EC Environmental Policy

Personal care products containing microbeads will be banned from Canada beginning Jan. 1. A statement from Environmental Defence Canada lauds the ban and sees it as a proactive move, as other nations around the world consider similar regulations.

ExxonMobil and other major oil companies, as well as several multinational firms in other sectors, are set to announce support for a tax on carbon emissions as a practical tool for fighting global warming. The firms argue that if energy produced from fossil fuels costs more, it will accelerate the market-driven transition to renewable energy and other sources that produce low carbon emissions.

Kimberly-Clark will feature the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) logo on its Forest Stewardship Council- certified products to raise consumer awareness about the importance of choosing products made from responsibly sourced fiber. As part of the partnership, the company will contribute $4 million to WWF's forest and ecosystem protection programs.

Researchers at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia have developed solar paint containing a moisture-absorbing compound that also is able to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. If water vapor is in the air, then any surface painted with this product can produce hydrogen fuel, researchers said, regardless of the location or climate.

Two of the world's leading sustainability certification bodies, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, plan to merge later this year in an effort to simplify the certification process for sustainable agriculture. Under the name Rainforest Alliance, the organization create a single global certification standard by 2019 that will streamline certification for farmers and empower companies to build more responsible supply chains, more efficiently.

Beer maker Carlsberg Group introduced its Together Towards ZERO campaign Tuesday, which aims to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030 and increase its focus on renewable electricity at its breweries. The company will also work to decrease brewery water usage and improve water management in high-risk areas.

"We recognize that the well-being of people and the sustainability of our oceans are interdependent," said Buster Houston, director of seafood at Albertsons Cos., in a prepared statement. "As one of the largest U.S. retailers of seafood, we are committed to protecting the world's oceans so they can remain a bountiful natural resource that contributes to global food security, the livelihoods of hard-working fishermen and the global economy."

Albertsons has committed to preventing and reducing marine pollution, working to cut down on ocean acidification, taking better control of overfishing practices and other initiatives under the United Nations' sustainable "Oceans Goal." The retailer has also become part of the Seafood Task Force, which targets unregulated and illegal fishing

Fifty of the world's largest businesses, retailers and fishing companies from across the tuna supply chain have banded together to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in their industry, protect the health of oceans and eliminate forced labor from fishing vessels. The agreement was brokered by the World Economic Forum and is supported by policymakers and 18 civil society organizations.

Last month we announced a major step forward with respect to "free-from" products: We will remove parabens, phthalates and the most prevalent formaldehyde donors (preservative ingredients that can release formaldehyde over time) across nearly 600 of our beauty and personal care products from our CVS Health, Beauty 360, Essence of Beauty and Blade store brands.

Increased conservation advocacy by groups including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund encouraged the Mexican government to renew efforts to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has signed a memorandum of understanding that includes stricter enforcement of a permanent ban on fishing nets in Mexico's Upper Gulf of California, where about 30 vaquitas are estimated to be left.

Home goods producer SC Johnson announced a program to increase recycling of its plastic Ziploc storage bags. The company says it is disappointed with recovery rates at store drop-off locations, and is working on a process to allow the bags to be included in curbside recycling.

Almost 21% of the global supply of palm oil is now certified as responsible and sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Demand for RSPO-certified palm oil is growing due to many factors, including more food companies pledging to cut deforestation in their supply chains, SCS Global Services reports.

Pokonobe Associates is recycling commercial plastic fishing nets to make the lightweight, stackable blocks for a new version of its Jenga game. The company's Ocean Jenga also will educate consumers about ending ocean pollution, about 10% of which is caused by discarded or lost fishing nets.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has released a new report highlighting the positive impact certification can have in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The MSC Global Impacts Report 2017 details more than a thousand examples of positive change being made by certified fisheries to safeguard fish stocks and marine habitats.

The Governors of California, New York, and Washington have formed the United States Climate Alliance-a bipartisan coalition of nine states committed to upholding the Paris Agreement despite President Trump's decision to end U.S. participation. The nine states - California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Oregon, and Hawaii - represent nearly a third of U.S. annual GDP.

Marks & Spencer has launched Plan A 2025, a new three-pillar sustainability strategy that aims to support 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier, healthier lives, and move the company closer to becoming a zero-waste business. Under the strategy, the company has also committed to reducing operational GHG emissions 80% by 2030, sourcing all of its key raw materials sustainably by 2025, ensuring all of its packaging is 'widely recyclable' by 2022, and more.

Swiss company Climeworks has opened the world's first commercial carbon capture plant in Switzerland. The plant will capture around 900 tons of CO2 from the air annually.

As President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, several governors and mayors of major cities reacted with disappointment and pledges to continue environmental efforts. "Worldwide, cities will lead in achieving climate treaty goals because so much of what's required happens at the local level," said Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler.

Five fashion companies -- Eileen Fisher, H&M, Kering, Zero + Maria Cornejo and Loomstate -- now belong to the Fashion Positive PLUS initiative and will help develop "circular solutions" for clothing materials that can be used and reused. The goal of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute's initiative is to improve commonly used materials, including dyes and yarns, so they have positive health impacts while also promoting change in the industry.