News

The IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will take over responsibility for monitoring progress of companies’ climate-related disclosures from the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) as of next year, following a request from the FSB.

The transfer of responsibilities marks a significant step in the ongoing consolidation of sustainability reporting standards, following the publication last month of the ISSB’s global standards for sustainability and climate reporting.

Read the full article here.

Nestlé Moves Away from Carbon Offsets to Focus on Emissions Reductions Across Brands

Global food and beverage company Nestlé will shift away from the use of offsets to achieve carbon neutral brands, focusing instead on actual emissions reductions in its operations and value chain, according to a company spokesperson, following media reports that the company was walking away from carbon neutral pledges for some brands.

Nestlé announced a commitment in 2019 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, and in 2020 the company published its “time bound plan” to reach its climate goals, which also include targets to achieve a 20% emissions reduction by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

“Our net zero roadmap does not rely on offsets. We focus on GHG emissions reductions and removals within our value chain to reach our net zero ambition.”

Read the full article here.

A Pivotal Moment to Tackle Some of Society’s Biggest Challenges

Guest post by John McCalla-Leacy, Head of Global ESG at KPMG

The news agenda is filled with discussions about the climate crisis and the business world’s response to ESG challenges. We hear leaders – from the political and business worlds – full of great intentions. However, transforming enthusiasm into impactful action is often the biggest blocker to much needed change.

A climate standard will play a major role in the ISSB’s announcements this week and rightly so, but it’s reassuring to see that the ‘S’ in ESG has also played its part in motivating the organization’s strategy.

Read the full article here.

Ten things to know about the first ISSB Standards

Better information leads to better economic decisions. IFRS S1 requires companies to communicate the sustainability-risks and opportunities they face over the short, medium, and long term. The requirements are designed to ensure that companies provide investors information relevant to decision-making. IFRS S2 sets out specific climate-related disclosures and is designed to be used with IFRS S1. Both Standards are based on recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Issuing these Standards is just the starting point. The ISSB is consulting on future priorities to help determine what comes next. We welcome your feedback before the consultation closes on 1 September 2023.

Read the full article here.

Home Depot Says 85% of Lawn Equipment Sales to be Battery Powered by 2028, Saving 2 Million Tons of Emissions per Year

Home Depot announced a new goal to have more than 85% of its US and Canada sales of outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers and trimmers to be powered by rechargeable batteries, instead of gas.

According to the company, the transition would reduce more than 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year, with gas-powered mowers creating as much pollution in an hour as driving 300 miles in an average car, and a gas leaf blower generating emissions similar to driving 1,100 miles.

Read the full report here.

The Government of Canada announced an investment of C$350 million to support the newly launched Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology (INSAT), aimed at supporting research and development into sustainable aviation technologies, and accelerating the aerospace industry’s green transformation.

According to a government statement, the new INSAT investment will aim to establish a pan-Canadian, industry-led network, focused on funding R&D projects. The projects will target four key technology areas, including hybrid and alternative propulsion, aircraft architecture and systems integration, the transition to alternative fuels, and aircraft support infrastructure and operations.

Read the full article here.

In the future, booking a trip could mean boarding an airplane that runs on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) converted from mustard seeds, used French fry oil or other renewable materials.

SAF is a low-carbon alternative to conventional jet fuel made with petroleum that is compatible with today’s aircraft engines and airport infrastructure.

Learn about eFuels, a new class of renewable fuels that are produced using renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Read the full article here.

This Reuters newsletter has some seriously thought-provoking developments encouraging us to take stock of where we are in the fight against global warming. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns that global temperatures have a 66% chance of temporarily reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2027, which means the world has failed to make sufficient progress on slashing climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“There must be urgency in our action. The global climate crisis is more evident by the day, and today’s actions are crucial. Carbon must become a priority, equal to money in all future decision-making.”

Read the full report here.

Over 80% of Businesses Plan to Increase Spending on Environmental Sustainability Goals Over Next Year: Honeywell

A large majority of companies are planning to increase spending over the next 12 months on environmental sustainability initiatives across categories including energy efficiency and emissions reduction, according to a new survey released by industrial products, solutions and technologies company Honeywell, as sustainability goals continue to emerge as the top priority for executives. (Source: ESGtoday.com)

“Our data shows that companies aren’t wavering in their commitment to sustainability. Not only are leaders keeping it at the top of the priority list despite other looming challenges, but they are also increasingly taking actions.” ~ Vimal Kapur, President and Chief Operating Officer of Honeywell

Click here to access Honeywell’s 2Q 2023 Environmental Sustainability Index.

The Government of Canada announced today a new series of measures aimed at preventing plastic pollution and improving how plastics are made, used and managed, including the launch of consultations into proposed new labelling rules for products, requirements for recycled content in plastic packaging, and for reporting requirements for a planned plastics registry. (Source: ESGtoday.com)

“Plastics play an important role in the everyday lives of Canadians; however, the way plastic waste is managed in Canada is a growing concern we all share. [...] We must find a way to keep plastics out of the environment. That means requiring minimum recycled content in certain types of plastic packaging and providing Canadians with clearer labelling and better transparency, to help people better understand what they are buying and determine whether those plastics can be properly recycled in their community.”

~ Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Read the full article here.

Government of Canada: Development of Minimum Recycled Content Requirements for plastic items - Overview

Government of Canada: Recycled content and labelling rules for plastics: regulatory framework paper