These articles are part of a bigger report, designed to help activists and campaigners focus on corporate power during the upcoming G8 summit protests.


The Alcopop Summit
Drinks giant Diageo is the owner of the venue for the G8 – the luxurious Gleneagles Hotel. As such, it will be in a key position to push forward its own corporate interests. As we reveal, these involve weakening African economies by aggressively marketing its branded alcohol, not to mention the company's poor labour rights record and strong interest in free-trade lobbying.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1235

Climate Change
The G8 countries are responsible for a lion's share of greenhouse gases. In addition, the policies of G8 governments, including the UK, have been to support their oil companies quest to burn ever more fossil fuels. In the past, specific G8 initiatives to promote alternatives to the oil industry have been managed by – the oil industry.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1231


The Corporate Assault on Africa
While presenting themselves as tools to eliminate poverty, both Blair's Africa Commission and the G8 'Africa Action Plan' are stuffed full of the same corporations that are busy destroying Africa's environment and keeping it poor.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1232


Scotland Plc
Although the Scottish Executive and tourist boards want the g8 summit to 'showcase' Scotland to the world, we show how the Scottish political elite is only interested in 'showcasing' a Scotland that can be easily delivered to the corporations.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1230


Hydrating the G8
While the G8 leaders will be sipping expensive mineral waters – the Blackwood Estate, near Gleneagles, is the source of Highland Spring water – bottled drinks companies have been seeking profits from water through draining wells dry from Worcestershire to Kerala, with a dire effect on the local environment and communities.
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1234


Other newsletter stories include:

Atomic waste at the bottom of the garden
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1236

UK Aid: teaching Tanzinia to want water privatisation
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1233

Long Lunches, Drinks and Dinners, the secret of successful public relations
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1228

Glasgow's Southside faces motorway threat
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1229

Diary
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1227

Babylonian Times
 http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1237


Notes for journalists

Corporate Watch is an independent not-for-profit research and publishing group which undertakes research on the social and environmental impact of large corporations, particularly multinationals.
We aim to expose the mechanisms by which corporations function and the detrimental effects they have on society and the environment as an inevitable result of their current legal structure.
We publish information through a bi-monthly newsletter, fortnightly email updates and through our website.
All information cited in this press release is available on www.corporatewatch.org.uk
For more information please contact Loukas Christodoulou, news editor, on 01865 791 391 or  loukas@corporatewatch.org
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