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Buying for life or buying for trend? Bloomberg: Stanley eco-cup has become a symbol of excessive waste

Valentine's Day has just passed, and TikTok tells you what products young Americans are most concerned about. At 4 o'clock in the morning, crowds began to gather in front of Target. As soon as the opening hours came, the crowd poured in, and 20 seconds later, the limited-edition red thermos cups on the shelves were all gone. This is the "Valentine's Day" cup co-branded by Stanley and Starbucks. A video of a frantic rush for Stanley's new thermos cup has been circulated on social media in the United States, and physical fights have broken out in some stores. CBS, FOX and local TV stations competed to report on it. The New York Times reporter advised everyone to wear a helmet next time they go to Dajit. The sustainable eco-friendly cup has become a fashion accessory and collectible. Stanley is an old American thermos cup. It has always been famous for its durability. Holding a cup in your hand can show your "tough guy style" and is very popular among outdoor adventurers. However, Stanley's style has changed drastically in recent years, making the thermos a new favorite of the community and a fashion accessory for young people. With a stainless steel bottle, simple handle, and colorful styles, the Stanley Adventure Series Quencher is a basic equipment for TikTok users. Some people display hundreds of cups that have never been used; others display daily outfits in the same color as the cups. In November last year, a woman took a video of his car being on fire and charred, but the Stanley thermos cup in the front seat was intact and there was still ice in the cup. This video attracted 95 million views on TikTok, adding to the sense of legend. Even Mr. Stanley

2024-02-21

Minister of the Environment: The Carbon Fee Review Committee will be established at the end of the month. If you adopt EU standards to reduce carbon emissions, you are expected to enjoy a "big discount"

Environment Minister Xue Fusheng said today (20th) that a carbon fee review committee will be formed at the end of this month, with a total of 21 members, including six representatives of citizen groups, and a draft carbon fee rate will be released by the end of March. He revealed that in the future, if industry adopts the SBTi EU carbon reduction standard, it is not ruled out that they can enjoy more than half of the "very, very large" discount rate, which will be quite attractive to the industry. my country's major carbon emitters will start paying carbon fees next year (2025), but the draft rates and preferential measures have not yet been made public. The Ministry of Environment held a media dinner this afternoon. During the meeting, Xue Fusheng pointed out in a joint interview with the media that the Ministry of Environment is currently selecting members for the "Carbon Fee Review Committee", with a total of 21 members, including six representatives of citizen groups. Xue Fusheng said that he would consider the balance of civil society roles and invite public associations to join the discussion. "It should not be limited to environmental groups." The members of the review committee will be selected at the end of February and two review meetings will be held to launch the carbon dioxide emissions reduction meeting at the end of March. The relevant drafts such as fee rates and preferential rates will be announced after a two-month discussion period. Regarding the dispute over the "25,000 tons exemption amount" in the "Carbon Fee Designated Reduction Targets and Independent Reduction Plan Review Methods" (referred to as the preferential rate draft), Xue Fusheng said that the original intention was to avoid "24,900 tons without payment" ", 25,100 tons must be paid in full" is an unfair situation that the Ministry of Environment believes is very reasonable and has been agreed by the majority of people. When asked about the objections of civil society groups, he changed his subject and said, "This part (draft) has not been finalized yet, it is just in the stage of collecting opinions." Xue Fusheng further explained the preferential rate draft. If the industry adopts

2024-02-20

Wo Xu's entry into the United States thwarts offshore wind power giants' layoffs, suspension of dividend payments, and withdrawal from multi-national markets

The world is fully committed to green energy, and the wind power and photovoltaic industries have promising prospects, but offshore wind power has encountered headwinds. Global offshore wind power leader Ørsted failed to invest in the US market and announced a series of countermeasures on the 7th, deciding to eliminate 600 to 800 positions, suspend dividends from 2023 to 2025, and withdraw from offshore wind power in Norway, Spain and Portugal. market and suspend the development of the Japanese market. S&P Global has lowered Wo Xu's long-term credit rating to BBB from BBB+. The prospect of wind power is promising. Offshore wind power leader Wo Xu has entered the multi-national market, but its expansion in the United States has not been smooth and it has suffered huge losses. Expanding the market and entering the United States was a major setback. Wo Xu has built more than 1,900 offshore wind turbines in Europe, North America and Asia, accounting for 25% globally. It is the world's largest offshore wind power developer. It is also involved in offshore wind power in Taiwan and the Greater Changhua Offshore Wind Farm. plan. Wo Xu entered the multi-national market, but suffered a major setback in the United States. In November 2023, Wo Xu said that due to the impact of inflation, interest rate increases and supply chain disruptions, he decided to cancel the development of New Jersey offshore wind power Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2, and recognized 28.4 billion kronor (4 billion USD) asset impairment. As soon as the news came out, the stock price fell to its lowest level in six years. In January this year, Worsch announced again that the Skipjack offshore wind power project in Maryland was not commercially viable and would seek another power contract. On February 7, Wo Xu’s board of directors approved the company’s 2030 renewable energy installation

