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One was recently published in the environmental science journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling. Research shows that China has the opportunity to control total primary energy consumption at a more reasonable level and achieve carbon emission reduction targets around 2023. Whether China, which accounts for a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, can reach its carbon reduction targets as soon as possible is crucial. Yang Fuqiang, senior adviser to the Natural Resources Defense Council, believes that the closer China’s carbon reduction target is to be achieved to 2020, the higher the likelihood that the world’s carbon emission targets announced in 2020 will be achieved. 2020 is generally considered a critical time point for global climate action. If carbon emissions cannot be reduced to the set target in 2020, mankind will face catastrophic consequences such as accelerated sea level rise and worsening extreme weather events. The study, co-authored by Yuan Jiahai, a professor at the School of Economics and Management at North China Electric Power University, and Liu Qilin, a visiting researcher at the Asia Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh, will focus on China's energy consumption. Carbon dioxide accounts for 77% of global greenhouse gases, and more than 90% of carbon dioxide comes from energy consumption. Therefore, carbon emission reduction from energy consumption is the primary task of mitigating climate change. China's nationally determined contribution goal submitted to the United Nations in 2015 is to strive to achieve the country's carbon dioxide emissions reduction target by 2030, and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 60% – 65% compared with 2005. Yuan Jiahai announced

2017-12-06

Zicheng released the "2017 SDGs Global Survey". 70% companies around the world responded to SDGs but their awareness is still insufficient.

In order to help companies respond to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and more efficiently identify major issues that can be developed by themselves, the "Discovering SDGs Corporate Sustainability" was co-organized by Zicheng United Accountants and the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Research and Training Center. Action Forum was held on November 22, 2017. The "PwC Global SDG Reporting Challenge 2017" was released at the meeting, and Jian Youxin, Chairman of the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Research and Training Center, and Mr. Hans Schoolderman, partner of PwC Netherlands Sustainability Issues, were invited to analyze corporate development. Strategies and plans for the SDGs. Representatives from Xinyi Housing, Cathay Financial Holdings, Far EasTone Telecommunications, Unilever and other companies were also invited to share, hoping to help companies formulate and develop SDGs actions and win at the starting point. According to statistics, in 2017, 43 countries around the world proposed Voluntary National Review Reports (VNRs) on sustainable development goals. In 2018, more countries will propose VNRs. In the future, policies will inevitably affect the development of business activities. This year, PwC conducted a special "PwC SDGs Reporting Challenge 2017" on how companies respond to sustainable development goals. According to the latest research results, 62% of companies are reporting SDGs to stakeholders, which is higher than expected; 37% of them

2017-12-06

"Linking GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and the United Nations SDGs" Green Sustainability Electronic Textbook

The United Nations launched a series of promotion activities for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2016, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched the latest version of the sustainability reporting framework – the GRI Standards – in 2017. Linking the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals and GRI standards has gradually become a development trend in international corporate social responsibility reports or corporate sustainability reports. In order to provide independent learning and experience observation for small and medium-sized enterprises, the "Linking GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and United Nations SDGs" green sustainability electronic teaching material has been specially launched to help small and medium-sized enterprises to produce their own corporate reports in accordance with international standards even with streamlined manpower. Sustainability Report. "Linking GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and the United Nations SDGs" Green Sustainability Electronic Textbook Website: ..https://embed.kumu.io/b0dc95460ef3cd2800efb94261a3461f#gri-sdgs The Small and Medium Enterprises Division of the Ministry of Economic Affairs commissioned the Plastics Center Quality Environment to enhance the green competitiveness of enterprises. The Safety Department implements the "Little Green Giant Mentoring Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" and is committed to assisting manufacturers in complying with international environmental protection requirements and promoting green product design and marketing. If companies are further interested in green-related issues, they can link to the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Green Environmental Protection Information Network Browse http://green.pidc.org.tw/index.php, or contact 0

