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Businesses not examining carbon impact of plastics alternatives, edie survey finds
An edie survey of almost 300 sustainability and resource professionals has found that almost 50% of businesses haven't examined the carbon impact of single-use plastics alternatives, amidst growing calls for businesses to intertwine actions on plastics and climate change.
World Economic Forum calls on business chiefs to set net-zero targets
All business leaders and companies attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this week have been asked to make public commitments to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
Wates Group targets zero waste and carbon by 2025
Private-owned construction firm Wates Group has committed to new goals that target zero waste from all onsite operations and zero carbon emissions from operations and vehicle fleets by 2025.
A decade in review: Vote for the defining sustainability moment of the 2010s
As the 2010s draw to a close, edie has analysed the key moments and announcements that push sustainability and climate action from a niche activity to a global necessity. Cast your vote to decide which of the seven moments was most profound.
The 4 big ideas for net-zero carbon strategies
Experts across energy management came together at edie’s SPARK! 2.0 event to discuss the role that strategy could play in the delivery of net-zero carbon targets.
Boris Johnson urged to challenge Trump on climate denial
Boris Johnson is being urged by 350 leading climate researchers to robustly challenge Donald Trump on his "dangerous" and "irresponsible" denial of the risks of climate change during the US president's visit to the UK this week.
Why energy productivity holds the key to net-zero business
Jenny Chu, head of energy productivity initiatives, at international non-profit, The Climate Group, argues that business has a key role in using less energy to achieve higher economic output.
National Grid commits to net-zero emissions target for 2050
The National Grid has announced a commitment to reduce its direct greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, the same timeframe as the UK Government's legislative target.
Just one in 10 of world's largest energy firms have net-zero targets, report finds
Just 10% of the world's largest 132 coal, electricity and oil and gas companies have set time-based commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero, with just three companies also pledging to reduce indirect emissions as well.
![Sajid Javid's Review will be published in autumn 2020. Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]](https://e2k9ube.cloudimg.io/s/width/226/https://edienet.s3.amazonaws.com/news/images/full_39335.jpg?v2=02/11/2019 00:03:00)
Treasury launches Net-Zero Review to measure costs of decarbonisation
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid has today (2 November) launched the Net-Zero Review, the first of its kind, which will assess how the UK can manage the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Renewable energy to expand by 50% in next five years - report
Global supplies of renewable electricity are growing faster than expected and could expand by 50% in the next five years, powered by a resurgence in solar energy.
London joins global cities on 'race to the top' for clean air
The mayors of 35 cities, including London, Los Angeles and Milan, have signed a new declaration to tackle the dangers of air pollution and the climate crisis by pledging to improve air quality through measures that go above and beyond existing national commitments.
'Risking a carbon budget blowout': UK Government gives go-ahead to Drax gas plant
The UK Government is "risking a carbon budget blowout" by overruling a recommendation from its planning authority in order to give the green light to Drax's large-scale gas power plant, which had been refused on climate grounds.
Most of world's biggest firms 'unlikely' to meet Paris climate targets
More than four-fifths of the world's largest companies are unlikely to meet the targets set out in the Paris climate agreement by 2050, according to fresh analysis of their climate disclosures.
New initiative to help business minimise climate impacts of cooling
The Climate Group has launched a new initiative aimed at helping businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their cooling processes and to decarbonise their cooling systems.
UK Resources & Waste Strategy: A blueprint for business leadership
This edie insight guide provides sustainability and environmental professionals with a detailed breakdown of all of the key elements of the UK Government's Resources and Waste Strategy, and what they mean for business.
Co-op to halve emissions with 1.5C science-based target
The Co-op has joined a select group of business leaders committed to aligning emissions reduction strategies with the highest ambition of the Paris Agreement, after pledging to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
Puma sets science-based target while Nike envisions carbon neutrality
Sportswear giant Puma has set a new science-based target to reduce emissions by 35% by 2030, while fellow sports brand Nike has joined the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Arriva inks telematics deal to slash bus emissions
European passenger transport company Arriva will install TomTom telematics systems in up to 15,000 buses, in a move that could reduce carbon emissions by 72,000 tonnes each year.
