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Article

27 Jan 2012

Author:
Saabira Chaudhuri, Guardian [UK]

Public Eye award singles out mining company Vale, Barclays

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Award given at the same time as the World Economic Forum strives to embarrass companies for 'corporate irresponsibility'...Brazilian mining giant Vale picked up the dubious distinction today of being the corporation with the most "contempt for the environment and human rights" in the world...A separate award was conferred on British banking company Barclays by a jury comprising members of Greenpeace and the Berne Declaration. Barclays was described as driving up food prices "at the expense of the world's poorest people." In a response posted on the website of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Vale called the allegations "serious" and "unsubstantiated."...Barclays also posted an online response: "A considerable number of studies have demonstrated that financial flows have little or no impact on commodities prices. The factors influencing food prices are complex and multiple, ranging from extreme weather conditions to export bans and rising supply and demand from emerging markets". [also refers to Freeport McMoRan, Samsung, Tepco, Syngenta]