Working with Waste – Guideline on Recycling of Solid Waste

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

This Guideline was published by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism as one of a series of guidelines to assist municipalities in the implementation of the South African National Waste Management Strategy. Having said that, the Guidelines have considerable value to other stakeholders in the management of waste.

The 62 page, freely downloadable, booklet is packed with facts, information, explanatory graphics, key questions for each stage of the process for developing recycling programmes, Frequently Asked Questions, a sample waste stream audit protocol and a model memorandum of agreement for a recycling centre.

WBCSD – Global Water Tool

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

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

The Tool is quite sophisticated and potential users need to have a fairly good understanding of their site’s water usage including appropriate data. Not all of the Tool’s facilities work because of variable regional data availability. However, experimenting with the workbook and exploring its many facets is an education in itself on water availability and quality in an industrial context. Furthermore, it does highlight the importance of understanding your neighbours’ usage (and abusage!) of water and how this may affect your business and future.

The Global Water Tool can be freely downloaded from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development website (www.wbcsd.org ) which is a site that is packed with useful environmental management and sustainability tools and documentary resources.

THE WH2OLE STORY- Water and Business: How to avoid the Coming Crisis

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

THE WH2OLE STORY- WATER & BUSINESS: HOW TO AVOID THE COMING CRISIS

This freely downloadable 53 page booklet was produced by Context, a consultancy specialising in corporate sustainability strategy and communications. The PDF version is downloadable here.

The publication is light, easily readable and contains plenty of useful throwaway facts to get people’s attention. It does have an “Ameri-centric” approach but it can be selectively used in many other countries. Do not expect a heavily scientific treatise, but rather view it as a source of information if you are looking to persuade decision makers that water needs to be given a higher priority, and that it may be a strategic risk, which, if not properly managed and understood, could bring down the company.

Environmental Ponderings No 3: Does Sustainable Living Come Naturally to Human Beings?

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

Does sustainable living come naturally to human beings?  I was sitting on a long haul flight recently, (I spend a great deal of time on these types of flights and yes, I know, my carbon footprint must be enormous…) looking at the plastic supper tray in front of me, thinking about the enormous amounts of effort, energy and resources used to put this together, the equally enormous wastes involved when the remnants are disposed of, and then I multiplied this by the millions of people who routinely fly long distances around the world.

Flying is just one part of the whole picture. Next thing to do is to apply your mind to the fast food business. Most of us, at some time or other, make use of the “convenience” of fast foods, especially when we are feeling lazy or just cannot face standing in the kitchen to cook. Think about the packaging involved in fast food….by design, it is costly because it must keep the food hot, copy the role of plates, come with disposable plastic utensils, and be covered in costly printing and fancy, expensive design to reinforce the brand….which is often what makes us subconsciously buy it through the millions spent in subliminal advertising, reinforcing our “need” to purchase the product.

What about the enormous amounts of money, fuel, and carbon that is used to fly out-of-season products around the world so that we can have these “fresh” products all the year around?  When British lamb is out of season, New Zealand lamb is imported to the UK and in New Zealand, when their lamb is out of season, they import British lamb. (It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out who gets the better end out of that deal, does it?)

Try something else out. The next time you buy your loved one(s) a box of chocolates, count how many different layers of packaging there are. Depending upon how generous or not you are with the chocolates, that number could vary between five and ten layers. How many of those are REALLY necessary?  You can try the same exercise on other products you use and you will see that practicality is not always the best driver of design….and you are the one paying for all of this too!

Have I answered my opening question?  Yes, of course I have and we all knew what the answer would be. No, sustainable living does not come naturally to human beings because we continue to live in a Society that is driven by economic growth, driven by consumerism, and driven by consumption for the sake of consumption. We can talk about sustainability, sustainable living and sustainable development but underlying the key success factors to achieve this is a fundamental change in Society’s priorities. Environmental economics has started to make changes in thinking but the heart of our economic philosophies are still the drive to make financial profit. Until Society can make a major mind shift in everything to do with our monetary system, it is going to take a long, long time before we can say with our hands on our hearts, “Sustainable living comes naturally to human beings.”

