers regarded workers' health, safety and even lives as expendable. (SAPA, 21 Oct. 2002)

Beer Boiling, Green Traffic Lights Scoop EU Business Awards - Ten companies have won European Business Awards for their efforts in sustainable development [includes reference to BP, B&Q, Bofferding brewery, brewing-technology expert Steinecker, Integral Umwelt und Anlagentechnik, ST-Microelectronic] (Edie News, 11 Oct. 2002)

Wood-Door Maker Gains SmartWood Certification [USA] - Iowa-based VT Industries, manufacturer of architectural wood doors, has qualified as a provider of SmartWood-certified wood doors, the Forest Stewardship Council recently announced. The chain-of-custody certification was awarded by the Rainforest Alliance, an FSC-accredited certifier. (GreenBiz.com, 8 Oct. 2002) 

Arsenic lawsuits get under US wood treaters' skin -...Walker is one of a growing number of consumers who blame U.S. wood products makers for injuries they received from wood treated with a compound containing arsenic, a known carcinogen...companies that have made or sold wood treated with the arsenic compound - including forest products heavyweights Georgia Pacific Corp. and Universal Forest Products Inc. - are becoming targets of a growing wave of litigation [also refers to Home Depot] (Nichola Groom, Reuters, 8 Oct. 2002)

Former Supervisor for Robbins Hardwood Flooring Files Racial Discrimination Charges [USA] (PACE International Union, 22 Aug. 2002)

Ethical sourcing codes – the answer to supply chain sustainability concerns? Sarah Roberts looks at implementing ethical sourcing codes and the challenges of gaining certification [refers to clothing and footwear sectors; logging/forest products sector including firms Sappi, Mondi; building materials/do-it-yourself sector including firms Homebase, B&Q; chocolate industry] (Sarah Roberts, National Centre for Business and Sustainability, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 1 Aug. 2002)

Top shops blacklist 'danger' chemicals [UK] - Five high street retailers have agreed to eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from the products they sell. Boots, Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, B&Q and the Early Learning Centre will look at the chemicals used in both their own products and those made by suppliers. The announcement follows pressure from Friends of the Earth (Ananova, 27 July 2002)

Shareowner Support for Resolutions Increases Significantly This Proxy Season [USA] - Support for proposals concerning corporate governance as well as social and environmental issues in the 2002 proxy season is reaching record levels. [includes reference to resolutions at American Standard, Eastman Kodak, Niagara Mohawk Power, Unocal] (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 27 June 2002)

"Get to Consumers" to Help Save the Environment, Says New Report [by Worldwatch Institute] -...With the help of product labeling--for example, of genetically engineered foods or wood products harvested in a sustainable way--and the use of quality and efficiency standards, consumers now have the choice of more environmentally friendly products. The study describes six "eco-labeling" programs--covering such diverse areas as seafood, domestic appliances, tourism, and coffee--that award a seal of approval to producers who observe standards designed to ensure environmental protection. (Alison Raphael, OneWorld US, 24 June 2002)

High street shops under attack for their ethics [UK] - High street shops have scored poorly in a survey rating businesses on their support for ethical trading practices. The survey...awarded marks to businesses according to their stance on issues such as child labour, poverty wages and poor working conditions. The Co-op, Body Shop and DIY chain B&Q all scored highly. But the survey said most high street shops either had no code of conduct to cover unfair trading issues, refused to publish one or declined to allow their codes to be independently checked. (Henrykl Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner [UK], 20 June 2002)

Affordable responsibility: Alison Maitland on a new report examining the demands made by big customers on community and social issues - When B&Q, the do-it-yourself chain, told suppliers to comply with its new environmental standards, the demand was a shock for Graham & Brown, the Blackburn-based wallpaper manufacturer...This was 10 years ago. Graham & Brown has since sought to become a leader in the environmental field (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 15 May 2002)

Tackling risky chemicals on the high street [UK]: Ikea, the Body Shop, Co-op, Marks & Spencer and B&Q are top of the table when it comes to tackling risky chemicals in their products [worst scores: Hamleys, Focus, BHS, Somerfield; companies that did not reply: ASDA, Kwick Save, Morrisons, Toys 'R' Us, Toymaster] (Friends of the Earth, 26 Feb. 2002)

Home Depot, Lowe's to stop selling arsenic-treated wood: Home-improvement retailers said this week they would stop selling wood treated with an arsenic-based pesticide that is widely used for home decks and fences (Karen Jacobs, Reuters, 15 Feb. 2002)

Restaurateurs Relish Sustainability [USA]: We [Chefs Collaborative] help restaurants connect with regional producers to purchase local seafood, meat, dairy, and eggs. We are also concerned with green-building materials, living wages for restaurant employees, and reduced energy consumption. (GreenBiz.com, Feb. 2002)

'Ten Shades Of Green' Illuminates Sustainable Architecture:...Low energy/high performance refers to limiting fossil fuel consumption as much as possible. Replenishable sources should be used for both building materials and energy for the building. By using recycling features, architects can limit a building's waste and pollution. (Environmental News Network, 3 Jan. 2002)

2001:

A badge of approval: A new type of relationship is emerging between companies and NGOs, one where NGOs act as certification bodies, verifying, and in many cases permitting use of their logos for this purpose, that products and services are being produced in socially responsible and environmentally friendly ways. (Sarah Murray, in Responsible business in the global economy: A Financial Times Guide, 23 Oct. 2001)

Building the future: Sustainable building materials come of age - A revolution in the way we build is underway as architects, city planners, government officials, homeowners, and others embrace green forest products. (Stacey Fowler, Environmental News Network, 25 Sep. 2001)

Hazardous chemicals found in childcare and house products (Greenpeace, 7 June 2001)

Industry concedes to Greenpeace demands and takes first steps towards stopping releases of newly banned toxic chemicals [Sweden] (Greenpeace, 25 May 2001)

New convention to ban toxic chemicals marks turning point for industry (Greenpeace, 23 May 2001)

Business backs eco label (World Wildlife Fund, 27 Mar. 2001)

Environmentalists Expose Logging Practices at Green Building Conference with High-Flying Message: Activists Accuse Industry of Greenwashing, Not Green Building (Rainforest Action Network, 19 Mar. 2001)

Just ten companies can help save the world's forests, a new WWF report shows (World Wildlife Fund, 14 Mar. 2001)

2000:

Noose harassment: a growth trend worth reversing [USA] [refers to lawsuits against Home Depot and Georgia Power Company for racial harassment of employees, including display of hangman's noose] (Robert Trigaux, St. Petersburg Times [USA], 19 Nov. 2000)

Panel of Independent Judges Selects Six Companies for their Outstanding Responsible Business Practices (Council on Economic Priorities, June 2000)

• 2000 Corporate Conscience Award Winners (Council on Economic Priorities, June 2000)