Posted under Express 238, Express 76

Love Paper and the Power of the Printing Press

 

By Ken Hickson

 

Call me a Paper Boy, if you like. Because I haven’t stopped believing in the power of the printing press and the true value of the printed word, whether it be in the form of a letter, postcard, newspaper, magazine, book, newsletter, poster or parcel.

 

In my youth, I did deliver the local newspaper by cycling nine miles, six days a week around a country town in New Zealand. On leaving school, I started out on a career as a journalist for the afternoon metropolitan newspaper in Wellington, New Zealand.

 

As I hold a print copy of the Straits Times in my hands every day for my breakfast time reading in Singapore, I do wonder how many others are doing the same.  Yes, there’s been a decline in newspaper sales over recent years and the printing presses compete with television, radio and online sources of news and information.

 

But we are still seeing that printed books – and magazines, for that matter – are holding their own against the digitalisation of information.

 

We do hear that US publishers of books in all formats made almost US$26 billion in revenue last year, with print making up $22.6 billion and e-books taking $2.04 billion. That’s according to the Association of American Publishers’ annual report 2019, which includes trade and educational books, as well as fiction.

 

Besides being an economic advantage, there must be other things going for print books to beat the challenge from eBooks.

 

Let’s see what science comes up with to show that reading real books is good for the brain and health generally.

 

There are  “Seven Scientific Benefits of Reading Printed Books”, according to an article published on Mental Floss website, described as a destination for curious people. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/554845/7-scientific-benefits-reading-printed-books

 

1. You absorb more information: Readers of print books absorb and remember more of the plot than readers of e-books do, according to a study that was presented in Italy in 2014.

 

2. Children become better readers: A study of young children reveals they had lower comprehension of the story when their parents read to them from an e-book as opposed to a print book. Researchers theorize this arises because children get distracted by the electronic device.

 

3. Books are easier on the eyes: One survey of 429 university students revealed that nearly half had complained of strained eyes after reading digitally. Electronic books can cause screen fatigue, which may lead to blurred vision, redness, dryness, and irritation.

 

4. You’re less likely to get distracted: When reading e-books, you tend to get side-tracked more easily. According to one survey, 67% of university students were able to multitask while reading digitally, compared to 41% of print readers.

 

5. Books help you sleep better: Studies show that the blue light from your screen can toy with your melatonin levels and circadian cycles, making it harder for you to fall asleep. So if you’re hoping to get a good night’s rest, go to bed with a good book. Print, of course.

 

6. Having a library at home is linked to higher academic achievement:  Students who have books at home are more likely to score higher on tests, according to a study of readers from 42 countries. Researchers believe this encourages children to read for fun and talk to their parents about what they’ve learned, which only stands to benefit them in the classroom.

 

7. Books amplify the joy of reading: One recent study of college students in the US, Slovakia, Japan, and Germany showed that 92% of participants preferred actual books that they can hold, touch and leaf through whenever they please. Students cited fewer distractions and less eye strain as a couple of the reasons why they prefer printed materials, but other explanations were related to how books make them feel.

 

The Metal Floss article also referred readers to US Paper & Packaging “How life unfolds” .

 

If that’s not enough to reinforce the value of books in print, we can also call on the Two Sides organisation, which operates in  Europe and North America.

 

Its approach is to provide facts and data to show how the print and paper industry is investing in sustainability right across its various activities.

 

By uniting the graphic communications supply chain, led by sustainable and responsible forestry, paper production and printing, it aspires to ensure that, in a world of scarce resources, print and paper’s unique recyclable and renewable qualities can be enjoyed for generations to come.

 

Two Sides is further committed to ensuring that print and paper also remains a versatile, effective and powerful means of marketing and communication, stretching the imagination and imparting knowledge.

 

Starting in the United Kingdom, it mounted a “Love Paper” global campaign to promote the sustainable and attractive attributes of print, paper and paper packaging. It seeks to tell consumers around the world all the positive stories about paper, print and paper packaging from its environmental credentials to its role in the creative process.

 

Read all about it here:  https://www.twosides.info/UK/love-paper-campaign-features-across-national-publications/

 

Which brings us to the role played throughout the world by PEFC – the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – and what’s underway in Singapore to get its Chain of Custody certification programme fully operational.

 

As a big consumer of imported materials – including pulp and paper – Singapore is being encouraged to become a centre of influence, committed to responsible procurement from the Asian region’s forests and plantations.

This was the message from Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO, when he visited Singapore in September 2019 and spoke to 50 representatives from government agencies, think tanks, industry bodies, certification bodies, private sector companies and media.

It also marked the launch of PEFC’s Chain of Custody certification scheme, now recognised by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC), which is managed by Enterprise Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Mr Gunneberg gave an overview of PEFC’s work and stressed that sustainable forest management can contribute to meeting social, economic and environmental challenges, as well as helping countries and companies to address all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With 17 million hectares of forests certified in Asia, it’s the fastest growing region for PEFC. He also pointed out that there’s a lot of room to grow responsible sourcing in countries like Singapore, which has only 22 Chain of Custody certificate holders out of a total 1421 throughout Asia.

