Is Apple Ducking Sustainability Oversight?
1:32 am, January 13th, 2009, Lonnie Lazar
Apple’s Board of Directors is opposing a shareholder initiative to require the company to produce a Corporate Responsibility Report (CSR) detailing Apple’s approach to greenhouse gases, toxins, recycling, and more, according to a report at Environmental Leader.
A shareholder group called “As You Sow,” co-sponsored by the Green Century Equity Fund, reasons that many of Apple’s direct competitors, including Dell, IBM, and HP, already publish CSR reports, as do over 2,700 other public companies. Apple’s board, however, has issued a proxy filing asking shareholders to vote against the resolution, saying publication would be an unnecessary expense and would “produce little added value.”
Apple publishes a Supplier Responsibility report and environmental policies on its website, in spite of which As You Sow and a number of less organized parties have pressured Apple to do more official reporting.
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in Apple, News, Opinions | Comment on this article
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The biggest problem I see is this is a losing proposition for Apple, period. If they do nothing, they lose. If they do something they lose. By creating a CSR they’ll get pounded if it’s not good enough for these pressure groups – and we all know it will never be good enough,. If they try to make it good enough for most of the groups they’ll be hammered whenever they’re forced to choose between the CSR and a critical business decision.
These reports are just the latest feel-good fad, like the corporate mission statements of 10 years ago. Find out what Apple is doing, not saying. This group appears more interested in Apple doing the talk than the walk.
imajoebob, on January 13th, 2009 at 7:17 am
if the info is there and available, making them repeat it in some ‘TPS report’ is stupid. added cost and time that could be used for something more important, like cleaning up the mobileme service or finding ways to put firewire back on the macbook. both of which would raise the value of the stock and make shareholders money
Lucas, on January 13th, 2009 at 9:32 am
In a word, “no.”
foresmac, on January 13th, 2009 at 2:40 pm