Electric Scooters-Cost Effective Transport of the Future?

A Cape town-based company, EWIZZ electric vehicles, is pushing electric powered scooters as the economic, environmentally friendly way of the future. They are selling a range of five electrically powered scooters which they claim cost R0.05 per kilometre for fuel and cut out many of the polluting components of a combustion engine vehicle such as petrol, gas and particulate emissions, oil, filters, radiators and spark plugs.

In a trip around the Cape Peninsula, a Volt 6 electric motorbike  driven at 50 -60 km per hour with an 80 kg rider was tested at 155 km for one electric charge. Batteries are either lithium ion or lead acid and charge rates vary, with the fastest being the lithium ion battery. There are two types of charger, on board and external (15 amp wall socket). There are an increasing number of public charging points at shops, cafes and restaurants which are operated rather like WiFi hot spots. The establishments offer the recharge, free of cost, adding to the low cost of operation.

One of the scooters available is a delivery bike option which makes operating costs for a delivery service very attractive and low.

The company’s website at http://www.ewizz.co.za/ provides full details to enable prospective buyers to assess the benefits of the scooters. The company is also looking for new dealers around the country.

GEMI ISO 14001:2015 Self-Assessment Checklist

GEMI (Global Environmental Management Initiative) have produced an ISO 14001:2015 Self-Assessment Checklist which is freely available. The purpose of the checklist is to improve a facility manager’s understanding of the requirements and elements of the updated ISO 14001:2015 environmental management systems standard.

The criteria of the standard have been rephrased in the format of a simple questionnaire with a three part scoring system. This can therefore be used as an internal “gap analysis” either highlighting potential areas of improvement or assisting with decision making on ISO 14001 certification. The checklist was first published in 1996 with the early version of ISO 14001. The latest version is a complete revision taking into account feedback from users and the 2015 ISO revisions.

GEMI has been in existence for some 25 years and has provided business with insights, networking and collaborative sustainability and environmental management solutions. Other freely accessible environmental management and sustainability tools can be downloaded from the GEMI site.

GRI Produces First Global Standard for Sustainability Reporting

The GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) has produced the first global standard for sustainability reporting, the so-called “G4” Guidelines.

This set of documents has been re-structured, based upon experiences from the previous three sets of Guidelines. The standard is modular in format, making it easier to update various components without having to re-issue the complete standard.

There are three universal modules that apply to all reporters, the Foundation Module (101), the General Disclosures Module (102) and the Management Approach Module (103). These are supported by three topic specific modules, 200 – Economic; 300 – Environmental; and 400 – Social. Working with the five modules enables reporters to develop customised reporting frameworks which can be assessed in accordance with the standard.

A short explanatory video spells out graphically exactly how the standard works and how the modules are used to develop the reporting framework. The main page of the GRI is a very good starting point to navigate through the G4 information for both novice and seasoned reporter.

Pulverized Fuel Ash And Mse Walls Used For Bridge Approach Embankment

A new major road construction (the Tinsley Link) in the North of England, has used pulverized fuel ash for a bridge approach embankment.  The embankment, a 500m-long mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall on piled foundations, was constructed utilizing a geogrid reinforcement and enabling the beneficial use of pulverized fuel ash (PFA).

The PFA, a waste product of pulverized fuel from fired power stations, was supplied by the nearby EDF West Burton and Cottam power stations. The MSE walls were built up to 11m in height in order to achieve the required grade separation of the proposed link road alignment.

The engineering thinking behind this use of PVA could assist South African projects requiring additional “fill” in areas close to power stations with supplies of PVA that could be utilised. South Africa’s reliance upon coal fired power stations to supply over 90% of the country’s electricity means that massive quantities of PVA are generated and need to be disposed of in expensive, carefully designed waste dumps.

Sustainability SWOT Guide

The World Resources Institute (WRI) have developed a free, downloadable, sustainability Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (sSWOT) Guide which has been designed to help drive action on environmental challenges that are creating real business risk and opportunities.

The Guide is not new (it was launched in 2012) but has been “road tested” by various companies ranging from food producers, chemical companies and water and sanitation providers, through to financial services companies, discount retailers, stationers and internet service providers.

The Guide suggests a “road map” on how to tackle the project with case notes from the various companies who road tested the Guide.

ASSA Pre-Publishes South African Fracking Report

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSA), in collaboration with the South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE), has pre-published a report on its investigations into the readiness of South Africa to support the shale gas industry. The 144 page report entitled, “South Africa’s Technical Readiness to support the Shale Gas Industry”, is very cautious and recommends further studies, feasibility and development of control structures.

It does seem to imply that a shale gas industry in South Africa is inevitable, although it does also recommend that an assessment of the economic implications of shale gas development in South Africa must be undertaken to critically assess the supply-demand situation, with further emphasis on comprehensive public consultation and engagement processes with local communities in the Karoo. It also states that the decision-making process on whether or not to proceed with the development of a shale gas industry must be based upon, “…robust and peer-reviewed evidence…”

The Report was commissioned in 2014 by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) to assess current available information and technologies in the country should shale gas exploitation be implemented to counter energy challenges. The Report was considered by the South Africa Cabinet on 28th September 2016.

NEW GRI SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING STANDARDS LAUNCHED

On 19th October 2016, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched a set of GRI Standards, based upon the GRI G4 Guidelines. The GRI Standards are the latest evolution of GRI’s reporting disclosures which have developed through more than 15 years of a robust multi-stakeholder process. The Standards feature an improved format with new modular structures. The content is basically the same as the GRI G4 Guidelines.

