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Lesson learned: The power of engaging a supplier or other partner hand-in-hand with an NGO partner is unbelievably impactful. It sends a message to internal and external stakeholders that this is not PR. It is real and sincere. You have to work with NGOs. NGOs are the sustainability thermometer for the consumer. Fortunately, there are lots of good choices for you to make.

The International Finance Corporation issued a $152 million bond to support private sector development and prevent deforestation in developing countries. The bond gives investors the option of getting repaid in either cash or a carbon-credit coupon - a move to bolster carbon-credit markets.

Cotton is planted on 2.4 percent of the world's crop land and yet it accounts for 24 percent and 11 percent of the global sales of insecticide and pesticides, respectively. Organic cotton represents less than 1 percent of the global total annual crop, but National Geographic, international clothing brand C&A, and activist and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau believe that needs to change. A new 60-minute documentary, For the Love of Fashion, emphasizes "the need for a paradigm shift in the cotton value chain."

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that more than 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) were on the road in 2015, including 400,000 in the United States. In order to limit global warming to 2°C or less, the agency says the world will need 150 million EVs by 2030 and 1 billion by 2050, implying a 21 percent compound annual growth rate from now until 2050.

Premature deaths from outdoor air pollution could rise from 3 million in 2016 to 4.5 million in 2040 unless the world acts now to curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. The group's report said that every country should have goals in place for cleaner air quality.

Greenpeace) finds that the 8,359 existing coal power plants in operation across the world consume enough freshwater to meet the basic water needs of 1 billion people - and about 25% of proposed coal power plants are planned in water-stressed regions. The report also proposes 3 policy changes to reduce water use in the global coal industry.

Adobe, IKEA North America, Mars, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts filed briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals in support of the EPA's Clean Power Plan. The companies stated they "view the Clean Power Plan and its emissions reduction program as a component of their domestic and international business risk mitigation strategies."

Beth Stevens, senior VP of environmental affairs at Disney Worldwide Services, is in charge of making strides in the direction of sustainability. How does the iconic brand not only tell an engaging sustainability story but walk the talk? Disney's sustainability goals are serious. It aims to halve its emissions by 2020 from 2012 levels. It signed on to the White House American Business Act on Climate Pledge ahead of COP21 and the Paris Agreement. It even maintains an internal carbon price. Stevens sees all this as a natural expression of the company's culture.

The Paris Agreement and the global divestment campaign has secured one of its biggest victories to date, after banking giant Deutsche Bank announced it would halt investment in new coal projects in line with its commitment to the international climate change treaty.

Global oil demand will continue to grow into the 2040s even as electrical vehicle fleets expand and the low-carbon energy transition gains traction around the world, BP revealed in its annual Energy Outlook, an industry benchmark report forecasting long-term trends and informs the company's internal strategy. The predictions come as other oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell prepare for demand to peak by the early 2030s and countries make the shift to cleaner forms of energy.

New International Maritime Organisation rules that take effect in 2020 will require cruise ships to reduce their emissions. In advance of these regulations, several cruise companies are already taking steps to reduce their environmental pollution, the Guardian reports.

NASA, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the International Forum of Aviation Research are planning their first joint research flights to investigate alternative fuels for aviation.

Mondelez International has achieved Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) coverage for 100 percent of the palm oil it bought in 2013. This is two years ahead of the company's existing commitment to cover all requirements by 2015 through a combination of RSPO-certified oil and Greenpalm certificates that support sustainable production.

Threatened with expulsion from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Indonesian pulp and paper company Asia Pacific Resources International re-committed to an earlier pledge to stop clearing forests for new plantations by the end of 2014. The company also pledged to double its forest restoration program to 40,000 hectares and use 100% plantation fiber by the end of 2019.

America's energy economy is growing cleaner, but the country's embrace of gas and renewables is driving conventional energy giants to ship fossil fuels to buyers overseas. That might limit the climate impact of the greener U.S. energy economy, experts say. "The Obama administration wants to be seen as a climate leader, but there is no source of fossil fuel that it is prepared to leave in the ground," said Lorne Stockman of Oil Change International

Data from the International Food Policy Research Institute validates the role of new farming technologies in the face of climate change.

Greenpeace today reveals the result of a yearlong investigation showing P&G is sourcing palm oil from companies connected to widespread forest devastation. Its sourcing policies also expose its supply chain to forest fires and habitat destruction that is further pushing the Sumatran tiger to the edge of extinction.

Over the last 50 years, human diets around the world have grown ever more similar and the trend shows no signs of slowing, with major consequences for human nutrition and global food security, according to research carried out at International Center for Tropical Agriculture.

European lawmakers are poised to sign off on a law that would allow airlines to avoid paying carbon fees for long-haul flights terminating in Europe. The move disappointed greens, who said lawmakers had secured little beyond vague promises of future action in exchange for the move. "European governments have conceded again to international pressure without getting anything meaningful in return," said transport activist Bill Hemmings

Ecolab CEO says, water must be priced now. Water stress is already creating economic challenges.