John Elkington

If we are headed for exceeding 1.5 degrees of global warming , with 2.7 degrees the current trend target, and the actions of the COP's not reducing overall emissions , then the importance of the UK's National Adaptation Programme to Climate Change (NAP3) becomes even more important. Yet the review of the current programme by the Climate Change Committee in March this year , said that it a) falls short of what we need b) the current approach is not working c) an urgent review of NAP 3 is needed now Its worth a read .. we do need to prepare ourselves better - and sooner .. https://lnkd.in/eTB9krCE

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Really useful summary of key climate and energy commitments in the U.K. budget from Carbon Brief

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Questions for a Sustainable Future // 1. What are the topics you'd like to explore with AberInnovation, me and colleagues at our Shaping a Sustainable Future Conference on 3rd December? 2. What help might you need to develop a strategy and business plan that's based on working with the laws of physics and biology rather than the convenient comfort of continuing to do the wrong things better, and call that enough? 3. What people skills will you and your teams need to respond fully to the wild scale of disruption coming our way as we head towards our planned and intended temperature increase of +3c? 4. What would you set out to do if you took the evidence around as real, and knew that when you responded, you couldn't fail? Climate LinkUP Mark Jones Alan Horton Rhian Hayward MBE Iain Donnison

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Day 3 #COP29. Yesterday, Secretary General of the ICC, John Denton, shared data from Oxera Consulting LLP that climate-related extreme weather events have already created real economic losses of c. $2 trillion over the past decade. Now that’s a call to accelerate action! I attended an event to review progress against the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, signed by 160 countries. One of the key points calls for government support funds to promote activities which “increase incomes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster resilience, productivity, livelihoods, nutrition, water efficiency and human, animal and ecosystem health while reducing food loss and waste, and ecosystem loss and degradation.” Many of the 7 countries reporting progress also referred to the discussion about financing. Mette Frederiksen, prime minister of Denmark, described how the Danish Government had brought together their national stakeholders for dialogue, acknowledging different interests make it hard to agree on everything. This summer the Danish Government announced there would be a livestock carbon emission tax from 2030 but also with subsidies available already. She spoke of the need to ensure no loss of jobs, affordable food, not losing control of emissions and the need to “build bridges”. Can this be done? I hope so. I noticed that reducing food loss and waste (8-10% of global emissions including a lot of methane) didn’t get much of a mention. Today WRAP will reveal the number of country plans which actually include it! I am at the Agri-Food Systems Summit on Friday hosted by Climate Action Innovation Zone, Baku Marriott. Please come with your experience and join our roundtable at Future Food System Hackathon to share or co-create solutions preventing food loss and waste. Dr Richard Swannell FRSA and Keith James are here with partners like ReFED FareShare and The Global FoodBanking Network to share best practice between countries. WRAP has been tackling organic waste for over twenty years. Last week WRAP, EY-Parthenon and IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) published a UK food sector Net Zero Transition Plan - data-driven and ready for implementation. Not every business will agree with all of it, but every business can get behind at least one of the game-changing programmes to deliver significant impact. The plan models a 25% GHG reduction from 2021 to 2030, with new cost estimates at the national level. It emphasises the need for increased green financial incentives for UK farmers and to drive climate-positive practices in imported food supply chains. Which brings us back to the conversation here in Baku. The step up required is both in the action plans and the financing of those plans. As Andrea Porro asked yesterday “if food and agriculture is 30% of global GHGs, why is only 3% of financing targeted at farmers?” Catherine David Harriet Lamb https://lnkd.in/ewBBgRaV

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Food waste contributes 8-10% of total greenhouse gas emissions (five times more than aviation) and yet features in few NDCs, the UN lingo for country targets and plans. A new WRAP survey of NDCs shows that only 12% of countries so far have plans for food loss and waste reduction in them. This is therefore a massive opportunity to increase the impact of the countries yet to include food loss and waste in their plans. Countries are missing a golden opportunity to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and increase security of food supplies to their citizens by preventing food loss and waste. There are many successful examples of how to do this from around the world that are ready to be applied, which the team at WRAP can share and advise on. And there’s still time for countries to add in a commitment, before the deadline for this round of NDCs closes in February… #foodwaste #COP29 https://lnkd.in/eqRR7-Sp

