We all love Apple with its modern and innovative products – but some recent news about the lack of stakeholder feedback and irresponsible business practices are making me wonder whether Apple is not willing to listen and act anymore with regards to Sustainability and CSR?
These two recent articles raise big question marks about the way Apple is conducting its business and whether to buy Apple products in the future.
Article 1 – Apple Focuses on Green at Shareholder Meeting
This sounds like a good business practice but the important part of the article to consider here is this paragraph:
‘Voted down were two shareholder proposals, each of which the board recommended voting against. The first was a proposal for Apple to prepare a “sustainability” report on the company’s environmental policies and the effects that climate change may have on the company’s competitiveness; the board’s position was that Apple “is already substantially fulfilling–and in many respects exceeding–the request for information [in the proposal].” The second was a proposal to amend the company’s bylaws to establish a board-of-directors sustainability committee to “ensure [Apple's] sustained viability” in the face of “changing conditions and knowledge of the natural environment, including…natural resource limitations, energy use, waste disposal, and climate change.” The board’s position was, again, that management was performing “exceptionally well in this area” and thus such a committee was unnecessary. (You can read Apple’s 2010 proxy statement for all the details of these proposals.)’
Article 2 – Apple admits using child labor
The point here is that Apple still uses the factories that they know uses child labor. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion.
Is Apple is getting to big and confident as an organization to not be responsive to the stakeholder demands and not practice responsible business practice? Is their thinking that the Apple products are just so sustainable that they do not need to do the same actions, etc. as their industry competitors?
If this is really the case then I am hugely disappointed by Apple and will reconsider to actually use their products in the future. Do not get me wrong. I love my Apple products but this will make no difference to me if they are acting irresponsible in terms of business practice.
Picture Credit: arquera