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How an approach based on strategy and policy can help you secure sustainability grants and incentives

Posted on August 16, 2022 by dishanth

For many companies, a net zero transition will prove a complex and expensive pathway, despite the importance of this change.

Governments worldwide have made ambitious net zero commitments. They are using fiscal policies to encourage this business transformation in their jurisdictions and beyond.

Some of these policies are incentives – both discretionary (e.g. grants) or statutory (e.g. tax credits) – that are made available to support a business journey towards net zero.

However, these incentives are many and varied, and getting lost in the complicated and crowded landscape is easy. Additionally, many discretionary programmes are competitive, with limited funding. Therefore, only the ‘best’ projects receive funding.

How, then, can a business effectively approach access to discretionary incentives?

1) Understand Government priorities

Rather than tackling individual funding competitions in isolation, your business should look to understand how its long-term strategy aligns with Government priorities.

Alignment of your plans to Government policy benefits the development of grant applications. This is because grants and other incentives are designed to enforce policies that drive the economy in a particular direction.

For instance, the UK Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution lays out actions in key areas such as hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and offshore wind to transition the UK to a net zero future.

Government funding is therefore to prioritise and facilitate this transition. This can be by stimulating innovation to close knowledge gaps and by improving the return on investment on technologies that are not currently economically attractive.

Being able to effectively express alignment with Government sustainability plans is key to a successful application.

2) Think “outside in” to express your value

Most companies think “inside out” when they apply for funding – presenting their challenges and funding needs as the central driver for the grant request.

However, focusing on public priorities, rather than just the need for funding, enables an “outside-in” approach. This looks at the challenges the country needs to overcome to reach its objectives. It then allows the application to show how the proposed project contributes to the solution.

For instance, if the high cost of storage limits the amount of renewable energy that can be used on the grid, developing a new low-cost, efficient and rapidly deployable storage solution can positively impact renewable energy uptake, and would therefore be aligned with Government priorities.

3) Engage with funding consultations and policymakers

Governments often design incentive programmes in consultation with industrial players who are likely to bring priority-aligned solutions.

To take the earlier example around the amount of renewable energy that can used on the grid, energy companies may highlight that to be able to offer more of this resource, they need storage solutions more urgently than better solar panels. This could then lead to funding availability for these solutions in priority to other areas.

For a business engaging with policymakers, it is vital to connect with the right stakeholders and make pro-active contributions to funding consultations as this is likely to lead to better opportunities in the future.

There is an ever-evolving and competitive landscape for discretionary sustainability incentives and it is critical that businesses take a coordinated approach to incentives. Demonstrating how your strategy aligns with Government sustainability priorities can provide access to more funding opportunities, expedite application preparation, and improve your chance of application success.

Source Edie

Balancing energy-efficiency and aesthetics: Large-scale Thermal Fenestration Systems

Posted on August 15, 2022 by dishanth

The total energy demand from buildings has risen dramatically in recent years. Driven by improved access in developing countries, greater ownership of energy-consuming devices and increasing urban densities, today it accounts for over one-third of global energy consumption and nearly 15% of direct CO2 emissions. As the climate crisis aggravates and its consequences are more visible than ever, the architecture and construction industry must respond accordingly. It must take responsibility for its environmental impact and give priority to reducing energy consumption, whether through design decisions, construction techniques or innovative products. The key lies, however, in not sacrificing aesthetics and comfort in the process.

The main areas of energy use in a building correspond to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, meaning that the role of building envelopes and fenestration is pivotal. Of course, windows and doors are essential for natural light, views, air flow and entries. With the right systems and materials, they can also provide insulation for improved temperature control, creating a barrier against cold weather during winter and blocking outdoor heat during summer months. In this way, energy-efficient thermal fenestration systems can open many possibilities in the path towards efficient, cost-effective spaces – although they have higher initial costs, these are offset in a few years thanks to substantial energy savings.

One Hundred Residential Tower. Image © Tom Harris

Optimal thermal performance and appealing visuals

Often, the Passive House Certification is set as the leading standard in ensuring resiliency in buildings. Projects designed according to its criteria perform 60-85% better on an energy consumption basis when compared to code compliant projects. But in many large-scale buildings with complex configurations, like multi-family housing projects, meeting this standard can be quite the challenge. And if we add to this the desire to create spaces that are appealing to live or work in, it is clear that design professionals face a complicated task.

Recognizing these needs, manufacturers of large format fenestration have focused on offering products that can be easily incorporated into a variety of building schemes. To be effective, these must follow a set of requirements: the glass selected in multi-pane units should restrict thermal heat flow or solar heat gain based on the building’s climate zone, the frames must be designed to control heat flow and thermal bridging within them, and the whole assembly needs to open easily to provide ventilation, yet still be able to close tightly to restrict unwanted air infiltration. All of this while responding to today’s visual demands, including expansive views, a connection to the surrounding landscape and a sleek, clean line contemporary style.

Recent innovations in engineering and design have taken these criteria into account to produce some appealing and efficient choices. For instance, CRL – the industry’s leading manufacturer and supplier of architectural glazing systems – has developed a series of large-scale fenestration products with a high thermal performance and outstanding functional (and aesthetic) qualities. We present some of them below, exploring their unique characteristics.

Sliding doors

Although oversized glass doors create striking visuals, they can also cause excessive heat loss or solar gain. With this in mind, CRL’s large-format sliding door systems provide daylight, uninterrupted views and maximum transparency while mitigating heat transfer using thermal breaks and insulating glass. Working with the rest of the building envelope to maintain comfortable interior temperatures, they place less strain on heating or cooling systems and foster user well-being. For example, the Palisades S100 Sliding Door, known for its elegant minimalistic look, is designed with ultra-slim panel rails and stiles, with panel heights up to 13 feet (approximately 3960 mm) and widths up to 7 feet (approximately 2130 mm). It features specialized seals designed to resist the entrance of air and water and is suitable for exterior applications with high loads, limits on deflection and heavy usage, exceeding in structural and thermal performance.

