Top Stories
Met Office warns of long-term extreme
weather risks.—reliability high.
"British businesses need to invest in adaptation measures to cope with
flooding and drought in the coming decades even if substantial
reductions in greenhouses gas emissions are achieved. That is the stark
warning from the insurance industry today after a new report from the
Met Office warned that global water cycles will continue to be
disrupted in the coming decades even if average temperatures stabilise
and begin to decrease. ... 'The debate surrounds aspects of climate
change, but there are indisputable facts that weather patterns are
changing,' said Malcolm Tarling, spokesman for the Association of
British Insurers (ABI). 'Despite everything we do now [to cut
greenhouse gas emissions], climate change is already in the system so
we need to make the right steps to reduce the risks going forward.'"
See BusinessGreen.
[Of course these
concerns are not confined to Britain. Weather knows no borders.]
Freak floods in US predicted by 2009 climate
change report.—reliability medium.
"A rash of flash floods has struck the US during this spring: Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Arkansas, and most recently Oklahoma have all faced
devastating floods that have resulted in the loss of property and in
some cases tragic deaths. While flash floods have occurred throughout
US history, the number of big floods this year appears abnormal at
best, but not unexpected by researchers. Climatologists warned last
year that an increase in floods and severe storms is very probable as
the world warms. ... The report, which looked at the US regionally,
predicted that more precipitation in winter and spring in the Midwest
would lead to increased flooding. In addition, the report predicted
increases in flooding and severe weather for the Southeast." From Mongabay.
[There have also
been recent deadly flash floods in
south-eastern France--pictures here.]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Foreign firms eye India's solar power market.—reliability
high.
"India's drive to ramp up solar capacity may trigger a stampede of
firms from Asia, Europe and North America, chasing a share of the $3.5
bn of business up for grabs by 2013 and trampling over smaller
domestic players. Arizona's First Solar and China's Suntech Power
Holdings are working on plans to enter the market as India commits to
an ambitious $70 bn program to build 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar
capacity by 2022, from about 30 megawatts (MW) now. 'Solar is the new
activity. It is absolutely a game changer for the country,' said Anil
Srivastava, CEO at French group Areva's renewable energy unit, which is
scouting for solar project contracts in India." Story in The
Economic Times.
IKEA to phase out traditional incandescent
light bulbs, and that's just the beginning.—reliability
medium.
"IKEA’s announcement today that its 48 U.S. and Canadian stores will
stop selling incandescent light bulbs by year’s end has sustainability
bloggers buzzing, but the real story isn’t the bulbs. It’s the broader
change that will follow in lamp design. ... When IKEA says goodbye to
the incandescent light, it’s essentially saying so long to lamps,
sconces and chandeliers designed for the bulb of years past. Mona Astra
Liss, U.S. corporate public relations director for IKEA, declined to
give specifics but did confirm that the company will be reviewing and
revising its lineup of lighting fixtures." See Los
Angeles Times blog.
Companies conserving water surprised by
savings.—reliability high.
"A survey conducted by research analyst Ethical Corporation in May
2010 found that 99 percent of corporate sustainability managers saw
water becoming a top priority for businesses in the next 5 to 10 years.
The report "Unlocking the Profit in Water Savings" found that 52
percent of sustainability managers ranked "water stewardship" within
the top five most important issues they now deal with. But more
interesting is the hard data supporting the trend. Companies have found
that saving water equates with saving money even when including initial
infrastructure investments, according to the report." Some highlights
and interview with SABMiller. See CNET News.
Sainsbury's tests new technology to trim
food waste.—reliability high.
"Sainsbury's has invested in new technology that will allow the
retailer to make real-time supply chain decisions aimed at reducing
food waste caused by unexpected weather. ... Unpredictable weather,
however, wreaks havoc on the plans of its company buyers, often
resulting in perishable food left languishing on shelves, uneaten.
There were six periods of unexpected weather last year, Sainsbury's
said. The supply chain technology will give Sainsbury's the ability to
make real-time decisions on where to send food from its warehouses,
rather than changing course overnight. It has the potential to reduce
food waste by 15 per cent during unexpected weather, while also
reducing its carbon footprint by an estimated 1,400 tonnes." Story at BusinessGreen.
[Tightening up
supply chains=savings. No surprise.]
Shanghai GM Green Supply Chain Program Saved
$19M in 2009.—reliability high.
"A major initiative to help Chinese auto industry suppliers reduce
their environmental impacts successfully improved productivity and
generated annual savings worth millions of dollars. Shanghai General
Motors (SGM) partnered with the World Environment Center (WEC) for a
"Greening the Supply Chain Initiative" targeting 125 suppliers. The
50/50 joint venture between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive
Industry Corp. is one of China's largest vehicle producers; it also
imports and sells Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Saab products. The
program focused on reducing water, waste and energy use, while also
boosting competitive advantage. It demonstrated a strong business case
for efficiency: The 125 suppliers invested about US$21 million in 498
projects, generating annual cost savings of roughly US$19 million. Many
projects had ROIs of less than a year." From GreenBiz.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
