Month: August 2025

PRCA welcomes the introduction of the newly established Ethics Commission

Stuart Mitchell

The PRCA has welcomed the recent announcement by the Government to establish a new Ethics and Integrity Commission to oversee standards in public life. As part of the changes, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) will be abolished. ACOBA currently advises former ministers on post-government appointments but has long been criticised for lacking enforcement powers. The new Commission, set to take effect in October, will have the authority to impose sanctions for misconduct. In cases of serious breaches, ministers may be required to repay their severance pay. However, the…

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Richest 1% in the Middle East and North Africa emit more than twice as much carbon pollution as the poorest half of the population — Oxfam

Stuart Mitchell

The richest 1 percent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region were responsible for 26 percent of carbon emissions in 2022, while the poorest half of the population were responsible for only 10 percent of emissions, an Oxfam report released today has found. The report, Not Everyone is in the Same Boat; Climate and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa, draws on research by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Oxfam and shows how those who contribute the least to the climate crisis suffer the consequences…

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New research finds corporate charity support delivers 37x return

Stuart Mitchell

A new independent study by the Directory of Social Change (DSC) has found that for every £1 invested in wraparound support for charities by the Benefact Group, an estimated £37.50 in economic value is generated. The findings demonstrate that strategic, non-financial support significantly outperforms traditional donations and offer a clear call to action for UK businesses to transform how they give. The research focuses on support delivered by Benefact Group, an international family of financial services businesses that donates all available profits to good causes. Published in a new report,…

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UK’s largest grocery retailers set sights on prefill to take more single use packaging off shelf

Stuart Mitchell

Nine of the UK’s largest grocery retailers, with support from UK Governments and WRAP, have recently issued a joint Statement of Intent to explore how reusable packaging could be implemented across their stores and online.  The plan is to offer a system that makes it easy to shop for prefilled* items in stores and online and marks a bold commitment towards a standardised in-store and online system to reduce the amount of single use packaging put on the market, to give shoppers a better experience outside of single use packaging. …

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Charity Bank Launches 2023–2024 Social Impact Report

Stuart Mitchell

Charity Bank is proud to launch its 2023–2024 Social Impact Report. This interactive digital report showcases how their  lending and savings continue to drive meaningful change across the UK.  This is the news article below: Over the past two years, we’ve strengthened our focus on underserved communities, backed organisations responding to the cost-of-living crisis, and broadened our green finance efforts. This report charts our progress against the priorities set out in our 2023–2027 Strategy for Impact, namely, inclusive finance, environmental sustainability and community resilience, and celebrates the tangible outcomes made…

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