Action Briefing Dec 2003 - Jan 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Big Business Exposed Awards: And the Winners Are . . .

This year's Labour Party Conference entertained some of Britain’s most notorious abusers of human rights and the environment, sponsoring events in an attempt to boost their influence and obtain easy access to decision makers. Friends of the Earth revealed the winners of the coveted Exposed Awards, on 1st October in Bournemouth at a glittering ceremony on the beach.

This was the second year that Friends of the Earth has exposed the activities of companies who, through their sponsorship of fringe events, receptions and exhibition stalls, were angling for special favours from the Labour Government. In Blackpool last year, awards were presented to BAA, Aventis, BNFL and Tesco. This year’s contenders include eight companies and three corporate lobby groups who have been instrumental in undermining environmental protection, textbook examples of how the Labour Government’s policy of allowing UK plc to regulate itself on social and environmental issues is penalising good business behaviour and rewarding corporate wrongdoing.

GOLD In first place at the top of the podium of shame was none other than the Confederation of British Industry, represented by a naked fat suit. The UK’s most powerful industry lobby group was short-listed for being extremely backward in its approach to regulation, regularly lobbying against measures to protect the environment or to give people more rights.

SILVER In second place, and represented at the ceremony by the Grim Reaper, was weapons manufacturer BAE Systems. The world’s second largest arms producer hides behind cynical advertising campaigns, euphemistically describing itself as a ‘global systems company’ which provides ‘protection from the storm.’ BAE has also been the subject of widely reported allegations of corruption over arms deals with Saudi Arabia.

BRONZE In third place, again represented by a naked greed fat suit, was supermarket giant Tesco, who held a fringe debate at the Conference on “Promising the Earth? Food, Farming and Rural Communities.” Friends of the Earth accused Tesco of breaking promises over the sourcing of tropical timber and exploitative treatment of British farmers, and of putting its profits before the interests of suppliers, farmers, people and the environment, both here and abroad.

The Runners-Up:

ASDA A subsidiary of US multinational Wal-Mart, the world's biggest company, ASDA’s practices consistently undermine the public interest, small farmers and the environment, and result in job losses every time a new supermarket is opened.

Barclays Putting profits before Indonesian rainforests, indigenous peoples and one of Europe’s most precious wilderness areas. Time and again, they have made promises and signed voluntary agreements to assure that they will not invest in environmental destruction and, time and again, they have been exposed for breaking these promises.

British Airports Authority Brimming over with rhetoric on sustainability and environmental performance that on closer inspection turns out to be “greenwash” cover for business as usual, BAA broke its promise to not pursue a third runway at Heathrow airport and is now aggressively lobbying for airport expansion against the interests of both people and the environment.

BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Ltd) Since last year’s party conference, BNFL has dumped £3.8 billion worth of liabilities onto the UK taxpayer.

Cadbury-Schweppes Close to the CBI and embroiled in controversies surrounding pesticide residues in chocolate, worker exploitation, and irresponsible marketing of fatty and sugary products via schools.

Hutchinson-Whampoa Owner of both 3-Mobile and Superdrug, Hutchinson-Whampoa collaborate with the repressive military regime in Burma via the company's continued interests in Rangoon Port. Also behind plans to build a new port in Harwich, Essex, which would destroy precious wildlife sites and cause massive disruption for local residents.

Freedom to Fly The aviation industry’s lead lobby group argues, in effect, that the “right" to cheap air travel is more important than the right to an environment free from aircraft pollution and airport blight, or the right to a night’s sleep without the intrusion of aircraft noise. The group is aggressively pushing for massive airport expansion and ignores any suggestion that airlines should be subject to the same tax and regulatory system as other forms of transport.

Water UK The association representing the UK water and wastewater companies at national and European level. The UK water industry is one of the largest sources of water pollution and Water UK’s members are cited by the Environment Agency’s annual report on corporate pollution as persistent offenders in this respect.

Visit www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/exposed_bournemouth_2003.pdf f or a full report of the conference

From Friends of the Earth Press Releases 29th Sept-1st Oct '03