The latest products, services, design approaches and business models that are helping organizations of all sizes deliver on their sustainability ambitions and establish a new business as usual
The Macallan, one of the world’s most famous whisky distilleries, has launched a new £74m clean energy project at its facility in Speyside, Scotland, which is expected to produce enough energy to heat the plant as well as power 20,000 local homes.The project was launched in a collaboration between John Laing and the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB). The new plant, developed by Estover Energy, is a biomass combined heat and power facility. According to GIB, the plant will be fuelled with sustainable forestry by-product sourced locally from one of the UK’s most productive forestry areas.
The concept of a circular economy has been on the fringes of market development for a while now, but a boost could come from the recent launch of the Cradle to Cradle Marketplace, the first online store to support the circular economy, selling only C2C-certified products (products in which their full life-cycle has been taken into account).
The world soon will see its first electric Grand Prix series with cars powered with electricity derived from algae as part of an effort to showcase the best in new zero emission technologies, BusinessGreen reports.The racing organization, Formula E, has signed a deal with UK start-up Aquafuel to supply generators powered by glycerine, a byproduct of biodiesel that also can be produced from salt-water algae. The fuel is biodegradable, non-toxic and can be used in modified diesel generators to generate power. The compound comes from algae and has zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. When it burns, there is no smoke, smell, or even sound.
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has announced five finalists for its Methane Detectors Challenge, a collaboration with seven oil and natural gas companies aimed at identifying next-generation technologies that will help better monitor and reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations.The Methane Detectors Challenge attracted 20 proposals from companies and university research teams, which used an array of diverse technologies ranging from infrared lasers to circuit boards filled with off-the-shelf sensors.
Five eco-friendly startups from the Netherlands, UK, France and Vietnam are competing in the final of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge, an annual global competition for startups with environmentally sustainable business plans. On September 11th, the finalists will present their ideas in Amsterdam before a jury led by Dame Ellen MacArthur; the winner will receive US$680,000 and runners-up will receive US$272,000 towards their ventures.
Nevada-based Algae Systems says it has developed a way to make algae-based biofuel profitable by transforming raw sewage into fuel and clean drinking water.The company says it has a pilot plant in Alabama that can profitably produces diesel fuel from algae by simultaneously making clean water from municipal sewage, utilizing the carbon-heavy residue as fertilizer and generating valuable credits for advanced biofuels. Using a “hydrothermal liquefaction” system, algae and other solids in the sewage are heated to more than 550 degrees Fahrenheit, at 3,000 pounds per square inch, creating a liquid that resembles crude oil from a well. Scientists then add hydrogen to produce diesel fuel.
Large pieces of paper cover the tables. A few bright sticky notes sprout here and there. Earnest-looking people bent over writing or steeped in conversation ignore their half-eaten lunches. Ideas begin to pop.It’s lunchtime at Sustainable Brands 2014 and we’ve challenged delegates to come up with a vision and concrete plans for answering three big What If questions while they eat:
Chick–fil–A has announced it is partnering with THRIVE Farmers™ Coffee to offer the QSR industry’s first–ever socially beneficial, specialty–grade coffee. Per THRIVE’s unique revenue-sharing model, the sale of each cup of coffee directly supports its network of Central American family coffee farmers, allowing them to earn up to 10 times more than farmers earn in traditional or even fair trade revenue models. THRIVE created a blend specifically for the chain, which is now available in restaurants nationwide.
The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) has announced the availability of a new tool designed to provide insight into how corporations assess and implement renewable and alternative energy technologies.The GEMI Quick Guide on Renewable and Alternative Energy assists companies in evaluating their renewable and alternative energy options, helping them to define a strategy that makes sense for them. To help companies learn by example, the guide also includes mini-case studies to share with users attributes that made their renewable and alternative energy technology project and strategy successful.
Worldwide, according to forecasts from the United Nations, emerging economies will contribute 98 percent of population growth to 2050. Millions of new consumers will be joining the middle classes in years to come. That makes it an appropriate time to discuss a social and economic phenomenon that is transforming both Brazil and other emerging economies around the world — the rise of a new middle class of consumers, with a major impact on the current global system of production and consumption.