Bi-folding doors

Characterized by multiple hinged panels that stack to one side, the latest bi-folding glass door systems also offer advancements regarding thermal and aesthetic qualities. When opened, they provide seamless transitions that allow for ventilation and daylight; when closed, they deliver a streamlined look, prevent obstruction to preserve views, and seal up tightly to protect against water and air infiltration. In addition, these can feature thermally broken frames and 1-inch (2.5 cm) double pane insulating glass that together produce standard U-factors of 0.36, maintaining comfortable interior temperatures year-round and putting less strain on air conditioning systems. This applies to products like the Monterey S80 and the Palisades S90, which are able to meet the aesthetic and functional needs of today’s buildings with their sleek appearance, smooth movement and ability to reduce heat transfer.

Entrance doors

Entrance doors, for their part, can defy efficiency through air leaks – especially in large-scale buildings with constant circulation. In this sense, the Blumcraft Entice Series Doors were created to fulfill energy conservation requirements and simultaneously maintain an elegant appearance. The system has very slender vertical lines and the unique ability to support handle hardware on insulating glass with a “floating on air” aspect. It has also been engineered with thermally broken framing and cladding that lets the product achieve U-factors as low as 0.33. Altogether, Entice® enables architects to achieve an all-glass style while meeting increasingly stringent energy codes.

Blumcraft Entice Series Doors. Image © Trent Bell

To develop complex buildings or multi-family projects that are healthy, appealing and achieve high levels of energy-saving performance, architects must adopt a series of strategies. This includes design decisions like enhancing the building envelope with the proper use of Weather-Resistant Barriers (WRBs) and incorporating effective Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems. Fenestration, on the other hand, can be addressed by selecting large-scale doors that provide high thermal performance without compromising comfort and beautiful visuals. If these strategies are combined, it is possible to contribute to the universal goal of net-zero architecture, promoting human and environmental well-being.

Source Arch Daily

Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

Posted on August 10, 2022 by dishanth

Supermarket shoppers could soon be checking the environmental impact of food before putting it in their trolleys, thanks to new research.

Reliable information of this kind hasn’t been available.

That’s because UK manufacturers only have to list their main ingredients, and that’s by percentage, not amount.

Scientists have overcome the problem by using public databases to estimate the composition of thousands of food products and their impact.

Many consumers want to know how their weekly food shop affects the planet, even though rising prices will likely be a more immediate concern for most.

Prof Peter Scarborough from Oxford University told BBC News he hopes that the research leads to an eco-labelling system for customers, but he believes that the bigger impact would come if the food industry uses it to cut its environmental footprint.

He said the food industry has also been “crying out” for the new tool and that the algorithm is already being used by some manufacturers and caterers to make their meals more sustainable.

“It fills a huge gap. Manufacturers, caterers and retailers have targets for reaching net zero [emissions] and they don’t have the tools they need to get there.”

“Now they have this data, and some of them are talking to us about things they can do to help people move towards more sustainable food purchasing. The data could help manufacturers adjust their formulations.”

The analysis has limits. Ingredient lists don’t tend to show sourcing information such as country of origin or agricultural production method. But Dr Mike Clark, who led the research at Oxford University, called the tool “a significant step towards providing information that could enable informed decision-making”.

The Oxford team estimated the composition of 57,000 foods and drinks in supermarkets in the UK and Ireland. It then assessed the impact of growing methods, processing and transport, against key environmental measures including greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on nature.

The team developed an algorithm to calculate an eco-score for the environmental impact of individual food and drink products.

Catering firm Compass Group began working with the researchers in January.

Its Culinary Director for Business and Industry Ryan Holmes, told BBC News that use of the algorithm “made us think about how we approach sustainability within the workplace” as the company sought to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

He said the company took out some meat, increased proteins from other sources such as lentils and used more whole grains and vegetables and obtained a better score for many of its meal options for staff canteens.

Meat and dairy score high

Under the algorithm, the higher the score, the higher the environmental impact. As expected, foods containing more meat and dairy score much higher than those with more plant-based ingredients. By contrast, many meat alternatives such as plant-based sausages or burgers, had between a fifth and less than a tenth of the environmental impact of meat-based equivalents.

But there was also wide variation within specific categories.

For example, the highest-impact pork sausage scored about a third higher than the least impactful. And the impact of biscuits rose the more chocolate they contained, showing that small recipe changes could make big differences, according to Prof Scarborough.

“If you look at the government strategy on achieving net zero [emissions by 2050] around food systems, they are not measuring the actual greenhouse gas emissions, instead the recommendation is to reduce meat consumption.

“That’s OK, because meat has the biggest greenhouse gas emissions, but you miss a massive amount in multi-ingredient foods which had previously had no reduction targets based on them whatsoever.”

The food firm COOK is assessing whether eco-labelling would help its customers move to a more sustainable diet Source: COOK

COOK, a Kent-based frozen food producer looking to diversify away from meat, has also worked with the researchers. It wants to explore whether measures like putting eco-labels on its products would help customers embrace a more sustainable diet.

“The tool could help us by ensuring that as we are developing new recipes there is a delicious option for someone who is actively looking to reduce their environmental impact through what they eat,” said Andy Stephens, COOK’s head of sustainable food.

The researchers don’t foresee eco-labelling becoming compulsory in the near future. They want firms to adopt it voluntarily, something they believe would lead them to compete over the sustainability of their food and drink products.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs welcomed the initiative.

“We want to give everyone the information to make healthier, greener or more sustainable choices with the food they buy, if they want to. Voluntary industry schemes are really positive and through our Food Strategy we’re also looking at how we can better support them in future.”

The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source BBC

British energy transition ‘an opportunity to train 200,000 workers this decade’

Posted on August 9, 2022August 8, 2022 by dishanth

PwC’s research paper on jobs in the energy transition concludes that, by 2030, 270,000 skilled workers from the fossil fuel sectors will likely be leaving as the net-zero transition continues. At the same time, 400,000 jobs will be needed in low-carbon energy sectors including nuclear, renewables and hydrogen. With one-fifth of the fossil fuel leavers set to retire, there could be an overall gap of 200,000 skilled workers for the clean energy sectors.

This raises questions about whether the Government, public and private sectors have ambitious and joined-up enough plans to reskill and upskill the existing workforce and to grow the pipeline of fresh talent.

