Transforming the forest industrty into an environmentally sustainable one remains a challenge, The Globe and Mail reports. Producing paper and wood products still generates significant air and water pollution, and companies such as Abitibi-Consolidated, Norbord, Tembec and West Fraser Timber have all paid significant fines for violating environmental regulations in recent years. The Globe article grades nine Canadian Forest industry companies on their corporate social responsibility performance.
Catalyst (A-), the top-rated company, has not been convicted or fined for violating health and safety or environmental regulations during the past five years. In December, 2004, Catalyst joined with Office Depot and PricewaterhouseCoopers to develop a system to track and verify that its paper meets environmental standards through all the production stages, from tree harvesting to manufacturing.
On the other end of the spectrum, Interfor (E+), since 2005, has twice been found guilty of discriminating against workers on disability leave. Also, 12 workersA?AA¢AA¢aAA¬AA¢a?A¬?some employed by contractorsA?AA¢AA¢aAA¬AA¢a?A¬?have died at Interfor operations since 2002.
Other companies rated include: Tembec - B+; Cascades - B-; Norbord - B-; Canfor - C+; TimberWest - C; Abitibi-Consolidated - C-; and West Fraser Timber - D+.
EBAY'S WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM PAYS FOR ITSELF
eBay saves water and energy with a program that'll achieve ROI within 18 months. How much could you save? Go to calculator>>
CLEAN ENERGY DOESN'T GET ANY COOLER THAN THIS
Hybrid Cooling Solutions from Ice Energy. There's no cooler way to improve your bottom line. Discover the power of Ice. >>
FINALLY! NEXT-GENERATION CARBON MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR BUSINESSES
Clear Standards environmental intelligence software helps businesses measure, analyze, and reduce their carbon footprint. No more spreadsheets! >>
The other day while out shopping for Energy Star rated household appliances with my wife, I got to wondering why we ... continue »
The EU cap-and-trade system has operated well and has had little or no negative impact on the overall EU economy, according to ...
Political and business leaders are warning that Britain faces a sharp rise in its tax bill to fund the country's move to ...
Join the Discussion