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IGPN NEWSLETTER [Issue 22]
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The IGPN Newsletter is a free email newsletter to keep you updated with the latest development on Green Purchasing around the world. If you find the IGPN Newsletter useful, please forward it and tell your friends and colleagues to visit http://www.igpn.org/newsletter/ for free subscriptions.
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HEADLINES
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- Asian countries to put breaks on short-lived climate pollutants
- The UN’s CDM passes 6,000 project landmark
- Sea urchin nickel ‘trick’ could be key to capturing carbon
- UK emissions fall seven percent in 2011 as gas use plunges
- Eight out of 10 Brits prefer renewable energy
- LED lighting gaining traction in commercial retrofits
- IKEA, Whole Foods ditch plastic bags for good
- 1Action for 1Smile fairtrade purchasing campaign by university students in Japan
- ecoATM raises £25 million to roll out e-waste cashback machines
- The State of Green Business, 2013
- Riyadh going green to free up oil
- CSI launches Product Category Rules for Environmental Product Declaration of Concrete
- Cities push for energy data on commercial buildings
- Plastics change could reduce ’30 billion tonnes of waste’
- EU should seek 100% green energy by 2050, says WWF
- World’s richest men aid ‘Green Revolution’ center
- France’s simple step to save energy: Shut off the lights
- Shanghai passes law to limit excess packaging
- Sustainable off-grid lighting solutions can deliver major development and climate benefits
- Carbon tax included in China’s new green tax policy plan
- Europe’s carbon market limps on
- Estonia installs “world’s first nationwide fast-charging network"
- UN launches New Centre to Accelerate Use of Technology in Tackling Climate Change
- Leading chemicals sector group gives guidance on GHG emissions
- Ford to accelerate waste reduction effort
- University of Leeds trials submerged servers
- Hyundai targets mass producing fuel cell cars in “world first”
- Green buildings now “business imperative”
- Puma steps up game with Cradle to Cradle certification
- Retailers aim to slay packaging myths in war on food waste
- Report: EU must retire carbon credits or see market credibility lost
- Supreme court may force UK to act on air pollution
- World Green Building Council unveils new report
- Walmart beats emissions goal a year early
- Whole Foods takes stand on GMO labels
- Efforts to improve access to environmental data
- Japan first with offshore ‘ice’ gas, India close behind
- BusinessGreen launches green fleet guide
- Save-As-You-Reduce waste disposal pilot to launch in April
- The State of Green Business: Sustainability goes app crazy
- Company turns landfill waste into eco-friendly ‘plastic lumber’
- UK increased recycling rates fastest in Europe over past decade
- FedEx delivers bigger fuel efficiency targets
- Green Cleaning Practices for Green Buildings
- Apple moves closer to goal of 100 percent green energy
- Disney, Microsoft and Shell opt for self-imposed carbon emissions taxes
- Walgreen opens first net-zero store
- EU proposes 40% emissions cut for 2030
- Melbourne is now a certified carbon neutral city
- Rising energy bills will be reduced with climate policies, Ed Davey says
- Landfill bans could save £2.5bn a year
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GREEN PURCHASING NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
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Asian countries to put breaks on short-lived climate pollutants
Government representatives from 19 Asia Pacific countries are meeting in Bangkok under the auspices of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to look at ways to catalyze fast action to reduce the impacts of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) in the region.
The UN’s CDM passes 6,000 project landmark
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s clean development mechanism (CDM) tool has passed a 6,000 project milestone, with a new wind power project in Vietnam.
Sea urchin nickel ‘trick’ could be key to capturing carbon
Researchers say that the ability of sea urchins to absorb CO2 could be a model for an effective carbon capture and storage system.
UK emissions fall seven percent in 2011 as gas use plunges
UK greenhouse gas emissions fell seven percent from 2010 to 2011 as emissions from the residential sector dipped to their lowest levels since 1990, government figures revealed.
Eight out of 10 Brits prefer renewable energy
Almost four out of five people support the UK using renewable energy to generate electricity, fuel and heat, according to a major survey published by the government.
LED lighting gaining traction in commercial retrofits
Once thought to be too costly for commercial buildings, LED lighting is increasingly being installed in warehouses and commercial facilities as part of energy retrofit projects.
IKEA, Whole Foods ditch plastic bags for good
The push to ban single-use plastic bags continues to gain momentum as more and more cities, counties and countries around the world adopt the trend.
