The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change

This communiqué is being issued by the business leaders of over 500 global companies. (Including The Body Shop)

It calls for an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change that responds credibly to the scale and urgency of the crises facing the world today.

Earlier this year, the world’s twenty largest economies (G20) came together and agreed an unprecedented, coordinated response to the global economic downturn.

At the London Summit, the leaders of the G20 pledged to do “whatever is necessary” to restore confidence and growth to the economic system.

World leaders now need to demonstrate the same level of coordination and resolve to address climate change. Economic development will not be sustained in the longer term unless the climate is stabilised. It is critical that we exit this recession in a way that lays the foundation for low-carbon growth and avoids locking us into a high-carbon future.

These are difficult and challenging times for the international business community and a poor outcome from the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen will only make them more so, by creating uncertainty and undermining confidence.

In contrast, if a sufficiently ambitious, effective and globally equitable deal can be agreed, it will create the conditions for transformational change in our global economy and deliver the economic signals that companies need if they are to invest billions of dollars in low carbon products, services, technologies and infrastructure.

• Read more by downloading the Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change (PDF 155KB)
• Learn more about The Body Shop's commitment to reducing it's environmental impact

Will I still call Australia home?

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager

Above: Our summer 09/10 TBS staff t-shirt unveiled at National Conference yesterday has a crucial message we all need to send to our MPs.

We just had another really successful National Manager's Conference where each of our Values Partners (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, Amnesty International and World Society for the Protection of Animals) had half an hour each to update and educate us on the progress of different justice issues we are partnering with them to address. They also briefed us on upcoming campaigns.

In July this year I had the privilege of being one of a handful of passionate activists to be trained by Al Gore as part of his Climate Project leadership program. Our other Values Partner Australian Conservation Foundation and I, decided the time was right to give my version of the presentation to our assembled store managers.

Phew. It went well, although fitting 180 slides in 45 minutes was a challenge. Amnesty and WSPA expressed interested in getting me to give the presentation to their staff. I'm also planning to give the presentation at the Mulgrave Farmer's Market (located at our TBS HQ).

If anyone out there is interested in organising an audience and a data projector, I'm more than happy to come and show your group / org the presentation too. You can host a presentation / request me through The Climate Project website.

According to ACF, Australia has been put on the map for all the wrong reasons. It's the one world first that Australia did not want to win - the title of world's biggest polluter.

A report by British risk analysis company Maplecroft has found that Australia has overtaken the United States as the world's largest polluter and is now leading the world in per capita emissions of CO2, topping a list of 185 countries. read more...

Below is a great satirical video by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) which underlines the importance of acting on taking leadership on Climate Change now! AYCC recently teamed up with World Vision for YouthDecide '09 - Australia's first national youth climate vote.

Here are the results:

• 330 local voting events
• 37,432 votes by young Australians aged 12 - 29
• 91.5% voted for world three - 40+ emissions reduction targets
• 5.9% voted for world two - 25 - 40% emissions reduction targets
• 2.5% voted for world one - Government’s current emissions reduction target of 4-24%

Hello Mr Rudd? Mr Turnbull? Are you listening?

Go Bananas for Orangutans

By Rachel Muraca - Customer Service

The below text and pictures are sourced from the WSPA ‘Go Bananas’ website. Check it out!!







With 90% of their natural habitat gone, orangutans now face a terrifying future. Starving and forced into daily contact with humans, they are often subject to machete attacks which leave the adult apes dead and their orphaned babies traumatised and injured. Sadder still, these orphans are then subjected to the cruelty of being sold into the illegal pet trade.

That's why this year for WSPA World Animal Week (4-10 October) we'd like everyone to join us and GO BANANAS for ORANGUTANS: an event to raise money for the Nyaru Menteng Sanctuary in Indonesia, home to over 650 of these injured and orphaned orangutans.
GO BANANAS for ORANGUTANS gives you the chance to show your support for these beautiful creatures - and help keep them safe - by going a little bananas yourself.

Here are just some of the ways you can take part:

GO BANANAS - Get sponsored to do something crazy, take part in an event or make something to sell.

BUY A WILD GIFT - Give something truly special, like anti-malarial medication for an orphaned orangutan.

WEAR WSPA MERCHANDISE - Buy a specially designed WSPA GO BANANAS T-shirt.

DROP A BANANA SKIN - Dare someone you know to do something crazy.

Whichever way you decide to get involved, your efforts will help create a safer and better world for animals.

All donations will help to care for the welfare of animals around the world, including the rescue, care, rehabilitation and eventual release of orphaned orangutans at the Sanctuary.

Visit www.gobananas.org.au if you are in Australia or www.gobananas.org.nz if you are in New Zealand today and decide how you will Go Bananas for World Animal Week.

On behalf of the orangutans, thank you.

