February 26, 2021
The case for electrifying buildings is a no-brainer. It makes buildings healthier, cheaper and is essential to addressing climate change (building operations account for 28 percent of emissions globally — more than all of the transportation sector). That doesn’t mean electrifying buildings will be easy. Beyond the coordination needed between building owners, contractors and occupants to
...February 26, 2021
Moving from a linear business model to a circular takes time, effort and trial and error. But it also has its hidden benefits. "It can help you with some operational efficiencies. It can also position you to be sort of a company of the future, and also, frankly, tackle the environmental challenges that we have of our consumption model," said Tensie Whelan, director at New York University’s
...February 25, 2021
The MyTown Microgrid will see the community, leading researchers and Australian businesses working together to find the best way for the town to access cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy. Hundreds of households, and dozens of businesses and local schools, will contribute to the three-year study via energy audits, real-time monitoring and control, data sharing and analytics, public displays
...February 25, 2021
There are, however, many other terms used that are related to net zero but mean something else entirely different. This has led to much confusion to those not familiar with all the nuanced variations and concepts. In this article, we have compiled definitions and meanings of some of the most commonly used sustainability terms. Sustainability terms and their meanings Net zero emissions Net zero
...February 25, 2021
Does all this money represent pure generosity, or compensation for wrongs done?
February 25, 2021
President Carlos Alvarado Quesada says the time is finally right for an international agreement to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change.
February 23, 2021
Domingo Morales, winner of the inaugural David Prize and its $200,000 grant, is bringing his compost education initiative to New York City.
February 23, 2021
Teams of Australia and India’s brightest students and most innovative start-ups turned their collective minds to solving global challenges at the inaugural India Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) held this month. The event — hosted by CSIRO and NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) — saw almost 80 teams target problems such as reducing packaging waste, avoiding waste
...February 23, 2021
General Mills, Danone pilots provide proof for regenerative agriculture success Jesse Klein Tue, 02/23/2021 - 01:30 A few years into Danone’s and General Mills’ regenerative agriculture pilots, one thing has become clear: It’s about data collection. Holistically changing our agriculture system to become more sustainable comes later. "We really don’t have a great understanding of
...February 23, 2021
In 2020, philanthropic donations by major donors saw an almost 7 percent increase on a year-to-date basis. As companies direct more of their money to external charitable causes, internally decision-makers are assessing how the companies' philanthropic efforts tie into their values, corporate responsibilities and sustainability strategies. For many, this includes weaving sustainability into
...February 22, 2021
The Klamath Dam removals are a test case for stakeholders working together to better manage water in the West.
February 22, 2021
A circular economy looks different within each industry, but its broad vision of healing the harm from the industrial economy’s extractive, polluting original sins is appealing more to a variety of businesses. A small number of influential large companies are creating internal funds to support sustainability goals specific to circular economy initiatives, such as designing out waste and recovering
...February 22, 2021
This article originally appeared in the State of Green Business 2021. You can download the entire report here. The practice of farming finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants — by land and by sea — dates back 3,000 years as first the Chinese and then the Romans sought ways to supplement their food supplies with species such as carp and oysters. In more modern times, support for aquaculture has
...February 19, 2021
Palm oil isn't the villain it used to be.
February 19, 2021
Want more great analysis of sustainable food systems? Sign up for Food Weekly, our free email newsletter. What does the future hold for genetically modified crops? This is a huge question in food and ag. It’s not one that will be answered quickly — new crops must emerge from the lab and clear regulatory hurdles before finding success, or not, in the marketplace. But a recent funding round provides an
...February 19, 2021
Creating human-made materials from living or biological sources is by no means a new development, yet newly invented bio-based materials are garnering significant hype as of late. From electronic displays made from fish scales to sanitary products made from banana fibers, these inspiring innovations can capture human imagination and evoke an aspirational future free of toxins and litter, amongst other
...February 18, 2021
It's better for the environment, better for the ocean, and almost as tasty as plant-based burgers.
February 18, 2021
Technology and finance have complementary histories of innovation, from the royal charters that launched the first global explorers to the early stock markets that fueled the industrial era. Today, the rise of SPACs is a capital markets innovation that matches the urgency and scope of our global sustainability challenges. For the uninitiated, SPACs — special purpose acquisition companies —
...February 18, 2021
For more essays by Heather Clancy, sign up for VERGE Weekly, one of our free newsletters. In early January, I covered personal care products company Aveda’s project to trace and verify the provenance of its vanilla supply using blockchain — and to allow consumers to peek into that information by later this year. It’s not the only consumer brand dreaming about that sort of connection or
...February 18, 2021
These days, it’s hard to argue that sustainability is a niche consumer interest. A vast majority of consumers worldwide believe we need to consume less, according to research by GlobeScan. More to the point, 57 percent of consumers in that survey were willing to pay more for sustainable products. But only about a quarter of them actually made any sustainable changes to their lifestyle or consumption. So
...February 17, 2021
A proposal for a wind turbine emoji got rejected and climate activists are facepalm.
