Sustainable Business - Q2 - Jun 2019

Q2 / 2019 AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT FROM MEDIAPLANET WHO TAKE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS NIKLAS HAGELBERG: UN ENVIRONMENT

Seven million people are dying prematurely each year from breathing polluted air. » p2

LISA SWEET: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Expanding our diets to take in more alternative proteins. » p4

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

How your business can be more sustainable. » p6

Sustainable Business BUSINESSANDINDUSTRY.CO.UK

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Blue sky thinking: air pollution, climate change and the opportunity for business Air pollution is a global public health emergency. Today, seven million people are dying prematurely1 each year from breathing polluted air.

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ir pollution level is an emergency that disproportionately affects children in urban and suburban areas, as they breathe in car emissions on their way to school or while they wait for the school bus, standing at exhaust pipe height.

Climate change and air pollution are closely linked.

The greenhouse gases polluting our air — principally carbon dioxide but also methane, nitrous oxide and others — are major drivers of climate change.

Air pollutants enter our atmosphere and act like a blanket trapping warmth, resulting in temperature increases of both the air and our oceans, the melting of ice caps and extreme weather events. These, in turn, put millions of people at risk of food and water shortages.

Financially, we simply can’t afford rising global temperatures The earth has already warmed by 1°C and the impacts are here: devastating hurricanes, intense droughts, greater floods, superstorms and deadly wildfires, many of which are the worst on record. And this is just the beginning. If we can’t reduce emissions and control the warming, we risk runaway climate change with huge financial costs.

Protecting our homes, cities and people from extreme weather will cost more than the world’s current gross domestic product.

The volume of polluting emissions we pump into the air — 50% of which have been emitted since the first episode of Seinfeld (1989) — simply must be brought under control.

Governments are acting to protect citizens’ futures Many governments are taking the lead by creating regulations and policies that promote a cleaner and more

NIKLAS HAGELBERG Senior Programme Officer, Coordinator, Climate Change Programme, UN Environment

The earth has already warmed by 1°C and the impacts are here: devastating hurricanes, intense droughts, greater floods, superstorms and deadly wildfires, many of which are the worst on record. And this is just the beginning.” sustainable environment. Clean air is a fundamental right, enshrined in the constitution of more than 100 countries.2 The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was a pledge signed by 195 countries to reduce emissions.

As governments begin to act on their commitments, they are putting into place regulations for polluters as well as incentives that promote green business opportunities and open markets for innovative companies to drive sustainable change.

Eat less meat; switch to an electric car Citizens can be a powerful force for change: by making lifestyle changes, switching to electric vehicles, seeking out renewable energy or reducing their methane footprint by eating less meat, they are creating markets and driving demand for cleaner and more energy-efficient products and companies.

Businesses with green incentives appeal to consumers The private sector is increasingly investing in research and development, and using renewables and energy-efficient technologies to power production plants, transport goods and design greener office buildings. These changes

have a clear economic benefit. They allow companies to generate substantial savings, position them as leaders in view of the growing public appetite for sustainable choices and ensure that they are prepared for a changing regulatory context that will usher in the new sustainable age.

At UN Environment, we support governments in their work on multiple fronts. Our Electric Mobility Programme 3 helps countries to develop policies, exchange best practices, and pilot technology options to track electric vehicle uptake as well as to calculate emissions and economic benefits. NP the Global Breathe Life4 campaign, led by the World Health Organization, the Climate & Clean Air Coalition and UN Environment, mobilises cities and individuals to protect our health and our planet from the effects of air pollution. And the theme for UN World Environment Day5 this year (5 June 2019) was air pollution, designed to step-change governments’ attention and focus on this topic.

The good news is that immediate changes to air pollution levels also have immediate effects. Quick action on reducing highly potent, short-lived climate pollutants — methane, tropospheric ozone, hydrofluorocarbons and black carbon — can significantly decrease the chances of triggering dangerous climate tipping points.

While prompted by the gravest of existential fears, the changes we make this decade are changes that will result in a far more positive future: urban streets free of exhaust fumes, horizons free of smog, soot-blackened buildings and lungs consigned to history books, and more blue sky in every direction.

