The Eurobarometer survey showed that citizens want more to be done to protect the environment, including by big companies and industry, national governments and the EU, as well as citizens themselves. According to the citizens interviewed, the most effective ways of tackling environmental problems are ‘changing the way we consume’ and ‘changing the way we produce and trade’.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “The results of this survey are no surprise to us. With the European Green Deal these are exactly the citizens’ concerns that we want to address. I am encouraged to see that there is support for the fundamental changes we are going to make in our society and economy, and that people want to play an active role in this change.”

According to the survey, climate change, air pollution, and waste are the three most important environmental issues. More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents said that environmental issues directly impacted their daily life and health, while over eight in ten citizens were worried about the impact of chemicals present in everyday products.

There is widespread acknowledgement that fundamental changes may be needed. Amongst the more than 27,000 people interviewed, there is solid support for policy measures aimed at reducing plastic waste and littering. The survey also revealed that citizens believe products should be designed in a way that facilitates recycling of plastic. Accordingly, industry and retailers should make an effort to reduce plastic packaging, and people should be educated on how to reduce their plastic waste. Local authorities should also provide more and better collection facilities for plastic waste.

The survey also examined attitudes towards the clothing industry, and found high levels of concern regarding environmental issues and working conditions. Respondents expressed a desire for clothing that lasted longer, made of materials that could be recycled.

Finally, support was expressed for other measures, including investment in research and development, more information and education, encouraging businesses to engage in sustainable activities and stricter legislative control.

Background

This survey was conducted between 6 and 19 December 2019 in the then 28 EU Member States. Some 27,498 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed, face-to-face at home in their mother tongue.

This Special Eurobarometer survey was the follow-up of a Special Eurobarometer survey conducted in October 2017, on the same topic. Many of the questions were repeated in this Special Eurobarometer.

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by the European Commission. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_331

The post New Eurobarometer Survey: Environmental protection and climate important for over 90% of European citizens appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items including mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging, making sure products are designed and manufactured to last – and that they are repairable if they go wrong.

It should mean that your phone lasts longer and proves easier to fix, especially if the display or the battery needs changing.

It’s all part of a worldwide movement called the Right to Repair, which led to the emergence of citizens’ repair workshops in various UK cities.

The plan is being presented by the European Commission and is expected to create standards for the UK too, even after Brexit, because it probably won’t be worthwhile for manufacturers to make lower-grade models only to be sold in Britain.

An ‘ambitious’ proposal

It’s all part of what one green group is calling the most ambitious and complete proposal ever put forward to reduce the environmental and climate impact of the things consumers use and wear. The aim is to make environmentally-friendly products the norm. It could mean manufacturers using screws to hold parts in place, instead of glue.

The rules will also fight “premature obsolescence”, the syndrome in which manufacturers make goods with deliberately low lifespan, to force consumers into buying a newer model.

According to one green group, the European Environment Bureau (EEB): “The strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way we manufacture, use and dispose of our products in a way that benefits people and the planet.” It urges Europe’s politicians to turn the plans into reality.

Recycled material

The EU also seeks to set a food waste reduction target, end over-packaging, and minimise microplastic pollution. Other recommendations under the proposals, known as the Circular Economy Action Plan, include the following:

• increasing recycled content in products
• reducing products’ impact on the climate and environment
• providing incentives for a new type of consumer use, where producers keep the ownership of the product or the responsibility for its performance throughout the product’s lifecycle – similar to car leasing

The idea is to encourage manufacturers to make sure things don’t break , as they will have to pick up the bill for their repair or replacement. The new rules go further than previous narrower regulations aimed at securing the repair-ability of “white goods” such as fridges and washing machines. However, the EEB complains that the package should go even further, setting waste prevention targets for businesses and industries, along with goals for reducing resource use overall across Europe.

The new EU package may restore some of the block’s reputation for environmental leadership, following condemnation of last week’s climate package. The tone of the document definitely strikes a green note. It begins: “There is only one planet Earth, yet by 2050, the world will be consuming as if there were three” and notes that “many products break down too quickly, cannot be easily reused, repaired or recycled, and many are made for single-use only.”

According to the report, global consumption of materials such as biomass (plant material), fossil fuels, metals and minerals is expected to double in the next 40 years. And it stresses that half of total greenhouse gas emissions and over 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress come from resource extraction and processing. The measures will need to be agreed by member states and MEPs, who are likely to be under pressure to act from their own citizens, who don’t seem to appreciate the throwaway society.

