As the global community increasingly grapples with climate change, unprecedented natural disasters and social tension, Philippine tycoons embrace sustainability as an integral way of doing business and future-proofing their own conglomerates for the benefit of society at large.
Source: business.inquirer.net
From self-healing phone screens to concrete that repairs itself, businesses are investing in futuristic materials. But can it curb our throwaway habits?
A process that will look into a ban will be announced Monday, and the ban could come into effect as early as 2021, according to an anonymous source.
Africa has the richest solar resources of any region, yet today is home to only 5 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, less than 1% of the global total. With the right policies and financing, solar PV could become the continent’s top electricity source by capacity. While solar PV is set to expand most rapidly, all renewable technologies are needed to support energy access and development, especially an expansion of hydroelectric capacity. Over 40% of global gas discoveries in recent years were in Africa and, if used locally, this gas has the potential to complement electricity generation from renewables and support industrialisation. All such resources could help bring about a much less carbon-intensive development trajectory compared to other developing regions. Tapping Africa’s potential for energy efficiency, renewables and domestic use of natural gas is crucial to put all African countries on track for universal access to reliable electricity by 2030. To achieve this goal, over the next 12 years, the average number of people gaining access to electricity each year would need to triple from around 20 million today to over 60 million people. More decentralised and modular technologies, mainly based on renewables, are now available and they are reducing the length of time it takes to provide access to electricity and cutting the costs of doing so. According to the IEA’s latest geospatial analysis (developed in collaboration with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology), while grid expansion and densification will remain essential, mini-grids and stand-alone systems could provide power to more than half of the population who need to gain access by 2030, or almost 450 million people. A reliable electricity supply for all would require an almost fourfold increase in power sector investment, averaging around $120bn a year to 2040, half of which is needed for networks. Mobilising…
Gap Inc. is making environmentally friendly changes to how it sources a crucial material.
Techstars launches the Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator for accelerating solutions that will make lasting effects on energy, create jobs, and drive revenue within the state. …
Announced this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the partnership will see the two organisations work together to bring innovative, cradle-to-cradle products and services to market. Specifically, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will offer its best practice advice to SC Johnson and connect the company to its nine other Global Partner corporates, including Nike, Unilever, Google and H&M, while SC Johnson will invest in research, development and trials of new products and materials.
The overarching aim of the Foundation’s Global Partner scheme is to drive a culture-wide shift to a truly circular economy, in which no resources are sent to landfill or left to pollute nature. As the owner of brands such as Mr Muscle, Glade and Windex, SC Johnson’s specific focus will be on single-use plastic packaging – a topic it has been discussing with industry experts for “several years”, according to chairman and chief executive Fisk Johnson. “Plastic pollution is an enormous problem, and it is going to take businesses, governments, consumers and civil society working together to solve it,” Johnson said. “We’re all going to have to come together, and Ellen and the Foundation have done an excellent job creating an opportunity for partnership and progress.”
Read the full article at: www.edie.net