Read more at businessandindustry.co.uk

1: www.who.int/airpollution/en/ 2: www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23789&LangID=E 3: www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/transport/what-we-do/electric-mobility 4: breathelife2030.org/ 5: www.worldenvironmentday.global/?xv=1&c=1

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Decarbonising energy in the rural UK – a unique challenge Rural communities across the UK face the same ultimate challenge as the rest of the country – needing to decarbonise the heating energy requirements across all homes and business to meet the carbon budgets for the UK and head towards the Net Zero ambitions set out by the Committee on Climate Change.

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owever, the obstacles faced are unique to this sector due to many factors, including the age and style of building, the current and bespoke nature of their existing heating systems and an increased level of fuel poverty in these areas.

The transition needs careful management and a broad spectrum of solutions to deliver the end goal.

Those in rural communities not connected to the gas grid (including over two million homes and a significant number of businesses) will generally either use heating oil, coal, electricity or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to heat their property – and the government has already committed to phasing out high carbon fossil fuels such as oil and coal in the 2020s.

Green gas is key in a range of solutions We recognise that the transition away from fossil fuels has begun and we believe that any future off-grid heat strategy must offer a range of solutions to meet the vast array of housing stock and business applications. It is also vital that green gas is included as a key solution, which is why we are devoting

ANDY PARKER Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Calor Gas

significant resources to innovation and diversification. A dedicated technical team of industry experts and academics are working on bringing new, high-efficiency heating applications and low-carbon renewable fuels, such as BioLPG, to the rural energy market.

BioLPG can reduce carbon emissions by 90% While BioLPG can reduce carbon emissions by around 90%, it’s also chemically identical to conventional LPG, so it is a future-proof solution, as it is a drop-in replacement fuel for all existing LPG heating systems.

It can also replace existing oil-based heating systems (with simply a new LPG boiler to replace the oil one) offering a change with limited disruption and low cost to the end user, allowing them to decarbonise without a heavy burden on those in fuel poverty.

Sourcing and supplying BioLPG into the UK is a transition that has already started. The volume delivered so far is already enough to meet the demand of around 20% of our existing domestic central heating customer base, so significant strides have been taken in a short time. However, the technical team are

continuing to research new and efficient methods of production for the future, which will form part of the range of options available for rural UK. The path towards decarbonised energy for heating is a vital one for the UK to undertake and rural communities have an important role to play. We are committed to enabling this to happen through an ambition of supplying only renewable fuels by 2040 helping the UK to achieve its decarbonisation targets in a cost effective manner.

Sponsored by

Read more at calor.co.uk

Decoupling growth from carbon and making carbon the enemy, not aviation Climate change is the biggest threat of our age and Heathrow is determined to take a lead and demonstrate that we are part of a sustainable solution.

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s the UK’s only international hub airport and cornerstone of the UK economy, Heathrow can use its scale and reputation to change the way that its supply chain works, and influence the way that airlines and airports around the world approach the challenge.

Expansion at our airport — including a third runway by the middle of the next decade — isn't a choice between the economy and the environment, it will deliver for both. While the industry has a challenge ahead of it in decoupling growth from carbon, we have proven it can be done. We have been able to reduce on airport carbon emissions by 37% since 1990 despite passenger numbers almost doubling (43m in 1990 to over 80m today).

Now we have set our sights on ensuring that airport infrastructure becomes carbon neutral by 2020, zero carbon by 2050 and that growth from expansion, including growth in flights, is carbon

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INTERVIEW WITH: MATT GORMAN Sustainability and Environment Director, Heathrow

neutral. This starts with running our terminals on 100% renewable energy, investment in peatland restoration to offset carbon and plans to implement a strict Ultra Low Emissions Zone to target vehicles around the airport. But there’s much more to be done.

That’s why we have created a carbon neutral roadmap that sets out how we will work with the industry to achieve our targets as we grow. Our approach is to work with our partners to innovate, invest and incentivise to make our contribution to combatting climate change much broader than it is today. Through steps like our innovation grants, further investment in carbon capture projects, waiving landing fees for the first electric aircraft at Heathrow and by using sustainable aviation fuels, we know we can get there.

We can’t do it alone though. We need the public, government and industry partners to come on

board and increase their support for new aircraft technologies, sustainable fuels, developing carbon pricing as well as new, effective ways of offsetting.

