McDonald’s unveils ambitious global sustainability strategy
McDonald’s has launched its first ever international sustainability framework, containing an array of environmental targets, as part of the fast food firm’s annual sustainability report. The new Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability Framework is designed to position the company for the future by setting a series of ‘aspirational goals’, including increasing in-restaurant recycling to 50% in nine top markets, sourcing 100% verified sustainable coffee, palm oil and fish, and beginning to purchase a portion of beef from verified sustainable sources in 2016. The report also highlights some of the key initiatives McDonald’s has undertaken in recent years, including sourcing 100% of whitefish from fisheries that have been verified as ‘sustainable’, and installing over 300,000 pieces of more-energy-efficient kitchen and building equipment across all of its outlets since 2010. Writing in the foreword of the report, McDonald’s chief executive and president Don Thompson said: “This report – and the framework we are launching with it – reflect the progress we are making toward this vision for the future, and our plans as we continue to look forward.” (Edie)
Responsible Investment
Pax World divests fund from fossil fuels to “solutions-oriented companies”
The US-based firm Pax World Management has announced that it has fully divested one of its funds from fossil fuel companies, meaning it now has two fossil fuel-free funds on offer. The firm announced on Thursday that the Pax World Growth Fund (PXWGX) will now pursue a fossil fuel-free investment strategy, replacing such investments with holdings in high-impact companies developing solutions to sustainability challenges. Examples include hybrid engine developers Valeo, and Gilead Sciences, a biotechnology company working on treatments for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and cancer. Portfolio manager Tony Trzcinka explains that the move is not motivated purely by ethics, but also for financial reasons. “Over the past few years, we have increasingly tilted this fund toward solutions-oriented companies as opposed to simply investing in companies that meet our environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria,” he said. “We did so for investment reasons, because we believe such investments are more likely to deliver stronger performance over time.” (Blue and Green Tomorrow)
Waste
Verizon’s new app aims to make phone recycling easy and profitable
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 89% of mobile devices are not recycled at end-of-life. In 2010, this translated into 135 million mobile devices that ended up in the waste stream. This waste comes at a huge cost: the EPA estimates that for every million mobile phones recycled at least 35,274lb of copper and 772lb of silver can be recovered. Given that many of these minerals come from conflict-torn regions of Africa, where their production helps fund ongoing wars, the impact of improved mobile recycling on both ends of the supply stream could be stunning. Although companies like AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Amazon and Best Buy have been working to make it easier for customers to sell their old phones, these programmes tend to be inconvenient and time-consuming. To tackle the issue, Verizon has announced a new, free app that will instantly quote customers a price for their used device, which they can redeem at a local store. Verizon’s program aims to entice users by offering instant gratification; it takes less than a minute to find out what a device is worth, and not much longer to turn it in. (The Guardian)
Environment
Myanmar, Norway initiate cooperation in environmental conservation
Myanmar and Norway have sought cooperation in the environmental conservation sector as part of the countries’ bilateral cooperation, initiating a letter of intent on the move. The Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry of Myanmar and the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway covers undertakings on the preservation of biodiversity and forests in Myanmar, water resources preservation and administration, and betterment of the social economy of ethnic minorities. Myanmar’s leadership invited Norwegian companies to invest in Myanmar’s energy and information and technology sectors, while Norwegian entrepreneurs have reportedly shown great interest in making investments in social and environmental conservation. (Shanghai Daily)
SMEs lead UK low-carbon exports
Britain’s small and medium-sized business (SMEs) are powering a renewable energy revolution overseas, exporting low carbon products and services to emerging markets that are demanding affordable, green energy. A new report researched and written by the Carbon Trust and commissioned by Shell Springboard has revealed the UK SMEs have the opportunity to triple their exports of low-carbon goods and services, in a move that will drive growth for the UK economy and create thousands of jobs through overseas sales. The study – Capitalising on new global low carbon markets to boost UK export growth – has forecast that the low carbon SME market will increase its exports from £12 billion to £30 billion within seven years. Small, agile start-ups are driving innovation in the sector, with companies such as MeshPower bringing renewable electricity to those without access to the grid in Rwanda and India. Shell Springboard, which is funded by oil and gas company Shell, has provided £3 million of funding to 80 innovative low-carbon businesses in the UK over the past 9 years. (The Telegraph, Carbon Trust)
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