#social_impact

Information, Democracy and Corporate Power
►http://multinationales.org/Information-Democracy-and-Corporate-Power

Without free and independent information, there can be no democracy. Yet the growing power and #influence of bug business and transnational corporations in the economic and political realms is partly based on the control of information about their influence and impacts. This article was first published as an introduction to our publication Democratic Information in an Age of Corporate Power. It seems obvious that without information, democracy cannot exist. It’s impossible to imagine modern (...)

#Investigations

/ #internal_democracy_within_firms, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, influence, #regulations_and_norms, (...)

#transparency
“►https://multinationales.org/Democratic-Information-in-an-Age-of-Corporate-Power”

Anya Schiffrin: “The link between advocacy and journalism is older than many of us think.”
►http://multinationales.org/Anya-Schiffrin-The-link-between-advocacy-and-journalism-is-older-th

A number of international tax avoidance scandals have come out over recent years, highlighting the important role played by investigative journalists in denouncing the corrupt practices of governments and corporations. Investigative journalism has been playing this role for decades, as the American journalist and teacher Anya Schiffrin explains. Schiffrin is the author of a collection of investigative articles on different issues across the globe. This interview was first published in our (...)

#Investigations

/ #freedom_of_expression_and_of_the_press, #public_campaign, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, human (...)

#human_rights
“►https://multinationales.org/Democratic-Information-in-an-Age-of-Corporate-Power”
“►https://www.icij.org”
“►https://www.occrp.org/en”
“▻https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._D._Morel”
“▻https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muckraker”
“►http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175886/tomgram%3A_anya_schiffrin,_who_knew_we_were_living_in_the_golden_age_of”
“►http://gijn.org/2016/06/20/a-golden-age-of-global-muckraking”

#Extractive_Industries and the Right to #water: The Responsibility of Multinationals
▻http://multinationales.org/Extractive-Industries-and-the-Right-to-Water-The-Responsibility-of

This report is the conclusion of a series of #Investigations and articles on #Extractive_Industries and water published, over a year and a half, by Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory, with the support of France Libertés – Fondation Danielle Mitterrand. The focus of this work was to look at the role and responsibility of multinational corporations, as the main drivers of extractivism. Water is a critical input for #extractive_industries (mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction). All of (...)

Investigations

/ A la une, Extractive Industries, Extractive Industries, #local_communities, #human_rights, water, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, extractive industries, #regulations_and_norms, #corporate_legal_responsibility, corporate social (...)

#corporate_social_responsibility
“►https://multinationales.org/IMG/pdf/rapport-eng.pdf”
►http://multinationales.org/IMG/pdf/rapport-eng.pdf

Communities affected by oil palm plantations block Bolloré group’s shareholder meeting
▻http://multinationales.org/Communities-affected-by-oil-palm-plantations-block-Bollore-group-s-

Blockades are popular these days in #France. This time, it was the turn of the Bolloré group, located in Puteaux (Hauts-de-seine), to experience this form of protest. For nearly three hours on the morning of 3 June, around a hundred protesters peacefully blockaded the entrances to the headquarters of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Protestors challenged Bolloré shareholders as they attempted to enter their meeting. Representatives from civil society organisations in France (...)

#News

/ France, Bolloré, #Land_Grabbing, #Socfin, #grabbing, #local_communities, #international_solidarity, social (...)

#Bolloré #social_impact
“►http://www.oureyeislife.com”
“▻https://multinationales.org/Des-riverains-de-plantations-d-huile-de-palme-bloquent-l-AG-du-grou”
“▻http://grain.org”

Pollution, Drought and Threats: the Disturbing Cocktail of #Colombia's Oil Industry
▻http://multinationales.org/Pollution-Drought-and-Threats-the-Disturbing-Cocktail-of-Colombia-s

Perenco is a low-profile French oil company, owned by one of France’s richest families. Basta! and the Multinationals Observatory investigated its practices in Colombia where #Perenco owns several concessions, alongside other companies. The oil industry has been accused of playing a role in the droughts that have grown more frequent in the Amazon Savannah. It also faces accusations of negligence in regards to the pollution left to contaminate marshes and rivers. In spite of the blockading (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, Colombia, Perenco, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #local_communities, #human_rights, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, A la (...)

