CBI - old favourites1 August 2005
Friends of the Earth's new report Easy Listening was launched at a parliamentary reception this month, hosted by Sandra Gidley MP.
The reception included speeches from:
- Peter Ainsworth MP
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee - Deborah Doane
Chair of the CORE coalition
The report highlights why the Government needs to broaden its listening beyond their old favourites, the CBI.
The CBI's favourite tunes are:
- Regulation is bad for business;
- Labour standards are bad for competitiveness;
- Environmental regulation will drive businesses abroad.
It shows how Government constantly listens to the CBI - ignoring more progressive businesses.
The Government's failure to develop and support new regulatory frameworks on environmental issues is a direct result of lobbying by the CBI.
The CBI claims to be "the voice of business" - but it isn't. There are many other business voices who the Government needs to listen to.
The UK could become a world leader in the development of clean technology, but it's up to the Government to lead and not just follow the CBI.
Easy Listening is a summary of the longer Hidden Voices report, which was also launched this month.
Resources
Easy Listening - a research summary
(PDF† - 340 KB) July 2005
This summary shows why the Government needs a new playlist featuring more than the CBI's old favourites.
Hidden Voices - The CBI, corporate lobbying and sustainability
(PDF† - 563 KB) July 2005
This report raises serious concerns about how the CBI exaggerates the cost of regulation, and the benefits that it can have.
†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.