Under Boris Johnson, the Government created a Green Jobs Taskforce featuring representatives from businesses, trade bodies, education and NGOs. The Taskforce’s has published one major briefing with another due this year. However, no fully updated careers and/or skills strategy has been created.

The Government’s overarching ambition is for the UK to host two million green-collar jobs in 2030, up from around 208,000 in 2020. Shortly after the publication of the Net-Zero Strategy last October, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) warned that it only detailed the creation of a further 440,000 green jobs by 2030. The High Court has since ruled that the Strategy is unlawful as it does not properly detail how the UK will achieve its legally binding climate targets.

PwC’s head of regions Carl Sizer said: “The big challenge will be finding additional workers outside the energy sector to build the clean energy labourforce needed for net zero. The opportunity is to create highly skilled jobs in locations that may currently lack these.”

To his latter point, the energy transition may well present opportunities for the Government to deliver on its levelling up rhetoric, as distribution networks will need upgrading across the country and as small-scale nuclear and renewables grow.

Sizer also noted the opportunity to get more women, and others from demographics currently under-represented in the UK’s energy sector, trained up. One 2021 report from PwC found that women hold just 21% of executive positions in the energy sector and that. When positions at all levels are covered, less than 19% are estimated to be held by women. The sector is also lagging on ethnic diversity, with 93% of staff being white compared with 79-82% of the general population.

PwC is proposing the development of new energy apprenticeship programmes and technical training schemes that can be taken mid-career, along with targeted communications. The report states that “a range of interventions” should be considered to encourage under-represented demographics to consider energy jobs.

Allaying job loss fears

The paper emphasises that, while job losses in the coal sector are forthcoming, with the UK’s remaining plants needing to come offline by autumn 2024, job gains in other sectors will more than offset the reduction of jobs in the fossil fuel space.

PwC states that up to 90% of roles in oil, gas and coal are transferable, meaning that job losses this decade are likely to be minimal – particularly if the private sector increases efforts in upskilling as the transition plan mandate is rolled out. Net job gains are driven by the nuclear and offshore wind sector, which the Conservative Government have increased targets for through the recent Energy Security Strategy. The Strategy also increased targets for hydrogen, presenting another major reskilling and upskilling opportunity.

“While the shift to green energy is as significant as the industrial revolution, job loss should be far less this time round,” said PwC’s Sizer. “Rather than face an abrupt cliff edge, workers will see their roles become greener over time, many should be able to stay in the same company, while others will reach retirement age.”

Many firms, the report notes, are already advertising for jobs in functions and sectors that can reduce emissions. It states that 24.6% of job adverts in the electricity and gas sector were in these roles in 2021, up from 21.1% in 2020.

Source Edie

Keeping digitalisation green: APAC governments hold key to unlocking renewables’ vast potential

Posted on August 8, 2022 by dishanth

As the world confronts the growing urgency of the climate crisis, hyperscale computing companies are stepping up their sustainability efforts. In recent years, cloud titans have emerged as the largest buyers of renewable energy, with the clean energy portfolios of Big Tech sometimes rivalling those of the world’s biggest utilities.

According to latest data from Bloomberg NEF, Amazon has been the largest corporate clean energy purchaser in the world for the second year straight. Globally, a total of 6.2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy was purchased in 2021 through 44 offsite power purchase agreements (PPAs) in nine countries by the tech giant. The company now has 310 renewable energy projects around the globe, with capacity to generate over 15.7 gigawatts of energy, making it one of the world’s clean energy leaders.

However, despite the growing ambition and appetite of these companies, their 100-per-cent-renewable energy goals remain out of reach in some parts of Asia, primarily due to a lack of affordable clean power options.

Ken Haig, who leads Amazon Web Services (AWS)’s energy and environment policy engagement efforts, says governments in the region can encourage corporate renewable investments by setting up regulatory frameworks that incentivise the adoption of affordable and renewable energy. “Leading renewable energy purchasers and cloud service providers can drive the demand for clean energy and help the sector to grow, bringing with it associated capital, green jobs and the proliferation of green technologies and approaches across Asia Pacific,” he said.

Haig, who also chairs the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA)’s Sustainability Working Group, was speaking at AWS’s annual Asia Pacific Sustainability Summit held on 29 June. Experts on the same panel also said that overcoming the lack of financing, accurate information and confidence will give the region the breakthrough it needs.

Enabling renewable energy projects in Asia Pacific

Earlier this month, Singapore announced it would be importing up to 100 megawatts (MW) of hydropower from Laos via Thailand and Malaysia in the first multilateral cross-border electricity trade involving four ASEAN countries. With increasing regional collaboration, foreign imports of renewable energy for renewables-scarce Singapore, will become increasingly possible. This will not only boost investor confidence in such projects, but also make the sustainable construction and operation of digital infrastructure more achievable.

Heng Jian Wei, director (policy) at the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) in the Prime Minister’s Office – Strategy Group (Singapore), said: “Such projects can help spur the growth of renewable energy resources, which can be used to power the grid in the host countries as well. They are powerful as they create a win-win outcome.”

He further explained that renewable energy projects can make better financial sense if sufficient offtakers are secured, and by reducing upfront costs and enabling downstream recovery.

Haig added that Amazon’s renewable energy strategy focuses on additionality. “We identify projects to invest in as offtakers enabling additional renewable energy to help green the grids where we operate. This is what we have done in APAC as well with three projects in Australia, two in China, and one each in Singapore and Japan,” he said.

AWS is currently on track to meet its pledge of using 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, five years earlier than expected.

Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) senior energy specialist Stephen Peters cited the international help given to construct Cambodia’s 100MW National Solar Park Project, as a further example of how governments can make renewable energy projects more economically viable and less financially daunting.

In addition to ADB’s US$7.64 million loan, the project was also given a US$11 million concessional loan and a US$3 million grant from the Climate Investment Fund’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy Programme (SREP). With funding from 14 donor countries, SREP aims to help resource-strapped nations fight the impacts of climate change and accelerate their shift to a low-carbon economy.

The project, the first of its kind in Cambodia, adopts reverse auctioning as a strategy for the government to procure renewable energy generation capacity. The competition drives down the power purchase tariff for solar. “The model was very successful because it allows risks to be shared between the public and private sectors based on who can best handle the risk. This avoids premiums due to misallocated risk and produces low energy prices,” said Peters.

