Top Stories
Good Companies Guide: easing the planet's
growing pains will help business to profit.—reliability
high.
"The Observer has commissioned in-depth research from The Co-operative
Asset Management into how the UK's leading companies might be
affected by five key sustainability issues: resource depletion, climate
change, pollution, demographics and resource distribution. Its analysis
suggests that 56%, or more than half of the FTSE 350 by weight, will
suffer negative financial effects from depleting resources, climate
change and pollution. Only 10% stand to gain by providing solutions."
See The
Guardian. Related item: Good
Companies Guide: Winners and losers in the corporate sustainability
stakes, Also at The
Guardian. See full list of FTSE companies and ratings here.
Glaciers Retreating in Asia.—reliability
high.
"Many of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change.
This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases
the likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in
nearby areas, and contributes to sea-level rise. The U.S. Geological
Survey, in collaboration with 39 international scientists, published a
report on the status of glaciers throughout all of Asia, including
Russia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. 'Of particular interest are the
Himalaya, where glacier behavior impacts the quality of life of tens of
millions of people,' said USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno. 'Glaciers in
the Himalaya are a major source of fresh water and supply meltwater to
all of the rivers in northern India.'" See USGS site.
Access the report here.
Also see USA
TODAY news story on the report.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
1,000-Megawatt Plant in Calif. Marks New
Milestone in Solar Expansion.—reliability high.
"The Bureau of Land Management has issued a final environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the Blythe Solar Power Project in southeast
California. When fully operational, the solar thermal power plant would
have the capacity to produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity ... . The
final EIS, which is considered the last federal regulatory hurdle
before a record of decision authorizing construction, is open for
public comment through Sept. 18. The California Energy Commission,
which must also render a decision on the Blythe plant, formally
recommended this month that the project be approved." More on the 4,580
megawatts of solar developments on BLM land in California that are
being fast-tracked. At The
New York Times from Greenwire. [One gigawatt is
half the electric generation capacity of Hoover Dam, and about the
capacity of a new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor.]
Minding the Sustainability GAAP.—reliability
medium.
"examples of how environmental degradation can hit home for companies.
The global environmental crisis, including climate change, water
scarcity and ecosystem degradation, isn’t just a problem for 'greens.'
It also creates significant financial risks for companies and their
investors. ... Worldwide, current financial accounting standards and
generally accepted accounting principles (known as GAAP) fail
explicitly to address such risks, which often derive from unsustainable
business strategies. They can also miss the opportunities that such
challenges create. ... A solution may finally be on its way. A
coalition of businesses, regulators, accountants, securities exchanges
and not-for-profit groups recently launched an International Integrated
Reporting Committee initiative to 'create a globally accepted framework
for accounting for sustainability.'" At WRI
site.
How Can 'Power IT Down Day' Help Your
Company Save Money?—reliability medium.
"It's the third annual Power IT Down Day, a global effort to get
workers to turn off their computers, monitors, printers and other
peripherals before they go home. And though it may be a small action to
take, the rewards are potentially huge." More about IT power wastage
and what you can do. See GreenBiz
blog.
Government and
Regulation
New Yorkers Begin to See How Much They Have
to Lose From Climate Change.—reliability high.
Although New York City is already more energy efficient than other
U.S. cities, its infrastructure and buildings are old and it is at risk
from sea level rise. Article discusses various legislation and programs
to adapt to climate change impacts and upgrade built environment. See The
New York Times from Climartewire.
France seeks bids for 3,000MW of offshore
wind.—reliability high.
"France is rumoured to be seeking bids to construct 3,000MW of
offshore wind farms just days after it has agreed to commit €1.35bn
towards renewable energy but cut solar feed-in tariffs. ... The
newly-revealed offshore wind projects are due to cost in the region of
$12.7bn to construct, according to an unnamed official". From NewNet.
