Latest Blogs

A climate milestone, highest in human history, a mayday call by the planet. However it's portrayed, it's a disheartening fact that on 9th May the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as measured by an observatory in Hawaii, topped the symbolically important level of 400 parts per million. ... read more

In case you haven’t seen it already, we’ve just published a food waste supplement as part of our Resource Revolution campaign.... read more

In 1938 a young amateur scientist made the first connection between global warming and CO2 emissions. His idea received little attention at the time and many shunned his calculations as absurd but 75 years later we have to ask, have we finally accepted the relationship between humans and the changing climate?... read more

You may remember Victor Kiam, the US entrepreneur of television fame who 'liked the product so much he bought the company'. In fact he bought the Remington Shaver Company out of collapse and turned what was a $30m dollar loss into a $47m profit. ... read more

My last blog about where our dry recycling ends up has raised some really important points that are worth picking up on. ... read more

You'll have to forgive me. I've been up since 5am. Seventeen hours later of sore feet and solid networking, I am starting to slowly dissolve into the hotel carpet. But this is the first day of Sustainability Live, organised by our own Faversham House, and my head is buzzing like a firefly.... read more

A reception held at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to celebrate the life and work of the legendary physician and epidemiologist, John Snow, whose 200th anniversary fell on 15 March, had the buzz of a celebrity book launch. And yet on this occasion, this much-deserved figure of idolatry had been dead for 155 years.... read more

Many of you will have enjoyed a glass of wine on a comfortable long haul flight to some exotic destination - for many it's the beginning of a much deserved break. Unfortunately, both luxuries could be next on the climate change hit list.... read more

News last week that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) was to be given another chance for EU funding may look promising on the surface, but plenty of serious concerns lie underneath it. Literally in this case.... read more

Do you know where your dry recycling ends up? I suspect not. ... read more

We may have unwittingly backed a winner in horsemeat, you know. I’m thinking sustainable consumption here. In this era of radical transparency, such a scandal is raising serious questions among the public at large over not only what they eat, but where the food on their plate originates from.... read more

"If it ain't broke - don't fix it:"So the truism goes. Why spend time and money monitoring and maintaining equipment or machinery when it is operating perfectly well and any short-term remedial work can be reacted to 'on the fly'?... read more

In 2003, the Government explained in its energy white paper that nuclear power was an important source of carbon-free electricity but economics made it an unattractive option for new, carbon-free generating capacity.... read more

Following the recent shocking headlines of over 1000 preventable deaths occurring at Stafford hospital, I had a thought. Whilst of course any loss of life is tragic, the number of deaths involved in this scandal pale in comparison to the 24,000 excess winter deaths the UK faced last winter. ... read more

As Comic Relief celebrates its 25th anniversary, Debbie Griffiths believes it still leads the way. ... read more

The line “April is the cruellest month,” from TS Eliot’s poem The Waste Land is gaining an alternative association in terms of the Government’s slash and burn on welfare. Otherwise known as the Welfare Reform Act, it is hitting the poorest households with punitive reductions in their already meagre incomes and it arrives next month. ... read more

Climate Week kicked of on a positive note with its organisers coining the term the 're-generation' as it unveiled a survey demonstrating people in the UK are producing less waste.... read more

Consultation on a waste prevention plan for England is finally underway today (11 March) as Defra publishes its call for evidence to inform this important policy driver.... read more

Being a software developer, working for an environmental company, I am often thinking about my footprint and how I can reduce my impact on the environment during work and through my work.... read more

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If you look at the direction that local authority budgets are heading, then it is patently clear that councils are either going to have to reduce their costs, increase their income or do a bit of both.... read more

Since the rise of the British Monarchy, those who have threatened our beloved Royals have been met with contempt and stern punishment, but what if this threat isn't from a plotting anti-establishment group but is actually coming from Mother Nature?... read more

A fairly obvious question you might think, but I am in fact referring to the Government's final Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) performance league table, rather than the Premiership.... read more

Andrew Bowden, Managing Director at Carbon 2018 looks at how opening up the energy markets has changed the level of importance placed upon energy procurement and management.... read more

Sustainability Reporting for SMEs: competitive advantage through transparency Author: Elaine Cohen Published as a DoShorts by DoSustainability Reviewed by: Debbie Griffiths, Ideal ... read more

The prevalent cliche - that we live on the Blue Planet, surrounded by water but without enough to drink, must be common knowledge now and apparent to all but the most oblivious of policy makers.... read more

Those of you following developments in Davos, Switzerland last week will probably be aware of an incredibly timely and thought provoking presentation that underlines a growing issue with immense ramifications for the UK economy.... read more

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On Monday the Green Deal will finally be launched after much anticipation and controversy.... read more

