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IGPN NEWSLETTER [Issue 23]
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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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- EPA targets smog with updated vehicle standards
- 71% of consumers think green when purchasing
- P&G achieves zero waste to landfill in 45 manufacturing sites
- Is there a business case for building green?
- EU carbon data signals airlines may need to buy permits
- London’s cooking waste to fuel power station
- Northern Ireland launches plastic bag levy
- Energy-related CO2 emissions hit lowest levels in 2012
- In warming, Northern Hemisphere is out pacing the South
- Asia’s future prosperity requires a major change in energy use
- Waste power plant in two years
- Smartphones: the latest products to get certified
- Record-breaking Portugal generates 70 percent of power from renewables
- Soaring hybrid demand accounts for fifth of all Toyota sales in Europe
- US companies issue declaration urging government to act on climate change
- Jakarta set to see high-rise ‘green’ buildings
- Business outlines a smarter, more sustainable water management approach
- Business urged to assess nature-related risks and opportunities
- Clean energy progress too slow to limit global warming
- Sustainable urban infrastructure can foster economic growth
- Nation cuts down on plastic bag use
- Starbucks introduces reusable cups
- World’s tallest broadcast tower shows Tokyo’s green push
- India to show world way on ‘star-rated’ green homes
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GREEN PURCHASING NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
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EPA targets smog with updated vehicle standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed last Friday a set of new standards to reduce smog-causing sulfur in gasoline and tighten emissions regulations on cars and trucks beginning 2017 that would increase gas prices by less than a penny per gallon and add $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025.
71% of consumers think green when purchasing
A record-high of 71 percent of Americans consider the environment when they shop, up from 66 percent in 2008, according to research from Cone Communications.
P&G achieves zero waste to landfill in 45 manufacturing sites
Procter & Gamble has eliminated the amount of manufacturing waste they are sending to land fill in 45 facilities worldwide. In 45 of their sites in Asia, Europe, North and South America, manufacturing waste is recycled, repurposed or converted into energy.
Is there a business case for building green?
It is a question that is often asked in the building industry: Does green building pay off, and if it does, for whom? A new comprehensive report released from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) may have the answer to that question.
EU carbon data signals airlines may need to buy permits
Airlines in Europe may need to buy carbon permits or pay fines after data showed the carriers’ emissions in 2012 exceeded their allocation of free allowances by about 30 percent, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
London’s cooking waste to fuel power station
Cooking waste from thousands of London restaurants and food companies is to help run what is claimed to be the world’s biggest fat-fueled power station.
Northern Ireland launches plastic bag levy
Retailers from Northern Ireland will start charging at least five pence for each retailer bag handed out to customers, as part of a drive across the province to reduce plastic waste.
Energy-related CO2 emissions hit lowest levels in 2012
US energy-related CO2 emissions dropped in 2012 to their lowest levels since 1994, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
In warming, Northern Hemisphere is out pacing the South
If global warming were a race, the Northern Hemisphere would be winning. It is warming faster than the Southern Hemisphere, with some of the most rapid warming rates on Earth located in the Arctic, where the sea and land ice is shrinking and thinning. Not only is the North winning now, but projections show that, largely due to the influence of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, it is likely to widen its lead in the coming decades.
Asia’s future prosperity requires a major change in energy use
Asia is moving along a dangerously unsustainable energy path that will result in environmental disaster and a gaping divide in energy access between rich and poor unless the region dramatically changes course, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report.
Waste power plant in two years
Plans to use household rubbish to produce electricity could come on stream within two years, with WA’s environmental regulator poised to endorse the State’s first so-called waste-to-energy plant.
Smartphones: the latest products to get certified
Smartphones are the latest products to be certified, allowing buyers to choose devices based on environmental and social criteria.
Record-breaking Portugal generates 70 percent of power from renewables
Almost three quarters of the electricity consumed in Portugal during the first quarter of the year came from renewable sources, according to new figures from the country’s rid operator REN.
Soaring hybrid demand accounts for fifth of all Toyota sales in Europe
The growing popularity of green vehicles was hammered home again as manufacturing giant Toyota reported a record of 82 percent increase in sales of its bellwether hybrid cars.
US companies issue declaration urging government to act on climate change
US companies are flipping the script: instead of lobbying government to relax
environmental regulation, a corporate group is urging Washington to enact strong policy aimed at curbing climate change.
Jakarta set to see high-rise ‘green’ buildings
Developers and owners of high-rise buildings will have their building permit applications denied if they fail to comply with the “green” building code that will take effect by the end of the month.
Business outlines a smarter, more sustainable water management approach
A changing climate with more frequent weather events requires today’s businesses to plan for an unpredictable and inconsistent water supply via more sophisticated water management practices, according to a new report released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Business urged to assess nature-related risks and opportunities
Just how a company assesses, measures and values the natural resources it relies on every day can have major impacts on its bottom line, and presents significant opportunities for improving sustainability outcomes, according to a new report released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Clean energy progress too slow to limit global warming
The development of low-carbon energy is progressing too slowly to limit global warming, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
Sustainable urban infrastructure can foster economic growth
Developing sustainable urban infrastructure benefits not just the environment, but can also boost economic growth and social stability, according to a United Nations report which stresses the need to transition to resource-efficient technologies in cities, given scarce natural resources.
Nation cuts down on plastic bag use
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to reduce the use of plastic bags in the country as part of the efforts to protect the environment.
Starbucks introduces reusable cups
The coffee chain Starbucks is introducing a reusable cup which UK customers can keep, in a move designed to encourage them to be more environmentally conscious while saving money.
World’s tallest broadcast tower shows Tokyo’s green push
Builders of Tokyo Skytree, the 65 billion yen ($656 million) broadcast tower almost double the height of the Empire State Building, say they aim to make their mark on more than just the Japanese metropolis’ skyline.
India to show world way on ‘star-rated’ green homes
Time is not far when you would be living in a ‘five or three-star home’, certified by the government recognizing energy efficiency.
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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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