EC Environmental Policy

China's latest clean air provision includes the outright banning of all usage and sales of coal in Beijing by the end of 2020.

The loss and decline of animals around the world - caused by habitat loss and global climate disruption - mean we're in the midst of a sixth "mass extinction" of life on Earth, according to several studies out Thursday in the journal Science.

The Silk Leaf, by RCA graduate Julian Melchiorri, is the first manmade material that can perform photosynthesis. It has huge implications for science and technology and it could also make long-distance space travel a possibility.

U.K. supermarkets Sainsbury announces that one English store is now powered entirely by biogas.

This article points to the latest wave of businesses working collaboratively on the urgent, common ground issues of renewable energy and climate policy. In America's history of westward expansion and exploration, pioneer families came together in wagon trains for mutual support. In the same way, the examples below show that businesses are taking action, together, to ensure a more certain future that's good for all of us and for business.

Procter & Gamble is conducting an in-field study to help small farmers improve their palm oil and palm kernel oil production as part of its goals to achieve zero deforestation in the palm oil supply chain made earlier this year.

Climate change is driving tropical fish northward, with species used to relatively sparse coral reefs suddenly finding an appetite for the more abundant vegetation of northern kelp and sea grass beds. That could lead to radical changes in northern aquatic ecosystems, researchers say. "The faunas are mixing, and nobody can see what the outcome will be," says marine scientist Ken Heck.

The report, Power Forward 2.0: How American Companies are Setting Clean Energy Targets and Capturing Greater Business Value, shows that clean energy is becoming mainstream for U.S. corporations - with 60 percent of the Fortune 100 having goals for renewable energy or greenhouse gas reductions. Through these initiatives, the 53 Fortune 100 companies reporting on climate and energy targets have collectively saved $1.1 billion annually and decreased their annual CO2 emissions by approximately 58.3 million metric tons - the equivalent of retiring 15 coal-fired power plants.

Natural capital valuation offers water companies a powerful tool to identify sustainability challenges, engage stakeholders such as the chief financial officer and drive innovation in low-carbon technologies, a recent meeting of water industry executives concluded.

Kudzu, the invasive plant spreading across the southern U.S. at a rate of more than 120,000 acres a year, is drawing huge amounts of carbon out of the soil as it grows, researchers say. Kudzu-infested forests give up as much as a third of their soil-sequestered carbon, totaling up to 4.8 million tons of carbon a year

The 2014 drought has cost California's economy $2.2 billion, according to a report from the University of California, Davis.

Norway is pioneering the use of captured carbon emissions to grow an algal soup that can be used as food for farmed fish, helping to reduce overfishing of the wild krill upon which fish farms more typically rely.

UK specialty paper and advanced materials manufacturer James Cropper PLC has unveiled a sustainable alternative to plastic that the company says can carry the weight of an adult and be composted within 100 days. Developed in partnership with Södra, a Swedish forestry cooperative, DuraPulp is a bio-composite material that can be suitable for a variety of applications.

A second Texas city has begun using treated wastewater to boost drinking water supplies as the state struggles with drought. Wichita Falls is now recycling millions of gallons of wastewater, CBS News reports. The toilet-to-tap program ensures the water is purified to meet government drinking standards; the water is then sent to a treatment plan for additional purification.

Businesses in Boulder should be required to recycle - and food-related businesses to compost - to help the city meet its zero-waste goals, according to a report. Boulder is updating its Zero Waste Strategic Plan and has set a goal to reuse, recycle or compost at least 85 percent of its waste, rather than sending it to the landfill. As of 2013, Boulder businesses divert 28 percent of their waste, the city says.

Apple says its carbon footprint shrank by 3 percent from 2012 to 2013, the first time it's seen a year-over-year decline since it began tracking the numbers in 2009.

Businesses love to talk about employee engagement. In fact, an increasing number of businesses see employee engagement as an essential strategy for achieving their goals.

Forest carbon-credit proponents say serious government backing is needed to develop a global market for their offsets. "Once speculators believe that government is committed to doing this, they will rush in -- it will happen overnight," predicts Jim Procanik, managing director of InfiniteEARTH.

The Natural Capital Coalition selected the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to develop the Natural Capital Protocol, a methodology for companies to assess their reliance on natural capital. The organizations will also lead pilot projects with major companies to test the protocol.

Mondelez International, Mars, Nestlé, and 12 other companies launched the Paper Cup and Recycling Group, which will promote paper cup recovery and recycling opportunities.