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 Ponderings No. 1: What Can I Do To Make A Difference?

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m only one person, I can never get this done/changed/fixed?” Sometimes, the sheer, seemingly, hopelessness of a situation is overwhelming and results in endeavours and tasks never even getting started.

Often, the inspiration of what others can do, or have been able to achieve, can provide the nudge to reconsider paths of action and solutions.

I can think of two linked examples which provide some food for thought. The first one is human organisation. Human beings have developed the power to think, plan and organise themselves and their actions which leave one breathless in wonder. Think of the achievements of the Egyptians who with only rudimentary tools, intellect and the sweat of thousands of persons, built pyramids hundreds of metres high, weighing thousands and thousands of tons. Our modern day thinking would default to imagining vast machines, cranes, heavy trucks and other steel devices to achieve such a result. Meanwhile the Egyptians used very basic tools and techniques and adapted them to the circumstances. They used ramps, leverage, rollers, balance and other simple techniques to achieve massive and awe-inspiring results.

As a young community worker operating in a Soweto community in the early 1980’s (this was before cell phones, smart phones, Internet-on-the-go and SMSs), I could never understand how news of a meeting to be held on one side of Soweto could be successfully communicated to the entire city in hours, without the single use of an electronic communication device. The answer was simple – organised, word-of-mouth communication via, blocks, streets, suburbs, areas, and regions. Simple or complex messages could be conveyed to many people over vast distances by using word-of-mouth and human organisation.

The second example is Nature (of which, incidentally, we as humans are a part). Nature has evolved over billions of years and has a practical solution to every problem we have ever conceived. (It may be difficult to actually FIND that solution but it is there, somewhere!) There are plenty of examples which illustrate how small or large problems can be tackled by copying Nature. (If you want to know more, Google “Biomimicry”.) The complex and amazing social organisation and structuring of ant and termite colonies is a good example of optimal design for such community and survival issues as air-conditioning, food supply, waste disposal, security, population control, construction engineering, water supply and cooperative effort. The simple principle of Velcro comes from a technique used by seeds to hook themselves onto animals to spread species progeny beyond its source area.

As human beings, we waste enormous quantities of energy and effort on trying to do things for which there are clear and simple answers readily available in our back gardens, through cooperative communication and in libraries and publications. We live an oppressive, pressurised and busy lifestyle that prevents us from “thinking before we do”. The age of instant gratification, optimal electronic communication and the demand for instant decision-making is stopping us from using the most fundamental of preparatory actions, “Stop, think, research, plan, do”.

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

© Arend Hoogervorst, 2012.

Carbon Offsets Paper Published For Comment

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The National Treasury has published a Carbon Offsets Paper for public comment. The paper outlines proposals for a carbon offset scheme that will enable businesses to lower their carbon tax liability and make investments that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

This document needs to be read in conjunction with the “Carbon Tax Policy Paper: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a green economy” which was released for comment in May 2013. The Finance Minster announced during his recent Budget Speech that the plans to introduce a carbon tax in South Africa would be delayed until 2016.

Carbon Offsets[1] will enable firms to cost-effectively lower their carbon tax liability. They will also incentivise investment in least-cost mitigation options in the country, driving investment in GHG mitigation projects that deliver carbon emissions reduction at a lower cost than the carbon tax.

In order to be awarded a tradable emissions reduction credit under one of the four different carbon offset standards (Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard (GS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS)), the principles of “additionality”, “permanence”, and “real” are critical in being included and thus to ensure the credibility of the carbon offset projects.

Treasury’s initial analysis suggests that the development and adoption of an eligible project methodology could focus on the following areas:-

  • Energy and Energy Efficiency
  • Transport
  • Agriculture, forestry and other land uses, and
  • Waste

The Paper is available on the Treasury website and written comments should be submitted to Peter Janoska, email:- peter.janoska@treasury.gov.za,  by the close of business on 30 June 2014.