Orangutan Adventure Trek

By Rachel Muraca - Customer Service

The below text and pictures are sourced from the Inspired Adventures website. Check it out!!

"Imagine going on an adventure to protect the forests, save the orangutan and change the world…

To mark the launch of The Burning Season film, you are invited to join us on an amazing fundraising trek through the jungles of Sumatra. Visit the Bukit Lawang viewing centre, trek through the stunning rainforests of Indonesia and contribute toward the protection of this vital ecosystem.

You can take part in this Inspired Adventure by fundraising $6,000. The money raised covers the trip costs and the remainder goes directly to Rainforest Rescue to fund its reforestation and protection work.

Everyone who goes on a tour or an Orangutan Adventure Trek will save and/or rehabilitate a hectare of rainforest and protect many hundreds more (as well as planting 10 trees yourself)."

Fast Facts:
When: 5th - 15th March 2010
Duration: 11 days
Duration of Trek: 4 days
Difficulty: Introductory
Fundraising Target: $6,000
Registration Fee: $700 (this is NOT part of the fundraising target and is non-refundable)

For more information on the Orangutan Adventure Trek, click HERE!!



Find out more about The Burning Season at http://www.theburningseasonmovie.com/

The Orangutan Adventure Trek is just one of ten important things you can do to change the world. Find out more at http://www.tenthingsyoucando.com/

2009 The Body Shop International Values Report Released

All images via The Body Shop International.

WE BELIEVE THAT BUSINESS SHOULD BE ABOUT MORE THAN JUST MAKING MONEY, IT SHOULD BE ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY AND PUBLIC GOOD.

Since 1995, we have commissioned an independent ‘Values Report’ that is a frank, transparent and open commentary of our achievements and challenges.

The 2009 Values Report (PDF 1.9MB) has been published.

Sophie Gasperment (The Body Shop International CEO) said, “In addition to feeling great pride in leading the way in a truly Values orientated business, we must continue to learn and strive to do even more. That’s why we invite leading experts to challenge and provoke us through our Values Report. I urge you to read the Report and find out more.”

The Report responds to the areas that our customers have told us are important to them.

Watch the animated summaries from the report below. Just select the core value you're interested in learning more about.

AGAINST ANIMAL TESTING








PROTECT OUR PLANET








ACTIVATE SELF ESTEEM








DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS








SUPPORT COMMUNITY TRADE









The report details what we have achieved between January 2007 and December 2008 as well as some of the challenges we have faced and includes comments from Gordon Roddick.

Read the full report

Happy viewing.

Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign Media Report

The Body Shop PR Team showing their support at the Melbourne Launch (left to right: Steph and Kylie)

Just an update on the successful media launch of our Stop Child Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People campaign this week. Thanks to our PR team and Child Wise's PR agent Sharon, who joined forces to make Bernadette at Child Wise a very busy CEO on Monday!

RADIO
2GB (Sydney): Radio interview with Bernadette Triple M (Melbourne): mentioned in news grabs
SBS Ethnic Radio: interview conducted with Bernadette
ABC 612 (Brisbane): Radio news grab mentions campaign and Bernadette
ABC (Newcastle): Radio interview with Bernadette
Vega Sydney: mentioned in news grab
2SM Breakfast: mentioned on breakfast program
4EB Brisbane: news grabs
2SER National Radio: interview with Bernadette
2CC Drive program: interview with Bernadette during drive program
104.1 Territory FM Territory Talks: interview with Bernadette
Triple M (Adelaide): interview with Bernadette during news
2DAY FM (Sydney): interview with Bernadette during news program
SA FM (Adelaide): interview with Bernadette mentions campaign
B105 (Brisbane): interview with Bernadette during news program
Radio Adelaide (National Australia): interview with Bernadette during drive program

ONLINE
Yahoo News Australia: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
West Australian: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Herald Sun online: Aussies big on sex slave trade
Townsville Bulletin online: Aussies the worst sex predators
Perth Now online: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
Sky News Australia: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
WA today.com.au: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Adelaide now online: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
Daily Telegraph online: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
Herald Sun online: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
News.com.au: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
Brisbane Courier Mail: Aussies the worst sex predators
The Age online: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
NineMSN: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Sydney Morning Herald: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
SBS News, World News Australia: Aussie tourists worst child sex offenders
Ninemsn: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Brisbane Times: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Sunrise online: mentioned in news bulletin section
Bigpond news: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Courier Mail: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand
iinet online: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
mywest online: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
Geelong Advertiser: Aussies the worst sex predators
Channel 9 news online: Child sex tourism study 'blames Aussies'
The Australian online: Australians the worst child sex offenders in Thailand

TELEVISION
ABC News Breakfast: filmed interview with Bernadette
Today Show: campaign mentioned during news bulletin
Sky TV news: filmed interview with Bernadette featured on news today
SBS television news: filmed interview with Bernadette to feature on news today

PRINT
AAP Newswire: news article: "Australians key offenders in child sex tourism: report"
Canberra Times: news article: "Australian’s ‘among worst offenders’ in sex tourism"
Courier Mail: beauty news mentions campaign and Hand Cream Fab find.
Launceston Examiner: news article Australians worst in child sex
mX (Melbourne): news article Aussies bad sex tourists

More Photos from our Campaign Launches

Congratz once again to the Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane teams at the Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People launches last Saturday. We are shedding light on the 2nd most profitable organised crime in the world (weird how very few people know about it). We have already informed thousands of Australians and are on track to sell out of the hand creams in record time to raise much needed funds for Child Wise... powerful activists huh?!