The GRI Standards are a set of 36 modular Standards that facilitate corporate reporting on topics such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use and labour practices. The new format allows GRI to update individual topics based upon market and sustainability needs, without requiring revisions to the entire set of GRI Standards.

In order to inform interested parties of the new Standards, GRI is organising a series of free launch events (live and webinar) around the globe from now and through November. Registration is on-line here.

Those companies that are currently in accordance with the G4 Guidelines will have until 1st July 2018 to move over to using the new Standards approach.

The GRI Standards are available for free download on the GRI Standards hub on the GRI website, along with detailed mapping documents that show all of the changes from G4 to GRI Standards. GRI is in the process of organising the translation of the Standards which can be expected to appear on the GRI website during the course of 2017.

PATHWAYS TO GREEN INDIA – INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM STUDENTS

To honour World Students Day (October 15th), Earth Day Network India has launched an e-book, “Pathways to Green India, Innovative Ideas for Students.” Featuring 22 case studies from across the country, this ambitious learning tool aims to inspire youth of all ages and backgrounds to take a leadership role in solving pressing environmental challenges, while at the same time providing replicable models for addressing problems, such as e-waste, noise pollution, water shortages and more. The e-book can be viewed on-line or downloaded as a pdf here.

IISD LAUNCHES NEW SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL ON-LINE KNOWLEDGE HUB

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has launched a new, searchable, SDG Knowledge Hub to provide information and articles on national and internal efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Hub consolidates IISD’s nine Policy & Practice knowledge bases, and the tens of thousands of articles that have been published within them since 2008.

The Hub is currently functioning and will be presented at an event in Geneva, Switzerland on October 26th 2016 and on an explanatory webinar on November 3rd 2016. Register for the Geneva event here and the webinar here.

Environmental Ponderings No 9: Does “Environment” Have Anything to do With “Real Life”?

I still periodically encounter people who will tell me that “environment” has nothing to do with “real” life and is only in the minds of “bunny huggers” and eco-freaks.

Sadly, there are many people who judge environmental management and sustainability thinking as a luxury practiced only by, “…the rich, the feeble-minded and those with nothing better to do…”.  I use speech marks because this is an actual quote from someone I spoke to just a few months ago.

I use a simple and understandable example to explain the significance of “environment” to “real life”.  The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that out of some 100 crop species which provide 90% of food worldwide, 71 of these are bee-pollinated. In Europe alone, 84% of the 264 crop species are animal pollinated and 4 000 vegetable varieties exist, thanks to pollination by bees.  Imagine what would happen if those crops were not pollinated and the crops subsequently failed? Human food supply would be significantly affected, and we would be faced with a  serious hunger crisis.

Why should we worry about the environment on which bees and butterflies (who also help pollination) rely?  A new report from the United Nations shows that these pollinators are dying fast for four main reasons:

  • man-induced land use changes reducing biodiversity and increasing monoculture;
  • increased diseases and parasites brought on by human-induced changes to habitats,
  • increased human use of broad scale chemical pesticides used to control other pests but which also wipe out pollinators; and
  • climate change which is about rising global temperatures which shift and reduce the range of habitats where pollinators survive.

US researchers report that air pollution from vehicles and power stations has been shown to inhibit the ability of pollinators  such as bees and butterflies to find the fragrances of flowers. The pollutants bond quickly with the volatile scent molecules, masking them and causing the pollinators to have to travel longer distances, away from the pollutants, to find flowers providing them with nectar.  The flowers closer by receive inadequate pollination and do not reproduce and diversify as efficiently.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are suggesting that climate change is causing bees and butterflies to emerge at different times in the year when the appropriate flowering plants were not available.

So the next time you hear of a bee keeper bemoaning the numbers of his bees that have died due to disease and pesticides or a butterfly expert telling you that a butterfly habitat is being wiped out to make way for a massive new housing estate, think carefully on the implications of the loss of yet more populations of critical pollinators.

Are we looking after  the critical, diverse habitats that we depend upon for our food and shelter? Can we really directly and indirectly weaken the biodiversity of our environment without ultimately effecting human survival in the long run? Closer to home, Is there anything that you can do to encourage pollinators in your garden or property?

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 35 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

© Arend Hoogervorst, 2016.

Environmental Ponderings No 8: Can I Help You to Save the Environment?

As a professional environmental advisor, I stopped using the opening line, “Can I help you to save the environment?” about 20 years ago.  Why? Mostly because very few people are altruistic enough or rich enough to magnanimously be able to “save the environment”. Even more people counter that request with the question, “What’s in it for me?”

That triggered my thinking to my current opening gambit which tends to be along the lines of, “Can I help you to save money and make more money?” Sadly, much of our life revolves around finding ways of ensuring that there are enough Rands in the bank account at the end of each month to pay the bills. Our life is driven by consumerism and a capitalist system which is driven by spending. Yes, some of us are able to be altruistic but at a cost.

Everyone loves to be told a story and if the story has some kind of practical message, it makes it even more useful. The Ngewana family live in an 5 bedroom suburban home and they were challenged to see what they could do to live more sustainably. Over a six month period, they moved from understanding their current resource usages, changing their behaviour and finally practising a more efficient and cheaper way of living. A report on their project has been produced and in these tough times, is an eye opener on what can relatively easily be achieved. The report on the project can be freely downloaded at http://mygreenhome.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/My-Green-Home-long-version-spreads.pdf  There are also other graphics and examples on the main website which will give you other thoughts and ideas. Having seen what the Ngewanas have achieved, you might want to “give it a go”. The thoughts and questions below may start you on the journey, if you haven’t already commenced it…..