“▻http://casanarenoticias.com/index.php/component/k2/item/1526-en-caso-del-estero-matemarrano-tribunal-demanda-pacto-de-cump”
“►http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/autoridades-apuntan-cinco-pecados-posibles-causa-de-seq-articulo-48412”
“►http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/justicia/detrimento-patrimonial-en-zonas-con-poca-agua/16372557”
“►http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2012/02/25/la-colombie-ferme-les-yeux-sur-les-entreprises-alliees-aux-milices_798637”
“►http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/investigacion/petrolera-perenco-y-los-paras-articulo-320929”
“▻http://www.perenco-colombia.com”
“►http://www.bnamericas.com/news/oilandgas/colombian-regulator-suspends-perenco-crude-transport”
“▻https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2CKkaSzQEg%20et%20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjKzdKCsnE

In Alberta and Downstream, the Heavy Toll of the Oil Sands Industry on #water and the Environment
▻http://multinationales.org/In-Alberta-and-downstream-the-heavy-toll-of-the-oil-sands-industry-

In Alberta, Canadian and international oil companies, including #Shell and #Total, develop oil sands deposits at a frantic pace. Despite the current oil price slump, they still hope to triple production by 2030. While there is much talk of its greenhouse gas emissions, the oil sands industry also has heavy, lesser-known impacts on water resources and #biodiversity. The consequences of excessive water extraction and pollution are beginning to be felt downstream, perhaps all the way to the (...)

#Investigations

/ A la une, #Extractive_Industries, #Canada, Shell, Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, biodiversity, #climate_change, #local_communities, water, #environmental_impact, #social_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, #Environmental_Health, (...)

#energy

Naomi Klein: “If you can marry an economic justice agenda with climate action, people will fight for that future”
▻http://multinationales.org/Naomi-Klein-If-you-can-marry-an-economic-justice-agenda-with-climat

Given the massive inequalities generated by capitalism and the ecological urgency of #climate_change, “everything can change”, Naomi Klein claims in a new book. Provided we do not “give in to despair”, because “too many lives are at stake”, and “fight for a more just economic system”. The Canadian anti-globalization activist and essayist is famous for her inspired criticism of capitalism: No Logo denounced the tyranny of global brands, and The Shock Doctrine the brutality of neoliberal (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, #Fossil_fuels, #trade_and_investment_agreements, #public_campaign, climate change, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, environmental (...)

#environmental_impact
“►https://vimeo.com/124380476

The UK : latest front line in the European #shale_gas battles
▻http://multinationales.org/The-UK-latest-front-line-in-the

The #United_Kingdom is full of strong opinions when it comes to shale gas, which requires hydraulic fracturing (or ‘fracking’) – the controversial technique where a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure into rock followed by depressurisation – to extract it. David Cameron’s conservative coalition government is pushing harder than ever on both a domestic and European level to promote the practice (and the lucrative rewards assumed to go with it). Meanwhile, thousands of (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Energy, United Kingdom, #Total, #GDF_Suez, #Cuadrilla, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #Lobbying, #local_communities, shale gas, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #energy, regulations and (...)