2024-02-20

Disposable plastic Out! Google Plastic Reduction Challenge Creative Competition

In this era of plastic overflow, a group of innovative people are working hard to reduce plastic. In April 2023, Google launched the Single-Use Plastic Challenge. The winners will have the opportunity to enter Google’s cafes and microkitchens in the United States, attracting the participation of many food companies. 12 works finally stood out, and the Environmental Information Center selected several interesting cases to share with you. 1. Candies that solve the problem of leftover food and plastic. The global food waste problem is serious, and there are also manufacturers in the Single-use Plastic Challenge who are attracted by the charm of "ugly food". "UpWorthy" reported that the candy company Climate Candy was founded by Amy Keller. He was born in a candy family and created an environmentally friendly brand. He purchased imperfect-looking but high-quality agricultural products to make candies, and then used plant fibers to make environmentally friendly packaging bags. . Not only can leftover food be turned into delicious candies, but disposable plastic packaging can also be reduced. 2. Coffee cups become nutrients for the garden. GaeaStar, a new start-up company, was inspired by Kulhars (unglazed pottery cups) tea cups at Indian food stalls and developed decomposable clay cups. According to "Very Compostable", the materials for this cup are very simple, requiring only clay, salt and a small amount of water. Using 3D printing technology, each tea cup can be made in less than 30 seconds. After drinking it, you can just throw it in the garden and crush it under your feet.

2024-01-24

Environmental groups urge not to open up the 250 million tons exemption quota and not to use "garbage carbon rights" to offset carbon fees

Taiwan emits more than 25,000 tons of carbon emissions, and more than 500 emission sources will pay carbon fees. The Ministry of Environment proposed on the 3rd that operators can deduct 25,000 metric tons of emissions before calculating. The environmental group criticized it as giving operators a free fee of 25,000 tons. Carbon emission quotas. The Green Citizen Action Alliance pointed out that if the carbon fee rate is 300 to 500 yuan per ton, my country will collect 3.7 to 6 billion yuan less in carbon fees every year. The Ministry of Environment responded that income tax and air pollution charges have similar practices, and it will respect the opinions of environmental groups and communicate with all walks of life. The environmental group has approved the Ministry of Environment to send 25,000 tons of "free carbon emission" quotas. Large carbon emitters will pay carbon fees in 2025 based on the results of this year's (2024) inventory. However, the progress of relevant sub-laws is not as expected, and the environment On the 3rd, the Ministry of Finance held a "symposium to exchange progress on the promotion of carbon fee collection sub-laws". It still did not propose a carbon fee rate. However, for the first time, it proposed a calculation method of "deducting 25,000 metric tons of emissions" and multiplying the rate by multiplying the rate, which aroused the attention of the people present. Group dissatisfaction. Shen Yizhen, a commissioner of the Green Citizen Action Alliance, said that the deduction of 25,000 tons is equivalent to giving "free emission quotas" to the industry, which may reduce the pressure on the industry to reduce carbon emissions. He also pointed out that if 500 emission sources charge 300 to 500 yuan per ton of emissions, my country's carbon fee will be reduced by 3.7 to 6 billion yuan. In addition, carbon fees are charged on individual factories, so companies with more factories will receive more free quotas, making it easier for companies to avoid carbon fees by scheduling production lines. Chen Yonghui, leader of the climate change group of the Wilderness Conservancy, said that if the tax is reduced, the carbon fee may cover a lower rate of the country’s overall emissions.

2024-01-05

Germany’s carbon emissions hit 70-year low amid slowing economic growth

The latest report from the German think tank Agora Energiewende pointed out that as Europe's largest economy reduces coal production, Germany's carbon emissions have dropped to the lowest level in seven decades. In addition, the report estimates emissions in 2023 to be 673 million tons, 73 million tons less than in 2022 and about 46% less than in 1990, which is Germany’s lowest emissions data since the 1950s. Germany has announced a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 and will decommission its last three nuclear power plants in 2023 after phasing out nuclear energy over several years. Meanwhile, coal-fired power generation fell to its lowest level in 60 years last year, mainly due to rising imports and falling demand. The combination of the slowdown in German economic growth and international crises such as the ongoing war in Ukraine also caused a decline in energy-intensive output of 11%, which exceeded the overall economic contraction of 0.3%. However, the report also said that most of the cuts in coal use are not the result of long-term renewable energy build-out, which would result in permanent cuts. About 15% represents such permanent cuts, while about 50% comes from short-term impacts such as lower electricity prices. Meanwhile, Germany is likely to miss EU climate targets as emissions from the buildings and transport sectors were almost flat last year. If it fails to meet these targets, the country will have to pay fines or buy emissions rights from other EU member states. As far as climate protection is concerned in Germany, climate policy success has been achieved with record additions of renewable energy power, bringing Germany closer to the 2030 target. However,

2024-01-04

European and American startups create "low-carbon cement": AI helps reduce carbon emissions, uses solar energy to produce clinker, and develops building materials that can absorb carbon

