U is for UNFCCC, UNESCO, UNEP, Unilever & U BrainTV

When the UNFCCC two week-long conference in Lima, Peru came to an end, according to Huffington Post, it fell short of agreeing on the actions needed to avoid the catastrophic consequences of a warmer world, even if government leaders reaffirmed their decision to put individual climate pledges on the table prior to the December 2015 meeting in Paris.  Two years into its ten-year sustainable living plan, Unilever reports solid progress on two of its three big goals: helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, and sourcing 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are under threat, while UNEP promotes Sustainable Consumption. U Brain TV continues to spread the word and world view in pictures, including an interview with David Andelman, Editor in Chief of the World Policy Journal. What progress on the Sustainable Energy for All programme? Article by Erik Solheim. Read More

Time for an Asian environmental miracle?

By  Erik Solheim (17 July 2014

The world is changing fast as Asia continues to surge ahead. In less than two generations, the Republic of Korea has gone from being one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the richest and a global leader in technology and manufacturing. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is set to become the largest economy in the world in 2014. In Viet Nam, 15-year-olds are performing above OECD average ineducation.¹ Under the new leadership of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will aim for the skies.

Half of the world’s population lives in Asia and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)² has estimated that the region will account for 50% of the world’s economic activity by 2050. This would lead to a radical change in economic power. But in historical terms, this is really a return to the normal state of global affairs. For most of world history, up to around 1800, Asia was at the center and Europe on the periphery.

The world will be more just and better off as a result of the rise of Asia. But this tremendous Asian growth will also put immense stress on the environment. Air and water are being polluted and many habitats of plants and animals are being destroyed as a result of rapid growth. Our energy system is causing destructive climate change while as many as 1.3 billion people in the world have no access to electric power and 40% use firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating. Eradicating poverty on the current growth pattern would require several planets. Sustainable growth will require an entirely new, green growth model.

Asia’s efforts for green growth

Asia is stepping up to these enormous challenges and signaling the political will to go green. The PRC has publicly stated its determination to build an ecological civilization where economic growth and environmental protection go hand in hand. The PRC is a global leader in renewable energy investment and about half of its new electricity³ comes from wind, solar, and other green sources. The ministry of environmental protection has been provided with stronger powers to curb air pollution. I was present when Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told his government and the entire Jakarta business community that he had promised his grandchild that he would be the Indonesian president that would put a stop to deforestation. Indonesia is making great progress in halting deforestation while Viet Nam and the Philippines have stopped deforestation completely. It was a great sign of progress when Wilmar, Asia’s largest producer of palm oil, in 2013 committed to a no deforestation policy.⁴

The most recent good news was ADB’s announcement of the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All hub⁵ to mobilize investments and bring clean energy to the Asia and Pacific region. Asia surely has the political will, technological skills, and manufacturing capabilities to provide clean energy to the region. But sustainable energy for all is a global challenge, and the OECD can help mobilize resources and advice on effective policies.

The International Energy Agency estimates that the Asia and Pacific region will need more than $200 billion in investment to provide full access to energy. Most of the money will have to come from private investments. More than three-quarters of global foreign direct investments originates in OECD countries.⁶ Development assistance can mobilize more private investments by mitigating risk. The OECD Development Assistance Committee, which I lead, is mobilizing more and better financing for development.⁷

OECD’s recommendations for green growth and development

OECD countries and developing countries will need to go green if the development gains made to date are not to be halted or reversed by climate change and the destruction of ecosystems. Learning from success and doing more of what works is the best policy. The forthcoming OECD report Toward Green Growth in Southeast Asia⁸ will provide tailored advice and recommendations on green growth and development based on what has worked in the region. For example, in Cambodia,⁹ the National Green Growth Roadmap sets an ambitious series of goals and laws to encourage inclusive green growth. Cambodian authorities are exploring how to use hydroelectric power to increase their electricity supply and reduce the high cost of electricity, as electricity in Cambodia is among the most expensive in the world.

