Textile companies launch global initiative to upcycle marine waste
The Italian yarn manufacturer Aquafil, the European Centre for Nature Conservation and the Dutch manufacturer Star Sock have launched a global initiative to address marine waste. The Healthy Seas, a Journey from Waste to Wear programme aims to tackle marine waste by bringing together businesses, NGOs, fishermen and other stakeholders to recover the fishing nets and recycle them into yarn that can be used for a wide range of textile products, including carpets, swimwear, underwear, high-tech clothing and sportswear. According to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Environment Programme, there are approximately 640,000 tonnes of abandoned fishing nets in the oceans, accounting for one tenth of all marine waste. The Healthy Seas initiative will involve a series of pilot projects across Europe and work is already underway in the North Sea, where more than 20 tonnes of nets have been collected. (Edie; Sustainable Brands)
EEA: 20 global car manufacturers hit 2012 CO2 emissions target
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has announced that 20 global car manufacturers have met the Agency’s 2012 carbon emissions targets. Cars sold by the 20 companies accounted for 94.5 percent of the total number of new cars sold in 2012, and emitted 130.4 grammes of CO2 per kilometre on average. Of the manufacturers, Fiat achieved the lowest average emissions, followed by Renault, Peugeot, Toyota and Citroen. Cars produced by the German manufacturer Daimler had the highest average emissions of 143 grammes of CO2 per kilometre, with similar emissions levels from cars made by Volvo, Mazda and GM Korea. However, despite carbon emissions of the average car sold in the EU falling by 2.6 percent between 2011 and 2012, the EEA said that most manufacturers will need to sell increasingly efficient vehicles to meet its targets. By 2020, European legislation states that the average car sold in the EU must not emit more than 95 grammes of CO2 per kilometre. (Edie)
Responsible Investment
US university’s vote against coal divestment sparks outrage
Teachers, students and parents have criticised the decision by Brown University in the US to rule out the institution’s divestment from coal stocks. Christina Paxson, the president of the university, said that “the existence of social harm is a necessary but not sufficient rationale for Brown to divest.” Students at the university had previously called on Brown to drop its holdings in the largest coal companies in the US, also known as the “Filthy 15.” This comes as the US Government announced its plans to use its leverage within global development banks to limit financing for coal fired power plants abroad as part of its international strategy to combat climate change. (Blue & Green Tomorrow; Reuters)
Supply Chain
UK retailers and industry watchdogs launch initiative to fight forced labour
Three UK organisations, the Association of Labour Providers, the charity, Migrant Help and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), the UK Government regulator that was set up to protect workers from exploitation, have launched Stronger Together, an initiative that aims to equip UK employers with the knowledge and resource to recognise and tackle labour exploitation in the food and agriculture industries. The Global Slavery Index 2013, which was published earlier this month, estimates that there are 29.8 million people globally in modern slavery with at least 4,200 modern slaves in the UK alone, with particular prevalence in the agricultural, food and construction sectors. The initiative, which is sponsored by the food retailers Co-operative Food, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, aims to engage over 1000 farms, food producers and labour providers. Paul Broadbent, the chief executive of GLA, said that "Stronger Together will help us to work more closely with industry to prevent exploitation by the early identification of the signs that a worker or workers are being abused." (Sustainable Brands)
Employees
UK Government defeated over back to work scheme
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the UK Government’s back to work scheme, which were challenged by a graduate who was made to work unpaid at the discount retailer Poundland, was legally flawed. The court stopped short of ruling that the regulations constituted forced or compulsory labour, but said that the UK Department for Work & Pensions’ (DWP) 2011 regulations which were used to create the programme were invalid as they did not contain a "prescribed description" of the scheme. Tessa Gregory, the lawyer for Ms Reilly, said that Iain Duncan Smith, the UK Secretary of State for DWP, had “sought to brand our clients as 'job snobs', but in reality all they have been seeking is a system that is fair and transparent." (The Guardian)
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