In this weeks news...

Mango aims to become carbon-neutral leader among African airlines

LOW cost carrier Mango, the wholly owned subsidiary of South Africa’s tax-guzzling South African Airways (SAA), yesterday announced it intended becoming the first African airline to "achieve a significant measure of carbon neutrality" within a decade. South Africa’s airlines are members of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), which has set its sights on "carbon neutral" growth by 2020, carbon being a catch-all for the so-called greenhouse gases linked to climate change. Air transport emits 2% of global human-made greenhouse gas emissions, according to Iata. The emissions savings will also help Mango avoid South Africa’s proposed carbon taxes, industry expert Linden Birns said. Mango was preparing for an audit process through which every aspect of its flight operations would be measured for its "carbon footprint". To read this article in full click here

Will Austin reach its 100% carbon neutral goal?

In 2007, the city of Austin, Texas chose to be a leader in municipal government sustainability. The city set a goal of becoming 100 percent carbon neutral by 2020. Five years into the program, and the city is well on its way to reaching its goal, according to Government Technology. Through various initiatives the city government has decreased its emissions from 300,000 metric tons in 2007 to 183,000 metric tons in 2011. So far, the major carbon-cutting programs have included powering all city buildings and facilities with 100 percent renewable energy and converting its fleet of vehicles to alternative fuels or hybrid vehicles (65 percent of already made the change). And if the city can’t meet its 100 percent goal through local changes, the city will purchase carbon credits. To read this article in full click here

Top emitter China agrees to work with EU to cut carbon

China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide emitter, has struck a deal to work with the European Union to cut greenhouse gases through projects including the development of Chinese emissions trading schemes, the European Commission said on Thursday. The European Union and China have frequently clashed over climate policy and Beijing has flouted EU law requiring all airlines using European airports to pay for their emissions through the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). At the same time, the two sides have maintained an uneasy dialogue, including an EU-China summit in Brussels this week. EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Chen Deming, the Chinese commerce minister, signed a financing deal promoting the transition "towards a low-carbon economy and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in China", the Commission said in a statement. To read this article in full click here

San Francisco's 100% renewable energy plan

San Francisco is one step closer to offering residents the option to switch to 100 percent renewable energy after the city’s Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 in favor of the program that would lead to significant cuts in carbon emissions. CleanPowerSF, a $19.5 million program run by Shell Energy North America, will automatically opt-in half of San Francisco residents and then give them the option to opt-out. It’s a roundabout way of giving people choice, but the five-year program will need 90,000 of 375,000 residents to make the switch to make the program worthwhile. If the city is successful at getting residents to buy into the program (and stick with it) CleanPowerSF could do more than previous efforts to reduce carbon emissions. According to the city, it would see a cut 10 times greater than the amount the city has already cut. To read this article in full click here

Shenzhen firms must buy carbon emissions rights

Starting next year, about 800 companies in Shenzhen will have to pay for the right to emit carbon or face severe punishments when they use up their emission quotas. One of seven test zones appointed by the central government in October, Shenzhen announced on Sept 19 that its system for trading carbon emission rights will start operating in 2013, which will help the city to reduce, by the end of 2015, its carbon emission intensity by 21 percent below what it was in 2010. The six other test places include China's four municipalities - Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing - and two provinces, Hubei and Guangdong. Wu Delin, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen government, said about 800 companies have been put into the system and they were the source of about 54 percent of the city's total carbon emissions in 2010. To read this article in full click here

L`Oréal recognised for measuring and reporting its Carbon Emissions

Last week L’Oréal was named among a select group of corporations in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) for its leading practices in the data management of carbon emissions. L’Oréal was one of six companies recognized in the consumer staples category and the only beauty company to achieve this distinction. L’Oréal has reported its emissions to CDP since 2003, but this is the first time for the organization to be commended for its disclosures. The CDLI, a key component of CDP’s annual Global 500 report, highlights the constituent companies within the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (Global 500) that have displayed a strong approach to information disclosure regarding climate change. CDP represents 655 institutional investors with $78 trillion in assets. To read this article in full click here

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