Online Ivory Trade Perpetuated by Yahoo Japan, Weak Legislation

16.09.2018

elephants-2269642_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Yahoo Japan is the single biggest online platform for elephant ivory sales in Japan, according to a new TRAFFIC investigation, which recorded a staggering 4,414 ivory items plus 35 whole tusks for sale over a four-week period in June and July 2018.

The latest findings were revealed Thursday in “System Error, Reboot Required: Review of online ivory trade in Japan,” which finds the overall number of elephant ivory items for sale on Yahoo Japan had fallen by 55 percent—from 9,788 to 4,414—compared to a similar survey in 2017. However the study found that the combined total value of ivory traded fell by only 16 percent, to JPY 37.8 million (USD 340,626) over the same time period, largely because of an increase in the sales of whole tusks, from 22 to 35.

Under current Japanese legislation, only sales of whole ivory tusks have to be registered, but two of the tusks were sold without appropriate documentation.

The buoyant ivory sales on Yahoo Japan were in marked contrast to other major Japanese retail platforms, notably Rakuten-Ichiba, Rakuma and Mercari—all of whom introduced voluntary ivory bans in 2017 following international concerns about the sale of ivory in domestic markets fueling demand and leading to the poaching of elephants. Shops selling ivory were no longer identified on Rakuten-Ichiba and there was a significant reduction in ivory advertisements on Mecari (up to 98 percent) and on Rakuma, although a number of cryptic advertisements, use of code words, and rapid turnover in ivory products indicated some ongoing persistent trade.

“The major online retail outlets in Japan have aligned their policies with those of the international community—apart from Yahoo Japan, who appear to undervalue the impact and risk of continuing to trade ivory,” said Tomomi Kitade, head of TRAFFIC’s Japan office and lead author of the report.

Some 88 percent of the trade in ivory observed on the Yahoo Auction website, part of the Yahoo Japan group, lacked proof-of-legality. The platform has also previously been identified as a source in the illegal export of 3.2 tonnes of ivory to China over an 18 month period up to April 2012.

TRAFFIC’s surveys also attempted to assess the impact of new regulations that came into force in Japan in June 2018, which call upon any businesses, as opposed to private individuals, selling ivory to display their registration details. However, according to the study, “Non-compliance with the requirement to display business registration was relatively high overall, ranging from 22% to 52%. Furthermore, discerning whether the legal requirement applies to the many anonymous sellers on auction, CtoC (Customer to Customer) and SNS (Social Networking Sites) platforms presented a serious challenge.”

Although there is a government scheme for voluntary product certification, the study found its use sparse amongst online retailers and nearly non-existent on other platforms.

“The Japanese government should urgently introduce measures that effectively ban unregulated CtoC trade, while all e-commerce companies should introduce voluntary bans on ivory products and collaborate with initiatives such as the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online,” said Kitade.

“Ivory Towers: An Assessment of Japan’s Ivory Trade and Domestic Market,” a TRAFFIC study released in December 2017 revealed how poor regulation of the domestic ivory market in Japan had led to illegal exports of ivory, particularly to the Chinese market.

Japan’s lack of adequate regulation of its domestic ivory market means the country is failing to live up to its commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which calls on countries to take every measure to ensure domestic ivory markets do not contribute to elephant poaching or illegal trade.

“WWF through its representatives in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America will be calling upon Yahoo Japan to institute an immediate voluntary ban on trading elephant ivory through its platforms. Japan is in urgent need of policy reform to eliminate unregulated ivory trade effectively from its domestic market and to live up to international expectations,” said Margaret Kinnaird, WWF wildlife practice leader.

Source: Eco Watch

Businesses Including Uber and Nokia Team Up Against Climate Change

16.09.2018

earth-64165_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A new business alliance aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors and ensure a climate turning point by 2020.

The 21 companies forming the Step Up Declaration plan, which includes signatories such as Bloomberg, HP, Lyft, Nokia and Uber, plan to harness the power of emerging technologies and the fourth industrial revolution to help cut greenhouse gas emissions across buildings, data-centres, finance, telecoms, transport and more.

