Special Report: Tackling Environmental Crime
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The global swoop to tackle environmental crime, conducted by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) over four weeks last month (June), netted a very big haul of illegal exports of wildlife and timber products, plus arrests of 582 people. But we are not alone in calculating that the authorities have only scratched the surface. See our report:
Wildlife crime is rife, global, on the increase, and closely linked to organised crime,
which
included the official Interpol announcement. See also what
National Geographic
had to say.
Operation Thunderball
was coordinated through INTERPOL’s Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore. Added to this is a more recent report from the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
,
which states; "Organised crime groups are generating tens of billions of dollars in Southeast Asia from the cross-border trafficking and smuggling of illegal drugs and precursors, people, wildlife, timber and counterfeit goods". It reports that "rising incomes are also playing a role in the illegal wildlife and timber trades. Rare and endangered environmental products are in high demand as purchasing power has increased, and as regional wildlife populations and forest reserves have come under pressure, supply chains have extended to Africa".
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STOP PRESS:
300 ELEPHANTS KILLED FOR 8.8 TONNES OF IVORY
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Singapore
has made its largest ever seizure of smuggled ivory, impounding a haul of 8.8 tonnes of contraband tusks from an estimated 300 elephants. The illegal cargo, discovered on Sunday (21 July 2019) in a container from the Democratic Republic of the Congo also included a huge stash of pangolin scales.
Read the rest in The Guardian.
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The World According to Interpol
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KIM Jong Yang,
INTERPOL President at the opening of Interpol World in Singapore: "Our success in meeting the challenges that our governments and our businesses face is conditional on our capacity to interface; communicate; and collaborate with one another. Yet the threat landscape I have described calls us to go even further. That means partnering with the private sector – while maintaining independence and transparency for police action – and working closely with academia and research institutions looking into the future."
More from Interpol.
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Gikui W. Gichuhi,
Senior Principal Prosecution Counsel with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), Kenya, was a keynote speaker at Interpol World. She has been involved in the prosecution of wildlife matters for over 8 years and was instrumental in establishing a specialised Division to deal with the growing menace of wildlife poaching and trafficking. She told us more must be done to identify and apprehend "the big fish" involved in organised environmental crime and not just the small time poachers, who might be easier to catch.
More here.
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Dr David Roberts
has been conducting research on the illegal wildlife trade for 10 years, particularly cyber-enabled wildlife trafficking. Before moving to the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent in 2010, he spent over 8 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as an orchid specialist, Besides speaking on Illicit Wildlife Trade at Interpol World, he told us of his experience in helping to track down exporters and importers of different protected plants from Southeast Asia, including orchids from Malaysia and Indonesia.
More on Dr Roberts.
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The next triennial meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18), also known as the World Wildlife Conference, will be held in Geneva at the Exhibition and Congress Centre - Palexpo this August. CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. The 2019 conference will adopt a wide range of decisions to expand and strengthen the global wildlife trade regime. A key highlight will be the 57 proposals that governments have submitted for changing the levels of protection afforded to over 500 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants.
More on CITES.
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Environment Partners Focus on Zerowaste
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Partners for the Environment Forum 2019:
The British High Commission joined forces with Singapore's Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources, in support of the Year Towards Zero Waste and the SG-UK Partnership for the Future, to host this Forum to explore waste reduction at a national/business level and the adoption of a circular economy approach. Singapore is targeting three main waste/resource areas:
- From 2021, producers that supply covered electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to the local market will be responsible for the end-of-life collection and treatment of their products.
- From 2024, large commercial and industrial food waste generators will be required to segregate their food waste for treatment.
- From 2020, producers of packaging and packaged products will be required to report on the amounts and types of packaging they put on the market, and their plans to reduce, reuse and recycle them. Read about Singapore's Zerowaste Masterplan.
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Ms Kara Owen, UK's High Commissioner to Singapore, on avoiding a "climate catastrophe:
"
This not only means transitioning from fossil fuels to green sources of energy, it also means a significant change in how businesses operate and how we go about our everyday lives, specifically the way we consume and manage waste as a society." She also referred to efforts to
protect the marine environment from the extreme stress and threats our oceans are now under, drawing attention to the £61.4 million funding from the UK to work with Commonwealth countries to turn the tide on plastic entering the marine environment.
