Environmental concerns are still not a priority for fashion in view of the spring-summer 2023 shows; brands such as Camaïeu are caught between international competition from ultra-fast-fashion and made-in-France brands offering more sustainable business models and clothing; the sale of surplus textiles from LVMH houses is open to students and the general public.
A group of around twenty students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, all future engineers in mechanical or electronic engineering, worked for two years to design, assemble and test a single-engine electric quadcopter. They adapted the internal combustion engine of a kit plane from South African manufacturer Sling Aircraft, replacing it with electric propulsion powered by a modular battery system.
On October 4, MEPs almost unanimously adopted a text that will come into force in autumn 2024 and require manufacturers to deliver electronic equipment equipped with a USB Type-C port. These include cell phones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, headphones, digital cameras, portable video game consoles and portable speakers.
As yet unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Europe, most likely due to sabotage according to European leaders, are releasing greenhouse gas emissions. A Danish military flight over the leaks brought back striking images of the ruptures. It is feared that this disturbance will cause a climatic catastrophe, but to what extent is not yet known.
The former head of Danone, who was in Geneva for the conference on sustainable finance, is now in charge of creating new international accounting standards. He gives his optimistic view of the chances of success for this huge transformation. On the other side of the Atlantic, major banking institutions are threatening to leave Mark Carney’s financial alliance, fearing legal action.
90% of voters! The new article promoting cleaner, more efficient use of resources, an alternative to an initiative by the canton’s young Greens, received a resounding yes. The constitution will therefore be adapted to include an article calling on the authorities to create frameworks for the “thoughtful handling of resources, materials and goods, as well as for the closure of material loops”.
Two reports were presented to the Human Rights Council at the end of September, detailing human rights violations such as the sexual exploitation of women and children, mercury poisoning and child labor. The investigators underline the responsibility of global buyers such as Switzerland to ensure that human rights are respected throughout supply chains.
At the time of the covid pandemic, teleworking was compulsory three days a week. After gradually contracting, telecommuting is making a comeback as we approach a winter that looks set to be complicated from an energy point of view, especially for businesses. Telecommuting can help reduce energy bills, but what about the environmental impact?
The challenges facing the future of food and its industry are crucial, and many battles are being waged to meet them, whether through the activism of NGOs putting pressure on agri-food giants over plastic pollution, a lifetime of fighting pesticides for ecology pioneer Rachel Carson, or the innovation of a company offering cell-based meat.
Conflicts, climate change and economic shocks are causing food insecurity to soar. Organizations from more than 75 countries warned in an open letter to world leaders on the occasion of the UN General Assembly that the number of people facing acute hunger has more than doubled since 2019, reaching 435 million worldwide.
