Search Results for: Environmental health

An anticipated surge in supply and demand for renewable diesel, fuel that is chemically identical to its fossil fuel predecessor, is likely to cause major disruption to the American vegetable oil market and industry, notably soy.

With the US government and certain states regarding renewable diesel as a swift way to further reduce carbon emissions and meet Paris agreement climate change targets, the prospects for major additional purchases of soybeans within the American domestic market are very real.…

While the estimation of sources of laundered money is made imprecise by its inherent covert nature, the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) has estimated that the amount of criminal proceeds processed annually is 2%-5% of global GDP, or USD800 billion to USD2 trillion.…

The Bangladesh clothing manufacturing sector is continuing to strive to improve its sustainability profile, which has remained a key focus since the collapse of the Rana Plaza manufacturing complex killed 1,134 people in 2013.

While the response has been uneven, the industry and government has been and is continuing to adopt circular economy methods, chase UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), alignment, improve working conditions and pay, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, chemical management, water resource management, waste reduction, and more.…

Young and aspiring accountants might balk at the idea of working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region’s oil and gas sector. A connection to hydrocarbons amid growing societal pressure to de-carbonise economies can, in some circles, attract criticism.

But for GCC accountants, the ability to combine financial reporting with every increasing sustainability assessment tool, means oil and gas might be a good long term career bet.…

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has published a blueprint for how upcoming international sustainability reporting standards can be implemented within national and regional jurisdictions. IFAC foresees a different approach for a first block of rules – on investor-focused sustainability information – than for policy-focused sustainability reporting (a second projected block).…

THE TRANSPORT of edible oils and fats by sea is not just big business – it has become increasingly regulated under international convention and controlled by industry standards, with a view to improving efficiencies and reducing the risk of pollution and contamination.…

THE RULING council of the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) is preparing to agree major reforms to the International Cocoa Agreement, which should see the agreement increase its commitment to boost sustainability in the chocolate sector.

Council members are considering final changes committing the ICCO to ensuring that cocoa production, processing and manufacture is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.…

Last July (2020), Infracapital, the infrastructure team at UK-based investment managers M&G plc, invested EUR 110 million (USD130 million) in EnergyNest, a small Norwegian company that has developed a novel thermal battery technology. Its ThermalBattery (a trademark) batteries, consisting of a concrete-like storage material made from abundant, recyclable and non-hazardous geomaterials, store excess industrial heat until needed, enabling the transfer of industrial waste heat into electricity and renewable power in industrial heat processes.…

Japanese paint companies have felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their bottom lines over the last 18 months, although their fortunes appear to have diverged in the first half of this calendar year. Firms that have a strong presence in China, where the economy has already bounced back strongly, are faring better than those that are primarily focused on domestic sales or export markets still struggling to shake off the lingering effects of the global health crisis.…

THE EUROPEAN Commission has tightened rules on whether packs of paints and coatings integrating titanium dioxide (TiO2) can carry European Union (EU) eco labels. The EU executive has ruled that from October 1, (2021) manufacturers can no longer use the whitener in EU Ecolabel paint and varnish products, when TiO2 concentrations exceed 0.010% by weight.…