A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) research report showed responsible products accounted for two-thirds of grocery product growth in 2013. That’s a pretty incredible number considering how grocery brands have been struggling.
Just in time for back-to-school season, eco-friendly school supplies company Green ABCs has launched a new line of supplies, which help minimize waste with recycled materials, renewable resources and innovations in biodegradability.The company’s co-founder and CEO, Beth Davies, says she was compelled to help start the company after finding it difficult to find eco-friendly school supplies for her son. With a widening gap between classroom supply needs and adequate funding provided from school budgets, parents, teachers and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) increasingly are making up this difference in school supplies.
Farmland LP, Public Lab, Rising Tide Capital and Sustaintech India are the winners of the Social Venture Network’s (SVN) 2014 Innovation Award, which recognizes companies that demonstrate the greatest impact in solving social, environmental and economic problems.The winners were selected by a panel of 16 judges, including Leigh Buchanan of Inc. magazine, Neil Grimmer of Plum Organics, Jean Oelwang of Virgin Unite, Jorge Calderon of Impact Strategy Advisors and Ed Dugger of the National Institute for a Sustainable Economy. The entrants were judged on their use of innovation, impact and ability to scale.The WinnersFarmland LP
Boeing, South African Airways (SAA) and SkyNRG have announced a collaboration to make sustainable aviation biofuel from a new type of tobacco plant.This initiative builds on cooperation between Boeing and SAA to develop renewable jet fuel in ways that support South Africa's goals for public health as well as economic and rural development.
In the drive to engage US consumers on the wonders of electric-vehicle mobility, the ante was upped once again on Tuesday when Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VW) announced the latest in its holistic approach to e-mobility. Starting with the launch of its zero-tailpipe emissions 2015 e-Golf later this year, Volkswagen will invest in carbon-reduction projects to offset emissions created from e-Golf production, distribution and up to approximately 36,000 miles of driving.
Strong certification systems can allow fuel buyers to support biofuels producers that take steps to protect the environment and help grow a biofuels industry that provides environmental benefits, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Organizations in the retail, consumer goods, telecommunications, consulting and property management industries are among those shortlisted for the 2014 Finance for the Future Awards, which recognize the role of the finance function in creating sustainable business models and economies. The finalists — in the Large Business, SME, Public Sector, Social Enterprise and Innovative New Idea categories — will be judged on September 5, with the winner announced at the awards ceremony on October 14.
BMW of North America this week launched its BMW i DC Fast Chargers, which can charge the BMW i3 all-electric vehicle’s battery up to 80 percent in 30 minutes.A joint development between BMW and Bosch Automotive Service Solutions, the charger was on display on July 28 at Plug-In 2014 on July 28 at the San Jose Convention Center.Half the size of a traditional electric vehicle DC charger, BMW i DC Fast Chargers can be mounted on a wall, a first for EV DC fast chargers. The chargers also will be significantly cheaper than other DC Combo chargers in the market, priced at $6,548 for authorized BMW partners.
Dependency on fossil fuel-based energy will lead to a global water crisis by 2040 unless power generators increase efficiency and the use of renewables, according to two new reports by CNA Corporation, a nonprofit research and analysis organization.The research, which explores the links between electric power generation and water use, also offers recommendations for strategic steps that can be taken to reduce power companies’ heavy dependence on water, which can enhance the reliability of power generation.
Since 2002, Macy’s has reduced its electricity usage by 38 percent and achieved a 95 percent adoption rate of recycled or certified paper used in marketing materials, according to a recent announcement.The retailer says it already has implemented more than 100 new sustainability ideas over the past six years. As often is the case, innovation has begotten innovation, and the company is looking to take further actions to improve its sustainability performance. Some of these actions include installation of additional electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, continued rollout of LED lighting and solar, and new efforts to reduce packaging waste.EVs, LEDs and Renewables