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Honda launched its "Green Path" approach-a suite of initiatives to reduce the total life-cycle environmental impact of its products and operations in North America. Notable initiatives include pledging to reduce its total GHG emissions by 50% from 2000 levels by 2050, investing $210 million in a paint facility to cut CO2 emissions in the painting process by 18% and reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 66%, and more.

Tide Professional Coldwater Laundry System enables hotel facilities to reduce energy needed to heat the water in a commercial washer by as much as 75 percent and to reduce water used in a commercial washer by up to 40 percent, says manufacturer P&G Professional, a division of Procter & Gamble

Dialysis provider DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners, says it has reduced its water usage by 14 percent per treatment against a 2010 baseline, saving 400 million gallons of water per year due to operational changes and beating its target to reduce water consumption 10 percent per treatment by 2015.

The World Wildlife Fund released results from the 12-week pilot program it launched to reduce food waste across the hotel industry, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The results show that participating properties reduced food waste by at least 10% and lowered food costs at least 3% in some cases. Companies participating in the program included Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott International, and others.

As evidence mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planet

mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planet.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance released "Best Practices and Emerging Solutions Toolkit," a guide for companies to reduce food waste. The guide provides advice for overcoming barriers to food donation, new technologies for reducing food waste, and strategic planning to avoid generating waste.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's newest installment, Working Group III: Mitigation and Climate Change, highlights an important message: It's still possible to limit average global temperature rise to 2°C - but only if the world rapidly reduces emissions and changes its current energy mix.

UPS will accelerate the implementation of its ORION routing system to reduce the distance traveled by its drivers by around 100 million miles annually. The routing improvements are projected to reduce fleet CO2 emissions by 100,000 metric tons, fuel consumption by 10 million gallons, and save the company more than $300 million annually when completed in 2016.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been developing these rules for several years as part of its multifaceted strategy to achieve the goals of AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gas emission reduction program.  Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/02/11/california-leads-on-reducing-methane-emissions-from-oil-gas-operations/#ixzz40U7HsATq

Caesars Entertainment and Heinz are among the companies with stellar environmental records, exceeding their sustainability goals. Heinz is consuming 23% less water, creating 23.8% less greenhouse gas emissions and sending 51.2% less solid waste to landfills, while Caesars has reduced greenhouse gases 28 percent, already surpassed its target for reducing water consumption, and achieved LEED certification on every expansion or new building since 2007.

Coca-Cola European Partners, Avery Dennison, Viridor and PET UK have teamed up to reduce waste, costs and the carbon footprint of Smartwater production in the UK. The initiative, which turns label waste into products, was rolled out late last year in an effort by CCEP to reduce the carbon footprint of its Morpeth factory by approximately 180-200 tons of CO2. The participating parties expect to achieve annual savings of over $30,000 by simply recycling, rather than incinerating or disposing of bottle liners.

Some of the world's biggest companies are seeing waste reduction and energy efficiency as opportunities to help the bottom line. Wal-Mart is changing its sell-by labeling to reduce food waste, while IKEA is running furniture-recycling and clean-energy initiatives to reduce its costs. "We've taken power from a cost to profit center," says IKEA Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard.

General Motors has created revenue streams worth $1 billion through its waste-reduction and recycling programs while also reducing its risk exposure, says Mari Kay Scott, GM's executive director of global environmental compliance and sustainability. "Sustainability is good for the environment -- it's also really good for business," she says.

Marks & Spencer, Nestlé UK and Ireland, and Unilever were among a group of more than 25 stakeholders in the food and beverage industry to sign on to resource efficiency charity WRAP's Courtauld Commitment 2025. The Commitment aims to reduce food and drink waste by 20%, cut the GHG intensity of food and drink consumed in the UK by 20%, and reduce the impact of water use in the supply chain.

Sky broadcasting company in the UK released a campaign to reduce plastic waste in oceans and along beaches. The #OceanRescue campaign features celebrity-led educational segments that give viewers tips for reducing plastic waste.

A Oregon Global Warming Commission report reveals that the state likely will not meet its goal to reduce carbon emissions by 2020 or 2050. Committee members said the increase in carbon emissions is largely due to more Oregon residents driving longer distances and in bigger vehicles.

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.

Utility FirstEnergy, one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the US, has responded to shareholder demands and agreed to reduce its carbon emissions, the New York Times reports. The company - the eighth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the US according to the Greenhouse 100 index - says it will study and report on what it can do to meet President Barack Obama's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Average corn ethanol reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent compared to average petroleum in 2012, according to a study commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and conducted by Life Cycle Associates.

Guangdong, the province in southern China, has posted a plan to reduce dependence on coal and oil from 73% of energy use in 2010 to 60.6% next year. The move is part of the region's effort to reduce its carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product by almost a fifth from 2010 levels by 2015