Thanks to the combined efforts of medical professionals and environmentalists, public awareness of air pollution has increased significantly, putting pressure on the government to address the issue. Consequently, air pollution has risen considerably on the UK political agenda. Much of the blame is directed at diesel vehicles. Because diesel engines emit fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline engines, previous governments encouraged their sales. According to government data, between 2000 and 2016, the share of newly produced diesel-powered cars rose from 12.9% to 39.1%, while the share of new diesel light commercial vehicles increased from 76.9% to 96.2%. A recent government policy making headlines is a complete ban on traditional petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 to address violations of the EU's Ambient Air Quality Directive due to excessive nitrogen dioxide levels. The strategy involves requiring local councils to identify solutions to nitrogen dioxide emission hotspots, with draft plans required by March 2018. The UK government will provide £255 million to support the committee in implementing their plans, and will also establish a Clean Air Fund to fund measures such as road redesign, removal of traffic lights and speed bumps, and upgrades to buses. The UK government has already been sued three times by the legal organization ClientEarth over air pollution. The organization argues that the government's proposals so far are both insufficient and too slow to address a problem of this scale. The implementation speed of the government's policies has been slow each time.

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

Information Disclosure Regarding UN SDGs by Companies Across Greater China This September marks the second anniversary of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This article reviews the newly released Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports for 2016 to understand how companies in Greater China are disclosing their SDG commitments. Among the 50 largest listed companies in mainland China and Hong Kong, only one-fifth listed SDG-related commitments in their 2016 CSR reports. In Taiwan, more than half of the 50 largest listed companies listed such commitments. However, the quality of information disclosure regarding SDG alignment strategies varies. Some CSR reports including SDG commitments lack open and transparent discussion, while others focus on the potential positive and negative impacts of corporate operations on SDGs and clearly translate SDG commitments into measurable and time-bound targets. Among companies operating in the Greater China region, some are taking a more strategic approach, identifying SDGs relevant to their operations and leveraging their contribution to expand their influence: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) – in order to address seven specific SDGs

Hong Kong environmental groups are exploring the use of easily recyclable fish tanks to reduce marine debris. More than half of Hong Kong's marine debris is plastic, and some groups are suggesting that the government subsidize fishermen to help clean up marine debris during the fishing moratorium, while also establishing a comprehensive recycling and remanufacturing system. The groups plan to collaborate with Hong Kong fisheries representatives and fish wholesale markets to trial polypropylene fish tanks developed in the UK, replacing styrofoam boxes for holding fish. These tanks are less prone to breakage and offer similar insulation to styrofoam. Some fishermen have expressed willingness to try them, but this will depend on the cost of the fish tanks. Yang Songying, Project Manager (Ocean) of the Hong Kong branch of the World Wildlife Fund, visited the UK and the Netherlands earlier this month at the invitation of the European environmental organization Waste Free Oceans. He pointed out that Hong Kong previously lacked a comprehensive system for handling marine debris, relying on garbage collected from the sea and then sent to landfills for disposal. Referring to overseas experience, the focus should be on preventing garbage from falling into the ocean, starting with waste reduction at the source, reducing excessive packaging, implementing producer responsibility, and establishing an effective recycling system. He noted that in Spain, fashion design companies use recycled plastic bottles to produce clothing and shoes, and some European manufacturers use plastic bottles collected at sea to recycle cleaning agent bottles. Yang Songying said that it is necessary to encourage groups such as fishermen and water sports enthusiasts to work together to solve the marine debris problem. For example, in the UK and the Netherlands, local environmental groups promote the "Fishing for Litter" program, where fishermen collect garbage while fishing in large garbage bags, which are then processed immediately at recycling and sorting facilities on shore. Hong Kong could also learn from European fishermen applying for government funding during the fishing moratorium.

Hazardous chemicals have become a high-risk source of consumer products in the EU. Hazardous substances in products have become the second largest source of health and safety risks in the EU market. According to the 2016 statistical report of the European Commission's Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products (RAPEX), injuries caused by product use are the leading source of risk in the EU, accounting for 25% of rapid alert notifications in 2016, while notifications of products containing hazardous chemicals exceeding limits accounted for 23%, ranking second. The EU has implemented the RAPEX notification system since 2004. Its main purpose is to ensure that European consumers can buy safe products. It also serves as an information aggregation platform for market surveillance agencies among EU member states and for the European Commission to exchange and rapidly notify of dangerous goods. RAPEX publishes the name and brand of the notified product, the country of origin, the reason for being notified as a dangerous product, and the subsequent market handling mechanism weekly. Since its inception in 2004, the blacklist has seen tens of thousands of products added each year. Notified products are subject to varying degrees of corrective measures by the market surveillance authorities of EU member states, and in severe cases, manufacturers may be required to remove the products from shelves and recall them. The 2016 statistics for notified product categories were similar to previous years: – 26% were toys; – 18% were motorized vehicles.