Unilever boss calls for business push on net-zero emissions
Unilever's new chief executive Alan Jope has written to trade associations and business groups that the consumer goods giant is a member of, asking for clarity on whether they believe a transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 is essential.
Latest greenhouse gas emissions data shows steep rises in CO2 for seventh year
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by the second highest annual rise in the past six decades, according to new data.
Edinburgh commits to become 'net-zero' carbon city by 2030
Edinburgh City Council (ECC) has pledged to ensure that the city operates on a "net-zero" carbon basis by 2030 - 15 years before Scotland's national net-zero target for 2045.
In action: Anesco's subsidy-free solar farm supported by a storage floor price
Renewable energy firm Anesco is working with EDF Energy and it's tech partner, Upside Energy, to introduce an industry-first guaranteed floor price for revenue from the battery storage units operating at the first subsidy-free solar development in the UK.
Zero-emission EU industry 'within reach' but costly, study finds
Bringing down emissions from heavy industry to net-zero by 2050 is possible but will require costly new production processes and a 25-60% increase in near-term capital investments to reach €40-50 billion per year, according to new research published on Thursday (25 April).
SDGs In Action: How Tetra Pak is achieving Goal 13 - Climate Action
Welcome back to edie's new editorial series which breaks down exactly how businesses are turning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into action. Up next: multinational food packaging firm Tetra Pak unveils how it is protecting futures by championing actions to mitigate climate change.
Local and regional governments have the answer for the climate change conundrum
How do we meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change? That is the burning question on the minds of countless individuals, and the answers may well reside in our local and regional governments.
First deep coal mine in 30 years given go-ahead in Cumbria
Cumbria County Council has granted planning approval for a new coal mine facility, Woodhouse Colliery in Whitehaven, the first of its kind in more than 30 years.
Sharp rise in Arctic temperatures now inevitable, UN warns
Sharp and potentially devastating temperature rises of 3C to 5C in the Arctic are now inevitable even if the world succeeds in cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris agreement, research has found.
European lawsuit on biomass rules threatens Drax plant
A coalition of environmental campaigners has launched a court bid to stop the European Commission treating forest grown wood as a renewable source of energy.
Majority of European firms have no CO2 reduction targets
Most European companies have no target for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions even though 80% see climate change as a business risk, a survey has found.
How GDPR is curbing carbon emissions
Despite being the bane to many business professionals, new research suggests that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) framework is assisting in the global fight to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
'Stop treating seas as a sewer,' MPs urge in bid for protection treaty
A new global agreement to protect the seas should be a priority for the government to stop our seas becoming a "sewer", according to a cross-party group of MPs.
Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second
Global warming has heated the oceans by the equivalent of one atomic bomb explosion per second for the past 150 years, according to analysis of new research.
Scottish industry's greenhouse gas emissions lowest since records began
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by Scotland's industrial sector fell to an unprecedented low in 2017, the latest official figures have confirmed.
IEA: Global carbon emissions set to rise in 2018, breaking five-year decline
The amount of carbon emitted by the world's most economically advanced nations is set to rise before the end of 2018, bucking a five-year decline in emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned.
UN: World must triple efforts or face catastrophic climate change
Countries are failing to take the action needed to stave off the worst effects of climate change, a UN report has found, and the commitments made in the 2015 Paris agreement will not be met unless governments introduce additional measures as a matter of urgency.
Climate-heating greenhouse gases at record levels, says UN
The main greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change have all reached record levels, the UN's meteorology experts have reported.
Perfume giant Firmenich unveils approved science-based targets
Perfume company Firmenich has had a goal to reduce Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 39% approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
World Cement Association aligns climate action strategy with 2C trajectory
Global non-profit World Cement Association (WCA) has released a climate action strategy targeting carbon emissions and waste management, in a drive to help the industry align with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the global temperature increase below 2C.
Almost two-thirds of UK businesses yet to set emissions targets, survey reveals
Almost two-thirds (61%) of companies in the UK's private sector have not yet set a specific, numerical target for reducing their emissions, a new survey from consultancy YouGov has revealed.
