Ford, Renault-Nissan and Daimler agree fuel cell deal
Ford, Renault-Nissan and Daimler have agreed to jointly develop a fuel cell system to try to speed up the availability of zero-emission vehicles. The carmakers hope to launch “the world’s first affordable, mass-market fuel cell car” by 2017. A common hydrogen electric fuel system, generating power from hydrogen and oxygen, will be created that will be used in different vehicles. The three companies also want to encourage others to push on with developing the necessary refuelling stations. BMW and Toyota are also working together on electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology. (BBC, Business Green)
Blow to biofuels in US as court blocks targets
The US biofuel industry faces an uncertain future, after a court ruling scrapped a 2012 target governing the use of second generation cellulosic biofuel. The D.C Circuit Court upheld a complaint from the American Petroleum Institute (API) against the Environmental Protection Agency‘s binding target requiring refiners to blend cellulosic biofuels into gasoline and diesel supplies. The target, approved by Congress under the 2005 ‘Renewable Fuel Standard’, was designed to drive investment in second generation biofuels. Cellulosic biofuels offer greater environmental benefits than first generation biofuels made from crops such as corn or sugar cane as they do not impact food supplies and agricultural land use. (Business Green)
Supply Chain
Companies join forces to better redistribute food waste
Businesses have pledged to increase the amount of redistributed surplus food generated within their supply chains in a bid to cut down on waste. Major food brands and retailers such as ASDA, Boots UK, Kellogg’s, The Co-operative and Morrisons, have signed up to a new industry working group to explore and support new ways to optimise redistribution networks, notably through collaboration with suppliers. Charities including Fareshare are also in the group, as is the British Retail Consortium and WRAP. (Edie)
Corporate Reputation
Co-op removes Barclays from ethical funds list
Barclays has been removed from the list of companies in which the ethical funds run by Co-operative Asset Management can invest, because of concerns about the bank’s involvement in the Libor scandal and its reliance on investment banking. Other banks could also be excluded from the list, used by the Co-op’s £750m range of sustainable funds. Before the financial crisis the list of excluded companies included Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley, Alliance & Leicester, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Banks that are predominantly investment banks are also not approved for investment. (Guardian, Blue and Green Tomorrow)
Employees
Bangladesh clothing factory fire kills seven workers
A fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, has killed at least seven female workers and injured five others. The fire at the Smart factory occurred just two months after a blaze killed 112 workers in another factory near the capital, raising questions about safety standards and treatment of workers in Bangladesh’s $20bn garment industry that exports clothes to leading Western retailers. Following the fire in November, companies such as Wal-Mart, whose supply chains rely heavily on Bangladeshi factories, have sought to introduce stricter contracting rules and changes to policy. (Huffington Post, Vogue)
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