Chain of Custody certification in Singapore can be incorporated into private and public sector procurement policies, demonstrating support for sustainably managed forests and meeting Sustainability Development Goals.

It also enables companies to meet legality issues and customer expectations, as well as introduce traceability solutions into the supply chain.

Besides certification of wood for buildings and furniture, there’s the opportunity to greatly increase the use of certification – and the PEFC logo - for publishing, printing, paper and packaging, where Singapore has made an encouraging start.

There is recognition at home and abroad that Singapore has a flourishing printing and publishing industry.

 

The opportunity now exists for PEFC to work with the Print and Media Association to promote the use of responsibly-sourced paper and create greater awareness in the eyes of the wider community of the value of paper as a sustainably-produced material.

 

There’s no reason why Singapore couldn’t mount something similar to the UK’s Love Paper campaign which stresses that  paper and paper packaging are increasingly recognised for their unique sustainable features: made from renewable raw materials, recyclable and biodegradable.

 

 

A former print journalist (newspapers and magazines) who continues to be a strong advocate for paper and print, Ken Hickson is the author of six books (all in print), including one entitled “Race for Sustainability” published by World Scientific in Singapore in 2013 – the first book in Asia to be PEFC-certified. He is currently producing a book for the 40^th Anniversary of the Lions Home for the Elders, which he insists will be a PEFC-certified production in Singapore and will be launched at the Lions International Convention at Marina Bay Sands in June 2020, attracting 20,000 overseas visitors. Ken also serves as the Sustainability and Communications Consultant to PEFC in Singapore.

Posted under Express 76

Report Card & Current Projects 2018-19: Towards 2020

1. Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): Sustainability and Communications Consultant, starting in 2018 with work on a Roadmap for Singapore and Southeast Asia, then developing programmes, incorporating stakeholder engagement, event management and media relations throughout 2019.  www.pefc.org

2. HeapsTech Consortium: Working with this new tech-to-tech consortium to promote its regional operations, including carrying out business development for its member companies/products, IPM+ and Threat Aware. https://heapstech.net/

3. Lions Home for the Elders: Commissioned to produce the 40^th anniversary commemorative book to be launched at the Lions International Convention in Singapore June 2020. https://lionshome.org.sg/

4.  AGR1- Agricultural Growing Revolutionised: Advising entrepreneur John Harrison and helping to promote/secure investors/partners in his vertical farming venture in Johor, Malaysia. www.agr1.net

5. Green4Good: Building on connections made through involvement with the Brands for Good Awards 2018-2019, working to establish a business community in Singapore to collaborate to expand business activity regionally, and at the same time, help preserve and protect Mother Earth, aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

6. Creafin & Associates/East Asia Ventures: Working with experienced investment banker Patrick Teo to help secure funding for agri-food-tech and healthcare projects in Singapore/Asia.

7. Blue Asia Capital: Supporting the work of this international business with its focus on impact investing and the blue/circular economy. Helping to set up, promote and represent a number of companies in Singapore, which will in turn drive funding for projects in the Asia Pacific region. http://www.blueasiacapital.com/

8. BEC Modular: Providing support to its founders/developers to originate, structure, underwrite, manage and deliver affordable housing projects in South-east Asia. www.becmodular.com

9. Mako Energy: Preparing to embark on media communications, stakeholder engagement and investor relations programme for this Australian company producing tidal energy turbines. https://www.mako.energy/

10. SAAVY Global Services: Working with the founders to expand this into a viable recruitment agency, act as an adviser and introduce new business, as well as produce a series of self-help and business books (print and digital).

11. World Scientific: Working with one of the world’s leading academic publishers to promote: a. Two existing books, “Race for Sustainability” and “Mr SIA: Fly Past”; b. Produce new “digest” version of The ABC of Carbon; c. Review and promote book releases; d. Plan for new book publishing projects. www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/8998

12.  Sustain Ability Showcase Asia (SASA): During 2018-2019, we have represented, advised and/or promoted the following clients/projects:   PEFC, Lazada, Roche, Envizi, Blue Asia Capital, Teale, nExergy, Eden Strategy, Blue by Design, Like Meat, Carbon Care, HeapsTech, Brands for Good, Green is the New Black, The Blue Circle and Roger & Sons.  www.sustain-ability-showcase.com

13. ABC Carbon: Continued to produce the online magazine ABC Carbon Express (since 2008), acting as Media Partner and/or promoting, attending and reporting on the following events during 2018-2019: Singapore International Energy Week, International Built Environment Week, Responsible Business Forum, Sustainable Tourism Asia, Green is the New Black, National Energy Efficiency Conference, Unlocking Capital for Sustainability, Brands for Good Awards, Singapore Sustainability Symposium, Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources, Ecosperity Week, Singapore Fintech Festival, CREATE Symposium, Interpol World and IPCC/SMU Dialogue.  www.abccarbon.com