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by the BBC. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51825089

The post Climate change: New EU rules could mean the end of ‘throwaway culture’ appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The impact of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy

In the letter, published by the Bank of England and co-signed by the chair of the climate-focused Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), Mr Carney and Mr Villeroy de Galhau talk about the “catastrophic effects of climate change” and the extreme weather events around the globe that impact infrastructure, health and productivity, and destroy wealth. These massive human and financial costs of climate change forced governments to take action and, in accordance with the Paris Agreement, governments globally committed to limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, preferably as close to 1.5 degrees Celsius as possible.

Actions taken cooperatively by governments and countries worldwide, will enable a collective transition to a low-carbon economy. Accordingly, during the next decade, carbon emissions will have to be reduced by 45%, compared to 2010 levels. To achieve this goal, a huge reallocation of capital will be required and, as the two heads of the major central banks emphasise, “if some companies and industries fail to adjust to this new world, they will fail to exist”. This is why – also considering the climate-related financial risks involved – the NGFS, a coalition of 34 central banks representing five continents and half of global greenhouse gas emissions, was formed. The coalition released its first comprehensive report about climate-related financial risks, on 17 April.

What does the NGFS propose?

Seeking to translate commitments into real action, the coalition made four recommendations, setting, for all central banks, policymakers and the financial community, specific goals that will enable a smooth, orderly transition to a low-carbon economy:

• Integrating the monitoring of climate-related financial risks into daily supervisory work, financial stability monitoring and board risk management: The report encourages supervisors to make sure, by setting suitable expectations, that financial firms are effectively addressing climate-related financial risks. For example, by carrying out scenario analysis to assess their strategic resilience to climate change policy. The report also encourages firms to take a long-term, strategic approach to considering these risks, and to integrate them into their governance and risk-management frameworks. In other words, make climate change planning a daily priority.
• Leading by example: Central banks are encouraged to incorporate sustainability into their portfolio management, making their own operations more sustainable.
• Cooperating to bridge data gaps: The report calls for increased cooperation within the financial sector, with different companies and bodies sharing and, if possible, making publicly available climate risk information, to strengthen the assessment of climate-related risks.
• Building in-house capacity and sharing knowledge with other stakeholders on managing climate-related financial risks: To achieve the adequate consideration of climate risks across the financial system, both internal and external collaboration is necessary.

For these recommendations to succeed, two key conditions have to be met:

• To adequately assess climate change risks and opportunities, the market and regulators will have to be supported by robust and internationally reliable disclosures.
• Regulators should develop a suitable classification system to identify the economic activities that will contribute to the transition to a green, low-carbon economy. In this way, financial actors will be better able to make sustainable investment and lending decisions.

ALSO READ:

How to use the GRI Standards ASAP to accelerate positive change
Why Sustainability is important – Articles-Research
The value of sustainability reporting
Laying the foundation for good communication with responsible CSR/ sustainability reporting

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by the Bank of England. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks

The post Need to take immediate, targeted action, tackle climate change appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

Today, over 500 companies globally have committed to set “Science Based Targets” (SBT) in line with the “well below 2-degree” goal  Tweet This! outlined in the Paris Agreement. CEMAsys.com has now become the first Nordic consulting firm accredited by the CDP as an SBT Consulting Partner.

In the Nordic countries 40 companies have currently made commitments to set SBTs. Just two years ago there were only 3 Nordic companies with climate goals beyond 2030, signifying a strong and growing trend of companies wanting to develop long-term, science-based climate goals. The driving force behind this development partly lies with companies wanting to take responsibility for their contributions to climate change, as well as investors using climate action as a metric to consider a company’s ability to thrive in the green restructuring of the global economy.

“We are delighted that CEMAsys has become our first science-based targets partner in the Nordics. With its experience in assisting organization with calculation of emissions and targets setting, we are confident their services will be of great value to companies looking to set and implement science-based targets”, says Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Director Science Based Targets & Renewable Energy at the CDP.

