World’s top PR companies rule out working with climate deniers
Ten of the world’s top PR companies have for the first time publicly ruled out working with climate change deniers, marking a fundamental shift in the multi-billion dollar industry that has grown up around the issue of global warming. A survey of the top 25 global PR firms, conducted by the Guardian and Climate Investigations Centre, found that clients who deny man-made climate change, or take campaigns seeking to block regulations limiting carbon pollution, will not be represented by the firms. Rhian Rotz, spokesman for Waggener Edstrom, said: “We would not knowingly partner with a client who denies the existence of climate change”. UK-based WPP, the world’s largest advertising firm, said taking on a client disputing climate change would violate company guidelines, but did not rule out campaigns opposing regulations to cut emissions. US-based Edelman did not explicitly rule out taking on climate deniers as clients. Only 10 of the 25 firms responded to participation requests. “For the majority of them, they would rather remain neutral on any issue… They like to keep options open”, said Kert Davies, the founder of Climate Investigations. (Guardian)
Responsible Investment
Lloyds Bank predicts increased issuance of responsible bonds
Lloyds Bank has predicted that the issuance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) bonds will continue to grow, after seeing huge demand for its own green bond, launched in July. According to the Financial Times, Lloyds’ ESG bond raised over £250 million, but could have raised considerably more based on initial demand. The money will be used to support small-scale renewable energy projects and healthcare providers based in the UK. James Garvey, head of capital markets at Lloyds, said: “There has been a growing demand for investors to be seen as socially responsible. I think we will see a lot more issuance”. Responsible bonds will focus on areas that benefit ESG issues, such as clean energy, reversing environmental degradation or providing services to vulnerable areas and families. A number of other organisations have also predicted that the green bond market will grow rapidly. Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has estimated that over this year, the issuance of corporate green bonds will double, reaching £12 billion. (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
Supply Chain
Unilever eyes non-pesticide methods of tea crop protection
Unilever is initiating a major scientific study to evaluate the feasibility of applying biological methods for plant protection of tea crops in India. The group has pledged that by 2020 all of its agricultural raw materials will be produced using sustainable crop practices, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. “We believe that results of this Unilever funded research will provide a firm foundation for the industry, Government and tea growers to define a clear roadmap for the short and medium-term”, said a company spokesperson. Working in partnership with the inter-governmental organisation CABI, the Tea Board of India, the Tea Research Institutes and key industry partners, they will review existing practices of crop protection and the limitations of current techniques in India. The initiative follows Unilever’s commitment to enhancing the crop’s ability to withstand drought, disease and pests. In May the group launched a project to develop natural tea varieties and secure international tea supply for the future. (Edie)
Report: certification systems can help to source sustainable biofuels
Strong certification systems can allow fuel buyers to support biofuels producers that take steps to protect the environment and help grow a biofuels industry that provides environmental benefits, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC). The report comes as large fuel consumers begin to pivot toward more plant-based fuel options to boost their sustainability efforts and credentials while reducing their use of fossil fuels. Although burning biofuels often has a lower impact than burning fossil fuels, producing them can still be detrimental to the environment and development. To help stakeholders, NRDC’s report examined seven leading programs that certify biofuel production practices for sustainability. The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials ranked best, for helping to ensure economic, environmental and social sustainability of biofuels production practices in places such as the United States, Indonesia, South America and Asia. A strong certification system can be used to “inform best-value procurement decisions” to buy sustainably produced biofuels and avoid those linked to major deforestation, destroyed wildlife habitat and fouled waterways. (Sustainable Brands)
Environment
Report reveals ‘dirty secrets’ of clean diesel
Pollution from new diesel cars is six times greater than the official limit, according to ‘real-world driving’ emissions tests that contradict results published by manufacturers. A study by TNO, a research organisation, has found cars which pass the Euro 6 (pollutant standards) laboratory test routinely produce much higher levels of NOx when driven on roads under more realistic conditions. Some of the latest diesel models produce the same amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) as older ones, which means they could face the same pollution penalties designed to improve air quality in cities. NOx and fine particles from diesel engines cause thousands of premature deaths a year in Britain alone and trigger asthma attacks. “This experience over the last ten years gives little hope for Euro 6 in the absence of an improved test procedure, or real-driving emission legislation,” the report says. Richard Smokers, a TNO consultant, encourages manufacturers to adopt more expensive selective catalytic reduction technology (SCR), which could reduce NOx by 90 per cent but costs £500 per car. (The Times*)
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