[1] A Carbon Offset is a measurable avoidance, reduction, or sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other GHG emissions. Carbon Offsets are sometimes described as project-based because they typically involve specific projects or activities that reduce, avoid or sequester emissions.

Carbon Footprinting Guide

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The Carbon Footprinting Guide is published by Nedbank, in collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Sustainability Institute. The stated aim of the book is to demystify carbon footprint approaches and help readers grasp the main concepts and assist them in carrying out the actual carbon footprint calculations.

The Guide is broadly broken up into four sections:-

  1. Background,
  2. Applying the Principles,
  3. Case Studies and associated explanation, and
  4. Discussion on consultants and Auditors.

For those who need to seriously look at calculating their carbon footprint, as free giveaways go, this publication is the best available at the present time. The publication does reflect certain biases which one can appreciate given the sponsor and the particular experiences of the authors. As with any technical or profession-related matter of this nature, readers are strongly advised to consult specialists in relation to their own sector and site specific issues and requirements, and not use a publication like this in isolation.

The authors of the Guide are Dr Marco Lotz, Nedbank Group Sustainability Carbon Specialist and Dr Alan Brent, Professor in the Sustainability Programme of the School of Public Leadership of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

ICMM Water Stewardship Framework

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has produced a four page, Water Stewardship Framework, an outline of its members approach to using a shared resource that is an essential part of all mining and metals operations.

The framework is built around four key elements:

1. be transparent and accountable
2. engage proactively and inclusively
3. adopt a catchment-based approach
4. effective water resource management.

The elements are high level and very flexible but reflect recognition of the need to dialogue on scarce water resources to ensure equitable distribution. The content will be very useful to those who are in the process of writing water policies or guidelines for engagement on water allocation. The document can be freely downloaded.

 

 

UNEPLive Knowledge Platform Launched to Fill Gaps Between Data Providers and Consumers

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The UNEPLive data searchable website was launched in January 2014. As yet, it is still to be fully populated although it is already searchable, and country data is available.

According to UNEP, UNEPLive aims to support the growing demand for substantiated, contextualised knowledge about the environment, and to this end, UNEP has developed rich sets of data and knowledge flows and communities of networks.

The website will provide a system-wide data-knowledge service, a consistent approach to community networking and knowledge synthesis, an Information Communications Technology governance strategy and a comprehensive data policy for external and internal use. It will achieve this by:

  • enlarging the      knowledge base for global environmental policy through community      networking
  • encouraging and      supporting greater community networking;
  • embracing new      developments in information and communication technologies and enhancing      knowledge service delivery through improved translation and search      functions; improving access to its information and knowledge services      using distributed computing
  • widening the use of      its services through clear strategies for governance and data use that      reflects the general principles of streamlining, sharing and access
  • involving staff and      experts from across UNEP, the MEAs and other UN organisations and national      institutions, plus regional and global environmental change programmes and      assessments.

In order to build the site’s range of data, countries who would like UNEP to support the further development of Country Portals and experts who would like to contribute content to UNEPLive, are encouraged to email UNEPLive at uneplive@unep.org

Corporate Carbon Footprint Tool

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The Promethium Corporate Carbon Footprint Tool was designed to do a basic calculation of your carbon footprint based on energy consumption and other data.  It offers a tutorial on the use of the Tool with reference to the source documentation.  The Tool reports on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol defines Scope 1 emissions as: All direct GHG emissions, and Scope 2 as: Indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam.)  It analyses the carbon footprint against the currently indicated regulatory framework with respect to the following issues:

  • Requirements for mandatory reporting
  • Requirements for the submission of GHG mitigation plans
  • Carbon tax impacts:
    • Scope 1 emissions
      • Access to relief measures
      • Impacts of offsets
    • Scope 2 emissions
      • Access to relief measures
      • Impacts of offsets

This is an Excel spreadsheet based calculation tool (freely downloadable from www.carbontax.co.za) which is aimed at companies. It allows boundary setting (one company or groups of companies), incudes clear guidance on what and why, and has good links to external sources of information such as the 2013 Treasury Carbon Tax Policy Paper, the GHG Protocol, and the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and the National Climate Change Response Paper. It is a very good starting point and will tell the potential user what data he has and what data he needs to collect and analyse.