World 'nowhere near on track' to avoid warming beyond 1.5C target
The world's governments are "nowhere near on track" to meet their commitment to avoid global warming of more than 1.5C above the pre-industrial period, according to an author of a key UN report that will outline the dangers of breaching this limit.
Interface unveils goal of becoming carbon negative by 2040
Modular flooring firm Interface has set a new target of becoming carbon negative by 2040, building on a 2020 ambition of having “no negative environmental impact”.
Shell sets near-zero methane emissions target for 2025
Oil and gas giant Shell has made a new commitment to reduce the methane emissions intensity of its operations to below 0.2% by 2025.
The Climate Coach: Transport
It will take you twenty minutes to get there - depending on traffic. Not an unusual statement wherever you live. People design cities and communities and yet often it is people that seem to be least considered as most of the space for movement is taken up by cars, vans and lorries. Pedestrians are pushed to the side and cyclists must brave traffic with a risk for their lives.
Dude, where’s my EV?
Coinciding with government's Zero Emission Vehicles Summit, the Aldersgate Group published a briefing which sets out the major barriers to decarbonising UK road transport. Will Tricker, Policy Officer at the Group, considers what further support is needed from government to ensure UK businesses are best placed to accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).
Extreme temperatures 'especially likely for next four years'
The world is likely to see more extreme temperatures in the coming four years as natural warming reinforces manmade climate change, according to a new global forecasting system.
One billion people without access to efficient cooling technology, says report
With the global heatwaves setting record high temperatures around the world in recent weeks, a new report warns that more than 1.1 billion people globally don't have access to some form of cooling.
The Climate Coach: Renewable Energy
I have a dream, of a society where children play safely outside in green, common areas, where there are no cars. People travel to work in electric powered trains, buses and through electric car share. They walk and cycle to school, to the local shop and to meet friends. A dream where renewable energy sources provide all the power we need - for heating, electricity and transport - in businesses as well as in homes.
Shell would support UK bringing forward petrol ban from 2040
Shell, one of the world's biggest oil and gas companies, has backed calls for the UK to bring forward its 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales.
Ikea gets stamp of approval for 80% science-based emissions target
The Ikea Group has had its target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its stores and operations by 80% by 2030 approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Ikea to ban single-use plastics, targets 'climate-positive' status under new strategy
Removing all single-use plastics products from its range globally, eliminating more greenhouse gas emissions than its value chain emits, and generating more renewables than it consumes are all headline goals of Ikea's updated People and Planet Positive strategy.
'High risk' meat and fish sector failing to combat climate-related business risks
More than half of global meat and fish suppliers have been labelled as "high risk", with new research warning that the sector is failing to manage sustainability issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and antibiotics stewardship.
BP's low-carbon strategy comes under fire
BP's new sustainability strategy to level-out increases to emissions during a period of business growth has been labelled as "too small" an effort to reduce the company's exposure to climate risk.
Why you need to know what the animals in your supply chain are being fed
Earlier this month, sitting in a packed room full of food and feed industry executives from around the world, we spoke together with leading retailers on why animal feed is one of the critical sustainability issue of our times.
edie Explains: Smart grids
What is a smart grid and why is it important? What are the potential business benefits of the smart grid transition? And how mature is the smart grid concept in the UK? This free edie Explains guide gives you everything you need to know.
Ikea, Unilever and Tesla leading on climate policy, report finds
Tesla, Apple, Ikea and Unilever are amongst the highest-performing companies advocating for strong and ambitious policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from non-profit InfluenceMap.
Wind and solar make more electricity than nuclear for first time in UK
Windfarms and solar panels produced more electricity than the UK's eight nuclear power stations for the first time at the end of last year, official figures show.
AB InBev places climate-science into communities with new 2025 goals
EXCLUSIVE: Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is linking science-based climate goals with a "moral" belief that it should be influencing the communities it operates in, after announcing new climate, water and supply chain goals for 2025.
Mondi Group sets science-based targets through WWF's Climate Savers
Global packaging firm Mondi Group has set new science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions across the company's operations and indirect activities, after signing up to the WWF's Climate Savers initiative for low-carbon business aspirations.
Sector insight: The state of sustainability in the public sector
This exclusive insight report explores the key drivers, challenges and opportunities facing sustainability in the UK's public sector.