#regulations_and_norms #influence
« ►http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21120-how-fracking-caused-earthquakes-in-the-uk.html »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/28/fracking-office-single-unit-shale-gas-produced »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100282976/want-to-know-how-fracking-will-affect-you-sorry-thats-a-state-sec »
« ►http://www.ukoog.org.uk/about-ukoog/press-releases/131-new-survey-shows-57-of-britons-support-natural-gas-from-shale »
« ►http://www.leparisien.fr/environnement/exclusif-environnement-72-des-francais-contre-l-exploitation-du-gaz-de-sc »
« ►http://www.renewablesinternational.net/german-government-wants-shale-gas/150/537/79666 »
« ▻http://www.northernenergy.co.uk/mainnews/fracking-supported-by-majority-of-uk »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/campinfo »
« ►http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/uncategorized/breaking-operation-mums-and-grandmas-omg-occupy-proposed-drilling-s »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/18/fracking-protesters-occupy-blackpool-office-cuadrilla »
« ►http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/europe »
« ►http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-promises-fracking-tax-boost-for-councils-willing-to-app »
« ►http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/13/fracking-councils_n_4587143.html »
« ►http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/04/decc-energy-statistics,-march-2013 »
« ▻http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3284/British-public-split-on-nuclear-power.aspx »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/25/labour-regulation-uk-fracking-industry »
« ▻http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/news-and-updates/speeches/shale-gas-american-success-story »
« ►https://www.chathamhouse.org/media/comment/view/187991 »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26735000 »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2014/jun/06/shale-oil-boom-over-energy-revolution-blackouts »
« ▻http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/31/uk-shale-gas-fracking-cuadrilla »
« ►http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100222841/drilling-set-back-regulator-caught-out-as-fracking-opponents-draw »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/06/fracking-trespass-law-changes-opposed-by-74-of-britons »
« ►http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/04/ban-fracking-from-national-parks-say-majority-of-uk-public »
« ►http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25695813 »
« ▻http://www.wwf.gr/crisis-watch/issues/21-issue-21-december-2013/shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules/28-shale-gas-lobby-wins-war-against-strict-environmental-rules »
« ►http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/08/05/support-fracking-not-my-backyard »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economics-of-shale-gas »
« ►http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas/home.html »
« ►https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/potential-greenhouse-gas-emissions-associated-with-shale-gas-production-and-use »
« ►http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/fracking-regs-tarnished-new-report_05062014 »
« ►http://www.foeeurope.org/fracking-brussels-240714 »

#Areva's Jaitapur Nuclear Project: Another Catastrophe in the Offing?
▻http://multinationales.org/Areva-s-Jaitapur-Nuclear-Project

The Indian Government is planning to build the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Jaitapur, in the Western state of Maharasthra. The plant is to be based on Areva’s EPR technology. The site is a biodiversity hotspot and is also known to have high seismic activity. According to critics, the project is an untested, expensive and dangerous gamble with health and land, which is being vehemently opposed. Areva and the Indian government are currently negotiating to finalise their agreement. (...)

#Investigations

/ #zoom, #Energy, #India, Areva, #Nuclear_Energy, Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), #public_campaign, #local_communities, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, nuclear (...)

#Nuclear_Power_Corporation_of_India_NPCIL_ #nuclear_energy
“►http://www.ritimo.org”
“►http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Ne120311COVERSTORY.asp”
“►http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/one-killed-as-jaitapur-protest-turns-violent/article1706916.ece”
“►https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeathialy

#Perenco in the Democratic Republic of Congo : when oil makes the poor poorer
▻http://multinationales.org/Perenco-in-the-Democratic-Republic

Perenco’s operations in Bas-Congo are an example of how oil extraction can destroy the environment and the livelihoods of #local_communities, without giving them almost anything in return. In Muanda, the “poorest oil city in the world,” exploitation of petroleum by the Anglo-French company Perenco has brought no real development benefits. A report by the French NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire paints a damning picture of the situation: unwelcome news at a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo is (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #DR_Congo, Perenco, #Total, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, local communities, #corruption, #human_rights, #tax_system, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #commodities, #regulations_and_norms, #poverty, (...)

#corporate_social_responsibility #parent_company #transparency
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/infos/rse/petrole-a-muanda-la »
« ►http://www.profundo.nl »
« ►http://www.perenco.com/fr/actualites/single/reussite-de-la-fracturation-sur-el-franig-en-tunisie.html »
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/mob/agir/campagnes/investissements-hors »
« ►http://www.asso-sherpa.org/drame-au-bangladesh-le-gouvernement-se-defausse-sur-lue-plutot-que-dass »
« ▻http://oecdwatch.org/cases/Case_307 »
« ▻http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/central-africa/dr-congo/188-black-gold-in-the-congo-threat-to-stability-or-development-opportun »
« ►http://nawaat.org/portail/2013/10/29/enquete-sur-le-gaz-de-schiste-en-tunisie-des-profondeurs-du-sous-sol-tunisie »
« ▻http://www.scribd.com/doc/179884156/Mensonges-Gaz-de-Schiste-OTE-2013 »
« ▻http://platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/drc/A_Lake_of_Oil_Congo_DRC_Tullow_PLATFORM_May_2010.pdf »

« If #Société_générale was genuine about its own social and environmental principles, there’s no way they would remain involved in the Alpha Coal project »
▻http://multinationales.org/If-Societe-Generale-was-genuine

Alpha Coal: it is the name of a megaproject in Queensland, #Australia. Alpha Coal would involve extracting millions of tonnes of coal, transporting them by rail over hundreds of kilometers and then exporting them to Asia through a new giant terminal at Abbot Point - in the middle of the Great Barrier Marine Park. Société Générale, one of France’s largest banks, is among the last backers of this project within the international financial community. Julien Vincent and Tony Brown, as representatives (...)

