Major snack food brands continue to lag on palm oil commitments, says RAN
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has released a new progress report ranking the relative strength of palm oil commitments made since the launch of its Snack Food 20 campaign in 2013. The report shines a light on companies lagging behind on commitments, and outlines the actions frontrunners can and must take to take action against so-called ‘conflict palm oil’, which drives deforestation, human rights abuses, land conflict and climate change. According to RAN, laggards include PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Nissin Foods and Toyo Suisan. Meanwhile, two companies considered to be early movers in addressing their palm oil problem, Nestlé and Unilever, are shown to now be falling behind frontrunner companies, who include Mars, ConAgra and General Mills. “A major challenge now lies in transforming the Snack Food 20 company commitments into real change on the ground for forests and the communities that depend on them,” said Gemma Tillack, Agribusiness Campaign Director for RAN. (Rainforest Action Network)
Responsible Investment
Obama administration secures $4 billion from private sector to back cleantech
The Obama administration has doubled an initial target of gaining $2 billion from the private sector in commitments to support clean energy innovation. In a statement, the White House notes, “Harnessing the ingenuity of America’s entrepreneurs, innovators, and technology is a crucial part of the fight against climate change.” The Clean Energy Investment Initiative, first announced earlier this year, aims to catalyse $2 billion to scale up clean technology investments. Past investments have led to advancement in a variety of areas, including solar, wind, energy efficient lighting and advanced batteries, and it is hoped the latest commitments will advance the sector further, benefit consumers and help achieve low-carbon targets to limit climate change. Speaking at a clean energy investment summit, Joe Biden, US Vice President, commented, “Government can’t do this alone”. (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
Policy
European Commission urged to adopt circular economy measures
MEPs have urged the European Commission to approve a strong and effective package of measures on the circular economy by the end of the year, to cut waste and encourage manufacturers to make products more durable. The European Parliament’s Environment Committee has voted in favour of a proposal to cut waste by 2025, phase out toxic chemicals from manufacturing and make products that last longer. The resolution aims at pushing the Commission to approve a solid legislation on the circular economy by the end of the year, following the controversial withdrawal in 2014 of a proposal to tackle resource use and waste. Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, who proposed the resolution, said, “It is a vital step for the EU to use resources more efficiently and to reduce our resource dependency and also to bring savings in material costs.” (Blue & Green Tomorrow)
‘Once in generation’ chance to reform climate insurance
Policymakers have a “once in a generation” chance to reform insurance to help those most at risk from climate change impacts, according to researchers from Cambridge University. The researchers are calling for insurance reforms to be explicitly mentioned in the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A brief policy was presented to an insurance summit at the UN headquarters. “My role was to highlight the policy implications of having insurance at the centre of requirements to protect exposed populations,” explained policy-brief author Ana Gonzalez Peleaz, a fellow from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. “The lack of effective insurance regulation is a problem for accessing insurance across all parts of society.” The policy brief, quoting UN data, said that, over the past two decades natural disasters had affected 4.4 billion people and had claimed 1.3 million lives. (BBC)
Campaigns
Transparency watchdog orders UK Ministers to publish censored fracking report
The UK’s transparency watchdog has ruled Ministers must publish the full version of a heavily redacted report into the impacts of fracking, following a year-long transparency campaign by Greenpeace. The decision by the Information Commissioner was made public yesterday, just a week before Lancashire authorities are due to give a much anticipated verdict on two fracking applications by energy firm Cuadrilla. A report published last year by the Department for Energy, Food & Rural Affairs was criticised by activists over large chunks of text missing, including on such sensitive issues as the impact of fracking on house prices, rural businesses and local services. A survey commissioned by Greenpeace in May revealed estate agents believe the controversial industry could wipe tens of thousands of pounds off the values of nearby properties and make homes harder to sell. (Click Green)
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