Apple Says No to Publishing Sustainability Report
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California 
on 01.13.09
Apple's shareholders are requesting broader reporting of the company's sustainability and green efforts. Specifically, shareholders As We Sow proposed that Apple provide details about toxins, recycling, greenhouse gases, and similar environmental areas of concern. Apples response is disappointing.
The company issued a proxy filing on Wednesday in which it urged shareholders to vote against a shareholder resolution proposed by As You Sow, an environmental group co-sponsored by the New York City Office of the Comptroller and the Green Century Equity Fund.The resolution would require the company to publish a CSR report detailing its approach to greenhouse gas emissions, toxics and recycling by July this year. The report would also require Apple to define "sustainability", and would include a company-wide review of policies contributing to sustainable operations.
In other words, environmentally-minded shareholders want Apple to do more than just market how green they are. And Apple really doesn't want to do that, saying that there is no added value in doing so, and that it's a waste of time considering they already provide much of the information demanded on their website already.
The added value now, however, seems to be saving some green face.
Apple faced months of criticism from Greenpeace over its failure to publish information on its policies regarding the use of toxic chemicals in its products, which culminated in an apology from Apple boss Steve Jobs and the release of a raft of new targets designed to phase out the use of hazardous chemicals.The proxy filing came as Apple this week launched its new 17in MacBook Pro laptop, the latest model in what it claims is "the world's greenest family of notebooks".
Via BusinessGreen
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Greenpeace Says PCs May Have to Follow Apple's Footsteps
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I think Apple are missing a trick on this... it's the equivalent to Detroit head-burying-in-sand on MPG... don't try to brush it under the carpet - embrace change!
Apple are in a great position to lead the world on sustainable electronics...
It's interesting to note how green-centric Apple's ad on TV is for the latest MacBook. Clearly Apple wants us to think they're green, but perhaps they're just taking the easy way out with marketing strategies, instead of actually moving towards sustainable practices.
If Apple "already provides much of the information demanded on their website already" and is using the Global Reporting Initiative’s guidelines, I agree that the proposed resolution appears to be redundant.