Climate Criminals campaign

Consumers urged to boycott three major climate change criminals

Welcome to Ethiscore's new campaign for 2007. As Live Earth calls on individuals, companies and government to take urgent action on climate change, Ethical Consumer calls consumers to boycott three climate criminals lobbying against a greener future.

Number 1 consumer boycott – Esso petrol

Exxon – the company behind Esso petrol – is the only major oil company to fund front groups that confuse science on global warming. Long the target of climate campaigners, the company also refuses to invest in clean, renewable energy. Exxon has donated millions of pounds to the climate change denying EU think tank International Policy Network and Centre for the New Europe since 1998.[1]
Alternatives
The best alternative is to leave the car at home, but failing that, of the major oil companies BP (3.5) invests the most in renewable energy, and Murco (9.5) comes out best in our Ethiscore ethical ratings – so refuel there instead.
Why are we recommending BP?

Number 2 consumer boycott – Miller lager

Another company delaying attempts to tackle climate change by funding groups which claim that global warming is either a "myth" or not worth tackling, is Altria (previously knows as Philip Morris).[2] Altria has a substantial shareholding in international brewing company SABMiller, owner of the Miller brand of lager.[3]
Other brands owned by Miller: Appletiser, Peroni Nastro Azzuro and Pilsner Urquell.
Alternatives
There are so many alternative brands of beer and lager - best of all if they're brewed locally by an independent company. Black Isle (15.5) and Samuel Smith (15) are the most widely available of the smaller, independent brands. Budvar (13.5) and Grolsch (12.5) are the highest scoring of the mainstream brands. There are over 80 products covered in the Ethiscore report on beer and lager - many of them from independent breweries.

Number 3 consumer boycott – Nouvelle recycled toilet tissue

It might be surprising to see a recycled toilet tissue brand in the top three, but its parent, Georgia-Pacific, came out worst in a WWF report on sustainability in the tissue sector.[4] Its parent company, Koch Industries has been part of a team advising Bush on developing a conservative “environmentalism for the 21st century”. This favoured deregulation and included Bush statements that logging was good for forests and that dams were good for salmon.[5]
Other brands owned by the Koch Industries group: Lotus Professional and JustOne (napkins).
Alternatives
There are loads of alternatives to buying Nouvelle. The most ethical of the widely available brands are Naturelle (9) or the Co-op supermarket’s (5.5) recycled ranges. Ethical Consumer’s other Best Buys, available at health food stores and online, are the Natural Collection (14.5), Traidcraft (14.5), Ecotopia (14), Essential (14) and Suma (14) recycled brands.
Where can I buy Ethiscore's highest scoring recycled toilet tissue?

TAKE ACTION!

There’s more to responsible consumption than just watching your own impact. It’s also worth telling climate change deniers that you won’t give them your money.

Send an email to these companies letting them know that you'll be boycotting their products. Just cut and paste the text below (adding in your name at the end) and send to the email provided.

Esso (ExxonMobil): citizenship@exxonmobil.com
Miller(Altria): PMI.pressoffice@pmintl.com
Nouvelle (Koch Industries): comments@kochind.com

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my concern that your company is involved in lobbying against measures to protect the world against the devastating effects of climate change. For more information on why I am concerned, please see http://www.ethiscore.org/info.aspx?info=campaign_climate

As I am trying to take ethical issues into account when choosing what to buy, I will be seeking to avoid your company's products until you make a public commitment to address these issues. I will be much more likely to buy your company's products if you do so. I will tell my friends about my decision to avoid your products and will encourage them to do the same.

Best wishes,

<Your name>

This email was generated in conjunction with www.ethiscore.org, the ethical shopping website from Ethical Consumer magazine which promotes the use of consumer power as a peaceful force for social change.

Why are we recommending BP?
According to Ethical Consumer’s last report on petrol and diesel: “If investment in renewables is the most important current comparative issue on which to rate oil companies, then BP should be the Best Buy. Though it should be made clear that BP only receives this accolade because its poor rating on this measure beats a very poor rating for all the other players. Sainsbury’s is the only supermarket believed to currently supply only BP petrol. Murco petrol stations, though few and far between, come out best in our ratings.”

Where can I buy Ethiscore's highest scoring recycled toilet tissue?
Natural Collection toilet paper is only available in bulk (40 rolls). You can order it online or through its catalogue. Tel 0845 3677 003, www.naturalcollection.com
Ecotopia toilet paper is only available online. Tel 0845 094 2181, www.ecotopia.co.uk
Essential toilet paper is mainly available in health food shops. Tel 0117 958 3550, www.essential-trading.co.uk
Suma toilet paper is mainly available in health food shops. Tel 01422 313 845, www.suma.co.uk
Traidcraft is only available in bulk (40 rolls). Tel 0870 443 1018 , www.traidcraftshop.co.uk

References
[1] Multinational Monitor, Vol 26, no11&12, November 2005
[2] http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1881023,00.html
[3] http://www.altria.com/about_altria/01_00_05_othercobrands.asp, Altria has a 28.6% "economic and voting interest in SABMiller."
[4] WWF 'Scoring the Tissue Giants'
[5] Earth Island Journal, Vol 19, No4 Winter 04/05, December 2005, p28

Links

WWF 'Scoring the Tissue Giants'
Greenpeace's Esso campaign