CEMAsys.com is a leading Nordic consulting- and systems provider for climate, GRI and sustainability reporting services, and has since 2010 been the only Nordic consulting partnered with the CDP. In 2018, CEMAsys.com supported 36 Nordic companies reporting on their business strategy towards climate, water, and forests to the CDP. Of the total 7000 companies worldwide who reported to the CDP in 2018, only 126 companies received the highest score of A, gaining a spot on the coveted CDP A-List. CEMAsys.com supported 6 of these A-List companies from Norway and Sweden, as well as 6 Nordic companies scoring an A-, and 12 Nordic companies scoring a B.

“As the only accredited CDP consulting partner since 2010, it is a great recognition of our work to be asked by the CDP to become an accredited SBT Consulting Partner. We support more than 280 Nordic businesses with climate and sustainability reporting every year, both through our cloud-based service for all types of sustainability reporting, and with our climate- and GRI-consultants in an adviser and analysis capacity. We have for many years supported companies in developing clear and specific climate goals. Through our role as SBT Consulting Partner we will elevate our capacity through training and information provided by the CDP and the Science Based Target initiative so that we can help our Nordic clients budget and develop goals for their greenhouse gas emissions towards 2050, in line with the IPCC and the Paris Agreement”, said Partner and Product Manager in CEMAsys.com, Per Otto Larsen.

About SBT

The Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) is a collaborative project between the CDP, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). The purpose of the SBTi is to provide companies with a science-based tool for setting climate goals and budgets, and in doing so, increase companies’ competitive advantage in the transition to a low-carbon society.

Science-based targets provide companies with a roadmap to future growth in a changing global economy by outlining how much and how fast they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Video: What is a science-based target?

In the Paris Agreement, 195 countries committed to limit global warming to well-below 2 degrees Celsius. This signaled an acceleration in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Many companies already highlight their skills, capacity, and ingenuity to thrive in this transition – but they need ambitious reduction targets that ensure that the actions they take are in line with contemporary knowledge surrounding climate change.

Targets that are approved by companies to reduce greenhouse gases are considered science-based if they are in line with the levels of reduction that are necessary to keep global temperature rise under 2 degrees and if they are in line with the IPCC’s objectives.

Link: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/

About CDP

Over the last 15 years CDP has developed a system that has resulted in outstanding engagement on climate issues between investors, companies, cities, countries, and regions across the globe. CDP is a non-profit organization and is a global investor-driven reporting scheme. Every year, on behalf of 840 institutional investors, CDP asks over 7000 listed companies how they address global climate change, and how they acknowledge the risks and opportunities that follow a changing climate and a changing economy. The CDP asks 260 of the largest Nordic listed companies to report each year.

In addition to acting on behalf of investors, CDP uses this reporting scheme for CDP Supply Chain, CDP City, and now also for private actors in their Non-Listed Program.

Link: https://www.cdp.net/en

Contact CEMAsys.com:

www.cemasys.com

Kjetil Selmer-Olsen

kjetil(at)cemasys.com

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by CEMAsys.com AS. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://portal.cemasys.com/ 

The post CEMAsys.com AS achieves accreditation to help companies set climate targets consistent with the Paris Agreement appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

We are offering for free the Highly Rated 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified, ISEP and CIM Recognised course (venue: London School of Economics) to any Chamber of Commerce or Business Membership Organisation that commits to publish a GRI Standards Sustainability Report within one year.

With the course you will learn how to take positive sustainability action ASAP using the GRI Standards: an all-round, complete, structured, and methodical approach used by 80% of the world’s largest 250 companies.

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This article lays out how companies or organisations can accelerate positive change with the use of the GRI Standards which are overwhelmingly, the chosen framework for CSR/ ESG/ SDG/ Sustainability reporting. Today, 80% of the world’s 250 largest companies report according to the GRI Standards.

Two major issues in today’s world – the bigger picture is material
1) Whilst there is a huge take-up of sustainability reporting by the largest companies globally, they only represent approximately 10% of the global economy. SMEs, which represent about 90%(1) of the global economy, are taking little or no action to address huge issues like climate change or their impacts on the economy and society.

2) We need to shift gears and accelerate change, dealing now with issues that are screaming ‘urgent’ – like taking action on climate change (2a) (2b) (2c). This has to be done now by the vast majority of companies, large and small, on a global scale. Companies must first identify their impacts and, then, must take focused action by measuring, managing and changing.

Evolving your GRI Standards report to one that matters
In view of the pressing sustainability issues we are facing, I firmly believe that companies must make every effort accelerate positive change  Tweet This!. They must take a step back and see the forest, address environmental issues but also take positive action to develop the economies and societies on which they rely for growth and profit. US$12 trillion is the cherry on the cake (see below).

