Biofuels firm, gold miner get worst company awards

The Associated Press Bloomberg 28 Jan 11;

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Social and environmental activists have named a Finnish maker of biofuels and South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. the world's worst corporations.

Neste Oil Corp. received the most votes in an online poll organized by Greenpeace and Swiss-based group Declaration of Bern. Activists have claimed that the company's use of palm oil is causing rainforest destruction and displacing populations in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Organizers of the 2011 "Public Eye Awards" handed AngloGold Ashanti a separate jury award for its gold mining activity in Ghana.

The award ceremony was held Friday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting of top business and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

Neste Oil, in a statement, said it was disappointed by the decision.

"The result is not a positive one for us, but it is important to put it in perspective," said Simo Honkanen, senior vice president for sustainability.

"We believe that we are one of the world's most responsible companies buying palm oil today. We only buy palm oil produced according to sustainable principles with a verifiable origin that is available," he said in a statement.

"We take full responsibility for all aspects of our operations and the sustainability of the renewable raw materials we use, and we work very hard to ensure our overall sustainability," Honkanen said.

AngloGold Ashanti could not be reached for comment.

South African mining firm wins 'shame award' at Davos
(AFP) Google News 28 Jan 11;

DAVOS, Switzerland — South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti scooped the unwanted "Public Eye Award" for environmental and social "irresponsibility" Friday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Campaigners in Davos to lobby the world business elite's annual get-together claimed the firm "contaminates land and people with its gold mining in Ghana".

"AngloGold Ashanti has destroyed over 50 rivers in Ghana that are indispensable for the residents. The rivers dry up, or mining toxins cause them to die off completely," the activists alleged.

Company spokesman Alan Fine told AFP: "First we have no idea what criteria was used for this award. Secondly, we have never been approached by these organisations and thirdly most of the events they refer to happened many years ago before our company was established."

Other firms nominated for the award included oil giant BP after an April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people and unleashed 4.9 million barrels of oil in the worst-ever maritime spill.

Coca Cola, Philip Morris and Toyota were also "named and shamed."

Neste Oil, a Finnish manufacturer of bio diesel, won a separate online poll to nominate the "world's worst company" in terms of negative environmental and social impact, winning over 17,000 of 50,000 votes cast.

The firm, which sells biofuels from palm oil, "accelerates rainforest destruction and displaces ever more local communities in Indonesia and Malaysia," organisers said.

Simo Honkanen, responsible for sustainability at the firm, said: "Neste Oil is disappointed in the outcome of the Public Eye Award announced today and believes that it does not reflect the true nature of the situation."

"We believe that we are one of the world's most responsible companies buying palm oil today."