Whole Food Market and Bed Bath & Beyond, two large American companies, have decided to avoid purchasing from any suppliers who use fuel from Canada's tarsands. And though this seems like only a small move, other companies are sure to take notice of what they're doing.
The companies decisions were made in response to letters sent out by ForestEthics, an NGO that last year began campaigning the American corporate sector to steer away from using fuel from Canada's oilsands. In the summer of 2009 they sent over a hundred letters to Fortune 500 companies warning them that using Canada's oil was bad for their brand.
As Canada's tarsands have gained worldwide recognition for being among the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, the proposal of boycotting fuel made from tarsands mining is a welcomed prospect for companies trying to watch their carbon footprint.
The fuel they are boycotting is used in transporting their product, and though it only accounts for a very small amount of income for oil companies, revenue lost from Fortune 500 companies can start to add up.
Whole Food Markets replaced Marathon Oil with CountryMark, which uses oil from a conventional American oil mining company. And though Bed Bath and Beyond has not declared what change they have made yet, they have said they are not using Canada's oil any longer.
The move shows the initiative on both companies part to reduce their impact on the environment. And in a time when more people are starting to take notice of the environmental destruction happening around them, a move like this that would usually be considered bad for business could just show a positive return.
No comments:
Post a Comment