Stories About Natural Resources
Found 501 stories. Page 7 of 26.
'Powering Down Corruption' in Cobalt Supply Chains a Business Imperative
COLLABORATION - A new report from Washington D.C.-based nonprofit the Enough Project highlights just how rampant corruption and human rights abuses are in the supply chain for cobalt, a mineral used to power battery technology.
The New Black: How New Breed of Consumers Will Spend Money, Energy This Friday
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - During this season of giving, many of today’s more discerning consumers won’t be joining the masses scrambling to answer the siren call to stock up on discounted “stuff” — they’ll be remembering the values meant to be at the heart of this season, by taking REI’s advice to #OptOutside to enjoy nature and giving back by cleaning up; and when they do shop, they’re increasingly basing their loyalty and purchasing decisions on companies’ reputations rather than just product features and price.
The Earth's Circular Economy: Not a Practical Solution to Our Waste Issues
WASTE NOT - This is the second in a four-part series on geomimicry by renowned author and George Mason University professor Dr. Gregory C. Unruh. Read part one here.
BASF produces methanol according to the biomass balance approach
PRESS RELEASE - BASF has started production of methanol on the basis of renewable raw materials according to the biomass balance approach. The product name is EU-REDcert-methanol. The company replaces fossil raw materials with second-generation renewable raw materials and uses waste as well as residual materials. As a result, BASF reduces emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases by at least 50 percent compared with conventionally produced methanol. In terms of its chemical and physical characteristics, biomass balanced methanol is identical to methanol produced from fossil resources. BASF markets the EU-REDcert-methanol to customers and also uses it itself as an intermediate for other biomass balanced products.
Future Value, Submerged Value, 'ROP' & Other Facets of the ROI of Sustainability
FINANCE & INVESTMENT - Last week at Sustainable Brands’ New Metrics ’18 conference in Philadelphia, PA, over 300 delegates from brands, NGOs, strategists and practitioners across sectors gathered to share the newest credible tools and solutions for assessing the ROI of Sustainable Business.
Mimicking Nature, But Not as Nature Intended: An Introduction to Geomimicry
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - This is the first in a series of posts by Dr. Gregory Unruh about geomimicry and its implications for sustainability.
Scotland Charges Forward in Its Role as the World's 'Circular Economy Hotspot'
THE NEXT ECONOMY - This week, circular economy experts from over 20 countries convened in Scotland as Glasgow hosted the third annual Circular Economy Hotspot. Glasgow used the occasion to announce its intention to become Scotland’s first circular city — this will involve Glasgow City Council publishing the country’s first circular economy route map with a key target to power 15 percent of the city’s homes with renewable energy by 2030.
Beyond Transparency: The Next Essential Step in Product Optimization
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING - If you’ve been around the building products industry in the last five years, you’ve probably encountered conversations about transparency — around material health, chemical hazards, environmental impacts, you name it. To be fair, if you were around the building products industry 10 years ago, no one was really talking about transparency (at least not like today). The buzzword of the day back then was recycled content. Before that, it was indoor air quality. And over time those attributes have become commonplace for most manufacturers; transparency is the next attribute to achieve.
Q&A: MSC on Its Plan to Put Fishing on a 'Pathway to Sustainability'
SUPPLY CHAIN - With the Our Ocean conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia, this week, ocean sustainability has been a hot topic: The event burst with sweeping commitments from the public and private sector alike aimed at cleaning up and protecting this precious resource. One such commitment came from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which launched a £1 million Ocean Stewardship Fund.
Give a Sh!rt™ About Our Environment, One Thrifted Item at a Time
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - The apparel and footwear industry accounts for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — that’s almost as much as the total emissions of the European Union. And the number of fashion cycles for clothing production has increased from two a year to as many as 50-100. Each cotton T-shirt we own withdrew more than 700 gallons of water from our natural resources during production.
Future-Fit Business Benchmark Shows Novo Nordisk What 'Good' Looks Like
NEW METRICS - Novo Nordisk is the first global company to have completed a Future-Fit self-assessment and to have the results independently assured. In advance of Sustainable Brands’ New Metrics ’18 event next week in Philadelphia, I sat down with Cora Olsen, Global Lead on Integrated Reporting at Novo Nordisk, to discuss what the company learned from this process.