Pursuing ‘green growth’ for Asia’s data centres

Data centre operators are now facing pressure to meet stricter sustainability goals. In Singapore, a moratorium on data centres, once imposed due to sustainability concerns such as the heavy electricity and water usage of the facilities, was lifted in January this year, but with regulations to ensure that their power usage effectiveness (PUE) is kept at 1.3 or below. Moreover, applications to operate new centres must include innovation and sustainability solutions, and applicants should ideally have a proven track record in building and operating data centres.

At the summit, strategic economic consultancy AlphaBeta launched a paper detailing how Singapore could achieve a “green growth” scenario, where there is ample, sustainable digital infrastructure, by providing assistance to data centres sourcing for renewable energy.

AlphaBeta detailed four possible scenarios for Singapore’s data centre industry. Image: AlphaBeta

In their report, AlphaBeta developed a best case, “green growth” scenario, where if the Singapore government assists in the construction of new data centres and helps source renewable energy, digital infrastructure can not only cope with the increasing demands, but provide energy efficient services which allow the nation to reach its climate goals.

Quint Simon, who heads public policy at AWS, emphasised that countries in the region should not need to choose between digitalisation and decarbonisation, as tackling them both provides nations with viable ways of reaching their climate goals.

“Contrary to some beliefs, the twin transitions of digitalisation and decarbonisation are not mutually exclusive, but in fact, mutually beneficial. Governments across APAC can turn these parallel challenges into mutual opportunities by harnessing the demand for digitalisation to meet pressing climate commitments,” said Simon.

She urged companies to consider switching from on-site data centres to cloud computing, which can reduce energy consumption by up to 80 per cent and make net-zero ambitions more achievable.

The value of business investments and sustainability is becoming increasingly clear. Studies find that companies moving or building sustainability strategies into their digital transformation plans are two and a half times more likely to outperform their peers. And that’s not idealism. That’s good business sense. – Ken Haig, chair, ACCA Sustainability Working Group

Better data and disclosures

Experts at the AWS Sustainability Summit said that enhanced data disclosures are key to redirecting capital towards low-emissions investments.

Dr Amelia Sharman, New Zealand’s External Reporting Board’s director for climate standards, said that decision makers might still be using old frameworks. For example, some are preparing for scenarios where floods occur every once in 100 to 200 years, when in facts these extreme weather events are affecting nations every 10-20 years. She explained that these mechanisms are new and a lot of upskilling within the business, in the industry and with the investor community is necessary to support quality low-emission investments.

“We encourage entities to prioritise their investor and what is important to their investor’s decision making, when preparing climate-related disclosures,” said Sharman. “Quantitative data are an important element of the disclosures but entities are also encouraged to think qualitatively when exploring their climate-related risks and opportunities using strategic foresight tools such as scenario analysis.”

From 1 January 2023, climate-related disclosures aligned with the recommendations provided by the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) will be mandatory for all equity and debt issuers listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) and selected financial service organisations.

Despite the different developmental stages APAC countries are on in their decarbonisation journey, the panellists discussed the need for standardisation. Heng emphasised that it is important to try and put a price on an externality like carbon because we do pay a price for climate change impacts.

“A single carbon price for the Asia Pacific region or the world probably won’t happen anytime soon. However, an agreement on a single carbon price would be pragmatic, as it would enable greater near-term carbon emissions reductions by building confidence that all participating countries are undertaking comparable mitigation efforts.

Peters adds that “we should seek new and innovative ways to achieve a low carbon transition and regenerate our natural environment. One of the ways we can do this is by using natural capital to support blue and green bonds. Using digital solutions can accelerate this tremendously.”

Meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with technology

During the summit, the ACCA also released a concept note outlining how cloud computing and digital technologies can help countries reach their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the International Energy Agency, cloud-enabled technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing—will be critical to accelerating systemic sustainability transformation at scale.

For example, the Indonesian company Halodoc used behavioural insights from patient data stored on the cloud to connect millions of patients to 22,000 doctors and 1,000 partner pharmacies across the nation, thereby making healthcare simpler and more accessible. With wider adoption of such use cases, APAC countries can help promote their citizens’ good health and wellbeing, said the report.

Peter’s added, “Greater access to information and intelligence can support reaching the goals of the SDGs. The Asian Development Bank is exploring artificial intelligence tools to help governments analyse enormous amounts of data—for things like protected areas, wind speed, and solar radiance—to better determine, plan, and build their energy infrastructure.”

Another example is the use of cloud technology for agriculture in Asia. Farmers in Thailand and Pakistan reported a 50 per cent increase in yield and nearly 40 per cent corresponding increase in profitability after adopting cloud solutions for remote agricultural management.

Referencing this report, Haig said “The value of business investments and sustainability is becoming increasingly clear. Studies find that companies moving or building sustainability strategies into their digital transformation plans are two and a half times more likely to outperform their peers. And that’s not idealism. That’s good business sense.”

Source Eco Business

Royal Mail orders another 2,000 electric vans

Posted on August 8, 2022 by dishanth

Last summer, Royal Mail announced an ambition to add 3,000 more EVs to its fleet as soon as possible, up from around 300 EVs it was operating at the time.

The firm has now posted strong progress, celebrating the deployment of its 3,000th EV at its Peterborough Delivery Office. The hub has a fully electric fleet of 106 vehicles now, and is one of 70 Royal Mail locations to host EVs. Other locations with only electric fleets include Bristol.

Royal Mail also announced a new order for 2,000 electric vans and a new target to have 5,500 EVs in its fleet by spring 2023, given that the first deliveries of the additional vans will begin this month.

The additional order for 2,000 vans is split evenly between the Peugeot Partner and Peugeot Expert models.

Peugeot claims that the pure electric partner can travel up to 171 miles per charge, with a payload of up to 800 kilograms. It markets the model as ideal to replace diesel models of similar sizes. For the Expert, Peugeot boasts a range of up to 205 miles per charge and rapid charging capabilities. The Expert is the smaller of the two models.

“Environment is the next battleground for businesses, and we are determined to lead,” said Royal Mail Group’s chief executive Simon Thompson. “The transition to electric vehicles is a key part of our strategy to reduce our emissions whilst delivering a seven-day parcel service to our customers.”

Royal Mail is working towards an overarching climate goal of net-zero emissions across the value chain by 2040.

The firm previously said in a statement that, aside from the emissions reduction and clean air benefits of EVs, the vehicles “also increasingly make more economic sense than diesel vehicles in the long-term”. This is a reason increasingly given amid the energy price crisis, with wholesale petrol and diesel prices having climbed steeply in the first half of the year and reductions being slow to be passed on at the pump now.

Royal Mail is also exploring alternative fuels as well as EVs. In May 2021, it added 29 40-tonne biogas-powered trucks to its fleet. More innovative solutions, such as micromobility in cities and drones for remote areas, are also in the pipeline. The firm is aiming to convert its road fleets entirely to EVs and alternative fuels, phasing out petrol and diesel entirely, but has not set a target date.

Latest EV registration figures

In related news, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published its latest data on car registrations, covering July.

The data confirms that, overall, new car registrations were down 9% year-on-year, despite a slight uptick in sales month-on-month. The SMMT highlighted how chip shortages are still impacting supply chains, and how the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to bite.

The decline was primarily led by a reduction in petrol and diesel sales, although plug-in hybrid sales also tanked by 34% year-on-year. Battery electric vehicle sales, however, were up by almost 10% year-on-year.

12,243 battery electric vehicles were registered in July 2022. This brings the number of these vehicles registered in 2022 so far to 127,492, compared to around 85,000 during the whole of 2021.

Commenting on the figures, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘The automotive sector has had another tough month and is drawing on its fundamental resilience during a third consecutive challenging year as the squeeze on supply bedevils deliveries.

“While order books are strong, we need a healthy market to ensure the sector delivers the carbon savings government ambitions demand.

“The next Prime Minister must create the conditions for economic growth, restore consumer confidence and support the transition to zero-emission mobility.”

Indeed, the next PM’s Ministers will have the job of updating the Government’s Net-Zero Strategy after the High Court deemed it unlawful.

Source Edie

Solar power opens the door to banking for rural Indians

Posted on August 5, 2022 by dishanth

Going to the bank in his home village in western India used to be a slow, frustrating process for Kiran Patil, as frequent power cuts – sometimes lasting for days – turned what should have been a quick errand into a lengthy ordeal.

The 59-year-old farmer often had to wait for hours in line at RBL Bank, his local branch in the village of Aitawade Budruk, or abandon his transaction and return the next day, wasting time he should have been spending cultivating his crops.

All that changed after the building was fitted with a set of solar panels and backup storage batteries in 2018, breaking the bank’s reliance on the power grid and giving it a steady supply of clean electricity.

“The transactions now are so smooth and fast,” Patil told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “These days we even find time for a quick chat with the branch manager over a cup of tea, to learn of the latest services and facilities.”

A more reliable banking experience is also bringing in new customers who previously didn’t have the time for long waits or who worried about never knowing when they would be able to access their money.

Workers clean solar panels in Yamunanagar, Haryana state, India. Image: IWMI Flickr Photos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Flickr.

Since the solar power system was installed at RBL in Aitawade Budruk, the bank has been opening 25 to 30 new accounts every month – 10 times more than before, said branch manager Sandeep Banne.

As India boosts its use of renewable energy in an effort to wean itself off climate-heating coal, the country is leaning heavily on solar energy to cut carbon emissions and help stabilise a grid squeezed by coal shortages and surging demand from a population trying to keep cool during hotter summers.

Citizens in rural areas were walking or spending their precious money to transport themselves from their villages to the nearest bank branch, then waiting there for hours. Simply because the bank did not have electricity all day and the computers could not work. – Raghuraman Chandrasekaran, founder, E-Hands Energy

But some communities have discovered another benefit to the solar power push: greater financial system access for millions of the country’s unbanked, including the estimated 20 per cent of Indian adults who have no access to a bank account or formal line of credit.

Raghuraman Chandrasekaran, founder and CEO of E-Hands Energy, the Chennai-based firm that set up the solar unit in Aitawade Budruk, said his company has installed such systems at more than 920 rural banks across India, helping bring more than 6 million people into the formal banking system.

The company plans to install units at up to 100 more rural branches before the end of the year, he said.

“Citizens in rural areas were walking or spending their precious money to transport themselves from their villages to the nearest bank branch, then waiting (there) for hours … simply because the bank did not have electricity all day and the computers could not work,” said Chandrasekaran.

“It was all misery.”

Modern banking

The three-kilowatt solar power system at the Aitawade Budruk branch – which runs everything from the fans and lights to computers and alarm systems – means the bank now has reliable power about 95 per cent of the time, said Banne, the branch manager.

On cloudy days, backup storage batteries take over, he said.

Firms like E-Hands Energy, Tata Power Solar and Husk Power Systems have so far outfitted more than 2,000 banks in rural India with solar power, estimates Shyam Kumar Garg, who retired as deputy general manager at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development last October.

The systems feed into India’s efforts to install 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030, up from about 115 GW now, more than half of which is solar.

E-Hands Energy’s manager of operations Kakumanu Prathap Sagar said the solar systems the company has installed at banks around India is helping cut about 3,000 tons of carbon emissions every year.

Going solar can cut costs, too, said Banne at RBL in Aitawade Budruk, noting that the branch now spends a fraction of what it used to for grid electricity and diesel for its backup generators.

The solar systems cost between 130,000 and 150,000 Indian rupees ($1,650 to $1,900) for installation and maintenance for four years, and pay for themselves in about four years, he added.

For villagers, the biggest benefit is finally being able to use government services they never had access to before, said Pratibha Budruk, head of the Aitawade Budruk’s village council.

When the bank suffered power cuts and frequent loss of internet connectivity, payments of pensions, students’ scholarships, loans and insurance were often delayed, putting a strain on people who relied on the money, Budruk said.

“The changeover of rural banks to solar power … has opened the doors of modern banking facilities for our local villagers,” she said.

Solar power challenges

In a country where 65 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, according to the World Bank, switching rural banks to solar power might even slow the migration of young people from villages to cities as more economic opportunities at home arise, said energy management expert Binoy Krishna Choudhury.

