Changement climatique

Aviation makes a massive global, socio-economic contribution (Oxford Economics 2011). Growth is generally fastest in developing countries, precisely because it’s so intimately linked to economic development. At the same time, it's clear aviation is carbon-intensive and in need of low carbon solutions. It’s a huge challenge, and huge opportunity to make a big difference. Any breakthroughs could not only change aviation, but also the wider transport industry, with its big carbon footprint (2% global carbon contribution for aviation, and growing; 4% for shipping; 12% for other transport: WRI, 2005). Our biggest opportunity to make a significant difference is by supporting next-generation, low carbon fuels, while avoiding the problems of earlier generation ‘biofuels’, by using novel feedstocks like waste gases, liquids and solids. (How amazing to make a fuel from ‘recycled’ carbon that would otherwise end up in our atmosphere, rather than taking new carbon out of the ground?) We insist on suppliers using the RSB gold-standard, international, independent, multi-stakeholder standard for sustainable fuels, which includes robust LCA methodology. We encourage the technological know-how. But much supplier work is early-stage, and there’s a big funding gap that airlines alone cannot address. We at Virgin are accelerating the fuels’ route to commercialisation by convening key leading stakeholders (inc. suppliers, NGOs, scientists, policy-makers, industry, and – crucially – financers) to create a market and solutions. Much of the detail is confidential, but this is the essence of it.

Danone Brazil’s GEE Emissions Management Program has brought about positive impacts.
I have been able to propose several projects that reduce the emissions of GEEs and also reduce costs. One example is the change in the factories’ energy matrix, which previously had been fueled by electricity from the Integrated National System and now exclusively use electricity from small hydroelectric centers. When we were discussing this project, it was I who laid out in detail exactly what the impact in CO2 reduction would be and who sought to make the company aware of the urgency of making this switch.
The reduction of GEEs also helped us to access new sources of capital, since according to the criteria for financing Danone Group investment projects, GEE emission reduction is taken into consideration. Projects that have an impact on emissions reduction are considered to be “Green Capex,” or a Green Spender of Capital. One example would be the substitution of boilers powered by residual fuel oil with boilers powered by biomass in the Poços de Caldas plant; normally, according to the rules regarding access to capital, this project would not be viable, but when I demonstrated the reduction potential that the project has, I was able to re-designate it as “Green Capex,” and today it remains the biggest reduction project that has been completed in the Danone Group.
Ultimately, our credibility and interaction with stakeholders have improved; the creation of the GHG Protocol Inventory was accompanied by its publication on an open web platform. This way, any citizen can access Danone Brazil’s GEE emissions transparently, which is an innovation for Danone Brazil.

b2b, b2c, triple bottom line, Hybrid,

Mission Statement

At Mycelium, we believe that ecology is economics.
It is this belief that is at the core of our business model.
We believe in a vision which elevates the understanding of our dependence on the health of the Earth’s Ecosystems. And this understanding is acted upon through our Triple Bottom Line (people, planet, profit) Hybrid Business Model.
We strive to promote ideas, products and technologies which integrate the “Cradle to Cradle” design philosophy.
In so doing, we are working to conserve, protect and sustain the rich cultural and biological diversity, which makes our planet unique, rich and habitable.

Homes with solid brick or concrete walls absorb the outside temperature. So in winter: making the inside very difficult to heat and in summer: very difficult to cool. Our insulation system is quickly (four days for an average home) installed on the outside and radically reduces the effect of outside temperature on the inside of the building. In the winter, the solid walls become a 'thermal' store of heat from inside the house and reduce the internal heating required by half. In summer, the invention prevents solar gains through the walls and keeps the inside of the house much cooler.

Our role as inventor will be to work with the licensed manufacturing partners in each of the countries that will make the system, help them to develop a network of certified/franchised installer businesses and create training centres in colleges to teach people to survey, sell, design and install the system on residential properties (also small non-domestic properties as we develop) to the highest standard.

The Numbers: Within three years after production of the system
*We aim to install the product on 46,000 UK 'socially owned' homes
*Positively affecting over 150,000 lives.
*Creating over 1000 new jobs, with over 200 of these being the first jobs of school leavers/college graduates.
*Carbon Dioxide reductions resulting from lower energy use of 67,482 tonnes per year.

Ceiba maximizes project returns by matching feedstocks with appropriate bioenergy technologies in developing economies with high energy consumption metrics, making smaller scale bioenergy an accessible enterprise. The bioenergy value chain begins with energy agriculture and tropical agroforestry systems which provide the feedstocks for bioenergy projects with technologies such as gasification and pyrolysis. Ceiba’s energy agriculture team grows and manages fast-growing oil crops, biomass crops and timbers to provide a continuous feedstock supply -- often in conjunction with other existing agriculture or forestry waste -- increasing project reliability and viability. Our agronomists and foresters plan and implement strategies with fast-growing oil and biomass crops, bamboo and precious hardwoods for oil, timber and biomass production. We hire local community members in all aspects of our operations, and offer employees the opportunity for training and upward mobility within the company. These strategies underpin bioenergy project stability, maximize land productivity and asset value with multiple timescale revenue streams. Ceiba monetizes this value, with a team well-versed in feedstock contract negotiation, PPA acquisition, project finance, as well as corporate structuring -- assuring successful implementation. We help to green and stabilize the grid, reducing transmission and transport losses of energy. Our production systems support more biodiversity than competing uses (eg cattle), and can boost local production of new crops, increasing agroecosystem diversity.

The first action we implemented thanks to the community responds to both the environmental and social goals of our CSR strategy.

I started a new topic online asking “How can we make sure that the waste we recycle in our offices are actually dropped in the correct public cans at the end of the day?”

People teamed up and came up with a new initiative: to recruit persons with Down syndrome to take charge of our waste management. They will first act on reducing and reusing resources (eg. create notepad with used paper). Then, they will recycle the trash in the correct public cans. This solution enable us to go even further and organize regular collect of goods from the employees for local NGOs such as clothes, toys, medicine drugs, hygiene products, food, etc.

The team has now contacted an agency helping disabled people to recruit 3 new part-time employees. 3 persons are going to be able to work. Even though it will be few hours a day, I know it means a lot to them, having their first job…

This community has the power to do good, for the company, for our employees who see direct results of their actions and for the society.

Climate Access gives leaders tools, connections, and training programs needed to create public engagement campaigns that build support for climate policies and shift energy behaviors. For example, World Wildlife Federation’s US-based climate team turned to TRIG’s Social Capital Project’s Climate Communications and Behavior Change: A Guide for Practitioners when designing a campaign following the failure of federal cap-and-trade legislation. They consulted with TRIG and other climate communication and behavior change experts including many Climate Access Network members to understand barriers and gain insights into what works with climate outreach. The resulting Earth Hour City Challenge encourages cities to race to prepare for impacts of climate disruption, such as extreme weather events. WWF is using the Climate Access private online member forums to coordinate communications on the effort. To date, the campaign has successfully tested TRIG’s theory that focusing on the need to prepare for local climate impacts motivates public support for climate action. More than 1,000 cities have been nominated for the competition by citizens and are increasing climate actions to contend for the prize money. WWF staff have been sharing project best practices with Climate Access members and are now expanding the campaign to five additional countries, including Canada.