MoreEco | News & Views

Green investment ‘covers a wide range of techniques’

Green and ethical investments no longer centre around leaving some companies out of a stock portfolio, one expert has suggested.

Penny Shepherd, chief executive of UKSIF – the sustainable investment and finance association, said that sustainable investment now covers a wide range of investment techniques and is “fundamentally about making a positive choice”.

Ms Shepherd said that this could include choosing the most responsible company in the sector, working with fund managers that encourage companies to improve their performance or investing in new “sunrise industries rather than sunset industries”.

“We are in a situation where the new coalition government says it will be the greenest government ever [and] that should make a difference both to companies managing their social and environmental impact and those who provide them with the tools to do that better,” she added.

The comments come after figures from the Investment Management Association showed that net retail sales of ethical funds in the second quarter of 2010 were at their highest level since the final three months of 2007.

>>> Please read the full article here

Majority of UK businesses ‘not measuring carbon footprint’

The majority of UK companies do not measure their carbon footprint yet, the Carbon Trust has claimed.

Britain’s largest business and public organisations now have less than 50 days to sign up to the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is intended to help the country meet its carbon reduction target.

However, a survey conducted by the trust revealed that just 26 per cent of firms make the effort to measure their emissions, Bloomberg reports.

Some 38 per cent of the 200 finance directors who took part in the poll said that they planned to begin monitoring their carbon footprint in the next five years.

Harry Morrison, general manager of the Carbon Trust, said that finance departments are playing a greater role in monitoring emissions. Earlier this year, Mr Morrison said that the key to implementing a successful CRC strategy lies within the internal audit and data collection processes.

“In many companies, the finance team in their internal audit function are best placed to have a robust view of carbon and environmental data than the energy and climate teams may have done in the past,” the news provider quoted him as saying.

>>> Please read the full article here

Eco Summer Holidays!

For once the weather in England is shining and it serves to remind us to ditch the chocolate and get bikini ready. Whether you’re staying at home or jetting off to some luxurious location don’t let the sun distract you from the importance of keeping an eye on your carbon footprint.

There are plenty of eco-friendly alternatives to flying away to your favourite destinations. Check out responsible tour operators to find out what the least damaging methods of travel are to the planet. Also try and buy sustainably wherever you can. Here are our top ten tips to keep yourself eco-friendly this Summer.

1. Get in the slimming mood – eat less, drink more water and buy more organically produced food. It’s good for the planet and for your beach-body.

2. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine. There’s nothing better than ditching the car for a sunny walk to work and it will tone up those legs too!

3. Avoid those airports. Planes are the number one most damaging form of transportation to the planet. Try and find alternatives such as the train or ferry.

4. Buy eco wherever possible. We all need you need to protect your skin with sun tan lotion and your eyes with sunglasses so make those purchases count. Buy sustainably sourced products from eco-shops.

5. Recycle your old summer clothes. It’s all too easy to fall for the latest trend (maxi-dress anyone?) so make sure you truly need it before you buy. Leaving the purchase until the next day is sure to stop any impulse purchases. And if you simply have to have it then try and buy eco-friendly wherever you can.

6. Support Britain! Stay in the country and enjoy everything we have to offer. Avoid increasing your carbon footprint by lavishing in the stunning scenery the UK has to offer.

7. Shop around. Find the best deals and the most planet-friendly goods.

8. Use your green thumbs. This stunning weather is the perfect excuse to get out in the garden and enjoy the sun.

9. Talking of gardening, use those leftover scraps of food to make your own compost. Stops any wasteful disposal, recycles leftovers and it’s good for your garden. Perfect.

10. Have fun! There is nothing better for the planet than optimism. Believe you can make a difference, do what you can, buy sustainably where you can and then enjoy yourself.

>>> Find out more about responsible travel here

Green Events Update

2010 has seen some fantastic green events already. As eco innovation develops and more and more consumers demand sustainable companies it is important to keep on top of the new trends, technologies and fashions in the eco-friendly world! Eco-online stores are your first stop to learning more about going green but if you want to check out the products, services and technology first hand look no further than these fantastic events:

Earth Day - The 40th Anniversary – April 22nd 2010

Marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Real Food Festival – 7th to10th May 2010, Earl’s Court

Discover some of the best food and drink from small producers from around the world. Tastings, workshops and more.

Walk to School Week – 17th – 21st May 2010

Walk to School Week is an action-packed awareness week in spring each year. We encourage parents, teachers and local authorities to run fun events and activities to raise awareness about walking to school. Each year we set a new theme and produce loads of bright and colourful resources to go with it and to help you take part!