What touches us on a deeper level could soon unlock some of the toughest challenges we face around sustainable consumption. So enter the latest concept to take flight in this field – emotionally durable design. A creative pitch that will tug on your heartstrings. ... read more

Imagine two circles – that’s cradle-to-cradle. Imagine one circle – that’s the circular economy. Imagine a circle within a circle – that’s resource efficiency. At its simplest level, understanding the difference between these three schools of thought can be sketched out along these flow lines.... read more

Last year we were engulfed with reports suggesting that global warming is getting way out of hand, while preventing a significant rise in temperature is apparently near impossible. ... read more

Look at our current consumption habits and it is patently clear that we cannot go on eating the way we are. Not with the long-term, global insecurity of food supplies.... read more

Try saying you work in the water industry when in London, without someone quoting the statistic that the water’s been through seven people before you drink it. ‘Is it true?’ they ask. And they giggle, as if to say, ‘Are we mad? That’s disgusting, but hell, we’re still here!’... read more

As we count the costs of last year's floods misery and find the best candidates for an extra £120m in flood defences, it could be easy to overlook the less obvious consequences of persistent heavy rainfall.... read more

Ice can melt the coolest of hearts, it seems. This week The Guardian revealed its top ten most read environmental stories in 2012; five of them centred on the melting of ice sheets out in West Antarctica and Greenland. Melt rates are in acceleration, overtaking modelling predictions. Even the most earnest climate sceptics are taking note. ... read more

Have you misbehaved this year? What would you prefer - a lump of coal in your stocking for traditions sake or something less conventional? ... read more

As the year end approaches we are now all looking to 2013 in anticipation, but first let's look back over 2012 and ask ourselves has the drive in sustainability met expectations?... read more

Households forced to fund £7.6b 'green' levy and no end to fuel poverty in sight Over a week later and I am still stunned, bemused and concerned by the Government's so-called energy policies. It was always my understanding that a Government is elected by the people to look after the good of the people in a socialist society, but recent announcements are forcing me to rethink my view. The 'green' levy, for example, is a case in point; how can the Government justify the introduction of additional taxes which will push households‚¬"¢ fuel bills up still higher? ... read more

Earlier this year, the renowned paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey gave an interview to The Humanist. One of his observations was quite insightful: “It is very clear that although evolution happens because of climate change, the great effect of climate change is in fact the number of species that become extinct”. ... read more

Despite the fact energy investment has hit a 20-year high, with over £10 billion being spent by energy companies during 2011, the status quo of the UK energy market is littered with challenges, many of which can be attributed to the vast inconsistencies within coalition Government policy, but also to the UK's creaking energy infrastructure. For energy consumers, the room to manoeuvre and successfully navigate the market has been circumscribed and companies and individuals alike must adapt by embracing energy efficiency measures. ... read more

Did anyone watch the recent BBC series Supersized Earth? It was a 3-part documentary about how we have redesigned our planet to build the modern world and have changed the face of Earth in just one generation. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the series, primarily for its stunning photography, I did feel that the documentary could have been so much more if it had examined in more depth mankind's impact on the planet and its resources. However, I'm fully aware that to do this was not the series' main focus, but instead that it was to chronicle the scale of what we have done over the last 80 years or so. In that respect, the documentary acted as a great launchpad to discuss sustainability and what might happen over the next 80 years. So if you're reading this, Auntie, perhaps consider making that your next series. You've already done all the groundwork! ... read more

Following the successful 2012 Sustainability Leaders Forum, I wanted to share some of the interesting ideas I learned through talking with other delegates and listening to various speakers throughout the day. ... read more

With Christmas fast approaching I suspect that many people will have already ordered their turkeys and started thinking about buying all of the trimmings. ... read more

“You can’t outsource sustainability outside of your organisation” remarked Tobias Fischer during a panel discussion this week. Fischer, who is CSR project & relations manager for H&M, was speaking on behalf of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition - an industry-wide group of over 60 leading clothing and footwear brands, retailers, suppliers, not-for-profits and NGOs.... read more

As Britain is gripped by a floods crisis Government indecision and inertia is seriously delaying vital work to protect thousands of homes and properties in the UK.... read more

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The iconic symbol of climate change is the polar bear. Often stood, looking somewhat stranded, on a glacier. Being such a reluctant ambassador for global warming woes must take its strain, but over the years we too have become desensitised. The message, even though we know it’s out there and a mighty fine problem, has become a tad jaded.... read more

There's no doubt that we are making tremendous steps forward on the road to widespread use of SuDS in the UK, but there is still a long road ahead. That's why sharing knowledge and best practice is so important.... read more

It’s very telling that the Chinese president Hu Jintao talks of the importance of a circular economy just days before it emerges that his nation is cracking down big time on imports of poor quality recyclates – most of which are shipped from our shores.... read more

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