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An extraordinarily powerful piece out today from the Green Finance Institute and collaborators. In summary, Nature degradation could cause 12% loss to UK GDP in coming years. https://lnkd.in/eBbfQX9d "Biodiversity loss and environmental degradation create demonstrably material risks for the UK economy and financial sector, in addition to their wider social impacts. These impacts are near and present; reflecting the significant decline in the functioning of critical ecosystem services in the UK and around the world. While the analysis presented in this report is preliminary, these conclusions are clear and supported by multiple lines of evidence. The top 3 takeaways: 1. The deterioration of the natural environment in the UK and around the world could slow economic growth and lead to major shocks that could result in GDP being 6% lower than it would have been otherwise by the 2030s under two scenarios and 12% lower under an AMR-pandemic scenario. 2. Gradual (chronic) year-to year environmental degradation is as detrimental or more so than climate change. Chronic changes in ecosystem health alone, for example due to local air and water pollution and global deforestation, create material impacts. 3. Environmental degradation increases the chance and impacts of an acute climate or health shock, and the combined effect would have a very material impact on the economy. Within the analysis, a new inventory charts domestic and international-related risks to the UK economy, many of which are not currently captured in national risk assessments. The inventory captures financial risks arising from the deterioration of nature and biodiversity, including: soil health decline; water shortages; global food security repercussions; zoonotic diseases that pass from animals to humans, like bird flu, swine flu, and Covid-19; and antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria and viruses no longer respond to medicines; as well as transition and litigation risks."

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A piece I wrote recently about green investment and nature markets. https://lnkd.in/eav8GdUx There's so much potential. Crucially an expert, trusted, intermediary or broker, bringing together investment, environment & community expertise, could bundle up projects and income streams to offer attractive investment opportunities.

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A new report exposes a scary trend of "#green grabs" - large-scale land acquisitions for carbon offset projects and #conservation. This is happening despite little evidence of #climate benefit, and it pushes small farmers off their land. In #India, land inequality is already a big problem, with the top 10% owning 45% of farmland. #GreenGrabs make it worse, threatening food security for millions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dWJptwBu

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During last weeks #PlasticsTreaty INC4-meeting I talked with Steve Toloken from Plastics News on the recent UN Environment Programme science report categorised #EPS (Expanded #polystyrene) transport #packaging as “#recycled at scale and in practice” on a global level. This makes EPS one of only six plastic packagings, which is widely regarded as recyclable. It is a tipping point for the EPS industry, as we no longer need to discuss if EPS can be part of the #circulareconomy! We can now focus on increasing #recycling and expanding coverage. The aim is of course to achieve app. 90% effective recycling rate, such as in Norway and Switzerland! In Denmark at EPS-branchen - en del af Plastindustrien we estimate we are close and will achieve this with roll out of EPR (extended producer responsibility). Proud to represent EUMEPS as part of GESA in the process. Read the interesting conversation between Steve, Betsy Bowers from EPS INDUSTRY ALLIANCE INC and Becher Townshend from Expanded Polystyrene Australia (EPSA). https://lnkd.in/deV-C2fW

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Really useful post from Hannah Ritchie summarising the PHEV vs BEV debate For me it’s clear that BEVs are the future - and that we need to incentivise the purchase of them to keep the momentum of rapid market scale up that we’re now seeing … hopefully new battery chemistries will drive down costs and lifetime carbon even more… #climatechange #climatecrisis #energytransition #electricvehicles https://lnkd.in/e4QnwujA

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Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) are designed to provide transparency by certifying the origin of renewable energy & helping track its credentials from generation to user. But as the application of REGOs extends beyond the original design, we ask what more may be needed to support decarbonisation? Cornwall Insight’s new report, commissioned by BT Group, 'Reviewing the Future of REGOs for Corporate' explores four critical questions to answer what the future holds for REGOs: ➡ What role do REGOs play in the GB electricity sector? ➡ Do REGOs encourage the development of new renewable energy projects? ➡ How does end-user participation in the REGO market affect the renewable energy transition? ➡ What viable alternatives to REGOs exist? Discover the full insights by downloading the report here: https://lnkd.in/evwwjxuU

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#Nature’s contribution to people is too often overlooked. Technical solutions to #mitigate or #adapt to #climatechange are hailed as the saviour. Damaging nature further, not removing other stressors which makes climate change #impacts and #risks worse, will accelerate impacts on people. We need to reverse and empower local communities to #protect what they #value.

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Are there any groups out there focused on businesses and organisations actually delivering circular economy or regenerative products or services? There seems to be lots of chatter but a shortage of groups linking organisations who are taking action. Input welcome!

