Vauxhall and BMW among car firms linked to child labour over glittery mica paint
Some of the world’s biggest car makers including Vauxhall, BMW, Volkswagen and Audi are launching investigations after a Guardian investigation linked their paint suppliers to illegal mines in India where child labour and debt bondage are widespread. Children as young as 10 work at mines for mica, a mineral used to create shimmery car paint. The investigation traced mica from three such mines to three Indian exporters. One of their biggest customers is Fujian Kuncai, a Chinese company, whose customers include cosmetics giants L’Oréal and Proctor & Gamble, as well as car paint companies PPG and Axalta. Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business & Human Rights Centre, said companies using natural mica from India must start to acknowledge the risk of products from illegal mines entering their supply chains. (Guardian)
Sustainable Development
SDGs: The three most popular Goals for business
A survey conducted by Ethical Corporation of sustainable business professionals has found that of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the top three cited for business action are goals 13 (climate action), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 12 (responsible consumption and production). The report also highlights the level of engagement across different regions. The highest level of engagement is currently in Asia Pacific, with 54% of respondents stating they’re looking to engage in the SDGs (compared to 46% in Europe and 37% in North America). In Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific, the majority cited goal 13 as the most relevant. In Latin America, goal 5 (gender equality) was most popular, while In Africa goal 4 (quality education) was seen as the priority. (Ethical Corp)
Policy
EPA limits on aircraft emissions ready for takeoff
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared that jet engine exhaust endangers public health by contributing to climate change, a key milestone as it works to develop regulations that will cut carbon emissions from commercial aircraft. The International Civil Aviation Organization is expected to finalize its emissions standards in 2017, but the EPA could not proceed with developing its own standards in the US until it concluded that jet engine exhaust poses a public health threat. “The endangerment finding is key because it obligates the EPA to take regulatory action to cut carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft – it triggers a legal mandate,” said Drew Kodjak, executive director of the International Council on Clean Transportation. (Green Biz)
Energy
French utility to build Britain’s first nuclear plant in years
The board of the French utility EDF has approved a plan to build the first nuclear power plant in Britain in a generation. The project has long been contentious, with one board member reportedly resigning on Thursday over the decision. The British government has argued that the project is needed to keep the lights on and to help replace the country’s aging power plants. Nuclear generation also helps meet its clean-energy goals. Critics, however, have slammed it as an expensive and risky route to securing emission-free electricity, questioning whether giant nuclear plants are the right solution for clean power in the 21st century. “No one worries about terrorists crashing planes into wind farms,” said Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK. (New York Times)
Chernobyl could be reinvented as a solar farm, says Ukraine
The contaminated nuclear wasteland around Chernobyl could be turned into one of the world’s largest solar farms, producing nearly a third of the electricity that the plant generated at its height 30 years ago, according to the Ukrainian government. In a presentation sent to major banks, 6,000 hectares of “idle” land in Chernobyl’s 1,000 square km exclusion zone could be turned to solar, biogas and heat and power generation. The advantage of generating renewable power at this site is that the land is cheap and plentiful. In addition, the grid infrastructure and high-voltage power lines needed to transmit electricity to the national grid remain intact. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) this week indicated it would be prepared to lend money for the renewable energy plan. (Guardian)
Image source: The plane by milenqqa / Public Domain
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