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Corporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?

Green lightEnvironmentCorporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?Reuse, watershed restoration and new cooling methods back companies’ commitments to conserve scarce water resources Supported byAbout this contentAmanda SchupakThu 14 Oct 2021 08.00 EDTLast modified on Thu 14 Oct 2021 08.38 EDTOne of PepsiCo’s largest food manufacturing plants sits in the perennially water-stressed Valley of Mexico watershed, which provides water to 21 million people in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs. The aquifer running below the city is so drastically depleted that the metropolis is sinking as the water table falls, and the pipes that bring water in from far-off rivers and lakes are in disrepair.“The city cannot provide the water that we need, so we truck it in,” said Roberta Barbieri, vice-president for global sustainability at PepsiCo. It’s an expensive solution to an intractable problem – the water shortage is not sustainable from either a human or business standpoint. So Pepsi has promised to decrease its water consumption in the region and replenish what it uses. By treating wastewater on site, for example, the factory can reuse 80% of the water it draws from the tap or the truck. “We’re pushing to get that close to 100%,” Barbieri said.The efforts are part of the company’s “water positive” commitment to put more water into areas where they operate than they take out.The last year has seen a flurry of such promises from large corporations. Microsoft, Facebook and Google have …

14/10/2021

Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’

12/10/2021 Comments Off on Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’

Cop26Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’International Energy Agency says $4tn investment needed over decade to reach net zero target Rob Davies@ByRobDaviesWed 13 Oct 2021 00.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 03.11 EDTCurrent plans to cut global carbon emissions will fall 60% short of their 2050 net zero target, the International Energy Agency has said, as it urged leaders to use the upcoming Cop26 climate conference to send an “unmistakable signal” with concrete policy plans.In its annual World Energy Outlook, redesigned this year as a “guidebook” for world leaders attending the summit in Glasgow, the IEA predicted that carbon emissions would decrease by just 40% by the middle of the century if countries stick to their climate pledges.The organisation said the difference between current plans and the change necessary to reach the net zero target was “stark”, requiring up to $4tn (£2.94tn) in investment over the next decade alone to bridge the divide.The IEA’s executive director Fatih Birol told the Guardian that major economies recovering from Covid-19 were already missing the opportunity to spur investment in clean energy.‘Overwhelming’ backing for strong climate action, UK study showsRead more“We are witnessing an unsustainable recovery from the pandemic,” he said, pointing to sections of the report that show coal use growing strongly, contributing to the second-largest increase in CO2 emissions in history.Birol called for developing economies in particular to make …

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Cement makers across world pledge large cut in emissions by 2030

11/10/2021 Comments Off on Cement makers across world pledge large cut in emissions by 2030

Construction industryCement makers across world pledge large cut in emissions by 2030Industry responsible for about 8% of CO2 emissions commits to reaching net zero by 2050 without offsetting Fiona Harvey Environment correspondentTue 12 Oct 2021 02.00 EDTLast modified on Tue 12 Oct 2021 02.01 EDTCement makers around the world have pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by up to a quarter this decade and reach net zero by 2050, in a move they said would make a major difference to the prospects for the Cop26 climate summit.The industry is responsible for about 7%-8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of more than any individual country except China and the US. Cutting emissions from cement production is difficult, because the chemical processes used to make it and concrete release CO2.The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), which represents 40 of the world’s biggest producers and about 80% of the industry outside China, made the pledge on Tuesday. Several major Chinese cement and concrete companies, which account for about 20% of China’s market, have also joined.Companies have been working for more than a decade on ways to change the chemical processes and use different materials, as well as becoming more energy efficient. Tuesday’s pledge marks the first time that major producers have made a public commitment on the climate.Thomas Guillot, the chief executive of the GCCA, said: “This is an important milestone – it’s a big thing. Concrete is the second …

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