The collective has come together in response to a challenge issued by Christiana Figueres, Convenor of Mission 2020, where she called on the technology sector to demonstrate their own progress ahead of 2020 and show how they can help the rest of the global economy decarbonise.

The group says existing technologies and the companies behind them have the potential to significantly impact the transition to a fossil fuel-free economy and critically influence the global climate.

Christiana Figueres said: “The influence of the fourth industrial revolution impacts us all.

“When that incredible force is primed to catalyse exponential shifts in greenhouse gas emissions reductions across all sectors of the economy, we can be stubbornly optimistic about delivering a livable planet to our children within the timeframe we have left to do so.”

Source: Energy Live News

People in Coastal Areas ‘Need to Seriously Consider Relocation’

15.09.2018

united-states-2210820_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

People living in coastal areas need to seriously consider moving further inland to escape the threat of climate change-related flooding.

That’s according to Luciana Esteves, Associate Professor at Bournemouth University, who says coastal flooding and erosion are posing an increasingly real threat to property, local economies and even life.

She says settlements close to the sea are often prosperous and highly populated, making them particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change.

Ms Esteves claims despite the danger, global public policies have not proved very effective in managing the issue.

She adds adaptation options are often unsuitable for high-risk regions and suggests in these areas, relocation is the only safe climate-proof response.

There are often significant uncertainties regarding climate change and as a result, planning and co-ordinating relocation can be difficult – in some places, effects of sea level rise are already apparent but it is still difficult to calculate the rate and severity of flooding in the future.

Ms Esteves praises France for introducing a comprehensive national strategy focused on relocation from high-risk areas, placing a duty on local authorities to develop plans by 2020, identifying the areas at serious risk and working out what needs to be relocated and how.

Source: Energy Live News

Siemens Gamesa Commits to Science-Based Climate Targets

14.09.2018

1024px-Wildorado_Wind_Ranch,_Oldham_County,_TX_IMG_4919 — Photo: Billy Hathorn

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement.

It has signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which encourages companies to commit to making measurable emissions reductions at a level necessary to meet the 2°C warming target.

It is a collaborative initiative between the UN Global Compact, Carbon Disclosure Project, World Resources Institute, World Wide Fund for nature and the We Mean Business coalition.

By signing up to the initiative, SGRE will be developing a measurable, science-based emissions reduction target within 24 months, which will be independently validated by the SBTi.

Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa said: “We look forward to working with other business leaders who have made similar commitments with the aim of finding solutions to climate change and will continue our fellow corporate citizens to make the bold commitments that are necessary to move the world towards a carbon-free future.”

Source: Energy Live News

Climate Change Driving Global Hunger Increase, Warns UN

14.09.2018

Climate change and extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods are among the key drivers behind the rise in global hunger.

The warning from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) comes in a new report, which adds changes in climate are undermining production of major crops such as wheat, rice and maize in tropical and temperate regions and is expected to worsen as temperatures increase and become more extreme.

It warns hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, “returning to levels from a decade ago” and is therefore urging for more to be done to tackle the issue.

The report states the number of hungry people reached 821 million last year – or one in every nine people and shows the prevalence and number of undernourished people tend to be higher in countries highly exposed to climate extremes.

The FAO adds the harm to agricultural production contributes to shortfalls in food availability, with knock-on effects causing food price hikes and income losses that reduce people’s access to food.

The report states: “Climate variability and extremes are a key driver behind the recent rises in global hunger and one of the leading causes of severe food crises. The changing nature of climate variability and extremes is negatively affecting all dimensions of food security (food availability, access, utilisation and stability), as well as reinforcing other underlying causes of malnutrition related to child care and feeding, health services and environmental health.

“If we are to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, it is imperative that we accelerate and scale up actions to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of food systems and people’s livelihoods in response to climate variability and extremes.”

