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Asia Pulp and Paper will restore and conserve 1 million hectares of Indonesian rainforest, targeting threatened species like orangutans, elephants, and tigers. The plan was developed with input from Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, and other environmental groups.

Scotland is banning GMO crops in a bid to protect its "clean and green brand," angering farmers and scientists who say the ban panders to unwarranted consumer concerns and has no basis in science. "Cultivation of GM crops would harm our environment and our reputation," counters Scottish Green lawmaker Alison Johnstone. The Independent (London) (tiered subscription model) (8/9) 

In this Yale Environment 360 video, we present the first of a two-part e360 series, "Wasted," on the vexing global problem of food waste. Filmmaker Karim Chrobog visits two cities - Washington, D.C., and Seoul, South Korea - to examine why so much food goes to waste and what can be done about it. Washington, and the U.S. as a whole, has taken only minor steps to reduce this enormous waste and its related human and environmental costs. By contrast, Seoul has adopted innovative programs to minimize the amount of food that ends up going to landfills to rot. 

Clear Lam's holiday container for Jon B. Sanfilippo and Son's Flavor Tree brand of Limited Edition Premium Dark Chocolate Pretzels marks the debut for its PrimaPak technology that offers flexibility, sustainability and recloseability. The packaging is meant to replace cans, bottles, jars and trays, and offers a weight savings of 70% when compared to plastic jars. It is suited to cookies, chips, cereal, coffee, nuts, sliced fruit and vegetables as well as other products, according to the company

I:CO launched its first ever I:CO City initiative with the city of San Francisco earlier this year. The launch creates a public, private and nonprofit infrastructure to make it convenient and rewarding for residents and businesses to recycle textile related items. In alignment with San Francisco's goal of zero waste by 2020, I:CO will serve as the lead textile collection and processing partner to divert waste from landfill and give it new life.

Novelis' latest sustainability report shows the aluminum rolling and recycling giant making significant investments and strides to advance the circular economy and increase the sustainability of its business, the aluminum industry and its value chain. The report details the company's efforts to increase its recycling capacity and the recycled content of its products to 80% by 2020.

Cox Media Group (CMG) announced that the facility housing its Atlanta TV and radio stations (Channel 2 WSB-TV, News/Talk Radio WSB, B98.5, 97.1 The River and KISS 104.1) has met Atlanta's Better Buildings Challenge nearly six years ahead of the 2020 goal. The facility reduced its energy and water consumption by more than 20 percent and is annually saving nearly 650,000 gallons of water and 1,400,000 kWh of electricity through its conservation projects.

The latest effort, the Out of Fashion campaign for forest-friendly fabrics - led by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) - is calling on the "Fashion 15" group of companies - Ralph Lauren, Prada, LVMH, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Vince, Guess, Velvet, L Brands, Forever 21, Under Armour, Footlocker, Abercrombie and Fitch, GAIAM and Beyond Yoga - to take responsibility for their supply chains and develop strong, time bound commitments to protect forests and human rights. With proven connections from human rights violations and forest destruction all the way to our store shelves, fashion companies can no longer ignore this critical issue.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance has released an updated guide. The 2015 Best Practices and Emerging Solutions Guide offers practical steps and examples to help food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants cut food waste. More than 30 member companies across the food industry contributed insights and case studies, including The Campbell Soup Company and Sodexo. 

Could the health and environmental benefits of taxes on sugary drinks and carbon-intensive foods outweigh the out-of-pocket costs? New research from Oxford University and the University of Reading suggests that is indeed the case. A study found that a combination of a sugar tax on soft drinks and a food-based carbon tax in the United Kingdom could raise £3.6 billion in revenue, reduce carbon emissions by 19 million tonnes, and increase life expectancy.

TiE Silicon Valley, a not for profit organization dedicated to "fostering entrepreneurship in the Bay Area and globally," has announced an upcoming hackathon event focused on tackling three real-world issues within the "smart city" space: smart parking, waste disposal management and water access management. The event will begin in January 2016 and will last for two weeks. Winners will be invited to attend TiECon 2016, TiE's largest annual conference, and will also have an opportunity to win prizes and publicity.

The Coca-Cola Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and Kering are among 10 companies to begin testing and refining the new Natural Capital Protocol, in collaboration with the Natural Capital Coalition and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The participating companies will use the Protocol to assess water use opportunities and risks in site-specific locations, explore methods for aligning strategic business decisions with natural capital assessment results, and more.

Clean energy has become a driving force in the US marketplace as costs have declined and major companies have unveiled investments in wind and other renewables, writes Chris Brown, Vestas' president of sales and service operations in the US and Canada. Wind, in particular, can provide the nation with a winning combination of affordable yet reliable electricity. "Whatever the courts rule on the CPP, there's no turning back or stopping this economic trend. Clean energy makes good sense for business, good sense for consumers, and good sense for the country," he writes.

This time of year always brings wildfires. But what's unusual this fires season is where and how the blazes are burning-and it could be a warning sign of what's to come. Hotter-than-normal temperatures and drought across much of northern Europe and North America in June and July have resulted in wildfires burning in what are typically wetter, cooler regions.

Fifty of the world's largest businesses, retailers and fishing companies from across the tuna supply chain have banded together to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in their industry, protect the health of oceans and eliminate forced labor from fishing vessels. The agreement was brokered by the World Economic Forum and is supported by policymakers and 18 civil society organizations.

The Coca-Cola Company has launched a new vending machine concept in China where consumers can purchase beverages, as well as return and recycle used bottles and cans, marking the first concept equipment to combine beverage sales and packaging recycling by Coca-Cola China. The vending machine also uses AI technology such as facial recognition and sound interaction to provide an interactive experience to the consumers.

Non-profit Fashion Revolution has released the 2017 Fashion Transparency Index, which rates the supply chain practices and social and environmental impact of 100 global fashion and apparel brands and retailers. The Index gave the highest ratings to H&M, Inditex, and Levi Strauss & Co.

Obesity, mental health problems, air and noise pollution, heat stress and social exclusion - these are just some of the health and social challenges Europeans face today. But according to a new report released by Friends of the Earth in conjunction with the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), increased exposure to nature and green space could help improve both physical and mental health.

France's government has unveiled a law to ban all production and exploration of oil and natural gas by 2040 on the country's mainland and overseas territories. The move is largely symbolic, however, as France's oil and gas production represents just 1 percent of national consumption - the rest is imported. The ban, which the government claims is a world first, is part of a larger plan to wean the country's economy from fossil fuels, encourage clean energy and fulfill France's commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement to curb global warming.

The World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report 2013 placed water scarcity among the top four global risks, in terms of likelihood and greatest impact - ranking ahead of issues such as food shortages, terrorism and climate change! And water scarcity is already constraining the growth plans of many companies that desire to expand in emerging markets.