Short-haul-flights, Bluefin tuna, carbon offset companies and throwaway fashion are identified as among the least ethical items of the past 20 years and should be banned according to a survey of leading politicians and environmental campaigners by Ethical Consumer Magazine.The survey has been run by Ethical Consumer to celebrate its 20 years as a worker co-operative that has led the way in ethical consumerism - scrutinising the activities of business long before ethics became marketable.
In the survey, 20 leading politicians and environmental campaigners were asked which items they would ban on ethical grounds.
In response Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly would ban flights to anywhere it’s possible to get to by train, Hilary Benn MP, secretary of state for the environment would ban the sale of Bluefin tuna, Climate Camp activists would ban carbon offset companies and Caroline Higginson from the fashion industry campaign group Labour Behind the Label would ban throwaway fashion.
They were also asked what was their favourite ethical product of the last 20 years. Ben Stewart from Greenpeace chose Eurostar, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London chose electric cars, Hilary Benn MP, secretary of state for the environment, chose Fairtrade, and Mike Gidney of the Fairtrade foundation chose the olive oil produced by Zaytoun, a co-operative that has got Fairtrade status for Palestinian loive oil.
Rob Harrison, editor of Ethical Consumer and a founder member of the worker co-operative that writes and research it, said: “Our survey has identified some of the many products and services that continue to cause unacceptable damage to both people and the environment everyday.”
“The good news, however, is that from Fairtrade bananas to ethical bank accounts, over the past 20 years there’s been a spectacular revolution in the number and range of ethical products and services available to shoppers. No longer hidden away, ethical shopping has burst onto the High Street with dramatic success.”
“By buying items that minimise the impact to both people and the planet, shoppers today have a great opportunity to become checkout campaigners everytime they go shopping.”
To read all 20 responses click here
To read about 20 years of Ethical Consumer and ethical consumerism click here
www.ethicalconsumer.org
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