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In the last two decades, many companies have made pledges to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Have these pledges been effective? New research published in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters shows that when it comes to sourcing soy from the Amazon region, zero-deforestation pledges (ZDP)—made in support of Brazil’s Soy Moratorium, which banned sourcing soybeans produced on deforested land after 2006—have been mostly ineffective.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, Boston University, ETH Zurich, and New York University, the research found that ZDP pledges were made by at least 94 companies through 2021, and the majority of these were not effectively implemented.
From 2006 to 2015, researchers found that these pledges reduced tree clearance in the Brazilian Amazon by only 1.6 percent—or approximately 2,300 km2, or an area that is smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state. After fossil fuels, deforestation is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.
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The Impact of Deforestation on Carbon Storage
A one degree change in temperature could have catastrophic consequences.
One of the most notable influences on rising global average temperatures comes from deforestation. In fact, combined emissions from deforestation are higher than the annual emissions of any other country (apart from the U.S. and China) and contribute to roughly 12% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions.
This graphic from The LEAF Coalition takes a closer look at the impact deforestation has on global greenhouse gas emissions through carbon storage.
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Seemingly a little forgotten about in the fight against climate change, methane emissions are an incredibly potent contributor to warming the earth. Aiming to change that, Germany-based startup Orbio Earth has just raised €600k for its methane intelligence solution.
The race to net zero with respect to carbon emissions is firmly on and startups, corporates, governments and individual civilians are all part of it. Fresh innovations, key targets and strict regulations are all helping fuel this forward. However, methane emissions are also a massive contributor to the climate crisis – we just don’t talk about it as much.
It’s reported that over a 20-year period, methane is actually 80% more potent at warming the earth than CO2.
Germany-based startup, Orbio Earth, is on task to accelerate the low-carbon transition with actionable methane intelligence and it’s just raised €600k to do so.
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With consumers prioritizing environmental sustainability, Amazon and Target unveiled stores that aim to use less energy than they produce, the retailers announced last week. Target's first net-zero energy store is located in Vista, California, and the new Amazon Fresh store, which is pursuing net-zero carbon certification, is located in Seattle. The new Amazon Fresh Seattle location features a CO2-based refrigeration system, has steel byproducts to reduce embodied carbon and fully sources its electricity from the company's renewable energy projects. Target's store has solar carports, CO2 refrigeration and LED lighting. Drawing from its experience, Target said it plans to add CO2 refrigeration to all of its stores by 2040. Amazon said that some of the upgrades will be used at all of its Amazon Fresh grocery stores going forward, such as the lower-carbon concrete flooring.
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Only a third of companies have credible carbon emission reduction plans in place - with apparel among the worst offenders, according to the CDP intitiative.
The non-profit, which runs the world's environmental disclosure system, said more than 13,100 companies disclosed their plans to mitigate climate change last year.
However, only 4,002 had developed a low-carbon transition plan and just 135 - fewer than one per cent - reported on all 24 of the CDP's key indicators of a credible plan.
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Amid “the Great Resignation” and a volatile economic period, companies can’t afford to lose talent or customers. They must reinvent their business models to be both profitable and sustainable. Establish a Sustainable Business Strategy Embed Sustainable Data into Business Processes and Networks Manage Carbon and Climate Exposure Throughout the Business Embrace Circularity and Become Regenerative Prioritize People Across the Supply Chain
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Strong financial outcomes and sustainability focused leadership is required for long term impact, according to a new report from IDC.
In the document, IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Sustainability 2022 Predictions - APEJ Implications, IDC has identified the top 10 predictions for environmental, social, and (corporate) governance (ESG) in 2022 and beyond.
The report provides organisations with context and underlying drivers for IT investments supporting ESG initiatives for the predictions.
According to IDC, the last two years have seen significant debate and mixed results in the area of climate change. The world has experienced a brief reprieve in emissions due to lockdowns in early 2020. However, emissions increased beyond pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) has amplified the climate change plan. Even so, critics question whether the agreements articulated are enough.
In the Asia/Pacific region, the drivers that result in concrete sustainability outcomes are still primarily financial, the analysts state.
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Current global emissions targets will only be achieved through the acceleration of innovative technologies, enabling industries to pivot their organizations towards sustainable operations. Digital technology may be the most powerful, scalable tool the world has to tackle climate change and 5G is at the forefront of this effort.
Operators of wireless networks have already taken numerous steps to limit emissions, such as reducing energy consumption, switching to more efficient network equipment, and sourcing renewable energy. However, offsetting the growth in data volumes over mobile networks will require more than improvements to current networks.
The impact of 5G is threefold in its potential to combat the effects of climate change: 5G, with its substantially greater energy efficiency, will reduce greenhouse gases, abate the emissions of other industries, and enable more precise monitoring of our environment to help meet broader climate change commitments.
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Memphis-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider FedEx announced this week it is making a $2 billion investment in order to have carbon-neutral operations by 2040, which it said will be focused on by initial investments in vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration.