Source: Energy Live News

Warming Oceans Are Changing the World’s Rainfall

13.09.2018

polar-bear-3344147_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Global warming means truly global warming. The atmosphere, the oceans, and the ground are all warming. As a result, ice is melting, seas are rising, storms are getting more severe, and droughts are getting worse. But these things are not happening in isolation. The tricky thing about the climate is that things are connected all across the globe. And those connections are revealing changes that may not be obvious at first glance.

One such change was exposed in a recent paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters by a team of top scientists from China and Brazil, an instructive video is available. The scientists focused their study on the Amazon rainforest. There, the year is broken into “wet” and “dry” seasons. The researchers wanted to know how rainfall has changed during the wet seasons over the past few decades.

What they found was astonishing – the rain in this tropical rainforest has increased 180–600 mm (7–24 inches). They learned about the increase in wet-season rainfall by reviewing old weather data – information from rain gauges for example. They also used satellite measurements to complement the rain gauge readings. The trend they found was clear – the rains are increasing.

So, any good scientist wants to know why. Why are the rains increasing? What is the main cause? By using the results of state-of-the-art climate calculations, the authors showed that the temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are primarily responsible. The Pacific Ocean water temperature plays a smaller role.

This study is really important for a few reasons. First, the Amazon is important for the entire globe’s climate. The rainforest provides about 20% of the Earth’s freshwater. There is a tremendous amount of evaporation from the rainforest into the air. This evaporated water is carried to other parts of the planet where it falls as rain. We call the evaporation/precipitation process a “hydrologic cycle.” This cycle refers to the movement of water throughout the planet; the Amazon is an important engine for the cycle.

But the importance of the Amazon is broader than just water. The growth and decay of wood and plant growth there means the Amazon absorbs and emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. Think of the rainforest like the lungs of the planet. They help the planet breathe.

The Amazon rainforest also helps transfer heat throughout the Earth’s climate. Energy moves from one location to another with help of processes (such as evaporation and condensation) that originate in the Amazon. In these ways, the Amazon connects far-flung parts of the planet together. What happens in one region like the Pacific Ocean affects the climate elsewhere like the Atlantic Ocean. The way the climate interacts between to distant locations is called “teleconnections.” And the Amazon is a great teleconnector for the planet.

Previous researchers who have looked at the Amazon and its changing precipitation have found that the southern part of the rainforest has experienced a long-term increase in rainfall. Researchers have also found changes to the monsoon cycles that affect the rainforest. But with most of these studies looking at the southern Amazon, very little was known about the northern region. What was happening there? Also, most of the early studies looked at changes to rain during the dry season. The authors of this new study wanted to focus on the wet seasons.

The authors used six different methods to look at the data. Three methods were based on actual rainfall measurements. Three additional methods were based on a technique called climate reanalysis – essentially combining measurements and climate calculations. The image below, which is from the paper, shows results for the six methods. The blue regions indicate places where the rainfall is increasing. Areas in orange/red correspond to decreasing rainfall. The results correspond to December through May and the trends are based on 1979–2015.

The general results are the same, regardless of which of the six methods are used. In particular, in the black box (upper left image), the six methods give very similar results. It doesn’t matter whose inputs are used; the rainfall there is increasing. Only one of the methods (MERRA2) results in some portions of the region with a reversed trend.

Next, the authors used their computer calculations to determine what was causing these blue and red patterns. They found that the culprit is the Atlantic Ocean. There has been a very strong warming in the Atlantic, especially off the coast of South America. The warming oceans supercharge the evaporation of ocean water into the atmosphere and change both the amount of water and the amount of energy in the atmosphere. This warming in the Atlantic is responsible for about half of the wet-season precipitation changes in the Amazonian rainforest.

What I liked about this study is that the authors have identified another trend in how we feel climate change. We humans are generally interested in things that affect us. An abstract warming world may not lead us to think about consequences to climate change (other than temperature). But in reality, the whole world is connected. What happens to the temperature in one location can affect other aspects of the climate on the other side of the globe. These teleconnections and their changes resulting from human-caused warming are fascinating.