2017-12-06

21 companies voted for Sustainable Earth 2017

Since 2016, the United Nations has used the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals, referred to as SDGs) as the blueprint and guide for sustainable development in the next 15 years, and has listed a total of 17 global sustainable development goals. Taiwan officially established the "Legislative Yuan United Nations Sustainable Development Advisory Committee" on September 26 this year. Externally, it will promote diplomacy based on this; internally, it will review its governance based on the United Nations sustainable development goals. It is obvious that Taiwan has attached great importance to global sustainable development. trend. The Small and Medium Enterprises Division of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has also actively invested in connecting 1.4 million small and medium-sized enterprises with international standards, allowing Taiwanese companies to connect with the international market, strengthen corporate sustainable development and green environmental protection competitiveness, with the "Green Little Giant Mentoring Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" as the The main axis is to guide manufacturers to become "little green giants". Recently, the annual results were displayed in conjunction with the "Mobile Payment Shopping Festival" at Taipei Railway Station. With the theme of "Sustainable Earth Enterprises Like It", many companies including Green Energy, Changxin Plastics, Blue Whale International, etc. exhibited food, clothing, etc. Green and environmentally friendly products in all aspects of housing, transportation, education and entertainment bring the concept of "sustainable and circular economy" closer to people's lives, and encourage the people to pay attention to the green economy, consume green products, create green cash flows, and achieve green manufacturing. Experts from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global pioneer in circular economy thinking, were recently invited to Taiwan. They also emphasized the "new plastic economy", that is, through a complete cycle, plastic will never become waste. Mutual cooperation in the plastic product value chain industry must be considered starting from the design end

2017-12-06

Duke University study: Smog significantly reduces China’s photovoltaic power generation efficiency

According to the International Energy Agency, China installed 34GW of new photovoltaic capacity in 2016, which is more than twice that of the United States and accounts for half of the world's newly installed capacity. If clean energy represented by solar energy can replace the coal-fired power generation structure, it will greatly improve China's environmental situation. Huge investment in the field of clean energy is one of the key measures of Chinese governments at all levels. Installing photovoltaic panels will improve air quality, a cause-and-effect relationship we have always understood. But what about the other way around? Will the air quality that needs to be improved in turn affect the power generation of photovoltaic panels? The latest research from Duke University confirms our doubts. Based on NASA GISS global climate model data, the study found that particulate matter in air pollution can significantly reduce photovoltaic power generation efficiency, even reaching more than 17%. Short-wave solar radiation is blocked by dust and particles and is absorbed and scattered. This phenomenon, called solar dimming, reduces the radiation intensity received by photovoltaic modules, resulting in power generation losses. According to the study, based on China's current photovoltaic power generation capacity, the power loss caused by haze is as high as 11GW, which is nearly one-third of China's newly installed photovoltaic capacity. It is worth noting that man-made particulate matter has a greater impact on photovoltaic power generation than natural dust. The researchers sampled and analyzed the composition of the sediments on the surface of the photovoltaic modules and found that only 8% was non-dust particles, that is, generated by human activities. This 8%

2017-11-16

The world's 22 largest chemical companies ranked Formosa Plastics at the bottom in terms of "low-carbon response strategies"

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the role of the chemical industry cannot be ignored. CDP, the world's largest environmental information platform, released a new report "Catalyst for Change" this month, analyzing the performance of the world's 22 largest chemical companies in their "low-carbon response strategies." The report points out that process improvement in the chemical industry is generally not transparent enough, and disclosure of information is not sufficient. High-polluting processes such as related petrochemical products still need more active innovation to have a chance to meet the 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement. The chemical industry is a large energy consumer, accounting for 1/8 of global industrial carbon emissions. It is also an indispensable part of other industrial supply chains. For example, nearly 95% of industrial products must rely on some form of chemicals. The "Catalyst for Change" report analyzes the carbon emissions of the world's 22 largest chemical companies, with a total market value of US$626 billion and annual carbon dioxide emissions reaching 276 million tons. In terms of ranking performance, the best ones are Johnson Matthey, AkzoNobel Group, and DSM Group; Dow Chemical and LyondellBasell Industries are the best. They are among the worst performers, with Formosa Plastics ranking last. The report uses four key indicators based on the recommendations of Mark Carney’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

2017-11-16

Cartons are expensive and not environmentally friendly. China promotes shared express boxes

Mainland China is about to welcome the "Double 11" Singles' Day express delivery peak. According to statistics, mainland express delivery business volume reached 31.2 billion items in 2016. However, cartons are expensive and not environmentally friendly, so some operators will launch reusable "shared express boxes". According to reports from CCTV News and China News Service, according to statistics from the State Post Bureau of China, China's express delivery volume exceeded 31.2 billion items for the first time in 2016. The corrugated box base paper used behind it reached 46 million metric tons, accounting for 1/3 of the world's total, which is approximately 7,200 tons. Thousands of trees. This year’s Double 11, China’s Suning Logistics will launch a “shared express box” that is lighter and easier to carry. It is expected to invest 200,000 units by 2018 for self-pickup and door-to-door delivery services for 3C, maternal and infant, and FMCG fragile goods. . Hou Enlong, President of Suning.com, said, "If the e-commerce industry all joins Suning.com's shared express box program and pools everyone's efforts, nearly 46.3 Xiaoxinganling (trees) can be saved a year." The report pointed out that when the shared express box is used, It is a square plastic box. After signing for it, the courier will fold it up and turn it into a plastic board, which will be taken back to the warehouse for reuse. The single production cost of a shared express box is RMB 25 (approximately NT$115), and it can be recycled an average of 6 times a week. It is expected that a single express box has a service life of more than 1,000 times, and the single use cost is only 0.025 yuan. The report also pointed out that in addition to express boxes, some e-commerce companies have introduced recyclable packaging bags, which are sealed with drawstrings. The packaging bags are recycled by the delivery staff and returned to the warehouse for repackaging and use. Source: Ring

