Baltimore mayor signs bill banning foam containers
The bill signed Thursday gives businesses 18 months to stop using containers made from this material, commonly called Styrofoam.
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E.U. Parliament approves new measures to create a circular economy
“By 2025, at least 55% of municipal waste (from households and businesses) should be recycled. The target will rise to 60% by 2030 and 65% by 2035.”
The South African Federation of Trade Unions presses ahead with nationwide protest over ‘poverty-level’ minimum wage
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will go ahead with its planned nationwide mass mobilisation of workers to protest against the proposed “poverty-level” national minimum wage of R20 an hour and amendments to labour laws
Wells Fargo commits $200bn towards low carbon projects by 2030
The US banking giant said more than $100bn of its commitment was earmarked for clean technology, renewable energy, green bonds, low emission transportation and other projects that “directly support the transition to a low carbon economy”.
HSBC to stop financing most new coal plants, oil sands, arctic drilling
Europe’s largest bank HSBC said on Friday it would mostly stop funding new coal power plants, oil sands and arctic drilling, becoming the latest in a long line of investors to shun the fossil fuels.
The U.K. goes 55 hours without using coal for the first time in history
No coal was used for power generation by stations in the U.K. between 10:25 p.m. in London on Monday until 5:10 a.m. on Thursday.
England plans to ban on plastic straws and cotton buds
The U.K. Government is planning to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-tipped cotton buds in a further acceleration of its war on the waste material.
Google’s new Africa app aims to beat slow internet speeds, high data costs
Google is releasing an app in Africa that will help internet users overcome obstacles such as the lack of high-speed connectivity and the cost of data on the continent.
U.S. wind energy sector now employs 105,000 people
The fast-growing clean sector now employs 105,500 men and women across all 50 states after a bumper year of 9 percent growth, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Scientists test revolutionary plastic-eating enzyme in bid to fight pollution
It is a world first in an effort to find a solution for the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced every year.