Source: Guardian

Sustainability Hits the High Street with New H&M Clothing Line

13.09.2018

H&M has launched a new line of premium clothing aimed to showcase the increasing possibilities of sustainable fashion.

The high street retailer will produce the collection on a smaller scale than its main offerings.

It will include a full-length coat made from a recycled wool blend and a sequinned jacket made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled nylon product ECONYL, as well as a printed dress made of 100% organic silk.

Accessories on offer include earrings made from recycled plastic and boots and stilettos made from recycled polyester.

Cecilia Brännsten, Environmental Sustainability Manager at H&M, said: “There’s a wonderful range of sustainable fabrics in this collection, like recycled cashmere, the new velvet made from recycled polyester, as well as the use of leftover ECONYL from the previous collection.”

Clothing brand North Face has committed to offsetting emissions from its athletes’ adventurous journeys around the world.

Source: Energy Live News

52 Percent of World’s Birds of Prey Populations in Decline

12.09.2018

hawk-1882885_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Grim news for the world’s raptors—an iconic group of birds consisting of hawks, falcons, kites, eagles, vultures and owls.

After analyzing the status of all 557 raptor species, biologists discovered that 18 percent of these birds are threatened with extinction and 52 percent have declining global populations, making them more threatened than all birds as a whole.

Comparatively, 40 percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species are in decline, according to an April report from BirdLife International.

The new research, published last week in the journal Biological Conservation, was led by biologists at The Peregrine Fund and in collaboration with nine scientific organizations and is the first to focus specifically on the status of raptors, according to Stuart Butchart chief scientist at BirdLife International and one of the paper’s coauthors.

“In particular, raptor species that require forest are more likely to be threatened and declining than those that do not, and migratory raptors were significantly more threatened than resident species,” Butchart said on the BirdLife International website. “The greatest concentrations of threatened species are found in South and South-East Asia.”

Unfortunately, human activities are one of the main reasons behind the decline. Threats include habitat alteration or destruction, intentional killing, intentional and unintentional poisoning, electrocution and climate change, the research shows.

“Vultures in South Asia have suffered catastrophic population declines owing to the toxic effects of the veterinary drug diclofenac,” Butchart continued. “In Africa, vultures and owls are killed for their body parts to be used for supposed medicinal benefits. Many other raptors are vulnerable to electrocution or collision with powerlines. But as with most bird species, unsustainable agriculture and logging are the primary threats.”

Raptors, also known as birds of prey, have hooked bills, curved talons, sharp eyesight and other special features to allow them to hunt for food.

Although raptors are at the top of the food chain, they reproduce slower than many other birds, meaning they are “more sensitive to threats caused by humans and are more likely to go extinct,” Sarah Schulwitz, director of the American Kestrel Partnership at The Peregrine Fund, explained in a press release.

Saving these carnivorous birds is important because they play a key ecological role. For instance, avian scavengers such as vultures clean up dead animals and other carcasses from the environment. Raptors also control populations of rodents and other small mammals.

“Raptors provide critical ecosystem services, but there has never been a systematic, global synthesis of their conservation status or threats. We needed to change that so we can identify and prioritize our conservation efforts,” Chris McClure, director of Global Conservation Science at The Peregrine Fund added in the release.

The researchers offered a number of recommendations to stop this decline.

“As well as site protection, we need to strengthen and enforce laws preventing illegal killing and unsustainable hunting,” Butchart advised. “Other priorities include education and awareness-raising, policy changes such as improved regulation on the use of poisons, and safety measures for dangerous powerlines. For migratory species, international cooperation is of particular importance, including through Species Action Plans such as those developed under the Convention of Migratory Species.”

Source: Eco Watch

EU Climate Law Could Cause ‘Catastrophic’ Deforestation

12.09.2018

mountain-2596480_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Senior climate scientists say that the world’s carbon sinks could be facing a grave threat from a wholly unexpected source: the EU’s renewable energy directive.