Sustainabilitylive! – May 20th to 22nd, 2010

Sustainabilitylive! taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 19 – 21 May 2009, is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land.

Green Festival – Saturday 22nd May, 2010

Planning is underway for the Green festival in 2010. 2009’s festival was a big hit and the planners are currently looking for a theme for this years festival!

World Environment Day – 5th June 2010

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action

Newcastle Community Green Festival – 5^th – 6^th June 2010

The North’s biggest free environmental festival. In 2008 they had over 16,000 visitors and if you’re on the lookout for a weekend of fun for all the family then look no further! The weekend festival is jam packed full of top class entertainment, workshops, activities and music to suit all tastes and ages. Combining the weird and the wonderful to spread the environmental message.

Their aim is to promote positive solutions to environmental problems and raise awareness of green and ethical issues. From mad-cap bike powered music stages to a solar powered cinema – they have something for everyone! The festival takes place in the picturesque setting of Leazes Park – a 5 minute walk from the city centre. Check the site in the new year for details of dates etc.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride 2010 – June 13th

In June 2010, in cities around the world, people will be riding bikes naked to celebrate cycling and the human body. The World Naked Bike Ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.

Recycle Week – 21nd to 27th June

It’s easy to get involved this Recycle Week which is organised by Recycle Now. We can all help by doing anything from re-using our carrier bags to recycling old electrical items – remembering to put as much of our recycling out, reducing our food waste and home composting of course! However you choose to waste less, it’s easy, it helps the environment and you might even save money in the process.

National Shed Week - 9th to 14th July 2010

“Do you have a garden shed that is unique?” asks Uncle Wilco head sheddie of readersheds.co.uk. “Maybe it’s your own little bolthole away from the trials of life. Maybe you have converted your humble garden building into a pub, or it’s just a normal wooden building that’s special to you.”

Fiddler’s Green International Festival – 18th – 25th July, 2010. Rostrevor, Northern Ireland.

The Fiddler’s Green Festival has come a long way in the last 24 years. It began as a one day event, progressed to a weekend one and now extends to eight days and seven nights of music, culture and craic. With up to 200 events the festival caters for music fanatics, families who wish to enjoy a safe, child focused festival, and those who come just to soak up the scenery, the friendliness and the free outdoor music. Based in the scenic village of Rostrevor, preparations for the 24th festival are well in hand.

There will be free outdoor ceilis, an open air stage, art exhibitions, children’s entertainment and even a literary pub crawl, with the emphasis on ‘literary’ rather than ‘crawling’! All musical tastes are catered for (folk, blues, country, classical), with lunchtime, early evening and night time folk clubs Each year the Festival bestows two special awards; the Hall of Fame Award which celebrates lifelong achievement in Irish Music, and the Creative Arts Award to acknowledge achievements in the Arts and Literary fields, the first award having been presented to poet laureate Seamus Heaney. The recipients of these awards are traditionally named closer to the Festival’s formal launch.

The Big Tent 2010 – Saturday 23rd-Sunday 24th July 2010

Scotland’s biggest eco festival

The Big Tent Festival of Stewardship, will be held in Falkland, Fife – expect a return of activities like the Climate Challenge Ceilidh, Earth Climate Champion’s Zone, Earth Action Talks sponsored by WWF Scotland, a Family Zone, a brand new Wood Zone, plus the return of our celebrated Food Village.

National Allotments Week – 9th to 15th August 2010

A week to promote awareness and availability of allotments both locally and nationally as well as showing the public and the local authorities the strength of support and interest for the heritage of allotment culture.

Croissant Neuf Party – 13th-15th August 2010

Greenest festival of the year 2009 The Croissant Neuf Summer Party is brought to you by the team responsible for one of the oldest features of Glastonbury festival – The Croissant Neuf Solar Powered Venue.

As well as great music expect internationally renowned street theatre, workshops of all kinds from dancing to bushcraft, open mic sessions, sports activities, and more.

World Water Week – 5th to 11th September 2010

Experts from 100 countries are assembled this week in a global effort to improve human; welfare and the planet’s health.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – 16th September 2010

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – reflects the urgent need to preserve the ozone layer, which filters sunlight and prevents the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, thereby preserving life on the planet.

Peace One Day – 21^st September 2010

To some it’s just a single day. But to us, 21 September is a 24 hour-long platform for life-saving activities around the world and an opportunity for individuals – particularly young people – to become involved in the peace process. 21 September is the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence: Peace Day.