“Solarising banks is a good step to developing the rural economy,” said Choudhury, who teaches at the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management in Kolkata.

But projects to bring solar panels to rural banks face a raft of obstacles, said Russell deLucia, director and founder of the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund, a U.S.-based nonprofit.

Potential hurdles include finding ways to transport and install the equipment in far flung, often off-road locations, said deLucia, whose company helps E-Hands raise funding for its solar power projects.

Once the systems are up and running, finding skilled technicians nearby to fix anything that goes wrong is another issue, he said.

Despite those challenges, Budruk, the village council head, wants to see more banks tap into solar power as a way to both improve the lives of rural communities and limit worsening climate change impacts such as extreme heat.

“Installing solar systems in the banks is like planting trees throughout the year for purifying the air we breathe,” she said.

“When the whole world is trying hard to slow global warming and the impacts of climate change, this is a small contribution from our village.”

This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate.

Source Eco Business

WSP USA to manage world’s largest green hydrogen underground storage project

Posted on August 5, 2022 by dishanth

WSP USA was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management contract (EPCM) for the underground storage portion and related surface facilities of a major clean energy storage infrastructure to build the world’s largest green hydrogen production and storage facility.

WSP was selected by a joint venture between Magnum Development and Mitsubishi Power to lead all EPCM phases of the ACES Delta underground storage facility in Utah, beginning with Phase I, which consists of the developing two large salt caverns capable of holding a total of 11,000 metric tons of hydrogen.

The firm will also be responsible for the solution mining infrastructure, water and power supply facilities, brine management, and will assist with environmental compliance for the energy hub.

The ACES Delta project involves converting renewable power into green hydrogen that can be stored in commercial-scale solution mined caverns. When completed it will provide 100 percent clean energy seasonal storage capabilities, thereby deploying technologies and strategies essential to a decarbonized future for the western U.S. power grid.

“Green hydrogen is the future in renewables,” said Andres Fernandez, national hydrogen market lead for WSP, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy. “Green hydrogen is particularly unique because it only uses renewable sources combined with advance technology in electrolysis to generate hydrogen. WSP is honored to be part of an innovative team that will deliver the next generation of renewable energy and drive the green energy transition.”

ACES Delta will capture intermittent renewable generation and shape the product into reliable and dispatchable electricity, making the project’s seasonal storage capabilities ideal for integrating renewable energy facilities with the existing energy infrastructure. Each cavern will hold the equivalent of 150 gigawatt hours (GWh) of carbon-free dispatchable energy, which is equivalent to 40,000 megawatts of lithium ion batteries. This stored green hydrogen becomes an energy reserve that can be released to produce fuel for electric power generation at any time.

The project will use Utah’s unique geological salt domes to store green hydrogen in two massive salt caverns. Image: Mitsubishi Power

The overall project will enhance grid reliability and efficiency through optimization of existing transmission line loads, while creating the ability to move excess generation from highly productive renewable energy generation months with little electric load to cover demand during high-load periods. It also reduces the need to overbuild renewables and new transmission assets.

The massive natural geological salt formation is adjacent to the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) near Delta, with transmission interconnections to major demand centers throughout the west and significant renewable energy resource opportunities in the region.

“Using salt caverns for seasonal energy storage is a significant opportunity to empower hydrogen as an energy carrier and significantly expand energy storage resources throughout the U.S.,” Fernandez said. “This will further support the increased build-out of renewable energy thus reducing America’s carbon footprint. WSP is leveraging decades of experience in underground storage experience to provide a full suite of services around the hydrogen economy. This project reinforces WSP’s leadership in underground storage and positions the company to become a key player in developing hydrogen hubs.”

After nearly two years of engineering effort, WSP is grateful for the opportunity to support ACES Delta for the project execution phase and contribute to the advancement of the hydrogen economy in the U.S., at a time when the industry is poised for significant growth. This project consolidates WSP global leadership in underground liquid and gas storage facilities, including hydrogen, and aligns with WSP’s mission to help its clients and communities become Future Ready®.

About WSP USA

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 12,000 employees in 200 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com

Source CSR WIRE

How Singapore is turning multi-storey car parks into farms

Posted on August 3, 2022 by dishanth

Eyleen Goh runs a farm from the top deck of a car park in Singapore.

And this is not a small operation – it supplies nearby retailers with up to 400kg of vegetables a day, she says.

“Singapore is quite small but we have many car parks. It is pretty much the dream to have farms [here] to meet the needs of residents in the community,” she says.

Urban farmer Eyleen Goh farms among high-rise buildings. BBC

At least a dozen of these rooftop farms have now sprouted up across the South East Asian city state.

The government started leasing out the unusual plots in 2020 as part of its plans to increase local food production. The country of 5.5m people currently imports more than 90% of its food.

But space in this densely populated island nation is scarce and that means land is not cheap. Singapore has some of the world’s most expensive property.

One farmer told the BBC that the high cost of his first car park plot meant that he had to give it up and move to a cheaper location.

When BBC News visited Ms Goh’s farm, which is about the third of the size of a football field, operations were in full swing.

Workers were picking, trimming and packing choy sum, a leafy green vegetable used in Chinese cooking.

At the other end of the facility meanwhile, another employee was busy re-potting seedlings.

“We are harvesting every day. Depending on the vegetables we are growing, it can range from 100kg to 200kg to 400kg per day,” Ms Goh says.

She says starting the farm cost around S$1m ($719,920; £597,720), with much of the money being spent on equipment to help speed up harvesting.

Workers harvesting vegetables at Eyleen Goh’s rooftop farm. BBC

Although she has received some subsidies, Ms Goh says her business is not profitable yet.

She has 10 employees and pays a rent of around S$90,000 a year for the space and another car park site, which is still being set up.

“Our setting up period happened during the Covid pandemic, so logistics were way more expensive and took a longer time,” Ms Goh explains.

“Moreover, this was the first rooftop car park tender awarded [by the government] so the process was very new to everyone,” she adds.

Singapore’s rooftop farmers are also finding other ways to make money.