The doomsayers say the Asian miracle will end and that growth cannot last forever. Every year since 1978 when the PRC started surging ahead, professors and experts have predicted the end of the Asian miracle. Others say that climate change is inevitable and that any effort to reduce carbon emissions will be too costly. However, there is good reason to believe that the naysayers are wrong and that the Asian century can be good for people as well as the environment. Has the time come for optimism and action?
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¹ PISA 2012 Results. PISA 2012 assesses the competencies of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science in 65 countries and economies.

² ADB. Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century. 2011. Manila

³ New Scientist. 2014. Almost Half of New Electricity Is Now Clean and Green.

⁴ Greenpeace blog post. 2013. Palm Oil Giant Commits to No Deforestation.

⁵ ADB to Host New Hub to Bring Investment and Innovation in Clean Energy in Asia.

⁶ OECD. 2013. FDI in Figures is a timely and reliable source of information on recent global FDI trends.

⁷ OECD. 2014. External Financing for Development.

⁸ OECD. 2014. Toward Green Growth in Southeast Asia.

⁹ OECD. 2013. Making Growth Green and Inclusive: The Case of Cambodia.

  About the Author

Erik Solheim leads the OECD Development Assistance Committee and is also the United Nations Environment Programme’s special envoy for environment, conflict and disaster. From 2007 to 2012 he held the posts of Minister of the Environment and International Development for Norway, and from 2005 to 2007 he served as Minister of International Development. He has received awards for his work on climate and the environment and from 2000 to 2005 was the main negotiator in the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Source: http://www.asiapathways-adbi.org/2014/07/time-for-an-asian-environmental-miracle/#sthash.S0LJkeSl.dpuf

V is for Vehicles, Virgin, Vietnam, Vestas & the Vihara Project

The big V is for Vehicles which are electric, plug-in hybrid or powered by hydrogen fuel cells. 2014 saw most car manufacturing putting at least one cleaner energy vehicle on the production line. According to Clean Fleet Report “automakers continue to increase our choice of plug-in hybrid and all-electric cars and crossovers and 2014 has turned out to be another banner year for plug-in cars”. HSBC has Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech have brought HSBC in on the act of developing low-carbon fuel. As Vietnam is endowed with a relatively large amount of renewable energy resources distributed throughout the country, including Biomass, Hydro and Wind, The German organisation GIZ – among others – is working to produce results. A wind power leader Vestas is there too. We report on The Vihar Project of the Vihara Foundation in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. See how vehicles are being employed for the benefit of people and the environment by GoGet in Australia, as Singapore looks into electric cars and car sharing schemes. Read More

Car Sharing with Electric cars in Singapore Plan

Joy Fang for Today (8 December 2014):

SINGAPORE — Authorities here are exploring introducing a new car-sharing model using electric vehicles, which will see the introduction of up to 1,000 electric vehicles as well as charging infrastructure to support their use.

The inter-agency Electro-Mobility Singapore (EMS) taskforce issued a Request for Information (RFI) today (Dec 8), asking for submission of proposals for “a sustainable operational and business model”. The taskforce also aims to explore whether a one way car-sharing model, in which users pick up cars at an origin and return them at a different destination, can be viable.

The taskforce, co-led by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Economic Development Board, said the trial will enable the Government to gain a deeper understanding of the operating models and support required for electric vehicles to succeed on a larger scale here.

This is the second phase towards exploring fleet-based, shared car operations. The first phase, which conducted two market perception surveys and studies on the technical and economic feasibility of electric vehicle deployment in Singapore, concluded last year.

