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275 results
How Novozymes harnesses the sustainability superpower of enzymes
Novozymes employs enzyme-based catalysts to lower energy and chemical use in over 40 industrial sectors, aiming to save 100 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2020. The company integrates circular economy principles at its Kalundborg site and uses life cycle assessments to validate the climate benefits of its products, such as bioenergy solutions and agricultural inoculants.
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Document type: Case study
MAXIMIZING FARM RESOURCES AND EDIBLE FOOD RESCUE Specialty Crop Loss Report
The report analyzes food loss in fresh tomatoes, peaches, processing potatoes, and romaine lettuce across several US states. It finds that loss rates vary significantly by crop, with romaine lettuce seeing the highest losses (average 56%) and processing potatoes the lowest (average 2.6%). Key drivers of loss include strict cosmetic standards, market price fluctuations, and labor shortages. While most lost produce is tilled back into the soil or used for animal feed, the report argues that creating secondary markets and improving information flows could reduce this waste and address food insecurity.
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Document type: Report
Att se hela bilden – Del 2 Klimatpåverkan från den offentliga sektorns konsumtion: Livsmedel och transporter
The report examines the climate footprint of Swedish public sector consumption, highlighting that municipal activities account for approximately 70% of public consumption-based emissions. Through case studies of Eskilstuna and Umeå, the document analyzes quantitative, qualitative, and transformative measures to reduce emissions from food and transport. Key findings indicate that while administrative and informative tools are common, more powerful transformative changes—such as establishing vegetarian norms and urban densification—are necessary to meet long-term climate goals. The report recommends that Sweden establish consumption-based emission targets for 2030 and 2045 to complement territorial goals.
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Document type: Research paper
Filling gaps in the policy package to decarbonise production and use of materials
The report identifies that the production of basic materials accounted for approximately 25% of global CO2 emissions in 2014, yet progress in decarbonisation has been modest due to carbon leakage concerns and limited political support for resource efficiency. It proposes a portfolio of seven mitigation options, ranging from sharing and reuse to low-carbon production processes. To unlock these, the authors identify three primary policy gaps: incomplete incentives for recycling, a lack of markets for climate-friendly options, and missing signals for phasing out carbon-intensive production. Recommended solutions include project-based carbon contracts for difference (CfDs), Green Public Procurement (GPP), and the introduction of consumption charges on carbon-intensive materials to reinstate carbon price signals muted by free allowance allocations in the EU ETS.
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Document type: Report
Executive Briefing
The briefing advocates for shifting or supplementing production-based carbon pricing with consumption-based models to eliminate the need for free allowances and exemptions that mute price signals. It highlights that pricing at the point of final consumption can prevent carbon leakage in basic materials like steel and cement, incorporate emissions from imports, and provide sub-national governments with jurisdictional autonomy. The text proposes an evolutionary implementation path, starting with undifferentiated sector benchmarks and moving toward full life-cycle carbon accounting.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards a climate test for industry: Assessing a gas-based methanol plant
The document evaluates the proposed Northwest Innovation Works methanol facility at the Port of Kalama, arguing that its greenhouse gas emissions are significantly underestimated and that it is unlikely to reduce global emissions. It proposes a 'climate test' for new industry to ensure projects do not lock in high-carbon technologies or become stranded assets in a transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Briefing
Environmental impact assessment of wheat straw alkyl polyglucosides: chemical approaches
The study compares a hybridised synthesis technique for alkyl polyglucosides (APG) using wheat straw against a commercial palm kernel and wheat grain pathway. The wheat straw-derived process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, water use, and fossil energy consumption, addressing the 'food vs. chemical' sustainability conflict.
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Document type: Research paper
Clean Fuel Standard: Summary of stakeholder written comments on the Discussion Paper
The document summarizes over 125 written submissions and workshop contributions regarding the proposed Canadian Clean Fuel Standard (CFS). Stakeholders generally support the CFS's goal of reducing GHG emissions by 30 Mt annually by 2030, though they diverge on the feasibility of the timeline and the specific regulatory design. Key areas of discussion include the preference for an emission intensity-based approach over volumetric mandates, the need for flexible compliance pathways such as credit trading, and the importance of harmonizing the CFS with existing carbon pricing and international aviation and marine standards. Industrial sectors expressed significant concerns regarding competitiveness, carbon leakage, and the technical feasibility of fuel switching, while environmental groups advocated for broad sustainability criteria and the inclusion of indirect land use changes (iLUC) in life-cycle analyses.
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Document type: Report
Norme sur les carburants propres : Résumé des commentaires écrits des intervenants sur le document de travail
The document summarizes stakeholder responses to Canada's proposed Clean Fuel Standard (CFS). While there is broad support for the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 Mt by 2030, stakeholders express divergent views on regulatory design, specifically regarding sector-specific targets, the inclusion of indirect land-use change (ILUC) in life-cycle assessments, and the potential for policy duplication with carbon pricing. Key concerns include the economic impact on trade-exposed industries, the feasibility of infrastructure for low-carbon fuels, and the need for harmonization with international standards in aviation and shipping.
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Document type: Report
Is Your Business Fit for Tomorrow’s Markets? How to Do the Math
The guide argues that traditional business models focused on increasing sales are unsustainable given growing global populations and industrialization. It proposes a three-step analytical process: conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to identify environmental hotspots, multiplying these impacts by projected demand growth to 2030, and analyzing the broader industry context, including competitors and community needs. The author suggests that companies must either innovate their products or shift their paradigms toward services—such as mobility services instead of just selling cars—to meet sustainability targets and avoid obsolescence.
