STRATEGY

New framework advises business on investing in ‘insetting’ projects

A new framework has been launched by the business-led climate group the International Platform for Insetting (IPI) to support businesses in curbing their value chain emissions. The framework focuses on ‘insetting’, which encourages companies to invest in emissions reduction projects that sit within their supply chains. The practice reduces Scope 3 value chain emissions and differs from traditional carbon offsetting projects, which typically have no direct connection to the business that invests in them. The IPI – whose founders consist of luxury brands Kering and Chanel, beauty conglomerate L’Oréal, coffee chain Nespresso and hotel chain Accor – aims to establish recommendations for best practice insetting. The framework outlines guidelines for: making the business case for insetting, establishing a scalable governance model to support projects, and securing finance for projects. (Business Green)*

SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT

Diageo to build CAD$245 million carbon neutral distillery in Canada

Global spirits and beer company Diageo has announced plans to build a CAD$245 million carbon neutral distillery in Canada for its Crown Royal Canadian Whisky brand. The facility will operate with 100% renewable energy and will have the capacity to produce up to 20 million litres of absolute alcohol annually. The facility announcement follows the launch of Diageo’s sustainability programme, which contains a series of 25 goals aimed at making a positive impact on the world by 2030, including harnessing 100% renewable energy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across direct operations. Construction on the new distillery is expected to start in the second half of 2022 and the facility is anticipated to be operational in 2025. (ESGToday)

CYBERSECURITY

EU countries call for establishment of emergency cybersecurity fund

European government ministers have drafted a declaration to reinforce the EU’s cybersecurity capabilities, including the establishment of a fund aimed at increasing EU funding to support national cybersecurity efforts. Telecommunications ministers organised by the French Presidency in Nevers pointed to recent cyberattacks experienced in Ukraine as evidence for the importance of “the cyber dimension in today’s conflicts”. EU ministers have undersigned a list of actions to upscale cybersecurity capabilities, including an Emergency Response Fund for cybersecurity intended to prepare the EU to withstand large-scale cyberattacks. Governments also asked for EU funding to support the creation of a cybersecurity market consisting of cybersecurity service providers to conduct audits and incident response. The funding aims to reinforce the resilience of at-risk operators, those that would be a primary target in conflict. (Euractiv)

GIG ECONOMY

Spanish gig-economy regulation leads to labour shortage

According to food ordering company Uber Eats, a Spanish law passed in 2021 forcing food delivery companies to contract couriers as staff has caused a labour shortage with many preferring to remain self-employed. The Spanish branch of Uber Eats has complained that the contracts it offered to freelance ‘riders’ failed to retain enough of them to assure its services. The company claims that staff prefer to remain self-employed and work for rivals that flout the regulation, such as competitor Glovo. A spokesperson for Glovo stressed the company has not broken regulation and said it has taken steps to ensure it complies with labour laws. The European Commission has recommended other EU countries follow Spain’s lead in making gig economy workers legal staff, a move commended by unions. (Reuters)

POLICY & RESEARCH

‘Redlining’ US urban planning laws caused environmental inequality

A study of 200 US cities has found that neighbourhoods in which the US government discouraged investment nearly 100 years ago face higher levels of air pollution today. Via a racist practice known as ‘redlining’, the federal government introduced policies that discouraged mortgage lending in Black and immigrant neighbourhoods. The study finds the laws, created in the 1930s, shaped present-day locations of roads, freeways, industrial facilities, ports and other major sites of pollution, influencing which neighbourhoods have clean air today. Researchers from the University of California found that people living in redlined neighbourhoods now breathe 56% more of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide compared to non-redlined areas. The same neighbourhoods also suffer from higher levels of sooty particles known as PM 2.5 with both pollutants associated with higher rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease. (The Guardian)

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