Iglo Group and WRAP launch food waste reduction programme
Iglo Group, Europe’s largest frozen food company which includes the Birds Eye and Findus brands, yesterday launched a coalition with leading waste reduction charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) with the objective of reducing food waste across Europe. The coalition is launching iFreeze, a campaign which will highlight that European households waste an average of €260 of food every year, and will provide advice and tips on how increased use of both freezing and frozen food can help to reduce waste and save money. WRAP found that around 850,000 tonnes of good food goes to waste every year in the UK, which could have been eaten later if frozen. Throughout 2015, Iglo plans to invest over €5m in iFreeze and will contribute to the Forever Food Together goal to inform consumers on at least one billion occasions by the end of 2020. (Sustainable Brands)
Policy & Research
Report: Managing risk in unstable countries – lessons from South Sudan
Saferworld, an NGO working to improve security in conflict regions, has published a report, Managing risk in unstable countries: Promoting conflict-sensitive investment in South Sudan, aimed at Chinese companies currently operating, or looking to invest, in South Sudan. The report explores some of the key challenges faced by Chinese companies and offers suggestions on how companies can contribute to a more stable and prosperous future for the people of South Sudan. Building upon its established programmes in China and South Sudan, Saferworld seeks to encourage Chinese policymakers and commercial actors engaging in South Sudan to be more conflict sensitive and open to dialogue with other actors. Through assessments, training, advocacy and advisory support, working with a range of governments, multilateral bodies, development agencies and local civil society groups, Saferworld seeks to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to work on conflict sensitive approaches to support peace and development in South Sudan and elsewhere. (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre)
Supply Chain
Report: Mobile technology driving supply chain efficiency
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers can use mobile technology to drive efficiency in the manufacturing supply chain and improve their competitive advantage, according to a report from IDC Manufacturing Insights. Perspective: Use of Mobility Tools in the 3PL Industry says mobile technology including mobile reporting and GPS helps to provide visibility of operational, performance, and product data to shippers while also providing product location, availability, and chain of custody to customers. Such insight is outfitting the end-to-end supply chain with valuable data relative to the movement of goods and providing actionable insights by which supply chain partners can work together to drive even greater efficiencies. (Environmental Leader)
Environment
UK’s low carbon economy now generates over £120bn-a-year
The UK’s booming low carbon sector is now ahead of the aerospace and pharmaceutical industries and is worth over £120 billion to the nation’s economy. According to a new report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the low carbon economy is now made up of 11,550 businesses, directly employing nearly 270,000 people and responsible for a further 190,000 jobs in the supply chain. The analysis, compiled by economic research consultancy TBR, found the UK’s low carbon economy generated £70.8bn in turnover in 2013 for those businesses operating directly in the sector, which grows to £121.7bn when the supply chain is included. The report split the low carbon economy into six groups to include low carbon electricity, low carbon heat, energy efficiency products, low carbon services, waste processing, energy from waste and biomass and low emission vehicles. (Click Green; Business Green)
Governance
Global Fund cancels $574 million AIDS grants over financial mismanagement
The Global Fund, an international financing organisation, has cancelled $574 million in grants to Malawi for fighting AIDS and asked for a $6.4 million refund over allegations of financial mismanagement. The Global Fund asked for the refund after the ministry of health and the National Aids Commission (NAC) allegedly bought vehicles that were not budgeted for. NAC is a public trust leading the national response to HIV/Aids, a pandemic which has wiped out an entire generation of adults in Malawi and left over a million children orphaned. The Global Fund now plans to channel the funding through other organisations, rather than the NAC. Rights activists early this year staged countrywide protests and petitioned the Global Fund to stop funding NAC after it gave $33,000 to organisations with close links to the government. Malawi, which depends on foreign aid for about 40 percent of its national budget, has suffered after donors withheld funding over a large-scale corruption scandal in 2013. (Thomson Reuters)
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