14.  The Hickson Team: Produced content for a number of organisations and media, including commissions from Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Sembcorp for Sweet/Singapore Press Holdings. Working on a number of book projects (print and ebooks), as well as contributing to, and collaborating with Media and business partners/team-members, including John Gordon (Expat Choice), Rosie Milne (Asian Books Blog), Lauren Arena (Biz Events Asia), Michael Allen (Business Traveller), Mallika Naguran (Gaia Discovery),  Brian Yim (Millionaire Asia), Lekha Patmanathan (nExergy), Marc Allen (Engeco), Kay Vasey (Meshminds), Paru Parvathy (Green in Future), Eugene Tay (Zerowaste SG), Greg Cornelius (Protiotype), Pip Harry (ANZA Magazine), Kavita Balakrishnan (KUE Communications), Hannah Middleton (KinTsugi), Jacqui Hocking (VSStory), Stephanie Dickson (Green is the New Black), Brook Wright and Vikas Garg. www.hicksonteam.com

15. The Art of Travel: Commenced production in March 2019 of The Art of Travel, as an online magazine, incorporating The Avenue for Creative Arts, which we started in February 2015. Since then we have promoted hundreds of events, books, shows, exhibitions, destinations and films during 2019, gearing up for even more in 2020, starting with Singapore Art Week in January.  We had pleasure in promoting two very different books during the year: James Suresh/Adam Lee’s “Kopi Thiam” and Linda Collins’ “Loss Adjustment”. We have been happy to work with and promote Jane’s Tours, Meshminds, Chicken Feet Travels, Destination Elite, Roger & Sons, National Arts Council, National Gallery, National Parks, Art Science Museum, Singapore Repertory Theatre, Base Entertainment/Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Writers Festival and Singapore International Film Festival, along with practically all Singapore-based authors, publishers and booksellers. www.fifthavenue.asia

16. Focus on Forests: We started 2019 by launching an online campaign to do all we can to create greater awareness of what’s going on in the forests of the world, particularly drawing attention to deforestation, illegal logging and out of control burning. Besides our work for PEFC, we have also connected with, and reported on, the work of Double Helix, Venturer Timberwork, Interpol, UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Asian Intelligence Forum, Mongabay, CIFOR and many other NGOs/ advocacy groups. Looking to 2020, we will also be supporting the work of Two Sides, Birdlife International, the Amazon Project (Living Labs Foundation/Xingu Institute) and Forest SEA Initiative. Focus on Forests/LinkedIn Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10429370/

Ken Hickson

15 December 2019

Posted under Express 76

SGBC Digitalisation and Sustainability in the Green Building Industry – 7^th Joint seminar between JTC and SGBC

Building The Future Through Digitisation

By Lekha Patmanathan for ABC Carbon Express

Innovate to be sustainable. Disrupt or be Disrupted.

Similar sentiments were echoed from the diverse panel at SGBC and JTCs joint seminar on Digitalization and Sustainability in the Green Building industry on May 10th. More than 50% of the world’s population live in cities today and the United Nations project 1 in 3 people will urban dwellers by 2050. The building and construction sector as an industry has come a long way since the Stone Ages. In a world of finite resources, green building principles and technologies are the cornerstone of responsible building with the future in mind.

The president of Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) Dr Ho Nyok Yong, emphasised the urgent need to change the way in which we build. Even Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) with a 50-year track record in design, build and management of 600 million square foot of built spaces, Mr Heah Soon Poh, the Assistant CEO of the Engineering and Operations, spoke about need to be tech-enabled and data-driven organisation. Their Integrated Digital Delivery approach oversees the entire building cycle from design through to construction and operations. Digitalised design enables the optimal passive design strategies to be achieved, lowering construction errors and material wastage thus optimisation of site resources. JTC have a centralised Building Optimisation Systems (JTC BOS) pulls operational data from all assets and uses Fault Detection and Diagnostics to manage and maintain its buildings.

Homegrown civil and infrastructure construction company, Samwoh, is the leading asphalt supplier in Singapore with quarries in Indonesia and Malaysia. Aside from building roads and runways, Senior Technical Manager Dr Kelvin Lee, shared about their Innovation Centre their key focus area in recycling R&D and material science. They are circularizing the economy by recycling more than 1 million tonnes of construction waste annually into concrete aggregate (RCA) so it re-enters the value chain. They are currently testing incinerated bottom ash (IBA) for as a base layer in roads, scrap tires in roads to reduce noise and plastic waste for construction. Samwoh has digitized fleet management, smart paving systems and laser crack measurement systems to increase quality, consistency and safety while reducing manpower needs.

Energy is getting more electric and digitised, more decarbonised and decentralised. Damien Dhellemmes of Schneider Electric spoke about these global trends and how it is transforming proptech for good. The convergence of IT and OT accelerated by IoT creates a more connected built architecture. Seamless data transfer, analytics and insights in real-time brings a new level of understanding to building health allowing facility managers to optimise the energy process and transition from time-based to condition-based maintenance.