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📢 Upcoming COP16 Side Event at the EU Pavilion: Finance for a Just Transition to a Nature Positive Economy As the urgency to address biodiversity loss grows, the role of the financial sector in supporting the transition to a nature-positive economy has never been more vital. This event will convene leaders from finance, policy, and conservation to discuss how government bodies, financial institutions, investors, and nature-based enterprises can contribute to a just transition that supports biodiversity and sustainable development. 📅 Date: 30/10 📍 Location: EU Pavilion, Blue Zone CBD COP16 Event Highlights: Keynote Presentation by Karen Ellis, Chief Economist at WWF-UK, who will share insights from the concept note on the nature-positive economy, developed as part of the EU-funded GoNaturePositive! project. Panel Discussion: Moderated by Gilles Doignon, Team Leader for Biodiversity & Nature-Based Solutions at the EU Commission, this panel will explore the financial sector’s role in advancing a nature-positive economy. The discussion will include insights from: -> Matt Jones, Chief Impact Officer at UNEP-WCMC and Co-Chair of the IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment -> Marco Lambertini, Convener, Nature Positive Initiative -> Innocent Onah, PhD, Chief Natural Resources Officer, African Development Bank ->Sebastien Soleille, Global Head of Energy Transition and Environment, BNP Paribas This NetworkNature EU hosted side event, organized by UNEP-WCMC, ICLEI, Trinity College Dublin, and the EU Commission, provides a unique platform to discuss pathways for finance to support sustainable economic practices, aligned with societal goals. #COP16Colombia #COP16Cali #BiodiversityFinance #NaturePositiveEconomy #SustainableFinance #JustTransition Daniela Rizzi Siobhan McQuaid

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408 climate experts have signed an open letter asking UK political party leaders to pledge ambitious action on climate change. The letter outlines five specific actions required in a programme of climate action. These include a strategy for meeting the UK’s Carbon Budgets and net zero targets, action to help the UK adapt and become more resilient to climate impacts, international leadership on climate change and support for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. https://lnkd.in/ezjNbTut

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Some really important new research from UNEP-WCMC, showing just how valuable investing in nature can be - for the UK, it's suggested that for every £1 invested in closing the natural capital gap, £34 will be returned in benefits. This benefit-cost ratio is well above the average for the 40 countries considered.     The total potential net benefit for the United Kingdom is about £1 trillion over the period 2021 to 2030.    The potential benefits are huge, not least as these figures are likely to be underestimates. They show how much of an opportunity there is for investing in nature and the scale of rewards to us all, as we tangibly see nature's recovery over time and for generations to come. This report follows recent research from Green Finance Institute that shared nature loss could lead to an estimated 6-12% loss of GDP in the coming years, greater than that in the global financial and Covid-19 crises.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eGRReRPy  #Economy #NatureBasedSolutions #Investment

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We welcome the science-informed position of this paper from Lindsay Hooper and Paul Gilding, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), that a step-change in approach to corporate decarbonisation is required since efforts to date are "failing to keep pace with the scale of the problem." https://lnkd.in/gYn4wEE8 “The business case for sustainability is clear: companies cannot thrive on a planet suffering from cascading crises and unmanageable risks. Yet, despite decades of corporate commitments, businesses continue to damage the planet, carbon emissions to rise and fossil fuel companies to chase growth. The environmental, social and governance agenda has not delivered and in its current form it never will. We urgently need a change of mindset and a fundamental redesign of the markets that frame business decisions.” FT article: https://lnkd.in/d9C_pZ8D

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Plastic Industry Subsidised by at Least US$45 Billion/year Great presentation by my Eunomia Research & Consulting colleague Tanzir Chowdhury of our work with Quaker United Nations Office, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and supported by Dalberg Catalyst on plastics subsidies at #INC5, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (hopefully) agreeing a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Tanzir presented on the extent of subsidies on primary plastic polymer production and the impact of ending subsidies on reducing demand and production. In this initial research, current subsidies are shown to amount to at least US$ 45 billion a year, forecast to rise to at least US$78 billion by 2050 - but this initial study just scratches the surface of this issue, with the true figures likely to be much higher. Nevertheless, global agreements have already been reached on sectors with similar levels of damaging subsidies such as the fishing industry. The full report can be found here https://lnkd.in/dsrgehXE

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There are so many ways organisations like PWC and their supply chains can help nature. A great way is to support and invest with organisations like Chiltern Rangers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), The Woodland Trust and others to take action in their local areas. Working locally reduces travel and creates a better, more connected landscape. Not only can positive activity sessions like Be a Ranger days help directly e.g. tree planting, river cleans or coppicing in the woods; these days are great for teambuilding, health and well being, giving back to the community and much more. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dmm27gDx What stops your company for booking these sessions and making the difference for people, place and nature??

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