Blue & Green Daily: Thursday 29 May 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.

True political change is the only way forward

Ethical alternative to Big Pharma eyes ambitious growth

‘Time is running out’ to reduce carbon emissions, warns UN

Mark Carney on inclusive capitalism: ‘finance has to be trusted’

Sustainable cities will ‘save lives’ and improve economies, says Bloomberg

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29 May headlines

Corporate stranglehold of farmland a risk to world food security, study says

The world’s food supplies are at risk because farmland if becoming rapidly concentrated in the hands of wealthy elites and corporations, a study has found. Small farmers, the UN says, grow 70% of the world’s food but a new analysis suggests the land they control is shrinking every year as mega-farms and plantations squeeze them onto less than 25% of the world’s available farmland. Guardian.

CO2 market hurt by Australia, Russia policy, World Bank says

Efforts to put a value on greenhouse gas emissions to contain global warming are being hurt as countries from Australia to Russia and Japan pull back from carbon reduction commitments, according to the World Bank. Carbon pricing is needed to boost private sector investment in clean energy projects, the organisation added. Bloomberg.

Shale and non-Russian gas imports at heart of new EU energy strategy

Europe will need to tap more diverse sources of gas and develop supplies of controversial shale gas within the continent, amid concerns over the Ukraine crisis, according to a new energy security strategy unveiled by the European commission. However, green campaigners pointed to a change from earlier proposals for the strategy in favour of more emphasis on gas at the expense of green fuels. Guardian.

Scottish parliament back plastic bag charge

New regulations to introduce a charge for single-use carrier bags have been approved by the Scottish parliament. MSPs backed the plan to charge shoppers a minimum of 5p for bags, with the money raised going to good causes. Wales became the first part of the UK to introduce a minimum charge on carrier bags in 2011 and a charge was bought in Northern Ireland last year. BBC.

GSK salesman want ‘bribes’ reimbursed

GlaxoKlineSmith, the UK pharmaceutical company at the centre of a Chinese corruption scandal, is facing protests from junior employees who say the company is refusing to reimburse them for bribes they were ordered to pay by their superiors. Beijing officials have accused senior employees at GSK’s China subsidiary of orchestrating a “massive and systemic bribery”. Financial Times.

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Interesting picks

Green bond credentials under scrutiny – Financial Times

It’s simple. If we can’t change our economic system, our number’s up – Guardian

Bank customers opt for green over greed – Independent

Charities and social enterprises: invest responsibly or lose public trust – Guardian

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages