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n 2016 and beyond, building owners and key decision makers will invest in an array of smart building solutions that embody the technology foundation of Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, according to a new white paper from Navigant Research.

MillerCoors used new tools and irrigation initiatives, along with increased brewing efficiencies, that helped the brewing giant reduce its water consumption by 15 billion gallons in 2016, the company announced today. Wet weather also contributed to the 2016 reduction, the company acknowledged. MillerCoors used 16.9% less water compared to 2015 - equivalent to more than 500 million kegs of beer.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top official at the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday the ongoing legal fight over regulating carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants won't delay the nation's accelerating shift to cleaner sources of energy. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy spoke at Climate Action 2016, a conference in Washington on efforts to curb global warming. Seeking to reassure her international audience, McCarthy said the United States will absolutely meet its obligations to cut carbon emissions as agreed to in the landmark climate treaty signed in Paris last December.

Coal production is not just declining. It's falling off a cliff - and it's barely a third of what it was just six years ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The worst is yet to come, as the EIA predicts 2016 will be the biggest year-on decline for coal … ever.

General Motors has turned trash into cash - to the tune of $1 billion in new revenue streams from recycling and reuse. Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/05/12/how-gm-generates-1-billion-from-recycling-reusing-waste-streams/#ixzz49Wo7d1VD

Deforestation in the world's largest rainforest jumped 29 percent over last year, representing a sharp increase over the historically low deforestation rate seen just five years ago and the highest level recorded in the region since 2008, reports the Brazilian government. The numbers, released by Brazil's National Space Research Institute INPE on Monday, show that 7,989 square kilometers of rainforest were destroyed between August 2015 and July 2016. The loss is equivalent to an area 135 times the size of Manhattan or the combined land mass of the American states of Connecticut and Delaware.

For the first time, solar power is becoming the cheapest form of electricity production in the world, according to new statistics from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released Thursday. While unsubsidized solar has occasionally done better than coal and gas in individual projects, 2016 marked the first time that the renewable energy source has out-performed fossil fuels on a large scale-and new solar projects are also turning out to be cheaper than new wind power projects, BNEF reports in its new analysis, Climatescope.

General Motors has surpassed its 2020 target to achieve 131 landfill-free sites four years early. The company achieved landfill-free status at 23 new sites in 2016, bringing its network of landfill-free sites to 152 worldwide.

2016 saw several powerful environmental movements and projects, from the Dakota Access Pipeline protestors to celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio's "Before the Flood" documentary. World leaders also passed the Kigali Amendment, which reduced hydrofluorocarbons in the environment.

Dozens of major companies including ABC Disney, Whole Foods and Anheuser-Busch with offices in New York City have diverted at least half of their waste from landfills and incineration, responding to Mayor Bill de Blasio's zero waste by 2030 challenge. Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/07/13/major-nyc-businesses-cut-waste-50-but-can-they-achieve-zero-waste-by-2030/#ixzz4FZDgXzbr

Following the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse that killed 1,134 people in 2013, Fashion Revolution and Ethical Consumer were compelled to demand more transparency from the fashion industry. To help the public learn where their clothes came from and how they were made, they began publishing the Fashion Transparency Index assessing top selling global brands. Levi's, Inditex, H&M, and adidas were among the top scorers in 2016.

Target updated its Made to Matter product standards, which now require the 20 participating brands to meet at least one of its sustainability-driven criteria. The criteria include reducing waste and packaging, integrating circularity principles into production processes, eliminating the use of additives and "harsh" chemicals, and more.

China is planning to put an absolute cap on its carbon emissions, according to He Jiankun, the chairman of China's Advisory Committee on Climate Change. The cap -- the first of its kind -- will be announced in China's next five-year plan and will come into force in 2016, He said. 

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been developing these rules for several years as part of its multifaceted strategy to achieve the goals of AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gas emission reduction program.  Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/02/11/california-leads-on-reducing-methane-emissions-from-oil-gas-operations/#ixzz40U7HsATq

Nuclear energy's resilience was never more apparent than during the COP21 climate talks in Paris. It was there that a famed environmentalist and the one who has cautioned against the effects of global warming said that the carbon-free energy form should figure a lot more prominently into utility power generation. Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/02/11/scientists-say-climate-change-should-propel-nuclear-energy-to-prominence/#ixzz40U6A0Uhv

Coca-Cola said in its recently released 2016 sustainability report that while it has made progress toward its "grow the business, not the carbon," gemissions reduction goals, it is off track due in part to volume growth outpacing emission ratio improvements and insourcing of external manufacturing processes.

In 2016, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts had environmental achievements that included saving 12.2 million gallons of water, recycling more than 17,000 pounds of paper for charity, and recycling over 23,000 gallons of cooking oil, according to the company's latest CSR report.

the creator of the sports-nutrition snacks began executing his commitment to organic agriculture and a sustainable supply chain. One of Erickson's first moves was to hire Elysa Hammond, a former classmate with whom he worked on issues involving hunger, agriculture and the environment during their college days. As the vision of sustainable food production came into focus, Hammond assumed the title of director of environmental sustainability.In May, 24 years after Clif bars, gels, trail mixes and other products first appeared, the company had a palette with which to paint a picture of sustainable manufacturing. The central design principle was biophilia - literally love of life, the concept of humanity's connection with nature and love of other living organisms.

Anheuser Busch, the Walt Disney Company's ABC, and Whole Foods Market are among more than 30 New York City businesses that have pledged to halve the amount of waste they send to landfills by June 2016. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio aims to reduce the city's waste output by 90% by 2030.

FALLS CHURCH, VA and WATERBURY, Vt., [April 18, 2016] - The Recycling Partnership is delighted to announce that Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig), a personal beverage system company that has revolutionized the way consumers create and enjoy beverages, is joining its dedicated and diverse circle of members. Both organizations share a vision to enact system-wide solutions to the recycling challenges of today, working across materials and the supply chain for a bright, sustainable recovery future.