There's more.
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Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister Of State for the Environment and Water Resources:
"Building on the foundation of the SPA - the Singapore Packaging Agreement - the National Environment Agency will be introducing a new programme to develop industry capability in managing packaging waste sustainably. The three key thrusts of this programme are to build up industry capability to reduce, recover and recycle packaging waste; introduce supply chain initiatives that foster sustainable use of resources; and to raise industry and consumer awareness on the 3Rs of packaging waste management."
Read more.
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Claire Kneller is the Head of WRAP’s International Food Programme.
She was one of the visiting speakers at the Forum
and talked about how WRAP is working with partners to help deliver UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 – to halve global food loss and waste by 2030. Claire is responsible for identifying opportunities, creating new and lasting partnerships with in-country organisations, governments and other partners. Claire designs WRAP’s support programmes with those partners and across WRAP’s functions and providing key account management and technical delivery. Claire has worked for WRAP for over ten years.
More about WRAP.
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Is Aerospace on a Sustainability Flightpath?
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Focus on Forests: Headlines and Highlights
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Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council
(SGEC):
"
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approaching, the PEFC endorsement of the Japanese forest certification system means this, and other construction projects, can benefit from certified timber, provided locally through SGEC,” said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO. The 2020 Olympics can become the first global sporting event ensuring that all wood used comes from happy forests. Pictured left is the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, built with local Japanese cypress wood and the first construction project in Japan to achieve PEFC project certification.
PEFC for more.
Transnational Organised Criminal Networks:
Those involved in the illicit timber trade in Southeast Asia include large national and multinational enterprises that operate at all levels of the supply chain. They may be involved in commercial-scale illegal logging, timber processing, paper and pulp manufacturing and transporting timber across borders. Illegal logging groups typically recruit brokers and agents to connect to clients, forge paperwork, and handle the financial aspects of the trade. Illegal logging also involves small-scale poachers who cut down trees to earn income. This is from the UNODC report entitled
"Transnational Organized Crime in Southeast Asia: Evolution, Growth and Impact",
Natural Heritage Under Threat:
Although ASEAN makes up only 3% of the world’s total area, its mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and seas are home to almost 20% of the world’s known plant and animal species, outlining the need to protect the region’s biodiversity in the face of environmental concerns. Vietnam's Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park (pictured) is one of the latest nominees to join the ASEAN Heritage Parks during the 21st Meeting of the Governing Board of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) which was held in Bangkok earlier this month. Read
Jason Thomas's article in ASEAN Post.
Seeding Threatened Plant Species:
Singapore is doing its part for threatened plant species in South-east Asia with the opening of the country's first seed bank at the Botanic Gardens. It was launched by the National Parks Board (NParks) on 13 July. The plan is to use the seeds for habitat restoration and species conservation projects in Singapore and the region. The facility can store the seeds of up to 25,000 plant species - about half the total number of species in the region. One such species being stored is the
intsia palembanica
or Merbau. The lowland forest tree, which produces good quality timber, is considered critically endangered in Singapore and often features in illegal logging and deforestation in Southeast Asia.
Read more.
Natural Capital for Forests:
We learnt a lot from Mark Gough (pictured) Executive Director of the Natural Capital Coalition at a recent EU organised platform in Singapore. Did you know that the Forest Group of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) developed the Forest Products Sector Guide to the Natural Capital Protocol? This Guide offers a standardised decision making framework to support businesses along the forest products value chain in identifying, measuring, and valuing their impacts and dependencies on natural capital.
More on Natural Capital here.
Woodchips to Jet Bio Fuel:
“Sweden has a unique opportunity to take the lead in resource-efficient production of aviation biofuels based on sustainable waste streams available within the forestry and paper manufacturing industries. The project consortium is comprised of stakeholders from throughout the value chain and at RISE we are very much looking forward to contributing our own knowledge and expertise at a systems level in order to expedite development,” says Johanna Mossberg, focus area
manager for fossil-free transport at RISE.
