Blog

Over the last few years we’ve noticed a notable lack of understanding within the media and the NGO world about the terms responsible and “ethical” investing and the strategies that should be adopted by investment managers. We thought we’d try to move this debate along with our take on the matter.
Let’s take the UK [...]

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary is a reliable source for a good quote. The latest is his reaction to the British transport secretary’s plans to replace short-haul flights with a high-speed rail network “For reasons of carbon reduction and wider environmental benefits”.
O’Leary’s take on this was:
“It is insane.”
And…
“On [return] domestic flights from Glasgow to London passengers [...]

The Food Standards Agency report on the nutritional value of organic food versus ‘conventionally produced foodstuffs’ has produced a large amount of press coverage over the past few days. This coverage has sparked debate, letters, claims and counter-claims by experts and amateurs alike.
Time for me to weigh in.
The study looked at nutritional value, finding ‘no [...]

A recent article in the Financial Times considers the increasing importance being afforded to ‘responsible investment’, and centrally its impact on the global fund management community.  The article cites the recent actions of the ‘UN Principles for Responsible Investment’, – a body that acts to “help investors integrate consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) [...]

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk goes on sale today with a new selling point, the Fairtrade mark.  As the chocolate bar enjoys the status of being Britain’s favourite, the company does not seem too worried about winning new fans, with company president Trevor Bond stating “If some people decide to switch to Dairy Milk after we change [...]

The recent press revelations concerning MPs and their expenses may have shifted public opinion somewhat in favour of journalists, vindicating their sometime role as custodians of the Truth.  However, the News of the World phone hacking scandal, revealed in the Guardian recently, has brought into sharp focus the issue of what happens when the whistle [...]

CO3’s discussions with potential clients in our earlier days often featured two questions. The first was generally: “what do you do?”. This was usually followed by: “what is CSR or corporate social responsibility?”.
These days our response to the first question (CO3 is a management consultancy), seems to satisfy nearly everyone. [...]

Business in The Community, a UK based charitable organisation dedicated to “mobilising business for good” recently awarded nine companies a “Community Mark” as a sign that they are “best investors in their communities”. The criteria for these awards include philanthropic activities such as corporate giving and the supply of pro-bono work.
Listed companies (there [...]

Recent findings by consumer group Which? have revealed that some supermarket prepared salads, perceived as a “healthy” lunch alternative, contain more fat, and sometimes more calories, than the oft-berated burger and fries.  The report particularly focused on labelling of meals and highlighted that consumers often found it difficult to identify information such as the fat [...]

An article appearing in today’s ‘Times Online’ unveils the outcome of a recent race discrimination case, concerning a well known consumer products company.
The decision of the court may affect brand value, and highlights the often complex issues large businesses face in managing their reputation.
Many organisations now readily acknowledge the benefits of adopting comprehensive CSR strategies and [...]