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A Brazilian Senate Commission is quickly, and surreptitiously, moving forward a constitutional amendment (PEC 65) that would end the need for environmental assessment approvals for public works projects in Brazil ranging from Amazon dams to roads and canals, and oil infrastructure.

Brazil's conservative National Congress has rushed to pass a wave of legislative initiatives, which taken all together, would dismantle much of the nation's body of law protecting the environment and indigenous people - an effort likely to escalate in 2017. The latest attempt occurred last week, just before the parliamentary recess. The agricultural lobby unexpectedly put forward three bills, known as Decretos Legislativos (PDCs), which are laws promulgated by the President of the Senate over which the country's President does not have the right of veto. If eventually passed, as seems likely, the bills will allow industrial waterways (requiring many dozens of new dams) to be built without the proper assessment of environmental and social impacts. The waterways would be used by agribusiness as a cheap means of exporting soy and other commodities.

PepsiCo, Unilever, Heineken and other members of the Cool Farm Institute have launched an online tool to help farmers assess and improve the environmental and economic performance of their businesses.

The Volkswagen Group has joined the Clean Shipping Network, an association of cargo owners, and will use the Clean Shipping Index (CSI) assessment tool to analyze and reduce the environmental impact of marine shipment.

-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Unilever announce a research collaboration to develop ground-breaking scientific approaches to better assess the safety of chemicals found in some consumer products without using animal data.

The European Commission's recent assessment of the Paris Agreement on climate demonstrates that businesses and investors are crucial to implementation of the goals and the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

A group of companies united in the Roundtable for Product Social Metrics today announces the publication of the Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessment, a practical tool for assessing a product's social impacts throughout its life cycle. The handbook is the result of a unique collaborative effort of market leaders including AkzoNobel, BASF, L'Oréal, Marks & Spencer and Philips.

Drone boats will soon hit the famous, rusty bike-filled canals of Amsterdam. The ambitious "ROBOAT" project, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), will start a five-year trial of the vessels from 2017 to give the multi-purpose boats all sorts of interesting tasks for the busy waterways. The boats will support an array of sensors that can measure water pollution and quality, making assessments about how best to improve the environment. "Water is the bearer of life," says Arjan van Timmeren, professor and scientific director at AMS. "By focusing on the water system of the city, ROBOAT can create opportunities for new environmental sensing methods and climate adaptation."

"The EPA is proposing changes to its chemical safety rules that will require companies in three industries - paper manufacturing, petroleum and coal products, and chemical manufacturing - to assess whether safer technologies and chemicals are feasible. "

ITDP assessed the developments using its new TOD Standard, a policy guide that evaluates real estate developments using eight key elements to integrating sustainable transport, land use planning and sustainable urban design.

PAWTUCKET, R.I., Jun. 02 /CSRwire/ -  Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is proud to announce it ranked No. 1 on Newsweek's 2016 Green Rankings, released today. The ranking assesses the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States on overall environmental performance.

Bamboo appears to have less impact than fiber from northern softwood trees, particularly when it comes to land use because it regenerates in three years as opposed to 70 years for the trees, according to a life cycle assessment commissioned by Kimberly-Clark, the company behind Kleenex, Scott and Huggies.

life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the two 3D printers and the CNC mill, including the materials and manufacturing of the machines themselves, transportation, energy use, material in the final parts, material wasted, and the end-of-life disposal of the machines.

General Mills shareholders will vote this week on a resolution asking the company to assess its post-consumer waste strategies. The resolution was filed by nonprofit As You Sow.

Target partnered with product-rating website GoodGuide to develop a new Sustainability Product Standard for household cleaning, personal care & beauty, and baby care items. Products will be assessed according to chemicals used, transparency, packaging, environmental impact, and animal testing.

Airplane engine-maker Pratt & Whitney is going green to attract and keep the best workers, says environmental chief Mary Anne Cannon. The company is aiming for 100% recycling of manufacturing waste, is holding its supply chain accountable for its actions and has curbed factory emissions by 28% since 2000. The company performs life-cycle assessments to measure the effects of its products, Cannon says

Barclays and financial services company MSCI will launch a new Green Bond Index to serve as a benchmark for assessing the performance of green bond funds. The index will be comprised of fixed income projects with direct environmental benefits.

Levi Strauss and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank launched a new program to reward garment suppliers in developing countries based on their environmental, health, safety, and labor performance. The IFC will offer better loan terms to garment manufacturers that score higher on a supplier sustainability assessment developed by Levi Strauss.

Private equity firm KKR announced that Del Monte, Dollar General, Sealy, and the 24 other companies in its Green Portfolio Program have collectively avoided more than 2.3 million metric tons of GHG emissions from 2008 to 2013, generating $1.2 billion in new savings and revenues. Companies in the Green Portfolio Program agree to assess, measure, and optimize their environmental performance in ways that improve their businesses.

Walmart launched a new sustainable agriculture strategy emphasizing locally sourced produce, sustainability training for farmers, and supply-chain environmental assessments. The company will also seek to reduce food waste in stores, purchase sustainable palm oil, and avoid Brazilian beef linked to Amazon deforestation.