Technology giant Apple has published its latest supplier responsibility report, an annual audit of the contract workers who produce and assemble its iPhones, iPads and other hardware in factories outside of the US. The report confirms that Apple’s suppliers do not use tantalum, a rare metal commonly used in electronics, originating from conflict zones, and that the company is pushing suppliers of tin, tungsten and gold to also use sources verified as conflict-free. The conflict minerals debate centres on the Democratic Republic of Congo, where warlords have profited from the sale of ores to electronic component suppliers. Under new US regulations, companies must disclose whether their products contain conflict minerals, while campaign groups such as Friends of the Earth have been pressing technology giants to keep conflict minerals out of their supply chains. In January, chip manufacturer Intel announced that it would no longer use any minerals from conflict zones, and urged other technology companies to follow suit. (New York Times; BBC)
Responsible Investment
New York green bank opens for business
New York’s first green bank has launched this week, confirming plans to boost investment in environmental technologies and renewable energy. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the bank officially started operations with $210 million funding, and outlined how it will invest alongside other parties in clean power and energy efficiency projects. The bank expects to support a wide range of businesses and technologies, including solar, wind and other renewable energy generation technologies, as well as energy efficiency measures and onsite generation. The launch of the bank is the latest element of New York’s ‘PlaNYC sustainability initiative’, which aims to cut emissions across the city by 30 percent against 2007 levels by 2030. Cuomo said that, “the NY Green Bank will be the catalyst for significantly accelerating the flow of private capital to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and will send a message to the financial markets that expanding our clean energy economy is a priority for New York State.” (Business Green)
Environment
Indian textile suppliers see 756% return through water management
A water management project among textile suppliers in India – led by the Stockholm International Water Institute and Swedish fashion brands Indiska, KappAhl and Lindex – has demonstrated how efficient resource management in textile production in India can achieve substantial environmental improvements and financial gains. In an industry with low profit margins and negative environmental impact, the Sustainable Water Resources (SWAR) project aimed to show that by implementing resource efficiency recommendations in production lines, savings in energy, chemicals, and water consumption can lead to cost-savings in production as well as better environmental impacts. In water-scarce Delhi, project partners implemented 85 different “low-hanging fruit” recommendations suggested by SWAR. These reduced total water consumption by an annual 84.5 million litres, and reduced use of electricity by 3.4 percent, fuel by 4 percent and chemicals by 14 percent. This resulted in an annual 1.7 percent saving in production costs and a 765 percent return on investment in one year. (CleanBiz.Asia)
South Korea on course for world’s highest carbon price
South Korea could be set for the world’s highest carbon prices when the country’s emissions cap and trade scheme gets under way at the start of 2015. Analysts say the Korean government’s refusal to alter its estimates for future 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, which dictate the cap on carbon emissions for around 400 companies covered by the Korean emissions trading scheme, could see the price set by the scheme rise drastically. Analysts from Thomson Reuters have warned that emissions could be up to a third higher than estimates, leading to low levels of supply and high levels of demand for emissions allowances in the market. With limited emission reduction potential for heavy industry, South Korea’s carbon price is predicted to rise to around $93 per tonne of CO2 – well above the $9 per tonne paid by emitters in Europe. South Korea is the world’s sixth largest exporter and domestic industry groups have argued the country’s competitiveness could suffer if the carbon price imposed is much greater than those set in the US, Europe, or China. (Business Green)
Illegal wildlife trade: 50 nations gather in London for high level summit
African heads of state and officials from around 50 countries will join the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, at a summit in London today, aimed at quashing the illegal ivory trade that is threatening the survival of elephants, rhino and other species. The meeting is one of the highest-level gatherings to date to tackle the illegal ivory trade, which is estimated to be worth £12 billion a year and has seen activity more than double since 2007. Demand from an increasingly affluent Asian middle class, in particular in China and Vietnam, has driven the price of rhino horn to more than $60,000 per kilogram – more than the price of gold and cocaine – and ivory to around $2,000/kg. Prof Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation at the Zoological Society of London, who are hosting the summit, said that “it’s clear that illegal wildlife trafficking is completely out of control, and we need to bring the best minds together to really identify some clear solutions and show clear leadership and direction.” (Guardian, BBC)
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