LTA chief executive Chew Men Leong said they are also exploring whether one-way car-sharing “can possibly complement Singapore’s existing public transport system by serving as a first mile/last mile connector to public transport nodes”.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/lta-and-edb-exploring-electric-vehicle-car-sharing-programme-singapore

W is for writers – making words work for the good of the world. We met Paul Theroux at the Singapore Writers Festival where he heaped praise on current public/private partnerships for renewable energy investments, but drew attention to the years of “wasted aid” to Africa which has done more harm than good. Fortunately, the World Bank, WBCSD and WRI are doing their best to do it right these days. Waste raised its ugly head higher this year and we met people and organisations doing something about it, including WRAP in UK and Europe. And not letting resources like wind go into thin air. Wind energy is the focus for The Blue Circle in South East Asia. Who’s making waves energetically? Read More

WRAP publishes new barriers to recycling at home report

12th December 2014

• Emerging barriers highlight where householders face challenges with recycling

• Clearer communication plays key role to overcoming barriers

Research from WRAP supported by Defra, Zero Waste Scotland, and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments reveals new and emerging barriers to recycling at home, which if tackled could help householders recycle more effectively. Uncertainty over the collection of plastic materials and food waste in particular present the most confusion.

The insights come from the latest ‘Barriers to recycling at home’, report , which reaffirms the original four main barriers identified as situational, behavioral, knowledge and attitudinal previously identified by WRAP in 2008. It also recognises that barriers are inter-dependent, often a householders behaviour, knowledge and attitude to recycling is defined by the type of property they live in, their personal circumstances and the collection service they receive.

The report highlights very specific challenges that impact on recycling rates, such as householders who are confused by the introduction of new materials for recycling such as plastics and food waste, or lack confidence in their ability to recycle due to changes in collection services combined with uncertainty of what is required of them. Challenges which councils and waste management companies can help residents overcome by providing clear, simple messages around what can be recycled locally.

The updated report not only examines the barriers that householders are facing, it also considers how effective people are when recycling. This is reinforced by the annual 3R’s (Recycling, Reuse and Repair) tracking survey, which reveals that 75% of UK householders surveyed* recycle in some way. 25% of those are classed as highly effective recyclers who consistently recycle all materials accepted by their local service without including non-targeted materials in their recycling collection. The other 50% need more guidance on what can be recycled to ensure they are recycling all that they can and not including items that are not currently recycled by their local service.

WRAP will be introducing a number of initiatives in 2015 to help our partners tackle the barriers and improve recycling rates. This includes a refresh of Recycle Now with new communication resources and a tool directly for residents with the re-launch of the existing postcode locator on www.recyclenow.com, which enables consumers to access up to date information about their own local recycling scheme.

Marcus Gover, Director at WRAP commented: “In the past ten years we’ve seen a significant rise in recycling rates; however we still have a long way to go. Using the findings of the ‘Barriers to recycling at home’ report, we know where to focus our attention when giving support and guidance to partners, ensuring that they are able to offer the right service which allows more residents to recycle highly effectively.”

A full list of existing communications resources is available for download from the WRAP resource library http://partners.wrap.org.uk/, the postcode locator can be found on the Recycle Now website www.recyclenow.com.

Notes to editor:

*The 3Rs survey was undertaken online in spring 2014 a total of 4,476 interviews were conducted. The survey is supported by Defra, Zero Waste Scotland, and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments.

1.    WRAP works with businesses, individuals and communities to help them reap the benefits of reducing waste, developing sustainable products and using resources in an efficient way.

2.    Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

3.    More information on all of WRAP’s programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk

Source: http://www.wrap.org.uk/barriers%20to%20recycling

X is for Xmas (Christmas of course) to mark the time of giving, peace and goodwill. Here’s how to have a Christmas that encompasses green and blue intentions. X marks the spot and while we’re biased, we think Singapore is that spot which is becoming the hub for driving Cleantech and clean energy awareness and investment in infrastructure and technology in Asia Pacific. See C for Cleantech and I for IPEx. Also a chance to refer to Xylology – the study of wood – and friends at Double Helix Tracking in Singapore, doing global work in applied forestry genetics for conservation and the sustainable timber trade. Where did that Xmas tree really come from? Then there’s X Prize, which creates awards for innovation in many areas, including energy and the environment, and has come to Asia – India to be precise – so look forward to a rewarding time ahead. Read More

RATAN TATA BRINGS XPRIZE TO INDIA

Coca-Cola India Pledges Support for XPRIZE Competition to Address Sustainability of Water 

MUMBAI, INDIA (December 11, 2014) — XPRIZE, the global leader in incentivized prize competition, announced a formal expansion into India today at an event in Mumbai with by Mr. Ratan Tata and other influential business leaders and philanthropists.