February 17, 2021
Want more great analysis of electric and sustainable transport? Sign up for Transport Weekly, our free email newsletter. While electric vehicles hold big promise in 2021, another aspect of decarbonizing transportation could get major support this year: reducing car driving. Cutting down on car trips isn't about guilt-tripping folks into abandoning cars. Many of us need to use cars. It's
...February 16, 2021
Two entrepreneurs are introducing circular business models that could upend the food and apparel industries for the better.
February 16, 2021
An international research team has used microalgae to produce hydrogen and methane with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The researchers, from Monash University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, the IITB-Monash Research Academy Mumbai and The Indian Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemical Engineering, used reactive flash volatilisation (RFV) gasification
...February 16, 2021
Last week, during GreenBiz 21, Jarami Bond — a new colleague but an old friend — announced the launch of a new nonprofit "that exists solely to nurture and empower BIPOC professionals to accelerate a just transition to a clean economy," as he described it. It was a moment of deep pride for all of us. The nonprofit, spun out of the for-profit GreenBiz Group as an independent entity, was
...February 15, 2021
This article originally appeared in the State of Green Business 2021. You can download the entire report here. Corporate community investment historically has been the realm of philanthropy and volunteerism departments, but there are a growing number of examples where direct investment by businesses benefits operations as well as the communities in which they serve. In 2019, the Business Roundtable
...February 13, 2021
To erase its massive climate footprint, Ikea needs to change how it makes its products and how you buy them.
February 12, 2021
Big Oil is over. Meet Big Energy.
February 12, 2021
One single death from COVID-19, and it's carbon-negative. What's up with Bhutan?
February 12, 2021
Sustainability goals have become top of mind for an increasing number of corporations and communities, but in the words of Sherri Mitchell Weh'na Ha'mu Kwasset, Indigenous rights attorney and executive director of the Land Peace Foundation, we will not "solar panel or vote our way out of this crisis without also radically re-framing our connection with our Mother." In order to restore
...February 12, 2021
Over the years, as Rochelle Routman’s work took her to hundreds of contaminated manufacturing sites, it bothered her to find one thing in common: They seemed to be built on the backs of lower-income communities. "I thought, they would have never put this factory in the backyard of a country club neighborhood," said the trained geologist, whose career launched with the Georgia Environmental
...February 12, 2021
Why data and measurement are key to a circular economy transition James Woolven Fri, 02/12/2021 - 01:00 This article originally appeared on Circulate News. Measuring financial results, customer retention, productivity and inventory are all commonplace, but these measurements alone are no longer enough to tell a business whether it will stand the test of time. To be successful, it is becoming
...February 12, 2021
This analysis originally appeared in the Food Weekly newsletter, which is a year old this week. New readers can sign up here. One thing I’ve been pretty upbeat about over the past year is the emergence of alternative proteins. Prices of lab-grown and plant-based meat are falling just as awareness of the climate impact of livestock is growing. That doesn’t bode well for the meat
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February 11, 2021
Finding the true definition of "Sustainable Fashion".
February 11, 2021
Reprinted from GreenFin Weekly, a free weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting is facing an identity crisis. While reporting itself as a practice in disclosure has expanded dramatically around the world — 80 percent of companies globally report on sustainability — what goes in the report continues to be strikingly disparate across the
...February 11, 2021
Many practices are associated with regenerative agriculture — anything from no-till practices to pesticide-free farming. What’s more, the concept means different things for different crops in different regions. What is considered regenerative in one location might not qualify for the same label under other agricultural conditions. It’s clear the food and agriculture
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February 10, 2021
If you are deciding to embark on an entrepreneurial venture can always be very frightening. There's no guarantee of success, and there's also no one way to get ready for every obstacle that you will face along your way. Despite the many challenges of entrepreneurship, pursuing a career in this field can be hugely rewarding, and in some cases,
...February 10, 2021
Metals. It isn’t often that we — most of us, anyway — think about them. They are like water or packaged foods, things that appear out of a faucet or on a grocery store shelf as if by some magic inception. But there is a scientific beginning to metals. And it’s something we ought to be thinking about, increasingly so. Here’s why: Minerals are critical to the transition to clean, green
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February 9, 2021
Technology is rapidly changing the way we commute, travel and transport our goods and COVID-19 has sped up some innovation. Discover the big changes coming to our cities roadways and skies.
February 9, 2021
Effective communication is a significant skill required to promote effective interaction and demote misunderstanding and slip-ups. While they help everyone align with the company's core values, they also help them smoothly reach their organizational goals.
