Home > Press releases > 2002
16 Aug 2002
Some corporations continue to abuse the rights of people, destroy
the livelihoods of communities, and pollute water and forest resources
for future generations, according to a new report by Friends of the
Earth International published today. The report graphically illustrates
the need for governments to agree to introduce tighter rules for multinationals
at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.
Launched as world leaders prepare for the Earth Summit in Johannesburg
later this month [1], Clashes
with Corporate Giants (PDF†
- 2.5MB) [2] reveals how even some of the top international companies
who claim to be developing sustainable policies, are still causing major
damage to the planet. The report will be published on
www.foei.org on Friday
16th August 2002.
Companies featured in the report include:
Rio Tinto is prospecting for gold in the Poboya protected forest,
in Indonesia, despite opposition from local indigenous peoples [3].
The mining industry poses one of the greatest threats to Indonesia's
threatened forests with mining concessions overlapping with many protected
areas. Rio Tinto is aiming to avoid international regulation of the
mining industry at the forthcoming Earth Summit by trying to persuade
governments to establish voluntary partnerships with the industry. Rio
Tinto Chairman Sir Robert Wilson is a member of the UK delegation.
Sasol claims to "put as much into the community as we do into our petrol."
Indeed they do, including high levels of benzene, vinyl chloride and
methylene chloride. Sasol has been influential in s pushing for voluntary
environmental agreements, rather than legally enforceable standards
that the local community could use to hold them liable [4].
Friends of the Earth International is calling for world leaders meeting
at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg to introduce global rules for business,
to protect people and the environment. The call has so far met with
little enthusiasm from Western governments, but has received the backing
of developing countries as well as thousands of individuals from around
the world who have sent messages of support [5].
Tony Juniper, Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International said:
"The evidence in this report highlights the real damage companies
are doing to people and to our environment. Despite big
companies' green public relations efforts, it illustrates how,
for many companies, sustainable development means business as usual.
Without global rules to check this behaviour, the environment
is not going to figure on the corporate bottom line - and it would be
nave to expect otherwise.
"This issue is about far more than protecting profits for
shareholders - it is about the rights of people around the world to
protect their health and their livelihoods, now and for future generations
to come."
†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.
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