I propose that in addition to their material topics, companies report on:

1) four very important standards (descriptions below):

• GRI Disclosure 201-1 Direct economic value generated and distributed(3)
• GRI Standard 203 Indirect Economic Impacts(4)
• GRI Standard 308 Supplier Environmental Assessment(5)
• GRI Standard 414 Supplier Social Assessment(6)

2) at least one positive impact on society, using any of the GRI Standards but, more specifically, GRI 201 and 203
3) how they implemented GRI’s Reporting Principles, which help them demonstrate that they are not greenwashing

How is a company treating the society on which it relies for growth and profit?
GRI Disclosure 201-1 Direct economic value generated and distributed
With this disclosure companies must report and provide information on:

• Direct economic value generated: revenues;
• Economic value distributed: operating costs, employee wages and benefits, payments to providers of capital, payments to government by country, and community investments;
• Economic value retained: ‘direct economic value generated’ less ‘economic value distributed’.

GRI Standard 203 Indirect Economic Impacts

• Disclosure 203-1 Infrastructure investments and services supported
• Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

What does this mean for the person in the street?

These are both marvellous GRI Standards that companies can use to report on their positive impacts. However, many companies see sustainability reporting as a tick box exercise and fail to realise the importance of using their strengths to tackle, head-on, the problems that seem to be always in the headlines. Imagine a world where most companies are finding solutions for the important issues in the societies they operate and rely on for profit/growth. Issues related to infrastructure, unemployment (most importantly, youth unemployment), support for local suppliers and economic development in areas of high poverty, or the availability of their products and services for those with low incomes.

License to operate – millennials
Millennials, who hold our future in their hands, are overwhelmingly pro-sustainability and are showing this with their every action. Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.(7)

Case studies of companies demonstrating positive impacts on the economy and society 

Increasing supply chain pressure to get the smaller companies (that represent 90% of the global economy) to measure-manage-change
GRI Standards 308 and 414 supplier assessment (environment and social), used in combination with any of the other environmental or social standards, will accelerate positive change. Smaller companies wishing to be part of the supply chain of larger companies will, as a matter of fact, have to provide the information required by these standards. Most importantly, they will not be burdened with a full-scale report, as they will only be reporting on what matters (materiality).

What does this mean for the person in the street?

Experts on climate change are screaming ’emergency’, but politicians and other decision-makers around the world are either indifferent or dragging their feet, or not moving fast enough. Imagine a world where, despite these difficulties, the overwhelming majority of large companies, take action ASAP. A world where these companies take it upon themselves to clean their supply chains of emissions using GRI 308 Supplier Environmental Assessment in combination with GRI 305 Emissions. In essence, these companies will be using their buying power to implement the positive change that is so desperately needed and get the companies (SMEs) that are responsible for 90% of global economic activity to toe the line. At the same time, they will be able to tackle other key environmental issues (e.g. water, waste, biodiversity, and others).

Similarly, companies can leverage their strengths to implement positive outcomes for society. GRI 414 Supplier Social Assessment will help diminish bad practices in their supply chain. Companies will be able to address issues such as occupational health and safety, diversity and equal opportunity, child labour, forced or compulsory labour.

Case studies of companies cleaning their supply chain

How the GRI Principles can help companies avoid being accused of greenwashing
I believe that companies might hold back from implementing positive change, in fear of being accused of greenwashing. In the digital age we live in, information is instantly and freely accessible throughout the globe and this applies to companies, too: people are able to instantly access information about a company’s policies, the impact of its activity, its reputation, with or without the company’s consent(8). The GRI Reporting Principles go a long way in helping companies demonstrate that they are not greenwashing(9). By requiring companies to report according to these principles, GRI helps them create a first-class report regarding both content and quality, and demonstrate that they are taking solid, focused action (materiality) on their most important impacts. In essence, companies are building their armour and, if a question appears on social or other media, they are able to simply say ‘we are dealing with this impact in a responsible way, you can find information on how we are constantly improving in our GRI Standards Sustainability Report’.