Put Paper Back in its Rightful Position:
Carried out by independent research company Toluna, 6,000 consumers from across Europe were surveyed on their preferences relating to paper. When it came to reading, 69% believe that print is the most enjoyable way to read books; 61% prefer to read magazines in print, while 54% believe that print is the most enjoyable way to read a newspaper. The survey also showed that 75% of European consumers believe it is important to use paper products from sustainably-managed forests, but just 34% of respondents pay attention to certification labels, showing that products come from a sustainable source. There's more from
Two Sides
Tech Protection for Trees:
Due to illegal logging and deforestation, the population of dipterocarps - iconic trees that constitute the backbone of the Indo-Malayan rainforests - has decreased over the years. Many species in Singapore have also become critically endangered. When it opens at the end of this year, the OCBC Arboretum in the Singapore Botanic Gardens will house an integrated suite of technological tools that will be employed to better track the climate, growth and conditions of these trees, and bolster efforts to conserve them.
Read the Straits Times report.
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Hope for this rainforest:
The Harapan Rainforest Initiative, an ecosystem restoration concession covering more than 98,000 hectares of lowland tropical rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia, has been supported by
Singapore Airlines
since August 2010. Rich in biodiversity, it remains an important habitat for over 1,350 documented animal species, including the endangered Sumatran tiger, rhino and elephant.
To support community livelihoods in Harapan, a 10-year agroforestry plan was developed to initiate farming within the community with the provision of seedlings, water pumps, herbicides and technical assistance. Encroachment and illegal logging remain two main threats to the ecological integrity of this Sumatran rainforest, as does deforestation and poaching.
Read more about it.
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Watershed Moments: Antarctic Melting &
Northern Hemisphere Heatwaves
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There are plenty of ominous indicators of the consequences of
climate change
, but few are more worrying to scientists than the ice sheets of Antarctica. These ice sheets have been melting for quite some time, and it doesn't take a degree in physics to understand the risk there. As the ice melts it flows into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. And rising sea levels are obviously a huge problem. CNN reports that now
new
NASA-funded research published in the journal PNAS
reveals a concerning complication.
Read and see more.
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An unprecedented heatwave smashed through June records across much of Europe, disrupted business activity, prompted school closures and buckled tram tracks, in a stark warning of what scientists say is a taste of things to come.
Read more.
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ETH Zurich's Crowther lab has conducted research on 520 cities and found that 77% of them face significant climatic changes, while
22% will experience conditions that are not currently experienced by any existing major cities.
Read the rest.
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Two-thirds of the United States is baking under what could be record high temperatures, according to
the New York Times
An “oppressive and dangerous heat,” warned the National Weather Service. It’s a threat that grows as climate change continues.
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European Influences in Asia
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They might appear to be a long way from home, but member countries of the European Union have been extremely active of late in Singapore and ASEAN. As we attend and participate in many conferences and events, there were two stand out occasions, which both involved the EU: "
Enhancing EU-Singapore Connectivity"
, organised in association with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) and Clingendael – The Netherlands Institute for International Relations and
"EU High Level Seminar on Geographical Indications for Agri-Food Products"
. The Ambassador of the EU to Singapore, Barbara Plinkert (pictured) played a key role in both events. As a key Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, the EU is clearly showing that its new connectivity strategy has the potential to support ASEAN in meeting its infrastructure needs, including mobilising financial resources. In this issue and others, we will continue to highlight examples of EU activity in ASEAN, which includes the opportunity for Singapore stakeholders to familiarise themselves with EU food quality schemes and establish relations with EU counterparts in light of the imminent EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
Find more here.
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Kampot pepper has PGI - protected geographical indication - and comes from “La Plantation", a social and sustainable family project in rural Cambodia. Producers follow strict guidelines from production to processing, packaging and traceability, including a strict ban on all chemical fertilisers and pesticides. FAO and EU specialists have been supporting efforts to protect species and products in ASEAN in the same way EU protects traditional food products in Europe.
Read more.
