Day: 19 April 2002

UK business news in short

In this week’s UK business news in short, a UK company is to consult on the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea, GlaxoSmithKline is committed to particulate emission reductions, and a PR firm signs up for CSR accreditation.

G8 on the road to Johannesburg

Marking 10 years since the landmark Rio Earth Summit, environment ministers from the G8 leading industrial nations have agreed that they must reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development and make a clear contribution to the success of the Johannesburg Summit in September by announcing concrete initiatives.

Western governments contribute to Cambodia’s pesticide problem

Hazardous pesticides, many supplied by the West, continue to threaten the health of Cambodian users according to the UK based environmental group the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), in their latest report Death in Small Doses: Cambodia’s Pesticide Problems and Solutions.

UK to discuss wetland conservation

The UK branch of the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Committee will meet next week to discuss their response to a brand new version of the Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2003-2008.

European business news in short

In this week’s European business news in short, a new photovoltaic company has been given approval by the European Commission, Royal Dutch Shell states that it is making progress towards sustainability, and the results of a European tender for groundwater measurement are announced.

Car hire firm offers customers carbon neutral option

Avis Europe, one of Europe’s leading car hire firms, with over eight million customers in 112 countries, has announced that it is to offer its customers the option of a carbon neutral hire package, expected to result in the offsetting of 32,510 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

European Commission to protect soils

The European Commission has launched the first steps of a strategy intended to protect soils from erosion and pollution, including forthcoming directives on heavy metals and the management of mining waste.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme must be reformed if UK is to comply with European Directive

Launched in 1996, the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) was, amongst other things, designed to encourage sustainable practices in waste management. However, just a third of the scheme’s funds have gone on sustainable waste management, with no co-ordination of spending to achieve maximum impact, says the Environment Industries Commission (EIC), which represents over 200 companies in the environment industry.

European Commission warns eight member states to smarten up on air pollution legislation

The European Commission has announced that it has warned eight member states regarding their implementation of legislation on carbon dioxide, air quality and airborne emissions of a variety of pollutants.

Carbon dioxide emitted from lakes means forests are not the World’s carbon sponges

Tropical forest waterways give off 900 million metric tonnes of carbon across the globe, comparable to one-fifth that generated by human activities, suggesting that tropical rain forests are not the carbon sponges of the World as many scientists and politicians believe, according to a new study by US and Brazilian researchers.

Budget good for CHP and least polluting vehicles

Budget 2002, heralded as being for the long term, investing in an enterprising, fairer Britain, includes incentives for investment in energy efficiency, aid for more climate-friendly vehicles, and assistance for combined heat and power plants.

UK’s largest offshore windfarm to be built off Norfolk coast

Norfolk is to have a new 38 turbine offshore windfarm which will provide enough electricity to power 52,000 homes, following a joint announcement by the Department for the Environment (DEFRA) and the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI).

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