The Power of Procurement to Reduce Both Emissions and Costs

Leveraging action across supply chains is a critical part of efforts to address the climate crisis.  We are seeing tremendous growth in companies investing in sustainability and these corporations are helping to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy. Reports demonstrate that this is both an indispensable strategy to manage risk and an important part of cost cutting efforts. The financial and environmental benefits include energy and resource efficiency.

According to a 2019 CDP/Carbon Trust global supply chain report, over the last decade some of the world's biggest purchasers have leveraged their buying power and demanded transparency from their suppliers. In the process they have cut carbon emissions by 633 million metric tons and saved an average of almost $20 billion annually.

Economic Assessments Overwhelmingly Support Climate Action

Conservatives commonly argue that acting on climate change is too costly, however, this is contradicted by a slew of economic assessments. When we look at the data it becomes clear that conservatives use economic insecurity to obscure the facts and control the narrative.

There are a number of studies that show global warming undermines economic growth, but the most compelling data comes from cost benefit assessments.

Trump's America: State of Lies

Donald Trump deflects, distracts and exaggerates, but he is best known for his straight out lies. He has proven to be a master of the double-down. When he is caught lying he just lies some more. Even before he took office the New York Times wrote a piece titled, "Trump, Trapped in His Lies, Keeps Lying. Sad!". It is indeed sad, but the understandable outrage at his repeated deceptions misses the point.

Dishonest Don's malfeasance will live in infamy, however, his mendacity serves a darker end-game then most people realize. The unreality king lies to muddy the waters making it hard for casual observers to understand the issues, and that is the point.

The liar-in-chief has repeatedly deceived the American people and his own staff. The spin king lies about his business, he lies about his policy positions and now we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he lies about his philandering.

Event - GRI Global Conference 2016

The fifth GRI Global Conference will take place on May 18 - 20, 2016 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Up to 1,500 sustainability leaders from around the globe will be present to exchange leading-edge knowledge on best practices, innovations and trends that are empowering sustainable decisions and changing the world. GRI is  the globally accepted standard for enabling business, governments and other organizations to understand and communicate their impacts on critical sustainability issues.

Best Practice in Sustainability Reporting and Sustainability Communications

Ethical Corporation has recently published its complimentary Annual Review on CR Reporting and Sustainability Communications. Ethical Corporation helps thousands of businesses all around the globe to be more responsible. They work with NGO's, think-tanks, academia, governments and consultancies. Their work not only benefits the wider world, it also makes good business sense for the organizations that they serve. Their efforts include work in CSR, compliance, risk and governance communities.

UN's Global Development Goals are Important for the US

Despite the resistance of many Americans, UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should matter to the US. This is the conclusion of a report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center. This non-profit, non-partisan, research group released a report at the end of May 2013 titled “Do UN Goals matter to the United States?” This report is relevant because many Americans have questioned the effectiveness of the UN and the value of global development goals for the US. In recent years the US has has an increasingly ambivalent relationship with the UN and Congress even withheld its dues from the organization. In the last decade the UN has also figured less prominently in US foreign policy than in previous decades.

A March 2013 Gallup Poll indicates that two thirds of Americans believe the UN is needed. Resistance to the UN comes largely from Republicans and older Americans. Only 46 percent of Republicans indicated they believe the UN is necessary compared to 80 percent of Democrats. The split between older and younger Americans is less pronounced but there is still a 20 point spread. A total of 76 percent of young Americans (18 - 29 years of age) feel that the UN is necessary, while only 56 percent of Americans over 65 share that view.

Report - Corporate Sustainability Reporting Budgets And Priorities

Sustainability reporting is an important pillar of corporate sustainability programmes and firms seek to communicate progress and meet stakeholders’ demands for sustainability disclosure. This report helps executives in sustainability, marketing and communications roles and firms selling into these functions, to understand where responsibility and budgets lie for corporate sustainability reporting activities.

Verdantix spoke to 250 sustainability leaders in 13 countries across 21 industries. This report delves into responsibility, budgets and priorities with regard to corporate sustainability reporting and segments data by industry and region.

Click here to register for access to this report.

White Paper - Energy & Markets Data Book Q1 2013

Environmental Leader has released the latest edition of its quarterly data book, which supplies busy executives and research teams with a collection of charts presenting environmental, sustainability and energy-related data on a quarterly basis.

Data topics include energy use, renewable energy growth, supply & prices, smart grid, projections, costs and the role of the consumer. Our goal is to make the job of gathering essential information and metrics a bit easier for corporate decision-makers.

Global Risks Report 2013: Interconnectedness of the Economy and the Environment

The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the eighth edition of its Global Risks Report 2013 which ranks climate change from rising greenhouse gas emissions as a major global threats. Also high on the list is the failure of governments and businesses to mitigate or adapt to climate change. The 2013 report indicates that ongoing economic weakness detracts from our ability to tackle environmental challenges.

The WEF works with governments to develop mechanisms for managing risk. The report rates the top global risks based on a survey of over 1000 experts from industry, government and academia. The 2013 report sampled respondents from more than 100 countries, although the majority came from Europe and North America. A total of 40 percent of respondents came from a business background.

More Evidence for Anthropogenic Climate Change from the 2013 US National Climate Assessment Draft Report

A draft report released on January 11 suggests that the evidence for anthropogenic climate change is stronger than ever. The 1,146 page draft was prepared by a US federal committee.  It offers a comprehensive analysis of the latest and best peer-reviewed science on global warming. The National Climate Assessment report reiterates the widely understood fact that climate change will have a wide range of impacts ranging from agriculture to water. The report further indicates that the US requires better national plans for adaptation to a changing climate.