XPRIZE announced plans to launch multiple prizes in India over the next few years in the areas of water, energy, waste management, and food & nutrition, with an anticipated first prize addressing water sustainability, to launch in 2015 with the support of Coca-Cola India.

Guests at the event participated in an XPRIZE “Visioneering” process, where corporate leaders, philanthropists, heads of innovation and XPRIZE Trustees worked together in a unique series of brainstorming sessions to identify which of India’s Grand Challenges can best be solved through incentivized prize competitions.

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, Tata Sons and trustee at XPRIZE, along with Naveen Jain, founder & CEO of Inome, and Paresh Ghelani, chairman, BPG Motors have been great supporters of XPRIZE and active in bringing XPRIZE to India.  Mr. Tata said, “We are bringing XPRIZE to India with the belief that the next big innovations to solve some of the world’s Grand Challenges will come from India, directly impacting millions of people at the base of the pyramid. Through XPRIZE, we want to tap into this promise of potential and possibility.”

“We chose India as the first geographic location outside of the U.S. to launch our global development prizes because we believe India has a technological and entrepreneurial capacity like no other country in the world,” said Zenia Tata, program director, global expansion, XPRIZE. “India is also going to provide XPRIZE the platform to meet Grand Challenges on a global scale and we are very excited about the impact we believe we are going to create.”

“Coca-Cola India is pleased to support the first XPRIZE in India in the area of water, reflecting Coca-Cola’s overarching commitment to water sustainability,” said Venkatesh Kini, president of Coca-Cola India and South West Asia. “We are excited about this partnership and through it we hope to bring forth innovative solutions to the pressing issue of water sustainability to positively impact millions of lives in India and across the globe.”

Mr. Tata, Mr. Jain, and Mr. Ghelani are among a list of XPRIZE Trustees that includes Elon Musk, Larry Page, James Cameron, Arianna Huffington, Ali Velshi, Wendy Schmidt, Ray Kurzweil, and Anousheh Ansari. Deloitte is the knowledge partner for XPRIZE in India.

For more information, visit http://www.xprize.org/about/xprize-in-india.

About XPRIZE

Founded in 1995, XPRIZE is the leading organization solving the world’s Grand Challenges by creating and managing large-scale, high-profile, incentivized prizes in five areas: Learning; Exploration; Energy & Environment; Global Development; and Life Sciences.  Active prizes include the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE, the $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, and the $2M Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE. For more information, go to www.xprize.org.

Asia Pacific countries which didn’t make it into the top 100 include (in order of merit):  Bhutan (103), Vanuatu (106), Mongolia (111), Indonesia (112), Philippines (114), China (118), Laos (127), Timor-Leste (132), Viet Nam (136), Nepal (139), Cambodia (145), Pakistan (148), Solomon Islands (152), India (155), Myanmar (164), Bangladesh (169) &  Afghanistan (174).

Source: www.epi.yale.edu/epi/country-rankings

Where is the Yellow Dust coming from?

Yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind or Asian Dust is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon, according to Wikipedia, which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months.

The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East.

Japan, South Korea and China are meeting regularly to deal collectively with trans-boundary air pollution problems, including measures to identify yellow dust’s travel routes and jointly study ocean pollution by garbage.

Japan, China, S. Korea to jointly tackle air pollution

JIJI Media (30 April 2014):

DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA – Japan, China and South Korea issued on Tuesday a joint statement stipulating their concerted efforts to resolve environmental issues such as the concentration of PM2.5 fine pollutants.

PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Outdoor PM_2.5 levels are most likely to be elevated on days with little or no wind or air mixing.

The communique was adopted by Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara, Chinese Vice Environmental Protection Minister Li Ganjie and South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu to wrap up their two-day talks in the South Korean city of Daegu.

According to the joint paper, the three countries will put their cooperation priority on six categories, including reducing air pollution and protecting water quality and the maritime environment, while promoting multilevel collaboration involving municipalities, companies and researchers.

As measures to tackle the PM2.5 and other air pollution problems, the three nations will introduce to each other successful methods and technologies to make the air cleaner.

They also agreed to exchange observation data on PM2.5 and other particles to identify yellow dust’s travel routes and jointly study ocean pollution by garbage.

On the second day of their meeting, Ishihara, Li and Yoon explained their respective countries’ environment protection policies.

Pointing out Japan is beefing up PM2.5 monitoring by improving measurement systems and devices, Ishihara stressed that cutting the pollutants’ emissions should be given top priority.

Li said he welcomes the three countries’ agreement on local-level cooperation in reducing air pollution.

At a press conference after the meeting, Ishihara said: “We were able to agree on specific cooperation measures against air pollution. Japan is willing to capitalize on its experience and technologies to reduce the pollution in the region.”

Ishihara met separately with Yoon Monday and agreed to exchange information on PM2.5 and bird influenza, but has failed to have individual talks with Li.

The three-way ministerial talks on environmental issues started in 1999. Amid heightened tensions over the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China, Chinese Environment Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian skipped last May’s meeting in Kitakyushu, and was absent again this year.

The next talks will be held in China.

Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/04/30/national/japan-china-s-korea-to-jointly-tackle-pm2-5-problem/#.VIvKCCuUdJk

Last Word: Z is for Zero Waste, Zero Emissions, ZSL & ZERI

Z is for Zero Emissions and Zero Waste. We hear about the work of the Zero Emissions organisation in Australia, the globalZero Waste Alliance and Singapore’s online Zero Wastenetwork. It is also for the Zoological Society of London and the wonderful work ZSL has been doing to recycle nylon fishing nets in the Philippines for Interface to make into carpet tiles, as well as produce the Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT). Twenty years ago (April 6, 1994), Gunter Pauli helped create a think tank in Japan to produce a competitive business model in a world guided by the Kyoto Protocol.  ZERI was the result, promoting the philosophy of zero emissions, where waste is converted to revenues, cascading into a chain of value generation. And now there’s a wonderful group of people in Indonesia who are committed to the Gunter Pauli philosophy and have started the Indonesia Initiative of Sustainability Blue - more to come in 2015. Environmental Leader also reported on Zero Waste strategies, creating new revenue streams for companies around the world. Read More

Zero Waste Strategies Create New Revenue Streams

Environmental Leader reported (7 May 2014):

Waste Management

The production, use, and after use of consumer and commercial products creates solid waste that represents both a waste of resources and a source of environmental impact – but also a revenue opportunity.

Companies Commit to Zero Waste

American industrial facilities generate and dispose of approximately 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste each year, according to the EPA.

Many manufacturing companies have begun to focus on reducing the amount of solid waste they generate; some of these are committing to sending zero waste to landfill in coming years.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has committed to send zero manufacturing waste to landfill by 2020. The company defines “zero waste” as “zero manufacturing waste disposed directly to landfill or to incineration without energy recovery by the site, except where local legal requirements specify that regulated wastes must be disposed in a landfill.”

Tactics the company is using to reach this goal include working to eliminate or reduce solid waste from production processes, designing more material-efficient delivery systems, and using lifecycle thinking to improve product packaging and design.

Currently, P&G has more than 60 manufacturing sites that send zero manufacturing waste to landfill.

“You save money each time you reduce waste going to landfill,” says Len Sauers, vice president of global sustainability for P&G. “This has led to significant cost savings in our supply chain, which helps the bottom line.”

