The Royal Bank of Canada and Swiss drugs giant Roche won the dubious honor on Wednesday of an award for the worst firms for the environment and social responsibility, announced in Davos.
The Canadian bank received the prize for being the “largest financier of environmentally as well as socially disastrous oil sands extraction in the Canadian province of Alberta,” said ecological group Greenpeace and Swiss non-governmental organization Berne Declaration.
Roche meanwhile won the “People’s Award,” having received the most votes from the public over its organ transplant studies in China, where more than 90 percent of all transplanted organs originated from prisoners, organizers said.
“Roche cannot and will not confirm the origins of some 300 organs used for its trials,” organizers said, during the awards at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.
Roche said it conducted drug trials of its Cellcept medication on patients in China, but that it did not have the right to know the origins of the organs, a spokeswoman said.
“The problem [of executions] has been known for several years and we are working to improve the situation” such that the Chinese authorities would conform to international norms in the issue of organ donations, she said.
The Canadian bank was not immediately available for comment on the award.
The two lobby groups also awarded the “Greenwash Award” to the UN’s CEO Water Mandate, which, according to its Web site, is “a unique public-private initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices.” It includes UN agencies, NGOs and companies that use water as a raw material in their products.
While these companies, such as Coca Cola, Dow Chemical or Nestle, are expected to help find solutions to a looming water shortage crisis, they are “not doing it in reality,” award organizers said.
Taiwan last night blanked world No. 1 Japan 4-0 to win the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time. Taiwanese ace Lin Yu-min (林昱珉) held defending champions Japan to just one hit and no runs in the first four innings, before catcher Lin Chia-cheng (林家正) opened the fifth inning with a solo home run. That was soon followed by a three-run homer from Taiwanese captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) to put Taiwan ahead in the prestigious tournament of the world’s top 12 baseball teams. In addition to a superb performance from 21-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Lin, three more Taiwanese pitchers
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Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
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