Mann+Hummel are using similar approaches by adding intelligence in filtration to alert building managers during times of high particulate counts. Innovation in green buildings extends beyond brick & mortar and to improving quality of life.  We spend a staggering 90% of our time indoors, according to Global Partnerhips Director Joelle Chen, which is why indoor environment quality is so important. She likened Mann+Hummels technology as a Fitbit for your building. An American study on 10 buildings show healthier indoor environments results in healthier employees. A local study correlated an absenteeism and air quality. Currently a two-year performance study is being conducted in Asia to further prove that better air leads to better health.

To drive global CO2 emissions reduction, decarbonisation is key and is best accomplished through a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy. To accomplish this Energy Smart Solutions, an NTU spin-off led by Dr Alessandro Romagnoli, demonstrated a technology for optimising master planning of greenfield project with smart integrated energy mix planning. E-OPT is a software to optimise energy consumption meet complex and dynamic user demands, from design through to operations. In future the question on how best to settle energy and cooling demands will only be handled in the cloud, data crunching equipment scheduling, storage, weather and equipment selection to yield the most optimal and efficient results.

In the era where the real estate industry is going through unprecedented changes, digitisation makes the invisible visible to bring insights to, quantify and support sustainability goals.

Posted under Express 76

Profile:

 Is Jason Pomeroy all at sea?

 

When you achieve something as rare as getting Jason Pomeroy to sit down in one place at one time to talk about his work, you cannot help but wonder if this man has his feet firmly on the ground or is he all at sea?

 

Ken Hickson recently met with the well-travelled architect to discuss his projects past, present and future, encountering his insistence that for many of us our future will not be on land but on water, in waterborne communities.

 

Climate change, with associated temperature and sea level rise, means we must move into more marine environments, in harmony with nature, of course.

 

Sustainability and green buildings have always been a major pre-occupation for him – and he’s completed a number international award winning projects on terra firma – but now he openly talks about “the blues”.

 

No, this is not an architect going through a depression experience, but “blue” as in ocean and skies. Blue, as in going beyond green buildings on land to maximising the marine environment for living, trade and tourism, without sacrificing natural habitats.

 

And taking into account that temperatures and sea levels are rising, it makes sense to design “safe houses” and marine cities that “ride the waves”.

 

Already Jason has done a lot of visionary work on these blue concepts – in the last year or so working with the Finnish marine company Warstila on SEA02 “An Oceanic Awakening” – and he’s devoted a lot of attention to many other parts of the world to maximise the coastline and ocean.

 

Besides his work in Saudi Arabia and Singapore – with the James Cook University – and his recent talk at an Asian Development Bank forum on “Digital Solutions for a More Liveable Future” , it’s not easy to keep up with Jason, with his Pomeroy Studio, he Pomeroy Academy, not forgetting his award winning television series, City Redesign (Singapore), City Time Traveller and Smart Cities 2.0.

Back in 2016,  when Jason was interviewed by CNN, he talked about rising sea levels and that humans will be forced to build on water.

 

“Water accounts for two thirds of the Earth’s surface,” he tells CNN. “We need to think about new methods of urbanising to accommodate population growth.”

 

Not only will waterborne communities solve problems of inner-city densification and be energy efficient, Pomeroy believes they could be flood, earthquake and weather proof.

 

He seriously believes that waterborne communities, made possible by a combination of floating or pier architecture may present an answer to future urban growth that will alleviate urbanisation pressures in over-populated inner city centres, which, by 2050, will house 70% of the global population.

 

Of course, perceptions have to change, but it is a fundamental step to take in creating more sustainable urban developments that can accommodate water level rise, rather than ‘conflict’ with it.

 

One city that is water challenged more than anywhere else on earth – and extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts – is Venice. And that’s where Jason has spent a lot of time working on concepts and teaching.

 

He’ll be there next month to run a course on Cultural Sustainability and Conservation.  The setting of Venice is important for more than one reason.

 

Students will attend core sustainable and conservation lectures in the morning, enjoy walking tours in the afternoon, plus lateral lectures in the evening.

 

Experiencing the city first hand –  its challenges and its dependence on water – should give the students a taste of this architect’s “blue vision” for future liveability in accord with the natural world and a changing climate.

 

About Jason Pomeroy:

Professor Jason Pomeroy is an award-winning architect, academic, author and TV personality at the forefront of the sustainable built environment agenda. He graduated with Bachelor and Postgraduate degrees with distinction from the Canterbury School of Architecture; received his Master’s degree from Cambridge University, and his PhD from the University of Westminster.

Jason is the Founding Principal of evidence-based interdisciplinary sustainable design firm Pomeroy Studio, and sustainable education provider, Pomeroy Academy.

He has also authored Pod Off-Grid: Explorations in Low Energy Waterborne Communities (2016), The Skycourt and Skygarden: Greening the Urban Habitat (2014) and Idea House: Future Tropical Living Today (2011).

Jason is a special professor at the University of Nottingham, James Cook University, and the Universita IUAV di Venezia.

More on Jason on the  Pomeroy Studio website.

Posted under Express 76

Commentary by Ken Hickson

Food Facts and Sustainability:
Disruption or Distortion?

These were the words and thoughts circulating in my own crowded data centre as I attended important conferences, listened to authorities, attended launches of “new foods”, read scientific papers and evaluated reports coming to me from near and far.