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While sampling food from Europe at the EU trade event at the Grand Hyatt, as well as at the RPB Fine Food Asia show at Suntec city, we wondered why the famous Cheddar cheese has not been protected as other Geographically Indicated branded food products are - think "Parmessan" and "Gorgonzola" from Italy. While sampling some delectable cheese, we were told that as cheddar in produced in places other than the village in Somerset which gave its name to the cheese, it can't be protected in the same way.
Taste More?
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Sophie’s Kitchen, a firm that makes a sustainable plant protein, is the winner of the S$1Million dollar Liveability Challenge 2019, a global search for ideas to make Southeast Asia’s cities more liveable and resilient. The protein, made with microalgae, can be used in anything from dietary supplements and cooking oil to biofuel, and will become part of a global market for alternative protein set to be worth US$16 billion by 2025.
Read Eco-Business for more.
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Climate Action - People, Place & Platform
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Christiana Figueres was the stand-out speaking at the Ecosperity Conference in Singapore last month,
not because she said anything new, but what she said was with such conviction and urgency, that you couldn't help but want to do something about it. Climate change action, of course! The former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and one of the architects of the Paris Agreement, notably said that in just half a century, humanity has damaged all of the Earth's systems, including the human economic system—but it's not too late to avert disaster.
By 2030, unless we put carbon back into the soil, we would have decided quality of life not only for our children and grandchildren, but perhaps for the next 1000 years.
Presented by Temasek, the annual Ecosperity conference pushes the frontiers of sustainable growth by exploring the latest megatrends shaping our future.
Read more.
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Tackling social and environmental issues was the clarion call
at a recent international philanthropy conference with the launch of the region's first multi-sector Climate Action Platform by Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and philanthropist Eileen Rockefeller Growald (pictured above). "Collective action and collaboration among the public, private and people sectors are critical in the fight against climate change", said Dr Khor. Growald Family Fund is one of the few venture philanthropy funds that focuses 100% on climate change. Last September, the Growald Family Fund committed US$25 million, joining 28 other foundations to address climate change. Here's more from
Eileen Rockefeller Growald
- including her delightful poem "Surely if I knew" - and more about the fund.
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It's the End of the World as They Know it
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The distinct burden of being a climate scientist:
Scientists are talking about an intense mix of emotions right now,” says Christine Arena, executive producer of the
docu-series
Let Science Speak,
which featured climate researchers speaking out against efforts to silence or ignore science. “There’s deep grief and anxiety for what’s being lost, followed by rage at continued political inaction, and finally hope that we can indeed solve this challenge. There are definitely tears and trembling voices. They know this deep truth: They are on the front lines of contending with the fear, anger, and perhaps even panic the rest of us will have to deal with.”
Read the full story from the Mother Jones Magazine.
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Electric Vehicle Revolution by Murad Baig
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All revolutions are not political. Some major ones are mechanical. The steam engine fundamentally changed human lives. Then a century ago automobiles began to replace the beloved horses. Now electric vehicles (EV’s) are again revolutionising global mobility but most people will remain skeptical until the revolution overwhelms them.
The recently launched Hyundai Kona SUV (pictured) clearly demonstrates the experience of driving a modern electric car.
More from Murad Baig in New Delhi.
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SIEW 2019 Preview:
Accelerating Energy Transformation
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Disruptive Energy Futures:
Most of the energy we use is wasted. Smarter technologies and designs that use energy more efficiently could provide the same or better services with far less energy, money, and risk. This from Rocky Mountain Institute's Amory Lovins when hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy last month. Lovins insists that fossil fuels generally cost more now than the modern renewable sources that have already taken over two-thirds of the world’s power-plant market. There's more right here from
Amory Lovins and the Rocky Mountain Institute
, which he heads.
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Moving from Coal to Gas:
Global LNG production is estimated to increase from 250 mtpa in 2016 to 630 mtpa by 2050, says DNV GL in their report
"The LNG era takes shape".
LNG is expected to play an increasingly important role in global energy markets, as China, India and countries in Southeast Asia see
a rapidly growing demand for LNG
. Much of this increase in demand is due to greener energy policies in countries like China and South Korea. These policies seek to reduce fossil fuel emissions and improve air quality by moving away from coal-fired power plants and adopting LNG as a cleaner fuel.
