COMMUNITY

Adaptation Agenda seeks to support world’s climate-vulnerable 

The world’s first comprehensive global plan to unite governments and non-state actors behind goals to improve the resilience of four billion climate-vulnerable people has been launched at COP27. The ‘Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda’ has been launched in partnership with the UN ‘Climate Change High-Level Champions’ and the ‘Marrakech Partnership’. The Agenda outlines 30 “Adaptation Outcomes” to help protect those living in the most climate-vulnerable communities by 2030. Actions are divided across five “impact systems” that include food and agriculture, water and nature, coastal and oceans, human settlements and infrastructure, and enabling solutions for planning and finance. It calls for the transition to sustainable agriculture practices and the restoration of around 400 million hectares of land located in and around freshwater ecosystems. (edie)

STRATEGY

Much of biopharma industry yet to set climate impact targets

Much of the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry has yet to set any targets for reducing carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, new analysis from NGO My Green Lab has found. The carbon output of the sector as a whole was found to eclipse emissions from the forestry and paper industry, which are widely regarded as some of the most carbon-intensive industries. Some of the largest companies in the biopharma sector – including GSK, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Biogen – are implementing year-on-year emissions reductions towards the 2015 Paris goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the report noted. The analysis found that the total carbon impact of 231 publicly-listed biopharma companies increased 15% to 227 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021. (Reuters)

CLIMATE CHANGE

Carmakers to build 400m vehicles than climate target allows

The world’s biggest carmakers plan to build about 400 million more diesel and petrol cars than what is sustainable to contain global heating, a Greenpeace study has found. The report, which focused on 12 carmakers globally, showed major brands Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai/Kia – were on track to make far more petrol and diesel cars than is sustainable if the world is to limit global heating in line with the Paris Agreement. Researchers calculated the global carbon budget – how much carbon the world can still emit and remain within a 1.5°C envelope – estimating a figure of 53Gt. According to the researchers, 53Gt accounts for the sale of an additional 315 million internal combustion engine vehicles as of 2022, with automotive giants set to overshoot that figure between 105% to 147%. (The Guardian)

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Chevron, Mitsui to study CO2 transportation from Singapore

Energy company Chevron and Japanese corporate Mitsui Group have signed an agreement to study the feasibility of transporting liquefied carbon dioxide from Singapore to permanent storage locations offshore Australia. The partners will explore the technical and commercial feasibility of initially transporting up to 2.5 million tonnes per annum of liquefied carbon dioxide by 2030. Through its affiliate Chevron Australia, the company is also part of joint ventures that have been granted an interest in three permits to assess carbon storage in offshore Australia. Chevron said it expects its agreement with Mitsui Group to advance the foundations for a regional approach to large-scale carbon capture and utilization storage solutions, which it hopes will enable it to progress the region’s net-zero ambitions. (Reuters)

EMPLOYEES

Two-thirds of LGBT+ staff feel they have to ‘act straight’

Almost two-thirds of LGBT+ staff feel they have to tone down their identities or ‘act straight’ to progress in their careers, according to research from inclusion consultancy INvolve.  The survey results found that more than nine in 10 believe there are barriers preventing employees in the LGBT+ community from reaching senior roles, and 42% said a lack of role models was hindering progression. Researchers found that certain industries were more inclusive than others – 62% of LGBT+ workers in construction believed there was an LGBT+ pay gap in their business compared with 49% overall. More than two-thirds (67%) of respondents in IT thought there was a pay gap, and 59% in finance. Workers in finance and construction were much more likely to feel they have to ‘act straight’ to get ahead, INvolve found. (Personnel Today) 

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