Like most things in life, there is no magic formula for “being green”. Much of the success depends upon your existing lifestyle and what you are prepared to sacrifice.  Do you want to change your lifestyle? What have you got used to? Does it depend upon “stuff”? Change is an anathema to most people. Most will fight change vigorously and eventually, surrender to the new requirements. If we ponder on change, it becomes clear that it is a part of life and we are constantly subject to change. In most cases, it is a creeping, imperceptible change that we are not aware of. Sudden change comes in the form or new jobs, new houses, bereavements, retrenchments, weddings, divorces and emigration.

“Going green” is a change that requires some thinking about. Why do you want to do it?  What will you gain from it that will make you want to maintain it as a lifestyle and a philosophy? Are you prepared to invest your time and money in making the necessary physical and practical changes that will successfully make an active and noticeable difference? Can you afford to “go green”? (Yes, you will have to make an investment which will cost you and you have to commit to that investment.)

If you have reached this stage and are still positive, maybe start putting things down on paper. Take a sheet of blank paper and draw a line down the middle.  On the left side, head the column, “Positives”  and on the right column, “Negatives”. Write down all the positives and negatives of going green, based on my questions above and what you have seen from the Ngewana s’ examples.

Discussing the resulting  positives and negatives will give you an indication of the risks that you face in “going green”. Don’t be fooled into thinking that there are no risks. Facing the risks and overcoming them is part of managing change. Go forward, whatever you believe “forward” to be, and I wish you much luck and good fortune in the changes that you decide to make.

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

 © Arend Hoogervorst, 2015.

EPA Practical Guide To Environmental Management for Small Business

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Small Business Division produced its Practical Guide To Environmental Management For Small Business in 2002.  The Guide, though dated and focussing upon US legislation, is still a useful introduction to the small businessperson who is new to environment and business and needs some guidance on practicalities. The process map on page 7 is a useful first introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA) and helps to move thinking away from environmental management being a luxury, rather than a necessity.

JUDGING THE QUALITY OF RISK ASSESSMENTS

Risk Assessments form an important part of business activities, particularly where there are different tasks to be undertaken which may have safety, health and environmental risks of varying degrees of significance. One of the weaknesses of the risk assessment process is that it is only as good as the knowledge, skills, training and experience of the teams involved in preparing the risk assessments. Lack of experience, training and task understanding can produce risk assessments of varying qualities and can lack critical content necessary to minimise and mitigate risks.

An article called “Key Elements for Judging the Quality of a Risk Assessment”, written by Penelope Fenner-Crisp and Vicki Dellarco, appearing in Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 124, Number 8, August 2016, summarises the key characteristics of a high quality risk assessment, albeit focussing mainly on those risk assessment related to human health impacts associated with exposure to chemicals. The authors do remark that their discussion and comments could equally apply to ecological risk assessment and to other stresses such as radiation, microbes, products of biotechnology, and categories such as environmental contaminants, medical devices, drugs, tobacco, consumer products, commodity chemicals, pesticides and food contaminants. It becomes clear, reading through the article, that there are many aspects of the authors’ conclusions and recommendations that could be carried over to task-based risk assessments and their evaluation.

Apart from the valuable analytical content in the paper, a very practical tool included in the paper is Appendix 1 – Guide for Judging the Quality of an Assessment. The Guide consists of seven sections which prompt the assessor to test the assessment against statements under the various categories. The categories are:- Problem Formulation/Scoping and Planning; Systematic Review of the Literature; Hazard Assessment/Characterisation; Dose-Response Assessment/Characterisation; Exposure Assessment/Characterisation; Risk Characterisation; and Peer Review. This is a powerful guide for continuous improvement and although preparers of basic risk assessments may find it too complex, there is certainly plenty to gain by working through the categories and utilising the statements in different risk assessment processes.

REFLECTIONS ON LIFE – IS THINKING A DYING ART?

 “Thought makes every thing fit for use” – Emerson (1844)

 “If a man sits down to think, he is immediately asked if he has a headache” Emerson (1833)

 Does anyone think these days? No, I mean really THINK about things…. When facing an important decision, do we still ponder on the options and the pros and cons of each option, toy with the possibilities, do “what ifs”, review short, medium and long term consequences, reflect on who might or might not be affected, consider how we feel about the options….?

Life is currently a blur of information pouring into our smart phones, email in-boxes, flooding in from our kids demanding answers “for school”,  spewing out of the TV from 24 hour news stations, overwhelming us in our newspapers (if we still read them), need I go on?

When did you last sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of red wine and have a good think? I’ll wager it may be a long time ago, if you can still remember it….

Decision-making these days has become somewhat of an assembly line process with 3 page emails flowing in calling for answers and within 30 seconds of the email arriving, the writer is on the phone demanding to know if it’s been read yet. The pressure is on the make a quick decision, Now, now, NOW!

When was the last time you sat down on the veranda with a meaty book and immersed yourself in the imagery gushing from the pages and watched, as an outsider, as your favourite character had to deal with the problems, not you? Did you picture in your mind, the settings in the book, the faces of the people, the thought processes they were going through?