Although the Carbon Tax implementation in South Africa has been delayed, some form of carbon tax is on the horizon and commerce and industry would be well-advised to evaluate what the impacts upon business of this tax will be. There are many areas where businesses can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and they should seek professional advice if these are not clear to them.

 

Wind Atlas for Southern Africa

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The Wind Atlas for Southern Africa (WASA) aims to assist in the development of large grid-connected wind farms and to provide more accurate wind resource data to identify potential opportunities for off-grid electrification. Mapping has been carried out in the Western Cape, parts of the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape. More funding from the Danish Government will see the Atlas being expanded into the remaining areas of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Free State.

The Numerical Wind Atlas Database contains generalised wind climate data sets (.lib files) for every 5km x 5km, corresponding to approximately 15000 data points that can be employed directly with WAsP (licensed version) for wind farm planning and wind resource assessment. Unlicensed WAsP software (free download from www.wasp.dk ) allows viewing of the generalised Wind Climate .lib files, but will not allow any calculations to be done. One can register for data downloads on the WASA website at www.wasa.csir.co.za

WASA (2009 to 2014) is an initiative of the South African Government, Department of Energy, and the project is co-funded by the UNDP-GEF through the South African Wind Energy Programme (SAWEP), and the Royal Danish Embassy. The South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) is the Executing Partner, coordinating and contracting contributions from the implementing partners: CSIR, UCT, SAWS, and Risø, now DTU Wind Energy.

A guide to downloading data and data set downloads can be found at http://www.wasa.csir.co.za/

The Downfall of the Plastic Bag: A Global Picture

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The Downfall of the Plastic Bag: A Global Picture is a thorough and detailed global review of plastic bag usage and controls produced by the Earth Policy Institute.

The side bar of the web page containing this article also includes a table of worldwide plastic bag regulations, as well as a number of papers and studies focussing upon plastic bag usage and control throughout the world. South Africa features prominently in the references and controls, as well as in the research conducted.

The article contains interesting facts from throughout the world. A trillion single use plastic bags are used each year, almost 2 million a minute. A European Commission memo noted, “….in the North Sea, the stomachs of 94% of all birds contain plastic…” In the capital of Mauritania, an estimated 70% of cattle and sheep deaths are from plastic bag ingestion. In the United States, 133 city – or county-wide anti-plastic bag regulations have been passed.

Authors Janet Larsen and Savina Venkova make a telling comment, “…Plastic bags clearly have a cost to society, one that is not yet fully paid. Reducing disposable bag use is one small part of the move from a throwaway economy to one based on the prudent use of resources, where materials are reused rather than designed for rapid obsolescence…”

The Earth Policy Institute (EPI) was founded in 2001 by Lester Brown, the founder and former president of the Worldwatch Institute, to provide a plan of a sustainable future along with a roadmap of how to get from here to there. EPI works at the global level simply because no country can fully implement a Plan B economy in isolation.

EPI’s goals are (1) to provide a global plan (Plan B) for moving the world onto an environmentally and economically sustainable path, (2) to provide examples demonstrating how the plan would work, and (3) to keep the media, policymakers, academics, environmentalists, and other decision-makers focused on the process of building a Plan B economy.

Interface – A Company Walking the Talk of Sustainability

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

Since “sustainability” became a buzzword in the nineties, many companies have “dipped their toes into the water” to varying degrees, to proclaim their commitment to achieving sustainable business practices. However, very few have been really successful and are committed wholeheartedly and completely to the philosophy…and then been able to show the results. One of the few exceptions is global carpet tile manufacturer, Interface.

