Eating Our Way to a More Sustainable Future

Source: WWF    

The LiveWell for LIFE WWF UK project was launched yesterday in Brussels at a lunchtime policy debate, moderated by Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe.  WWF Director of European Policy Tony Long kicked off the event by revealing some startling statistics that highlight the need for a shift to more sustainable food.  For example, food accounts for roughly 25% of humanity’s ecological footprint and so cannot be forgotten when talking about a sustainable future for our planet.  Any meaningful attempt to reduce CO₂ emissions must also include changes in food production and consumption. 

How biking to work can be so cool

Photo by Cédric Zeegers-Jourdain

Cycling to work means escaping the traffic, getting some exercise and having a breath of fresh air.  This morning, a number of bikers, including me, were rewarded with hot coffee while cycling on 'rue Gray' in Brussels.  This was a joint initiative by the Commune of Ixelles, part of Brussels, and the non-profit cycling group GRACQ.  What a cool way to start your day!

Sustainable Materials Progress

The Belgian Presidency is getting straight to the point with EU Environment Ministers due to discuss ‘sustainable materials management’ (SMM) at the informal Environment Council on 12-13 July.  Ministers will discuss a Presidency working paper which sets out the scope of SMM and discusses ways to better integrate it, for example into industrial systems and wider policy approaches.

According to the document, SMM, as the Belgian Presidency sees it is all about ‘the efficient and environmentally responsible use of materials, independent of whether they are raw materials, products or waste’ and happily is based on a lifecycle approach.

The Presidency argues that because of its own large footprint, Europe has an obligation to work towards a more sustainable management of materials.  It also recommends the establishment of a European, multi-actor transition platform on sustainable materials management, which ‘could develop a joint future vision on SMM’.

In more detail, the informal Council will discuss:

• How can EU policy promote waste reduction and recycling?
• How can EU policy increase the efficient use of raw materials?  How to stimulate cooperation between policymakers, industry and consumers to achieve sustainable material chains, the development of new business models which are compatible with a complete lifecycle
• How to best coordinate current EU initiatives on raw materials, production, consumption and waste etc.  and how new EU policy tools could contribute to SMM.

We’ll follow this issue with interest.

Global Swarming For Global Warming

A new Facebook application is helping users measure their carbon footprint, create tailored goals to reduce it and then track their progress over time and compare their personal ‘Carbon Timeline’ with their friends.  The application, known as ‘Edenbee’, is the brainchild of two Dubliners, David Hayes and Peter O’Brien, whose belief in the importance of individual action in fighting climate change led them to set up the Edenbee website.  Using Facebook as a platform to launch their application has now enabled them to reach an even larger potential audience of 65 million people.

The still-growing popularity of social networks such as twitter and Facebook makes them ideal vehicles for launching environmental campaigns and attracting supporters to the climate change cause.  The contagious nature of the uptake of new applications on Facebook and the phenomenon of ‘keeping up Facebook appearances’ work in the favour of environmentally-aware applications such as Edenbee.  With manageable goals (‘turn my thermostat down by one degree’, ‘switch off my mobile phone charger when it’s not in use’), links to favourite ‘causes’ such 350.org (see our previous blog on this) and the encouragement to compare your climate change achievements with those your friends, Edenbee should be a runaway success in promoting environmental awareness.

At the same time, Facebook applications can come and go very quickly.  As soon as the novelty wears off, users are onto the next hot thing.  The creators of Edenbee are promoting a bottom-up approach to action on climate change centred on individual action, but can Edenbee actually influence the political agenda?  ‘Join the call for a strong climate treaty at Copenhagen with tcktcktck and their partners’ is one of the ‘goals’ users of the application can sign up to on Facebook.  Spreading awareness and popularising the climate change cause using social networks is certainly a start, but it remains to be seen whether Edenbee can be more than just a passing fad.

Survey Snapshot

In a small cross-industry survey carried out by Sustainability Consult in preparation for moderating this month’s Global Chemical Industry Convention, 80% of respondents said they saw themselves as part of the future climate change solution rather than the problem.  So who are the real climate change villains?

To be fair, all of our respondents also admitted that their industries play a part in the causes of climate change, citing carbon emissions from manufacturing and transport as the biggest contributors.  But they were also quick to point out the measures their industries are already taking to combat climate change, with 60% highlighting more energy-efficient facilities.  Counteracting negative impacts on the environment through  environmentally-friendly measures such as energy efficiency, renewables and cleaner production processes is clearly a major concern for all the industries surveyed. 

One theme emerging from the convention was ‘A balance of crisis’ - how to address climate change issues while dealing with the more immediate economic crisis that has seriously impacted all industries, from chemicals to shipping and energy to insulation, in the past year. 

Innovation was seen by the majority of survey-takers as the key to surviving both crises but also their most important challenge for the future.  While the main obstacle to innovation this year has been reduced funding for innovation due to the financial crisis, our respondents also placed blame on a lack of both corporate buy-in and public-private partnerships.

The survey results illustrate industry’s recognition that innovation is a way out of crisis, but also the need for greater conviction and support from governments and corporations alike.  And these industries’ optimistic view of themselves as part of the climate solution rather than the problem is not just wishful thinking - even if the financial crisis has slowed down recent progress, they are clearly heading in the right direction.