In the US 2012 is the Hottest Most Extreme Year Ever

A warm November and record-breaking early December means 2012 will be the warmest year ever for the U.S. As Jeff Masters reports:

…the U.S. heated up considerably in November, notching its 20th warmest November since 1895, said NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in their latest State of the Climate report. The warm November virtually assures that 2012 will be the warmest year on record in the U.S. The year-to-date period of January – November has been by far the warmest such period on record for the contiguous U.S.–a remarkable 1.0°F above the previous record. During the 11-month period, 18 states were record warm and an additional 24 states were top ten warm. The December 2011 – November 2012 period was the warmest such 12-month period on record for the contiguous U.S., and the eight warmest 12-month periods since record keeping began in 1895 have all ended during 2012.

The Future of Integrated Sustainability Reporting

Corporate transparency is moving towards an integrated report in which financial and non-financial performance are tied together and articulated in a single document. Although as yet there is no formal standard as to what constitutes an integrated report, it is becoming clear that the sustainability reporting benefits a company. Research shows that financial markets reward those companies that engage in sustainable behavior and comprehensive disclosure.

Corporate Sustainability Reporting: To Disclose or Not to Disclose

Although there is more public pressure to disclose information, that does not mean everyone wants to comply. While many companies have committed to greater transparency, others believe greater transparency provides too much information to detractors and competitors.

As explained in a triple Pundit article by Robert Ludke, the Managing Director of Public Strategies, sustainability reporting is the better option.

While there are undeniably risks associated with disclosure, by presenting reports, a company or organization is able to set the terms of the discussion about how these materials are provided to the public.

Scientist Warn Time is Running Out to Avert a Climate Catastrophe

It is still possible to stave off the worst effects of climate change but the window of opportunity is rapidly getting smaller. There have been a spate of reports just ahead of COP 18 in Doha that conclusively make the point that we must act now to reduce CO2 and other GHGs.

As reported in the Huffington Post, "It is still possible to avoid 2-degree warming, and arguing it is too late could very easily be a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Michael E. Mann, a climatologist and director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. "That having been said, the real issue is whether or not we have the political will."

NOAA's Annual Greenhouse Gas Index

The US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contributed to an alarming report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). NOAA provided their own set of data arrived at independently and published in their Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI).

"The AGGI is a measure of the warming influence supplied by long-lived trace gases and how that influence is changing each year. The index was designed to enhance the connection between scientists and society by providing a normalized standard that can be easily understood and followed. The warming influence supplied by long-lived greenhouse gases is well understood by scientists and has been reported by NOAA through a range of national and international assessments. Nevertheless, the language of scientists often eludes policy makers, educators, and the general public. This index is designed to help bridge that gap. The AGGI provides a way for this warming influence to be presented as a simple index."

World Meteorological Organization Climate Warning

In November, the World Meteorological Association's (WMO) annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin stated that global CO2 levels are the highest they have ever been in human history, reaching 391 parts per million. Scientists warn that 350 parts per million is the upper limit for a a stable planet.

These levels of CO2 have been steadily rising at about 2 parts per million every year for the past decade. Current measurements of atmospheric carbon are 40% higher than at the start of the Industrial Revolution. The World Meteorological Organization, said that since the dawn of industrialization in 1750, humans have emitted 375 billion tonnes, of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The WMO indicates that future emissions will make the situation far worse.

World Bank Climate Change Warning

The World Bank has issued a report suggesting that the climate could warm a full 4 degrees by the end of the century. What is most troubling about this study is the fact that we may not be able to avert this temperature increase even if countries fulfill their current emissions-reduction pledges. Sadly, most countries are far from fulfilling even these modest pledges.

UNEP Warning: We are on the Brink of a Climate Catastrophe

The UN Environment Program’s Emissions Gap Report 2012, released Nov. 21, indicates that there is a massive gulf between what governments have pledged in terms of GHG emissions and what they are actually doing. To stave off a temperature increase of more than 2°C, nations have pledged to reduce their emissions a total of 44 gigatonnes by 2020. However, the UNEP report indicates that if we stay on our current trajectory we are likely to see temperature increases of 3-5 °C which risks a climate catastrophe.

According to UNEP, the gap between GHG emission reduction pledges and what is actually being done is 8 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2020, which is 2 Gt higher than last year’s assessment.

World Bank Report Predicts 4°C Temperature Increase

Business as usual will cause temperatures to rise by 4°C by 2060. If we fail to act on to reduce global warming causing GHG emissions we can expect food shortages, extreme weather and sea-level rise. These are the finding of a World Bank report published on November 19, 2012. The report is titled Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided. It predicts that sea-levels could rise by more than a meter by 2100.

As a direct corollary of a 4°C world we can expect more flooding in cities, as well as increasingly intense tropical storms, droughts and extreme rainfall. These affects will further damage ecosystems, and cause more species to go extinct.

We are on Track for a 6 Degree Rise in Temperature

According to a new analysis released on November 5 and reported in the Guardian, the world is on track for "at least six degrees of warming" by the end of the century. The new research was conducted by consultancy giant PwC. Their investigation concluded that we will need a "5.1 per cent annual cut in global emissions per unit of GDP, known as carbon intensity, through to 2050 if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change and meet an internationally agreed target of limiting average temperature increases to just two degrees above pre-industrial levels."