Vogue features Zara’s sustainability pledge, but is it greenwashing?

The UK government has an opportunity to create new jobs and drive economic growth through expanding the circular economy. This sees products and resources kept in use for as long as possible through reuse, recovery, remanufacturing and recycling. The UK’s current approach is unsustainable. Too many products and materials are cast aside without a structure in place to reclaim them or prolong their use. Too much value is lost through destruction and disposal. A reused iPhone, for example, retains around 48 per cent of its original value, whereas as recyclate it retains just 0.24 per cent. Here Green Alliance shows that greater government ambition for an effective and expanded circular economy by 2035 would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country. Just a few new policies focused on improving the use of valuable resources, led by the Treasury, would help to drive economic growth and the government’s own levelling up agenda, while supporting environmental aspirations.

Annual investments of around $35 billion could bring electricity access for 759 million people who currently lack it, and $25 billion a year can help 2.6 billion people gain access to clean cooking between now and 2030. Everyone in the world could have access to clean, affordable energy within the next nine years if countries modestly increase investments, according to new reports released today, in advance of a major ministerial meeting on 21-25 June where countries and businesses will begin to announce energy plans for the decade. Annual investments of around $35 billion could bring electricity access for 759 million people who currently lack it, and $25 billion a year can help 2.6 billion people gain access to clean cooking between now and 2030.

Continuing its trailblazing legacy at the Best Corporate Citizens Sustainability Awards (BCCSA) 2021, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector HNB PLC was presented with two awards in recognition of its outstanding CSR initiatives, which includes the Bank being ranked among the Top 10 Best Corporate Citizens in Sri Lanka.  “Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we put sustainability at the heart of our business practices, driving digital experiences exponentially and taking many innovative measures to reduce our carbon footprint.  Working in alignment with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, we contributed towards the revival of businesses by supporting customers who were severely impacted.  Our policies and commitment to these initiatives has ensured financial security and growth for MSMEs across the island. We are honoured by the accolades presented to HNB today and pledge to continue as a partner in progress for the nation,” HNB Executive Director / Chief Operating Officer, Dilshan Rodrigo stated.