Den britiske gren af miljønetværket Friends of the Earth udpeger Storbritannien som skurken i forhandlingerne om ny EU-lovgivning, der kræver åbenhed hos virksomhederne om deres tæring på miljø, klima og menneskerettigheder.
The UK has today succeeded in watering down new European rules designed to boost corporate transparency, by blocking plans that would have required large private companies to report on their environmental and social impacts, alongside firms listed on stock exchanges, writes Friends of the Earth UK, Ireland and Wales on their homepage Wednesday.
However, MEPs have defended some of the important improvements they proposed to the initial proposal, such as a requirement for companies to report on the most significant risks to people and planet posed by their suppliers.
Commenting on the news, Friends of the Earth campaigner Julian Kirby said:
“The UK Government, represented by Business Secretary Vince Cable, should be ashamed of blocking corporate transparency rules for large private companies – so much for the Coalition and Liberal Democrat pledges to make businesses more accountable.
“While requiring listed companies to report on their social and environmental impacts is a step in the right direction, glaring loopholes remain that mean tens of thousands of private firms in Europe won’t have to reveal how their operations affect people and the environment.
“Transparency is vital to help identify and then tackle the many problems linked to making our everyday products, from dangerous working conditions and factory deaths to the destruction of natural habitats.
“How British politicians apply the EU legislation after the election will reveal what they care more about – ordinary people and a healthy planet, or their billionaire friends and donors.”
Friends of the Earth campaigner Julian Kirby added:
“It’s welcome that the non-financial reporting directive contains guidance that will help companies start to measure their consumption of key natural resources such as land, water and materials, as well as carbon emissions.
“This is the first stage in creating a resource-efficient EU which is less vulnerable to price and supply shocks.”
