Blue & Green Daily: Monday 23 June headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

The Giving Pledge: the world’s billionaires and their philanthropic promise

UK ‘sharing economy’ gaining widespread momentum – report

Obama promises measures to save US bees from decline

MPs: government is ‘watering down’ rollout of marine conservation zones

Living wage project for tea farmers in Malawi launched

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23 June headlines

Pension funds urged to publish climate risks

There are growing calls for pension funds to publish their carbon exposure as concern builds over the long-term investments risks of carbon-intensive portfolios. Peter Norman, Sweden’s minister for financial markets, says he wants global pension funds to “published their carbon footprint”. He hopes that increasing transparency will leads to a more “thorough and direct” discussion about the risks. Financial Times.

Rising energy prices to overshadow Ofgem’s largest ever market probe

Rising energy prices are beginning to overshadow a formal announcement from Ofgem this week of a “once and for all” investigation into competition among electricity and gas suppliers. Consumer groups have been pinning hopes of a shake-up in the market and lower prices on the inquiry to be conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority, Telegraph.

Shell faces payouts in Nigerian oil spill case

The first judgement in what lawyers have said could be one of the world’s largest ever environmental trials has ruled that Shell may have to compensate some communities for oil spills from their pipeline caused by criminals in the heavily polluter Niger delta. Guardian.

Health group calls for ‘sugar tax’ to cut child obesity

A “sugar tax” should be introduced by the UK government to help curb obesity in childhood, a campaign group says. Action  on Sugar has produced a plan to discourage children from consuming foods and soft drinks with high levels of added sugar. The group wants measures brought in to cur added sugar in food by 40% by 2020. BBC.

US companies pushed on political funds

Increasing numbers of shareholders are demanding that US companies account for their political spending, as annual meeting become the latest stage in the country’s electoral wars. Campaigners are this year on course to put forward a record number of shareholder proposals pushing companies to be more transparent about their political donations. Financial Times.

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Interesting picks

Why do big business want to save the world? – Guardian

Who will teach responsibility in a buck-passing world? – Financial Times

The top 5 socially responsible consumer goods investment for summer 2014 – Motley Fool

At last, Obama is making good on his climate change promises – Guardian

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages