Restoring nature: the Border Meuse project aims to undo 500 years of world-renowned Dutch hydraulic engineering and a defeat for Jair Bolsonaro in the upcoming Brazilian presidential election could lead to an 89% reduction in Amazon deforestation in his country over the next decade, according to a new analysis for Carbon Brief.
TotalEnergies caused quite a stir a few months ago when it decided to set up a research and innovation center at the Ecole Polytechnique. Cambridge University is also questioning its links with fossil fuel companies, under pressure from students and professors. A vote is scheduled for the autumn to decide whether research can continue to benefit from financing from the oil and gas sector.
On the national climate action front, Australia has emerged from 10 years of inaction by passing a law raising its CO2 emissions reduction targets. Far ahead of the latter in terms of climate commitment, Denmark is the first country in the world to offer compensation of 100 million Danish kroner (13.4 million euros) for “loss and damage” to developing countries affected by climate change.
A report by the Swiss Federal Council shows that, despite the many measures already taken to curb plastic pollution, there is still a huge amount of it in the Swiss environment, both macro and microplastic. Tires are the main culprits, with abrasion residues amounting to almost 10,600 tonnes a year, of which 8,100 tonnes are released into the environment.
The need to move away from fossil fuels generates creativity and innovation in terms of sourcing and materials, a path that Stella McCartney and Adidas embarked on a few years ago and are continuing with the launch of sustainable sportswear. Innovation can also be seen in business models, such as this children’s boutique in Rennes, France, based entirely on exchange.
The founder of the outdoor clothing brand and pioneer of an unconventional vision of capitalism has decided, with his wife and two children, to transfer ownership of Patagonia, valued at around $3 billion, to a scheme specially created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that its annual profits of around $100 million are well spent on protecting the planet.
Documents obtained by congressional investigators as part of a House of Representatives investigation into climate misinformation show that oil industry executives privately downplayed their own companies’ public messages about efforts to reduce GHG emissions and downplayed industry-wide commitments to promote climate policies.
Concrete is an economical, abundant and resistant material that has enabled unprecedented material expansion. The other side of the coin is its environmental impact and perishability. A recent study tells us that replacing wood with wood would make up 10% of the carbon budget needed to keep global warming below 2°C.
The glacier initiative committee withdrew the text following the adoption by the Council of States of an indirect counter-proposal, which enshrines in law the goal of zero net CO2 emissions by 2050. Europe adopts a text requiring companies to guarantee that their products do not contribute to deforestation, and plans to ban all products made using forced labor, thus affecting exports from Xinjiang.
Sport also fuels the environmental debate. On the one hand, trail champions are setting an example through their responsible commitment, and on the other, the Qatar World Cup is belatedly provoking an outcry. There are calls to boycott this sporting event because of the human rights abuses involved in its organization and its overall carbon footprint.
