The Fifth Estate’s Post

Great piece from Stephen Dark on the complexity of this industry in terms of greenwash. And this: Is democracy up to the task? While some democracies, like the UK, acknowledge the need for climate action, others, such as the US, Australia, and Canada, are mired in sophomoric debates about the validity and urgency of addressing dangerous climate change. The US President-elect and convicted felon, Donald Trump, a climate change denier, is set to reverse the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The US is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and is responsible for the largest share of historical emissions. As such, it can be viewed in two ways: as a successful industrialised democratic republic or as the world’s most advanced third-world country. In 2024, the UN Office of Sustainable Development ranked the US 46th worldwide. Australia fared only slightly better at 37th, just above Cuba. Irrespective, pernicious political polarisation — an “us versus them” mindset and the downside of democracy — has led some scholars to question whether a democracy can genuinely tackle environmental issues like the climate change crisis. Earth scientist and father of Gaia Theory, James Lovelock, believes that political plurality is incompatible with environmentalism.

Why aren't we making more progress on climate? In spite of commitments by countries, innovation from business and increases in renewal energy why are we emitting more than ever? A Bloomberg article yesterday suggested that finance may be at the center of the answer. While governments make commitments to reduce emissions they are still subsidizing new fossil fuel projects to the tune of a trillion dollars. At the same time, carbon taxes may aim to reduce consumption but those companies that pollute still don't pay for the damage they are doing the article noted. So we are drilling for more and more fossil fuels while promising to stop using them. And guess what two countries represent the largest new fossil fuel growth-the United States and Canada. All of this made my conversation with Tzeporah Berman on my podcast The Way Forward this week timely. She's a renowned activist who is now a leader on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. She speaks powerfully about where we are now in climate progress and what is needed. Tzeporah BermanSustainable Brands Andrew WinstonDaniel AronsonDimitar VlahovEtienne White https://lnkd.in/ggwQJdEX

As expected, hot off the heels of The White House announcing it wants to see the Voluntary Carbon Credit Market fixed & expanded comes the criticism. “These findings shed further light on the dangerous distraction that the voluntary #carbonmarket remains" - Rachel Rose Jackson Corporate Accountability’s Director of Climate Research & Policy. Is there been abuse of #carboncredit & are there projects of questionable environmental benefit- yes, that's why the #usgovernment announced the need for reforms, focused round corporates acting with integrity. Will some businesses, investors, brokers, consultants, projects etc still seek to abuse the system - of course, there are always those who cheat & care only about their own gain, even if it hurts others. Should the response be to scrap the VCM, depriving projects in #DevelopingEconomies and emerging #sustainable technologies of funding via #carboncredits? That "dangerous distraction" is often a vital source of #finance without which many projects will not go ahead. Or should the response be to enforce & monitor it more closely, with those not acting with integrity publicly shamed & punished? The article mentions The Walt Disney Company - would they risk their reputation to save a few cents buying bad credits? If companies don't feel that acting without integrity in the #carbonmaret will impact their customers and profits, then we are all wasting our time, as it means the public doesn't care. “Research demonstrates over & over that carbon markets are fraudulent, prolong the fossil fuel industries, accelerate climate chaos and violate the rights of Indigenous Peoples,” - Tamra Gilbertson of the Indigenous Environmental Network “UN negotiators at this week’s climate talks in Bonn aim to legitimize these dangerous markets into a global agreement that would mark doom for the planet. Keeping fossil fuels in the ground stops climate change, not incentivizing pollution.” Delta Air Lines & easyJet are mentioned - probably a number of those heading to Bonn for the United Nations #climatetalk will be flying with them. Will the delegates boycott the airlines? Or maybe cycle there instead - which they may have to do, if the suggestion of keeping #fossilfuel in the ground is adopted. In the 40+ years I've been involved in #sustainability, one of the biggest problems preventing real progress shifting to more sustainable solutions & helping more people access resources to spread wealth and resources to the many, rather than the privileged few, has been the difficulty raising finance for solutions, & deploying them where they are needed, especially in poorer regions & the Developing World. Carbon credits are a very useful finance tool to solve this, and as the speakers at the launch earlier this week pointed out, we need all the tools we can get, until we come up with better solutions https://lnkd.in/eCfqGGDf #voluntarycarboncreditmarket

