POLITICO
Get the POLITICO Long Game newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by
Washington’s K Street corridor is lobbying central. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
TALKING GREEN, LOBBYING BROWN American companies like to parade their green bona fides, but behind the scenes their lobbying hasn’t always jibed with their public promises.
Harrington Investments
is locked in a battle with PepsiCo and Coca-Cola that would require the soda giants to be more transparent about the impact their sugary drinks have on public health. Now, it just needs to hope that enough of its fellow shareholders agree.
The small California investment firm is asking shareholders to vote on a measure requiring PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to provide the information through an independent report, with a focus on beverages marketed to children and young consumers. We have to put continued pressure and chip away at them and show that we re not going away. This issue isn t going away, said Brianna Harrington, a research analyst and shareholder advocacy coordinator at Harrington Investments. It s only going to become more and more relevant. It s only going to become more serious.
The suit accuses Spain-based Inditex (whose brands include Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Pull and Bear and Stradivarius), France-based SMCP (comprised of Parisian brands, Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac), U.S.-based footwear company Skechers, and the U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo, of being accomplices in serious crimes, including concealment of the crime of forced labor, the crime of organized human trafficking, the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The plaintiffs are asking the French judiciary to rule on the possible criminal liability of the companies. The stated aim is to end impunity for the brands, which are accused of offloading on their subcontractors their responsibility for human rights.
UK investors expand anti-slavery push to construction, materials sectors reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.