By 2007, the UN estimated that over 100 million people from all walks of life actively supported Peace Day around the world. That same year, Peace One Day was instrumental in securing the conditions by which mass polio vaccinations could be carried out in Afghanistan on Peace Day; 1.4 million children were vaccinated in some of the most remote areas of the country. And in 2008, an additional 1.6 million were treated. That’s an estimated 3 million children in Afghanistan alone – on Peace Day.

On Peace Day 2008 in Afghanistan the United Nations Department for Safety and Security, which monitors security related incidents, recorded a 70 per cent reduction in violent incidents on the day itself.

World Carfree Day – 22nd September 2010

World Carfree Day is an annual celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars.

World Toilet Day 2010 – 19th November

Did you know there is currently a world sanitation crisis? Hard to believe that 2.5 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet! World Toilet Day is all about raising this sort of awareness and converting awareness into action.

Our partners WaterAid work hard to educate people on this serious issue and to enable some of the worlds poorest people to gain access to effective sanitation. It’s not just having a safe, clean place to go to the toilet that’s important but washing your hands after too! The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40%.

To read more about this worldwide call to action follow the link below.

Buy Nothing Day – 27th November, 2010

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment, Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite – while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Big Green Gathering 2010 – date to be confirmed

What is it? The Big Green Gathering is a 5 day camping event which is currently located in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It has grown out of the original Green Gatherings of the 1980’s and the Green Fields of Glastonbury Music Festival. It has developed organically in response to a desire from people within the green movement for a festival that was focused on Green issues.

For more information check out MoreEco’s Green Events page

Climate change could exacerbate hay fever

The number of people suffering from hay fever is expected to soar over the next two decades as a result of pollution and climate change.

According to the Hay Fever Health Report, commissioned by Kleenex, half the UK population could have the condition by 2030.

Hay fever is a type of allergic reaction caused by pollen or spores and affects the nose, sinuses, throat and eyes, causing cold-like symptoms.

According to the NHS, around ten million people in England are currently affected by it, but the report suggests this could rise to 32 million 20 years from now.

Professor Jean Emberlin, author of the report, said growth in the UK’s urban population will accentuate the natural rise in hay fever.

“Climate change will also impact upon the timing and severity of pollen seasons making them longer and more severe,” she added.

Hay fever is more likely to occur in those with a family history of allergies, particularly asthma or eczema.

>>> Please read the full article here

Tories urge electorate to vote blue, go green

The Conservatives have published their 2010 election manifesto with the claim that people who vote for them will be helping the environment.

In the document, the party said it wanted to make it easier for people and businesses to go green by putting incentives in place to help them.

It said it would aim to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and deliver a ten per cent cut in central government emissions within 12 months.

The party also said it would introduce an Emissions Performance Standard to limit the greenhouse gases produced by power stations and deliver an offshore electricity grid to support a new generation of wind power.

It added that under a Conservative government, energy regulator Ofgem would be reformed and cut the number of quangos intervening in the energy market.

For families, a Green Deal would be introduced giving homes up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures, the manifesto stated.

The energy efficiency of household appliances would also be improved through a new scheme similar to the ‘top runner’ initiative in Japan.

Labour launched its election manifesto yesterday (April 12th) making a number of environmental pledges, including a commitment to generate 40 percent of the UK’s electricity from low-carbon sources by 2020.

>>> Please read the full article here

80 percent cuts in carbon emissions possible

Cutting Europe’s carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 is possible, but the continent must eradicate carbon-emitting power generation.

This is the conclusion of a new report by the European Climate Foundation, which states that an 80 percent cut on 1990 levels would require a move to an almost zero-carbon power supply.

In the short term, the cost of implementing these policies would be higher than conducting business as usual, but over the longer term it would not lead to higher energy prices, the document stated.

Matt Philips, a spokesman for the European Climate Foundation, said: “When the Roadmap 2050 project began it was assumed that high-renewable energy scenarios would be too unstable to provide sufficient reliability.”

It was also thought that they would be uneconomic and that major breakthroughs in technology would be needed to move in this direction.

“Roadmap 2050 has found all of these assertions to be untrue,” he said.

According to data from the European Commission, carbon emissions from companies covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme fell by 11.2 percent last year.

>>> Please read the full article here

Early flowering plants signal climate change threat

Plants in Britain are flowering earlier in the year than at any time in the last two-and-a-half centuries, a new study shows.

Published in the journal Proceedings B, it revealed that for every one degrees Celsius increase in temperature, plants flower five days earlier.

The data was compiled using information gathered by domestic gardeners over the last 250 years.