I believe that the “physical exercise” of thinking is imagination. In a child it is make-believe and that invisible, imaginary world of a child’s play and creation of scenes, sights, friends and places. In an adult, it is the imagery from the written word, the inspirations from memories and places. Like any muscle in the body, if the brain is not “exercised” by thought, imagination and stimulation of the senses, it dulls and declines.

Reading helps stimulate the use of words and increasing one’s vocabulary helps to encourage wider use of words which helps to put meaning and expression to thought. Reading encourages imagination, imagination results in thought. Thought can result in expression. Expression stimulates sharing exchange and debate. Debate encourages communication. Communication is necessary to maintain social cohesion and support cooperative activities for the good of all.

We need to exercise our thought processes by reading, not just reports, or feasibility studies or manuals, but also creative stories, essays, description, mysteries, puzzles and word pictures to remind us of the joy and stimulation of words and thought.

Read this piece again and decide if you agree or disagree. Does it evoke any reaction? Does it make you want to reconsider the way you address your decision making? Whatever else, it probably made you think……

ICMM – Demonstrating Value – A Guide to Responsible Sourcing

The guide, produced in 2015, examines the context and drivers for responsible sourcing and provides practical guidance and examples on approaches that companies can take to demonstrate that they are producing materials responsibly. Examples of drivers include: climate change, increasing social responsibility expectations of business, and more stringent environmental, health and safety standards and regulations.

Using work undertaken by ICMM, the guide ensures that common sustainable development challenges are considered not only at the mine or metal production facility but throughout the whole value chain.

This approach, termed materials stewardship, was built on the premise that companies have a shared responsibility for the materials that they produce. Demonstrating value focuses on the two complementary sides of the responsible sourcing debate – sustainable procurement and responsible supply.

The guide is organised around four themes that can be summarised as: mapping the value chain, developing programmes and standards; engaging with stakeholders and contributing to knowledge. These topics are supported by case studies that illustrate how the approaches have been successfully applied to create business value and maximise the contribution of companies and materials.

Although aimed at the mining industry, many of the practical suggestions are applicable to other sectors. ICMM’s ten sustainable development principles are particularly useful as high level policy guidelines.

The Guide can be freely downloaded here on the ICMM website.

ICMM – Land Acquisition and Resettlement

Land acquisition and resettlement is a sometime painful and emotionally charged component that often accompanies new development. Mining companies are frequently in the forefront of this component and it is for this reason that the ICMM released, in 2015, its publication, Land Acquisition and Resettlement, which outlines the lessons learned from a benchmarking study into 41 resettlement projects worldwide.

The publication provides recommendations for managing the resettlement of local communities who have been displaced or whose livelihoods have been impacted due to the presence of mining. This includes ensuring adequate compensation and development opportunities. It recognises that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for successful resettlement activities, but there are many useful lessons to learn from past experience.

Resettlement remains a very challenging area for companies despite clear global standards around resettlement and land acquisition, notably that of the International Finance Corporation Performance Standard 5.

The document is structured around 10 modules that cover planning, stakeholder engagement, compensation, livelihood restoration and monitoring impacts among other topics. The modules are based on material originally generated through research for a benchmarking report supported by ICMM members Gold Fields, Rio Tinto and Glencore.

Some of the key challenges of resettlement include not commencing the planning early enough, or investing in enough human or financial resources to ensure impacts are assessed and mitigated, and that benefits are shared in a sustainable way. This can result in grievances from resettled and host communities that can have negative follow-on impacts including conflict between stakeholders and disruptions to operations. Projects that do invest in planning resettlement appropriately have been shown to gain the trust of local communities and develop collaborative relationships with governments.

Assessing Water Usage, Risk, Comparisons and Footprints

Water is a strategic resource for most businesses. However, there is still a reluctance to take water management seriously, despite the fact that water availability has become a serious factor in business risk assessments.

There are many different tools and techniques available to assist business managers and directors to understand and quantify that water risk. The Internet provides access to many of these tools, whose use needs to be considered carefully. Some are high level tools developed for policy makers and not relevant to the average businessperson. Others are very specific to, for example, a country or a business sector. As in most aspects of life, there is no “quick fix” or “universal solution”. The tools need to be examined, experimented with and, in some cases, adapted to site/area/sector/use specific needs and requirements.

The WWF has prepared a comparison of some of the major accessible water tools  but as it was compared by the team who developed the WWF water risk filter, there is a disclaimer which suggests that the comparison may not be entirely objective!

The CEO Water Mandate has assembled an extensive and varied list of water resource evaluation tools which cover a wide range of scenarios and situations. It takes time to work through these – be warned! Or you can follow the water stewardship toolbox and work through the suggestions put forward.

Indicated below is an abbreviated list of water tools which may assist businesses that need to draw up an objective view of their water risks using a combination of quantitative and qualitative information. Please feel free to provide feedback as this article will be updated periodically with new information, as it becomes available.

WBCSD Global Water Tool

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development Global Water Tool (GWT) is a free, publicly available resource for identifying corporate water risks and opportunities which provides easy access to and analysis of critical data. It includes a workbook (data input, inventory by site, key reporting indicators, metrics calculations), a mapping function to plot sites with datasets, and Google Earth interface for spatial viewing.