How do you avoid making a mess with green claims? Come to the Climate Change and Business Conference this year and find out! 💚📝🔽 The Climate Change and Business Conference was my favourite event last year. Two days packed with detailed sessions, great local and international speakers, and a massive audience of people doing great work across the motu. I enjoyed it so much I may have shared a video or two... or three... 📹 This year, I get to run a roundtable session with Nikki Wright (APR, FPRINZ, CMInstD), Gemma Rasmussen, and Richard Massey, on: "Greenwashing, greenhushing, greenwishing: Examining the new territories of risk for climate action" 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 ‘𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙’ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒? 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑦? Over almost two hours, I want to dive deep into the current practical challenges of making green claims and the latest hot topics. We all know the headline principles, but the devil is in the detail so let's face into that challenge. What should we make sure we cover? green claims on social media? SBTi targets? circularity claims? environmental attribute certificates? transition claims? I'm keen to hear so let me know in a comment or DM and we will cover it. We need to talk about the sustainability credentials of our products and services with customers and investors. We need to talk about our targets, our goals, and our transition plans. Staying silent (or making inaccurate claims) is not a viable option. The conference is on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 September at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau. Check out the full programme and come join us: https://lnkd.in/gg9_5bDu Sustainable Business Council NZ | Environmental Defence Society (EDS) | Climate Leaders Coalition #CCBC24 #leadingclimateaction #sustainablebusiness #esg #climatechange #sustainability #DLAPiperNZ

✌️Two things ✌️you can start immediately without any risk of perceived #greenwashing : 1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️calculate your climate impact (GHG emissions) 2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️reduce your climate impact (in & beyond your value chain) And then share this transparantly. Nothing wrong with that, and x1000 better than doing nothing👌 #climateaction #nomoregreenhushing #nomoregreenwashing

ALTRA’s greatest impact on sustainability is through the solutions we developed for our customers and communities and have a positive impact on the environment. We have six clear United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and we are using these to guide us in setting new environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets to support our vision. #ESG #GlobalGoals #SustainableWorld #SDGs

📣 Through our collaboration with Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership's Climate Action Programme, we are excited to showcase climate progress happening in Redcliffe and Temple. 🌱 Today, we’re sharing a Climate Action Programme case study from international law firm, Osborne Clarke - UK. ✅ After recently making national headlines for moving into Halo, one of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings, we caught up with Mary Lavin, Sustainability Manager at Osborne Clarke to hear more about how they are working towards their 2040 Science Based Net Zero Target. Read more to learn about the steps Osborne Clarke are making to meet their Net Zero Target, including their top tips for businesses for climate and nature action. 👉 Read the full case study https://ow.ly/PpbR50QLmYx 👉 Learn more about the Climate Action Programme and how to get support for your organisation https://ow.ly/7Bpa50QFHeB 📷 Image credit: Interaction #ClimateActionProgramme #LoveBristol #Sustainability

Nearly two years have passed since the publication of this article, and yet many companies are still grappling with the same issues around carbon neutrality and offsets. The article highlights the gap between real action and tokenism, emphasizing that to truly fight climate change, we need to take action today. It's clear that more needs to be done. Companies must move beyond long-term claims and invest in tangible, impactful actions now. This includes improving energy efficiency in buildings, electrifying transportation, and advocating for robust climate legislation. Only through these meaningful steps can we hope to achieve true sustainability before it’s too late, both for humanity and for the economy. https://lnkd.in/daF74dfB

“By improving verbal, visual and structural flexibility — as nature so deftly does — we might be able to get climate and sustainability to stick around and stay through the next administration locally and federally.” ➡️ The problem: Environmental programming risks getting axed by incoming conservative administrations in local and national governments. ➡️ Why it matters: Climate action and policy are essential to our survival, so making the work durable, regardless of political leadership, is essential. ➡️ The solution: Taking lessons from biomimicry, we can keep climate work around by staying nimble and flexible, as nature illustrates below My latest for Apolitical Apolitical Foundation https://lnkd.in/eZM289R9

Our latest “A World in Balance 2024” study shows that regulation has been – and will continue to be – a key sustainability driver for organisations. More than three-quarters of Australian executives surveyed stated sustainability regulation is key to the achievement of their climate goals, and that, without regulation, their organisations would have launched fewer environmental sustainability initiatives. For more insights, grab your copy of the third edition of our annual "A World in Balance" research series 👉 https://ow.ly/JBX630sHgkl #CorporateSustainability