2017-11-16

UK: Failure to control air pollution, the government is sued in court

Thanks to the joint efforts of medical professionals and environmentalists, public awareness of air pollution has increased significantly and pressure has been put on governments to address the problem. As a result, air pollution has risen significantly on the UK political agenda. Much of the blame is directed at diesel vehicles. Previous governments have encouraged the sale of diesel vehicles because diesel engines emit fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline engines. According to government data, the share of new diesel-powered cars produced rose from 12.9% to 39.1% between 2000 and 2016, and the share of new diesel light trucks rose from 76.9% to 96.2%. The latest government policy to hit the headlines is a total ban on conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2040 to address breaches of the EU's Ambient Air Quality Directive due to excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide. The strategy is to ask councils to find ways to tackle nitrogen dioxide emission hotspots, and draft plans must be completed by March 2018. The British government will provide £255 million to support councils in implementing their plans, and will also set up a Clean Air Fund to fund measures such as changing road layouts, removing traffic lights and speed bumps, and upgrading buses. The British government has been taken to court three times by the legal organization ClientEarth over air pollution. The group argued that government proposals so far lacked power and were too slow to respond to a problem of this scale. For policies proposed by the government, the speed of implementation every time

2017-10-12

The EU is expected to launch a consumer APP to strengthen the improvement of SVHC replacement rate

The EU is expected to launch a consumer APP to strengthen the improvement of the SVHC phase-out rate. Recently, the EU REACH authorities, NGOs and academic units have worked together to promote the AskREACH APP project, aiming to enhance consumers' knowledge and understanding of substances of very high concern (SVHC) in products. What are the negative risks of these SVHCs to the human body and the environment, and help consumers identify the SVHCs contained in products so that consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. This project was initiated by the German Environmental Protection Agency (UBA) and has brought together more than 20 project partners from 13 EU member states to assist in the development and construction of this APP, which is expected to be launched in the spring of 2019. Another purpose of the plan is to encourage manufacturers to replace SVHC in their products. Through the transparent information of the APP, it reminds retailers, manufacturers, importers and their supply chain manufacturers that they must comply with the requirements of REACH regulations, while strengthening the supply chain. information communication. The ultimate goal of this project is, of course, to increase consumer awareness of SVHC in products, leading to the replacement of all SVHC in products marketed in the EU with safer chemicals. For this project to be successful, it will require an EU central IT system that includes the following three elements: – An information center where companies can upload SVHC data in products; – In addition to providing consumers with multiple language options, a smart APP, this APP must also be used at the sales location through big data technology

2017-10-12

Disclosure of UN SDGs-related information from companies across China

UN SDGs-related information from companies across China is revealed. This September, the United Nations’ 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) will expire on its second anniversary. This article reviews the newly released Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report in 2016 in order to Learn how companies in Greater China disclose their efforts to address the SDGs. Among the 50 largest listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong, only one-fifth listed SDGs-related commitments in their 2016 CSR reports. In Taiwan, more than half of the 50 largest listed companies list such commitments. However, the quality of information disclosure in line with SDGs strategic guidelines is different. Some CSR reports containing SDGs commitments lack an open and transparent discussion. Some focus on the positive and negative impacts that corporate operations may have on SDGs and clearly translate SDGs commitments into tangible results. Measurable and time-bound goals. Looking at companies operating in Greater China, some are taking a more strategic approach, identifying SDGs relevant to corporate operations, and achieving expanded influence by combining their contributions with business priorities: Taiwan Microelectronics Taiwan Semi Conductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) – In order to contribute to the seven specific SDGs

2017-10-12

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News

>Global environmental current affairs

China has the ability to exceed its current emission reduction targets in 2023

2017-12-06

Zicheng released the "2017 SDGs Global Survey". 70% companies around the world responded to SDGs but their awareness is still insufficient.

2017-12-06

The world's 22 largest chemical companies ranked Formosa Plastics at the bottom in terms of "low-carbon response strategies"

2017-11-16