Group items tagged

Russia has been dumping waste from construction projects associated with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, breaking a zero waste pledge the country made as a central pillar of its Olympic bid, reports the Associated Press.

The cost of electricity from wind farms in the U.S. dropped in 2014 to the lowest point yet, according to the Energy Department. Prices for utilities with power purchase agreements have declined two-thirds since 2009. Falling costs and continued advancements are ensuring that wind remains a reliable source of renewable energy, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said. The Hill (8/10), ReNews.biz (U.K.) (8/11) 

Based on entries from 2014 alone, Hormel Foods documented the following annual savings from the 52 Environmental Sustainability Best of the Best projects: 82 million gallons in water use; 8,100 MMBtu of natural gas; 2,700,000 kWh of electricity; 1,500 tons of solid waste; and 2,570 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Consumer electronics recycling in the US went up from 30.6 percent in 2012 to 40.4 percent in 2013

The Environmental Protection Agency published its final Clean Power Plan rule on Monday. Under the rule, the U.S. will be required to reduce its carbon emission 32% below 2005 levels by 2030. The solar and wind industries have praised the rule. "American wind power can do this. Low-cost wind energy reduced carbon emissions by 5% in 2014, and we're capable of doing a lot more," said American Wind Energy Association CEO Tom Kiernan. 

McDonald's today announced its "2014 Best of Sustainable Supply" winners in a report highlighting how suppliers achieved significant results by identifying opportunities and applying sustainable solutions in diverse places around the world.

NRG Energy announced new long-term sustainability targets, which include slashing carbon-dioxide emissions from 2014 levels 50 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050.

There's been a lot of talk in 2014 about the "utility death spiral" and suppositions that utilities as we know them will cease to exist. I'm not entirely sure we've seen the last of the utility industry, but I feel certain a year from now we'll look back on 2015 as the year a lot shifted in how each of us individually acquire and manage our energy consumption. Here's why.

Many food and agriculture companies have talked up sustainability for years, but the past 12 months ushered in a new sense of urgency and action. Here's my completely subjective list of five notable developments that could signal the shift from conversation to conservation.

From historic climate change marches and bold advocacy by companies on the price of carbon to global economic volatility and heated debates on inequality, 2014 was a year of accelerated awareness and action for sustainable development. Our Ten Trends for 2015 distills SustainAbility's thinking over the past year and forecasts the issues that will shape the sustainable development agenda in 2015.  

As we close out 2014, here are Silicon Valley Community Foundation's predictions for what's ahead for CSR in the coming year:

As 2014 ends and 2015 begins, we asked members of the GreenBiz Executive Network, our member-based, peer-to-peer learning forum for sustainability professionals, to look ahead and share what they think will be exciting in the new year.

According to Kobori, the waterless jeans are as good for the environment as they are for Levi's bottom line - they cost less to produce than a standard pair because they consume less water and energy. In 2014, Levi's saved an estimated $1.6 million in costs of goods sold from the program.

The Adidas Group sourced more than 30% of its cotton from sustainable sources in 2014, which surpassed its 25% "Better Cotton" target. The company plans to source 100% of its cotton from sustainable sources by 2018.

While 2014 ushered in big breakthroughs in fields from solar energy to smart cities, 2015 will present a crossroads for larger-scale sustainability progress.

In 2014, General Mills reduced its greenhouse gas emissions rate by 23 percent against a 2005 baseline, surpassing its goal to reduce GHG emissions by 20 percent by 2015. The progress is largely due to the use of renewable energy sources at its Yoki facilities.

2015 was Earth's hottest year on record, according to new data released Wednesday by NOAA and NASA. For the last 12 months the  average surface temperature across the globe was 58.47 Fahrenheit, a 0.23-degree increase from 2014's record-breaking average temperature of 58.24, the two agencies reported.

The North Face today announced its Fall 2016 line, including more than 500 down product styles that feature certified responsible down through the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Officially launched in January 2014, the RDS is the most comprehensive, global, third-party certified animal welfare and traceability standard for down and feathers available for use by any company. The North Face initially committed to include 100 percent certified responsible down in all retail and wholesale down products by Fall 2017, and was able to achieve the increase a year sooner than anticipated. 

Spending on offshore wind energy development in Europe reached $14.45 billion last year. That was a record amount and double 2014's number. The rate is expected to decline this year but increase in the future. "Offshore wind power produces roughly one and a half times the energy of onshore wind power," said Toni Sulameri, who works for wind power production company Suomen Hyotytuuli Oy. Europe has 84 offshore wind farms.