1Action for 1Smile fairtrade purchasing campaign by university students in Japan
A network of university students and Morinaga & Co Ltd are carrying out '1Action for 1Smile' fairtrade purchasing campaign around Valentine's Day this year.
ecoATM raises £25 million to roll out e-waste cashback machines
A US start-up that developed a cash machine that buys back old phones and other electronics for recycling, has secured $40 million (£25 million) debt financing to expand its operations across the country.
The State of Green Business, 2013
GreenBiz has just published its 2013 State of Green Business report which tells about the shifting business reality ? it recognizes that business as usual isn’t sustainable.
Riyadh going green to free up oil
Saudi Arabia has one of the largest expansion plans for electricity in the Middle East,
with the bulk of renewable coming from solar power, the EIA said.
CSI launches Product Category Rules for Environmental Product Declaration of Concrete
The Product Category Rules (PCR) for unreinforced concrete developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) is published by the International EPD® System. This set of rules provides a common methodology for concrete producers who wish to issue Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for their products.
Cities push for energy data on commercial buildings
As a way to incentivize landlords to compete for lower operational costs, Minneapolis is the largest U.S. city to adopt an energy benchmarking and disclosure rule for commercial buildings.
Plastics change could reduce ’30 billion tonnes of waste’
Scientists have said that outdated policies for managing plastic waste should be
changed to try and prevent there being another 33 billion tonnes of plastic on Earth by
2050.
EU should seek 100% green energy by 2050, says WWF
One-hundred percent green energy of the European Union is realistic by the middle of
the century provided the bloc signs up to ambitious energy policy goals for 2030, conservation body WWF said in a report on Thursday.
World’s richest men aid ‘Green Revolution’ center
The research center largely responsible for launching the “Green Revolution” of the 1960s that dramatically raised crop yields is getting support from the world’s richest men to develop genetically-modified seeds to help farmers in the developing world grow more grain in the face of changing climatic conditions and increased demand.
France’s simple step to save energy: Shut off the lights
By requiring shops and offices to turn off their lights at night, France will save the energy it takes to power 750,000 homes.
Shanghai passes law to limit excess packaging
According to government statistics, one-third of all household garbage in China is packaging. Half of this packaging waste has been determined as “excess packaging,” which carries an estimated annual production cost of 400 billion RMB.
Sustainable off-grid lighting solutions can deliver major development and climate benefits
Replacing millions of kerosene lamps, candles and flashlights used worldwide with modern solar lighting can provide an increasingly low-cost solution to reducing carbon emissions, indoor air pollution and health risks, and boosting green jobs, according to new studies from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Carbon tax included in China’s new green tax policy plan
China is to introduce a set of new taxation policies designed to preserve the environment, including a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, according to a senior official with the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
Europe’s carbon market limps on
The European Union’s falling carbon market has been thrown a lifeline by the European
Parliament’s Environment Committee. It has backed the Commission’s plan to prop up the price of a tonne of carbon by withdrawing an oversupply of credits from the market.
Estonia installs “world’s first nationwide fast-charging network"
Estonia has become what is thought to be the world’s first country to launch a nationwide fast-charging network for electric vehicles.
UN launches New Centre to Accelerate Use of Technology in Tackling Climate Change
From the latest technical developments in renewable energy to innovative cropping techniques, the role of technology and research in tackling climate change in developing countries is the focus of a new facility launched by the United Nations.
Leading chemicals sector group gives guidance on GHG emissions
Ten of the world’s largest chemical companies, together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), released an accounting and reporting guide to help the sector consistently account and report climate impacts in the corporate value chain.
Ford to accelerate waste reduction effort
Ford is aiming for a 40 percent cut in the waste it sends to landfill per vehicle produced by 2016 as part of a new five-year global waste reduction plan. Meeting the goal would see just 13.4lb per vehicle sent to landfill between 2011 and 2016, building on the drop from 37.9lb to 22.7lb achieved between 2007 and 2011.
University of Leeds trials submerged servers
The University of Leeds is running fully immersed servers, claiming 80 percent to 97 percent power consumption savings over traditional air cooling.
Hyundai targets mass producing fuel cell cars in “world first”
Hyundai says it will become the world’s first car-maker to mass-produce fuel-cell cars powered by hydrogen.
Green buildings now “business imperative”
Green buildings used to be designed to comply with environmental measures; now, they are intended to generate business value and opportunities, according to a recent report of McGraw-Hill Construction.
Puma steps up game with Cradle to Cradle certification
Puma has been on a steady path to greater sustainability for years, but it just took a major stride forward by designing a new product line that earned it bragging rights with a prestigious certification.
Retailers aim to slay packaging myths in war on food waste
The UK’s food waste mountain is being made worse by consumers’ failure to follow storage advice and their misplaced confidence in their ability to prolong the life of popular food stuffs.
Report: EU must retire carbon credits or see market credibility lost
The European Union’s plan to reform its emissions trading scheme (ETS) will fail to deliver the desired increase in carbon prices unless they are accompanied by more drastic action.
Supreme court may force UK to act on air pollution
The supreme court could force the government to take steps to urgently reduce dangerous air pollution in many British cities to met European limits, following a landmark hearing this week.
World Green Building Council unveils new report
The World Green Building Council has unveiled a comprehensive new report outlining the compelling global business case for green buildings.
Walmart beats emissions goal a year early
Walmart has reported that it has delivered a 20 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions since 2005, beating its target one year ahead of schedule. The company’s 2011 figures show a 20.02 percent decrease in emissions from the Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers that existed in 2005, Bloomberg reported, surpassing the goal that had been set for 2012.
Whole Foods takes stand on GMO labels
Whole Foods is putting a stake in the ground on GMOs. As the first national supermarket chain to make this commitment, Whole Foods will require all products sold in its stores with GMOs to be labeled by 2018, in both the U.S. and Canada.
Efforts to improve access to environmental data
The need to support and improve access to data and on the environment and sustainable development has been underlined at the conclusion of a major conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Japan first with offshore ‘ice’ gas, India close behind
Following on from the publication of a draft Japanese Government plan for the commercialization of methane hydrate deposits 10 years from now, Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) announced that it has produced gas in the world’s first offshore test to extract fuel from the frozen depths.
BusinessGreen launches green fleet guide
BusinessGreen has teamed up with Peugeot to launch a new free report designed to help sustainability experts and fleet managers operate greener and more efficient corporate fleets.
Save-As-You-Reduce waste disposal pilot to launch in April
In a bid to encourage recycling and reduce waste, the government is currently exploring the feasibility of charging households based on how much waste they dispose of.
The State of Green Business: Sustainability goes app crazy
As data becoming increasingly available from everything ? buildings, vehicles, transit systems, cash registers and potentially every light fixture, switch, plug and machine ? there’s a growing opportunity to capture it and make it useful for consumers and professionals.
Company turns landfill waste into eco-friendly ‘plastic lumber’
Envirolastech, a Rochester, Minn. firm specializing in the development of sustainable building products makes new “plastic lumber”.
UK increased recycling rates fastest in Europe over past decade
Recycling rates in the UK rose faster in the first decade of the millennium than any other country in Europe, according to official statistics published.
FedEx delivers bigger fuel efficiency targets
In 2008, FedEx set a target of increasing the fuel efficiency of its global vehicle fleet by 20 percent by 2020 from its 2005 levels. Eight years on, it’s already improved by 22 percent. Now, it’s raising the goal to improve fuel efficiency to 30 percent by 2020, both for vehicles and aircraft.
Green Cleaning Practices for Green Buildings
While much attention has been paid to green buildings, it is also important to use green cleaning products to maintain human and environmental health. This practice is also referred to as environmentally sustainable cleaning.
Apple moves closer to goal of 100 percent green energy
Around 75 percent of Apple facilities energy consumption now comes from renewable sources, according to a new sustainability report from the tech giant..
Disney, Microsoft and Shell opt for self-imposed carbon emissions taxes
Although most of the world’s governments have declined to put a price on carbon
emissions, a handful of global companies, including Disney, Microsoft and Shell, have chosen to act on their own.
Walgreen opens first net-zero store
Walgreen Co., the largest U.S. drugstore chain, is combining several clean energy technologies in its first experiment in net-zero stores which it plans to extend to many of its 8,000 stores.
EU proposes 40% emissions cut for 2030
Announced at a press conference in Brussels, the EU has suggested a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The plans will undergo a consultation process before eventually replacing the existing 2020 goals.
Melbourne is now a certified carbon neutral city
The city of Melbourne in Australia has become a certified carbon-neutral city under the
Government’s independent carbon offsetting authority, Low Carbon Australia.
Rising energy bills will be reduced with climate policies
The impact of rising household energy bills will be greatly reduced by climate change policies which could save consumers around £166 by 2020, according to the energy and climate secretary, Ed Davey.
Landfill bans could save £2.5bn a year
Banning food, textiles, wood and plastic from landfill could save resources worth £2.5bn a year and help companies avoid £1bn of landfill costs, according to Green Alliance.
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Copyright (c) 2013 IGPN All Rights Reserved
IGPN newsletter is written and edited by C. Pangilinan.
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International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) Secretariat
Cosmos Aoyama 5-53-67, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan.
Email: igpn[at]net.email.ne.jp / URL: http://www.igpn.org/
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