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The ability of Europe's aging forests to absorb carbon dioxide is heading towards saturation point, threatening one of the continent's main defenses against global warming, a study showed on Sunday.

Nestlé pledged to achieve zero waste-to-landfill status at all 150 of its European factories by 2020. So far, over 25 of the company's European factories have already achieved this milestone.

(Ethical Corporation) analyzes responses from 415 members in Ethical Corporation's global network to identify prominent supply chain sustainability trends. The analysis finds that around 24% of the respondent group cited industry collaboration as the most significant opportunity to advance supply chain sustainability; 16% cited the circular economy as the most significant opportunity in coming years.

Pope Francis will release a major encyclical this week calling for the world's Catholics to take a stand against climate change and environmental degradation. The letter, the first such statement by a pope, will frame environmental activism as a social justice issue. "Pope Francis is personally committed to this issue like no other pope before him. The encyclical will have a major impact," U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres said. 

EU countries will face tougher recycling targets and a ban on burying recyclable waste in landfills under plans presented by the European Commission. The proposals are part of the Commission's Waste Targets Review, which includes updated recycling targets of 70 percent of household waste and 80 percent of packaging waste by 2030.

Stakeholders are yet again criticizing the European Commission's Circular Economy Package. The original policy, released in December of last year, was denounced as insufficiently ambitious, resulting in its dismissal and a review process over the course of 2015. The Commission adopted the revised package on December 2nd, but some claim the new policy is even weaker than the original.

Over the last 12 months, challenges around addressing sustainability issues have featured consistently in global headlines. Despite mixed political messages about our transition to a low-carbon future, the private sector has continued to drive sustainability up the business agenda; from Science Based Targets (SBTs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increased investor scrutiny over Non-Financial Reporting. Here are eight key topics from around the world which will likely shape sustainability during 2018.

Unilever has suspended sourcing from its palm oil supplier Sawit Sumbermas Sarana, following allegations that the supplier is involved in ongoing deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.

BMW Group, Daimler, and other carmakers in the European Union would be required to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles or increase the proportion of electric cars they produce to meet 2030 carbon dioxide reduction targets proposed by the European Commission Nov. 8.

The UK Parliament became the first national legislature to declare a national environmental and climate change emergency.