I understand the necessity for some organisations – Government, private sector or NGOs – to put greater emphasis on some “facts” to attract attention and emphasise the seriousness of the situation.

As someone who’s been reporting on, writing about – and even campaigning for – food and agriculture, forestry, climate change and related scientific solutions over the last 50-plus years, even I might be guilty, inadvertently, of a little “distortion”. Maybe a headline or two that highlighted some facts over others.

But I do think conference organisers and those involved in advocating change in any sector which contributes to the current state of affairs on planet earth, needs to take extra care with the facts. Make sure you clearly identify the source of facts or opinion. Go to “authoritative and verifiable sources” whenever possible.

So, when I saw this paragraph in the press release for a major conference I attended recently, not only did I raise my eyebrows, but I raised it with some of the speakers and organisers:

“The livestock industry itself is calculated to contribute to 58% of greenhouse gas emissions, 57% of water pollution and 56% of air pollution caused by agriculture industries globally”.

It referenced an article in The Guardian by well-known Environment editor Damian Carrington (31 May 2018), who in turn was drawing attention to a comprehensive study “Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers” by J. Poore and T. Nemecek in “Science”.

Playing around with numbers/statistics to make a point is an age-old art and science. But to be fair, much more can be achieved if we explain things carefully and accurately.

The event in question – “Disruption in Food and Sustainability” – had very good intentions. The focus of the summit in March in Singapore was on “raising awareness and fostering the growth of sustainable plant-based/alternative protein/clean meat and non- food (packaging) across the value chain with innovation, partnerships and technology as enabler”.

It was the flagship event of the Alliance for a Responsible Future (ARF), a corporate engagement programme in Singapore that aims to create a platform for plant-based companies and organisations looking to be greener and healthier to reach out to the plant-based and sustainability-conscious community.

Nothing wrong with that at all. But let’s put to the test some of the claims as to the livestock industry’s contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the livestock sector as a whole contributes 14.5% of total man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with beef and milk production making up the majority of this.

There’s always some variance when it comes to allocating sources of GHG emissions. Timeliness also matters: when were the facts were collected.

I have a 2007 “Atlas of Climate Change” which uses 2000 figures from the World Resources Institute (WRI) to emphasise that the agriculture sector accounted for 13% of global GHG emissions. Land use change and forestry accounts for another 18%.

By comparison, other major contributors are electricity & heat (25%), transportation 12%, manufacturing & construction 10%, other fuel combustion 9%, fugitive emissions 9%, waste 4%, industrial processes 3%, shipping and aviation 2%.

Another illuminating report, from Climate Nexus, which also reference’s FAO information, had this to say:

Animal agriculture puts a heavy strain on many of the Earth’s finite land, water and energy resources. In order to accommodate the 70 billion animals raised annually for human consumption, a third of the planet’s ice free land surface, as well as nearly 16% of global freshwater, is devoted to growing livestock.

Furthermore, a third of worldwide grain production is used to feed livestock. By 2050, consumption of meat and dairy products is expected to rise 76% and 64% respectively, which will increase the resource burden from the industry.

Cattle are by far the biggest source of emissions from animal agriculture, with one recent study showing that in an average American diet, beef consumption creates 1,984 pounds of CO2e annually. Replacing beef with plants would reduce that figure 96%, bringing it down to just 73 pounds of CO2e. Go to Climate Nexus for more on this subject.

What all this goes to show is that we should be telling it as it is. Keep to the facts as they spell it out accurately when it comes to the damage to the planet from agriculture and food production. And all other sources for that matter.

I’ve been very impressed with the EAT Foundation, particularly its recent work with The Lancet on Food, Health and the Environment.

Anyone involved in advocating for change in the way we produce and consume food, should read the full report – “Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems” (Published: January 16, 2019) – which is freely available online. Here’s a taste:

“Food systems have the potential to nurture human health and support environmental sustainability, however our current trajectories threaten both. The EAT–Lancet Commission addresses the need to feed a growing global population a healthy diet while also defining sustainable food systems that will minimise damage to our planet.”
Next month, from 11 to 14 June, the EAT Stockholm Food Forum is being held. This carefully curated event, open to up to 1000 delegates by invitation only, is a gathering of top global thought leaders from science, politics, business, civil society and beyond.

Posted under Express 76

The Art of Sustainability in the Age of Digital Disruption

 

By Ken Hickson

 

Presented at the National Sustainability in Business Conference,

Brisbane, Australia

8 March 2018

 

A global overview of how sustainability measures and management in companies and countries have evolved, often in parallel with the emergence of “age of digital disruption”. 

 

The new Industrial Revolution, largely observed as a technological or digital revolution, has been matched by the transformational megatrend of sustainability, along with what can only be called the Clean Energy Revolution and a gradual move to a Low Carbon Economy.

 

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative, set up in 2007,  is a non-profit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organisations dedicated to cutting the energy consumption of computers in half.