I encourage everyone to take a look at our carbon neutral roadmap and keep an eye out for our innovation grants that may just help the next big idea take off.

Written by: Tony Greenway

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Read more at your.heathrow.com/centreofexcellence BUSINESSANDINDUSTRY.CO.UK 3

How your business can be more sustainable 1

Get a smart meter

Smart meters help you to keep an eye on your energy usage and will automatically send accurate readings to your energy supplier. For more info visit: Smart Energy GB or speak to your energy supplier directly about getting an installation.

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You could qualify for ‘green tax’ relief

Your business may qualify for reliefs or exemptions from some taxes if: you use a lot of energy because of the nature of your business; if you’re a small business that doesn’t use much energy; or if you buy energy-efficient technology for your business. Visit www.gov.uk/green-taxes-and-reliefs for more details.

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Use greener transport

Save up to £300,000 and 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year with the Energy Saving Trust’s Fleet Support Scheme. Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/transport/fleet-support for more details. Emissions can also be cut by reducing unnecessary employee travel and encouraging alternative ways of working, such as using conferencing software.

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Engage with your employees

Studies have found visual imagery generates emotional cues and is more effective than words or numbers at getting workers to change their minds about energy usage. More info available at Smart Energy GB and Carbon Trust employers’ guide.

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Lose the plastic

Encourage the use of/provide reusable mugs and plates on your business premises to reduce your one-use plastic consumption and waste levels.

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British business is booming as firms grasp clean, green opportunities CHRIS SKIDMORE Energy and Clean Growth Minister, UK Government

Encourage recycling

On average 60 to 80% of office waste is paper.

Find a recycling waste contractor at www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/getting-started/ recycling-at-work and use designated areas, clearly labelled bins and containers for specific materials.

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Install energy efficient appliances

Such as LED/CFL bulbs. Visit www.carbontrust. com/resources/guides/energy-efficiency/lighting/ for more information.

Get involved in Green GB Week 2019, which runs from 4-8 November. Find out more at greengb.campaign.gov.uk.

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From tiny robots repairing burst waste pipes to designs for biodegradable safety helmets and gloves to cut down on waste, innovation lies at the heart of clean growth. Already, businesses across the UK are innovating to seize the opportunities of moving to a greener, cleaner economy.

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ustainability is central to new research. As Science Minister, I’ve seen this fi rst hand, and now that I’ve been given the temporary privilege of driving forward the UK’s clean growth agenda, it’s even clearer to me that there’s not only an opportunity but a responsibility to act to protect our precious planet for future generations.

Just this February, we saw the temperature hit 21.2°C in Kew Gardens, smashing previous records.

And the same happened again on Easter Monday when they reached 25°C. The Met Office predicts this could be the new normal, with summer temperatures set to be up to 5.4°C hotter by 2070.

Companies invest in renewable, sustainable practice Businesses have spotted the opportunities too of switching to cleaner operations. During last year’s ‘Green GB Week’, over 60 of the UK's largest and best performing R&D companies – including Amazon, EDF and HSBC – pledged to invest hundreds of millions into renewable infrastructure, switch to 100% clean energy providers or replace existing fleets of diesel trucks.

In March, John Lewis committed to going completely carbon free by 2050, while National Grid pledged to run an entirely carbon free power system by 2025.

2°C temperature rise could cost £69 trillion Internationally, the disastrous consequences of this are already being felt. In Bangladesh rising tides are displacing communities, and wildfires are destroying homes in California.

The costs will be dire for businesses too. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently projected global economic damage could reach $69 trillion with a 2°C rise above pre-industrial levels.

One third of UK electricity from offshore wind by 2030 This Government is determined to enable our greenest and most innovative firms to f lourish. We have committed £2.5 billion to low carbon innovation through the Clean Growth Strategy. And in April we launched the offshore wind sector deal – an agreement with industry, which will see a third of the UK’s electricity provided by offshore wind by 2030, driven by £250 million of industry investment.

It’s clear we’ve reached a seminal moment in our efforts to tackle climate change. We’re keen to be the first developed country to move towards a net zero target and are eagerly pouring over the recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change to achieve this. We’ve also bid to host the 26th COP Climate Change Conference to help build international momentum on climate action.