#Investigations

/ #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, Société générale, Australia, #Finance_and_Banking, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, #local_communities, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #climate_change, socially responsible (...)

#socially_responsible_investment #commodities
“►http://www.marketforces.org.au”
“►http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/business/2014/04/26/the-end-coal/1398434400”
“►http://www.ieefa.org/press-release-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-imported-coal-in-india-report-expos”

Behind the promises of ‘responsible’ chocolate: a bleak future for cocoa farmers and an unsustainable #food industry
▻http://multinationales.org/Behind-the-promises-of-responsible

Deforestation, #child_labour, underpaid farmers: in the countries where it’s grown, cocoa isn’t really synonymous with social well-being. Whilst chocolate giants such as #Mars, Mondelez or Nestle have never been doing so well, the cocoa industry is failing both socially and environmentally. The food multinationals are trying to react by announcing a shift towards ‘responsible’ cocoa, with a number of #fair_trade certifiers offering them customised labels. But for #Mars and others, these moves are (...)

#Investigations

/ #Food_and_Agriculture, #Greenwashing, Nestlé, #Mondelez_international, Mars, Mars, Food & Agribusiness, #Ghana, #Ivory_Coast, #agriculture, food, #supply_chain, fair trade, child labour, #certification, #commodities, #social_impact, environmental (...)

#Nestlé #Food_&_Agribusiness #environmental_impact
“►https://www.flickr.com/photos/carsten_tb/8113983681/in/photostream

What is #Total doing in #Western_Sahara ?
▻http://multinationales.org/What-is-Total-doing-in-Western

The French company Total, along with other multinationals, has recently started oil and gas exploration off Western Saharan – a territory which has been under Moroccan occupation for almost forty years. These activities raise ethical issues about consultation with #local_communities and fair distribution of potential revenues. Saharawi activists have spoken up their concerns for years about the oil firm, denouncing its role in undermining the territory’s sovereignty. Total is also critised by (...)

#News

/ Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Morocco, Western Sahara, #Norway, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, #Corporate_Social_Responsibility_and_Ethical_Investment, local communities, #international_law, #human_rights, #ethics, #social_impact, socially responsible (...)

#socially_responsible_investment
« ▻http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/norwaywealthfund-ethics-idUSL6N0M826420140312 »
« ►http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/03/u-s-oil-firm-creates-tension-western-sahara »
« ▻http://www.wsrw.org/a106x2651 »
« ►http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2014/03/28/total-negocie-avec-lukoil-pour-exploiter-des-petroles-de-schiste-en-russie_4 »
« ►http://www.novethic.fr/novethic/isr_investissement_socialement_responsable,climat,le_fonds_norvegien_pourra »
« ►http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/07/total-westernsahara-idINL5N0LC35Y20140207 »
« ►http://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/23060/exploration-petroliere-sahara-maroc-assure.html »
« ►http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A-HRC-22-53-Add-2_en.pdf »
« ►http://bigmenthemovie.com »

Amazonian dams: #EDF and GDF Suez are “studying” indigenous lands with the support of the army
▻http://multinationales.org/Amazonian-dams-EDF-and-GDF-Suez

After Belo Monte, the Tapajós river, one of the Amazon’s main tributaries, and its basin are the latest target for builders of #Large_Dams. The Brazilian government would like to build at least four new dams in this pristine area, of unique #biodiversity. It has enlisted help from a group of companies, including French companies EDF and GDF Suez, to carry out #environmental_impact studies. These companies have been granted the support of the army, to help them sniff out any rebellion from the (...)

#Investigations

/ #Energy, #Brazil, EDF, #GDF-Suez, Large Dams, #State_as_shareholder, biodiversity, #local_communities, #social_impact, environmental impact, #energy, workers’ (...)