 

Case study: Intel, for example, continually strives to improve its operations and minimise its impact on the environment. It’s commitment to sustainability involves  a broad portfolio of efforts:

• to reduce emissions
• improve energy management through conservation,
• renewable energy,
• efficient building design
• environmental performance goals throughout our operations.

 

It can be argued that Sustainability in itself – along with the Circular Economy (also labelled the Blue Economy) – is in reality as “disruptive” as the digital revolution.

 

 

Gunther Pauli of the Blue Economy          Ellen MacArthur of the Circular Economy

 

Case study from the Blue Economy: A coffee company can generate income from the coffee, its core business, and now can also generate revenue from the mushrooms farmed on the coffee waste, and whatever is left over after harvesting, the protein rich fungi is excellent animal feed. One revenue model is now transformed in a three revenue model.

Why talk of the Art of Sustainability?

 

Surely it’s a Science or a Process,  putting a Theory into Practice?

 

Art and Sustainability, as defined by German Sociologist Sacha Kagan:

 

Engages us in a fundamental rethinking of our ways of knowing and seeing the world. We must learn not to be afraid of complexity, and to re-awaken a sensibility to patterns that connect. With an overview of ecological art over the past 40 years, and a discussion of art and social change, he assesses the potential role of art in a much-needed transformation process.

 

Looking at global and regional industry players, as well as in some countries, states and cities, we can see that sustainability and digital disruption are unlikely, but significantly compatible, bedfellows! 

 

• Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan:

Our vision is a new way of doing business – one that delivers growth by serving society and the planet.

 

• Costa Rica has achieved 100% reliance on renewable energy.

 

• RE100: 127  companies have made a commitment to go ’100% renewable’.

 

         

Energy is one of four key factors which make up sustainability, the others being

Environment, Economy and Ethics. (“Race for Sustainability”)

 

This is an advance on John Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line – People, Planet and Profit -  to provide a more balanced and stable position for Sustainability.

 

A four-legged table or chair is much more stable than a three-legged stool!

 

In the age of digital disruption and the new industrial revolution, the presence and practice of sustainability provides the every necessary “future-proofing” that’s needed.

 

 

 

This is consistent with the 1987 UN Brundtland Report that sustainable development involves “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

 

Her Excellency Gro Harlem Brundtland, founding chair of the world commission that launched the concept of sustainable development to the centre of the global stage.

 

Likewise, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can also be seen as “disruptive” as they distinctively counter the “business as usual” approach which countries and industries have applied for some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every one of the 17 goals, necessitate disruption of some kind. No longer business as usual:

 

* Avoided deforestation

* Switch off Fossil Fuels

* Keep Coal in the ground

* Cut plastic pollution of oceans

* Sustainable fisheries

* Sustainable forestry

 

Climate Change necessitates a change in mind-set.

• Change our ways
• Mend our ways
• Prepare for the worst
• Become resilient

 

Sustainability provides many – if not all – the measures needed to manage the planet.

 

University of Hawaii Study (2013):   Climate Departure:

When the coldest year is warmer than the warmest year on record.

Tropical regions will be hardest hit first. The Caribbean. South East Asia.

 

Technology isn’t the complete answer, but with….

• Human intervention, and….
• Effective management of all resources: 
• Energy, Water, Food, Waste and People included,
• It’s Possible to Provide a Future for the Earth and its People.

 

 

Elon Musk – the ultimate disruptor

 

Three examples from Singapore, with a little help from the UK and Australia:

 

• Singapore Declares 2018 the Year of Climate Action – a Government initiative – and as chair of ASEAN it hopes its leadership will influence some of the other 9 countries in the region. Supported by private sector – MNCs & SMEs – NGOs, Civil Society and community organisations.

 

• Armstrong Asset Management’s Clean Energy Fund for Southeast Asia, launched in Singapore in 2012, completed its five years of investing in projects in the region, all expected to produce a return on investment of at least 20%. Founded by Andrew Affleck from the UK.

 

• International Sustainability Education Initiative in Singapore by Australian Centre for Sustainability Studies & Training (ACSST) and the London School of Business & Finance (LSBF) – in partnership with SASA – introducing the tried and tested Diploma of Sustainable Operations. Initiated by Adrian Ward, Brisbane.

 

Case study: Disruption closer to hand at the University of the Sunshine Coast

• Carbon Management Plan to become carbon neutral by 2025
• Introducing 5794 solar panels to provide thermal energy for chillers and as a source of electricity for campus.
• No capital outlay and an expected A$100 million saving over 25 years life of system.

 

Conclusion:

 

• Sustainability was described in 2010 as the next transformational megatrend, comparable to, and up there with, mass production, manufacturing quality movement, the IT revolution and globalization, by the Harvard Business Review (David Lubin and Daniel Esty).

 

• Sustainability is disruptive by necessity and to meet the challenges of climate change and to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, is the only way forward. Business as usual is not an option.

 

• In the age of digital disruption and the new industrial revolution, the presence and practice of the art of sustainability provides the every necessary “future-proofing” that the world needs. 

