Company Profiles
Portfolio 21 Holdings
- Abengoa
- Acciona
- Accor
- Adobe
- Agilent
- Air Liquide
- Air Products and Chemicals
- Applied Materials
- Atlas Copco
- Autodesk
- Aviva
- Baxter International
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- British Land Company
- British Sky Broadcasting
- BT Group
- Canadian Pacific Railway
- Canon
- Carrefour
- Dell
- Denso
- Deutsche Bank
- Deutsche Post
- Dexia
- East Japan Railway
- Eaton
- Echelon
- EDF Energies Nouvelles
- Electrolux
- Ericsson
- Friends Provident
- Fuel Tech
- Gushan Environmental
- H. Lundbeck
- Henkel
- Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)
- Herman Miller
- Hewlett-Packard
- HSBC
- Husqvarna
- Hyflux
- Iberdrola Renovables
- IBM
- Intel
- Interface
- JM
- Johnson Controls
- Kao
- Kingfisher
- Kurita
- Linde
- Marks & Spencer
- Matsushita
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
- MTR
- Munich Re
- Nine Dragons
- National Express
- National Grid
- Natura Cosmeticos
- Netapp
- Nike
- Nokia
- Novartis
- Novo Nordisk
- Novozymes
- Olympus
- Ormat
- Philips Electronics
- Potlatch
- Praxair
- Prologis
- Red Electrica
- Reed Elsevier
- Royal Bank of Canada
- Schneider Electric
- Schnitzer Steel
- Severn Trent
- Sharp
- Shimano
- Siemens
- Skanska
- SKF
- Sompo Japan Insurance
- Sonoco
- Sony
- Staples
- STMicroelectronics
- Stora Enso
- Storebrand
- SunPower
- Suntech Power
- Svenska Cellulosa (SCA)
- Swedbank
- Swiss Re
- Swisscom
- Tandberg
- Teijin
- Telstra
- Telefonica
- TNT
- Tomra Systems
- Trex Company
- Trustpower
- UBS
- Umicore
- Unicredito Italiano
- United Natural Foods
- Verbund
- Vestas Wind Systems
- VMware
- Volvo Group
- Westpac Banking Corporation
- Whole Foods Market
- Xerox
Marks & Spencer
United Kingdom
Selling mainly food and clothing goods, Marks & Spencer has been touted as "Britain's most ethical and environmentally conscious retailer" by both Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. This company's commitment to sourcing regional food, and the strategic placement of its stores near public transit centers demonstrates a business model that is positioned for ongoing success in the face of ecological limits. Consider the constraints of climate change for example—Marks & Spencer has solid relationships with local suppliers, and is conveniently located for customers, which represents a tremendous advantage over competitors by reducing the climate impact of Marks & Spencer's procurement activities, as well as potentially reducing the climate impact of its customers. Marks & Spencer only sells its own-brand food, which allows the company to ensure that all food products are made with non-genetically modified ingredients and use only free-range eggs, while also ensuring that the company's suppliers meet its stringent Corporate Social Responsibility standards. Marks & Spencer offers a limited number of fair trade and organic goods, including fair trade coffee, fruit, organic cotton baby clothes, and some organic foods, while also working with suppliers to restrict the use of certain pesticides. Overall, Marks & Spencer is addressing all the right issues; however, Portfolio 21 encourages continued efforts to reduce the use of pesticides, additional initiatives to reduce and improve packaging, and an increase in the use of organic cotton in its clothes.
Contract Manufacturers and Labor Concerns
There are many concerns regarding labor issues in overseas factories. While certain companies have been targeted by media attention, the issues are broader than one company or one industry. The global problems of working conditions and wage inequities are rooted in the economic system of globalization, and Portfolio 21 believes solutions to these issues will require significant action on the part of individuals (as consumers, citizens, and workers), as well as governments and business organizations. Marks & Spencer is engaging with organizations such as the Maquila Solidarity Network and Oxfam on labor issues, and has a number of internal programs to address code of conduct and auditing issues. Read Portfolio 21's Globalization, Human Rights and Social Justice Policy and our suggestions for action.
Biotechnology Involvement
Marks & Spencer recognizes the concerns with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In 1999, in response to customer unease regarding agricultural applications of biotechnology, Marks & Spencer decided not to sell foods made with GM ingredients or derivatives. Additionally, the company's non-GM ingredients policy applies to animal feed for its meat and dairy products. Read Portfolio 21's full Biotechnology Policy.
To the best of our knowledge the above information is accurate and was obtained from sources we believe to be reliable. Neither the information presented above nor any opinion expressed shall be construed as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy the security. The views expressed are those of portfolio management as of 8/31/07 and may not reflect current opinions or subsequent events.