Interface, Inc. began life in 1973 when founder, Ray C. Anderson, recognised the need for flexible floorcoverings in the modern office environment. In response to the needs of the commercial office sector, Anderson led a joint venture between British company, Carpets International Plc. (CI), and a group of American investors to produce and market modular soft-surfaced floorcoverings and, with this, Interface was born.

On its first day in business, the new company had only 15 employees, and was immediately faced with the challenge of the sharply rising cost of petrochemicals, which were key raw materials in the carpet industry at the time.

CI’s advanced cutting and bonding technology helped sustain the company and enabled it to meet the demand created by the office building boom of the mid-1970s. Modular carpet tiles continued to grow in popularity and by 1978 Interface sales had reached $11 million. The company went public in 1983.

Through acquisition, Interface entered the European and Middle Eastern markets, and the core business extended to include woven broadloom carpet products, specialty carpet-related chemical operations and other associated office furnishings industries.

In 1987, the company’s name was changed to Interface, Inc. With its acquisition of Heuga Holdings B.V. – one of the world’s oldest manufacturers of carpet tiles – Interface became the undisputed world leader in modular flooring.

A short time later, Interface invested in Prince Street Technologies, Ltd., a producer of upper-end broadloom carpet now known as Bentley Prince Street, Inc. It entered the residential market in 2003 with the introduction of FLOR. Over the years, the company’s growth has been augmented by more than 50 acquisitions.

In the mid-1990s, Anderson took the decision to completely shift the company’s strategy, aiming to redirect its industrial practices to include a focus on sustainability without sacrificing its business goals.

This shift in corporate strategy was to ultimately result in achievements such as a reduction in energy usage of 40% per unit of production, water usage reduction of 77% per unit of production and zero waste to landfill. The company’s impressive list of “Firsts” include:- First carpet tile, first take-back scheme for carpet tiles, first carpet tile with recycled content in the yard and backing, first carpet manufacturer to make use of life cycle assessment as a decision making tool, first to launch a carbon neutral carpet, first glue-free carpet tile, and first carpet tile with 100% recycled nylon.

He wrote his first book, entitled Mid-Course Correction, in which he discussed his own awakening to environmental concerns and presented a model of how Interface would become truly sustainable by 2010. He called this Mission Zero.

Anderson then wrote his second book, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, in 2009, in which he continued to build on his vision of how businesses can alter their past ways to operate in a more sustainable way in the future.

In February 2014, a report entitled “The New Industrial Model: Greater profits, more jobs and reduced environmental impact”, was prepared by Lavery/Pennell for Interface, which documents the practicalities of the company’s sustainability journey and charts the lessons that others can learn from and implement themselves.

Two powerful documents, Let’s be Clear – Go beyond labels and claims, and Just the facts – How to choose the most sustainable products, demonstrate how powerful using the sustainability successes can be as a marketing tool. However, don’t just look at these documents, explore the Sustainability page and see what else the company has covered in its sustainability journey!

 

Posted 7th May 2014

 

Cape Town City Council’s EnviroWorks Newsletter

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

EnviroWorks was a biannual environmental publication produced by the City of Cape Town’s Environmental Resource Management Department in collaboration with other City departments. It has been used by many and varied people and organisations to gain, teach and share knowledge on environmental issues, both in Cape Town and further afield. Sadly, the publication is no longer produced but back issues of this well produced, informative and colourful newsletter can be freely downloaded.

 

 

WBCSD Business Guide to Water Valuation

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

WBCSD BUSINESS GUIDE TO WATER VALUATION

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) publication, Water valuation: Building the Business case aims to demonstrate the business case for companies to engage in water valuation. It is supported by a review of 21 business case studies that illustrate why and how different companies have carried out water valuation. It is a first response to Vision 2050, a WBCSD report that lays out a pathway leading to a world where 9 billion people live well, within the limits of the planet, by 2050 (WBCSD, 2010). Water Valuation: Building the Business case paves the way towards the integration of true water values and true water costs into decision-making.

