UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy: Renewables Greenwash - Revision history

Miriam Rose: /* Notes */

2010-07-06T15:13:57Z

Notes

Miriam Rose: /* Background to formation */

2009-11-28T09:58:20Z

Background to formation

Miriam Rose: /* Key Figures */

2009-11-28T09:57:52Z

Key Figures

Miriam Rose: /* Greenwash and Corporate Sustainability */

2009-11-28T09:36:17Z

Greenwash and Corporate Sustainability

Miriam Rose: /* Member Companies */

2009-11-09T16:11:27Z

Member Companies

Claire Robinson: UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy: Renewables greenwash moved to UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy: Renewables Greenwash: consistency of capitalisation in titles

2009-11-09T12:00:28Z

UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy: Renewables greenwash moved to UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy: Renewables Greenwash: consistency of capitalisation in titles

David: /* Notes */

2009-11-08T20:35:24Z

Notes

David: /* == */

2009-11-08T20:34:35Z

David at 17:57, 8 November 2009

2009-11-08T17:57:24Z

David at 17:54, 8 November 2009

2009-11-08T17:54:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:13, 6 July 2010
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	[[Category:Climate: Industry Lobby Groups]]		[[Category:Climate: Industry Lobby Groups]]
	[[Category:Climate]]		[[Category:Climate]]
		+	[[Category:Climate Policy Groups]]
		+	[[Category:Climate: Energy Industry]]
		+	[[Category:Climate: Lobbyists and PR Consultants]]

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 'the UKBCSE took the lead role for the UK Government in bringing together the UK Energy Sector input to the [[World Summit on Sustainable Development]]. At the World Summit, the UKBCSE worked with the UK Government to launch the [[Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership]] (REEEP)<ref>UKBCSE, "[http://www.bcse.org.uk/ UK BSCE Introduction]", UKBCSE Introduction page. Accessed 12/02/09</ref>.'
-[[Image:Uk office.jpg|thumb|right|Grosvenor Gardens House. Home to the UKBCSE, [[London Climate Change Services]], [[Carbon Aided]], [[Carbon Capture and Storage Association]], [[Combined Heat and Power Association]] and a number of other carbon trading and offsetting organisations.]]
+[[Image:Uk office.jpg|thumb|right|[[Grosvenor Gardens House]]. Home to the UKBCSE, [[London Climate Change Services]], [[Carbon Aided]], [[Carbon Capture and Storage Association]], [[Combined Heat and Power Association]] and a number of other carbon trading and offsetting organisations.]]
 The organisation went on to have 'a key role in the development and delivery of the UK Prime Ministers agenda for his G8 and EU Presidencies'<ref>UKBCSE, "[http://www.bcse.org.uk/ UK BSCE Introduction]", UKBCSE Introduction page. Accessed 12/02/09</ref>.. In line with Blair's assertion that 'we have led the way in integrating environmental and economic goals within a liberalised electricity market',<ref> Tony Blair, Speech by the British Prime Minister, 06 March 2001 "[http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/voddocs/112/213/nextstep.htm Environment: the next steps]", World Bank Documents page. Accessed 08/11/09</ref> the UKBCSE joined with sister organisations in Washington ([[USBCSE]]), Frankfurt (European BCSE or [[e5]]) and Melbourne ([[AUBCSE]]) in using strong sustainability rhetoric to push for emissions trading and other liberal market based solutions to climate change historically favoured by the UK government, and which tend to favour large scale existing technologies such as wind and nuclear, which their members predominantly supply.

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−	*[[David Green]] has been CEO of the UKBCSE since its launch in 2002, before which he was Director of the [[Combined Heat and Power Association]] (which shares offices with the UKBCSE). He was awarded an MBE in 1986 and OBE in 2003. He has considerable board room and government connections and according to [[World Energy]] is,	+	*[[David Green]] has been CEO of the UKBCSE since its launch in 2002, before which he was Director of the [[Combined Heat and Power Association]] (which shares offices in [[Grosvenor Gardens]] with the UKBCSE and a number of other carbon solutions comoanies). He was awarded an MBE in 1986 and OBE in 2003. He has considerable board room and government connections and according to [[World Energy]] is,