The climate law could suck in as much imported wood as Europe harvests each year because it will count energy created from the burning of whole trees as “carbon neutral”, according to several academics including a former vice-chair of the UN IPCC.

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, who is now a climate sciences professor at Université Catholique de Louvain, said the risk of the directive encouraging tree clearances and the destruction of global carbon sinks was now “extremely high”.

“This amounts to sawing off the branch on which humanity sits,” he told the Guardian.

Indonesia and Brazil were among 27 countries which pledged “to increase the use of wood … to generate energy as part of efforts to counter climate change” at the Bonn climate summit last year.

Without additional conservation measures, “the directive in its present form will create a large demand for wood that will contribute to destroying those forests,” van Ypersele said. “It is a catastrophe in the making.”

The EU’s thinking has been that carbon neutrality can be achieved by planting new saplings that eventually compensate for the carbon released by the burning of trees for energy.

But the saplings’ growth can takes decades or centuries. By 2050, replacing fossil fuels with wood will likely result in two- to three times more carbon in the atmosphere per gigajoule of final energy, the paper says.

Nino Aveni, a spokesman for the Bioenergy Europe trade association, argued that new saplings could reabsorb the CO2 emitted by fully grown burned trees within “years to decades”.

“Sustainability criteria are a guarantee that existing forest protection measures are applied to wood used for bioenergy production,” he said. “EU member states have already strong forest policies in place.”

An EU official confirmed that the new analysis was accurate – and said that if anything, it underestimated the scale of the problem.

The directive “really will [spark] a race to the bottom because there is no inherent limit to the potential over-harvesting,” the source said. “There is a high risk that it will involve the possibility of increasing emissions with no possibility of any greenhouse gas savings at all.”

The magnitude of the problem – which eminent academics last year described as “a critical flaw” in EU climate policy – was not understood within the EU, the source claimed.

“Partly that is because of wishful thinking,” the official said. “Partly it is so fundamentally wrong that most people would not believe it could be as wrong as it is.”

Source: Guardian

UK: Zero Emission Vehicles Could Be Given Green Number Plates

12.09.2018

car-3321669_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Clean cars, vans and taxis in the UK could be given green number plates under new government plans to promote awareness of ultra-low emission vehicles.

It is seeking views on providing the “badge of honour”, which are already used in countries like Canada, China and Norway for electric and hydrogen cars.

Those vehicles with the special plates would be entitled to drive on bus lanes in addition to low-emission vehicles lanes and ultra-low emission zones.

The consultation, which is due to be launched later this year, will consider potential designs for the plates, which could be entirely green on the front, back or both sides of the vehicle, or a green symbol.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “This new cleaner, greener transport has the potential to bring with it cleaner air, a better environment and stronger economies for countries around the world.

“Adding a green badge of honour to these new clean vehicles is a brilliant way of helping increase awareness of their growing popularity in the UK and might just encourage people to think about how one could fit into their own travel routine.”

The government has also announced £2 million of funding to boost the uptake of electric delivery bikes.

The announcement comes ahead of the world’s first Zero Emission Vehicle Summit to be held in Birmingham this week.

Source: Energy Live News

Eva Kail: Vienna Acts Against the Climate Change

12.09.2018

Eva Kail, The Gender Planning Expert for the Executive Group for Construction and Technology, the City of Vienna

A survey conducted by Mercer, an international consulting firm, has shown that there’s no place in the world where the life is as good as it is in Vienna. Having been in a competition with 231 cities, the Austrian capital was honoured this year, the ninth time in a row, with the title of the city with the best quality of life, which has been contributed by a good security, developed public transport network and a number of cultural institutions and amusement places.

Eva Kail is a member of the team of the Executive Group for Construction and Technology in the Austrian capital which, among other things, enables comfortable life for its citizens. She is one of the leading experts – urbanists for gender-sensitive planning on the European continent. She coordinated more than 60 projects in the field of housing, mobility, public space, urban development and social infrastructure.

