Day: January 8, 2021

As consumer giants Coca-Cola and Carlsberg recently announced the switch to plant-based plastics that break down within a year, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan encourages local manufacturers to follow suit.  Pangilinan noted that his Senate Bill 40, which seeks to ban the use, manufacture, and importation of single-use plastic, also encourages the research and development of biodegradable alternatives, and incentivizes individuals and groups, including businesses, that manufacture these alternatives.

Lenovo has today revealed how customers are ushering in a green revolution in commerce by opting to offset the carbon emissions of new Think branded products at the point of purchase as part of the company’s new CO2 Offset Services initiative.

Lenovo first launched the program as a pilot in the Nordics in February 2020. Building on this successful pilot, the Company plans to roll out the program in 2021 for all of Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as Asia Pacific and North America. It’s believed to be one of the first initiatives of its kind in the IT industry.

The latest episode sees edie’s senior reporter Sarah George speaking with the Coca-Cola Company’s sustainability director for Europe, Therese Noorlander. 

Noorlander discusses how the company is working with its bottlers and suppliers to accelerate the net-zero transition. The Coca-Cola Company’s largest bottle in Western Europe, CCEP, notably set a 2040 net-zero target in 2020.

She also outlines the business’s plans on water stewardship and plastics – two of its most material topics – in 2021, in line with changing consumer and investor demands and improved scientific research. 

It used to be conventional wisdom that when building a career being a specialist in one area was the key to making it to the top. That notion is being challenged, with a broad selection of skills and experiences now highly desirable for prospective employees and entrepreneurs.

This paper focuses on the possibility of adapting the centrifugal slip casting method to obtain zirconia–alumina composite materials in the form of finished tube-shaped products. These types of products, due to their unique properties, can be utilised, for example, in the transport of aggressive substances, even in extreme temperatures or corrosive conditions. The study reports on the two series of zirconia–alumina composites differing in the content of ZrO2—2.5 and 25 vol%. The fabricated and sintered materials were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and stereological analysis. Moreover, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was provided in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 14044 and EN 15805 standards. The obtained data clearly show that the centrifugal slip casting method allows obtaining samples with high density and extremely uniform distribution of the ZrO2 phase in the alumina matrix. The stereological analysis results proved also that the addition of ZrO2…

As the planet continues to warm, the twin challenges of diminishing water supply and growing energy demand will intensify. But water and energy are inextricably linked. For instance, nearly a fifth of California’s energy goes toward water-related activities, while more than a tenth of the state’s electricity comes from hydropower. As society tries to adapt to one challenge, it needs to ensure it doesn’t worsen the other.

Halide perovskite solar cells have in recent years emerged as a potential alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics due to their outstanding performance, having reached energy conversion efficiency comparable to the currently available silicon counterparts in less than a decade of research. Therefore, in addition to vast academic interest, industries are paying close attention to the development of perovskite-based photovoltaics.

Don’t you love it when the detergent pack zooms across the shirt turning it a crisp white? Or when the toilet cleaner is advertised removing the grimy build-up to reveal a shiny, spotless surface? It’s pleasing to imagine the strong chemicals cutting through dirt and germs. But only because we’re not aware of the whole picture.

Mercedes-Benz is accelerating its journey towards CO2 neutrality. Significant progress was made in 2020, with a steep increase in xEV deliveries: More than 160,000 plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles were sold by Mercedes-Benz Cars worldwide (+228.8%), including about 87,000 units in the fourth quarter.

“We more than tripled sales of our plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars. Demand for these vehicles increased sharply, especially towards the end of the year.

Synthetic biology has become a powerful tool to advance science, making processes more efficient, enabling completely new approaches to biology, and helping scientists find the right answers, faster.

These capabilities are having a ripple effect. They help researchers pursue avenues that had not been economically feasible or, in some cases, scientifically possible.

Tanzania’s wealth per capita has declined because its rapid population growth has outpaced investment. This decline in wealth is almost entirely accounted for by its “renewable natural capital” loss, consisting of the country’s agricultural land, cropland, forests, forest products, and protected areas. The country’s human capital per capita is stable while its physical capital per capita has risen by 13 percent. Yet its degrading natural capital base clearly illustrates the magnitude of its sustainability problem

Bridgestone EMIA’s Original Equipment (OE) business achieved new successes in 2020, as the organisation continued to deliver on its standing as a sustainable solutions company.

As a valued and trusted partner of the world’s leading car manufacturers, Bridgestone has continuously grown its OE business in recent years thanks to its strengths in innovation, agility and expertise. With a commitment to always going the extra mile, Bridgestone EMIA’s OE business has provided over 80 new original equipment fitments to 13 car manufacturers, including Mercedes, BMW and Audi, across more than 30 different vehicle models in 2020.

To offset the impact of its wooden furniture, Pottery Barn is on a mission to plant three million trees.

Despite what has already been achieved by many fleets, it can still be a daunting task to start on the road to electrification.Kim Harrison explains how the Crown Commercial Service can help public sector fleets access solutions to meet their sustainability targets…

Perhaps the most significant concern looming over us in this day and age is water management. It is an essential resource for human beings, yet we fail to use it judiciously. With each advancing year, water is getting progressively scarce in many parts of the world. Hence, it is our moral obligation and duty to improve water management in our everyday lives to guarantee that we can keep on preserving water for a long time into the future.

SAP acts as both an enabler and an exemplar
To create positive economic, social, and environmental impact within planetary boundaries, we act as both an enabler and an exemplar.
As an enabler, we provide products and services that meet the purpose and sustainability challenges and opportunities of our customers. We are also an exemplar, leading by example in our own sustainable business operations and practices.

Read our practical guidance on climate change and environmental sustainability. This practical guidance is part of the Risk in Focus 2021 publication and addresses the key topic: climate change and environmental sustainability.