DNV-GL is a
SIEW Energy Insights Sponsor
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As a Media Partner for SIEW 2019, ABC Carbon Express will do even more than it usually does to preview/promote the event and present stories around the theme "Accelerating Energy Transformation".
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International Built Environment Week
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Embrace Transformation:
To support the transformation, Singapore presents the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) - 3 – 6 SEPTEMBER 2019, Sands Expo & Convention Centre,Singapore - to celebrate milestone achievements, learn about the latest advancements and the most innovative developments in the sector. This new flagship event builds on the success of the preceding Singapore Green Building Week/International Green Building Conference and Singapore Construction Productivity Week, to offer the first fully-integrated event in the Asia Pacific that covers the entire built environment life cycle and value chain.
Four trade shows, organised by Reed Exhibitions Singapore, will be co-located with IBEW 2019 –
Build Eco Xpo Asia
(BEX Asia),
Mostra Convegno Expocomfort Asia
(MCE Asia),
Innobuild Asia
and
Smart Cities & Buildings Asia
(SCB Asia). These will feature a host of innovative products and solutions tailored for the diverse needs of the region's built environment.
There's much more on IBEW here.
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Think Tall in Norway: Designing the Future with Sustainable Timber
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At a remarkable 85.4 metres, Mjøstårnet is the world's tallest timber building. Opened only this spring, it has already attracted a lot of attention both in Norway and abroad. Mjøstårnet is a modern mixed-use tower. On its 18 floors, there are rentable meeting rooms, five floors of office space, 72 hotel rooms and 33 apartments. Its combined floor area is around 11,300 square metres.
Mjøstårnet is located in Brumunddal,
in the north of Oslo.
Across the world, the architecture community is embracing solid and engineered wood to deliver high profile, award winning projects as well as everyday designs.
Under the theme
Designing the Future with Sustainable Timber,
a range of stakeholders have come together under the leadership of PEFC to promote the use of wood in construction in general and certified wood in particular.
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Responsible Business Forum & Award Winners
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There were many winners in the 2019 Responsible Business Awards presented in Singapore earlier this month, with Best Strategy & Sustainability and Best Newcomer Awards going to Olam International, with its 6-year strategic plan to achieve 3 main outcomes: prosperous farmers and farming systems; thriving communities; re-generation of the living world. Other winners: Sodexo (Workforce), Accor (Sustainability in Community & Business Responsibility & Ethics), CDL (Energy Management), Mondelez International (Water Management), Rolls Royce (Waste & Material Productivity), Interface (Climate Change & Flagship Initiative), Unilever (Supply Chain Management), Banyan Tree (Land use & Biodiversity), SingTel (Stakeholder Engagement & Materiality), Royal DSM (UN SDGs), The Nurturing Company (Social Enterprise) & Sindacatum (Best SME).
Full the full awards list.
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Under the theme “Circularity 2030”, Responsible Business Forum 2019 in Singapore will seek commitments to scaling the start-ups, innovations and technologies that will drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the circular economy. Five SDGs most directly impacted by circularity will be addressed, those for water, energy, employment, sustainable consumption & production and land & biodiversity. On Tuesday 19 November 2019, an audience of 10,000 next generation leaders in business schools and universities around the world will connect with current leaders from companies, governments, academia and civil society. Together they will explore how circular economy ideas and models could be used to transform businesses, boost future job creation and help societies to achieve the SDGs for 2030.
Learn more about Responsible Business Forum 2019.
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Responsible Business Alert:
Dateline London 16 July 2019: A large majority of major corporations are failing to be transparent about their impacts on global deforestation and many are taking inadequate steps to tackle it, according to a new report released by environmental non-profit CDP. Over 1,500 companies deemed to have a significant impact on deforestation, or to be susceptible to deforestation risk, were requested by investors and large purchasing organisations to disclose forests data through CDP’s reporting platform in 2018, but 70% failed to do so. Companies are asked to disclose on four commodities linked to deforestation: timber, palm oil, cattle and soy.
Read the rest.