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A key thread of the research examined the ability of people to visualize the future. Results showed that while 74 percent of respondents were concerned about climate change, only 29 percent discussed lower carbon options when asked to describe travel in the year 2050.
"This suggests actively envisioning a sustainable future was less prevalent than climate change concern. So while the majority were concerned, there was a disconnect with expectations of what the future might hold," says lead author Jean Fletcher, who completed the study as part of her Ph.D. in Otago's Centre for Science Communication.
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Sustainable or green IT is not new. In fact, it has been a topic of discussion among IT leaders for decades. But the concept of sustainability in general, which the United Nations defines as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” is something people and organizations are prioritizing more than ever — and for good reason.
Concerns about the environment and climate change are front and center among world leaders, environmental advocacy groups, and society at large. Corporate executives and boards want their organizations to do their part — or at least be perceived as doing their part — to help.
The push for better environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives has taken a high priority at many organizations, and this encompasses more efficient uses of technology.
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BCG recently conducted a global survey of 1,000 leaders in A.I. and climate that tells us more about that potential—as well as the barriers getting in the way. We found that 87% of respondents feel that advanced analytics and A.I., or simply “A.I.,” is a helpful tool in the fight against climate change today, but only 43% say that they have a vision for using A.I. in their own climate change efforts.
They see the greatest business value for AI in the reduction and measurement of emissions. In fact, there are many diverse ways in which global leaders can use A.I. to achieve their goals:
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“As the first plastic tax to be implemented globally, the UK PPT is a harbinger of the worldwide movement reinforcing the polluter pays principle alongside extended producer responsibility,” said Stephen Jamieson, global head of circular economy solutions at SAP. “By disincentivising the use of unsustainable materials, the government is at the same time incentivising the market value of recyclable plastic, fostering a sustainable circular economy that will have global repercussions.”
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Today, Amazon and Global Optimism announced that more than 300 companies have now signed The Climate Pledge, a nearly 600% growth in signatories over the past year. Among the nearly 100 new signatories joining today are the world’s largest container shipping company, Maersk; the leading enterprise software developer SAP; the North American timberland company Weyerhaeuser; the largest residential solar company in the U.S., Sunrun; and the leading brand in connected car and audio services, HARMAN. Pledge signatories in total generate over $3.5 trillion in global annual revenues and have more than 8 million employees across 51 industries in 29 countries.
Signatories to The Climate Pledge must agree to:
Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
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Salzgitter is one step closer to achieving its low carbon steel ambitions, with the firm confirming a new deal that will see Uniper supply the manufacturer with green hydrogen from its Wilhelmshaven plant in Germany.
A landmark project for Uniper, its Green Wilhelmshaven project will boast two hydrogen plants developed in parallel. The first facility will convert green ammonia back into hydrogen and the second will feature an electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 1,000MW.
Under plans of the newly inked deal, Uniper will soon supply Salzgitter with the produced energy carrier through the evolving German hydrogen pipeline network as it showcases the many use cases of hydrogen.
Klaus-Dieter Maubach, CEO of Uniper, said, “We need ‘green electrons’ and ‘green molecules’, if we want to achieve the proclaimed climate protection objectives, while preserving our industry in Germany.
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Countering the trend for more packaging is the desire for more sustainable measures, especially as climate change becomes of greater concern to consumers.
A 2020 survey by the IBM Institute for Business Value in association with the National Retail Federation found that 57 percent of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to reduce negative environmental impacts.
Further, products marketed as sustainable have expanded more than seven times faster than other items, according to a 2020 report from the New York University Stern Center for Sustainable Business.
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Climate change is now firmly on the agenda for boards. Yet a gap remains between what directors say about climate change (essentially, that’s it’s a critical strategic issue) and what their companies do about climate change (essentially, very little). Based on a survey of dozens of directors in 43 countries, ten pieces of advice emerged for boards in 2022, including conducting a board-effectiveness review focused on climate; refresh the board make-up to ensure climate expertise and linking executive compensation to climate targets.
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Tackling food waste is vital to reducing carbon emissions and should be at the forefront of Australia’s climate policies, advocates say.
It is estimated that 7.3 million tonnes of food is wasted in Australia each year, costing the economy more than $20 billion annually.
Food waste is also a major environmental issue, with around eight per cent of global carbon emissions coming from wasted food, which rots in landfill and releases methane into the atmosphere.
Food rescue charity OzHarvest has recently teamed up with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) to release a new report examining Australia’s progress on tackling food waste.
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With a sharp eye on the future, Deutsche Post DHL Group announced this week it has rolled out an $8 billion (USD) roadmap focused on what it is calling the planned decarbonization of the company, through 2030, focusing on climate-neutral logistics.
DHL said that this investment will be allocated towards both operation expenses and capital expenses on various fronts, including
1. alternative aviation fuels;
2. the expansion of the zero-emission e-vehicle fleet; and
3. climate-neutral buildings
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