You will learn from this Viennese urbanist in what way her city crosses swords with the climate change, what the urban planning process looks like “in the West” and to what extent her own home is “green”. She and her colleagues know very well that the best weapon is the one at hand, so when they set out to fight the climate change challenges they make sure the urban plans are nearby.

So, how come Vienna ended up being an urban environment with the best quality of life? It’s due to the fact that no citizen, of any gender, material status or age, is kept out from the city’s efforts to ensure the most comfortable life for everyone.

Eva Kail also suggested to us to visit some of her favourite places in the city, and in case you are planning to visit Austria in near future, her hints might serve you as a Travel Guide.

EP: As an urban planner, could you briefly describe to us the process of construction planning in your city and tell us about all the experts involved in the project realization?

Eva Kail: Vienna is a fast growing city and a lot of construction work is ongoing. This is based on the outcome of the different planning levels. The urban development plan defines the planning principles and their specification in thematic concepts like ‘Mobility’, ‘Green and Open Spaces’, ‘Public Space’ or ‘Energy’. The transfer of master plans and urban design proposals for specific areas to legally binding land-use plans and zoning plans are the basis for project planning for public spaces, residential, public service and office buildings.

Energy and mobility concepts are usual for development of new areas, such as mobility points, car sharing, high quality of bike parking facilities, green roofs which are obligatory in most of the zoning plans. Vienna, as a federal state, is responsible for the housing subsidies law and distribution. In comparison with other European cities, Vienna has a very high percentage of social housing, with 220 000 dwelling units. Around 60% of the Viennese population live in social or subsidized housing. Ten years ago around 80% of newly built dwelling units were subsidized, due to the rapid growth and economic development this has decreased to 50%, but this is still a very high percentage. This explains why the assessment of projects asking for subsidies can play a decisive role in the implementation of high quality, sustainable and affordable housing construction. The Viennese housing fund is owned by the City. Its tasks are to buy sites for subsidized housing projects, to organize developer competitions for new subsidized housing projects, to make a quality assessment for smaller projects with a regular board and to distribute subsidies for urban renewal. This initially comprised a three-pillar model consisting of planning, economy, and ecology, and it was supplemented in 2009. with social sustainability as the fourth pillar. Due to the competitive situation, the quality of subsidized housing is rather high also in regard to green buildings, but also social sustainability, which is influenced by the gender criteria.

Gender-sensitive planning criteria are part of the general quality criteria of the Vienna Housing Fund, as the gender planning experts have been part of the juries of developer competitions for more than ten years. Most of the gender criteria were integrated into the criteria list of the Vienna housing found which are also shown in the chapter gender mainstreaming in housing construction in the Manual Gender Mainstreaming in urban planning and urban development. The gender criteria were an addition to a more detailed definition to the planning quality pillar in the context of a gender-specific preliminary review.

EP: What are some examples of green architecture in your hometown?

Eva Kail: For the office building, there are two well-known flagship projects.

One is the Raiffeisen office building on the Danube canal, which is a new construction from 2012. It has 21 story and 900 workplaces. It has a climate glass façade and uses geothermal, photovoltaic and cogeneration for energy production. The water of the canal is used for the cooling of the building. All this means a 50% reduction of energy in comparison to a similar building with conventional house technology. So this office building was the first one reaching a passive house standard. *
*Passive building is a strict standard on a voluntary basis for the energy efficiency of the buildings which enables reduction of their environmental footprint. These buildings require a rather small amount of energy for cooling and heating.

The other one is the Getreidemarkt Campus of the Technical University. This high rise building was developed with the active involvement of scientists of the University itself as future users. Finished in 2014 as a refurbishment of a building from the 70’s, this 11 storeys high office tower with 800 workplaces is already a cost-effective energy building. Austria´s largest photovoltaic system (facades and roof: 2200m²), the utilization of server waste heat and other measurements helped to reduce the 93% of the former energy consumption of the building. Both projects have gained several green building awards.