The UK is aiming for a net zero emissions economy The UK has long led the global fight against climate change, spearheaded by the world’s first climate targets enshrined in our ground-breaking Climate Change Act. Since 1990, we’ve cut emissions by more than 40%, while growing our economy by over two thirds. And we’re now working towards becoming a net zero emissions economy, ending the UK’s contribution to global warming entirely.

Our world-leading science and research establishments are playing a major part in this fight, supported by our commitment to spend 2.4% of GDP on R&D. Just one of the initiatives we’re funding is an Antarctic mission to understand the degradation of the Thwaites Glacier, responsible for 4% of global sea level rises.

We’ve also backed a UK-German Arctic expedition to investigate how sea ice decline is changing the region’s ecosystem and what this means for us back home. A key part of the UK’s first International Research and Innovation Strategy is realising our responsibilities to our planet, and striking new research partnerships across the globe to tackle climate change.

Maximising prosperity by going green Closer to home, we’re gearing up for our next ‘Green GB Week’ on 4 November 2019 to celebrate how government and industry are working hand in glove to tackle climate change, while maximising economic benefit.

Leaving the world in a better state than we found it doesn’t just mean being cleaner and greener.

Increasingly, it also means being richer and, achieving our clean growth ambitions, bringing prosperity for all.

Read more at businessandindustry.co.uk MEDIAPLANET

Helping small businesses go green AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET

Renewable power is affordable for SMEs, but there is a misconception that it’s just too expensive. Green energy suppliers must explain their sustainability story to correct this false belief.

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ot that long ago, some members of the business community had mixed feelings about sustainability. Yes, they knew that green strategies were good for the planet, but they also thought they were expensive to implement and therefore only available to corporates that had the money and manpower to invest in them.

Thankfully, that thinking is changing, says Zoisa Walton, Director of Business at green energy provider, Octopus. Many SMEs are now starting to understand that going green will save the earth — but that doing so won't cost them the earth.

Customers are demanding sustainable practices There's another reason sustainability has risen to the top of many organisations' agendas: their customers demand it. “That's the single biggest motivating factor we see among the businesses we supply with green energy,” says Walton.

“Take some of the coffee shops we work with, for example. Their customers expect them to source their beans ethically and use recycled materials and green energy. We also know that consumers are more likely to buy from a sustainable business rather than a non-sustainable one.”

Energy tariffs should be meaningful, customer-friendly and affordable to allow businesses to give back to the local community. It should be available to every organisation, from small businesses right the way up to large corporates.”

How small businesses can achieve 100% sustainability Walton points out that green energy is just as affordable as brown energy these days. She also advises any business to review how it consumes energy to pinpoint where it might make savings. Small efficiencies can ultimately make a big difference.

At one end of the scale, this involves obvious measures, like turning lights off and using energy-saving bulbs.

“Then there are smart meters that help businesses understand their energy use and how they can spend less on it,” she says. “If SMEs aren't using meters, they should definitely consider doing so.”

There are, however, more creative ways for SMEs to achieve 100% sustainability, notes Walton. For instance, Octopus has been fascinated by the trend of corporates buying renewable power from wind farms, but felt that SMEs — that are not operating with the same big budgets — should be able to do the same.

“Energy tariffs should be meaningful, customer-friendly and affordable to allow businesses to give back to the local community,” she says. “It should be available to every organisation, from small businesses right up to large corporates and have the ability to make a real difference.”

Local schoolchildren design the visual identity for the Leicester Business Power Tariff

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Case study: giving back to the Leicester community The company settled on Leicester, where it had recently opened an office, and created a new tariff (called Leicester Business Power) that would

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INTERVIEW WITH: ZOISA WALTON Director, Octopus Energy for Business

provide local businesses with affordable, 100% renewable energy from a nearby 5MW solar farm.

For every business signing up to the tariff, Octopus promised to donate £25 to Charity Link, a local organisation supporting those in Leicester experiencing poverty, hardship and crisis. Plus, for every 25 business sign-ups, the company promised to plant 25 trees in the local area.

Pupils from a local school — Spinney Hill Primary — helped design the tariff's logo. “Everything about the plan is Leicester centric,” says Walton. “The energy is created in Leicester, used by Leicester businesses for the benefit of Leicester, and even the logo for the tariff was designed

by Leicester schoolchildren. The response to it has been overwhelmingly positive, too, attracting hundreds of businesses.”

