archiveOctober 2023

The use of carbon offsetting is set to grow rapidly driven by strict new rules covering the reporting of environmental impact and changes to global carbon markets. These growing demands on industry and finance require an ever-more rigorous method of environmental reporting and, as 26 out of 50 key climate indicators can only be accurately observed and measured from space, the use of satellite monitoring – like carbon offsetting – will play an increasingly important role in global efforts to reach net zero. Many businesses cannot meet net-zero targets without...

reCommerce is rapidly emerging as a circular business model, refurbishing and reselling used products to prolong their lifecycle. Brands from Apple to Hoover to IKEA are tapping into reCommerce that combines sustainability and economic agendas and is expected to grow by 20x compared to traditional retail between now and 2025. Companies see reCommerce as an ideal model to decouple sales from raw material usage, build their brand and address new customers segments. Pioneering companies are able to create meaningful synergies between their brand narrative and re-commerce strategy, driving customer loyalty...

For the best part of the last century, electricity grids have been designed in a specific way in order to meet the demand from consumers. Operators were tasked with forecasting and then adjusting the electricity supply in accordance with peak demand times. Although most operators would not admit it, this task was relatively simple, given that a predictable supply of power was available from the various power plants which fed into the system. The energy transition has changed all of that. With an increasing amount of wind and solar energy...

Recycling metal plays a vital role in preserving primary resources and the future of our planet, says the British Metals Recycling Association. Scrap metals are secondary raw materials whose use reduces the demand for precious natural resources needed to make new metal compounds such as iron ore in steelmaking, nickel in stainless steel or alumina and bauxite in aluminium smelting. For example, every tonne of recycled steel saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore; 0.5 tonnes of coal; 70 per cent of the energy; 40 per cent of the water and...

Scope 3 supply chain emissions complexity can be addressed with a new collection and reporting solution from Ivalua. The company’s new Environmental Impact Center (EIC) solution allows for collection of Scope 3 emissions and other ESG data at scale from an organisation’s supply base and third parties. More than half of UK organisations struggle with visibility into their suppliers, making Scope 3 measurement extremely difficult. Incoming UK regulations like the proposed Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) in the finance industry will make reporting on Scope 3 emissions compulsory for the first time. The procurement function...

Wide-ranging barriers are preventing renewable energy from contributing effectively to a green energy transition. Barriers include a lack of attention to all energy carriers, a failure to diversify renewable energy technologies beyond wind and solar power, deficiencies in policies, bottlenecks in permitting and grid connections, unequal investment levels in different regions, and continued large investments in fossil fuels. The global energy supply is split mostly among heat (49 per cent) and fuel (29 per cent), with electricity having the lowest share (22 per cent). In 2022, the share of renewables in...

Leading the round, Pangaea Ventures, alongside GC Ventures, Solvay Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Technip Energies, has invested in Compact Membrane Systems, a pioneer in advanced membrane technology. CMS membranes offer a groundbreaking solution for carbon capture in challenging sectors like steel, cement, and kiln-process operations, responsible for over 11% of global emissions. Unlike traditional methods relying on costly and energy-intensive processes, CMS provides modular, fully electrified, and cost-effective solutions that are contaminant resistant, low energy, and easy to use, eliminating the need for regeneration, steam, or chemical solvents. With...

Buckinghamshire Council has inked an electrification agreement with Lunaz to upcycle its fleet of waste refuse trucks. The move will support 300 highly skilled clean-tech jobs in Silverstone, England, with each upcycled electric vehicle (UEVs) saving 82 per cent of the embedded carbon versus replacing with new diesel vehicles. The first 26-tonne refuse truck to become fully electric will be converted from its existing diesel power to electric, with delivery to be made in the autumn. The work is being funded with a grant from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food &...

Seafood’s’ vulnerability to environmental change has been vastly understudied, with the US and producers in Asia most at risk. More than 90 per cent of global “blue” seafood production in both capture fisheries and aquaculture faces substantial risks from environmental change, with several leading countries in Asia and the United States set to face the greatest threats to production, a new study shows. The authors behind the new paper produced the first-ever global analysis of environmental stressors impacting the production quantity and safety of blue foods around the world, ranking...

C-suites face strict requirements under ESG rules that place new demands on execs in the governance of their organisation. Standard corporate governance disclosures that were traditionally covered by voluntary reporting will now be mandatory under new ESG regulations such as the EU’s CSRD, due to come into force in 2024. The ‘G’ in ESG is a key pillar of environmental regulation that requires organisations to manage and account for non-financial reporting, corporate accountability, bribery, corruption and executive pay. Corporate governance is the process of managing non-financial risks that may have a...