United Nations finally reaches agreement to protect and restore the world's oceans

Welcome to another fortnightly edition of SnippETS.

Thanks for reading our Snippets newsletter this week. We have once again included a mixed selection of articles we hope you find interesting.

After nearly two decades, the United Nations has finally reached an agreement to protect and restore the world's oceans. This agreement means that countries are now working together to better protect and manage the oceans. High-quality permanent carbon removal options are now being considered by the Carbon Removal Alliance and its partners. The focus is on finding trusted sources for removal and storage to achieve these objectives. However, a 9-month investigation found that more than 90% of Verra's rainforest offset credits do not represent genuine carbon reductions.

CEOs are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of climate change. This growing concern for the environment suggests that sustainability is becoming a more pressing issue in the business world. Major global events, such as Covid-19, have highlighted the importance of food security. We need to start looking at our own backyards for solutions.

Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are vital to our ecosystem. Planting cover crops, creating habitats through hedgerows and trees, and offering environments where they thrive can help support their populations. While plant-based alternatives to meat have yet to make the impact hoped for, innovation and investment in alternative protein technologies are being developed to improve market perceptions. Addressing scalability and cost concerns is essential for their success.

The term 'Greenwashing' is frequently heard, but it's important to be transparent and honest in sustainability communications to build trust with consumers. Several phrases should raise alarm bells. We finish with the experience of a real-world EV owner in Australia on a long road trip. The numbers indicate a cheaper driving experience, showing the cost benefits of EVs.

After decades of discussions, the United Nations (UN) has reached an agreement to protect and restore the world’s oceans. The treaty, if ratified, would establish a new marine conservation management group within the UN, which would require detailed environmental impact assessments for all new activities on the high seas. It would also create marine sanctuaries where marine life can flourish, undisturbed by human activity. This is a great development in increasing the world’s ocean’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. Read more...

This historic treaty is celebrated more in this article, which discusses multilateralism in environmental agreements. The article highlights that despite a history of half-met promises, the world has successfully worked together on past environmental issues such as the 1987 Montreal protocol on the ozone layer. The spirit of multilateralism surrounding the high seas treaty has shown a significant global focus on environmental issues and climate change, especially amid international tensions such as the invasion of Ukraine. Read more....

Shifting from big picture stuff and into the nitty gritty of Carbon accounting and offsets, we examine the activities of the twenty-strong Carbon Removal Alliance, which has a focus on reversing carbon emissions and high-quality, permanent carbon removal. With the scientific community increasingly sure that carbon removal will be required to offset the hard-to-eliminate emissions from the likes of aircraft and agriculture, all different types of technology will be required, such as direct air capture and corn stalk conversion into bio-oil. Read more....

After a nine-month investigation by the Guardian, the German weekly Die Zeit and SourceMaterial found widespread problems with the Verra rainforest offsets programme, Verra has announced it will phase out the programme by mid-2025. The Guardian investigation indicated that more than 90% of its rainforest offset credits do not represent genuine carbon reductions and many claims generated by predicting deforestation that would have happened in the absence of the conservation projects, were largely meaningless, putting organisations that buy the offsets at risk of greenwashing. Read more....

A recent PwC survey has found that CEOs worldwide are increasingly concerned about the rising costs of climate change. Business leaders are worried that extreme weather events and environmental regulations will have significant impacts on their businesses, leading to increased costs and reduced profits. The survey also found that many companies are taking steps to address the issue, including investing in new technology. The rising concern of CEOs for the environment suggests that sustainability is becoming a more pressing issue in the business world. Read more....

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of food security, and building resilience in food systems should be a priority for a sustainable future, according to experts. Climate change, population growth, and changing diets are threatening food security worldwide. Initiatives to address the issue include reducing food waste, increasing investment in sustainable agriculture, and supporting small-scale farmers. Building resilience in food systems will not only ensure food security but also have broader benefits for society and the environment. Read more....

A report by the Xerces Society emphasizes the negative impact of climate change on pollinators such as bees and butterflies and suggests that farms can help them survive. The report recommends reducing pesticide use, planting cover crops, and creating habitats through hedgerows to support pollinators. However, farmers may not be aware of these practices or may not have the financial resources to implement them. The report calls for policy changes and increased funding to promote and support pollinator-friendly farming practices. Read more....

Looking now at the growing popularity of alternative proteins in mainstream food markets, there are potential sustainability benefits of this trend. Plant-based meats and cultured meats can offer significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use compared to traditional animal agriculture. However, there will need to be continued innovation and investment in alternative protein technologies to address scalability and cost concerns, as well as consumer demand for taste and texture. Read more....

Greenwashing might be more prolific than people realise. To stay true to green claims, sustainability professionals should avoid using certain terms that make misleading claims of environmental friendliness. The terms to avoid include "eco-friendly," "natural," and "sustainable," as they are often used in ways that are not backed up by rigorous standards or verifiable data. Instead, we can use specific, measurable terms such as "renewable," "recyclable," and "carbon-neutral" to accurately convey sustainability efforts. It’s important to be transparent and honest in sustainability communications to build trust with consumers. Read more....

Finally, we look at a real-world cost analysis comparing electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. While the upfront cost of an EV is typically higher than an ICE car, the ongoing costs of fuel and maintenance for an EV can be significantly lower. Whilst range anxiety and limited charging infrastructure may still be concerns for some consumers, these problems are increasingly being addressed. All in all, EVs are increasingly becoming a viable option for many drivers. Read more....