Wal-Mart to cut emissions from supply chain

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc plans to massively cut greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain within five years -- an effort the retailer said is equivalent to taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.
The plan to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from its supply chain by the end of 2015. Reuters

56% will drop suppliers for poor carbon management

A recent CDP report shows that 56% of its CDP Supply Chain members stated they actually expect to drop some suppliers in the future for failing to meet carbon management criteria set by the companies. This is an increase from just 6 percent of members who would drop suppliers today for failure to manage carbon. SupplyChainBrain

SNP campaigns for release of Fossil Fuel Levy funds

The Scottish National Party (SNP) announced on Thursday 18 February that it was campaigning for the Scottish Government to release the £200mn Fossil Fuel Levy fund for the infrastructure upgrades recommended in the National renewables infrastructure plan. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The value of the Fossil Fuel fund has virtually trebled since 2007 and with it the potential for Scotland to invest in our green energy future.” SNP

SSE begins construction of eco-homes

SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) is to become the first utility in the UK to build and monitor its own development of zero carbon homes to better understand what customers will need as the UK moves to reduce carbon emissions by almost 20% between 2008 and 2020. SSE

Car bodies could be batteries

Potential for a new carbon fibre material that could store electrical energy like a battery but is also be lightweight and flexible enough to act as a casing, or even the bodywork of a vehicle.

“We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof, its bonnet or even the door, thanks to our new composite material," said Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London and co-ordinator of the €3.4 million project. Business Green

Global policy needed on carbon markets

Commenting on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report on carbon markets on Monday 8 February PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) warned that important issues could not be decided by the UK alone. PwC head of carbon market and climate change services Richard Gledhill said: “Understanding the issues does not drive investment alone. It is the policy that counts”. Link

Miliband says “more interventionist energy policy is needed”

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said othat he was confident Britain would meet its security of supply needs under the Low Carbon Transition Plan in the years ahead. But he said the scale of the low carbon investment needed was “likely to require significant reform of our market arrangements”, adding that in the long term a more interventionist energy policy would be needed. DECC

Only 4% of imported biofuels are environmentally sustainable.

Commenting on a report published by the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) today (28 January 2010), which shows just four per cent of biofuel imported for use in the UK meets the environmental sustainability standard set by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO). Friends of the Earth

Feed in Tariffs are coming at last

Ed Miliband on Monday 1 February said the Feed-in Tariff scheme could provide a typical 2.5kW solar power installation with £900 a year, on top of a £140 saving on the household energy bill. Miliband also outlined plans for a renewable heat incentive scheme, which is planned to come into action from April 2011. DECC

Suppliers that don't manage CO2 could lose clients

Suppliers that fail to manage their greenhouse gas emissions could lose clients, said a survey from Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).Thomson Reuters)