NEWS SUMMARY - 1/22-1/29

• Ten companies have teamed up with a surprising array of environmental activists to lobby the Bush administration for more action on climate change. The list includes General Electric, Alcoa, Dupont, BP, PG&E, Caterpillar, and others. (see, “A Coalition For Firm Limit On Emissions,” New York Times, 01/19/07)

• Looking for the best blogs? On Philanthropy has gathered a list of those that are blogging about corporate philanthropy. The article “Who’s Blogging Corporate Giving?” includes links to the relevant websites.

• China is awaking to the concept of CSR, as evidenced by an article in the major newspaper People’s Daily by a professor at the country’s top-ranked university; the article, entitled “Multinationals must shoulder more responsibility,” advocates that MNC’s should be treated less like guests and more like family – and be expected to contribute as family members are. Separately, Starbucks has created a “Storm in a coffee cup” over its outlet within the walls of the Forbidden City, which some activists see as an insult to Chinese culture.

• As profits and mission increasingly overlap, more and more social sector organizations are creating profit-making businesses on the side, a trend covered in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Making Money With a Mission.”

• Also, there’s an article in the Harvard Business Review by C.K. Prahalad entitled “Cocreating Business’s New Social Compact” which describes how corporations and NGOs are increasingly working together to create economic and social success stories.