Vermont takes on genetically modified foods with new labelling law
Vermont governor Peter Shumlin is expected to sign the United States’ first unrestricted GMO labeling law today. The new law, scheduled to take effect in July 2016, will be the first in the nation to require food makers to label products made from genetically modified ingredients, such as corn, soybean or sugar beets. GMO-labeling advocates have hailed the news, but trade groups and some scientists have been more skeptical. The new law will require food makers to label products that contain genetically modified ingredients with phrases such as “partially produced with genetic engineering”, “may be produced with genetic engineering” or “produced with genetic engineering” and products that contain genetically modified ingredients cannot be marketed as “all natural” – a food-industry practice that has already being challenged in the courts. Urvashi Rangan, executive director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center commented that “companies shouldn’t be able to do an end run by slapping a “natural” label on a product that contains GMOs as, unfortunately, they are allowed to do today.” (The Guardian)
Carmakers put the brakes on Europe’s tough pollution tests
Car manufacturers are trying to delay the introduction of a new “real-world” emissions test that would force them to take faster action to cut air pollutants. The European Commission wants to introduce a new test by September 2017, requiring manufacturers to fit measurement systems to cars and drive them on the road under realistic conditions. However, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is lobbying for the full application of the test to be delayed for up to four years. Paul Greening, ACEA’s emissions and fuels director, said “we are looking for some flexibility to help us manage the introduction of this new test.” Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager of Transport & Environment, which campaigns to reduce pollution from cars, argued that manufacturers had already had several years to prepare for the real-world test. “A key reason air pollution in cities remains so high is because cars only meet air pollution emissions rules in the laboratory, not on the road,” he said. “These new EU laws are designed to stop this invisible killer.” (The Times*)
Responsible Investment
Sustainable investment market booming in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Sustainable investment is on the rise in central Europe, with the number of investments screened through environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria increasing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by 12 percent in a year, according to a new study. The latest annual report by Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen (FNG) – the sustainable investment forum for the three countries – shows that the market in now totals €134.5 billion. Of the three, Austria’s individual growth is the most impressive, with the value of the country’s sustainable investment funds and mandates increasing by 29 percent, whilst Switzerland and Germany both recorded growth of 17 percent. “The sustainable investment markets in Germany, Austria and Switzerland have been showing positive growth for years”, said Volker Weber, chair of the board of directors at FNG. “Sustainable investments enable investors to align their financial goals with their particular values. In academic and political circles, sustainable investments are also increasingly being perceived as important drivers of sustainable development. The focus of attention is now shifting increasingly to the impact of sustainable investments.” (Blue and Green Tomorrow)
Supply Chain
Adidas supplier upcycles food packaging into new trainer parts
Adidas is set to introduce a supplier-led innovation into its footwear products – a heel counter that contains more than 50 percent recycled content sourced from used food packaging. The heel counter is an internal component of the shoe that has traditionally been made from virgin polystyrene raw materials, but faced with rising costs for these materials, Adidas’ footwear component supplier framas looked to source an alternative. As framas produces 110 million pairs of heel counters each year for the sportswear giant, this initiative will divert 1,500 tonnes a year of polystyrene waste from landfill. The Framaprene ECO heel counter compound has been highlighted by Adidas in its latest sustainability report as a great example of supply chain innovation. Alexis Haass, senior global programme manager for Adidas’ Better Place programme points out that suppliers are the experts. “They are on the factory floor every day, designing the machinery and optimising the process flow, and they may be able to see opportunities in how changing a design or a material could lead to major savings, which we – further upstream in the process – might not immediately realise.” (Edie)
Climate Change
Insurers should consider climate risks, says Lloyd’s of London
Insurance market Lloyd’s of London has urged the industry to take climate change risks into account by taking a longer-term view in order to avoid rising financial losses. In a new report, Catastrophe Modelling & Climate Change, the organisation calls on the insurance industry to incorporate climate change into its models, as its effects could have implications for the accuracy of natural catastrophe models. Lloyd’s added that considering climate change is becoming more important as scientific consensus around the effects is strengthening. It pointed to the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – which said no nation would be left untouched by climate change – as evidence that insurers could soon be hit by “surprising or irreversible” pervasive impacts. Trevor Maynard, leader of Lloyd’s exposure management and reinsurance team, commented, “The urgent need to mitigate carbon emissions remains as critical now as before. Catastrophe models calculate financial impact from potential events in the next year or so. Planners need to consider how the risk will change over the term of their projects.” (Blue and Green Tomorrow)
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