CLEANTECH -
During Climate Week NYC 2016 this week, several companies made bold commitments through The Climate Group’s two leading corporate energy campaigns: RE100, which is focused on transitioning to 100 percent renewable power, and EP100, a new initiative focused on doubling energy productivity.
PRESS RELEASE -
Lara Birkes, CSO at HPE, talks about HPE's bold new goals:
Today Hewlett Packard Enterprise marked an important milestone on our Living Progress journey. We joined RE100 with a commitment to reach 100 percent renewable energy, while setting an interim goal to source 50 percent of our total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2025.
RE100 is led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, as part of the We Mean Business coalition.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
It’s no mystery why an energy company might explore applications for gaseous waste emitted from its power plants, but making shoes isn’t usually on the agenda. For NRG, shoes made from carbon dioxide emissions are just the beginning.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
JetBlue today announced a ten-year renewable jet fuel purchase agreement with bioenergy company SG Preston, for jet fuel made from rapidly renewable, bio-based feedstocks that do not compete with food production. This marks one of the largest renewable jet fuel purchase agreements in aviation history, and the largest, long-term, binding commitment by any airline globally for HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids)-based renewable jet fuel.
PRESS RELEASE -
DETROIT – General Motors plans to generate or source all electrical power for its 350 operations in 59 countries with 100 percent renewable energy — such as wind, sun and landfill gas — by 2050.
“Establishing a 100 percent renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “This pursuit of renewable energy benefits our customers and communities through cleaner air while strengthening our business through lower and more stable energy costs.”
PRESS RELEASE -
Why set yourself an impossible challenge? For a company that sells $1 billion worth of carpet tiles a year, total elimination of its environmental impact by 2020 is surely beyond the realms of possibility.
Industrial manufacturing processes, heavy use of raw materials and layers of supply chain that are not always possible to influence make it difficult to comprehend how Mission Zero can be achieved.
But this is exactly the point for Interface. What are the realms of possibility, and how close to zero impact can be achieved? In 1994 the company’s founder Ray Anderson signalled a sea change in corporate attitude towards sustainability. Legal compliance, although important, was no longer enough.
CLEANTECH -
It’s been a good couple of years for the solar industry. In 2015, some 7.5 megawatts were added to the grid in the United States, according to the Solar Industries Association (SIA), which fueled 19 percent in the photovoltaic market over 2014.
LEADERSHIP -
California is about to face its biggest emissions reductions challenges yet, under new legislation signed late last week by Governor Jerry Brown. With a population of 38 million and growing, and a GDP of almost $2.5 trillion, California is the sixth-largest economy in the world – and now has one of the most ambitious mandates against climate change.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Three of the world’s largest insurers have called on G20 leaders to implement a timeframe for the end of fossil fuel subsidies when they meet in China this week.
The G20 has already committed to phase out “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption” over the “medium term.” In May, the G7 nations pledged to achieve this by 2025.
PRESS RELEASE -
General Motors created its first Student Sustainability Advisory Council this year to begin a new dialogue on sustainability. Composed of five graduate students from MIT, Penn State, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan and Stanford, the council provides fresh perspectives on sustainability at GM.
The company convenes formal stakeholder dialogues through Ceres and informally through various other sustainability networks. This initiative, however, offers students the opportunity to take a step inside the company and lend their unique insights into our sustainability strategy and priorities. The students come from diverse backgrounds, but they all share an interest in the subject.
PRESS RELEASE -
7 million trees planted in 52 countries around the world
Foundation to award millions in environmental grants
US 08/31/16
CLEANTECH -
Only four years ago, offshore wind farm developer DONG Energy set an ambitious 2020 target to build offshore wind energy for less than €100 per MWh. The target was also later adopted by the offshore wind industry. With Borssele 1+2, the forthcoming wind farm in the Netherlands, the target has now been reached.
Head of Wind Power at DONG Energy, Samuel Leupold, says: “With Borssele 1 and 2, we’re reaching a critical industry milestone more than three years ahead of time. This demonstrates the great potential of offshore wind.”
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Researchers and brewers have found new ways to capture carbon and convert it into stone and ink.
Tiger Beer, working alongside Marcel Sydney and MIT spinoff Graviky Labs, has created the first line of ink made from air pollution. Made entirely from emissions captured from vehicle tailpipes, 150 liters (roughly 40 gallons) of Tiger Air-Ink was put in pens, markers and spray cans so that different types of artists could experiment with it.
CLEANTECH -
Six industries could enjoy massive savings and emissions cuts by digitizing their business processes and applying data to monitor resource use. According to SAP, Europe’s largest software company, each of the identified industries could cut at least half a gigaton of carbon emissions by making such changes, and together, they could help save around $33 trillion worth of resources and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 7.6 gigatons by 2030.
In order of highest potential emissions cuts, the six industries SAP identified are: utilities (2.2 gigatons); agriculture and food production (1.6 gigatons); transportation and logistics (1.5 gigatons); construction (1.1 gigatons); manufacturing (0.7 gigatons); and retail and consumer production (0.5 gigatons).
LEADERSHIP -
The California State Assembly last week approved sweeping legislation that extends the state’s targets for reducing greenhouse gases from 2020 to 2030. Under SB 32, California would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
The new legislation builds off of the projected success of AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which calls for California to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020 — a target the state is expected to reach.
PRESS RELEASE -
A pair of Department of Energy grants awarded to UPS (NYSE: UPS) will enable the company and a world-class team of engineers to conduct cutting-edge research aimed at reducing emissions and revolutionizing the charging process for electric trucks.
The grants, announced today, are part of the Department of Energy’s efforts to spur innovation and promote more efficient cars and trucks.
NEW METRICS -
In this series of articles, the team at the Carbon Trust outlines the reasons for businesses to adopt science-based targets on climate change. This is the fifth and final part of the series; find the other parts here:
Part 1: Why do we need to set science-based targets on climate change?
Part 2: What exactly is a science-based target?
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The average American emits 17 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year just by going about their daily life – breathing, blow-drying their hair, cooking, and so on. The figure is similar for Australians (16.5 tonnes) and not much better for Canadians (14.1 tonnes), and for most people, it is impossible to reduce this figure to zero. At the same time, many understand that we face an imperative to reduce our impact and help cool the planet. So what are we to do?
PRESS RELEASE -
Iron Mountain® Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced the publication of the 2015 edition of its Corporate Responsibility Report. The report, now in its third annual edition, offers a comprehensive overview on the company’s progress towards its global commitments for key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) program goals. The full report is available for download on Iron Mountain’s Corporate Social Responsibility portal.