February 9, 2021
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $1.6 million in funding to Jemena to undertake a residential electric vehicle (EV) charging trial with four other electricity networks in the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. Jemena will work with Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSP) AusNet, Evoenergy, TasNetworks and United Energy on a 176 EV residential trial to demonstrate the use of
...February 9, 2021
A radical increase in available carbon emissions data may be just around the corner. Should it happen within a matter of months as proponents hope, its effects will spread around the world to dramatic effect. Cities failing to measure and publish their emissions data will find themselves under renewed and intense scrutiny. Slow-to-change investors and greenwashers in the business community will lose their
...February 8, 2021
A new initiative seeks to improve outdoor access for underrepresented youth.
February 8, 2021
A local manufacturing hub in an established NSW regional centre, such as Lithgow, would speed up the NSW Government’s electric vehicle (EV) vision for the state, according to Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC). NSW Minister for Roads and Transport Andrew Constance recently launched Western Sydney’s first electric-powered bus in Leppington, marking a key step in the
...February 8, 2021
A new law in France aims to help keep smartphones out of the dump. It also has global implications.
February 8, 2021
This article originally appeared in the State of Green Business 2021. You can download the entire report here. We have seen a rising emphasis on ESG issues in recent years, as customers, investors and other stakeholders look for more transparency on corporate strategies and their impact on society. Companies are making progress in disclosing their environmental impact and governance standards, but social
...February 8, 2021
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are increasingly becoming incorporated across all aspects of organizations, including business strategies, operations and product/service offerings. Recent global research of boards of directors by Willis Towers Watson found that 70 to 80 percent of respondents have identified ESG priorities and developed ESG implementation plans.
...February 7, 2021
Pact Group and Cleanaway have announced a joint project to build a new plastic recycling plant in Western Australia, which has attracted $9.5 million in grant funding from the Recycling Modernisation Fund and the WA Government. The funding — which remains conditional upon the completion of financial due diligence and entry into formal funding agreements — was announced by WA Minister for
...February 5, 2021
For more great analysis of sustainable food systems, sign up for Food Weekly, our free email newsletter. I was chatting recently with a veteran strategy wonk about the world’s stuttering progress toward decarbonization. Electricity generation was an early focus. More recently, the transport sector began to move away from fossil fuels. But what about food and ag? Farm-to-fork emissions are on a par
...February 4, 2021
Since leaving her role as Brand Power presenter some years ago, Sally Williams has dedicated her career to only supporting and representing brands and companies that are making a concerted effort to reduce waste. Taking a realistic stance on sustainability, Sally realised the growing need for industry groups, consumers — and importantly, government — to unite in order to make any significant
...February 4, 2021
In response to the Climate Change Commission’s draft emissions budgets for transitioning to a net zero carbon, the New Zealand minerals sector has announced that it looks forward to engaging with government to develop feasible, practicable and effective pathways for climate change action. Straterra — the industry association representing the sector — commented on the advice.
...February 4, 2021
Buckle up, baby! We're talking stocks, shorts, and nihilism.
February 4, 2021
This week, oil giant ExxonMobil pledged $3 billion to the development of a carbon capture and storage business over the next five years — in a bid to manage its business risks associated with climate change. CEO Darren Woods noted in the company's press release: "We are focused on proprietary projects and commercial partnerships that will have a demonstrably positive impact on our own
...February 3, 2021
Renergi Pty Ltd will progress to the next development stage of its waste-to-energy technology in Collie, Western Australia, with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announcing $3.9 million in funding on behalf of the Australian Government. In partnership with the Shire of Collie and with $2 million from the WA Government’s Collie Futures Industry Development Fund, Renergi will design,
...February 3, 2021
Social media campaigns can be an effective tool for evoking behavioural change towards reducing food waste, according to research conducted at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The Fight Food Waste CRC Annual Report 2018–2019 finds that one-third of Australia’s $20 billion-a-year food waste bill is generated by households, costing the average family $195 a month. This positions
...February 2, 2021
A prize-winning wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) project in Logan, Queensland, has transformed the surrounding area into an environmental wetland wildlife sanctuary and community recreational asset. The $116.7 million Cedar Grove Environmental Centre project features what is reported to be the state’s first WWTP to benefit the environment through membrane bioreactor technology and
...February 2, 2021
Federal rules make it illegal for environmentalists to lease oil- and gas-rich lands in order to protect them. It’s time for that to change.
February 2, 2021
Here are a few items from 2020 we found memorable, in case you missed it. We know the Sustainability-focussed buyer is not one to skim over the details. They think about how their actions, every action, impacts others.
February 1, 2021
This article originally appeared in the State of Green Business 2021. You can download the entire report here. Over the past few years, as companies have come under steadily increasing pressure to tackle climate change, nature-based solutions have emerged as a particularly exciting method for shrinking corporate carbon footprints. Investing in forests can be a win-win that both sequesters carbon and
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