#workers'_protest
“►http://lab.org.uk/public-consultation-more-of-a-pr-exercise”
“►http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/amazon-villagers-incensed-over-energy-plans-20131223103351496119.html”
“►http://www.grupodeestudostapajos.com.br”
“►http://youtu.be/9liW4bQP03w

The CEO of #Unilever receives a mega bonus for his contribution to “sustainable development”
▻http://multinationales.org/The-CEO-of-Unilever-receives-a

Known in France for his intransigence towards the Fralib workers, the Unilever CEO Paul Polman is also viewed by some as a visionary leader and a champion of sustainable development and responsible capitalism. This apparent contradiction reflects a rather narrow conception of #sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This article was originally published in French. Translation: Mathilde Balland. Who ever said that sustainable development was incompatible with profit? The boss of (...)

#News

/ #Greenwashing, Unilever, Food & Agribusiness, #executives, #tax_system, #tax_evasion, #financialisation, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #marketing, sustainability, (...)

#Food_&_Agribusiness #salary
“►http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/04/29/why-unilever-patagonia-puma-lead-pack-say-sustainability-leaders”
“►http://france.attac.org/se-mobiliser/les-requins”
“►http://www.lesrequins.org/actions-du-15-mars/article/journee-du-15-mars”
“►http://www.flickr.com/photos/moneyblognewz/5408773200

How #Areva lets its workers die in #Niger
▻http://www.multinationales.org/How-Areva-lets-its-workers-die-in

French people get light and heating thanks, in part, to the work of hundreds of miners in Niger, who have spent 20 to 30 years of their lives extracting uranium for nuclear company Areva. The uranium is then sent to #France to serve as fuel for the 58 French nuclear reactors. These miners suffer and die because of the effects of radiation exposure, in an atmosphere of total indifference. Any form of acknowledgement of their ills as occupational diseases seems out of the question. How long (...)

#Investigations

/ Niger, Areva, #Extractive_Industries, #Nuclear_Energy, #Extractive_Industries, #Occupational_Health_and_Safety, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #corporate_legal_responsibility, #corporate_social_responsibility, #occupational_health_and_safety, #Environmental_Health, (...)

#work-related_cancers #Energy
▻http://niger.areva.com/EN/niger-174/the-health-and-safety-of-workers-and-the-local-population.html
▻http://www.sst-nucleaire-chimie.org
►http://www.asso-sherpa.org
▻http://niger.areva.com/niger/liblocal/docs/F_AREVA%20et%20Niger.pdf
►http://vimeo.com/8547737

#Atos Healthcare: failing UK’s most vulnerable
▻http://www.multinationales.org/Atos-Healthcare-failing-UK-s-most

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members,” Gandhi said. And the UK is not measuring well. The government is failing society’s disabled, ill, and most vulnerable. The Work Capacity Assessment (WCA), which is being carried out by the French firm Atos Healthcare on behalf of the British government, is proving to be an ineffective, costly process which is pushing many to the verge of despair. This article was initially published by OpenDemocracy (...)

#Investigations

/ #United_Kingdom, #Information_Technology_Consulting, Atos, #public_campaign, #human_rights, #ethics, #privatisation, #social_impact, #social_security, collective (...)

#collective_services
►http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/jennifer-kennedy/department-of-work-and-pensions-and-atos-healthcare-still-failing-uk'
►http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/atos-contract-does-not-offer-value-for-money-says-national-audit-offi
▻http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00wq21j
►http://www.flickr.com/photos/knox1013/7907844322/in/photostream

#Auchan: some promises, but no compensation for Bangladeshi workers
▻http://www.multinationales.org/article197.html

Six months ago, the Rana Plaza building and its five textile factories collapsed, resulting in 1.133 deaths and even more injured. One of the brands for which they were working is Auchan, but the firm still refuses to contribute to the compensation fund. Because of this, the company was nominated in the “Dirty hands, deep pockets” category of the 2013 Pinocchio award. This award is organised by Friends of the Earth France to “name and shame” companies with poor social and environmental records. (...)

#News

/ #Garment, #Bangladesh, #Retail, #Garment_Industry, #Retail, Auchan, #supply_chain, #corporate_social_responsibility, #social_impact, #work_conditions, #occupational_health_and_safety, decent (...)

#decent_work
▻http://www.peuples-solidaires.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CP-Indemnisation13092013.pdf