A large amount of carbon dioxide is emitted during the cement production process. However, the demand for housing and public buildings in most major cities around the world is still growing. This trend is contrary to the international consensus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. How to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the cement industry has become a The focus of attention from all walks of life. Startup Synhelion uses photovoltaics to produce cement clinker. Pictured here is a mirror that concentrates solar radiation onto Synhelion's solar tower receiver. Image source: synhelion According to statistics from the American management consulting firm McKinsey, about 7% of global man-made carbon emissions come from the cement industry, which also makes cement one of the industries with the highest carbon emissions among heavy industries. Claude Loréa, head of the Cement Innovation and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Department of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), said that even by 2050, three-quarters of the world's public construction will still be waiting for construction. Construction, the consumption of cement is expected to continue to grow. The Wall Street Journal explained that the cement currently widely used in various countries is Portland Cement. During the cement production process, clay, limestone and other raw materials are first ground into raw meal, and then about The raw material is put into the cement kiln at a high temperature of 1500°C to make clinker. The cement manufacturer will finally grind the clinker and add silica sand, furnace stone and water.

2023-12-28

Global optoelectronics growth will slow down in 2024

Data from Wood Mackenzie shows that between 2019 and 2023, the number of global photovoltaic installations will grow by an average of 28% annually, of which there will be a sharp increase of 56% between 2022 and 2023. However, no growth is expected from 2024 to 2028. Although the total global solar installation capacity will continue to grow rapidly in the next 10 years, compared with the growth rate in recent years, the growth rate of installation volume will begin to slow down in 2024. Wood Mackenzie estimates that global new solar installation capacity will be 270GW this year, while the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that new solar installation capacity will be 349GW in 2023. However, the growth of the global solar market follows a typical S-curve. In recent years, the steepest part of the curve has seen rapid growth, starting in 2024, when the industry will pass a turning point characterized by a slowing growth pattern. While the global solar market is still many times larger than it was just a few years ago, it is only natural to follow this growth path as the industry matures. Currently, not all regions are at the same point on the S-curve. Africa and the Middle East, for example, have a long way to go before they reach a turning point in their growth. In addition, the two major markets of Asia-Pacific and Europe, dominated by China, are driving this growth model globally. It is worth noting that any changes in China will have a significant impact on world markets, as China leads the way in new installation capacity, with approximately 180GW of new installation capacity set to be added this year. The main reason that may affect the slowdown in growth is the global response to energy transition.

2023-12-27

Carbon reduction trends in the supply chain of the steel and metal industry

Abstract: In order to grasp the trend of carbon reduction in the supply chain of the steel and metal industry and the feasible carbon reduction practices of small and medium-sized enterprises in this industry, this article summarizes the latest development of the EU carbon border management mechanism, the overview of the export of steel and metal products to the EU, and the promotion of supply by major steel manufacturers. Following the trend of carbon reduction, and drawing on the carbon reduction experience, spirit and practices of small and medium-sized metal fastener manufacturers in the UK, Sweden and other countries, three major response suggestions are put forward as a reference for policy implementation and plan advancement. 1. EU Carbon Border Management Mechanism: After years of discussions, the EU finally reached an agreement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on May 10 this year (2023) and completed the legislative work. According to information released by the European Commission, CBAM will enter the transitional phase from October 1, 2023, and will be officially implemented from January 2026. The European Commission also pointed out that after CBAM enters the transition period, EU local importers must complete the first wave of returns by January 31, 2024 at the latest. After CBAM enters the transition period, when cement, steel, aluminum, fertilizer, electricity, hydrogen and other products are imported into the EU, they need to submit product carbon content data. However, during the transition period, importers only need to submit carbon content data for the above products, and no additional Pay any expenses. The EU expects CBAM’s stakeholders (importers

2023-12-18

Carbon reduction trends in the automotive industry supply chain

Abstract: This article analyzes the strategies used by major international automobile manufacturers to respond to the issue of net-zero emissions, and investigates the measures used by small and medium-sized enterprises in the international automobile industry to promote corporate carbon reduction in order to respond to the carbon reduction needs of automobile manufacturers. , as a reference for carbon reduction strategies and missed development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the machinery industry. Referring to the experience of major international manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises, this article suggests that in addition to promoting carbon reduction through strategies such as energy conservation, low-carbon product design, product/raw material recycling, process upgrading, and the introduction of renewable energy, this article suggests that It can also strive for internationally credible certification to enhance the efficiency of communicating with the outside world about the effectiveness of carbon reduction efforts. 1. Background of the topic: According to surveys and estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than one-third of global carbon emissions come from transportation, of which road transportation accounts for more than 70%. This phenomenon has not only led to the introduction of new products such as electric vehicles, motorcycles, and trucks, but has also led all walks of life to focus on carbon reduction on major car manufacturers. On the other hand, the huge export scale of my country's auto parts also makes us believe that it is necessary to conduct research on the carbon reduction trend of the auto industry supply chain. Through this, on the one hand, we can understand the carbon reduction strategies of representative car manufacturers, and on the other hand, we can also clarify the main measures adopted by small and medium-sized suppliers in the automotive industry to respond to the carbon reduction strategies of car manufacturers. According to statistics from the Taiwan Automobile Industry Association, my country's auto parts exports exceeded US$200 billion in 2014 and will reach US$253 billion in 2022.

2023-12-14