Behaviour change – the key to energy efficiency
This blog will discuss behavioural change and what can be done that will have a real impact on the triple bottom line - engaged staff, reduced costs and less impact on the environment.
Balearics launch pioneering plan to phase out emissions
The Balearic islands' government has launched a pioneering plan to phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, potentially setting itself on a collision course with the Spanish government.
8 global sustainability trends to watch out for in 2018
Over the past 12 months, challenges around addressing sustainability issues have featured consistently in global headlines. Despite mixed political messages about our transition to a low-carbon future, the private sector has continued to drive sustainability up the business agenda; from Science Based Targets (SBTs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increased investor scrutiny over non-financial reporting.
BP set to 'embrace low-carbon world' with $500m investment
BP has pledged to invest $500m into low-carbon solutions after posting a strong financial performance in 2017.
Introducing the Climate Coaching Blog Series
Climate change is the most pressing and critical challenge humanity has faced in its history. We don't have the time to rely on regulators to pass appropriate climate mitigation and adaption legislation. Climate action from across all industry sectors, whatever the size of organisation is essential, required and indeed increasingly demanded by customers and consumers. To address this, I am writing a sequence of blogs called the Climate Coaching Series, here on edie.net, where I will be exploring climate action and answering the questions of what organisations can do to benefit people, profit and planet.
2017: A turning point for energy efficiency in the UK?
2017 started badly for the energy efficiency sector: no policy news and yet another shuffle in the Ministerial team. The Government's plan to deliver the 5th Carbon budget was long overdue, the energy efficiency policy landscape was full of holes, and the market was flat.
BEIS cuts projection for greenhouse gas emissions
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has lowered its projection for greenhouse gas emissions during the fourth and fifth carbon budgets.
The hot topic: Where does heating fit into a low-carbon electricity network?
The decarbonisation of the UK's electricity network is set to have significant implications for how low carbon heat is delivered to the buildings of the future. These changes will likely influence new policy from the Greater London Authority, as well as national guidance, regulations and calculation methodologies. The way that London responds to delivering low carbon heat needs to evolve over the coming months and years.
How to embed the SDGs in your sustainability strategy
Apart from the slightly strange feeling of talking into complete silence, and not seeing any response from your audience, I thoroughly enjoyed talking at the edie Masterclass on How to embed the SDGs in your sustainability strategy, sharing my knowledge and expertise on the topic. Here I offer you a short reflection on the webinar and respond to the questions that I didn't have time to answer during the event.
UK ratifies the Kigali amendment on HFCs
The UK has become one of the first nations to ratify the landmark Kigali Agreement to phase down harmful hydrofluorocarbon greenhouse gases (HFCs) commonly found in appliances such as air conditioning units and refrigerators.
Three ways to tackle climate change in FMCG supply chains
A year ago, political leaders, diplomats and scientists sealed the Paris Climate Agreement, a landmark in environmental history. While few would argue that the agreement is perfect, it did seem that we were finally driving international action on cutting carbon emissions, securing the involvement of the most important developing economies. However, there are now concerns that the US might pull out of the settlement.
Food and beverage giants agree to strengthen supply chain management
Companies such as Unilever, Mars and PepsiCo are part of a new collaborative partnership aiming to develop free science-based decision tools that improve farm-level sustainability reporting metrics and data collection.
How to expand your business sustainably: it all starts with your supply chain
The 2016 CEO Study published by Accenture and the United Nations Global Compact boldly claims that a "staggering 97% of CEO's interviewed believe that sustainability is important to the future success of their business". Despite being reminiscent of the 97% of scientists that agree on climate change, clearly, we are at a point in time where the question around business expansion is not can, but rather how, does a business grow sustainably and where should it focus its efforts?
Does the UK’s net zero future need the EU ETS?
The 2008 Climate Change Act already commits the UK to an 80% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels by 2050. However, the unwritten long-term target hopefully is, or at least should be, to achieve complete carbon neutrality.
Are you veg-curious? The sustainability benefits of plant-based diets at work
Vegetables seem to be having a 'moment' right now. While full vegetarianism or veganism remain off-putting for a lot of people, there is a rise in all kinds of almost vegetarian ideas and mini-movements.
