New IMF chief vows ‘relentless’ focus on gender equality
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva vowed to fight for greater gender equality at the global lender and around the world, telling a packed audience: “Buckle up. It’s going to come”. Georgieva, only the second woman to lead the IMF, said there was hard work ahead, even at the lender, where women account for just 25% of top jobs. She stated economic studies clearly showed that improving gender equality would boost growth and revealed the gender pay gap averaged 16% in advanced economies and was as high as 37% in South Korea. Georgieva will prioritise pay equity at the lender, noting that it was not until she reached a senior position at the World Bank that she realized how much her salary had lagged that of male counterparts for many years. She calls for a “relentless” commitment to addressing gender inequality and using the fund’s budgeting instruments and other tools to help countries reduce barriers to women in the paid labour force. (Reuters)
Kimberly-Clark, owner of the toilet roll brand, Andrex, has been reprimanded by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for claiming its wipes were “flushable” despite not securing Water UK’s ‘Fine to Flush’ label. The ASA announced it has banned the advert in its current form from Andrex’s website, ruling it was “misleading” of Andrex to claim its wipes were flushable without telling shoppers that they had not received a stamp of approval from the UK water industry trade body. The ASA stressed its ruling made no judgement on the flushability of Andrex’s wipes. In response to the ruling Kimberly-Clark said, “we would like to reassure customers that Andrex Washlets are flushable, biodegradable and 100 per cent plastic-free, do not block toilets and are safe for the sewer systems”. It added that it is now testing its Andrex Washlets against the ‘Fine to Flush’ standard and has updated the advert to align with the ASA’s ruling. (edie)
Circular Economy/Collaboration
Adidas launches trade-in project for old sneakers and clothes
Customers of sportswear brand, Adidas, will soon be able to exchange worn or unused clothing for points as part of a new loyalty system, that will see unwanted products resold or recycled. The initiative is part of the Circular Fashion Fast Forward project, which is run by the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWRB) and circular economy business consultants QSA Partners. Under the scheme, customers will be able to use an app to trade in unwanted clothing, which will be collected for free to then be resold or recycled. Adidas’s David Quass said the project came in response to growing demand from customers who have “an increased awareness of the impacts of their consumption and the challenges we face as a planet” and asking how they can make a difference. James Close, head of LWARB’s circular London programme, said that in addition to bolstering customer loyalty for Adidas the project should deliver significant environmental gains. (Business Green)
Sustainable Development/Policy
Government unveils new net-zero support for buildings and ‘every single mode of transport’
The UK Government has published its highly-anticipated response to the Committee on Climate Change‘s (CCC) advice on meeting net-zero carbon by 2050, including new measures to decarbonise business buildings and transport, stating that it is aligned with the majority of the CCC’s recommendations. It claims that the UK Government has allocated £2 billion to decarbonisation projects since the amendment to the 2008 Climate Change Act was ratified, with much funding being allocated across the fields of hydrogen, carbon capture and green finance. On the built environment, which accounts for 40 percent of national energy use and around one-third of emissions, the response paper includes a proposal for all rented commercial building to be required to operate at a minimum energy efficiency standard of EPC band B by 2030. This alone, the Government claims, could save businesses £1 billion per year in energy bills. As for transport, which recently overtook power as the UK’s most emitting sector, the response confirms that the Government will develop a plan to decarbonise “every single mode of transport”. (edie)
Climate Change
Extinction Rebellion protesters defy London ban
Thousands of activists from climate action group Extinction Rebellion gathered across London in defiance of a police order banning the group’s climate protests in the capital. Activists also launched legal action against the city’s Metropolitan Police after the force announced the ban. Calling the Met’s actions “disproportionate and unlawful”, human rights lawyer Tobias Garnett, representing the group, said it would be filing a High Court claim against the order. He said Extinction Rebellion, which hopes to use direct action to bring greater attention to the worsening climate crisis, was planning to file a claim on Tuesday afternoon and was seeking an expedited hearing. London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan – who oversees the Metropolitan Police – said he had asked officers to find a way for those who wanted to protest to be able to do so legally and peacefully. (The Independent)
COMMENTS