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Brands: A Realistic Force for Good
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There's still time for companies in Singapore and Southeast Asia to enter the 2019 Brands for Good Awards. Here's why you should "be in to win":
- We believe that a brands’ success is not based solely on its business achievements, but also by the positive role it plays in it’s community and in environmental engagement.
- We are driven by a cause to shout about those who are making strides towards a better world for everyone – employees, customers as well as the communities they operate in.
- These companies are seen as a realistic force for good and change-for-the-better, and we want to recognise and reward theirs efforts.
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Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards & Summit
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The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA), now in the 5th year, is the highest international recognition for sustainability reporting and integrated reporting. ASRA is a non-profit initiative to promote and celebrate corporate reporting excellence in Asia. In 2019, two new award categories were added: Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Public Sector) and Asia’s Best Integrated Report (First Time). The new categories reflect the growing adoption of sustainability reporting by the public sector and government agencies and an increasing number of integrated reports.
See all categories here.
Previous ASRA winners will be among those attending and speaking at the
3rd Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit on 4-5 September in Singapore. This year's theme is: Sustainability Reporting: Is Mandatory Better?
Read all about it.
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Last Word: For Global Good
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Milk Production without Coal Power:
New Zealand’s largest company, and the world’s biggest dairy exporter, Fonterra is to finally shift away from using coal in the processing of milk, announcing it will immediately abandon plans to expand coal use at its factories. Fonterra is New Zealand’s second-largest user of coal, with the company predominantly using coal for heat in the production of milk powders and formula. Read more from
Michael Mazengarb in RenewEconomy.
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Three-fold Climate Plan: Plant more trees, stop deforestation & keep fossil fuels in the ground:
Massive reforestation only works if the world’s current forest cover is maintained and increasing. So says a paper by
Mark Maslin and Simon Lewis in Third Pole
and reinforced by Responsible Business Forum. "It won’t be easy, but society needs to protect the forests we’ve got, and protect new forests in perpetuity to permanently keep carbon sequestered in trees and out of the atmosphere". They reinforce Dr Thomas Crowther's proposal to plant a 1.2 trillion trees, but they also make it clear that the world needs to drastically cut fossil fuel use to help take CO₂ out of the atmosphere this century if we are to keep global warming below 1.5˚C.
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Palm-Oil-Free Shampoo:
We came across LUSH people and products at Partners for the Environment in Singapore and heard about SOS and LUSH coming together across the Asia Pacific region, to launch phase two of the
#SOSsumatra campaign.
This involves the launch of the SOS Sumatra shampoo bar, first ever product using Sodium Coco Sulphate - a safe synthetic, palm-oil-free lathering agent that’s 100% derived from coconut oil.
There's more.
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Getting Credit for Soil Carbon:
The University of Adelaide has set up a ThincLab in Singapore to promote the AgriTech Research. It brought to Singapore two leading lights:
Professor Andrew Lowe
- well known for coming up with
Double Helix,
DNA tracking for timber - and Oli Madgett, Founder and CEO of
Platfarm.
Oli was telling us about his work on Soil Carbon and mentioned that the first ever carbon credits from the Australian Emissions Reduction Fund were awarded to farmers Niels and Marja Olsen for carbon that was sequestered in the soils of their Victorian farm.
Read the rest of the story.
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Keeping Earth Cool:
Papua New Guinea is a country of incredible diversity, with over three quarters of the country covered in the world’s third-largest rainforest, sheltering more undiscovered species than anywhere on earth. Situated in Milne Bay province in eastern Papua New Guinea,
Cool Earth
is working alongside villages with a total population of 652 people, situated on the west of the advancing palm frontier and strategically placed to shield the pristine rainforest behind.
Read more about what Cool Earth aims to achieve.
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Seeding Singapore's Nutritional Needs:
Ricoh marked the finale of its 13th annual Eco Action Day campaign in Singapore this week at Republic Polytechnic with tree planting, the donation of a
chengal
wood arbour and an up-cycled bench made from used toner cartridges. This year 87 organisations and 1,200 individuals pledged to take green eco-friendly actions. Ricoh also launched its inaugural community seed distribution initiative in support of Singapore’s “30-by-30” vision to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030.
There's more.
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