At BusinessGreen, Danny Bradbury reports that even as Apple launches new “green” products, the company is resisting shareholder requests for better sustainability reporting. Apple’s board has asked its shareholders to vote against a resolution calling for the company to measure and disclose its environmental impact in a formal corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. The resolution is proposed by environmental advocacy group As You Sow, who also called on Apple to design its computers for end-of-use recycling in 2007. Mr. Bradbury writes:

“The [current] resolution would require the company to publish a CSR report detailing its approach to greenhouse gas emissions, toxics and recycling by July this year. The report would also require Apple to define ‘sustainability,’ and would include a company-wide review of policies contributing to sustainable operations.

“As You Sow claimed in the resolution that there were strong commercial reasons for Apple to produce such a report, arguing that over 2,700 companies now produce formal CSR reports, including many direct competitors such as Dell, IBM and HP.”

As You Sow’s work is a reminder that even well-respected companies may not meet the reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative or other CSR guidelines. A 2008 SIRAN/KLD study found that while 86 of the largest 100 US companies addressed sustainability on their websites, only 49 produced complete sustainability reports for 2007.

While this represents considerable progress, it highlights a gap between US companies and their peers in Europe, where many governments require CSR reporting. As noted by Boston College Professor Sandra Waddock in her January 9 presentation to KLD, companies in France, Sweden and other nations must formally disclose their social and/or environmental performance.

Perhaps the incoming Obama Administration will follow the lead of Europe – and states like New Mexico – and incorporate sustainability disclosure into its “21st Century regulatory framework.”