Strategy – Strategy – Strategy
Seeing 90% of the ‘forest’ (SMEs taking action) is material
In my opinion, we need to step back and see the forest. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), responsible for around 90% of global economic activity, must begin to measure, manage and change. By using the proposed standards we:
1) put in place the foundation for a solid strategy to address the urgent sustainability issues outlined above
2) help companies demonstrate in no uncertain terms that they are spearheading positive change ASAP and promoting social and environmental responsibility throughout their supply chains(10)
3) get more of the SMEs, which represent 90% of global economic activity, to engage in focused reporting (material topics)
4) streamline reporting for SMEs that will not be burdened to provide a full report.

Action has to be taken yesterday – US$12 trillion is the cherry on the cake
In view of the pressing issues we are facing regarding the environment, economy and society, we need to take urgent action. I invite companies to take positive action now, using the above-mentioned GRI Standards and report their progress in their next reporting cycle. The cherry on the cake is not just creating a better, more sustainable world for all of us. According to the ‘Better Business, Better World’ report by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC), sustainable business practices will, by 2030, create, for corporations, tremendous market opportunities worth US$12 trillion  Tweet This! (11).

Also read:

• Case Studies: How companies are cleaning their supply chains of bad environmental and social practices
• Case studies: How companies are affecting positive change on the economies and societies they operate in and rely on for profit/growth

Simon Pitsillides
Sustainability Reporting and Marketing Communication Strategy Expert. Simon is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) a Fellow of the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (FISEP) and a Chartered Marketer, and holds an MBA in Marketing. He is a GRI and ISEP Trainer, the publisher of www.sustaincase.com and owner of www.fbrh.co.uk. Simon teaches the FBRH GRI Standards Certified, ISEP & CIM Recognised Course (venue: London School of Economics (LSE). 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-pitsillides

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified & ISEP recognised course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

(1) An exclusive interview with Tim Mohin, GRI’s new Chief Executive. https://sustaincase.com/an-exclusive-interview-with-tim-mohin-gris-new-chief-executive/
(2) A. Climate report: Scientists urge deep rapid change to limit warming. https://sustaincase.com/climate-report-scientists-urge-deep-rapid-change-to-limit-warming/
B. UN Secretary General: Climate change is moving faster than we are. https://sustaincase.com/un-secretary-general-climate-change-is-moving-faster-than-we-are
C. Four former UN climate talks presidents urge action on climate change. The next two years are crucial https://sustaincase.com/urgent-climate-change-action-needed-the-next-two-years-are-crucial/
(3) GRI Disclosure 201-1 Direct economic value generated and distributed. https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/gri-201-economic-performance-2016/
(4) GRI Standard 203 Indirect Economic Impacts. https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/gri-203-indirect-economic-impacts/
(5) GRI Standard 308 Supplier Environmental Assessment. https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/gri-308-supplier-environmental-assessment-2016/
(6) GRI Standard 414 Supplier Social Assessment. https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/gri-414-supplier-social-assessment-2016/
(7) Why Sustainability is important. https://sustaincase.com/articles-research/
(8) Laying the foundation for good communication with responsible CSR/ sustainability reporting. https://sustaincase.com/good-communication-with-responsible-csr-reporting/
(9) How not to be accused of Greenwashing. https://sustaincase.com/how-not-to-be-accused-of-greenwashing/
(10) Over 100 case studies on www.sustaincase.com demonstrate how companies are taking positive, focused action. https://sustaincase.com/category/case-studies/
(11) BSDC: Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals will create, for businesses, opportunities worth US$12 trillion. https://sustaincase.com/bsdc-achieving-the-un-sustainable-development-goals-will-create-for-businesses-opportunities-worth-us12-trillion/
(12) FBRH Consultants Ltd is a GRI Standards Certified Training Partner (UK) and an Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) Training Partner.
(13) Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP). https://fbrh.co.uk/en/ISEP
(14) 2-day FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP Approved Training Course • London LSE. https://fbrh.co.uk/en/gri-certified-training/2-day-fbrh-gri-standards-certified-training-course-about

The post Use the GRI Standards ASAP to accelerate positive change appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

This meeting is seen as the most critical since the 2015 Paris agreement. Experts warn that drastic cuts in carbon emissions are necessary to reach the Paris goals, while the World Bank has announced $200bn in funding for countries that take action to limit climate change.

Why is this meeting different?

This COP (Conference of the Parties) is the first to take place after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. According to the IPCC report, to achieve this goal, governments would have to reduce GHG emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. However, a recent study showed that CO2 emissions are, once again, increasing.

