Month: December 2021

The Future of Emerging Europe programme consists of editorial content published throughout the year, the Summit and Awards (hosted in Brussels) and reports, such as the Sustainability Report you are about to get a copy of. The report analyses the status quo as far as applying ESG principles in emerging Europe is concerned, summarises the discussions with experts, looks at challenges and opportunities and outlines key recommendations for organisations based in the region.

Trends forecaster WGSN has unveiled its 2022 beauty trends, which centre around usability and sustainability, from water-saving hygiene to faster make-up routines. Among the six ‘ones to watch’, as highlighted by WGSN, is ‘waterless washing’, an evolution of waterless beauty encompassing showerless shampoo and no-water shaving products.
‘Fermented beauty’, meanwhile, taps into the desire for potent products and is driven by K-beauty and J-beauty trends. Fermentation releases enzymes that break down molecules so they can better penetrate the skin. The fermentation process also results in the formation of acids, such as lactic and acetic acids, which act as natural preservatives, prolonging shelf life.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, greenhouse gas concentrations have reached a record high. In the case of carbon dioxide (CO2),the growth in 2020 exceeded the average for the last decade; despite a 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissions driven by COVID-19 restrictions. This continued rise in CO2 concentration is directly linked to our massive consumption of fossil fuels. In a study published in the journal Green Energy & Environment, a group of researchers from Renmin University of China propose a new method to capture CO2 using sunlight as the energy source and modified sawdust as the CO2 absorbent. In addition to capturing CO2, their method also avoids using the fossil fuels that would create additional CO2. Importantly, the absorption method they have developed is reversible, so the captured CO2 can be used to generate other products, such as methanol, ethanol and methane.

Melodea Ltd. has developed MelOx, a plant-sourced barrier coating that protects packaged products from oxygen, as well as from oil and grease transmission. The company has also developed Melodea VBcoat, which protects packaged goods from water vapor, as well as from oil and grease transmission. The products are made from wood pulp, and do not contribute to plastic waste pollution.

The Australian Government has joined with Pacific Island countries to ensure ongoing sustainability of the world’s largest tuna fishery.  Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonno Duniam welcomed the outcomes of the 18th annual meeting of Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which was held virtually from 1 to 7 December.  “I am very pleased that the WCPFC has agreed to maintain strong management arrangements for key tuna stocks, including yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack,” Assistant Minister Duniam said.  “This measure will protect tropical tuna stocks relied on by the Australian and Pacific fishing industries for a further two years.

A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher is leading a collaborative advanced computer modelling project that could make carbon capture and storage more viable and revolutionise drug delivery.
USC Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering Dr Charith Rathnayaka and project partners from QUT, Griffith University and The University of Manchester have been assessing ways to improve the design, manufacture and operation of ‘liquid marbles’.
These are microscopic liquid droplets that are coated with nanoparticles to form a porous shell preventing moisture reaching surrounding surfaces.

Join us for a virtual Demo Day to hear how these entrepreneurs are impacting real change for our world, our climate, and our future.
These are the ten companies of the 2021 class of Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Discover more about the companies by clicking on their name below.

il and gas will remain the dominant fuel source for decades to come, the industry’s top executives declared on Wednesday, making their case not to be under valued as governments seek to reduce fossil fuels to address climate worries.
Executives offered a full-throated defense of the industry, describing government opposition to new projects as harming society and using this week’s World Petroleum Congress in Houston to rebut the industry’s harsh portrayal at the UN COP26 climate conference. Any effort to bar new development “is misguided” https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/opec-official-tells-oil-gathering-energy-transition-can-not-exclude-fossil-fuels-2021-12-08 and likely to hurt poorer nations, said OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo. Oil and gas also “can be part of the solution to tackling climate change.”

Sustainability has gained traction—and rightfully so—with individuals and businesses alike. And while your personal purchasing habits and environmentally friendly behaviors are nice (keep doing your part!), compared to the scale and impact of businesses, they don’t make as big a dent. Just think about the transit miles to support the millions of products shipped every year from all over the globe, compared to your couple dozen trips to the local grocery store.  
Individual initiatives are great, but to achieve progress at scale, you need to quantify the impact of your operations and future emissions reductions. And do that efficiently, you need sustainability management software.

Growing significance of neighbourhoods in different areas of urban planning, along with the increasing attention to the social dimension of sustainable communities and societies, emphasizes the need for conceptualizing socially sustainable neighbourhoods. This article first critically reflects on the concept of socially sustainable neighbourhoods in two areas of definition and operationalization. It then proposes a tripartite framework for measuring social sustainability of urban neighbourhoods which combines three elements of neighbourhood, neighbouring, and neighbours. This framework is tested, examined, and discussed in the case of Bethnal Green, London.