Nicholas Goh, who is not related to Ms Goh, says he has managed to turn a profit by charging people a monthly fee to harvest vegetables at his urban farm.

He says the idea is particularly popular with families who live nearby as “it is a community kind of approach, rather than a commercial approach”.

However, another urban farmer, Mark Lee, says high costs have driven him to move to an industrial building that charges a “negligible” i.e. lower rent.

“Vegetables are ultimately just vegetables. You can get it at the freshest and best quality but there is limitation to how much one would pay. We’re not talking about truffles here,” Mr Lee says.

‘Existential issue’

Rooftop farms are not the only way Singapore aims to increase the amount of food it grows.

Most of the country’s home-grown produce comes from high-tech facilities that are heavily subsidised by the government. It had 238 licensed farms in 2020, according to official figures.

Some of the farms are already profitable, and can expand their production to increase profits, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) says.

“Food security is an existential issue for Singapore. As a globally connected small city-state with limited resources, Singapore is vulnerable to external shocks and supply disruptions,” an SFA spokesperson tells BBC News.

“This is why it is important that we continuously take steps to secure our essential resources,” the spokesperson adds.

The farms are located in public housing estates. NATURE’S INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY

Earlier this year, the issue of food security came into sharp focus in Singapore when several countries in the region banned or limited exports of key foods.

Governments reliant on imports tried to protect their food supplies as the Ukraine war and the pandemic pushed up the cost of everything from staple foods to crude oil.

By 2030, Singapore aims to produce 30% of the food it consumes itself – more than three times the current amount.

Professor William Chen of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University says more support should be offered to urban farms.

“There are measures in place such as productivity grants from SFA, and regular farmers’ markets to encourage consumers to buy more local produce,” says Prof Chen, who is a director of the university’s food science and technology programme.

“Perhaps helping local farmers to adopt simple technologies… may be considered,” he says.

However, Sonia Akter, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, believes high operating costs are likely to remain a major challenge for urban farmers.

“Singapore is offering a lot of subsidies and financial support to entrepreneurs who are working in this space,” she says.

“The question is whether these farms will be able to operate and be commercially viable when the government support stops flowing.”

Back on a rooftop surrounded by tower blocks in the midst of Singapore’s urban sprawl, Ms Goh may seem a world away from traditional agriculture.

However, she echoes the sentiments of generations of farmers who have come before her: “Giving up is not an option. The more challenging it is, the more rewarding it will be.”

Source BBC

23 Green Business Ideas for Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs

Posted on August 3, 2022 by dishanth

Today, consumers are just as interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as they are in a company’s products and services. This is especially good news for eco-minded entrepreneurs.

We’ve outlined 23 eco-friendly business ideas for making money and saving the planet at the same time, that can set you apart form larger companies practicing greenwashing tactics.

What is a green industry business?

A green industry business is one that uses sustainable materials to make its products. Green industry businesses aim to use as little water, energy and raw materials as possible while cutting carbon emissions, or it finds ways to utilize these materials in renewable and eco-friendly ways. This business approach minimizes the company’s strain on natural resources and contributions to climate change. In some cases, if waste is generated, it is reused as energy or raw material.

What is a green business model?

With a traditional business model, a company outlines raw material budgets, design processes, and service delivery or product distribution methods. A green business model, while ensuring ample revenue, prioritizes minimizing the company’s environmental impact instead of maximizing its profit. It may involve the restricted use of fossil fuels while emphasizing power supplied by solar panels and other approaches to drastically reduce energy consumption.

How do I start a green business?

As consumers have come to care about CSR, a greater number of green businesses have emerged, but the problems that climate change poses require many solutions. Thus, to start a green business, first identify an eco-friendly service that nobody in your market currently offers. Then think of similarly eco-minded people you know whom you could ask to join your team. Read our guide on how to start a business.

As you launch your green business, change your lifestyle to reflect the values and services of your business.

What companies are eco-friendly?

Eco-friendly companies may include outdoor apparel brands, businesses that make reusable plastic bottles, eco-friendly cleaning companies, businesses that install solar panels, a local recycling business, and many other potential ventures. If you’re looking to start your own eco-friendly, green industry business, consider any of the 23 ideas below.

1. Ink refill business

Starting an ink-refill business can not only be a highly profitable decision, it can be an environmentally conscious one, too. You might question whether refilling ink cartridges truly helps the environment considering the amount of paper that is wasted each year. However, by reusing old ink cartridges, there is less nonbiodegradable waste accumulating in landfills. Paper is still necessary in the business world, but empty ink containers are not.

2. Environmental publications

If you love to write, start your own environmentally minded publication. Your actions can make a big difference in the world. By debunking popular myths and sharing the truth about the world we live in, you can help consumers rethink how their actions affect the planet.

3. Green finance

Green finance focuses on supporting local, community-level projects with an emphasis on sustainable, ecologically friendly agriculture. Green finance is also typically concerned with providing educational opportunities, funding for artistic endeavors and projects that support local ecology.

Green finance is preoccupied with social profitability. While monetary profit remains important, the goal of green finance is to support beneficial projects that provide value to the local community and ecology.

4. Eco-friendly retail

Consumer rewards programs are popular among retailers, and e-commerce site EcoPlum is no exception. With every purchase, customers earn EcoChipz, which are redeemable for either rewards or a donation to various environmental causes. Each product sold also carries a third-party green certification or an equivalent eco-label.

Besides selling sustainably sourced products, EcoPlum produces educational content, including monthly columns by industry experts, local green business listings, recycling information, eco tips, and book and video recommendations. If you’re considering opening a retail store, consider partnering with a company that has similar values as you and your customers.

5. Sustainable construction materials

You might not think of construction as sustainable, but some companies now provide recycled materials for use in projects like infrastructure repair.

Axion, for example, with its eco-friendly products, hopes to change the way companies think about rebuilding America’s infrastructure. The company’s railroad ties and pilings are made from recycled plastic from consumer and industrial uses rather than non-sustainable materials like steel and concrete. Axion is currently working with major partners like Long Island Rail Road to improve infrastructure safely and sustainably in the United States.

6. Organic catering

A great way for eco-friendly foodies to share their passion for food and the environment is to start an organic catering company. By catering local events and business luncheons with foods containing organic and locally grown ingredients, free-range meats, and vegan, gluten-free, and paleo meal options, you’ll appeal to nature lovers and health and wellness enthusiasts alike.

