Moves from Italy, Northern Europe, WWF, and all the latest from other brands in corporate responsibility and sustainability this month
Nuclear showdown
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s decision to revive nuclear power in Italy could be scuppered after the country’s constitutional court said the plans should be put to a referendum. Italy mothballed its nuclear plants in the face of public opposition after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, but Berlusconi pushed through a law in 2008 that would see the nuclear industry start up again, on the grounds of energy security. After a series of legal challenges, the court said in January that the people should decide, with the referendum likely to take place before mid-June. For Berlusconi, the prospects of success look limited, with only about 30% of Italians professing themselves in favour of a nuclear comeback.
Trouble at the top
The AccountAbility organisation, developers of the AA1000 standards, has found itself mired in controversy following the collective resignation of the AA1000 Standards Board. The board, which was only established in late 2009, said it could no longer work with AccountAbility’s management. In particular, resigning board members said “clear independence” between AA1000 and AccountAbility’s commercial activities was not maintained. In response, the management said the board had been unduly influenced by “certain disgruntled former employees”. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the standards themselves. (Editor’s note: we will covering this in greater depth next month.)
No brake on warming
Northern Europe may have ended 2010 covered in a blanket of snow, but in global average terms, 2010 was equal with 2005 as the warmest on record. The temperature was 0.62C above the 20th century average, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says. Furthermore, 2010 was the wettest year on record measured by average precipitation. Other notable weather phenomena for which climate change could be to blame included an “extremely active” Atlantic storm season, and a record negative Arctic oscillation – or air pressure differentials in northerly latitudes – which brought the freezing late-2010 weather to much of the northern hemisphere.
Wherever the wind blows
The proliferation of ethical product labels could soon have a new addition: WindMade. A public consultation on the idea, which is backed by WWF and companies including wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, will open in February and run until mid-March. The promoters hope that the label will attract green consumers by showing that products have been made with wind energy. “As the world struggles with the increasing impact of climate change, we need companies that are WindMade™,” the organisers say.
Biodiesel boost
Argentina is set in 2011 to become the world’s third largest producer of biodiesel, behind Germany and France. The country’s biodiesel output will be boosted by the construction of a giant processing plant in the central province of Sante Fe by US agrifood behemoth Cargill. The plant will contribute to an expected production spurt of 24%. Most Argentine biofuel is derived from soybean oil, with a large percentage exported to the European Union. However, Argentina’s government wants to increase the proportion of domestic electricity generated from renewables, and is promising generous subsidies to power plants that burn biofuel rather than diesel or natural gas.
Go tell it on the mountain
The Obama administration seems to be gearing up for a number of environmental showdowns with US states in 2011. First, the Environmental Protection Agency attempted to sidestep stalemate in the US Congress on greenhouse gas emissions by requiring states to place limits on the emissions of industrial plants – a move that has prompted court action from Texas. Now the EPA has cancelled a permit given to Arch Coal Inc for a major mountaintop coal mining operation in West Virginia, saying it is a risk to health and water supplies. Mountaintop removal to get at coal seams is a controversial technique, which critics say causes massive environmental damage. West Virginian officials, however, said the mine cancellation was “fundamentally wrong” and would cost jobs.
Glad to be green
Gay consumers are greener, and are more likely to try to use less water, to buy organic food and to compost their waste, a survey for US market researchers Harris Interactive has found. However, the green behaviour of gay people bucks the American trend, which on average was less eco-friendly in 2010 compared to 2009. For example, fewer Americans in 2010 recycled electronic devices, switched from bottled to tap water, or bought local produce. Whereas 55% of gay people said they “care a lot” about green issues, the figure was only 33% for straight adults, the survey found.
Black gold
Oil giant Chevron won a battle in mid-January in its long-running struggle with indigenous Ecuadorians over severe pollution caused in the South American country between 1964 and 1990. A US judge ordered that Joe Berlinger, maker of the documentary film Crude, about the Ecuadorian lawsuit against Chevron, should hand over 600 hours of footage to the oil firm. Chevron alleged that the unseen footage could be a defence asset because it shows collusion between the Ecuadorian plaintiffs and supposedly neutral court experts. The lawsuit against Chevron, with Ecuadorians claiming $27bn in damages, has been running since 1993. See also The Last Word, p50.
Green around the gills
Chips served in London from 2012 should be accompanied only by sustainably caught fish, according to a campaign publicly launched in January. The Sustainable Fish City group says that the UK’s capital should be the first in the world where suppliers sell only seafood caught in line with Marine Stewardship Council guidelines. Supporters who have already said they will implement the campaign’s aims include five London universities, the National Trust, and the caterers that will supply the 2012 Olympics. Sustainable Fish City is a campaign of Sustain, which promotes more eco-friendly food and agriculture policies.
Commute electric
The best friend of the electric car is the train, according to a pilot project being rolled out in Belgium. The Belgian national rail operator, working with Siemens, is testing electric car recharging points at selected rail stations. Commuters will be able to leave their electrical vehicles to recharge while taking the train to their workplaces. Test drivers for the electric vehicles are being sought through an online competition that opened at the end of 2010. Proponents of electric cars say they can help smooth out peaks and troughs in renewable energy supply by storing excess power in their batteries. The success of the Belgian pilot project will be assessed when it concludes in June.