As for green residential buildings, there are quite a lot of interesting projects. I`d like to mention Seestadt Aspern, Vienna´s largest urban development area, which used to be an airfield in the outskirts, and now 2900 flats are already inhabited. The agency responsible for the planning processes is asking for high ecological standards due to the TQB criteria.

The latest project is ‘Living Gardens’, with green facades, and it demonstrates that a CO² neutral building is also possible to reach in a multi-storey.

Taking into account social sustainability, the special place belongs to Wohnprojekt, a self-governing co-housing community near the train station in the north part of Vienna. This complex with 40 flats is a very low energy consumer and it is enhanced with varieties of facilities for users, such as two private sharing cars, big bike garage, many shared rooms of an extraordinary quality, roof garden, food cooperation,self-run coffee shop, neighbourhood garden, etc. This project has been awarded many times, and the users of the building take the planning and house administration decisions guided by the principles of sociocracy.

EP: Are there future plans for making already quite a green Vienna even greener?

Eva Kail: Since 2014. Vienna has a Smart City Framework Strategy, which was approved by the city´s Council. This is not only a concept about energy saving, CO² reduction, and sustainable economic innovations, but it defines life quality as a central field of action and a core issue of future developments. The Fair shared City concept was influenced by Vienna´s Gender Planning activities, which aimed to improve the quality of everyday life for many different groups including also the weaker ones. This social awareness is an outstanding characteristic in comparison to the Smart City Strategies of other Cities. The Executive Office for Construction and Technology, where I work, coordinates now a broad implementation process in order to use the potential of the public buildings owned by the City, such are schools, hospitals, etc.) and to support private initiatives.

EP: What is the area of land covered with trees in your city?

Eva Kail: The area of Vienna is 41.487 ha. The green land covers 18.887ha, 8.169 ha are forest, 1.756 ha are parks and graveyards. Vienna has 86.683 trees on the streets.

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, July 2018.

Interview by: Jelena Kozbasic

Scaling Up Climate Action ‘Could Provide $26tn to Global Economy’

11.09.2018

protest-455714_960_720 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Scaling up climate action in line with the Paris Agreement would deliver a $26 trillion (£20tn) boost to the global economy by 2030.

That’s according to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, which calls for nations to ramp up efforts on carbon pricing, move to mandatory disclosure of climate-related financial risks and accelerate investment in sustainable infrastructure.

It also says the international community must harness the power of the private sector to support innovation and ensure the transition to a low carbon economy is fair to all people.

It estimates these actions could help generate a combined $2.8 trillion (£2.1tn) in government revenues, create more than 65 million new low-carbon jobs and avoid more than 700,000 premature deaths from air pollution per year by 2030.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Former Finance Minister of Nigeria and Co-Chair of the Global Commission, said: “Policy makers should take their feet off the brakes, send a clear signal that the new growth story is here and that it comes with exciting economic and market opportunities – $26 trillion (£20tn) and a more sustainable planet are on offer, if we act decisively now.”

Source: Energy Live News

Solar to Become Europe’s Most Competitive Energy by 2030

11.09.2018

solar-power-862602_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Solar will become the continent’s most competitive source of energy by 2020.

That’s the verdict from Sun Investment Group, which suggests the elimination of the Minimum Import Price (MIP) allowing solar modules to become up to 30% cheaper.

It says the decision to lift trade tariffs on the import of solar panels from China means solar energy will become an even more attractive form of energy to investors, consumers and policy makers and as a result become more widely adopted.

The EU originally imposed tariffs of up to 64.9% on the price of Chinese solar panels in 2013, after accusing the nation of selling subsidised panels below cost and threatening European manufacturers.

Experts predict Europe could begin to reap the benefit of the lifted tariffs in as little as a few weeks.

Deividas Varabauskas, CEO of Sun Investment Group, said: “Lifting of the trade duties was a decision long due. The whole photovoltaic sector is going to benefit greatly from this change.