Our unique products and services are designed, built and delivered with the highest standards of safety, quality and integrity by diverse teams that value each other’s differences and experiences. Whether we’re finding solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, keep our employees and passengers safe, source responsibly or serve our communities — we ensure that sustainability is built in. Click below to learn how we are innovating for a better tomorrow.

The first ever ICAEW public sector conference will be a virtual event focussing on sustainability. The conference will feature high profile speakers, provide attendees with practical tips and demonstrate the importance of the public sector in achieving net zero.

The world population is soaring and consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment, their health, food safety, and ongoing access to clean water. Now, more than ever, our world needs effective, sustainable crop management solutions that are safe for people and protect our natural resources. At Marrone Bio Innovations we understand these challenges and are dedicated to delivering high-performing, biological-based solutions that address these daunting global issues in proven and substantial ways.

Following the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009, Team Ontario/BC’s North House was to travel more than 4,000 km (2,500 mi) to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, the cost of moving and rebuilding the house ultimately prevented this. Instead, North House returned to the University of Waterloo. On June 6, 2013, it reopened at its permanent home at the rare Charitable Research Reserve as a research and outreach facility. Team Ontario/BC—made up of faculty and students from the University of Waterloo, Ryerson University, and Simon Fraser University—collaborated to construct North House for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009. Its entry took fourth place in the competition with top-five finishes in seven of the 10 decathlon contests.

A forum to empower youth and women in mining communities has been held in Accra.
Themed “Maximizing socio-economic benefits from Extractive Areas for Women and Youth Entrepreneurs – Connect, Collaborate, Scale-up”, the 3-day forum seeks to tackle topical issues including participatory and inclusive local development in extractive areas.
The forum further seeks to facilitate discussions on women and young entrepreneurs in mining areas i.e., how they can access finance and the technical support to grow their businesses and local development mining funds and other mining revenues.

Steel production could be made with almost no carbon emissions through $278 billion of extra investment by 2050, according to a new report from research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF). Hydrogen and recycling are likely to play a central role in reducing emissions from steel production. Steel is responsible for around 7% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions every year and is one of the world’s most polluting industries.
Government and corporate net-zero commitments are pushing the steel industry to cancel out its emissions by 2050. Efforts to decarbonize steel production are central to the net-zero aspirations of China, Japan, Korea and the European Union.

Global automotive supplier Marelli has unveiled a new goal to become carbon neutral across its direct impacts and operations by 2030, with a focus on onsite renewable generation and energy efficiency upgrades to be introduced.  The company will focus on an “energy efficiency Monozukuri” programme that has been introduced to reduce energy usage at plants.  Italian automotive developer Marelli has committed to becoming carbon neutral within its operations (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by 2030, this will cover emissions from direct sources owned or controlled by the company and emissions from energy purchases.  Marelli’s executive chairman Dinesh Paliwal said: “The automotive industry has a critical role to play in creating a cleaner, greener world. In addition to our role as a supplier of technologies which enable the responsible transition towards full electrification, this significant investment in achieving full operational carbon neutrality is a milestone in building a stronger, more sustainable Marelli.”

We don’t have time to think conceptually about sustainability operations anymore – we must act. Results on the ground are what we need to move the needle, but many leaders aren’t sure how to get started. With this toolkit, you can put theory into practice now.  Eventually, all organisations looking to change to more sustainable operations will need to transition from strategic thinking to tactical implementation. In a career that’s observed international development in some of the world’s political hotspots, I have learned that results on the ground are often what matter most. This is especially true if you are working under pressure, as we all ought to be in relation to climate change today. 

The Ki Culture Sustainability Training Programme is a new activity for 2021-24, and is part of ETC’s pledge to become a climate neutral network by 2030.  Course runs from 18 January – 18 April 2022. Expected time committment: 3-4 hours per week (this can be shared between multiple members of staff)  This intensive pilot programme is an opportunity for 10 – 15 ETC member theatres to join a global effort to use culture to drive sustainable change in their organisations and communities.  Ki Culture has run a similar programme in the museum sector with major organisations including The Smithsonian (Washington), Museo Moderno (Buenos Aires), Deutsches Museum (Munich), and the National Museum Lagos (Lagos).

The Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF3) study, an effort involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, German research centre DLR and Finnish SAF producer Neste, marks the first time 100 per cent SAF has been measured simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger aircraft – an Airbus A350 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. According to Airbus, in-flight emissions tests and associated ground testing on the ECLIF3 programme began earlier this year and have recently resumed. The interdisciplinary team, including researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and Manchester University, will publish its results in academic journals towards the end of next year and 2023.