	“a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, fellow of the Energy Institute, member of the Council of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies, member of the high level Ministerial Advisory Group on Zero Carbon Homes, member of the UK Governments Delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the follow up International Renewable Energy Conference and Executive Officer of the British Energy Association.”<ref>World Energy"[www.worldenergy.org/documents/green_david_shortbio.doc David Green Bio,]" accessed 11/04/09 </ref>		“a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, fellow of the Energy Institute, member of the Council of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies, member of the high level Ministerial Advisory Group on Zero Carbon Homes, member of the UK Governments Delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the follow up International Renewable Energy Conference and Executive Officer of the British Energy Association.”<ref>World Energy"[www.worldenergy.org/documents/green_david_shortbio.doc David Green Bio,]" accessed 11/04/09 </ref>

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 The origins of the 'corporate capture of sustainable development' <ref>Sklair, Leslie (2000) 'The transnational capitalist class and the discourse of globalisation' Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Volume 14, Issue 1 Autumn 2000 , pages 67 – 85.</ref> can be traced to the late 1980's, when corporations reacted to their portrayal as a-moral and uncaring by environmentalists and saw the opportunity to promote a green image through the notion of 'sustainable economic growth' and corporate social responsibility, usually involving self regulation and domination of the sustainability agenda.<ref>Sklair, Leslie (2000) 'The transnational capitalist class and the discourse of globalisation' Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Volume 14, Issue 1 Autumn 2000 , pages 67 – 85.</ref> <ref>Najam, Adil. 1999. 'World Business Council for Sustainable Development: The Greening of Business or a Greenwash?' pp. 65-77 in Helge Ole Bergesen, et al., eds. Yearbook of International Co-operation on Environment and Development, 1999/2000.</ref>. Gramsci describes how corporations absorb their enemies into coalitions he calls 'new historical blocs', formed to deal with a specific issue or public affairs campaign <ref>Germain. R and Kenny, M (1998). 'Engaging Gramsci: international relations theory and the new Gramscians', Review of International Studies  (1998), 24 : 3-21. Cambridge University Press.</ref>. Similarly Najam notes how the use of sustainability rhetoric has wooed universities, NGO's and governments into various corporate partnerships which helped to promote business as part of the solution, as opposed to the problem <ref> Najam, Adil. 1999. 'World Business Council for Sustainable Development: The Greening of Business or a Greenwash?' pp. 65-77 in Helge Ole Bergesen, et al., eds. Yearbook of International Co-operation on Environment and Development, 1999/2000.</ref>. Sklair also describes how corporate input to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development resulted in the definition of 'sustainable consumption' as addressing 'how the goods and services (including energy) required to meet people's needs can be delivered in a way that reduces the burden on the earth's carrying capacity'<ref>Sklair, Leslie (2000) 'The transnational capitalist class and the discourse of globalisation' Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Volume 14, Issue 1 Autumn 2000 , pages 67 – 85.</ref>. The wording leaves 'needs' open to interpretation by commercial interests and advocates sustaining production and consumption levels, while reducing only waste. Others have argued that growth capitalism necessarily involves exploitation of resources, and a sustainable society must therefore minimise economic growth.<ref>Daly, Herman E. and Cobb,  John B. (1994) For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community,the Environment, and a Sustainable Future. Beacon Press.</ref>
-Oil and gas companies joined the sustainability bandwagon en masse in the late 1990's after the [[Exxon Valdez]] spill and the [[Brent Spa]] fiasco created a wave of bad press, and a renewables based image was deemed commercially prudent ([[BP]]'s Beyond Petroleum campaign was one of the first and most notable of the reformed oil company images) <ref>Kolk, A and Levy, D (2001), ‘Winds of change: corporate strategy, climate change and oil multinationals’, European Management Journal, 19(5), 501-509.</ref>. Business/government partnerships on environmental issues were also promoted by Kofi Annan at the 1999 World Economic Forum.
+Oil and gas companies joined the sustainability bandwagon en masse in the late 1990's after the [[Exxon Valdez]] spill and the [[Brent Spar]] fiasco created a wave of bad press, and a renewables based image was deemed commercially prudent ([[BP]]'s Beyond Petroleum campaign was one of the first and most notable of the reformed oil company images) <ref>Kolk, A and Levy, D (2001), ‘Winds of change: corporate strategy, climate change and oil multinationals’, European Management Journal, 19(5), 501-509.</ref>. Business/government partnerships on environmental issues were also promoted by Kofi Annan at the 1999 World Economic Forum.
 The term 'greenwash' has evolved in recent years to describe false or misleading claims to environmentally beneficial behaviours by businesses or governments such as those explored in this study. <ref>See "[http://www.stopgreenwash.org Greenpeace's greenwash campaign]" Accessed 12/04/09</ref>

