EC Environmental Policy

Obesity, mental health problems, air and noise pollution, heat stress and social exclusion - these are just some of the health and social challenges Europeans face today. But according to a new report released by Friends of the Earth in conjunction with the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), increased exposure to nature and green space could help improve both physical and mental health.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has pledged to power its operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2025. The company currently purchases 7% of its electricity from renewable sources

President Trump signed an executive order that targets key elements of U.S. climate strategy, including the Clean Power Plan, emissions rules for new fossil-fuel power plants, methane regulations, and more. It is still unclear how the U.S. will engage around the Paris Agreement.

A group of organizations - including C&A Foundation, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, McDonough Innovation, and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition - have launched the Fashion For Good initiative, which aims to help set the apparel industry on a more sustainable path using a Cradle to Cradle-inspired, circular approach to product development. The initiative will engage key players from across the fashion industry and will support the "scale up of technologies, methodologies, and business models with the potential to wholly transform the industry."

A group of ten automakers - including BMW Group, Daimler AG, and Honda - have partnered to launch DRIVE Sustainability, which aims to "drive sustainability throughout the automotive supply chain by promoting a common approach within the industry and by integrating sustainability in the overall procurement process." CSR Europe is facilitating the partnership.

AkzoNobel has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality and use 100% renewable energy by 2050, as part of its Planet Possible sustainability agenda. The company currently sources 40% of its energy from renewables.

"As long as you have a good message you can create a great movie," Sharp advised, reminding the audience of the power of social media to raise awareness. The young filmmaker is certain that climate change is a matter that interests and concerns youth around the world. He also explained that he filmed 'Three Seconds' in order to create a motivational video focused on the impacts of global warming.

Before this year there had been three major bleaching events identified in the modern history of the reef - 1998, 2002 and 2016. Researchers last month identified the signs of another bleaching event taking place this year.

Four representatives recently introduced a bill called the Food Donation Act of 2017 (H.R. 952), which addresses some of the greatest barriers that restaurants and food service companies face when they want to give away their excess edible food. This bill clarifies and enhances the coverage areas of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, the legislation that made the donation of excess food from businesses to people in need legally protected.

Carbon Brief analysis shows the UK's CO2 emissions fell by 5.8% in 2016, after a record 52% drop in coal use.

Carbon emissions in the UK are down to 420 million tons annually, or about what the country emitted more than 120 years ago, according to a report from Carbon Brief. A 52% decrease in coal consumption during 2016 fueled an overall decline in carbon emissions of 5.8% for the year.

The Environmental Defense Fund launched an advertising campaign to protest the proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget. The ad warns that cutting EPA funding could lead to increased health issues, more pollution and increased levels of lead in drinking water.

According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the levels of carbon dioxide in the air increased by 3 parts per million during 2016, and levels have continued to increase during the first few months of 2017. NOAA scientist Pieter Tans said carbon dioxide levels have risen 100 times faster during the last decade than the during the transition from the last Ice Age.

The EPA announced the winners of its 2017 Climate Leadership Awards, which recognize companies, organizations, and individuals for their leadership in reducing GHG emissions

Nestlé has introduced new 2020 sustainability and development targets, building on its first set of 2020 goals announced in 2013. The company also announced long-term ambitions in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including helping 50 million children lead healthier lives, helping to improve 30 million livelihoods in communities directly connected to its business activities, and striving for zero environmental impact in its operations

Cosmetics brand Garnier launched an awareness campaign in the U.S. to promote the importance of properly recycling beauty product packaging in bathrooms, in partnership with DoSomething.org. The initiative aims to divert 10 million beauty products from the landfill by the end of 2017.

Nestlé Purina's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility has achieved zero waste to landfill status, Purina's seventh location to achieve this target. Nestlé has pledged to be landfill-free at all of its global locations by 2020.

Starting this year, Unilever is voluntarily disclosing online the fragrance ingredients included in individual products sold in the U.S. and Europe, down to 0.01 percent of the product formulation, along with details of the scent the fragrance ingredients bring to the product. The project is to be completed by 2018.

A shopping center in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has been named the first BREEAM USA In-Use certified building in the country, a designation for sustainability efforts at pre-existing nonresidential structures. The Oaks Shopping Center features 6,000 solar panels, LED lighting, a mixed-materials recycling campaign and more to help minimize the building's environmental impact.

Ahmedabad, a rapidly urbanizing city in western India grappling with rising air pollution levels. In an innovative step, the city, along with NRDC and other partners, unveiled the draft Ahmedabad Air Information and Response (AIR) Plan. The first of its kind, the AIR Plan is a decisive step by Ahmedabad to protect local residents from the debilitating effects of bad air.

Corporate spending on sustainability and circular economy initiatives is on the rise - and yielding increased sales and cost savings, according to consulting firm Pure Strategies, which says its latest survey found more than 80 percent of companies expect a sustainability budget increase from 2016 to 2017 with a third anticipating double-digit growth.