 

 

 

References:

 

Cannibals with Forks (1998) by John Elkington

The Weather Makers (2005) by Tim Flannery

Living in a Hothouse (2005) by Ian Lowe

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) by Al Gore

The Stern Review (2006) by Nicholas Stern

The Short History of Hot Air (2007) by Peter Doherty

The ABC of Carbon (2009) by Ken Hickson

The Blue Economy (2010)  by Gunther Pauli

Race for Sustainability (2013) by Ken Hickson

Art and Sustainability (2014) by Sacha Kagan

Vision 2100 (2015) by John O’Brien

 

 

 

Posted under Express 76

Posted under Express 76

One Fine Day: 100% Clean Energy

There is a proven way to rapidly boost the adoption of renewable energy – give companies or individuals who want to generate green energy access to the grid and promise to pay them extra for the electricity they “feed in” over the next 20 years or so. The New Scientist says so!

By Ben Crystall in the New Scientist(15 September 2009):

Paying people who generate green energy and feed it back to the grid is the best way to boost uptake of renewable energy.

ONE day, 100 per cent of our energy will have to come from renewable sources. But how do we make it happen?

There is a proven way to rapidly boost the adoption of renewable energy – give companies or individuals who want to generate green energy access to the grid and promise to pay them extra for the electricity they “feed in” over the next 20 years or so.

This approach is known as a feed-in tariff, and since Germany introduced feed-in tariffs in 1990, the proportion of electricity it generates from renewable sources has grown from less than 3 per cent to about 15 per cent in 2008. By comparison, the UK, which tried to boost renewable energy through an alternative “green certificate” scheme, generated just 5 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2008.

Other countries are now trying to emulate Germany’s success. To date, 21 European countries have introduced some form of feed-in tariff, and this year the UK, South Africa and the Canadian province of Ontario announced plans to implement similar schemes.

The catch with feed-in tariffs is that consumers or taxpayers have to foot the bill for the higher price paid for renewable energy. Partly for this reason, they generally favour or are limited to smaller generators. While this is not ideal, small power generators can make a big difference if there are enough of them. According to some estimates, microgeneration could provide up to 40 per cent of the UK’s electricity by 2050.

Even with guaranteed prices, though, the initial investment in the generating equipment – a photovoltaic panel, say, or a small wind generator – puts the technology beyond the budget of most households. Fortunately there are other ways for people to take advantage of feed-in tariffs.

More than 350,000 households in Germany hold shares in wind turbines, and almost all wind farms in Denmark are community owned. By providing people living close to the generators with extra income, community-owned renewable power schemes can also help overcome local opposition to what people might otherwise see as intrusive wind turbines.

Read more: Blueprint for a better world

Source: www.newscientist.com

Posted under Express 76

Voluntary Climate Action Must Count

Growing uncertainty around key policy decisions here in Australia are fuelling confusion and doubt about how best to combat climate change. The government needs to clearly account for voluntary action separately – like buying Green Power –  thereby recognising the additional environmental benefits and preventing free kicks to polluters. A hard hitting exclusive article by Freddy Sharpe, CEO, Climate Friendly.

Article by Freddy Sharpe, CEO, Climate Friendly

Fixing climate change – if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well

Headline-grabbing behaviour by carbon companies in Papua New Guinea and the growing uncertainty around key policy decisions here in Australia are fuelling confusion and doubt about how best to combat climate change.

In particular, concerned individuals and businesses who want to do the right thing and voluntarily take action now are at risk of being discouraged from doing anything at all.  Quite rightly, we want to be absolutely certain that our actions are having a direct and meaningful impact on reducing emissions. And recent events do not inspire such certainty.

If you believe the economists, none of us should be acting voluntarily anyway.  Economic theory tells us that public benefit and private cost are not natural bed-fellows.  Strange creatures that we humans are, we would rather wallow in our communal mess than risk giving our fellow citizens a free ride at our expense by paying for the cleanup.  That’s why we have tax and welfare systems, to socialise the costs of what we euphemistically call externalities (minor things like ensuring clean air, healthy people and not cooking the planet).

However, many of us are taking voluntary action on climate change.  Reducing energy consumption, installing renewable technologies like solar hot water and solar electricity, buying green power and purchasing carbon offsets can all make a significant difference to our national emissions. 

As a result voluntary markets are growing rapidly and, in Australia, we are more than doing our fair share.  Last year, the global volume of voluntary carbon trades doubled and, after the US and Europe, we have the largest number of companies taking voluntary action. 

We need to encourage this trend, not undermine it.  There is one particularly bewildering paradox we need to resolve.  As a result of Australia having committed to a binding national target for its emissions by ratifying the Kyoto protocol in January last year, no voluntary activity now undertaken within Australia has any additional impact on our emissions.  In fact, the more that voluntary actions cut emissions, the more room big polluters have to pollute. 

To explain this absurdity, let’s consider an unrelated topic with which we are all familiar – the education system.  The government’s policy on education commits them to providing a certain level of funding for schools.   Imagine if the policy went on to say that, for every dollar of additional funds raised voluntarily by parents (through sausage sizzles and the like), the government would withdraw one dollar.  Overall, the funding target would be met but the incentive for any parent to act voluntarily would be totally removed.

