China Direct

UPS strengthens and greens China's supply chain

 

[Image courtesy of www.ups.com]

CBI member UPS recently released its latest annual Sustainability Report, becoming one of only 10 U.S. corporations registered to date this year with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to have achieved A+ status for superior transparency.

UPS' strong 2011 sustainability programme in China included the following initiatives:

     • UPS launched an international forestry initiative to offset carbon emissions, pledging nearly US$1.3 
       million to help plant and protect trees in China, Belgium, Brazil, and the U.S. For example, UPS 
       supported The Nature Conservancy's initiative to plant 150,000 trees in Sichuan province in 
       southwestern China. 

     • UPS supported the World Resources Institute (WRI) Green Supply Chain Group programme to 
       strengthen the environmental performance of the supply chain industry in China.

     • UPS purchased carbon offsets in a number of projects around the world, including Dalian landfill in 
       China, which is capturing methane gas and using it to generate electricity. A carbon offset is a 
       certified financial instrument aimed at achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

     • UPS plans to bring its Road Code programme to the Asia-Pacific region in 2012, beginning with 
       Shanghai. In 2011, the programme taught safe driving skills to nearly 2,000 young people in 
       Canada, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.

Commenting on the 2011 Sustainability Report, Scott Davis, Chairman and CEO of UPS, said, "One of the guiding principles to UPS' sustainability strategy is our commitment to transparency. We are disclosing more information than ever…We have reported our five-year progress, successes, and challenges. Now, we are focused ahead."

Scott Wicker, UPS Chief Sustainability Officer, said, "Our annual sustainability report encapsulates the performance, ambitions, and goals of UPS from economic, social, and environmental perspectives."

Please click here to read the full Corporate Sustainability Report 2011 by UPS.

Kingfisher's China CSR Programme - In China For China

 

[Image courtesy of www.kingfisher.com]

CBI member Kingfisher recently published its 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report and announced a new sustainability ambition called Net Positive, which aims to take its business through to 2020 and beyond, with the aim of having a net positive impact on the world in which Kingfisher operates.

Net Positive focuses on four priorities: timber, energy, innovation, and communities.

Kingfisher's corporate responsibility initiatives and activities in China over the past year have included:

     • B&Q China is working with WWF FTN-China to educate its major timber suppliers of flooring, bulk, 
       and furniture products on sustainable timber sourcing.
     • B&Q China has created its own eco-labelling devices, and currently has over 800 products with 
       environmental credentials and aims to double its sales of eco products by 2015.
     • In partnership with the Cherished Dream Foundation, B&Q China is helping to equip school  
       libraries with library materials, TVs, and computers.
     • Kingfisher's cash donation to Save the Children is funding a training programme in China for 
       parents of children with disabilities.
     • B&Q China has introduced a travel policy for all of its employees, which specifies a preference for 
       the use of trains over air travel. In 2012 B&Q China will introduce a "no car day" to encourage 
       employees and customers to take public transport to its stores.
     • B&Q China is conducting a pilot study on waste at its Shanghai stores to review its waste and 
       recycling processes.
     • Kingfisher installed a TelePresence video-conferencing system in its offices in Shanghai and Hong 
       Kong, which reduces the amount of travel that its employees need to do.
     • Kingfisher's central sourcing organisation, the Kingfisher Sourcing Organisation (KSO) in Hong 
       Kong, was awarded "caring company" status by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 
       recognition of good employment practices, volunteering, community activities, and donations.
     • KSO in Hong Kong is working with its local WWF to help its major suppliers improve the carbon 
       footprint of their factories as part of WWF's Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme.

Please click here to read Kingfisher's full 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report.

CBI Member Fuji Xerox wins China green award

 

[Image courtesy of www.fujixerox.com]

CBI member Fuji Xerox recently won the "Outstanding Contribution Company to China IT Industry Green Development Award" from China Information World, an IT newspaper run by the China Electronic Information Industry Development Research Institute, as well as the China CSR Award, which was evaluated by more than 100 public organisations, media outlets, and specialists.

The Green Development Award was established in 2011, and Fuji Xerox (China) Ltd. was the only winner in the green development category, receiving recognition for its energy-saving products, recycling system for used products and cartridges, and "Print Green" campaign.

Also launched in 2011, the China CSR Award evaluated Fuji Xerox's environmental and educational initiatives in China, and Fuji Xerox was the only office equipment manufacturer among the 35 award-winning companies.

Please click here to read the full press release by Fuji Xerox.

UK Company Arup's China outreach programme - 'In China For China'

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.arup.com]

A team of engineers from CBI member Arup recently built an Arup-designed bridge in Mixia Village in Yunnan province with student volunteers from the Kunming University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

As part of Arup's ongoing collaboration with Wu Zhi Qiao Charitable Foundation, the new bridge provides safe journeys for the commuting villagers between Mixia and its surrounding villages and helps improve their livelihood. Prior to the Arup-Wu Zhi Qiao Bridge, locals often had their journeys interrupted by damages to a makeshift bamboo bridge caused by the river flooding.

To withstand the devastating floods, Arup designed a bridge with an impressive 20 metre clear span and a vertical clearance of six metres. To provide durability and longevity, the bridge is constructed out of galvanised steel with rocks and stones from around the site used as counterweights.

Commenting on the project, Freda Chu, Arup Wu Zhi Qiao's project manager, said, "To build a culturally sensitive and highly sustainable bridge, we held a company-wide design competition, and the winning scheme was adopted as the basis for detailed design.

After several site visits, the design was fine-tuned considering the on-site constructability. A small team of volunteers also travelled to steel fabrication and assembly sponsor S-couvrot's factory in Shanghai for a mock-up of the bridge assembly process to ensure smooth construction on site."

Mixia Village is located in the southern part of Yunnan province, close to the China-Vietnam border.

Please click here to read the full press release by Arup.