The first "eco-friendly" laundry bag specifically designed to prevent plastic fiber pollution in the ocean. Does washing clothes create plastic waste? The Guardian reports that German outdoor retailer Alexander Nolte & Oliver Spies has developed a super-fine mesh laundry bag that prevents plastic fibers from wool fabrics from entering the environment with laundry wastewater. The company is now collaborating with the well-known outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, and this week will ship the new laundry bag, "Guppy Friend," to those who supported them on Kickstarter last year. It will then be available on Patagonia. "Guppy Friend" is the first product developed specifically to address plastic fiber pollution. Plastic fibers are very small and easily end up in wastewater treatment plants. While natural fibers like wool or cotton biodegrade over time, synthetic fibers are not and easily absorb harmful chemicals from wastewater, such as pesticides or flame retardants. Furthermore, clothing fibers often contain chemicals to enhance waterproofing and other functionalities. Numerous studies have indicated that plankton and other small organisms may experience health problems if they ingest plastic fibers, and these fibers can also be introduced into the food chain. Researchers have also found large amounts of plastic fibers in fish and shellfish sold in markets. Currently, there is no research showing whether plastic fibers are harmful to humans. However, Nott believes that scientific research takes time, and it may take several generations to know the answer.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has called on governments worldwide to ban plastic bags, impose taxes on plastic bags, restrict the use of plastic beads in cosmetics, and take other actions to reduce single-use packaging. At the World Oceans Summit in Indonesia hosted by The Economist magazine at the end of last month, the UNEP declared "war on ocean plastic," launching the "Clean Seas" initiative to combat discarded plastic and marine pollution. Ten countries have reportedly joined, including Indonesia, France, and Norway. The UN noted at the summit that the Indonesian government has outlined a plan to reduce ocean litter by 70% by 2025. Furthermore, Uruguay will begin taxing single-use plastic bags later this year, while Costa Rica will propose a plan to improve waste management and significantly reduce single-use plastics. The summit on February 23rd was attended by executives from the plastics industry, government officials, and environmental groups. The American Chemistry Council (ACC), one of the participating organizations, stated that the rubber manufacturing industry is actively involved in plans to reduce ocean plastic and improve waste management in the Asia-Pacific region. "The scientific and political communities recognize that improving land-based waste management is the most important solution to reducing waste entering the ocean, especially in rapidly industrializing economies," said Steve Russell, Vice President of the ACC. "Seventy global plastics industry organizations have signed a formal declaration on marine pollution, supporting 260 marine plastic waste reduction plans." While the UN Environment Programme has not strongly endorsed this, it has not yet made a strong statement.

Target Announces 2020 Goal to Eliminate Hazardous Chemicals from Products. Target, the second-largest retailer in the US after Walmart, announced its 2020 goal of eliminating hazardous chemicals from its own-brand products. Target's ten-year sourcing plan will identify products containing hazardous chemicals and gradually reduce the levels of these chemicals in its purchased products. Target hopes this will drive its supply chain and collaborate with other industries to eliminate toxins. A Target sourcing services manager pointed out that more and more consumers want to know whether the products they buy are sustainable and responsible. Target must promise consumers that the products in its stores are not only safe and environmentally friendly but also respect labor rights. Therefore, Target will begin implementing hazardous chemical management actions starting with its own-brand products. Target updated its Sustainable Product Index (SPI) in 2016. The SPI is a product evaluation form that Target requires suppliers to complete before purchasing products, which includes four key requirements: safe raw materials, transparency of product composition, sustainable packaging materials, and good product management. Based on a product's performance in the four key areas mentioned above, the score will influence whether it can be sold in Target stores. Products with higher scores will also receive better purchasing terms from suppliers through Target's buying department. This has been in effect since 2016.

SAC Launches New Higg Module Tool to Reduce Environmental Impact of Products. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a multi-stakeholder group comprised of leading global apparel industry players, including brands, retailers, manufacturers, governments, NGOs, and academic experts. Representing over 40% of the global apparel and footwear market, SAC is committed to reducing the environmental and social impact of apparel and footwear worldwide. In 2012, SAC launched the Higg Index, a product sustainability measurement tool developed based on existing assessment tools—the Outdoor Industries Association's Eco Index and Nike's Material Assessment Tool. Using the Higg Index, companies can identify opportunities to reduce negative environmental impacts and achieve long-term sustainability through supply chain improvements. SAC recently launched the Higg Index Design and Development Module (DDM), which, combined with the newly released Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI) last month, forms a comprehensive product assessment tool from cradle to door.