By comparing sites with the best available water, sanitation, population and biodiversity information on a country and watershed basis, including sub-basin data, the tool allows one to answer the following questions:

  • How many of your sites are in extremely water-scarce areas? Which sites are at greatest risk? How will that change in the future?
  • How much of your total production is generated from your most at risk sites?
  • How many of your employees live in countries that lack access to improved water and sanitation?
  • How many of your suppliers are in water scarce areas now and will be in 2025?

GEMI “Connecting the Drops” Water Sustainability Tool

The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) has developed an analytical process, the Water Sustainability Tool, to assist individual companies and other organizations to better understand what emerging water issues might mean for them, given their operations, needs, and circumstances. The tool is designed to help individual companies build a business water strategy. The tool encourages businesses to:

  • Conduct a systematic assessment of their relationship to water;
  • Identify specific opportunities and risks associated with this relationship;
  • Assess the business case for action;
  • Tailor a water strategy that addresses specific needs and circumstances of the organization; and
  • Ensure that water-related opportunities and risks are tracked and managed effectively into the future using a continual improvement framework.

WWF Water Risk Filter

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Water Risk Filter tool helps companies and investors ask the right questions about water. It allows the user to assess risks and offers guidance on what to do in response. More than 2,500 organizations from 32 industry sectors have assessed facilities. Specific facilities or agricultural commodities can be viewed, each with an automated basin assessment and questionnaire to evaluate direct operations.

CERES Aqua Gauge

The Aqua Gauge offers a comprehensive Excel-based assessment tool for evaluating an existing water strategy or building one from the ground up. The Aqua Gauge helps companies:

  • Frame and assess options for managing water risk.
  • Prioritize and improve responses to water risk.
  • Communicate key water risk information to stakeholders.

Global Water Footprint Assessment Standard

The Water Footprint Assessment is a four-phase process that quantifies and maps green, blue and grey water footprints, assesses the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use and identifies which strategic actions should be prioritised in order to make a footprint sustainable.

Indian Water Tool

The India Water Tool is an online tool for companies and other users to understand their water-related risks and prioritize actions toward sustainable water management. It combines data from Indian government agencies and water stress indicators from WRI and the Columbia Water Centre.

GRI Transition To Standards (“G4”) Available For Public Comment

The first set of exposure drafts of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards is now available for public comment. Individuals or organisations wishing to comment on the latest standards should log on to the GRI Consultation Platform and register. Thereafter, they can access the drafts page and select which documents they wish to review. The drafts are open for comment from 19th April 2016 until the 17th July 2016.

The GRI Standards will include the same main concepts and all relevant disclosures from G4, in an improved structure, format, and presentation. The content from the GRI G4 Guidelines and Implementation Manual form the basis for the content in GRI Standards. There will be three ‘universal’ standards applicable to all organizations, and approximately 35 ‘topic-specific’ standards based on the Aspects within G4. This first set of exposure drafts includes the three GRI Standards that will be applicable to all organizations:

  • The Foundation Standard includes the Reporting Principles and ‘in accordance’ criteria. This is the entry point for organizations using GRI Standards.
  • The General Disclosures Standard covers organizational profile, governance, stakeholder engagement, reporting practice, strategy and analysis.
  • The Management Approach Standard includes the disclosure on management approach (DMA) from G4, and may be used with any topic-specific GRI Standard.

The exposure drafts will also include three topic-specific GRI Standards: Emissions, Indirect Economic Impacts and Public Policy.

GRI Standards are primarily intended to be used together as a set of standards. Organizations preparing a sustainability report ‘in accordance’ with GRI Standards will use all three universal standards and will be able to make their own selection of relevant topic-specific standards, based on those that are material. Organizations can also use individual GRI Standards or their contents to disclose specific sustainability information and are required to include a reference in any published materials.

GRI is an international independent organization that has pioneered corporate sustainability reporting since 1997. GRI helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate the impact of business on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption and many others.

Water Risk Assessment Tools E-Learning Course Launch

IPIECA (the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues), who supported the development of the IPIECA Global Water Tool for Oil and Gas (a customised version of the WBCSD Global Water Tool) (GWT) and the GEMI® Local Water Tool for Oil and Gas™ (LWT), have developed an online e-learning course for the tool.

The Water risk assessment e-learning training course aims to improve uptake and implementation whilst helping companies effectively, efficiently and easily monitor, assess and manage water risks.

Through various interactive and flexible units, the course provides managers with an overview of water risks in the oil and gas sector. It also provides practitioners with a thorough overview of how to use and interpret outputs from both the GWT and LWT.

IPIECA encourages the oil and gas industry to take advantage of this great resource, to learn how, at your own pace, to use these water risk assessment tools and make a difference to the communities you operate in.

The course includes:

  • A completely flexible approach whereby users can work through at any pace and complete the units in any order. It is estimated that completing all the units would take approximately two hours.
  • A voiceover accompaniment to complement the text and highlight key messages – this can be switched off using the mute button.
  • Quiz questions at the end of each unit ensure your understanding – please be assured answers are not recorded or timed.
  • How the tool is deployed within your company is also flexible, for example: You may want to simply include it as part of training plans with selected staff that is undertaken, at the trainees pace;
  • Use the training in a facilitated training session;
  • Use individual modules to explain different aspects of water risk management; or
  • Link to existing, in-house training.

For a brief overview of the aims and content of the Water risk assessment e-learning training course, please watch the promotional video.