Protecting those most vulnerable to climate change, should also be a top priority. According to Gebru Jember Endalew, who chairs the group of poorest nations in the negotiations, “the IPCC report made crystal clear that every bit of warming matters, especially for the least developed countries.”

Additionally, for both China and the EU, this meeting is critical, as they want to show that international collaboration to address climate change is still possible in the age of President Trump.

What will be the focus of the meeting?

Conference delegates will focus on finalising the technical rules of how the Paris agreement – which does not become operational until 2020 – will work. Delegates will have to agree on common rules (the “rulebook”) for measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions, and for providing climate finance.

Is the UN process moving fast enough?

In view of the undoubtedly slow pace of the process, some campaigners argue that politicians around the globe are failing to realise the scale of the threat rising temperatures present. “Governments across the world have completely failed to protect their citizens,” said a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, a social movement pushing for radical change on climate issues.

On a more optimistic note, Achim Steiner, who heads the United Nations Development Programme, says that despite the difficulties encountered, “we have a $300bn renewable energy economy at work today – it’s not peanuts, it’s an energy revolution that has unfolded on the back of, yes, a sometimes sticky climate negotiation process”.

Will President Trump and the US take part?

The US has withdrawn from the Paris agreement, but it cannot leave until 2020. Thus, US negotiators are participating in meetings, and are expected to take part in COP 24. However, it has been reported that the White House will, for one more time, organise a side event, promoting fossil fuels – a move that is likely to outrage many delegates.

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by the BBC. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46398057

The post Urgent climate change action needed: the next two years are crucial appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The report was published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and includes some key messages. “The first is that limiting warming to 1.5C brings a lot of benefits compared with limiting it to two degrees. It really reduces the impacts of climate change in very important ways,” according to Prof Jim Skea, who co-chairs the IPCC.

“The second is the unprecedented nature of the changes that are required if we are to limit warming to 1.5C – changes to energy systems, changes to the way we manage land, changes to the way we move around with transportation.” Urgent, large-scale changes from governments and individuals are thus necessary, along with massive investments every year, approximately 2.5 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

What can I do?

According to the report, rapid and significant changes in four big global systems – energy, land use, cities and industry – are required. In addition, lifestyle changes by individuals are also highly important, and the study urges people to:

• buy less meat, milk, cheese and butter and more locally sourced seasonal food – and throw less of it away
• drive electric cars but walk or cycle short distances
• take trains and buses instead of planes
• use videoconferencing instead of business travel
• use a washing line instead of a tumble dryer
• insulate homes
• demand low carbon in every consumer product

Five steps to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius

• By 2030, global CO2 emissions need to decline by 45 per cent from 2010 levels
• Renewables are estimated to provide up to 85 per cent of global electricity by 2050
• Coal is expected to reduce to near zero
• Up to seven million sq km of land will be needed for energy crops (a bit less than the size of Australia)
• Global net zero emissions by 2050

What will happen if we do not take action?

According to the researchers, if we fail to keep temperature rises below 1.5 Celsius and reach two degrees of warming:

• coral reefs would be essentially wiped out
• global sea-level will rise about 10cm more
• there will be significant impacts on ocean temperatures and acidity, and the ability to grow crops such as rice, maize and wheat

Hard decisions are needed

Political leaders and governments around the globe, will have to take hard decisions. If the nations of the world do not act soon, they will have to rely even more on unproven technologies to take carbon out of the air – a both expensive and uncertain means of limiting global warming.

“They really need to start work immediately. The report is clear that if governments just fulfil the pledges they made in the Paris agreement for 2030, it is not good enough. It will make it very difficult to consider global warming of 1.5C. If they read the report and decide to increase their ambitions and act more immediately, then 1.5C stays within reach – that’s the nature of the choice they face,” said Prof Jim Skea.

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by BBC. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45775309?app=news.science_and_environment.story.45775309.page

The post Climate report: Scientists urge deep rapid change to limit warming appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The study, which included researchers from Beijing’s Peking University and Yale University in the US, involved measurements of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter where participants lived.

Over a period of four years, the maths and verbal skills of the study’s participants were monitored and the negative effects of air pollution on cognitive performance were found to increase as people aged, especially for men and the less educated. In addition, this new, detailed study suggests that pollution also increases the risk of degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. As over 80 percent of the world’s urban population breaths polluted air, the study’s results have global relevance, researchers said.