Hershey’s is another company with a zero waste to landfill program, diverting materials that would typically end up in landfills to alternate channels, such as recycling, reuse or incineration. By the end of 2013, six Hershey manufacturing facilities had reached zero waste, the company said.

Nestlé has made a pledge that all 150 of its European factories will be zero waste by 2020. The company achieved its first zero waste facility in 2011. By the end of 2012, Nestlé had achieved zero waste status in 39 of its 468 factories worldwide.

Aircraft engines manufacturer Pratt & Whitney says it will achieve zero waste – 100 percent recycled – in its factories by 2025. The company says that, since 2006, it has reduced its total industrial process waste by 30 percent.

General Motors is striving toward achieving zero waste in its facilities, but is also attempting to drive a global movement toward zero waste (a project which won a 2014 Environmental Leader Top Project of the Year Award). GM now recycles 90 percent of its global manufacturing waste and has committed to increase its landfill-free facilities to 125 by 2020. The company uses a range of processes, including data collection and monitoring systems, employee and external engagement initiatives, and creative reuse and recycling. A large part of its global movement toward zero waste is sharing these strategies throughout its value chain and the broader manufacturing industry.

Bridgestone Americas’ Wilson, NC, passenger and light truck tire manufacturing plant has achieved Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) landfill waste diversion claim validation for zero waste to landfill. Zero waste to landfill is the highest claim validation UL gives for landfill waste diversion, which is performed and delivered by UL Environment, a business unit of UL. Bridgestone’s Wilson tire plant was the first facility of any kind to receive this designation.

Waste as an Asset

In addition to putting programs into place to reduce waste, smart companies are identifying ways to repurpose waste into useful raw materials.

In its drive for global zero waste, GM has a philosophy of “thinking of waste as a resource out of place and turning waste streams into revenue streams,” the company says.

P&G embraces a similar philosophy with its Waste to Worth program. A ‘Global Asset Recovery Purchases’ (GARP) team is charged with finding external partners who can turn waste and non-performing inventory into something useful. The company says that, over the last five years, Waste to Worth has created over a billion dollars in value for P&G.

For example:

Waste from P&G’s Charmin plant in Mexico is now used to make roof tiles for the local community.

Diaper scraps from a US Pampers site are converted into upholstery filling.

Waste from Gillette shaving foam in a UK facility is composted and turned into turf for commercial use.

P&G evaluates waste reduction pilot opportunities in both developed and developing regions. The Waste to Worth team conducted a study in the Philippines, with the cooperation of government stakeholders, to understand the composition of the waste stream, including the percent that is biodegradable, recyclable, and residual. The data led to the design of a business model that extracts value from the waste stream. The company is partnering with the Asian Development Bank with the goal of piloting the business model in Antipolo, Philippines, and hopes to one day expand this model to other parts of the world.

Jones Lang LaSalle finds revenue from waste by selling used IT equipment on MarkITx.

This helps Jones Lang LaSalle and its clients to reduce e-waste and offset the cost of new IT infrastructure by listing depreciated or obsolete equipment on the exchange and recouping the maximum value.

Other Benefits of a Zero Waste Strategy

Zero waste strategies help companies build their brand, reduce cost, and manage risk, says Tom Carpenter, director of growth and development for Waste Management Sustainability Services.

Strategies for reducing waste also encourage a focus on innovation, he says. “Overall improvements in the working environment also give rise to more engaged employees. In turn, increased employee engagement can result in improved worker productivity and lower turnover.”

Carpenter offers a concise ‘roadmap’ to zero waste. Tactics include gaining senior leadership buy-in, engaging employees, setting a goal, gathering data and developing metrics, and obtaining supplier commitment.

Smart companies find that revenue opportunities, brand building, and risk management are important parts of waste strategies. It’s one strategy among many that is “how you build a business,” says Sauers.

Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/05/07/zero-waste-strategies-create-new-revenue-streams/