COLLABORATION

Beauty industry coalition to accelerate sector's net-zero transition

A new Sustainable Beauty Coalition has been set up for the beauty industry by industry body the British Beauty Council, which will develop shared goals on climate action and other pressing issues. The Coalition’s founding brands include Weleda UK, Holland and Barrett, Lush, Wallgreens Boots Alliance, Avon, Elemis, Beauty Kitchen and Floral Street Fragrances. In the first instance, the Coalition will develop a strategy and roadmap with environmental targets. It has not yet outlined which environmental issues will be addressed, beyond the transition to net-zero. The Coalition intends  to support the UN’s ongoing Race to Zero initiative. Across all environmental and social issues, the Coalition will be guided by three focus pillars: transparency and accountability; standards and certification and innovation. (Edie)

STRATEGY

Biden targets zero emission vehicles to reach 50% of sales by 2030

United States President Biden is expected to sign an executive order mandating the initiation of the development of long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards, and setting a new target for zero emissions vehicles – including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric – to make up half of new vehicle sales in the US by 2030. The new rules will help facilitate the administration’s climate goals, including a recent target announced by the President to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50-52% in 2030. According to the White House, the new announcements will put the US on track to reduce GHG emissions from new passenger vehicle sales by more than 60% in 2030, compared to last year. (ESG Today)

ENERGY 

BP announces wave of prospective deals for blue hydrogen in Teesside

A raft of companies have their signalled their interest in purchasing 'blue' hydrogen produced at oil and gas giant BP's proposed production facility on Teesside. BP has signed Memoranda of Understanding with CF Fertilisers, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Sembcorp Energy UK, and sustainable aviation fuel developer Alfanar, that see them become potential purchasers of  ‘blue’ hydrogen produced at the H2Teesside project. The facility would use a Steam Methane Reforming process alongside carbon capture and storage technology to produce low carbon hydrogen from fossil fuel gas, and aims to ramp up capacity to 1GW of the blue hydrogen fuel by the end of the decade. BP envisages roughly two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted during the production process being captured and sent for storage from the project annually by 2030. (Business Green)

DIGITAL ETHICS

Facebook allowed fossil-fuel industry to push climate misinformation

Social media site Facebook failed to enforce its own rules to curb an oil and gas industry misinformation campaign over the climate crisis during last year’s US presidential election, according to new analysis by the London-based thinktank InfluenceMap. The report identified an increase in advertising on Facebook by ExxonMobil and other fossil-fuel companies aimed at shaping the political debate about policies to address global heating. InfluenceMap’s report also exposed what it said was Facebook’s role in facilitating the dissemination of false claims about global heating by failing to consistently apply its own policies to stop erroneous advertising. The report found that 25 oil and gas industry organisations spent at least $9.5 million to place more than 25,000 ads on Facebook’s US platforms last year. Exxon alone spent $5 million. (The Guardian)

WASTE

Mattel targets zero manufacturing waste, 50% emissions cut by 2030

Global toy company Mattel has announced a series of new ESG goals, including eliminating manufacturing waste and cutting its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Other goals include previously announced targets to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastic materials in all products and packaging by 2030, to maintain 100% pay equity globally, and to increase representation of women and by ethnicity across all levels of the organization. In order to achieve its zero waste target, the company will conduct on-site waste audits, and develop site-specific strategies with a focus on a “waste-minimization hierarchy” of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Emissions reduction measures may include reductions in energy consumption through building and equipment upgrades, and automated controls, as well as purchases of electricity from renewable sources. (ESG Today)