Tools

Corporate Policies and Case Studies

Case Studies
University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business Administration faculty and students
April 2007
For six “mini-cases” of companies, click here

A Sampling of Corporate Safer Chemicals Policies
IEHN staff
November 2007
The main themes woven throughout these policies include precaution, innovation, going beyond compliance, and doing all these things while serving customer wants and needs. The policies excerpted below are from a mix of European and U.S. retailers and manufacturers, including Wal-Mart, Dell, Nike, SC Johnson, Body Shop, Boots, and H&M.
To view, click here

Wishing Won’t Make It So
Gil Friend et al
August 2005
In “Wishing Won’t Make It So,” Natural Logic’s Gil Friend and his coauthors raise questions about how well business leaders exercise their fiduciary duty if they do a poor job of anticipating regulatory changes that will affect their companies.
To view article, click here

Healthy Business Strategies for Transforming the Toxic Chemical Economy
Clean Production Action
July 2006
Case studies of six companies that are creating value through safer products, and recommendations based on these cases. Companies include Avalon, Dell, H&M, Herman Miller, Interface Fabric, and Kaiser Permanente.
To view report, click here

Chemical Companies Unprepared to Reduce Toxicity for European REACH Regulations
Socialfunds.com
May 2006
A study by Ethical Research Information Service (EIRIS), entitled Beyond REACH--Chemical Safety and Sustainability Concerns, assesses the preparedness of seven publicly-traded companies worldwide that produce specialty chemicals for sale in Europe and have “high exposure” to regulatory and market risks.
To view article, click here

Investment Manager Survey Ranks Chemicals of High Concern in Chemicals, Household goods, Leisure Goods Sectors
Socialfunds.com
January 2007
A late 2006 survey of investment managers found “...chemicals of concern was the top ranked issue for the chemical and household goods sectors. It ranked second for the leisure goods sector. Public health worries over chemicals…add pressure on companies to improve the safety of their products.”
To view article, click here

European Social Investment Forum (Eurosif) Chemical Sector Brief Cites Chemicals of Concern as One of Five Key Long Term Challenges Facing Chemical Industry
Eurosif
December 2006
The report cites a growing tend among retailers of adopting ‘green’ chemical sourcing policies for their supply chains and new European legislation “expected to drive product-detoxification trends within the consumer product industry for the foreseeable future.”
To view brief, click here

Innovest Study Benchmarks Chemical Companies’ Relative Exposure to REACH
Greenbiz.com
May 2006
Innovest’s chemical sector evaluation of seventy companies reports that the effects of Europe’s new REACH chemical management structure will be felt most intensely by mid-cap and small cap companies. Some smaller specialty firms indicated that approximately 30% to 40% of intermediates used in production could be affected.
To view article, click here