Planet has just 5% chance of reaching Paris climate goal, study says
There is only a 5% chance that the Earth will avoid warming by at least 2C come the end of the century, according to new research that paints a sobering picture of the international effort to stem dangerous climate change.
How sustainable travel can make employees happier in economic uncertainty
The past year has been tough for business and employees with unprecedented political and economic turmoil. This uncertainty, with its constant cycles of 'bad news', is taking its toll on employees.
No technical barriers for large-scale, low-cost UK CCS deployment, report finds
The UK has "more than enough" potential Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) sites to meet legally binding 2050 carbon targets in a cost-effective manner, which could save up to £2bn annually throughout the 2020s.
Scotland eyes 90% emissions reduction target
The Scottish Government has proposed to increase its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target to 90% below 1990 levels by 2050, the climate change secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced.
Speaking out on sustainability
Recently, my son's school invited me to come in and give a presentation on what I do as the global sustainability director at Mars. I've spoken with business leaders inside and outside of Mars, policy makers, NGOs and journalists on multiple continents. But I've never had to tell that story to 30 kids between the ages of 8 and 13 (with my son watching, no less...)
UK leads the way on emissions reductions, despite overall increase across the EU
The UK recorded the largest decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) in 2015, although new research has found the emissions from the bloc increased for the first time in five years.
Donald in Wonderland - US withdrawal from the Paris agreement
Trump just wishes that climate change would go away. We would all like climate change to be a dream. Some hard choices could be avoided, and we could keep environmentally damaging luxuries, such as fast cars and golf resorts.
Aldersgate Group manifesto 2017: A healthy environment, a competitive economy
The Aldersgate Group's manifesto includes calls for the prompt publication of both a detailed Clean Growth Plan and 25-Year Plan for the Environment, and a strong Industrial Strategy which enables the green business community to flourish.
Waitrose rolls out Europe's first 500-mile biomethane trucks
As part of an ongoing transition towards alternatively- fuelled trucks and lower fleet emissions, Waitrose has spent the early months of 2017 trialling Europe's first 500-mile biomethane trucks, with plans to scale-up the project over the coming years.
Trump aides abruptly postpone meeting on whether to stay in Paris climate deal
Donald Trump's aides have abruptly postponed a meeting to determine whether the US should remain in the Paris climate agreement, with an unlikely coalition of fossil fuel firms, environmental groups and some Republicans calling on the president to stick with the deal.
Planning for a circular economy
The Environmental Services Association, the voice of the UK's resource and waste management industry, has set out a number of recommendations to more closely align the planning system with the strategic objectives of the circular economy.
UK leads G7 on 'decoupling' emissions reduction from wealth creation
The UK has been more successful than any other G7 nation at decoupling emissions growth from that of the economy over the past 25 years, according to a new report.
Industrial strategy fit for the future: perspectives on building a competitive UK economy
This publication brings together the views of respected thinkers from politics, business, trade unions and academia on the kind of economy the industrial strategy should be building and the role low carbon and resource efficiency can play.
Thousands of pollution deaths worldwide linked to western consumers
Western consumers who buy cheap imported toys, clothes and mobile phones are indirectly contributing to tens of thousands of pollution-related deaths in the countries where the goods are produced, according to a landmark study.
Statoil vows to slash carbon emissions by a fifth
Just one day after it was revealed that eight of the world's largest fossil fuel companies were responsible for pollution levels equal to that of the US, Norwegian oil and gas firm Statoil has pledged to reduce its own emissions by three million tonnes by 2030.
UK carbon emissions fall by 5.8% in 2016, analysis finds
A huge decline in coal use saw national carbon emissions in the UK fall by 5.8% in 2016, reaching its lowest recorded levels in almost 100 years, analysts have claimed.
Reaching the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets by utilising the power of AD
Kicking off edie's Resource Management month, I wanted to start this new series of vlogs by discussing my vision for creating a resource-efficient farming industry that has the potential to lead the world in closed-loop food and energy systems.
Corporate governance reform: time for change
The UK Government's Green Paper on Corporate Governance Reform brings into sharp focus the need to rebuild trust in companies.