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 *[[Scottish and Southern Energy]] (SSE) is the second largest energy supplier in the UK with revenues of £15.3 billion in 2008. It was formed in 1998 following the merger of [[Scottish Hydro-Electric]] and [[Southern Electric]] and operates coal fired and gas power stations.<ref>Scottish and Southern Energy website. "[http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk/SSEInternet/index.aspx?id=568&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetID=568&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetType=1&TierSlicer1_TSMenuID=6 Group history]". Accessed Nov 2008.</ref> SSE is the second largest renewables operator in the UK, mainly dealing in wind. Powerful CEO with Scottish Executive connections [[Ian Marchant]] was another UKBCSE Chair and used his position to push for the controversial Beauly-Denny powerline which it is claimed will damage valuable biodiversity.<ref>UKBCSE 'Implementing the EU Renewable Energy Target in the UK Emerging Issues for Consideration' May 2008,"[http://www.bcse.org.uk/ UKBSCE News and Media]". Accessed 05/03/09.</ref> <ref>See "[http://www.pylonpressure.com/more-powerlines-g.asp the Pylon Pressure campaign]". Accessed 08/11/09.</ref>
-Oil and gas giants Shell and BP are also supporters of the UKBCSE, and Shell in particular has worked closely with the UKBCSE on various initiatives, most recently the high profile 'Sustainable Cities Tour' on low carbon cities.<ref>UKBCSE "[www.ukbcse.org.uk News]". Accessed 08/11/09.</ref>.
+Oil and gas giants [[Shell]] and [[BP]] are also supporters of the UKBCSE, and Shell in particular has worked closely with the UKBCSE on various initiatives, most recently the high profile 'Sustainable Cities Tour' on low carbon cities.<ref>UKBCSE "[www.ukbcse.org.uk News]". Accessed 08/11/09.</ref>.
 ===Key Figures===

← Older revision	Revision as of 12:00, 9 November 2009
(No difference)

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 ==Notes==
 <references/>
-[[Category:Climate Lobby Groups]]
+[[Category:Climate: Industry Lobby Groups]]
 [[Category:Climate]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:34, 8 November 2009
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	Despite their high media and public presence, the researcher can find no existing critiques of this organisation, suggesting that their public affairs strategy has been most effective. These strategies can be seen as greenwash, as the rhetoric and image the UKBCSE creates do not match the lobbying actions of the organisation, or the activities of their members companies.		Despite their high media and public presence, the researcher can find no existing critiques of this organisation, suggesting that their public affairs strategy has been most effective. These strategies can be seen as greenwash, as the rhetoric and image the UKBCSE creates do not match the lobbying actions of the organisation, or the activities of their members companies.
−	======	+	==Notes==
		+	<references/>
		+	[[Category:Climate Lobby Groups]]
		+	[[Category:Climate]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:57, 8 November 2009
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	Despite their high media and public presence, the researcher can find no existing critiques of this organisation, suggesting that their public affairs strategy has been most effective. These strategies can be seen as greenwash, as the rhetoric and image the UKBCSE creates do not match the lobbying actions of the organisation, or the activities of their members companies.		Despite their high media and public presence, the researcher can find no existing critiques of this organisation, suggesting that their public affairs strategy has been most effective. These strategies can be seen as greenwash, as the rhetoric and image the UKBCSE creates do not match the lobbying actions of the organisation, or the activities of their members companies.
		+	======

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:54, 8 November 2009
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	“Business used to be depicted as a primary source of the world's environmental problems. Today it is increasingly viewed as a vital contributor to solving those problems” [[Livio de Simone]]. Chairman of the [[World Business Council for Sustainable Development]].<ref>Livio DeSimone (1996), ‘Letter from the Chairman’, Annual Review 1996 (Geneva: WBCSD).</ref>		“Business used to be depicted as a primary source of the world's environmental problems. Today it is increasingly viewed as a vital contributor to solving those problems” [[Livio de Simone]]. Chairman of the [[World Business Council for Sustainable Development]].<ref>Livio DeSimone (1996), ‘Letter from the Chairman’, Annual Review 1996 (Geneva: WBCSD).</ref>
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	===Introduction===		===Introduction===