Top Stories

March 10, 2015

Policy & Research

WWF: Nature is the €300+ billion investment plan to kick-start Europe

A report launched today by environmental NGO WWF argues that resource efficiency alone could generate over €300 billion per year for the EU economy – the equivalent of the Juncker Investment Plan currently being agreed on by European Economic and Finance Ministers. In line with findings by the European Environment Agency, WWF argues that the emerging ecological disaster is very likely to dwarf the current economic crisis. Damages from floods have cost more than €150 billion over the past ten years, air pollution costs around €537 billion euros per year and EU industries annually import more than 500 billion euros of raw materials no longer available in Europe. “Sustainable economies can bring huge benefits worth much more than Juncker’s Investment Plan every year and provide up to 20 million jobs by 2020,” said Sébastien Godinot, WWF Economist and author of the report. (WWF)

 

Trade deal must not allow companies to sue countries for green laws, say UK MPs

A major free trade deal should not allow US companies to sue European nations when they pass environmental laws, a UK parliamentary committee has said. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which is being negotiated between the EU and US, may contain a mechanism that would allow investors and companies to sue countries when they introduce laws that restrict their business practices. “The focus in TTIP has been on its potential for boosting transatlantic trade, but that must not be at the expense of throwing away hard-won environmental and public health protections,” said Joan Walley, the committee’s chair. A spokesman from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (Bis) told the committee these fears were unfounded, although an LSE report to Bis in 2013 found that the threat of being sued posed a real threat to the UK’s regulatory process. (The Guardian)

Supply Chain

Fairtrade calls on businesses to address gender equality in smallholder agriculture

A new report from the Fairtrade Foundation explores the barriers to women’s participation in agricultural supply chains, and makes a number of recommendations for businesses, governments, NGOs and producer groups, as well as the Fairtrade system itself. In agriculture, women make up almost half the workforce in developing countries, yet they account for just 22 per cent of Fairtrade-registered farmers. Focusing on banana growers in the Dominican Republic, cotton growers in India and tea growers in Kenya, the study finds that legal, social and cultural norms continue to act as barriers to women’s participation, reducing their income, influence and independence. Fairtrade urges businesses invest in supply chain analysis and consider offering financial or technical support to the producer organisations they work with, to assist them in developing gender action plans. (Business Fights Poverty)

 

3M and ForestEthics end multi-year conflict over paper sourcing policy

After an often-heated six years of confrontation between activist group ForestEthics and paper and packaging giant 3M, the conflict finally came to an end last week as 3M announced its new paper and wood pulp sourcing policy. ForestEthics, which has been critical of the corporation’s sourcing policy, has applauded its new commitment to tracing its virgin wood fibre and ensuring it comes from renewable sources. Working alongside ForestEthics and Greenpeace, the company has committed to reviewing all of its 5,000 paper and pulp suppliers in line with the industry standard Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. 3M previously used the alternative Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) label, which ForestEthics says falls short on transparency and thoroughness of assessment. (Sustainable Brands)

Technology & Innovation

Apple’s ResearchKit turns iPhone users into medical test subjects

Apple’s new ResearchKit software platform turns the iPhone into a medical diagnostic tool. With iPhone users’ permission, Apple will be able to share data with doctors and scientists to use in large-scale studies. The system will let users complete tasks, submit surveys and fill out consent paperwork. A handful of medical institutions, including the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Stanford Medicine, have already developed ResearchKit apps for specific diseases, including asthma and cardiovascular health. Being able to access thousands of patients’ data from a broad geographical reach and diverse background could help speed up research. While researchers are enthusiastic about having access to such information culled from a diverse population, privacy advocates are concerned the information could be tied to individual users. (Bloomberg)

 

Image source: Apple

COMMENTS