Sustainable Views

I wrote the Sustainable Views editor’s note yesterday, summarising the outcome of the recent COP16 on #desertification (no, you’re not going crazy, there was a different COP16 about biodiversity a couple of months ago…) The desertification COPs have typically had a lower profile and attendance levels than the #biodiversity and #climatechange ones (of which COP29 was the most recent). This seems to be changing with last week’s event the most well-attended ever. That is probably the biggest positive from COP16, that understanding about the importance of tackling global #drought risk and #landdegradation issues appears to be growing. Johan Rockström, Director of the PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research even went as far as to tell me that the desertification COP was the one “closest to a success” out of the three COPs that have taken place this year, in terms of advancing an agenda. Although he concedes that there were “very few legally binding decisions on the table” at this meeting, and the one that was on the table — a legally binding global drought resilience protocol — didn’t get passed. Also, interesting questions raised in the ongoing debate about whether the format of the COPs needs shaking up. Attendees at COP16 apparently repeatedly raised the fact that land degradation, biodiversity and climate change are inextricably linked, and should be dealt with in a more joined-up way.

Environmental breaches of EU law represent 10 of the 16 active infringement cases launched by the European Commission against EU member states, a report by the European Court of Auditors reveals. As of the end of 2023, member states have so far paid €1.41bn in penalties in these 16 active cases, with Italy facing the majority of fines for six ongoing breaches. Read more below. #environmentlaw #EUlaw #EUenvironmentpolicy https://lnkd.in/e444VMxW

On December 6, the EU-Mercosur trade deal was signed after 25 years of negotiations. Here's my take in Sustainable Views on why it is unlikely to be as sustainable as its signatories would have us believe. A few key points: 🌳 Yes the annex to the trade and sustainable development chapter commits parties to “prevent further deforestation and enhance efforts to stabilise or increase forest cover from 2030”. But what does "increase forest cover really mean", what do various clauses mean in relation to the #EUDR and what about protection of other biomes such as the Cerrado not covered by the EUDR? ⛏️ The European Commission says the deal will create an “efficient, reliable and sustainable flow of raw materials critical for the global green transition”. What about the potential deforestation from mining? “Thirty per cent of Brazil’s critical minerals are located in the Amazon region” and “soil erosion, water use or managing mining waste are not explicitly mentioned in TSD annex”. 📜 The latest text include making the Paris Agreement an essential element, but were, for example, Argentina to withdraw from the climate accord, “would the EU have a strong enough incentive, politically or economically, to force its implementation or suspend the Mercosur deal?” 🚘 And how much will EU countries really gain from the deal? “Germany was one of the big member states pushing Mercosur, it is a leading automobile exporter. But to what extent is the EU industry highly competitive in Latin American markets, especially compared with the super cheap small cars and electric vehicles produced in China?” 📢 If policymakers were genuinely serious about sustainability “you would have a different mechanism not based on lobbying, not based on the German government going to the German car industry and asking what they want. Both blocs would start with the agreement that they need to transition away from fossil fuels and work backwards from that." Thanks to Colette van der Ven Liam Campling James Harrison Boris Patentreger for insights. You can read the full article at the link below (treat yourself to a free trial if not already a subscriber, it is nearly Christmas). https://lnkd.in/eHYvUquM

Power-hungry data centres pose a growing challenge for tech companies and host countries to achieve net zero — according to IEA data they consume about 1 per cent of global electricity. Despite their increasingly indispensable role in the global economy “their environmental impact is becoming too challenging to ignore” argues Rick van der Kooij of Mitsubishi Electric Data Centre Solutions in an opinion piece for Sustainable Views. Energy efficiency, cooling technologies, waste heat reuse and strategic power sourcing are all possible solutions for reducing their impact, he says. Read more below: https://lnkd.in/ekBb6V_K #DataCentres #CleanEnergy #NetZero

The UK government has published plans outlining how it will meet its goal to generate 95 per cent of the UK’s total power by 2030 from “clean” sources, turning the country from a net importer to a net exporter of electricity. The government will consult on reforms to the Contracts for Difference auction for renewable energy projects to support higher volumes of new capacity. Changes will also be made to the grid connection process and the first-come-first-served approach to grid connections will be changed. Read more below. #cleanpower2030 #UKcleanpower #UKrenewables https://lnkd.in/ekc5kjzD

Eighty-nine per cent of EU investment funds using sustainability-related terms in their names, or that define themselves as having at least some sustainability objectives, have portfolios that are not aligned with achieving net zero emissions, research by think-tank InfluenceMap has found. The research assessed 3,535 EU-domiciled investment funds that have ESG or climate-related terms in their names and/or define themselves as Article 8 or Article 9 funds under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. Read more below. #sustainablefunds #SFDR #Article8 #Article9 https://lnkd.in/ghaQM5sf

With all the discussion around methane-reducing feed additives, I’ve shared my thoughts in Sustainable Views While these additives may offer solutions, we need to consider their wider impacts on soil health, farming systems, and consumer trust. A more holistic approach is needed. 🌱 https://lnkd.in/ejuvFva9

Methane emissions are responsible for a third of global warming and are being targeted as the fastest and most cost-effective way to slow climate change. But despite government pledges to reduce methane emissions they continue to rise. Private companies from the agriculture and energy industries have also pledged to reduce the amount of methane they produce. But some argue that progress is not happening fast enough. Read more below. #methane #emissions #methanepledge https://lnkd.in/etj_KiKw

The EU's Ecodesign regulation requires products sold in the EU to be designed with “durability, reliability, repairability, upgradability, reusability and recyclability” in mind. However, its priorities are at odds with the business model of all major fashion brands. The regulation “directly challenges fast-fashion companies”, which thrive on selling large volumes of cheap clothing, Urska Trunk, senior campaign manager at Dutch non-profit the Changing Markets Foundation, tells Sustainable Views. But with projections showing that brands plan to continue increasing production and relying on synthetic fibres, have they got the memo? Florence Jones reports. Read more below. #EUEcodesign #Ecodesign #fastfashion https://lnkd.in/eUtsz7iD

After a slow start, adoption of the Financial Conduct Authority’s investment labels for sustainable funds seems to be gaining traction. I’m aware of around 30 funds, across about 10 fund managers that have adopted, or announced they will be adopting, one of the four labels (Sustainability Focus, Sustainability Impact, Sustainability Improvers and Sustainability Mixed Goals). With most of those announcements happening in the last month. However, that number is still far lower than the circa 200 – 300 funds that were predicted to adopt a label. On the flipside, it's only been about four months since the labels were launched, and with the FCA extending the deadline (for eligible funds) to comply with its naming and marketing rules until April, the full market impact of the labels and wider SDR regime won’t be clear until next year. Read more in my latest for Sustainable Views: https://lnkd.in/eDZcEBG7 #SDR #SustainableInvestment #SustainableFinance