If someone called Nigel from Nigel’s Eco Store starts dishing out awards, you’d be forgiven for not paying much attention. However he put together a panel of experts from across the media and came up with this weeks Green Web Awards for those companies who are walking the talk when it comes to the environment and (this week’s buzz word) sustainability. Good news for our old friends at People Tree (who’s designer was the first person to draw my portrait) the London based peddler of  fair trade clothes: they came top for their work with high-level fashion designers, that they couple with natural, sustainable (again) resources working with 50 fair trade groups in 15 countries. Other winners worthy of your attention for the way they are thinking outside the box include Responsible Travel (green travel), Freecycle (online community)and Method (greenest company).

There’s no point giving out gongs at the Green Web Awards if you can’t give some “greenwashers” a good shoeing at the same time. Wooden spoons were handed out at the awards to Shell and ExxonMobil for advertising campaigns that tried to make them look more green, and toy maker Mattel. They were ridiculed for attempting to sell a range of Barbie dolls (Barbie BCause) who’s production and distribution did not practice what it tried to preach. For a more curious case of Green back slapping we need to get in a cab over to the Royal Albert hall which played host to the curious Business in the Community “awards for excellence,” who patron is none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. Companies were recognised for progress towards greener practices – these included energy giants like EDF and NPower, and even E.ON, the darlings who are proposing a return to coal-fired power at a plant in Kent. Best of all, the Environmental Leadership award went to Tesco – a company who’s ethics are constantly under fire for its treatment of suppliers and who has been known to send “local” chickens on a 1,000 mile round trip from farm to fridge. So surprising was the win that Tesco didn’t bother to send anyone of note to collect the award, and some in the attending audience were so appalled they got up and left. So I drank their (organic) wine. Well done though to our firends at the Co-op who won company of the year.

Well who’d have thunk it: With all this talk of recession you’d have thought the holiday companies would be packing their own bags, but my old friends at Thomas Cook say business is strong, and forecasted sales through to summer 09 are up on the year before. Same goes for German rival TUI (First Choice and Thomson) where sales are up 8% in the UK. See we all like a holiday, and in hard times, the new carpet, fancy jacket and foie gras are the things we cut back on first. The trend seems to be that we’re cutting back on the euro-strong weekend break to Paris or Barcelona (surely not Amsterdam) but are keeping the big two-week holiday further a-field intact – especially as the weather here can’t be relied on. So its golf course Friday for the management, or as Jonathan Jackson, an analyst at Killik Capital, puts it: “Capacity reduction and fuel hedging, combined with the merger synergy benefits provide some reassurance that the group will be able to cope with a downturn.” That’s it JJ – as clear and humorous as ever! But wait – my old friend and hairy-egg MP Vince Cable has come forward to pour water on my BBQ by warning that this recession (lack of consumer spending) could last between 3 and 10 years! Vince is a man I trust and we’ll keep you posted. Now worries for a loaded old cove like me though, I’ve booked my first class trip to go and hunt Big Foot. Pull!

Providing it doesn’t US regulatory rules, British Airways has sealed an alliance with American Airlines that will allow the two carriers to fix fares, routes and schedules together. (Fare fixing – haven’t they just got in trouble for that?!) The alliance will also include Spain’s Iberia, which is merging with BA. Under the business agreement, the three airlines will co-operate on flights between the US, Mexico (where I’m going for Christmas) and Canada and the EU, Switzerland (where I’m never going back to) and Norway (where I owe someone a lot of money). Virgin Airlines has been quick to get the fidgets, pointing out that the alliance creates the world’s biggest airline, trumping the competition. And if you don’t have to compete, you can raise prices and that’s bad for you, me and us. Branson even wrote to Barack Obama and John McCain to warn them of the threat to the industry of the alliance. However BA would argue that it will reduce its cost structure, which it can then pass on, to a degree, to passengers – who should also enjoy easier journeys to more destinations.