Environmental Ponderings No 7: The Practicalities of “Stuff”

We all collect “stuff”.  Some of us take this to extremes and become hoarders. If you think carefully about your various friends, I am sure that amongst the list, somewhere, there is at least one serial hoarder. That is often one of those people that uses that magic phrase, “I’ll keep it because you never know when it might come in handy…” In truth, it very rarely does, but we end up with more clutter and junk pressing hard on the limited storage space most of us have.

Some “stuff” ends up in our homes because of the pressurised formal and informal consumer marketing that batters us on a daily basis – newspapers and magazines, TV and radio adverts, social media,  peer pressure, invented new trends and fashions…it all ends up with us buying things that we don’t need or can’t use for long….and then it becomes “stuff” in the cupboard, on the shelf, or in the drawers.

What  is made worse is that a great deal of “stuff” that we buy has a limited usage life. Have you ever tried repairing a broken toaster? Don’t bother, most of them have a modular design which means that they cannot be repaired. The manufacturer wants you to buy a new one….regularly. I worked in Soweto in the 1980’s and there was a thriving small appliances repair sector. These were one man businesses that would ,and could, repair anything and everything at a fraction of the cost of a replacement and often the equipment worked better after repair than when it was new. This thriving little cottage industry is no more.

If we are honest with ourselves, a large proportion of the “stuff” we accumulate can be used by others. Instead of it sitting in a cupboard doing nothing, what about donating it to a charity shop like Hospice or the SPCA who could sell it for a good cause? Winter is upon us and there are many people who could benefit from the warmth or coverage of those extra clothes that are clogging up your wardrobe and let’s face it, we are NEVER going to fit into them again, are we?

There’s also the “stuff” we acquire to be up-to-date with the latest gadgets and gear. How many old cell phones and chargers do you have sitting in your drawers and cupboards? Two? Three? Five?  We have about four in various places. Think of all of the recyclable materials that are locked up in those items. Think also of the many toxic materials that, if we don’t dispose of them responsibly or recycle them, could end up in the environment that we depend upon for our clean food, water, and air.

Don’t take my word for it or be mildly stimulated by my rather weak examples. Check the story of stuff out on the best place to experience real examples explained powerfully and simply. Watch the 20 minute movie,
“The Story of Stuff” on YouTube ( http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff/ ) and be inspired to re-examine your perspective on “stuff”.  This “cartoon about trash” put together by Annie Leonard and her friends has been viewed over 400 million times worldwide since it was produced 8 years ago. The movie may intrigue you into looking at the other movies in the series – “The Story of Bottled Water”, “The Story of Cosmetics” and “The Story of Electronics”. That might even take you onto to the second level of “stuff” covered in the subsequent movies, “The Story of Citizens United v. FEC”, “The Story of Broke” and “The Story of Change”.

It is tough to change and we all want to hang on to our “stuff” but give some thought to parting with some of that “stuff” for  reuse, recirculation (there’s a new term…) and  recycling. If we all do just a little, it will help our communities, our dwindling natural resources  and our diminishing cupboard and drawer space

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

Environmental Ponderings – No 2: The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

As an environmental auditor, I have been privileged over the years to see both sides of the proverbial environmental coin: that is, what the industrialists perceive as environmentally friendly products and what the consumer expects as “eco-friendly/environmentally friendly” products. As you might imagine, the two perceptions are often poles apart and at times, incomparable. As an environmental practitioner, I am still after 30 years grappling with what I understand as “environmentally friendly” but I’ll leave that discussion for another column…

The subject of this pondering is something quite close to my heart: greenwashing. For those of you not familiar with the term, it is defined as. “..the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the benefits of a product or service…”

An American marketing company specialising in “green” marketing called Terrachoice first took up the cudgels of greenwash back in 2007 and produced “the Six Sins of Greenwash” for free distribution. (There are now seven sins….must be something to do with inflation…) The booklet initially evoked quite a response with industrialists claiming that they were being maligned and green consumers crying, “we told you so!”

One can go into much detail about the “whys and wherefore’s” but, in essence, the message coming from the whole exercise is simple: don’t believe “environmental friendly claims” blindly and be prepared to ask direct and persistent questions of those who would have you believe they are, “environmental friendly”.

The seven sins of greenwashing are as follows:-

  1. The Sin of Hidden tradeoffs

This is where a product is put forward as “green” , based upon a narrow set of attributes which leave out other important environmental factors. For example, although paper may be produced from a sustainably harvested forest, there are still other environmental issues such as energy, greenhouse gas emissions and water and air pollution that need to be considered.

  1. Sin of No Proof

This is where an environmental claim is made but it is difficult to obtain evidence to substantiate the specific claim. For example, claiming various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without supporting this with third party certification or accessible evidence to support the claim.

  1. Sin of Vagueness

This occurs where the claim made is so vague that it defies sensible understanding by even the most intelligent of green consumers. For example, uranium, mercury and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring but that does not necessarily make them “green” products.

  1. Sin of Irrelevance

This occurs when making an environmental claim that maybe truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful in the wider picture. An example here might be claiming a product as “CFC-free” when that particular CFC is banned by law.

  1. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

This would be where the claims may be true within the product category but not from the greater environmental perspective, for example, an organic cigarette or a fuel efficient sport utility vehicle.

  1. Sin of Fibbing

This is straight forward. An environmental claim is made by a manufacturer or service provider that is false and untrue.

  1. Sin of Worshipping False Labels

This is the case where a product, through images or words, gives the impression of some form of certification or third party endorsement where this does not exist.

