Archive for Environmental PR

The development of the Circular Economy and the fascinating changes it is creating in attitudes to waste has been highlighted by a new report: ‘Closing the loop: risk or reward’.

This ground-breaking research project is a key part of the Resource Revolution programme. Run by environmental publishing and events company Faversham House and sponsored by leading recycling and waste management company FCC Environment. Pelican is also an active supporter of this programme so we recommend Pelican Brief readers take a closer look and download this fascinating document.

Find out more about how Pelican PR’s expert environmental team can help your business.

Sales of Toyota hybrid cars have passed the 5 million mark according to a report from Reuters.

The petrol-electric hybrid vehicles first went on sale in 1997 and passed the milestone at the end of March.

Toyota’s Prius series accounted for about 70% of the sales, making it the most popular hybrid model in the motor industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Sustainable business innovation boosts company value according to researchers from Aalto University in Finland have proved.

In the first study of its kind, the researchers tested how sustainability business innovations and the market value of companies in the construction sector are connected.

The most important finding of the study is that a positive and statistically significant association exists between sustainability innovation announcements and the market value of companies. Read the rest of this entry »

A new progress report shows that retailers have beaten a range of challenging targets for reducing their impact on the environment.

The A Better Retailing Climate progress report launched today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows that retailers went above and beyond industry-leading commitments to reduce their waste, energy and water usage in 2012.

The sector is also on track with ambitious goals to reduce the environmental impact of customers in the supply chain, in areas including packaging and food waste in the home. Read the rest of this entry »

More than 80% of British shoppers would be willing to buy fruit and vegetables which are not perfect in shape or colour, according to a survey by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The survey follows a report by the Institution released in January 2013 which estimated that between 30-50% of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted.

Just 376 of the 2,007 people surveyed – less than 20% – said they would only buy perfect looking produce.

Read the rest of this entry »

In his inaugural address US President Barack Obama’s surprised many commentators by focusing on fighting climate change.

Governments need to spark a lightweight revolution in the way things are made so the world can keep up with the demand for resources, say scientists.

They say homes will have to be built with less cement; cars with less steel; and gadgets with less plastic.

And it will need to be done in a way that radically cuts emissions from producing the materials, they add.

These are among the conclusions presented in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, and reported by the BBC.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the festive season behind us and New Year’s resolutions made, it’s time to turn our attention to the year ahead.

As we all know 2012 was the year of the double dip recession, stagnant consumer confidence and Olympic glory for Team GB.

None of us knows what’s in store for 2013. But we thought you’d be interested to hear the predictions of several key commentators and trend watchers. So here’s our round-up of their top predictions for 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

The global ‘green packaging’ market is set to grow by more than 60% by 2018 according to new research

A report by Transparency Market Research, Green Packaging Market says that the growth is being driven by waste reduction targets, increasing awareness of carbon emissions, rapidly growing economies, a lack of natural resources, and consumer preference for eco-friendly products.

It adds that the green packaging market will be worth $178bn (£111bn) within five years. Read the rest of this entry »

A clear and consistent majority of people is in favour of increased investment in renewable energy, according to the results of a major new poll that will provide a boost to those ministers currently opposing the chancellor’s plans for a new “dash for gas”.

The YouGov survey of over 1,700 adults commissioned by the Sunday Times reveals 72% of respondents think the UK should be looking to use more solar power, while 55% think it should be trying to use more wind power.

The high levels of support for solar power are consistent across all age groups, voting intentions and regions, with just five per cent of people saying the UK should use less solar power than it does at present. Read the rest of this entry »