So it is with emission reductions.  The overall Kyoto target will be met, but anyone acting voluntarily is giving a free kick to a big polluter who would otherwise be forced to reduce their emissions. 

A particularly good example of this confusion involves Australian Green Power.  When first introduced, this world-leading scheme allowed concerned electricity consumers to buy power, at a premium, from renewable generators such as wind farms.  Because we had no national emissions target, these purchases were guaranteed both to provide additional funding to the development of clean energy and to make genuinely additional reductions in our overall emissions.  Unfortunately, that second point no longer holds true.  While the context has changed, the scheme has not.

Happily, however, this whole issue can be quickly and easily resolved with a simple policy change.  The government needs to clearly account for voluntary action separately, thereby recognising the additional environmental benefits and preventing free kicks to polluters.

The current state of confusion is compounded by other unanswered questions, such as what (if anything) will replace the Greenhouse Friendly scheme.  This government programme, designed to support Australian voluntary carbon offset projects and which touches many businesses and consumers, is being phased out from July next year.  A key framework for future offset activities, the proposed National Carbon Offset Standard, has yet to be released.  Uncertainty abounds.

As important as policy certainty is the need to ensure trust in corporate behaviour.  The Global Financial Crisis has highlighted the universal truth that ignoring long-term risk for short-term gain will eventually prove our undoing. It’s only ever a matter of time.  It’s certainly true of climate change risk, as the science increasingly informs us.  By the same logic, short term actions that damage trust in the integrity of legitimate carbon markets must be avoided. 

The recent events involving carbon firms in Papua New Guinea highlight the critical importance of robust policy and legal frameworks that protect the interests of all parties.   These need to be supported by rigorous third-party validation and verification of emission reduction activities.  In this way, confidence can be maintained.

If acting on climate change is worth doing, and it certainly is, it’s worth doing well.  Eliminating confusion and ensuring transparent behaviour will provide the certainty and confidence that we need in order to act.

Source: www.climatefriendly.com

Posted under Express 76

All at Sea: Toxic Oil Slick is a Killer

Four weeks after the Montaro Field oil leak began, the well head remains uncapped and the toxic slick continues to spread, covering an area north of Australia at least 100 times the size of Sydney Harbour. “It is unfortunate that this unfolding wildlife crisis is not being given the urgency and attention it deserves. Out of sight should not mean out of mind,” said WWF’s Dr Gilly Llewellyn.

Toxic oil spill likely to affect thousands

Up to fifteen species of whale and dolphin, over thirty seabird species and five turtle species are the potential victims of the Montaro Field oil leak, which continues to pour out an estimated 400 barrels of oil each day.

New estimates show up to 30,000 individual sea snakes and 16,000 turtles may be found in the area affected by the oil leak’s slick.

Four weeks after the leak began, the well head remains uncapped and the toxic slick from this chronic oil leak continues to spread, with estimates of between 6,500 and 15,000 km2 being covered – an area at least 100 times the size of Sydney Harbour.

These figures are contained in a new report by Australian ecologist Simon Mustoe (CenvP) for WWF-Australia, titled Montara Field Oil Leak and Biodiversity Values, which, released today examines the likely impacts of the toxic oil slick on the region’s wildlife.

“We need to shatter the myth that oil an spill only affects marine wildlife when it washes up on our beaches,” said Dr Gilly Llewellyn, WWF-Australia’s Conservation Director.

Marine wildlife communities, habitats and species, their location, conservation status, significance under the EPBC Act and vulnerability to the Montara Field oil leak are analysed in the report, painting a picture of an unseen marine community under continuing threat from the leak. 

“This area has a huge amount of marine life, including some of the most iconic wildlife in the oceans. Species such as Fraser’s dolphin, green and flatback turtles and red-footed booby migrate through this area and may come into contact with the slick.

“We should not be lulled into thinking that spraying dispersants on the surface solves the problem. These dispersants may end up actually raising the level of toxicity in the water column while sinking some of the oil currently on the surface into deeper water,” said Dr Llewellyn.

As seabirds spend a large amount of time on the surface of the water, the report highlights that they are particularly vulnerable to the oil slick on the surface.

The report also shows the duration of the leak and slick to be a major concern, with risks to large numbers of individual species and possibly longer-term effects on both individuals and populations.

WWF will next week launch a research trip from Darwin to the affected area to assess first hand the marine life and the potential impacts of the slick.

“It is unfortunate that this unfolding wildlife crisis is not being given the urgency and attention it deserves. Out of sight should not mean out of mind,” said Dr Llewellyn.

“The only way to really know what marine life is at risk from this toxic slick is to actually go to the affected region and do the research.

“We will be happy to share our findings with companies and government organisations tasked with cleaning up after this disaster.

“But more importantly, as the threat of more oil and gas infrastructure in this fragile marine region grows, we must make sure that the very real risk of more leaks is taken into account.”

A copy of the report – Montaro Field Oil Leak and Biodiversity Values is available from WWF.

Source: www.wwf.org.au