EC Environmental Policy

JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced plans to invest $900,000 in sustainable infrastructure projects across the City of Detroit. The firm will also retrofit over 70% of its Detroit-based Chase branches with LED lights and new building management systems. https://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/news/pr/jpmc-announces-investments-to-support-detroit-economic-recovery.htm

A group of companies - including General Mills, The Hershey Company, and Nestlé - have committed to working with the governments of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana to end cocoa-related deforestation, protect national parks from illegal cocoa production, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmers. The initiative is led by IDH - the Sustainable Trade Initiative, the Prince of Wales's International Sustainability Unit, and the World Cocoa Foundation, in partnership with the governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.

An alliance of 27 countries and states - including the UK, Canada, and Mexico - have pledged to phase out coal power generation by 2030. The alliance has plans to grow to at least 50 members by late-2018.

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.

The wool-which The North Face is using in a new beanie with the tagline, "Warm your dome, not the globe"-is produced in a way that allows the ranchers to sequester large amounts of carbon as they raise sheep. In a year, Bare Ranch's methods will sequester around 4,000 metric tons of CO2, offsetting the emissions from roughly 850 cars.

FSC, IKEA of Sweden and SIG support the development of scientifically rigorous methodologies to quantify the climate benefits of FSC certification

Walmart has saved over $1 billion in fuel costs by upgrading its fleet, and plans to continue to cut consumption and emissions through an effort called Project Gigaton. The plan, announced in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, will reduce emissions from Walmart suppliers by a gigaton by 2030.

Beauty brands Coty, L'Oreal, Groupe Clarins and Groupe Rocher have partnered on an initiative to increase sustainability in the beauty supply chain. The Responsible Beauty Initiative will be overseen by supply chain sustainability ratings agency EcoVadis and will encourage businesses to enhance and share sustainable practices.

Kellogg's has joined RE100 and adopted a goal to source 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2050, according to the firm. "We hope to inspire others in our sector to follow our lead and do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Chief Sustainability Officer Diane Holdorf.

Apple, Walmart, CVS, Ikea, Whole Foods Market, and Target scored the highest in a group's report card on reducing toxic chemicals in consumer products.

A plant that will transform 500,000 tons of date palm and agricultural waste into 300,000 tons of organically-based petrochemical products like biofuels annually is part of Saudi Arabia's plan to diversify its economy and modernize its farms.

At the COP23 conference in Bonn, Germany, mayors of 25 major cities from around the globe have signed a commitment to make their cities carbon-neutral by 2050. The list includes US cities Boston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; and Portland, Ore.

Over 20 tons a year of the produce that is served at the Walt Disney World resorts comes from the sustainable farms at Epcot Center. The Epcot greenhouses grow 150 different types of produce from all over the world in a sustainable, hydroponic system.

Recent studies show that the soil in organic farms is up to 44% more effective at trapping carbon that conventionally farmed soil. This discovery is just one of many reasons the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is calling on the world to embrace more sustainable farming practices

Forget the romantic image of a lonely fisherman chasing his catch on the open water. Fishing supply chains have become sprawling, technology-driven operations rife with overfishing and human rights abuses.

Marriott International launched Serve 360, a sustainability and social impact platform designed to "guide the company's commitment and deliver positive results" across four priority areas: communities, responsible operations, workplace readiness and access to opportunity, and human rights. As part of Serve 360, the company announced new 2025 sustainability and social impact commitments including targets to reduce water use by 15%, carbon by 30%, waste by 45%, food waste by 50%, and more.

Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport has been recertified by Green Globe. The hotel is placing low-flow faucets in guest rooms this year and will eventually use energy-efficient LEDs in all public areas.

The report sheds light on the corporate leaders, the most effective strategies to address climate change, the changing global landscape after the U.S. decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement and the crucial role of non-state actors in advancing climate goals.

BMW Group, Daimler, and other carmakers in the European Union would be required to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles or increase the proportion of electric cars they produce to meet 2030 carbon dioxide reduction targets proposed by the European Commission Nov. 8.

In an unprecedented move for the industry, Clarins Fragrance Group is blazing new transparency trails, with brands MUGLER and AZZARO committing to produce perfume alcohol in a way that meets rigorous environmental and social requirements under a groundbreaking "made in France" program. The key aim of the "responsible alcohol" project is to promote biodiversity in agricultural practices. Other benefits of the program include local production, which will create a short circuit between harvest and transformation sites.