This Week’s Biggest Climate Innovation Stories: 9 March
Catch up on the latest developments in the transition to the zero carbon economy with our Press Review, 9 March 2017.
Women in Innovation
Yesterday (9 March) was International Women’s Day. Our Inspire and Viewpoint this week continues this theme, celebrating women in climate innovation.
Which female innovators do you think are accelerating the zero-carbon economy and why?
As International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women, we asked people across the global climate community, including Canadian Minister Catherine McKenna and EIT CEO Martin Kern, about inspirational female innovators.
"The future is clean, and there is so many women who are helping make this happen." – @cathmckenna https://t.co/NqQczhmXLg #IWD2017 pic.twitter.com/KYjnmIqPme
— EIT Climate-KIC (@ClimateKIC) March 8, 2017
Moroccan water nets supporting adaptation and empowering women
https://twitter.com/ClimateKIC/status/839078823190749184
Around the web:
- All the sustainable ladies: 10 women who will inspire you via Eco-Business
- International Women’s Day: UN Call for Greater Role for Women in Disaster Risk Management via ReliefWeb
Industrial Symbiosis
European countries ramp up battle against plastic waste
Plastic waste is under scrutiny this week, as the UK Environmental Audit launches an inquiry into the impact of waste from coffee cups and packaging, and Belgium and France join the United Nations’ campaign to ban micro-plastics. Read more here.
https://twitter.com/ClimateKIC/status/839783374604668929
Other stories from around the web:
- Egyptian researchers turn shrimp shells into biodegradable plastic via Reuters
- Czech regional council member: Waste-to-energy brings us closer to developed countries via Euractiv
- BPA-free water bottles may contain another harmful chemical via New Scientist
- It’s ‘make or break time for the microbeads ban’ via EIA international
- Report: Brexit offers escape hatch from £2bn EU waste policy costs via Edie
- EU climate laws ‘cost paper recyclers 40 percent of their profits’ via Euractiv
- Coop, Walmart bring safer materials to the circular economy via Greenbiz
- Samsung and Greenpeace: what you need to know about e-waste via The Guardian
- Total embarks on bioplastics venture via BusinessGreen
- ‘Biggest battery in Nordics’ put in biomass plant via Power Engineering International
Climate Innovation – Policy
EU environment ministers approve post 2020 ETS reforms
Measures to overhaul the European Emissions Trading System, including a €12bn innovation fund and speedier reductions in allowances, have been approved by EU countries. Read more here.
Other stories from around the web:
- EU Carbon Permits Jump After Ministers Agree on Market Overhaul Via Bloomberg New Energy Finance
- EU bulldozes through carbon trade reforms via EU observer
- EU ministers reach compromise on carbon market reform via Euractiv
- EU countries propose limited reform of EU climate policy via CAN Europe
- Finland: Time for EU to lead on environment via EU Observer
- World is well placed to stay under 2C – if we have carbon capture via Climate Home
- EU, Canada to fight climate change together via NewEurope
Smart Sustainable Cities
Chargepoint to expand into Europe after record fundraising
Chargepoint, one of the US’s biggest electric vehicle charging networks, is to expand into Europe, after securing a record $82 million (€77 million) in funding. Read more here.
ChargePoint Unveils European Expansion Plans With $82 Million Cash Injection https://t.co/bS2mEIQqGF pic.twitter.com/HtYa0K5lVg
— CleanTechnica (@cleantechnica) March 2, 2017
Other stories from around the web:
- UK ‘must insulate 25 million homes’ via BBC
- Tesla Tops BMW in German “Best Future Mobility Brand” Award via CleanTechnica
- Stop-start cars push battery metal lead into investors’ focus via Reuters
- Heathrow 2.0: Airport launches sustainability super-strategy ahead of expansion via Edie
- Shipping’s carbon bubble: Banks need to climate-proof $400 billion shipping debt via Greenbiz
- UK’s largest commercial real estate company, Land Securities, joins EP100 via The Climate Group
- Study: IPCC’s “Worst Case” Climate Change Scenario Leads to $40 Billion A Year in Losses in European Coastal Cities by 2100 via CleanTechnica
- Gateshead fires up low-carbon district heating plant via BusinessGreen
Integrated Landscapes
Civil society organisations call for reforms to EU Common Agricultural Policy
Over 130 European civil society organisations have called on EU ministers to radically reform EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), ahead of meetings on Monday in Brussels, according to the European Environmental Bureau. Read more here.
Over 130 civil society organisations call for radical reforms to EU Common Agricultural Policy → https://t.co/HVAiZUVrb0 pic.twitter.com/PHYOo2712l
— EIT Climate-KIC (@ClimateKIC) March 9, 2017
Other stories from around the web:
- Unilever joins Wageningen University vegetable steak project via DutchNews
- Polish ombudsman challenges environment minister’s decision to log Bialowieza Forest in court via Client Earth
- UK veggie shortage inspires funny headlines and serious thoughts via NPR
- The German environment ministry makes the government go vegetarian via FastCoExist
- Better enforcement of illegal logging law needed, as EUTR turns 4 via ClientEarth
- Global coalition Protein Challenge 2040 to Focus on Plant-Protein via VegNews
Climate Finance
The Financial Reporting Council’s response to task force disclosures is troubling”, says Client Earth
Environmental lawyers Client Earth have branded the UK’s Financial Reporting Council’s response to cross-industry recommendations for climate-related financial disclosure “troubling”. Read more here.
Financial regulator’s response to climate risk “troubling” https://t.co/tOqbFY2tLr
— Tim Reid (@Tim__Reid) March 1, 2017
Other stories:
- 88 of the world’s most influential companies are now committed to 100 percent renewable power as part of re100 via the Climate Group
- Banks must better evaluate shipping risks associated with climate change mitigation via CleanTechnica
- Sustainability reporting frameworks lack comparability to attract investment, say experts via Edie