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HP became the first high-tech company to set specific greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals across its suppliers and business partners and an aggressive one at that: 20 percent by 2020, compared with 2010 levels.

Tower Companies saved $220,000 in 1 year and reduced electricity consumption by an average of 13% across 3 office buildings in Washington, DC, by implementing systems for managing energy in real time.

Green cleaning products company Ecover will launch an algae-based laundry detergent in Europe later this year. The product eliminates the need for palm oil, a common ingredient in traditional detergents.

Italian company Bio-on developed a new bioplastic that is intended to reduce the environmental impact of e-waste from smart phones, computers, and other devices. The substance serves as a platform for electronic circuits and is 100% biodegradable.

Arizona State University Professor Peter Lammers and researchers at New Mexico State University are developing an energy-positive wastewater treatment method using a special kind of algae. The researchers believe that the algal systems ultimately could eliminate sewage farms' electricity bills, which can account for anything up to 60 percent of operating costs today, or even generate a surplus. 

Kellogg is planning to require its suppliers to curb their greenhouse emissions as part of a broader push to reduce the company's environmental impact. The company also announced new plans to expand its net-zero deforestation pledge to include crops such as soy and sugarcane

By slightly altering the quantities of materials used, scientists from MIT have uncovered a new method of concrete mixing that could reduce these emissions by more than half.

President Barack Obama will today order government agencies to reduce their carbon emissions by 40% over the next decade. That won't put a big dent in total U.S. emissions, but could give clean-tech startups and energy providers an important boost. "We can drive substantial reductions across the entire federal footprint and ... leverage both innovation and investment in the private sector," said White House senior adviser Brian Deese.

Ahead of the UN 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo became the latest major banks to pledge to eliminate their support for the coal industry in support of reducing carbon pollution associated with the industry. Morgan Stanley said that it "recognizes that climate change poses significant risks to the global economy and that reducing carbon emissions is critical to our success in addressing the challenges presented by a changing climate."

Europe's construction industry has a crucial role in cutting carbon emissions and energy consumption. But getting companies to ditch traditional building materials for greener, bio-based alternatives remains an uphill struggle. They are more costly and questions remain over safety, reliability and durability The concept of building with bio materials is nothing new - mud and grass has been used in some countries for centuries.

Even if you try to avoid buying plastics, you might be surprised to find it lurks in many common food and beverage containers, including tin cans, disposable coffee cups and even tea bags. On Wednesday, however, the environmental group A Plastic Planet debuted the world's first "Plastic Free Trust Mark" to help shoppers know that their products are packaged entirely without the non-biodegradable material, which harms marine life and has entered the larger food chain.