More than 400 species of plant were examined, allowing researchers to estimate when plants will flower in the future as global warming causes temperatures to rise.

This means they can carry out conservation work to protect animals and other plant species that may be affected by the changes to their environment.

Richard Smithers, senior conservation advisor at the Woodland Trust, who helped to compile the research, told the Telegraph: “It is hard to make climate change real for people. This makes it very real for people.”

Earlier this year, the BBC reported that spring in the UK is beginning 11 days earlier on average than it was 30 years ago, according to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology.

>>> Please read the full article here

Puma to Unveil Phase One of Sustainability Plan

Featuring a Preview of PUMA’s New Sustainable Packaging System by renowned Industrial Designer Yves Behar

WHAT: In a press conference on Tuesday, 13 April 2010 at the Design Museum in London, PUMA will unveil Phase I of its ambitious long-term sustainability plan as part of the PUMAVision concept which will set a new industry standard. The announcement is anchored by the launch of an innovative new packaging and distribution system that PUMA created in partnership with world-renowned industrial designer, Yves Behar.

The press announcement coincides with the Design Museum’s “Sustainable Futures – Can Design Make a Difference?” exhibition, which is sponsored by PUMA and showcases a range of design and architecture projects that have contributed to a more sustainable future.

WHEN: Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Press presentation: 10:00-10:30 AM
Media Q&As: 10:30-11:00 AM
Pre-scheduled 1-to-1 interviews: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

WHO: Jochen Zeitz (Chairman and CEO, PUMA AG), Yves Behar (Designer), Deyan Sudjic (Director, Design Museum), Nina Due (Exhibition Curator, Design Museum)

WHERE: DESIGN MUSEUM Shad Thames, London SE1

WHY: PUMA’s position as the creative leader in Sportlifestyle presents an opportunity and the responsibility to act in positive ways that work toward a better world for the generations to come. For PUMA that better world would be safer, more peaceful, and more creative than the world we know today. PUMA believes that the ultimate responsibility for businesses is to give back to the environment what was taken. Packaging is one of the most obvious issues that any company selling products to consumers around the world, and aspiring to meet its environmental responsibilities needs to address. PUMA has looked hard at finding new ways to reduce its environmental “paw print”. PUMA’s collaboration with Yves Behar in developing a pioneering and innovative design for sustainable packaging and its distribution system is one example of PUMA’s long-term commitment to sustainability and a significant contribution to its overall sustainability drive.

>>> Read the full article here

Top Ten Eco-Lifestyle Changes

1. Get in the Garden – get outside and have some fun gardening! There are plenty of fantastic green products around and growing your own fruit and veg helps reduce your carbon footprint and persuades you to keep healthy!

2. Compost Compost Compost! – Make sure you keep a compost bin and make the most of your left over food scraps. Just place all peelings and left over biodegradable vegetables in your compost bin and then watch your home-grown vegetables thrive.

3. Walk – walk your kids to school, walk to work, walk to town. Reduce your carbon footprint and tone up by ditching the car keys and grabbing your walking shoes.

4. Watch that water level – Only boil the amount of water you need, fill your dishwasher to the brim, time your showers, limit the number of baths you have and watch your water bills (and carbon footprint) decrease.

5. Turn it off – turn off those appliances. Turn off the lights you aren’t using. Switch the TV off at the plug each night and don’t leave your laptops and mobiles plugged in all day everyday. Not only will you be helping the environment but you will notice a difference to your energy bill.

6. Recycling can be fun! – Get the kids involved. Check with your local council what can be recycled and make sure to adhere to their rules. And get creative! Old clothes can be given new life, old containers can be used to make toys (think Blue Peter!) and wrapping paper and gift cards can always be personalised and re-used.

7. Find eco-alternatives – Going on holiday? Take a train, not a plane. Try and stay local or take an eco-route where possible. Or looking to buy a new book? Head to your local charity shop, they will have plenty!

8. Get eco-fit – don’t stay at home watching television. Grab the kids, turn off those lights and get active! Take a walk to your local park, have fun and get fit. Learning to enjoy the outdoors will help you appreciate the importance of keeping our environment healthy and getting active will make you feel more energised and less like sitting in front of the TV or computer.

9. Teach those around you – Make sure your family, your children and your friends know the importance of making small changes in their lives that can considerably reduce their carbon footprint.

10. Get involved – stick to your eco-resolutions and find out about any local charities or organisations that need help with their green agenda. If you can spare some money look to giving a monthly sum to a non-profit organisation that concentrates on ecological issues and, if you have the time, campaign your local MP and local companies to make green promises (and stick to them!).