Corporate Governance : News brief

"We need another engine for growth," Panasonic's president, Fumio Ohtsubo, said, acknowledging that plunging gadget prices were eating away at electronics profits.

The IT industry has been surprisingly slow to embrace the low carbon economy, despite the great opportunities it offers businesses.

Gartner and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) invited 24 global ICT providers to participate in a study of the environmental practices in their businesses. These included reducing energy use, improving recycling practices and educating employees.

You may not know their name, but there is a high chance that you have their products in your home if you've ever purchased a pillow from Bed, Bath and Beyond, Sears, Ikea, Bloomingdale's, Costco, Wal-mart, Target or Marshalls. Hollander Home Fashions makes one out of every three pillows on the market today and Sustainable Business reports this morning that they plan to become a zero waste company by 2010.

Nike has announced 11 new shoes, shirts and jackets developed with its Considered Design

The company has released Considered products over the last few years, but this is the largest roll out of Considered items that span Nike's main product categories of basketball, running, soccer, women's and men's training, and sportswear. principles of reducing waste, eliminating toxic substances and using environmentally preferred materials.

LEarn more about Nike's considered design here. 

Starbucks, which is facing slow sales and weak earnings growth as customers cut back on lattes and Frappuccinos, intends to shut down more than 600 U.S. locations by early next year as part of a broader plan to revive the company.

The report details responses to data requests from the CDP from UK firms in the FTSE 350, and found that 90 percent of FTSE 100 businesses provided information on climate change activities to the investor-backed lobby group -- the highest proportion of any CDP sample group around the globe.

The survey of top executives, conducted by consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, finds that organizational leaders below the CEO level perceive going green as more of a growth opportunity than CEOs do (34% to 23%).

The survey of top executives, conducted by consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, finds that organizational leaders below the CEO level perceive going green as more of a growth opportunity than CEOs do (34% to 23%).