“With the cost of carbon dioxide emission rights on the rise and the reduction of the cost of solar modules, solar will most likely become the most competitive form of energy in the bigger part of the EU by 2020.”

Source: Energy Live News

British Fashion Council Commits to a Fur-Free London Fashion Week

10.09.2018

fashion-show-1746590_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

London Fashion Week (LFW) will be the first event of its kind to go fur free. The British Fashion Council just announced that all of the designers at the event this month are excluding animal fur in their clothing lines. The move is a response to the criticism LFW has received over the past two years from activists.

More than 250 protesters appeared at LFW last year, a big increase from the 25 that showed up in 2016. With more people boycotting brands that use real fur, companies are starting to switch over to non-fur materials. Caroline Rush of the British Fashion Council said the move to go fur free corresponds to a growing trend in the country.

One major company that plans on eliminating fur from its inventory entirely is Burberry. The British fashion giant recently announced its decision to ditch fur and has initiated a plan to phase out the material over the next few years. Given its popularity in the U.K., the company hopes other fashion business will follow its lead and stop using animal fur.

While it’s great to see that fur will not be a part of LFW this year, the British Fashion Council is not planning on banning it entirely. The head of the organization Stephanie Phair recently explained that the council does “not define or control the creative process of the designers.” Phair added that the U.K. government has not banned fur, and the decision to go fur free is up to individual companies.

That said, the British Fashion Council does encourage companies to research more sustainable and cruelty-free materials for their clothing lines. In addition to Burberry, the number of fashion houses going fur free is growing. This includes Gucci, Versace, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Yoox Net-A-Porter, among others.

Source: Inhabitat

Danish Brewer Carlsberg to Swap Plastic 6-Pack Rings for Glue

10.09.2018

beer-bottle-933240_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Danish beer company Carlsberg is doing its part in cutting down plastic waste. The brewing company just vowed to stop using plastic six-pack rings to hold its cans together, instead opting for glue. Once the new policy is in full swing, Carlsberg estimates it will save around 1,200 tons of plastic every year.

CEO Cees ‘t Hart explained how Carlsberg experimented with some 40,000 variations before settling on the perfect glue. Hart described the glue as something similar in consistency to chewing gum and says it is just as effective as traditional plastic rings.

Carlsberg plans on debuting its glue-based six packs in Norway and the U.K. before distributing them around the world. Hart would not say how much the company invested in researching the new glue. The CEO did, however, assure customers that the price of Carlsberg beer would not go up with the new packaging. Instead, the company plans on using previous cuts to help pay for the new glue.

Although Carlsberg invested heavily in the new glue, the company does not own the rights to the substance and hopes that other brewers will follow its lead. For reference, the glue does not stick to the hand once the cans are separated. Each six-pack will still feature a tiny plastic handle to make it easier to carry around.

The new glue is not the only way in which Carlsberg is becoming more eco-friendly. In addition to ditching the traditional plastic rings, the company is improving the technology surrounding its recyclable bottles. Carlsberg is planning on using an extra layer of protection on each bottle that will increase its lifespan.

The brewer has also created a new bottle cap that keeps the beer fresher and a different type of label ink that is more sustainable. It is yet to be determined if the moves will improve sales, but Carlsberg is definitely taking steps in the right direction for the environment.

Source: Inhabitat

1...212213214...415 Page 213 of 415

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2025 October

Events for 31 October

Events for 1 November

Events for 2 November

Events for 3 November

Events for 4 November

Events for 5 November

Events for 6 November

Events for 7 November

Events for 8 November

Events for 9 November

Events for 10 November

Events for 11 November

Events for 12 November

Events for 13 November

Events for 14 November

Events for 15 November

Events for 16 November

Events for 17 November

Events for 18 November

Events for 19 November

Events for 20 November

Events for 21 November

Events for 22 November

Events for 23 November

Events for 24 November

Events for 25 November

Events for 26 November

Events for 27 November

Events for 28 November

Events for 29 November

WRITE US