Environmental Management & Energy News

Plastic Bag Bans ‘Present Hidden Environmental, Economic Costs’

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:30:08 +0000

Plastic bag bans incur hidden economic and environmental costs that are “virtually ignored,” according to conservative think tank the National Center for Policy Analysis. More than two dozen cities – including Seattle and San Francisco – have enacted bans or imposed fees for using such bags, but anecdotal evidence suggests that curbs on plastic bags [...]

UPM to Build Major Biodiesel Refinery

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:27:55 +0000

Finnish paper company UPM is to build the world’s first industrial-scale plant to turn a wood byproduct into biodiesel. The Lappeenranta, Finland, biorefinery will produce annually approximately 100,000 tonnes of advanced second generation biodiesel for use in vehicles, UPM says. Construction of the biorefinery will begin in the summer of 2012 and be completed in [...]

Win Recognition for Your College’s Environmental Program

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:15:16 +0000

Enviance and Environmental Leader are hosting a March Madness tournament to determine the university with the best undergraduate programs in environmental studies and sustainability. The tournament, running at the same time as the NCAA college basketball championship of the same name, will award $5,000 to the environmental and sustainability department of one National Champion, and [...]

Could Efficiency Help Iron out the Bumps in Ore Prices?

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:35:48 +0000

Many manufacturers now see raw materials as their biggest risk. Carmakers are among industries caught between volatile commodity prices and cash-strapped customers. Companies making the most of what’s available can help drive more sustainable growth. UK manufacturers across sectors see raw materials shortages as one of their top five risks in 2012, according to findings [...]

Will Customers Pay More for ‘Green?’

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:22:58 +0000

Will people pay to go green? That’s a key question – maybe the question – for any company committed to sustainability. At Walmart, we’ve learned that the answer is a bit nuanced: Basically, usually not – but it depends. Some customers will pay more for certain products that are better for the environment, and their [...]

Colgate Sustainability Report: Goals Met for GHGs, Water Use, Energy, COD

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:51:29 +0000

Colgate-Palmolive beat goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and water use by five and 25 percent from 2002 to 2010, achieving reductions of 7.8 percent and 34.6 percent respectively, according to its 2011 sustainability report. In that time the company also beat a five percent energy reduction goal, cutting energy use by 8.6 percent, and [...]

Solvay Unveils 1MW Nedstack Fuel Cell

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:25:37 +0000

Chemicals company Solvay has unveiled its 1MW fuel cell built by Nedstack. The emission-free system was installed at the Solvay’s Lillo, Belgium, facility in September 2011. After a few weeks of testing, it has now been running continuously for 2 months, Nedstack says. It is currently running at 50 percent electrical efficiency, with a total [...]

Standards & Compliance Briefing: GreenScreens, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, WaterSense, CarbonNeutral

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:19:59 +0000

NSF International now offers chemical reviews in accordance with Clean Production Action’s (CPA) GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals program. The Greenscreen scores chemicals from one through four, defining progressively safer chemicals, one for chemicals of high concern and four for a chemical with low hazard, allowing for hazard reduction and potential substitution, NSF said. The Global [...]

O2 Sustainability Goals: 100% Renewables, an End to Bundled Chargers

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:20:29 +0000

O2 will use 100 percent renewable energy and will no longer offer chargers free with mobile phone purchases, as part of a three-year sustainability plan launched today. The Think Big Blueprint will deliver up to 4 million tons of carbon savings through three core objectives and 40 individual commitments, according to the European telecoms company, [...]

Carbon Disclosure Raises Stock Prices, Study Finds

Environmental Leader — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:30:55 +0000

Companies that voluntarily issue press releases disclosing their carbon emission information see their stock prices rise significantly in the following days, according to a University of California study. Going Green: Market Reaction to CSR Newswire Releases, by Paul Griffin of UC Davis and Yuan Sun of UC Berkeley, used archives of the Corporate Social Responsibility [...]