Top Stories
What Does It Mean When Procurement Goes
Green?—reliability medium.
John Davies says recent research by the GreenBiz Intelligence Panel
shows "purchasing by companies is up in a down economy. Our recent
October 2009 survey of more than 450 companies found that over the past
12 months there was a 63 percent increase in green purchasing"
Highlights of report. See
GreenBiz blog.
Russia offers more ambitious reduction
target.—reliability high.
"Russia indicated that it is ready to slash its greenhouse gas
emissions by as much as 25 percent, if other countries do the same, the
president of the European Union said." On COP-15
site from AP. [This
modifies our League
Table. Russia passes Germany in tons of emission reductions
promised. Total promised (or nearly promised) reductions of rich
nations are now a 12.5% cut from 1990 emissions.]
Shop green? Global survey lists top
eco-friendly retailers.—reliability high.
For a study by Ryerson University's Center for the Study of Commercial
Activity researchers in Canada, Scotland, Japan, Spain and France
interviewed 200 retailers to look at best environmental practices and
help the industry in adopting sustainable practices that can also
enhance their bottom line. Highlights of report. "The researchers
narrowed the list down to 15, finding that Mountain Equipment Co-op,
IKEA Canada, Walmart and Home Depot were among the list of the leading
green businesses in Canada. They listed H-E-B in the United States,
LUSH, Marks & Spencer, Alliance Boots, Monsoon and Tesco in
Britain, Musgrave Group in Ireland, Monoprix and Carrefour in France,
Aeon in Japan, and Woolworths in Australia." From
Reuters. More here.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Electric Cars Push Japan Engine Parts Makers
to Crisis Mode.—reliability high.
"As Nissan and General Motors Co. prepare to introduce battery-powered
cars next year, traditional auto suppliers like Osaka-based NTN are
trying to adapt by creating new lines of business. Engine components
account for as much as 40 percent of a typical car’s total parts, so
some suppliers are scrambling to come up with new products" "'It’s a
crisis-like situation,' said Toru Fujiwara, head of Tsubakimoto’s
auto-parts division [a maker of timing chains]. 'With electric cars,
there’s no way we can apply our current technology.'" More examples of
how parts suppliers are adapting. From
Bloomberg. [When
the timing chain is the value chain.]
Metabolix, ADM to open new bioplastics
factory.—reliability high.
The new Clinton, Iowa-based plant is a joint venture with Decatur,
Ill.-based Archer Daniels Midland . . . . The companies announced
earlier this year that they developed a next-generation injection
molding bioplastic that’s biodegradable" in soil or seawater. See
Cleantech Group.
Food waste to provide green gas for
carbon-conscious consumers.—reliability high.
"From today, British householders will be able to register for
Ecotricity's new tariff to buy green gas – commonly known as biogas –
as a way of reducing their carbon footprint and cutting landfill waste.
It will be a first for carbon-conscious consumers who have previously
only been able to buy "green electricity" from suppliers." More
discussion of biogas issues in Britain. From
The Guardian. More
at Ecotricity site. [Like RECs
for gas. Why don't we all have this?]
Drive Clean Buying Guide.—reliability
high.
"Whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint, save money or just
contribute less to that nasty smog, DriveClean.ca.gov is your buying
guide to the cleanest, most efficient cars on the market. There are so
many clean options to choose from, and it's easy to find them with the
new Environmental Performance (EP) Label. Explore the web site and
learn about the great benefits and incentives clean vehicles offer,
look up incentives in your specific region, or search and compare
vehicles by make / model, vehicle category, technologies & fuel
types, Smog Score, Global Warming Score or engine family number. You
can calculate your savings too by inputting information on your driving
habits and regional fuel costs, find out how much the vehicle you are
driving now pollutes, and even compare it to something new you might be
considering." See CARB site. [Note links to
incentives.]
EU Paper Industry Has Cut Carbon Pollution
by 42% - Exceeded Kyoto Goals.—reliability high.
"According to the Confederation of European Paper Industries’ 4th
annual report; compared with their Kyoto base year of 1990, the
European paper industry has reduced its CO2 emissions per ton of paper
produced by 42%." This was achieved by widespread adoption of combined
heat and power systems and increasing the rate of recycling, and also
using natural gas and biomass more. From
CleanTechnica.
Verizon expands Smart Grid play, launches
consulting.—reliability high.
"Verizon is already eying opportunities to provide wireless networks
for Smart Grid communication systems, but today it’s expanding its
presence in the space even more with the launch of a security
consulting service for utilities rolling out smart meters and other
advanced grid infrastructure." "Verizon is bringing cybersecurity
expertise earned in the mobile space to its new utility clients." See
GreenBeat.
Government and
Regulation
Gap between India, U.S. emissions goals
grows wider.—reliability high.
"Rajendra Pachauri said the gap between the United States and India on
how to battle climate change has grown over the last six months in the
lead up to the U.N. climate meeting in Copenhagen in December. 'I doubt
if there would be much of a productive dialogue on what the two
countries will do at Copenhagen,' Pachauri told reporters in a
teleconference. The gap has grown because Washington hasn't committed
to emissions cuts, he said." From
Reuters.
India to Spend $900 Million on Solar.—reliability
medium.
"The Indian cabinet approved a plan on Thursday that sets out to
increase energy production from solar technology to 20 gigawatts by
2022, up from six megawatts today. The government will spend about 43
billion rupees ($922 million) in the first of three phases of the
program. The total cost for all three phases could approach $20
billion." Some wonder how India can achieve this goal, since it cannot
even ramp up electricity output using traditional technology such as
coal combustion to meet its announced plans. See
New York Times Green Inc. blog.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2009 HaraBara, Inc.]
