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Net zero energy (NZE) buildings-responsible for the production of as much (or more) clean energy as they use annually-have been gaining global momentum. In our newly released Insight Brief, RMI presents an innovative business model for developing net zero energy or ultra-low energy districts in a way that creates significant business value. Net zero energy business models are financially attractive to investors because the large capital investments in solar PV, district heating and cooling, and energy efficiency are repaid over time on utility bills, generating a steady return that benefits from enhanced credit because of the utility-customer relationship.

"The Elephant in the Boardroom" is a new working paper from the World Resources Institute that can guide discussion within companies about an uncomfortable truth: Many of today's business models are not fit for tomorrow's resource-strained world. Current consumption patterns put the global economy on an impossible trajectory. Yet few companies are fundamentally rethinking the models by which they meet customer needs. Normalizing the conversation will set the groundwork for the pursuit of new business models that allow growth within the planet's limits and generate stakeholder value in new ways.

Dell has helped developed an e-waste model for developing countries and opened East Africa's first large-scale e-waste recycling hub.

Levi Strauss & Co. is piloting a new operating model that replaces labor-intensive manual finishing techniques with an automated digital laser-based system. Called Project Future-Led Execution or Project FLX, Levi's model shortens the time to market, and cuts chemicals from the finishing process.

Worn Again has developed a first-of-its-kind textile-to-textile chemical recycling technology . the aim is for this unique process to enable the 'recaptured' polyester and cellulose from cotton to be spun into new fabric, creating a circular resource model for textiles. H&M and Kering's PUMA brand will monitor the testing.

Nearly 50 of the 103 new electric car models expected to debut around the world by 2020 will come from Chinese automakers, an AlixPartners report says. The US consulting firm also forecasts that the sale of cars and light trucks in America will suffer a cyclical drop during the next few years.

Global cloud patterns have changed since the 1980s, and scientists have found these shifts are consistent with predictions from climate model simulations.

An ensemble of Global Business Leaders NGO'S and academics has joined forces to call for a, sustainable global economic model to be adopted by Governments and Businesses alike.

A report in the journal Nature Climate Change said climate change and rising sea levels could threaten 13.1 million people living along the coastal United States. The study combines population projections with rising sea level models. The areas with the greatest percentage of people at risk are Florida's Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Smaller communities are threatened too and are dealing now with environmental changes.

China has proposed building a $50 trillion global transmission system that would connect the world's wind farms and renewable energy projects. "Global energy interconnection" would solve global energy instability, climate change and environmental pollution, said State Grid Corp. of China Chairman Liu Zhenya. In such a model, clean energy sources would provide about 80% of the world's total electricity.

The Winter X Games in Aspen produces a big carbon footprint, the Aspen Times reports, but Aspen Skiing Company (Skico), which produces the games that ended Sunday, is taking measures to make the annual event more sustainable. Snowmaking is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter. Schendler estimates this accounts for 5 percent of Skico's overall annual GHG emissions. But by replacing older snowmaking guns with more efficient models, Skico is shrinking the event's carbon footprint, the paper reports.

Effluent from water treatment plants continues to pollute waters with nutrients, but water utilities can shift to more sustainable model that goes beyond basic treatment and includes nutrient recovery and removal, according to a report released by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread.

H&M's sustainable fashion collection, Conscious Exclusive, hits stores this week. The eco-fashion line is the brainchild of the Swedish retailer and eco-design think tank EVER Manifesto, whose founders, Elizabeth von Guttman and Alexia Niedzielski, model the collection alongside supermodel Amber Valletta. 

Based on the Wikipedia model, MIT started Climate CoLab, a collaborative online community centred around a series of annual contests that seek out promising ideas for fighting climate change. P

First Statewide Mattress Recycling Program Launches Connecticut has launched the country's first statewide mattress recycling program. The program - which has become a model for other states - requires retailers to collect a small ... 

Disneyland Resort was recognized today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the 2014 Food Recovery Challenge award for its zero waste efforts, and the highest percent increase in food recovery of any theme park in the nation. "Disneyland is a model for food recovery efforts," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "Disney has the potential to educate millions of people who visit the resort on zero waste, while doing its part to fight climate change and create a better environment for Southern California residents."

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) 

The District of Columbia now sources a third of its electricity from a Pennsylvania wind farm, which is expected to save the city up to $45 million in electricity bills over the next two decades. Iberdrola Renewables supplies the city with 125,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (8/12) 

Apple has reportedly reduced the CO2 emissions from production, distribution, consumer use, and recycling of its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices by 14 to 16%, compared to last year's models. The company also released environmental reports for both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.