Adelaide


Perth


Brisbane

Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop

Adelaide Central Plaza SA

Murray St WA

QSM-L-R are:Riley, Tamara, Angel & Hayley
Saturday September 12 saw the early launch of The Body Shop Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People campaign in four capital cities. Bourke St, Adelaide Central Plaza, Murray St and Queen St Mall all launched the campaign in their respective malls, drawing much attention and raising great awareness of the sex trafficking issue. A huge thanks to all involved for their hard work and enthusiasm. All remaining stores launched yesterday, Monday September 14 with our campaign partners Child Wise happily run off their feet with over 60 media interviews.

FACTS TO STOP TRAFFIC

• After the drug trade, human trafficking is the second largest but the, fastest growing criminal industry in the world.
• There are more slaves today than ever before in human history.
• The majority of trafficking is for sexual purposes.
• 1.8 million children are currently enslaved in the global sex trade.
  

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Learn more about the issue and how to help stop trafficking of children. Download our free campaign booket.
• Get involved, tell your friends and make a noise in the social media space! Subscribe to this Activist Blog, follow us on Twitter or join our global Facebook group to find out what you can do.
• This year $10.79 from the sale of our Limited Edition Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream will go to supporting Child Wise. Your purchase will help their mission to raise awareness, fund prevention programs and bring immediate relief to the children and young people affected by sex trafficking in Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

Campaign to Stop Child Sex Trafficking Launch

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager



Photos from the campaign launch at Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne, on Saturday

I write this as Child Wise's CEO Bernadette McMenamin AO has a full day of media interviews.

We're so glad the media is picking up on this issue as it's all too often 'swept under the carpet'. The focus today is on the fact that Australians make up the largest portion of foreign sex offenders against children in Thailand according to researchers at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, who studied patterns of arrests and prosecutions between 1995 and 2006.

All of the staff at Child Wise have put so much work into making this campaign a success. A special shout out to Karen who taught so many of our store staff and At Home consultants about the realities of child trafficking.

Of course we would have been in a huge mess without Pascale - who has worked tirelessly and kept it all together! They might only be a handful of courageous campaigners, in a small Melbourne office but they do an amazing job! Now they have the full weight of this retail activist behind them.

Together we hope we can have an even bigger impact helping children recover from the trauma of child sex trafficking but also help prevent it from happening in the first place!


Good luck to Bern and everyone at Child Wise today! I hope we've made you really busy! Special thanks Bern who was also a hero at our Melbourne launch on Saturday. Click here to check out the photos and watch the video. Photos coming soon from the Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane launches.

ANTaR welcomes the UN Special Rapporteur's report

Image Via: ABC TV

The United Nations' Special Rapporteur -- Professor James Anaya -- spent 12 days in the Northern Territory during August, visiting Aboriginal communities. Included in his brief was to report back to the UN on the effects of the Northern Territory Intervention on Aboriginal people and communities.

Speaking generally, Professor Anaya reported there is a need "to develop new initiatives and reform existing ones -- in consultation and in real partnership with indigenous (sic) people -- to conform with international standards requiring genuine respect for cultural identity and self-determination".

"(Do) not diminish the spirit of the apology by subverting universal human rights of first Australians in the Northern Territory." - Professor Anaya.

He also stated that the NT Intervention is incompatible with Australia's obligations under two treaties that Australia is a signatory to (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) in addition to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which Australia endorsed earlier this year.

ANTaR supports Professor Anaya's moderate and measured approach and agrees with Anaya's criticism of the Australian Government's Northern Territory Emergency Response.

For more information, please refer to ANTaR's media release.

The Burning Season

By Rachel Muraca - Customer Service



“THE BURNING SEASON is the story of a remarkable achievement by one young man not afraid to single-handedly confront the biggest challenge of our time. Dorjee Sun, a young entrepreneur, believes there's money to be made from protecting rainforests in Indonesia, saving the orangutan from extinction and making a real impact on climate change. Armed with a laptop and a backpack, he sets out across the globe to find investors in his carbon trading scheme. It is a battle against time, but Dorjee's determination to succeed and his award-winning achievement will uplift and entertain audiences and inspire hope in our future.”(1)

“The Burning Season” is a must see documentary for anyone who cares about our future on earth. Deforestation in Indonesia has seen more than half of the countries forests destroyed, causing not only death and displacement to the local wildlife, but major pollution, and this pollution is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.













