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KPMG puts Fairtrade on the menu for London businesses     KPMG has held its first KPMG/Fairtrade Business Breakfast to put the purchasing of Fairtrade products to FTSE 100 agendas.    Supporting the Fairtrade at Work Campaign, the event called on more big corporations to switch their purchasing policies in favour of Fairtrade products.    Recent research has found that there is an appetite for the adoption of Fairtrade products which is not currently being met by employers. A survey     carried out by YouGov and commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation last year which coincided with the launch of the Fairtrade at Work Campaign revealed that only 17% of UK workers say that their companies are currently serving Fairtrade products at work. But almost two out five workers (38%) say they think their company should make products carrying the Fairtrade mark more available to staff at work.    Ian Barlow, London senior partner at KPMG,     said: "Adopting Fairtrade products is one straightforward way in which companies can make a social impact. KPMG spends £250,000 each year on Fairtrade products. If every large company did the same, it would have a huge impact. Some large companies already do buy Fairtrade but with this initiative we hope we can encourage more to follow suit and so make a significant collective difference. Britain is the world's second largest market for Fairtrade products and     we are used to seeing them on supermarket shelves. Now we want more businesses to buy them as a matter of policy as well."    London is aiming to become the first International Fairtrade City. There are currently 14 boroughs in London with the Fairtrade label. In order to become an official Fairtrade city, 17 boroughs must take part.    KPMG adopted a Fairtrade products purchasing policy in 2003. This includes     buying Fairtrade tea, coffee and wines for corporate hospitality and a wider range of Fairtrade products for employee consumption in staff shops/canteens. The firm has developed a close relationship with the Fairtrade Foundation and actively contributes to the London Fairtrade Campaign through the GLA led steering group to make London the first international Fairtrade city.

A.T. Kearney pledges to become carbon-neutral     Global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney plans to move to a carbon-neutral consulting model within two years. The company said its commitment to carbon-neutrality applies to all aspects of its global operations – both internal and client-facing activities – and is one part of a larger sustainability effort being launched across the firm's offices in 33 countries.    A.T. Kearney said it will develop a series of innovative alternative delivery mechanisms that the firm's 1,500 consultants around the world can use for providing consulting services in a more sustainable and     environmentally friendly way. Efforts will focus on reducing the frequency of business travel and using technology to maintain the firm's hallmark collaborative working style in a more environmentally sustainable fashion.    "The travel inherent in the consulting industry gives it a disproportionately large carbon footprint compared with many other professional services organisations," said Paul Laudicina, managing officer and chairman of A.T. Kearney. "As our clients increasingly make sustainability commitments to their stakeholders, we are dedicated to doing all     we can to help them maintain those commitments when utilising consulting services."    A.T. Kearney pledged to become carbon neutral within the next two years by reducing its own emissions and investing in climate-protecting projects meeting the highest international quality standards. Consistent with this pledge will be initiatives to: limit internal travel; shift necessary travel from air to rail as feasible; select services from among carbon-efficient airlines, hotels and rental car companies; increase the use of public transit; and     further increase energy and resource efficiency in its operations.    "We are seeking to change our own behaviour and help shape the way our consultants think about sustainability," said Laudicina. "We anticipate this issue will bring a fundamental paradigm shift to the consulting industry and we intend to be at the forefront in adjusting to changing client expectations and needs."    A.T. Kearney's commitment to sustainability also extends to the work it is doing for clients. The firm is tapping its 80-year heritage in strategy and operations consulting to help companies and     governments develop comprehensive sustainability strategies and establish supply chains with sustainable solutions in mind.    "We will be looking at all our client work through the prism of sustainability," Laudicina said. "Learning to grow profitably and delivering value for all stakeholders in a resource-limited and threatened global environment is a fundamental business challenge of this century."

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