Small Business

Apple's Board, Al Gore Oppose CSR Reporting

By Dog Pony

Updated on: January 14, 2009 / 12:49 PM EST / MoneyWatch

In a bizarre move, Apple, which has been trying to green its image recently, will not be issuing a formal corporate social responsibility report, if its board gets its way.

Reports Greenbiz.com:

The company issued a proxy filing last Wednesday in which it urged shareholders to vote against a shareholder resolution proposed by As You Sow, an environmental group co-sponsored by the New York City Office of the Comptroller and the
Green Century Equity Fund.
The resolution would require the company to publish a CSR report detailing its approach to greenhouse gas emissions, toxics and recycling by July this year. The report would also require Apple to define "sustainability", and would include a company-wide review of policies contributing to sustainable operations...
However, Apple's board of directors, which includes Nobel Prize-winning climate change campaigner Al Gore, recommended shareholders vote against the resolution. "The board believes that the proposal has been substantially addressed and publication of an additional report would produce little added value while requiring unnecessary time and expense," Apple said in its proxy filing.

While HP and Dell seem to be in an arms race over which is the greenest PC company, Apple has been consistently attacked by environmental groups as a laggard. Greenpeace even launched a campaign directed solely at the company over its environmental practices.

Do you think Apple should be more transparent when it comes to disclosing its environmental impact?