Air pollution around the globe – facts and figures

• Approximately seven million people die prematurely every year from exposure to polluted air. Air pollution, is often referred to as an invisible killer.
• In 2016, air pollution caused 4.2 million premature deaths globally.
• 91 percent of global population lives in places where WHO air quality guidelines levels are not met.
• 14 Indian cities are among the 20 most polluted cities globally.
• Nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air.

“Our findings about the damaging effect of air pollution on cognition, particularly on the aging brain, imply that the indirect effect on social welfare could be much larger than previously thought,” researchers concluded. “For older persons (in our study those age 55-65 or 65+) the effects can be very difficult to mitigate given the long term cumulative exposure.”

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by BBC News. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following links:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45326598

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/08/21/1809474115

http://www.who.int/news-room/air-pollution

The post Exposure to air pollution can harm cognitive intelligence appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The defining issue of our era

For Mr Guterres, climate change is the “defining issue” of our era, but world leaders do not seem to realise it. Amid increasing concerns about the slow pace of UN negotiations, he wants global leaders to attend a special climate conference in New York in September next year, to give the world a much-needed push.

The impacts of climate change became increasingly visible around the globe this year, with heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods. As Mr Guterres stressed, corals are dying, oceans are becoming more acidic, and CO2 levels in the atmosphere are the highest in three million years.

Even though world leaders agreed to act on climate change in Paris in 2015, even the modest goals of the Paris Agreement are far from being achieved.

Action can still be taken

Meaningful, effective action to fight climate change can, however, still be taken, and arguing it is too expensive, is “hogwash”: “For every dollar spent restoring degraded forests, as much as $30 can be recouped in economic benefits and poverty reduction,” said Mr Guterres.

The world has both the tools and the capacity to bring about real change: renewable energy sources are cost-competitive with coal and oil, according to the UN Secretary General. By 2030, wind and solar could power over a third of Europe. However, the absence of decisive political leadership is halting everything.

In addition, US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and his disbelief in climate change and multilateralism, have, according to observers, soured the UN talks on the Paris guidelines.

Mr Guterres said he is committed to change the political landscape to fight climate change and global warming, and mentioned the forthcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on how to keep the world from warming by more than 1.5 degrees C.

“We are careering towards the edge of the abyss. Our fate is in our own hands,” said the UN Secretary General.

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by BBC News. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45471410

The post UN Secretary General: Climate change is moving faster than we are appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

The multiple and severe impacts of overconsumption

The impacts of this unprecedented consumption of natural resources are multiple and severe. They include a failure to support ecosystems, lack of freshwater, clean air and soil, and, most importantly, climate change.

Climate change makes extreme weather events, like wildfires and heatwaves, more likely to occur and more severe, and these events have significant economic, human and social consequences.

According to HSBC, adaptation to climate change will become increasingly important, focusing mostly on its social consequences. In addition, as these extreme weather events show, many governments and businesses around the globe are not sufficiently prepared to face climate impacts, and are not making efficient use of natural resources.

As a consequence, investors are pressed to incorporate environmental, social and governance issues and policies into investment decisions, and businesses will be under increasing pressure to become more sustainable  Tweet This! and to develop and disclose their related strategies.

Note by the Editor:

The questions businesses and governments should be asking are:

1. Have we identified our most important impacts (materiality) on the environment, the economy and society?
2. Are we addressing our direct and indirect impacts?
3. Are we taking action in a responsible way?

Once we identify our most important impacts we should measure, manage and change. We should reduce our negative impacts and increase our positive impacts, both direct and indirect. For example, it is not enough for a large e-commerce company to just deal with the emissions it is directly responsible for (e.g. a few company cars). If it heavily relies on external courier services for delivery of orders, how is it dealing with their impacts? Is this company using, for instance, GRI Standard 308 Supplier Environmental Assessment in combination with GRI 305 Emissions to assess and choose the right suppliers?

Simon Pitsillides

SustainCase Editor

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

FBRH GRI Standards Certified and ISEP approved Sustainability Course | Venue: London LSE

By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

References:

This article is based on published information by HSBC. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the publication’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

https://www.gbm.hsbc.com/insights/energy-and-resources/earth-budget-already-spent

The post We are running out of resources to sustain life appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.