S & S News: The Week in Highlights shares a collection of current articles, reports and stories that are newsworthy in the realm of sustainability, social responsibility and beyond. Feature promise: Absolutely no fake news.
May day may day as CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere this week hit a level not seen in 800,000 years. In worldly news, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres calls for leaders to tax carbon not people in a bid to mitigate climate change. This comes in line with published research on thinning ice sheets of West Antarctica which reveal over the last 25 years this has extended 300 miles inland along their 600-mile length.
Meanwhile marine scientists situated on the Cocos Islands off Indonesia (population of 600) found 977,000 shoes and 373,000 toothbrushes, a call to arms against ocean waste.
Green finance ramps up a gear, as the World Bank issues a new Global Sustainable Development Bond, set to raise €1.5bn from institutional investors.
Heavy metals and a cocktail of dangerous chemicals continue to poison Europe’s seas as a study finds over 75% of areas are contaminated (96% Baltic sea) (91% Black sea)(87% Mediterranean sea).
There’s no luck for the Irish, as Ireland will have to spend up to €150 million on carbon credits to make up for missing its 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets.
Whilst Corbyn pledges to fit solar panels to 1.75m homes if elected as a ‘green industrial revolution’ it is reported that UK energy companies are failing to promote women into senior roles with 42% of major energy firms have no women on their boards.
In publishing, Guardian leads best practice in its language and rhetoric as they announce their house style guide on all things climate emergency.
For fashion and retail, it’s all eyes on Europe for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit where the likes of Google and Stella McCartney collaborate to roll out plans to fill the missing gaps on environmental data across supply chains.
Selfridges sustainability strategy goes one step further as its own brand products are entirely rid of palm oil, 9 months ahead of target. In beauty, the Body Shop launches its Fair Trade Recycle Scheme supporting communities with plans to purchase 250 tonnes of this Community Trade recycled plastic, doubling to 500 tonnes in 2020 and extending its use to the wider product range.
Finally, the nation’s favourite health shop Holland & Barrett stop selling face wipes in a bid to fight fatbergs.
414 million pieces of plastic found on remote island group in Indian Ocean via Guardian
World Bank debuts €1.5bn SDG bond via Business Green
‘Minor delays’: Brexit stunting 25 Year Environment Plan progress, Defra admits via Business Green
Heavy metals and harmful chemicals ‘poison Europe’s seas’ via Guardian
Ireland facing €150m bill for missing climate targets via The Times
Wake up and smell the sustainability bond via Business Green
Labour reveals plans to fit solar panels to 1.75m homes via Guardian
Sustainability Summit via Business of Fashion
Selfridges makes all own-brand foods free of palm oil via Guardian
The body shop launches fair trade recycled plastic scheme via i-D
Why the Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment via Guardian
Holland & Barrett to stop selling wet wipes in sustainability shift via Independent
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