Snippets for 10 November 2022

Thanks for reading our Snippets newsletter this week. We hope you find it interesting.

We start off this week with a big development from the International Sustainability Standards Board, as they vote to make Scope 3 emissions reporting mandatory. How organisations fare will become apparent in the coming years, but it’s a big step forward. And not only organisations, but individuals can also have massive footprints with the richest 1% generating more emissions in a year than the poorest 10% do in two decades. However, for those of us not taking our private jets for ten minute hops, public transport is looking to become increasingly low-carbon - with Oslo leading the way by planning on having the world’s first zero-emissions public transport network.

All the negative news around climate change can lead to terrible climate anxiety in people and the younger generations are being hit the worst. But this anxiety does drive people to take action, and a new survey found about a third of UK workers would leave their company over poor climate policies - the number is even higher for young people. Companies will need to keep up with the changing attitudes, or be left behind.

A good solution to the difficulties of clean energy generation may be offshore wind power. In the UK, a massive ramp up of offshore wind power generation is planned to assist in meeting its net-zero plan. And floating platforms, a technology borrowed from the fossil fuel sector, will allow offshore wind turbines to be built even where the seabed is too deep. The ramifications of bringing offshore wind to all corners of the globe are massive.

Finally, we take a look at two community groups embracing the sustainable economy. In the Philippines, coffee growers are ditching slash-and-burn techniques, and adopting agroforestry; where they grow coffee alongside other trees and shrubs. In India, communities that gather wild produce are now able to sell to a global market, incentivising the rejuvenation and protection of India’s forests, whilst increasing profits.

The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has voted to make Scope 3 emissions reporting mandatory, which is a big step forward and welcome news in the world of carbon accounting. This is necessary for investors to obtain a complete picture of climate-related risks and opportunities, and develop methodologies for disclosing Scope 3 emissions. Read more....

The lifestyle of the very rich emits vastly more carbon than the rest of the population. Policymakers should target the “polluter elite” to enable a shift to more sustainable behaviour on their part, and also provide affordable low-carbon alternatives to poorer households. Taxing carbon intensive activities and funnelling the revenue into green initiatives could be a way to reign in these climate damaging behaviours of the ultra wealthy. Read more....

And there are good, low-carbon alternatives to private jets and Norway is leading the way. Oslo is on course to become the first capital city in the world to boast an all-electric public transport system. This is part of a broader aim to be the world's first wholly emissions-free city by 2030. Most of the public transport network in Oslo, including buses, trams and ferries, is already electric, so the transition is expected to happen by the end of next year. Read more....

Too much anxiety is not usually a good thing, but when it comes to Climate Change, it can be. With about 70% of young people in the UK anxious about the world they are inheriting, the research suggests this anxiety will push them to action, to encourage and/or make the changes needed to rescue the world from overheating, and the ensuing consequences. They are the future leaders, so there is still hope. Read more....

With so many young people aware and concerned about climate change, it is no surprise that many would not work for, and even resign from, those with no climate action strategies in place. Between 30 and 50% of those surveyed shared this view. Worth considering just how your sustainability strategy stacks up. Read more....

The UK is a wind-farming super-power, generating almost 30 per cent of the world’s offshore wind-generated renewable energy. And the hope is there is much more where that came from. A quadrupling of offshore wind-farm capacity to 40 gigawatts by the end of the decade is central to the UK government’s net zero plan. And offshore wind farming is economically feasible too, as the costs have reduced much faster than anyone hoped or predicted. (And, check out our Innovation section too, for a NZ example). Read more....

Despite the advantages of offshore wind, in much of the world, the seabed takes a sudden dive close offshore, ruling out the use of conventional offshore wind turbines. So why not use floating turbines? Off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland, five turbines tower over the North Sea. Each tower sits atop three huge cylindrical floats anchored to the sea floor, each platform is 67m long. Pumps and valves shift liquid ballast, so the turbines are always in the optimum position. Read more....

Changing farming practices in the Philippine mountains of Dauin have brought big rewards as farmers transition to sustainable farming. The farmers communally own and manage 220 hectares of forest land, with some 120 ha cultivated for coffee production (15 tonnes of coffee cherries last year). This cooperative harvests, dries, sorts, and roasts its own beans, no middlemen. The change was made possible with the help of renewable energy provider Energy Development Corporation (EDC), which fostered a culture of woodland protection and biodiversity conservation. Read more....

When villagers get a steady income from forest produce, they will invest in protecting it. Hand-to-mouth existence in the remote Himalayan mountains is changing dramatically. Thanks to a recent initiative by the prestigious Indian School of Business and the local administration, the people of Pangi Valley are able to sell their forest products to corporate overseas buyers by connecting with them digitally. The initiative is part of a drive to help those living on the fringes of forest areas to enjoy the same economic benefits as anyone living in a village, town or city. Read more....