Sustainable Brands New research reveals that the vital benefits wildlife provides to people’s everyday lives are vastly underrepresented across science and policy discussions — an oversight that could have devastating consequences for society and the economy. Led by WWF and published Wednesday in the inaugural issue of Nature Reviews Biodiversity, the study shows …
Focus: Canada’s insurance sector faces climate catastrophe claim deluge
By Nivedita Balu, Reuters TORONTO, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Hotter summers in Canada that have sparked wildfires in tourist areas, intense hailstorms and thunderstorms with severe flooding in major cities, all likely linked to climate change, are leading to personnel shortages and potentially claims adjustment delays, according to insurance sector …
How do we finally get beyond tracking GPD and measure ‘inclusive wealth’ instead?
By Eoin Mclaughlin, Christion Ducoing, and Nicholas Hanley, Corporate Knights The leading alternative to measuring success through GDP growth is languishing over a technical disagreement – with grave potential consequences. Many commentators believe that the world should move away from measuring economic success in terms of GDP growth. Yes, growth …
The economist who puts a price tag on wild animals
By Benji Jones and Byrd Pinkerton, Vox Nature is priceless. But how much would you pay for it? Bats, the world’s only flying mammals, spend much of their lives eating. In North America, most of them chow down on insects — things like mosquitos, moths, and leafhoppers. They can catch as many …
Can carbon offsets actually work? The Biden administration thinks so.
By Joseph Winters, Grist New guidelines aim to restore confidence in the controversial climate solution. On Tuesday, the Biden administration unveiled new guidelines on “responsible participation” in the voluntary carbon market, or VCM — the system that allows companies to say they’ve canceled out their greenhouse gas emissions through the …
International Debt Is Strangling Developing Nations Vulnerable to Climate Change, a New Report Shows
By Katie Surma, Inside Climate News Many small island nations which contributed little to climate change now must borrow money to rebuild after climate-induced storms. The debt service they’re carrying hinders their ability to invest in new adaptive infrastructure before the next storms hit. Small island developing countries are increasingly …
First 3 Carbon-Offset Programs Deemed Trustworthy by Integrity Council
By Sustainable Brands In what it’s calling a new chapter of trust and standardization for the voluntary carbon market, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market gives three carbon-crediting programs its seal of approval. The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) — an independent governance body for the voluntary carbon …
Central banks use AI to assess climate-related risks
By Huw Jones, Reuters LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) – Central bankers said on Tuesday they have broken new ground by using artificial intelligence to collect data for assessing climate-related financial risks, just as the volume of disclosures from banks and other companies is set to rise. The Bank for International …
U.S. SEC waters down its climate reporting rule under legal threats
By Eugene Ellmen, Corporate Knights Will Canada align itself with weaker U.S. standard, or will it go further and adopt full-scope climate reporting like Europe, California and China? The sustainable investment industry in the United States has grudgingly endorsed a watered-down regulation on climate disclosure, acknowledging a barrage of lobbying …
New Rules Will Force U.S. Firms to Divulge Their Role in Warming the Planet
By Evan Halper and Maxine Joselow, Washington Post The Securities and Exchange Commission votes 3-2 to require companies to disclose their emissions and the climate risks they face Corporations will have to share key details about their role in driving climate change and the threat that warming poses to their …