“The Sins of Greenwash : Home and Family Edition – 2010” can be freely downloaded from the  Terrachoice site at www.terrachoice.com  where you can find our more detail and more examples.

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

Environmental Ponderings No. 6: Preferences in “Environment”, “Conservation” and “Development”

“Environment”, “conservation”, and “development” can be touchy subjects, usually because in any group of individuals, one can get a diverse, wide and emotionally sensitive range of views, opinions, beliefs and doctrines emerging which can be quite polarised. As humans, we are, by nature, diverse and competitive and often struggle to agree or achieve consensus. It is no wonder that preferences can, for example, range from natural grasslands, to a lawn, or an area of green painted concrete.

Human beings are modifiers of the environment. They have developed the abilities, skills and means to change an environment to suit their needs and wants. This is further complicated by the fact that as a species, human beings have multiplied to such a degree that their survival requirements have put the planet under some not inconsiderable strain. We modify land to produce greater quantities of food through mechanisation and monoculture; we cover the earth with concrete to move pesky rainwater away “somewhere else” as quickly as possible; we build massive coal-fired power stations consuming vast quantities of coal so that we can have access to convenient sources of electricity; we build thousands of kilometres of roads cutting swathes through the land so that we can drive quickly from one part of the country to another.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not taking a position on the rights and wrongs of these initiatives. I am merely pointing out that these actions come with both benefits and disadvantages. Everything in life is about balancing benefits with disadvantages. Decisions have to be made which impact people and the environment today, and have consequences for people in the future.

Perhaps we should try and recognise that we cannot achieve perfection in the restoration of some environments to their former (pristine and untouched) status and that we need to acknowledge a modified environment that contains differing elements of natural beauty, form and functionality. It is academic whether this is described as “environmentally responsible development” or “urban development”, or ‘Green Buildings”, or “indigenous”. It is fundamental modification of “natural” environments in such a way that they provide pleasure, joy, relaxation, peace, calm, (add your particular preference) to human beings in their daily lives.

There is always a place for the preservation of undisturbed, naturally changing environments (sometimes described as “Wilderness Areas” or “Conservation Areas”). After all, they may well contain small pieces of DNA which may one day provide the means to save us from disease and pestilence we have yet to experience. The big questions are “How much?”, “Where” and “How much do we need to protect to maintain an ecologically viable area, that will survive in a form that has a future and can be protected from the encroachment of human beings?”

Let us not fool ourselves into thinking that the earth cannot exist without us. Life in one form or another has existed on earth for some 3.6 billion years. Human beings (“modern” homo sapiens) have only been on earth for about 200,000 years. Geological succession suggests that the earth is about 4.54 billion years old. Natural and ecological succession has steered the evolution and development of ecosystems and organisms long before the arrival of human beings and will probably continue long after human beings have gone.

The final thought is with regard to human beings themselves. Human population growth continues at a significant rate. People need food, water, shelter and quality of life. Will human beings learn to control their growth as a species within a finite environment or will they continue growing and consuming until the natural forces of the environment find/develop/evolve a mechanism, organism or means to “naturally” control their growth?

 Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

© Arend Hoogervorst, 2014.

Environmental Ponderings No. 5: Why Should I Care About the Environment?

 “Why should I care about the environment?”

How many times has that question been asked?, I wonder. It comes up frequently at talks and discussions that I am involved in and it is not an easy question to answer. (Try googling the question and see the range of answers that come up…).

Asking the question at a dinner party is one of the quickest ways to create a bunch of angry, polarised guests, particularly if the mix of guests includes any combination of conservationists, animal lovers, bunny huggers, eco-terrorists, climate denialists, fundamental Christians, conservative capitalists, and Free Market proponents.

In my view, the reason for this variability (and animosity) is because people have different views and perspectives on what the environment is and how human beings, affect or are affected by it, causing them to argue at different levels. The other point of argument relates to the extent, boundary or scope of the environment we are talking about. Is it your immediate environment around you (say, the air that you breath), your property, your suburb, your town or city, your Province, your country or the earth in totality? We have varying abilities to affect and be affected by the environment, depending upon the scope.

There are some obvious reasons which relate to immediate environment. For example, a dirty environment around you (land, air and water), can have a detrimental effect on your personal health. Fouling the space that you rely on to exist, generate your food, and provide the air to breath is not a good idea……although that principle may not be as obvious as one might think, considering some of the pollution episodes one reads about in South Africa and other countries like China.

We also have varying abilities to affect our environment. Whilst it is easy to clean up and tidy up your own property, it is very difficult to personally change the air that your breath (other than extremes such as, for example, not burning all of your rubbish in your back garden daily), or clean up the local landfill site.

Practicing care about one’s immediate environment can also save money. Applying “environmentally friendly” practices such as installing a solar geyser, or solar panels to power your security lights, will save money directly by reducing your electricity bill. Whilst separating and recycling household waste may not have a direct financial benefit, it may delay the need for a municipal new landfill site which over the medium and long term will reduce the increases in municipal rates and taxes.

Some of the other reasons often quoted include emotive perspectives such as “It’s my moral obligation”, “It’s the right thing to do”, “for future generations”, “to protect biodiversity” (yes, even that one can be debated at length), “rhinos and polar bears are cute”, and “unnatural stuff causes cancer”.

I am sure that already I have raised the hackles of a number of readers but before you organise the lynching party, stop and think. Maybe we are not understanding the differing perspectives or are making assumptions about others’ perspectives….?

