Blue & Green Daily: Monday 29 September round up

Today on Blue & Green Tomorrow, we learned that the S&P 500 companies that are leading climate change action are raking in superior profitability and benefiting from lower volatility of earnings.

We also reported on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the introduction of South America’s first carbon tax.

Study: greener cities reduce heatwave mortality

Researchers have suggested that if green spaces were doubled in size in central Melbourne, deaths caused by heatwaves among the city’s elderly could be cut by 28%, cooling temperatures by 0.5C and reducing the so-called urban ‘heat island effect’.

Siemens to invest in fossil fuels for the long-term despite renewable commitment

German multinational Siemens has said that despite its strong interest in clean energy infrastructure, it remains committed to long-term investment in fossil fuels such as coal, which it claims will still be needed in the future. 

CDP: greener S&P 500 corporations are more profitable

S&P 500 companies that are leading climate change action are raking in superior profitability and benefiting from lower volatility of earnings, according to a new report from CDP.

Banks and schools close down amid Hong Kong pro-democracy protests

Some banks, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, have shut down their branches in Hong Kong after thousands of citizens took the streets on Sunday protesting against the strict electoral system enforced by the Chinese government. 

Chile enforces South America’s first carbon tax

Chile has become the first South American country to introduce a tax on carbon, in a pioneering effort to tackle climate change.

IBM’s ‘sunflower’ device to improve efficiency of solar technology

IBM, together with Airlight Energy, has launched a new 10-meter-high ‘sunflower’ device, able to move in order to catch as much sunlight as possible, which can concentrate the sun’s radiation 2,000 times and convert 80% into electricity and heat.

Cameron’s new homes pledge ‘counter-productive’, says UK Green Building Council

Prime minister David Cameron’s pledge to build discount homes for first time buyers and exempt them from the zero-carbon homes standard has been criticised by green campaigners.

Photo: Sanja Gjenero via Free Images