Telling the sustainability story in a different way Walton insists that joining such tariffs should be easy. It mustn’t require infrastructure or other outlays and each business should be given tailored information about the amount of carbon that is offset as a result of their decision to go green.

“Anything that makes results more tangible — to prove it has a real purpose and isn't some kind of corporate exercise — is helpful,” she says. “I think our Leicester tariff shows that it shouldn't be about 'persuading' businesses to go green. It's about suppliers thinking more creatively so that businesses can go green more easily. We have to tell the sustainability story in a different way in order to correct the misconception that buying green energy is more expensive. Because, if businesses can operate in a responsible way at affordable prices that will protect the world for future generations, why wouldn't they do so?”

Written by: Tony Greenway

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Read more at octopus.energy/business/ BUSINESSANDINDUSTRY.CO.UK 5

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Our taste for meat is endangering our planet: it’s time to switch to alternative proteins LISA SWEET Head of Business Strategy, Centre for Global Public Goods, World Economic Forum

There’s one way we can make a huge difference to the world’s sustainability and increase our chances of living longer, healthier lives: expanding our diets to take in more alternative proteins.

Basically, eating less meat.

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ome sections of our society consume large amounts of meat, and demand is only going up.

According to the International Livestock Research Institute, while demand for meat, milk and eggs in Europe is likely to remain steady between 2010 and 2030 and see moderate growth in North America, it is set to skyrocket in Asia and other emerging regions where meat is seen as a symbol of middle-class status.

Beef responsible for 25% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions This is unsustainable. In 2010, beef alone was responsible for 25% of all food-related greenhouse gas emissions. We cannot meet the growing demand of our future population at the current projected growth rates.

The good news is that it is possible to provide protein-rich diets for ten billion people. We can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the meat industry, protect natural ecosystems from further deforestation, reduce pressure on water supplies and at the same time improve our health and help smallholder farmers make a sustainable living.

Reducing diet-related deaths by eating less beef In research we conducted with the Oxford Martin School for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos this year, we found that by switching from beef to alternative proteins, including cultured pork, chicken, nuts, insects, beans and mycoprotein, diet-related deaths could be reduced by 2.4%, rising to 5% in high- and upper-middle-income economies where overnutrition is a more common problem.

It is up to us all to make this switch: for the food industry to invest in alternative proteins and give consumers more (and better-tasting) choices; for the livestock industry to adopt more sustainable practices; for the feedstock industry to innovate more sustainable feedstock; and for governments and regulators to encourage new, alternative proteins and protect the public from any potential health risks they may encounter and unsubstantiated claims.

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1: www.weforum.org/whitepapers/meat-the-future-series-alternative-proteins

Business comes together to turn waste into wealth We have just 12 years to prevent catastrophic climate change and reverse the destruction of ecosystems if we are to hand on a planet where our children can thrive. We must make the most out of precious resources, waste as little as possible and find ways of turning the waste we do create into new wealth.

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usiness in the Community’s Waste to Wea lt h campaig n b r i n g s t o g e t he r b u s i ne s s, gover n ment , ac adem i a a nd c iv i l society to unlock opportunities to double the nation’s resource productivity and eliminate avoidable waste by 2030.

Over 200 leaders gathered at the Waste to Wealth Summit in London to tack le t h is cha l lenge head-on.

HRH The Prince of Wales delivered a ke y n o t e a d d r e s s i n w h ic h h e stressed the urgent need to rethink resource use in the UK and why bu si nes s ne e d s to play a leading role.

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We have since had over 100 companies sign the Waste to Wealth Commitment to: · Set targets to improve the productivity of resources that are key for their business · Work collectively towards doubling the nation’s resource productivity and eliminating avoidable waste by 2030, contributing in the way that is most relevant to their business · Redesign how resources are used in products, services and operations

GUDRUN CARTWRIGHT Environment Director, Business in the Community · Collaborate across organisations, value chains and sectors · Reconvene and report on progress annually to share learning and demonstrate results Practical support for making businesses more sustainable Our attention now turns to the vital and urgent work of bringing these commitments to life and driving measurable change. We are working with eight Waste to Wealth Champions on key resources, and have put together an action plan based on feedback from signatories to mobilise action, encourage innovation,

grow the movement, and support the network with practical resources (such as our Circular Office guide).