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

© Arend Hoogervorst, 2014.

Special Feature On Global Warming : Emerging Perspectives On Loss And Damage

A special issue (Vol. 8 No. 2, 2015) of the International Journal of Global Warming is available as open access. The theme of the open issue is “Emerging perspectives on loss and damage”. There are some useful articles covering:- loss and damage in negotiations under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change and the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; the suitability of disaster loss databases for documenting impacts of climate change particularly those related to extreme weather and slow onset events; the complexity involved in migrating and relocating communities affected by climate change and recommend interventions for easing the resettlement process; and “problematizing” climate change loss and damage. Be warned, these are academic papers but they do contain some practical information that is useful for industrialists and different discipline practitioners.

Environmental Ponderings No. 4: The Journey of Materials Efficiency and Energy and Water Optimisation

Over the Festive Season, there are always many lists being generated in various printed and broadcast media, urging folk to follow 10 Green Resolutions, or 5 Recycling Tips or 10 Green Christmas Hints or some similar set of suggested behaviour changes. Most people tend to be a little irritated by them because they are ready-made tips which do not necessarily relate or connect with individuals’ circumstances, capabilities and impacts.

What we really should be doing is taking a step backwards from these end use suggestions and thinking about what we can do before we purchase the items which cause the waste. That can be difficult because many will argue that it is difficult to know where to start and what to consider.

Here are a 3 simple thought triggers to get you started on the journey of materials efficiency and energy and water optimisation (perhaps a fancy way of saying “how to be more environmentally friendly”):-

  1. Think about all the materials and substances you use during a day. Ask yourself “Where do they come from and what will happen when these items reach the end of their life?” then ask yourself, “How will these items or their waste remnants be disposed of?”
  2. Once you have done this, ask yourself a second question. “Are there alternatives that are easier/cleaner/cheaper/less polluting/smaller quantities/ less toxic?
  3. If you cannot find the answers, don’t be afraid to ask your friends, read books, search Google and other Internet sources, contact teachers or colleagues or any other source of information that you can think of.

These actions are the start of a journey. This journey will change your life and will change, as YOU change, over time. As we move through the various stages of our lives, our abilities to do things and influence the wider good within our community, changes. By understanding where we are on our individual journeys, we can continue the journey within our capacities, capabilities and understanding. This is the way in which each and every one of us can contribute to the good of our Communities, the space and environment we depend upon and live in, and improve our Society in general. (Oh and by the way, this often also saves money which is an added benefit and motivation!)

If the tasks seem overwhelming and it appears that there is just too much to do, prioritise your tasks, start small and tackle simple tasks and easy actions. Remember the answer to the legendary question, “How do you eat an elephant?….answer – One bite at a time.

The tasks discussed above are not easy. You may not have all the information that you need to answer the questions and make the judgements. You thus need to find out, explore, research and understand. Understanding is the key to sustainability of materials and sustainability of actions. If we do not understand why actions and alternative courses of action are necessary, we will never do them. To lump everyone together into a “one size fits all” solution is unlikely to work. If everyone tackles their own tasks within their own capabilities, there is a greater chance that they will continue to undertake the tasks regularly and as a part of their everyday lives.

Arend Hoogervorst is an environmental scientist with some 30 years of experience in South Africa in environmental management and sustainable development in local and central government, commerce and industry and private practice.

© Arend Hoogervorst, 2013.

Environmental Risks from Shale Gas Development

Shale gas development has been in the news recently and a great deal of hot air has been expended upon the virtues and disadvantages of the initiatives. It is clear that many folk have no idea of the actual process involved and its varying risks. The Worldwatch Institute has produced a plain language briefing document called “Beneath the Surface: A Survey of Environmental Risks from Shale Gas Development.” This informative document is very useful and easy to understand and will help the lay person to understand the fundamentals of the debate that needs to be had on the extraction of shale gas. The publication can be downloaded by going to:-  http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/BP1.pdf

AJH

Working Together – Engaging with the Artisanal & Small Scale Miners

The ICMM has released a guidance booklet called “Working together” which tackles the difficult task of mining companies engaging with the artisanal and small scale mining sector. Estimates suggest that as many as 100 million people (mostly in the developing world) are dependent upon the fruits of small scale mining. Encounters between mining companies and small scale miners are increasing and common issues such as security, human rights, historical and cultural conditions, environmental management, pollution, and relocation programs require careful and sensitive management. The booklet includes background information, suggested approaches and strategies and tools for engaging with small scale miners. The publication can be freely downloaded at:- http://www.icmm.com/document/789

Blue Carbon Report

Cycling of carbon back into the biosphere is described as “green carbon” which is absorbed by land based organisms, and carbon absorbed by marine living organisms (55%) is called “blue carbon”. The Blue Carbon Report, produced by GRID-Arendal and UNEP, in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, and UNESCO International and Oceanographic Commissions, was produced to highlight the vital role of the oceans and ocean ecosystems in the global climate balance.

The Report provides detailed and illustrated information on the importance and functioning of blue carbon capture and how this contributes to natural systems management of carbon. It explains clearly how the world’s oceans, seas and marine ecosystems (including seagrass, salt marshes and coastal wetlands) are daily absorbing and removing large quantities of carbon from the atmosphere.

This publication can be freely downloaded at www.grida.no/publications/rr/blue-carbon or

http://www.grida.no/files/publications/blue-carbon/BlueCarbon_screen.pdf