B&Q, IKEA and Unison urge political leaders to make energy efficiency an election priority
Eighty chief executives from some of Britain’s biggest companies, charities, and industry associations have called on all political parties to make energy efficiency a top priority in their election campaigns. A letter to the Sunday Telegraph yesterday, orchestrated by the Energy Bill Revolution and backed by B&Q, IKEA, and the Federation of Master Builders among many others, called for a “bold new approach” to energy saving. The letter, which was also signed by directors of Age UK, Barnardo’s and Oxfam, warns the UK has some of the least efficient homes in Europe, “causing suffering for millions of families across Britain, especially those on low incomes”. The campaign group is calling on the government to designate domestic energy efficiency an official national infrastructure priority, in order to deliver economic and health benefits while also helping the UK to meet its climate change targets. (BusinessGreen)
Waste
Unilever’s zero-waste programme saves over €220 million while creating hundreds of jobs
Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced it has achieved a key sustainability target of sending zero non-hazardous waste to landfill from its global factory network. The effort has eliminated more than €200 million in costs and created hundreds of jobs – once again proving the business case for sweeping sustainability initiatives. Believed to be a global first for delivering zero waste on this scale, more than 240 factories in 67 countries, making products for brands such as Magnum, Knorr, Dove and Domestos, have now eliminated landfill waste. “Reaching this landmark is the result of a huge mind set shift throughout our organization and a great example of Unilever driving sustainable business growth,” said Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer. “Thousands of employees from across the business have developed some really innovative solutions to eliminate waste.” (Sustainable Brands)
Energy
Facebook, Bank of America and others sign US energy use pledge
Tech giants, fast food chains and financial institutions are the latest companies to commit to improving their energy efficiency, according to the US energy department. Facebook, Arby’s and Bank of America, among others, have taken up the challenge to reduce their energy use over the next decade, the department announced Thursday. The Better Buildings Challenge is a voluntary programme in which the participants commit to cut their energy use by 20% over 10 years and provide progress reports on how they are reaching that goal. The program now has over 200 members, including businesses, public agencies, schools and multifamily housing owners and operators. (The Guardian)
Dedicating land to bioenergy won’t curb climate change, says WRI
Western governments have made a wrong turn in energy policy by supporting the large-scale conversion of plants into fuel, according to a new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI). “I would say that many of the claims for biofuels have been dramatically exaggerated,” said Andrew Steer, president of the WRI. “There are other, more effective routes to get to a low-carbon world.” The report claims that dedicating crops to generating bioenergy is too inefficient to solve energy crises and makes it harder to sustainably feed the planet. It pointing out that costs for wind and solar power have plummeted over the past decade, and that for a given amount of land, solar panels are at least 50 times more efficient than biofuels at capturing the energy of sunlight in a useful form. (New York Times; Edie)
Responsible Investment
Nature Conservancy makes forest purchase funded by private investors
The Nature Conservancy, the US’s largest environmental non-profit, is buying 165,000 acres of land in Washington’s Cascade Mountains and Montana’s Blackfoot River Valley for $134 million. To raise the money, the Conservancy relied on NatureVest, a division it launched last spring that functions much like a bank. NatureVest raises money from institutions and high-net-worth individuals, investing it in conservation projects – land acquisitions, sustainable ranching, green infrastructure or eco-tourism – that can generate money so it can pay back its investors. Its purpose is to help the Nature Conservancy tap into what is believed to be a growth industry. In November, NatureVest and EKO Asset Management Partners published a report that found that private investors intend to deploy $5.6 billion in conservation investments over the next five years. (The Guardian)
Image source: Soybeanbus by US Department of Energy / Public Domain
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