Global Chemicals Outlook: Towards Sound Management of Chemicals

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The United Nations Environment Organisation (UNEP), in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OECD), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations of the International Organisation Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC), is developing a Global Chemicals Outlook to frame current understanding of trends in chemical production, use and disposal, economic implications of these trends, and policy options.

Currently available is a Synthesis Report for Decision Makers in English (also downloadable in Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese) and the Full Report which is currently only available in English.

The trends currently show that patterns of global chemical production, trade, use and disposal are changing towards developing countries and economies in transition. It is stressed that understanding these changing patterns in chemical production, trade, use and disposal, and the potential risks these pose, is essential to ensure that chemicals are managed so that their contribution to improving quality of life is maximised and their related risks minimised.

These publications are packed with current data on different chemicals types and their uses throughout the world and are a valuable source for researchers seeking to understand chemical usage and quantify risks.

How Do You “Do” Environmental Management?

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

During the course of my environmental management consulting work, I have come across a number of situations where it was quite clear that the client had no idea how environmental management featured in his business. That was a hindrance to his deluge of instructions and requirements to me, his environmental consultant. I was not given a chance to say anything, but told exactly what I was supposed to do….which, of course, had nothing to do with environmental management in the company. Continue reading “How Do You “Do” Environmental Management?” →

RISING ENERGY AND WATER COSTS – FALLING AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY – WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

It is well reported that South Africa has gone through, and is going through, a number of crises regarding the dependability of supply of electricity and water. This is resulting in abnormal rises in the cost of electricity and water.

Past and present political interference halted or delayed development and implementation of long term strategies to ensure reliable electricity supplies, resulting in power blackouts due to inadequate supply. Furthermore, the need to “catch up quickly” has caused the enforcement of highly inflationary price increases of between 25 and 30% per annum for at least the next four years. Continue reading “RISING ENERGY AND WATER COSTS – FALLING AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY – WHAT CAN BE DONE?” →

ICMM Launches Materials Stewardship Toolkit

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The UK-based International Council on Mining & Minerals (ICMM) has launched an on-line toolkit on materials stewardship, incorporating industry specific tools and case studies of materials stewardship in practice.

The Toolkit complements the previously published ICMM Guidance document, Maximising Value: Guidance on implementing materials stewardship in the minerals and metals value chain. The Guidance document focused upon why materials stewardship is important and the new toolkit focuses on how to implement the guidance document.

ICMM reports that materials stewardship is about companies contributing to sustainability by making the best use of intelligent design and application of technology to increase recoveries by extending the resource base through reduced losses, by reducing the use of materials per unit production, by diverting “waste” materials to productive uses and by restoring resources such as land and water to productive use. Materials stewardship is about managing materials throughout their life cycle.

Dr John Atherton, ICMM’s Director: Materials Stewardship said, “…Materials stewardship is based on a sense of shared responsibility for the resources we utilize and the materials we create. This tool kit will assist companies in delivering this through good practice…”

Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) used the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, as a platform to launch an inquiry into policy options for guiding the global financial system to invest in the transition to a green economy.

Mobilising the world’s capital is seen as an essential part of the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy. It is reported that the green economy will require a capital intensive transition (up to US$6 trillion a year), with investment in new skills, institutions and technologies replacing resource use and pollution. Most flows within and between nations will be capital sourced from commercial financial institutions, institutional investors and public investment vehicles.

Building on the two pillars of UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative and the UNEP Financial Initiative, the Inquiry will assemble the world’s best practice and forward looking expert knowledge through an Advisory Council; practitioner dialogues and research.

Continue reading “Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System” →

UNEP Green Economy Initiative

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

UNEP Green Economy Initiative

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) has developed a working definition of a green economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Continue reading “UNEP Green Economy Initiative” →

Finding out about Environmental Management & Sustainability Tools

Posted on by Clare Hoogervorst

The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) has been around for over 20 years and describes itself as follows:-  “…an organization of leading companies dedicated to foster global environmental, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability excellence through the sharing of tools and information to help business achieve environmental sustainability excellence.” Continue reading “Finding out about Environmental Management & Sustainability Tools” →