We will re-convene signatories and champions at the end of this year and report annually on progress.

The current state of our planet represents an existential threat to all that the Prince’s Responsible Network holds dear. The Waste to Wealth agenda sets out a roadmap for the make-or-break decade ahead. We can and will tackle this together and, in so doing, take a giant step towards our vision of healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart, and the UK becoming the world leader in responsible business.

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Natural climate solutions An important link to address climate change Natural climate solutions (NCS) are actions in the agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that should be adopted now.

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hange is in the air. Over the past couple of months, it has felt like the momentum for climate action has accelerated, found another gear. Nudged on by the many climate emergency protests and youth actions across the globe, mainstream media have built on the opportunity to increase awareness among the average consumer, highlighting steps we as individuals can and must embrace.

What the science shows Identifying and designing suitable emissions reduction pathways has traditionally featured a heavy focus on reducing fossil fuel usage and keeping those fuels in the ground. Recent science and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report, however, acknowledge the critical importance of nature as part of the solution. Natural solutions can combat not only the climate emergency but, more broadly, they can support biodiversity and societal challenges.

These so-called nature-based or natural climate solutions (NCS) have the potential – alongside fossil fuel reduction and their phase-out and technological innovations – to limit warming to 1.5°C through enhancing carbon sinks in natural ecosystems. The research shows that natural climate solutions alone can deliver up to 37% of the emission reductions needed by 2030.

Combined with other solutions, including the advancement of renewable energy and other technologies, natural climate solutions are therefore essential to keeping the climate within safe boundaries.

By recognising the multi-faceted challenges faced by societies and taking a coordinated approach, actions

that span the goals of climate, development and nature at once will enable the possibility to achieve success in all of them. Part of this result for all of us needs to be the integration of natural climate solutions.

Natural climate solutions are proven solutions Natural climate solutions afford a broad range of opportunities for policy adoption. They can be included as a measure to fulfil country commitments to the Paris Agreement; to bring benefits beyond climate mitigation, such as opportunities to increase biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; to produce crops more sustainably; and to lead to a deeper discussion on land tenure issues and human rights.

When sector platforms, governments and companies include NCS as a tool within their policies and supply chain commitments on both sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation, a more enabling environment for producers to implement NCS can be facilitated.

For businesses, climate change, biodiversity loss and natural-capital degradation can pose unquantified and increasing risks within their supply chains. Sector initiatives such as the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) and the Accountability Framework Initiative (AFI) are two examples that highlight the opportunity of including and scaling NCS strategies, in particular through zero deforestation commitments in agricultural supply chains.

These aim to support and monitor the effective implementation of supply chain commitments in developing a common set of norms and guidelines (AFI)

MARTIN NOPONEN Climate Director, Rainforest Alliance

that are translated into action plans for companies working to address deforestation, ecosystem conversion, and socio-economic challenges. Such efforts mark the clear drive held by companies and governments to collectively advance broader targets. The ambition is to support sector transformation through a solutions pathway that increasingly focuses on NCS to protect and restore ecosystems, enable sustainable agriculture production and farmers’ livelihoods, and support community engagement and social inclusion.

Combined actions will thus play a crucial role for the necessary investments in sustainable agricultural intensification in order to grow more food on less land and help to promote incentive-based systems.

Business as usual is an endangered species; the time to act is now!

However, although NCS are immediately available and proven ways of creating critical environmental, social and economic benefits and can be scaled to transform key sectors of the global economy, one needs to remember that these can only form part of a much broader approach to addressing the climate emergency.

NCS need to feature as part of the overall tool set, rather than as a substitute for fossil fuel reduction and phaseout. As one of my colleagues said the other day – business as usual is an endangered species! So, let’s work together with nature, rather than against it.

Read more at businessandindustry.co.uk

1: Natural climate solutions (NCS) are actions in the agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors that help to reduce GHG emissions, capture and store emissions and improve the resilience of ecosystems such as through reforestation, agroforestry, forest protection, forest management and improved cropland management. 2: Natural Climate Solutions, Bronson W. Griscom et al.

(2017), PNAS 114 (44) 11645-11650

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