Be sure, though, to minimize the impact on the environment by avoiding plastic and paper goods as much as possible and composting food waste.

7. Eco-friendly beauty salon

If cosmetology is your passion, start a beauty business that’s Mother Nature-approved. Organic and vegan hair and beauty products are popping up everywhere. A way to make this trend work for you is to open an eco-friendly beauty salon. You can open a hair salon that uses all-natural shampoos and conditioners or a nail salon that uses environmentally friendly and vegan polishes and spa treatments.

8. Eco-friendly landscaping

Professional landscaping may make your lawn and garden look nice, but all of that maintenance isn’t necessarily great for the environment. With some eco-friendly advice and know-how, you can help homeowners make their yards literally and figuratively greener. SheKnows recommends synthetic turf, drought-resistant plants and strategically placed trees for a lawn that saves water, energy, and money.

9. Sustainable event planning

Whether they’re big or small, meetings and events can generate large amounts of waste and consume valuable resources. Green event planners use their expertise and event-planning skills to find eco-friendly venues, materials, and accommodations.

Sustainable event management benefits more than just the planet. There are financial advantages, plus it generates a positive image for event organizers, vendors and stakeholders while raising awareness, and inspiring change in the community.

10. Bicycle repair and refurbishing

Biking short distances instead of driving is better for the environment and your health. Like most modes of transportation, bicycles occasionally need a tune-up.

You could be the expert cyclists come to when their bikes need repairing or maintenance. If you have some extra space, you could purchase inexpensive older bikes, fix them up and sell them for a profit.

11. Handmade all-natural/organic products

Soaps, cosmetics and cleaning products are just a few of the household products that can be made using common organic materials.

Sure, anyone can find a recipe for a sugar scrub or vinegar-based cleaning solution and do it themselves, but if you package and sell them in sets, your customers conveniently have those all-natural products at their fingertips. Local markets and events are a good place to sell, or you could start an online store.

12. Eco-consulting

Are you an expert on green living? Start an eco-consulting service. Consultants evaluate homes and offices, and offer solutions to make them more environmentally friendly.

You could advise clients on switching their home appliances to more energy-efficient machines or implement a recycling program. To further boost your credibility, become a certified eco-consultant.

13. Farmers market vendor

Thanks to the organic movement, those with a green thumb have a golden opportunity to earn money by selling non-GMO, pesticide-free produce at their local farmers market.

Selling naturally grown fruits and vegetables gives you a distinct advantage over competing growers who use conventional farming methods, including pesticides. You may have to be approved and/or get certified by your local board of health first before you can begin selling.

14. Green housekeeping services

For working parents, cleaning the house can be at the bottom of the to-do list. Market yourself as the green solution to their housekeeping woes by offering services that range from light dusting to heavy-duty chores like cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, using only approved all-natural and eco-friendly cleaning products.

Charge an hourly rate or create your own service packages for a flat fee. Remember, your clients are giving you access to their homes. Build a trustworthy reputation with people you know first before advertising to strangers.

15. ‘Upcycled’ furniture

Don’t throw out your old, broken furniture. With basic templates and access to power tools, you can break down and reassemble chairs, tables and dressers into new pieces that you can paint and sell. Shelving and storage units are easy to make from wood scraps, and depending on the item, you might even be able to fully restore a unique and valuable piece of furniture.

Alternatively, you could reupholster old chairs and couches, giving them new life. Buying secondhand doesn’t just save money, it also helps the environment.

16. Green franchises

Want to run a business with a solid brand and customer base already in place? Investing in a franchise might be the answer. While franchising might call to mind fast-food joints and hotel chains, there are many eco-friendly franchise businesses.

17. Secondhand store

New things are typically expensive, and pretty soon, those costs add up. For example, a new book could cost $15 to $30, while a used book usually costs only a couple of dollars.

Opening a secondhand store not only saves your customers money, it’s better for the environment. Instead of tossing a perfectly good item into the trash, encourage consumers to donate their used items to you so another person can get value out of that item. You can sell used clothes, coats, books, kitchen appliances and furniture.

18. Green consulting

Whether it’s cutting energy costs or reducing their carbon footprint, the pressure for businesses to adopt green practices is high, and it’s only going to grow.

Business sustainability consultant Barbara Englehart said there are numerous benefits for companies that go green, including reduced costs, risks and liabilities, and increased employee retention and productivity.

“This is all quite new in the business world, and companies need help,” Englehart told Business News Daily. “They weren’t teaching sustainability in business schools five or 10 years ago.”

19. Solar panel installation

Many green-minded homeowners have installed solar panels on their homes, and many more would like. If you know how to do this, offer this service in your area.

20. Eco-friendly cleaning

Common cleaning products contain chemicals that contribute to pollution, and harm people and pets that come in contact with them. Starting an eco-friendly cleaning business counters this problem. Your eco-friendly cleaning business can exclusively use nontoxic products or use brands that minimize their use of single-use plastics. You can further decrease your company’s environmental impact by reusing greywater whenever possible.

21. Reusable plastic bottles

Single-use plastics are indisputably a leading cause for concern among environmentalists. Offer people a way to drink water on the go without contributing to plastic pollution by launching a green industry business that designs, produces and sells reusable plastic bottles. Explore using alternative materials such as metal or glass, bottles made from recycled plastic, or renewable plastics from materials like corn starch or sawdust.

22. Environmental impact and carbon emissions lessons

Many people aren’t aware of just how much carbon emissions their daily activities produce and the impact those activities have on the environment. Offer classes to educate the public about how driving, using air conditioning in the summer, leaving lights on unnecessarily, flying and other activities contribute to carbon emissions. You can also teach people how to reduce the environmental impact of these activities.

23. Local eco-friendly recycling business

Chances are that your town’s department of public works oversees a public recycling program, but many experts say that what you put in your recycling bin doesn’t always get recycled. Some municipalities don’t accept all types of recyclable containers, while others may not thoroughly sort the collected recycling. Open an eco-friendly local recycling business to guarantee your community that their goods are recycled.

Source Business News Daily