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A sustainable packaging solution based on seaweed has been developed by Notpla, a UK company that won Earthshot’s ‘Building a Waste-Free World’ category. The solution is a seaweed-based biodegradable alternative to plastic. Sustainable packaging solutions are needed to replace the 6.3bn tonnes of plastic waste that currently litter our oceans and streets. With products ranging from edible drinks pouches to fast-food packaging, Notpla, supported by Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures and a member of the UKRI-funded UK Circular Plastics Network, has already made over one million food boxes for takeaway company Just Eat. The coating...

The Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) aims to establish a gold standard for private sector climate transition plans in UK business and industry. The TPT, announced at COP26 by the UK Chancellor, has now published its Disclosure Framework and accompanying Implementation Guidance and has also launched a Sandbox for companies and financial institutions to test implementation. The TPT Disclosure Framework makes recommendations for companies and financial institutions to develop gold-standard transition plans. The TPT Implementation Guidance sets out the steps to develop a transition plan, as well as when, where and how to disclose...

Just 23 per cent of consumers take environmental claims and initiatives from businesses at face value, according to a new study by Sensu Insight. The 50 Shades of Greenwashing report reveals that almost a third (30 per cent) of Brits expect environmental claims from companies to be slightly exaggerated, while 14 per cent said they don’t believe them at all. This is largely due to the majority of people (71 per cent) assuming that claims are unlikely to be verified or checked by an independent expert or regulator, deeming them un-credible. The...

Insulation of homes could save up to 384TWh (terawatt hours) of gas over the period 2030 to 2035, compared to 118TWh of gas that could be produced by new ‘already approved’ North Sea fields over the same period, new analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit finds. 384TWh is equivalent to a fifth (20 per cent) of current total annual household gas demand or 11 per cent of gas imports. In addition, the analysis finds that reaching the UK Government’s target for all homes of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)...

UK households produce over 25 per cent more waste during the festive period, partly due to the amount of excess packaging waste from gifts that’s thrown away after the big day. Just because wrapping paper is branded as “paper” it doesn’t mean it’s always recyclable. That’s because gift wrap often contains much more than simply paper. If your rubbish bin is contaminated with wrapping paper (and other waste) that can’t be recycled, the whole load could end up in landfill. So, when you find your living room floor covered in waste...

IT infrastructure and reduction of its energy use is the key to meeting net zero targets, according to a new survey of sustainability managers. IT infrastructure sustainability is the number one priority among sustainability program directors with 90 per cent agreeing that companies cannot reach their net zero goals without significantly reducing their technology infrastructure energy usage. This problem will grow worse as 76 per cent predict the impact of technology infrastructure on a company’s carbon footprint will increase in the next 12 months. A new report by Pure Storage...

A proposed biodiversity reporting standard that seeks to unlock accountability for the impacts organisations have on the natural world has been made available. A public comment period for the exposure draft of the revised GRI Biodiversity Standard is underway, with feedback sought so that the final standard delivers the global best practice for transparency on biodiversity impacts. Following the UN Convention on Biodiversity (COP15) the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has warned that biodiversity is declining in every global region. What this context underlines is that companies face...

Formula One is a watchword for innovation and excellence in sport, engineering and technology but it generates 256,000 tons of CO2 emissions each season, writes Nick Gibson. Now the sport is committed to being net carbon zero by 2030. Alice Ashpitel, sustainability and environment manager at Mercedes Benz Motorsport, highlights the steps being taken to achieve the new climate targets. The 2022 Formula One season saw the sport fully aligned to common sustainability standards and required all teams to publish reports into their environmental impact. The FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme is...

COP15 aims to generate collaboration between nations to accelerate ocean observation in a bid to protect marine life. COP15 will aim to create a working group as part of the Global Biodiversity Framework to study the oceans with support from the IOC/UNESCO Global Ocean Observing System programme.   “We need to learn from what is happening with our coral reefs. I hope countries will see that even though they may not agree with each other on some details, they can cooperate for common goals,” said David Obura, wildlife biologist and director of CORDIO...

Data centre operators are under pressure to reduce carbon emissions and report their environmental impact but the industry faces huge challenges, writes Nick Gibson. Data centre operators face new regulation such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the voluntary Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNSCP) that have made environmental impact a top priority for operators, supply chains and data centre designers. While operators battle to reduce costs, improve performance and meet increasing demand key industry environmental focus now involves energy efficiency, clean energy, water conservation, circular economy and...