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Document type: Guide
Navigating the maize
The report by Cerulogy critiques an ICF International assessment that claimed corn ethanol's GHG intensity in 2014 was 30% lower than the U.S. EPA's 2022 projections. Cerulogy identifies systemic errors, including the use of preliminary rather than final EPA data, the double-counting of co-product credits, and an over-reliance on a single non-peer-reviewed study (Babcock and Iqbal, 2014) to justify lower international land use change emissions. The review concludes that the ICF report's results are 'meaningless' or 'inaccurate' in several key areas, including rice methane and nitrogen emissions, and recommends that the ICF's revised lifecycle intensity be disregarded.
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Document type: Report
Fueling a Clean Transportation Future
The report examines the lifecycle emissions of major transportation fuels, finding that while electricity and biofuels are becoming cleaner, oil is becoming more polluting due to the shift toward unconventional sources like tar sands and fracking. It advocates for the 'Half the Oil' plan to reduce U.S. oil use by 50% by 2035 and calls for greater corporate accountability, transparency in emissions reporting, and a shift toward renewable electricity and non-food biofuels.
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Document type: Report
Eestisse kavandatud puidurafineerimistehase olelusringipõhise süsiniku jalajälje hindamine
The report evaluates a proposed wood biorefinery in Estonia with a projected capacity of 750,000 tonnes per year. Using the CEPI methodology, the study finds that the plant would have a negative fossil carbon footprint of -0.39 tonnes of CO2-e per tonne of finished product, primarily because the renewable electricity it exports to the grid replaces oil shale-based power. The plant is also estimated to sequester 1.3 tonnes of biogenic CO2-e per tonne of product. Compared to a 'zero scenario' where wood is exported to Nordic countries, the project is expected to reduce Estonia's overall greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.6% and increase the share of renewable electricity in national consumption to 26%.
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Document type: Report
Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures
The report highlights that South Africa wastes approximately 10 million tonnes of food annually, representing a third of its total production. This waste results in significant economic losses of R61.5 billion and substantial environmental degradation, including the waste of 1.7 km3 of water and the emission of greenhouse gases from landfills. The document identifies that most waste occurs at the pre-consumer stage, particularly on farms, and calls for a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target of halving food waste by 2030.
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Document type: Report
How Electric Buses and Trucks Can Create Jobs and Improve Public Health in California
The document argues that electrifying heavy-duty vehicles in California can significantly reduce air pollution and global warming emissions while creating job opportunities for underserved communities. It provides a life cycle emissions analysis comparing battery and fuel cell electric buses to diesel and CNG alternatives, finds that current EV technology meets many urban operational needs, and recommends targeted workforce training and financial incentives to ensure an equitable transition.
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Document type: Executive summary
CATF Comments on Proposed New York City Biodiesel Heating Fuel Mandate
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) opposes New York City's proposed biodiesel heating fuel mandate, arguing that increasing demand for vegetable oil-derived biodiesel drives the expansion of palm oil production. This expansion leads to the destruction of tropical peatland forests, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia, resulting in significant carbon dioxide releases and public health crises. CATF contends that even soybean-based biodiesel contributes to these impacts through global market fungibility and that current USEPA lifecycle analyses underestimate these greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Statement
Cutting the Crap: How to Increase Resource Efficiency in the European Personal Care Retail Sector
The report finds that ten major European personal care retailers are failing to take responsibility for resource efficiency, with none reporting targets or measurements for the overall resource impact of their product assortments. While a Wuppertal Institute study suggests a 20 per cent reduction in resource use is possible through existing alternatives like concentrated detergents and compressed deodorants, retailers generally lack time-bound objectives for recycled packaging or waste reduction. The report ranks Kruidvat as the best performer among the studied group, while Douglas scored zero on resource efficiency questions. It recommends that retailers stop selling resource-inefficient products, set binding reduction targets, and demand transparency from suppliers to inform consumers at the point of sale.
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Document type: Report
Supply and sustainability of carbon offsets and alternative fuels for international aviation
The report evaluates the feasibility of ICAO's 'carbon neutral' goal for international aviation growth from 2020 onward. It finds that a selective approach to carbon offsets—focusing on high-integrity projects like methane avoidance—could meet 70–90% of projected demand (3.3–4.5 Gt CO2e) between 2020 and 2035. Including medium-confidence projects would further increase supply to 5.1 Gt CO2e, with REDD+ potentially adding 2.4 Gt CO2e. Alternative biofuels offer lower cumulative reductions (0.1–0.3 Gt CO2e) and face significant challenges regarding land use change and sustainable development, particularly with oilseed crops.
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Document type: Research paper
Memo on CMU study: “Energy use, blue water footprint, and greenhouse gas emissions for current food consumption patterns and dietary recommendations in the US” (Tom et al., 2015)
The World Resources Institute (WRI) argues that a CMU study underestimated the environmental benefits of low-meat diets because it failed to account for land-use change, grouped beef with more efficient meats like pork, and modeled 'healthy' scenarios that actually increased total animal-based food intake. WRI asserts that shifting to realistic vegetarian diets can reduce per capita land use and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately half.
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Document type: Briefing
WWF–Woolworths Partnership Review
The WWF–Woolworths Partnership Review documents the outcomes of a three-year collaboration (2012–2015) focused on reducing the environmental footprint of Woolworths' supply chain. Key achievements include the implementation of Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) for dairy, beef, and textiles to identify environmental hotspots, and the adoption of water stewardship and 'Water Balance' programs to replenish freshwater ecosystems. The partnership also advanced sustainable seafood procurement through WWF-SASSI and initiated research into food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasizes the value of NGO-corporate collaboration in driving systemic change and sets the stage for a second phase expanding into other African countries and Australia.
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Document type: Report