The Walt Disney Co. Joins Ceres Corporate Network

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) February 3, 2011- BOSTON - Ceres today announced the approval of The Walt Disney Company (Disney) as a Ceres network company.

Disney will work with Ceres to improve its efforts on key environmental and social sustainability issues. Disney will also engage key stakeholders to help advance its sustainability strategy, disclosure, and performance.  

 “Ceres looks forward to working with Disney to further develop a comprehensive citizenship strategy,” said Ceres President Mindy Lubber. “This well-known institution is proving that even the largest of corporations can weave citizenship into its DNA. Disney understands that it has impacts that affect people and places around the globe - and Ceres looks forward to helping the company improve its citizenship performance across each of its businesses.”

Disney has set long-term goals of achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste to landfills. Short-term, Disney aims to reduce GHG emissions and cut solid waste by 50 percent by 2013. To meet these goals, the company will:

• Improve energy efficiency

• Source more renewable energy

• Increase the use of post-consumer recycled materials. 

Disney is also focused on supply chain sustainability.  The company’s strategy includes educating licensees and vendors to uphold labor standards and improve factory conditions for workers. In 2009, Disney reported progress in three specific areas related to factory monitoring: pre-production assessments, unannounced factory assessments, and auditor skills. Disney’s endorsement of the International Buyer Principles is a strong show of support for the ILO/IFC Better Work program.   “Our mission is to embed ethical business practices into all our daily decisions and actions which is why joining the Ceres Corporate network is an important step for Disney,” says Leslie Goodman, senior vice president, Disney Corporate Citizenship. “We must consider the consequences of what we do on people and the planet in order to make a positive change in the world.”   Companies that join Ceres must commit to make continuous improvements in sustainability disclosure and performance by engaging with investors, environmental groups and other stakeholders that are part of the Ceres coalition.     About Ceres
Ceres is a leading network of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 90 institutional investors with $9 trillion of collective assets focused on the business impacts of climate change. For more information, visit www.ceres.org.

About The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of about $38 billion in its most recent fiscal year. For more information, visit corporate.disney.go.com/.   CERE11623