Danone accelerates the transition towards a circular economy of packaging
PRESS RELEASE - Danone announces a series of new commitments and actions to ensure its packaging will become 100% circular, and to accelerate the global transition towards a circular economy of packaging. This includes (1) initiatives to improve product design and develop alternative delivery and reuse models, (2) investments to develop effective, efficient and inclusive systems for increased collection and recycling, to boost recycling and (3) actions to preserve natural resources by reintegrating recycled materials into our packaging and developing use of renewable materials.
World's First Search Engine for Clean Drinking Water Also Fights Plastic Bottle Pollution
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Consumers report that the prevailing reason why they buy bottled water is "convenience." Anyone can search online for the nearest gas station, coffee shop or nail salon, but when it comes to thirst, what options does one have? Open Google Maps and search “water fountain” — or ask Siri or Alexa, “Where can I fill up my water bottle?” No one has ever indexed the locations and prices of clean water around the world ... until now.
New Partnership Aims to Make Payments More Sustainable
PRESS RELEASE - For many years, the idea of going green in payments has been limited to linking purchases and accounts with donations to environmental causes and carbon offsets. These programs have had an impact in terms of awareness and raising much-needed funds. Now, there’s an opportunity to put these efforts into action across a broader part of the payments industry. Today, Mastercard and card manufacturers Gemalto, Giesecke+Devrient and IDEMIA launched the Greener Payments Partnership to establish environmental best practices and reduce first-use PVC plastic in card manufacturing.
Addressing SDG 14: 3 Steps to a Sustainable Ocean Supply Chain
NEW METRICS - Oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet’s surface and are home to 80 percent of life on earth. Fish, which provide 20 percent of daily protein intake to about 3.1 billion people, is among the most widely traded food commodities — at a value of US$145 billion annually.
Kohler Co.’s Innovation For Good Program Recognized as Changemaker with 2018 Mahatma Award
PRESS RELEASE - Kohler Co. has been presented with a 2018 Mahatma Award for Social Good for its “Innovation for Good” (IfG) efforts. Laura Kohler, Senior Vice President-Human Resources, Stewardship & Sustainability for Kohler Co., accepted the award on behalf of IfG and Kohler Co. in New York City during the recently held UN General Assembly. The Mahatma Awards for Social Good spotlight changemakers and are awarded annually to individuals or organizations committed to addressing complex social issues like safe water, sanitation, disease, poverty and hunger.
Target, ADM Join Food Giants Rising to Ceres' AgWater Challenge
SUPPLY CHAIN - Today, Ceres and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announce the addition of Target and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, to the AgWater Challenge. The two companies’ new water stewardship commitments were shared today at the Financial Times Water Summit in London.
Small Dose, Big Clean: Seventh Generation Reinvents the Liquid Laundry Bottle Using 60% Less Plastic, 50% Less Water and a Super Convenient Dosing Technology
PRESS RELEASE - Seventh Generation, a leading household and personal care products company and pioneer in the eco-friendly products space, has announced the launch of a new laundry detergent in an effort to modernize the liquid laundry category and drive unnecessary plastic and water waste out of the industry.
Nestlé Waters Allentown Factories Achieve Globally Recognized Water Stewardship Certification
PRESS RELEASE - Nestlé Waters North America announced today that its Allentown, Pennsylvania factories received certification under the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Created and supported by prominent environmental conservation groups, development organizations, and industry leaders, the AWS Standard is the first comprehensive global benchmark for responsible water stewardship across social, environmental, and economic criteria. This achievement was confirmed through audits conducted by SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certification body, and sole certifier to the AWS standard in North America.
Carbon Trust Endorses Braskem’s Carbon-Negative Claims for Bio-based Plastic
PRESS RELEASE - Brazilian chemicals company Braskem, producers of I’m green™ – a bio-based polyethylene made from sugarcane – has had its negative carbon footprint credentials strengthened thanks to an independent review by the Carbon Trust. In a new report comparing I’m green™ with fossil-based equivalents, the Carbon Trust has endorsed the methodology used by Braskem to support claims that for every tonne of I’m green™ produced, the equivalent of around 3 tonnes of CO2 are locked away by the sugarcane, which provides the main raw material for its manufacture. This means Braskem’s bio-based plastic is effectively carbon-negative.
