Stories About Land & Forests
Found 198 stories. Page 7 of 10.
Why the UN's REDD+ Program Needs More Short-Term Focus
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - The time has come to revisit REDD+ — the UN initiative that attempts to create financial value for the carbon locked in forests — to ensure that it is truly delivering on the momentum from Paris 2015.
New Palm Oil Risk Tool Allows Companies to Better Identify Deforestation Risk
CLEANTECH - Global Forest Watch’s new PALM (Prioritizing Areas, Landscapes and Mills) Risk Tool, released by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and freely available through its open-source Global Forest Watch Commodities platform, includes information about over 800 palm oil mills in Southeast Asia, along with regularly updated satellite imagery and spatial data.
Hershey Shares Progress on Social Responsibility Commitments
PRESS RELEASE - The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) issued its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report – titled “Shared Goodness” – on June 9, showcasing progress made in 2015 against a variety of priority issues. Building on 2014, Hershey made continued progress through a range of efforts supporting the company’s commitment to responsible sourcing, ingredient transparency, simple ingredients and environmental sustainability. Additionally, 2015 marked the launch of Hershey’s Nourishing Minds program, the company’s global shared social purpose. The innovative program provides children in need with the basic nutrition they need to learn and allows Hershey to help address this critical issue with its deep expertise in food production.
The Body Shop to Regenerate Over 18K Acres of Forest, Help Monkeys Find Love
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Deforested and degraded lands inhibit the ability of endangered plants and animals to grow and thrive again. Restored wildlife corridors such as “bio-bridges” within damaged landscapes can help re-establish plant populations and reconnect endangered animal populations to boost breeding.
6 More Global Fashion Leaders Join CanopyStyle to Help Ensure Forest-Free Rayon by 2017
SUPPLY CHAIN - Canadian forest-conservation NGO Canopy has announced six new brand partnerships in its successful CanopyStyle initiative, through which more than 65 major fashion brands, designers and retailers have pledged to end the use of ancient and endangered forests in their rayon supply chains. Viscose and rayon fibers are made from wood pulp and are some of the most widely used in clothing and textiles, threatening endangered forests. Approximately 120 million trees are logged annually for fabrics and about a third of them are sourced from ancient and/or endangered forests.
FSC Certification Creates Competitive Advantages, Raises Standards in Forest Management
SUPPLY CHAIN - Businesses face myriad ongoing challenges: Apart from the day-to-day fluctuations in market dynamics, entrepreneurs must deal with economies of scale, inter- and intra-market competition and regulatory compliance. Yet some voluntary compliance can unleash a competitive advantage expedites addressing the other challenges. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is precisely one such step: Especially in a time when consumer interest in sustainable materials continues to grow, FSC-certified wood and paper make sense economically, socially and environmentally.
New Study Finds FSC Certification Profitable for Businesses
MARKETING AND COMMS - The environmental and social benefits of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification are proven, as the organisation works to ensure sustainable use of forest products. But a recent WWF study has found that there is also a concrete economic benefit. The bottom line? On average, forestry companies can earn an extra US$1.80 for every cubic metre of FSC-certified timber.
Progress for Fashion and Forests: Two Years of CanopyStyle
COLLABORATION - Viscose and rayon fibers are made from wood pulp and are some of the most widely used in clothing and textiles, threatening endangered forests. Approximately 120 million trees are logged annually for fabrics and about one third of them are sourced from ancient and/or endangered forests. Since its launch in October 2013, 60 companies have committed to eliminate endangered forests from their fabric supply chains by 2017 through the CanopyStyle initiative.
Study: Sustainable Forestry Policies May Lead to Increased Deforestation
SUPPLY CHAIN - Policies aimed at protecting tropical forests may lead to increased deforestation and timber production, according to new research. Rising international demand for timber, foreign investment and other factors have encouraged governments and corporations to adopt sustainable forest management practices, but it seems they may have unexpected negative consequences.
Indonesian Paper Giants Commit Over $100M Towards Forest, Peatland Restoration
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Amidst the bustle of COP21, Indonesian forests have received some pretty good news. After weeks of devastating fires, APRIL Group and Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), two of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies, have made strong reforestation commitments.
World Leaders at COP21 Must Act Now to Save Our Forests
SUPPLY CHAIN - Discussion, collaboration and commitment necessary for long-term forest protectionThis week marks a critical moment for climate change. World leaders are gathering in Paris at the COP21 climate negotiations to discuss the role forests play within the broader climate debate. Their charge is to agree on a shared vision for industries, governments, civil society and consumers to halt and reverse the demise of the world’s natural forests.
55 Brands Are Protecting Forests with CanopyStyle
SUPPLY CHAIN - Not-for-profit environmental organization Canopy has recruited big fashion brands in the fight to protect endangered forests since launching its CanopyStyle campaign in October 2013. Last week, the organization announced that Arcadia Group, C&A China, and Lindex joined the initiative and committed to ensuring their supply chains do not use ancient and endangered forests for fabrics such as rayon and viscose by 2017.
Indonesian Forest Fires, Amazon Tipping Points, and the Business Case for Investing in Reforestation
LEADERSHIP - Businesses have a central role in addressing the forest issues that are in today’s headlines—including the Indonesian fires (which emitted more CO2 in three weeks than the entire German economy in a year), and the Amazon forests, which may be at a tipping point with serious
Study: Deforestation Threatens Majority of Amazon Tree Species
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - At least 36 percent and up to 57 percent of the the tree species in the Amazon Rainforest should qualify as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the most widely recognized authority on threats to species conservation, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances, as reported by The New York Times.
Danone, Nestlé Lead on Zero Deforestation Commitments, But Many Firms Lagging
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Danone, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Unilever continue to lead the corporate sector in making and living up to zero-deforestation commitments, but many firms have yet to make public sustainability commitments, according to a new ranking by the Global Canopy Programme.
Palm Oil Giant Commits to Help Indonesia Through Peatland Rehabilitation, Traceability
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - On Monday, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, launched a peatland rehabilitation project in Indonesia and committed to 100 percent traceability to mill by the end of 2015.
Caterpillar, TNC, JPMorgan Chase Convene to Discuss Natural Infrastructure Restoration
NEW METRICS - Construction machinery and equipment giant Caterpillar recently hosted the first major national summit on infrastructure restoration, with the clarion call that investing in nature is smart business. As a major player in the manufacturing industry, Caterpillar reached the conclusion that moving beyond technical principles and establishing a broad coalition of stakeholders is required to bring the restoration conversation mainstream.
Indigenous Communities May Offer the Most Affordable, Effective Forest Protection
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Two new reports suggest that the best way to protect forests is to let indigenous and local communities manage them. Released Thursday, both reports provide evidence to support that community-led management is a financially and environmentally responsible approach to curbing deforestation.
Indonesia in Crisis: Fires Releasing More Emissions Than the Entire U.S. Economy
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Fires are raging across the 3,000 mile length of Indonesia, destroying tens of thousands of acres of forest. More than 127,000 forest fires have been detected so far this year, which is expected to be the worst on record. Visibility in some cities has been reduced to 30 yards by noxious orange haze. There have been more than 500,000 cases of acute respiratory illness and at least 19 deaths.
Xerox, Starwood Hotels, Bigelow Shift Allegiance from SFI to FSC for Responsible Paper Practices
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Environmental watchdog ForestEthics announced today that four major US companies — Xerox, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Delta Dental and Bigelow Tea — have expanded their commitment to support and promote responsible forestry, by distancing their brands from the controversial Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) paper and wood certification and labeling, and instead supporting and promoting that of the Forest Stewardship Council.