To simply banish deforestation in these countries without an alternative for the local people is simply not an option, as so many thousands rely on this industry for their livelihood. We see in the documentary a local farmer brought to tears when burning the forests is banned in his region, as he now does not know how he will support his family.

The good news is is that there is hope; environmental awareness is becoming more and more mainstream and there are so many ways that we, the individual, can help. Ten things you can do is a fantastic website showing the everyday person how they can reduce their carbon footprint and help save the environment.

The below is an excerpt from the Ten things you can do website:

“Click the links. Spread the word. Start a wave.
Every day we hear of yet another attack from Mother Nature;
A violent storm or a devastating drought.
And every day we feel more and more powerless.
What we need is some hope...
The future does not have to be scary.
Sustainability and abundance can co-exist.
The businessman and the environmentalist can join forces.
If you are reading this, you can do something to help.
Let us start a wave of action.
A wave of courage. A wave of motivation, inspiration and determination.
You are never too busy to save the world. Start a wave today.” (2)

1 – http://www.theburningseasonmovie.com/
2 - http://www.tenthingsyoucando.com/

Tck Tck Tck It's Time to Act on Climate Change

Please watch this powerful video from the Tck Tck Tck campaign. Less than 100 Days until Copenhagen. There are heaps of easy things you can do to add your voice and show you are ready.

Who will be 'RAK'd' by you this Friday??

By Rachel Muraca - Customer Service







Wherever you are, and for whomever you think needs a little kindness in their world, this is a day YOU can make a difference!

Pay for someone's petrol
Help someone accross the road
Buy someones groceries
Give flowers
Pay for the person behind you at the drive thru
Send a pizza to a company for lunch
Mow a lawn
Wash windows
Weed a garden
Cook a meal

RAK’d is an awareness campaign that encourages individuals to reach out and do something kind for someone else, no strings attached. Church180 sponsors the day and hopes to get as many people involved in the community as possible, thus making it a better place.

The concept for RAK’d came out of an experience had by Church180 Pastor, Phil Camden, formally a pastor in New Zealand, when he ordered a couple of pizza’s before a church service and thought to himself that it would be great if the congregation could give the pizza delivery guy the greatest tip he had ever had. The generous congregation agreed and the pizza boy, a student, walked away with a $820 tip. Word from this one Random Act of Kindness got around so quickly and the story was so popular that it inspired the creation of an annual National Random Act of Kindness Day in New Zealand.

“As each person commits a good deed, he or she sends out into the community a ripple of kindness that is magnified by every life it encounters, so that every good deed makes a difference. Kindness is infectious!” said Pastor Phil Camden.

The Newcastle community is the first town to take on Random Act of Kindness day in Australia, but Church180 hopes to make it an annual Australia wide event. This Friday (September 4) and the first Friday of every September after that, Church180 are inviting everyone in the local community to make a special effort to do a Random Act of Kindness for someone else.

The day will offer people an opportunity to make a meaningful and positive impact in their local community. “Committing Random Acts of Kindness brings delight and goodness to not only the recipient but also to you. It promotes you as being a positive influence to create a better community and environment here in the Hunter Region. One Random Act of Kindness can make a huge difference!” Pastor Camden said.

Download the funky business cards by clicking here, and when you 'RAK' someone, give them the card! This will hopefully spread the word; and who knows, maybe you'll be RAK'd yourself!

Visit: www.rakd.com.au for more information.

National Babies Day - Saturday September 19

The Bonnie Babes Foundation helps to save babies lives and counsel families through times of extreme hardship.
Bonnie Babes is a non-profit volunteer based charity which is established for the health and well-being of families. Sadly one in every four pregnancies ends in a loss from miscarriage and stillbirth. Over 17,000 babies are born prematurely, many of them often struggling for life.Bonnie Babes provide 24 hour 7 day a week griefcounselling services for families after the loss of a babythrough miscarriage or stillbirth.

The charity raises vital funds for medical research to change the staggering statistics and provide important medical equipment for premature babies struggling for life.
Bonnie Babes has recently launched a new self-help book Small Miracles which has inspirational stories of celebrities, high profile sports people and Australian personalities who tell their stories of a difficult pregnancy, their struggles and their joy at becoming parents. To make a donation, volunteer, or learn more about the Bonnie Babes Foundation, please visit www.bbf.org.au or call 1300 BONNIE (1300 266 643).
The Body Shop proudly supports Bonnie Babes through our Community Support Program. A program where all our staff volunteer up to 16 hours per financial year, supporting grass roots, not for profit organisations.