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Photo: winjohn via stock.xchng

Revised sustainability framework looks to cut out ‘tick box reporting’

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released G4, an updated edition of the most widely used sustainability reporting framework in the world. G4, which was unveiled to an audience of 1,600 at its 2013 Global Conference at the Amsterdam Stock Exchange on Wednesday, aims to encourage sustainable business while...


Photo: safari-partners via Flickr

Friends of the Earth study links UK banks with land grabbing

Friends of the Earth has claimed that two high street banks are funding a palm oil company involved in land grabbing activities in Uganda, violating environmental regulations and affecting the local community’s lives. According to campaign group’s research, Barclays and HSBC, together with investment firm Schroders, are helping fund...


Photo by Jim Epler via Flickr

Report seeks to bridge communication gap between farmers and renewables

A recent survey said that while 95% of farmers believe that renewable energy plays a vital role in the UK’s farming future, 42% said they were confused about their options. So in an effort to bridge the communications gap, a cleantech agency has released an instructional report. The study...


Image: Luke Warm

Conference calls for technological innovation to help tackle climate change

Technological innovation is necessary in order to respond to the most urgent sustainability challenges, a conference at Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) has said. The conference, Big Challenges, Creative Solutions, held in Cambridge, brought together businesses, academics, NGOs and politicians to address future issues, especially related to...


Photo by Global Jet via Flickr

Climate change to increase number of US heat deaths, says study

Increased summer temperatures caused by global warming could see weather related deaths in eastern parts of the US shoot up by as much as 22% in the coming years. The study, led by Li Tiantian from the Institute for Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, used computer projections of...


Photo: Flickr

Shortlist revealed for 2013 Observer Ethical Awards

The companies, projects, places and people shortlisted for the 2013 Observer Ethical Awards have been unveiled. Taking place in central London on June 13, the event has become colloquially known as the ‘the Green Oscars’. Now in its eighth year, Lucy Siegle, chair of the judging panel, said the...


Chinese-owned textile factory

Investors push retailers for better working conditions in the developing world

Investors and religious groups in the US have called for better safety in overseas factories, in the aftermath of last month’s Bangladesh tragedy. The signatories of a letter released by the Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) include, among others, Aviva Investors, EIRIS and the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition...


Photo by USAID via Flickr

UN lauds science and technology as ‘critical’ in sustainable development

United Nations officials gathered with policymakers and NOGs at the Economic and Social Council forum (ECOSOC) on Monday to discuss how innovative science and technology could aid the world’s sustainable development. “Science, technology and innovation hold great potential as tools and enable to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable...


Oxfam GB in Asia

Land grabbing in Laos and Cambodia breach human rights

Land grabbing by two large Vietnamese firms has driven communities in Laos and Cambodia off their land and forced people to work on rubber plantations, according to international NGO Global Witness. Its report found that vast amounts of land have been acquired (land grabbing) for rubber plantations in the...


Uncle Kick-Kick via flickr

Fund divests from gold mining firm because of ethical concerns

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has divested from a global mining corporation because of concerns over human rights violations and environmental damage, which it says are incompatible with UN Global Compact principles. The fund, a pension scheme that invests money on behalf of the government, has decided to dismiss...


Derek Keats via flickr

Study: sustainable investment can drive change in Africa

Investment in Africa that focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can bring both financial returns for investors and improvements for local communities, a new report has said. The study by the Abraaj Group, a leading investor focused on developing markets, has been presented at the World Economic...


Photo: SPREP

Australia to help Pacific islands tackle climate change

The Australian government has signed a long-term partnership with a coalition of Pacific nations, in order to help the islands in their fight against environmental threats like climate change. The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) revealed that it will provide the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme...


Nelson Minar via Flickr

French government unveils sustainable transport competition

French transport minister Frédéric Cuvillier has said the government will financially reward some of the best sustainable transport initiatives in the country with money generated from a €450m fund. The initiative, called Transports collectifs et mobilité durable (or Public transport and sustainable mobility), will encompass urban and extra-urban transport,...


Photo: K. Kendall via Flickr

Fashion industry and US college team up for sustainability

A selection of high-profile fashion brands has teamed up with the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles to form a partnership to improve the environmental, social and economic sustainability of their products. The new group, named Otis Sustainability Alliance, brings together famous brands such as Nike,...


Photo: Melissa_bel via Flickr

US solar-powered plane completes first leg of coast-to-coast trip

Solar Impulse, an aircraft powered by solar energy, has flown from San Francisco to Phoenix – the first step in a journey that will see it cover the entire length of the US. After its first section, which lasted 18 hours, the plane will stop in several other cities,...


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