Body Shop removes all products from Chinese duty free stores
Ethical cosmetics company, The Body Shop, has removed all products from duty-free stores in China after it was revealed that its products were at risk of being tested on animals by the country’s authorities. An investigation by consumer watchdog Choice, said that because the company was selling its products in Chinese airports, they could be subject to random tests on animals by Chinese authorities. A spokeswoman for the Body Shop Australia said that all products had been removed from shelves at the airport stores while it worked with Chinese authorities to determine the full nature of the post-market testing. She added that, “we still maintain that we’re very much committed to our cruelty-free values. We will not waiver on our cruelty-free commitment. If it comes about that there’s any reason to be concerned, we will absolutely stay out of the [Chinese] market.” (Guardian)
Climate Change
Climate Chief warns battle to curb warming is becoming harder
The struggle to curb global warming is becoming increasingly fraught and costly, warned the head of the world’s leading climate science authority, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC , said that, “we will have to work much harder to win this battle now than we would have been required to do 10 or 15 years ago.” Dr Pachauri said that, “the challenge is daunting but I don’t for a moment feel pessimistic,” explaining that there were many examples of technical advances and political actions underway to combat the problem. The IPCC was set up in 1988 to give governments an expert assessment of how the climate is changing, and why. Each of its assessments has confirmed what it says is unequivocal warming, caused largely by emissions of carbon dioxide. Carbon emissions have steadily increased over the lifetime of the IPCC and the latest report is expected to confirm that the cost of containing climate change will rise the longer governments wait to reduce emissions. (FT*)
Energy
Biomass to power thousands of Cornish homes
Cornwall will become home to one of the UK’s first biomass gas plants next year after private equity firm, Eternity Capital signed a £10 million deal to transform rotting food and cow dung into energy that will heat thousands of homes. A new plant in Cornwall is expected to buy 30,000 tonnes of leftover food and farm waste annually from local sources and use it to generate enough methane to heat 2,500 homes in winter for 20 years. The process has been described as building a mechanical “cow’s stomach” that uses anaerobic digestion to turn organic material into gas. Fraddon Biogas will be one of the first of a new generation of renewable gas plants that the government is subsidising to mitigate the UK’s growing energy deficit. Alon Laniado, investment director of Eternity Capital, said that, “this is our first [anaerobic digestion] investment and is part of Eternity’s strategy to build a portfolio of waste-to-energy projects,” adding that, “waste is moving from a logistics business to a business where you treat the waste.” (Times*)
Technology & Innovation
Audi’s traffic light technology has potential to cut CO2 emissions
Car manufacturer Audi has developed a new online traffic light information system which could save up to 900 million litres of fuel and cut CO2 emissions by 15 percent. The technology links to Audi’s in-car internet and establishes a link between the car and the traffic light network via the central traffic computer in each town or city. Providing information on the automated traffic light change sequences, the technology shows the driver the speed to select in order to pass through the light during a green phase. If the driver is already waiting at a red light, the system will calculate and count down the time remaining until the next green light is scheduled to appear via a timer. The system also interacts with the car’s start-stop function to ensure the engine is switched on five seconds before the ‘green phase’. According to Audi, alerting drivers of the speed required in the approach to traffic lights, will lead to time and fuel savings. (Edie)
New partnership to brighten cities and improve mobile broadband connectivity
Communications technology and services provider, Ericsson, has partnered with technology and lighting company, Philips to launch a new connected LED street lighting model. The partnership aims to solve two issues facing cities; improving network performance in dense urban areas whilst providing high-quality, energy-efficient public lighting. Through the Zero Site initiative, Philips will offer cities LED street lighting that includes mobile telecoms equipment from Ericsson. This will enable mobile network operators to improve data coverage and capacity, as well as create potential energy savings of up to 70 percent; according to results of a study on Philips LED lighting, by The Climate Group. Frans van Houten, president and CEO of Philips, said that, “we are offering lighting as a service that scales with a city’s needs and enables city officials to offer their citizens a more connected, energy efficient and safer urban environment, while preserving existing budgets and resources to improve the livability of their city.” (Sustainable Brands)
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