Month: March 2021

UNESCO calls for COVID-19 vaccines to be considered a global public good

Stuart Mitchell

UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) and the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) have called for a change of course in current COVID-19 vaccination strategies, urging that vaccines be treated as a global public good to ensure they are made equitably available in all countries, and not only to those who bid the highest for these vaccines. Both committees have a long track record in providing ethical guidance on sensitive issues*. The statement was presented during an online event on 24 February, which gathered UNESCO’s…

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PRCA publishes internal ethnicity pay gap and gender pay gap data

Stuart Mitchell

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has published details of its ethnicity and gender pay gaps. The data is based on a survey completed by its UK-based, full-time employees. The figures reveal that half (50%) of PRCA employees are from non-white backgrounds. – 33% White British– 22% Black African or Caribbean– 18% White Other– 17% Mixed or Multiple Ethnicities– 11% Indian   *Percentages add up to 101% due to decimal rounding  The PRCA’s median ethnicity pay gap is £8,000 or 21%. The salary quartile data reveals that ethnically diverse employees…

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UN Women data reveals women’s leadership is far from equal and under threat by the pandemic; sharpens imperative for the 2021 Generation Equality Forum

Stuart Mitchell

UN Women is intensifying its preparations for the 2021 Generation Equality Forum amidst a back-drop that shows women’s rights and leadership are under threat, and even more exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Current projections show that gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. This year’s International Women’s Day rings the alarm on rising threats to gender equality and highlights the need to build back better for a more gender-equal future. The official UN commemoration, under the theme of “Women in…

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Sainsbury’s introduces trial of new in-store recycling system for flexible plastics

Stuart Mitchell

Sainsbury’s is announcing the introduction of an innovative recycling system which allows customers to recycle Polypropylene (PP) film found in several household plastic products, in selected Sainsbury’s stores. The launch of this new recycling system comes as part of Sainsbury’s commitment to increase recycling in its own operations and to make recycling easier for its customers, by offering more facilities do so in its stores. Last year, the retailer also pledged to halve its use of plastic packaging by 2025 and become net zero in its operations by 2040. Some…

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John Lewis Partnership signs up to HRH the Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta

Stuart Mitchell

The John Lewis Partnership has become the first retailer to sign-up to HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta, which forms part of HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, and puts nature, people and planet at the heart of global business. Launched by HRH on 11 January 2021, the Terra Carta lists ten action articles for the decade and aims to provide an integrated roadmap towards an inspiring, inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for the sake of present and future generations. It will harness the power of nature, combined with the…

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