Green Initiative

Updated on August 10th., 2023 with information, kindy received, from Catherine Bailey, Publisher Partner Manager at Go Compare, A Future Company. Empower Your Energy Choices: Introducing the GoCompare Energy Cost Calculator GoCompare has come up with a dynamic energy cost calculator tool – an innovative solution to unravel your energy spending mysteries. Discover the actual cost of operating various appliances effortlessly. Take the reins of your energy consumption by exploring our Energy Calculator Tool here: Energy Calculator Tool. Considering the prevailing cost-of-living challenges, we firmly believe this tool can be a game-changer for your readers. If you’re on the lookout for effective ways to navigate energy costs and elevate your efficiency, we wholeheartedly recommend integrating this valuable resource. 2022/03/03 Taking Control of Your Energy Bills: Unveiling Home Energy Efficiency Strategies After getting stuck at home until recently, your skyrocketing bills may have caught your eye. Now more than ever is the best time to focus on how to maximise our energy efficiency at home. It’s common knowledge that the way we live has an impact on the world around us – so if we can start making changes at home, we can reduce this impact. Deciding and choosing to live more sustainably could mean reducing heat loss, upgrading old appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models, changing the way we buy furniture and homewares, or even exploring new energy sources. We explore tons of practical advice anyone can start doing today, and look at how consumer energy usage behaviours could change after COVID-19. The guide to energy efficiency put together by CotswoldCo contains helpful information such as: Here’s a preview of some useful insights published on the guide: After getting stuck at home, many people are looking forward to getting out and about again. And whilst more people are now working from home than ever, some will return to offices and other workplaces. How will our energy use change as we emerge back into some sort of normality? To find out and see the complete picture head over to: https://www.cotswoldco.com/homeowners-guide-to-energy-efficiency/index.html This article was prepared for Green Initiative by Elisha Adams, Digital Relations Consultant 

AJE Group is a multinational company with over 30 years of experience producing quality beverages. Its operations span more than 20 countries across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. After analyzing its corporate carbon footprint in 2016, AJE Group launched a transition to net-zero emissions. This effort reduced the company’s carbon footprint by 32% between 2016-2020, while generating additional social and environmental benefits. Rising GHG emissions are increasing average global temperatures and driving a wide range of adverse effects, including retreating glaciers, rising sea levels, urban heat waves, ocean acidification, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events, among others. Climate scientists have emphasized the critical importance of limiting the increase in global temperatures by curbing GHG emissions and by capturing and storing large amounts of atmospheric carbon. The concept of the “carbon footprint” plays a key role in this effort. A carbon footprint is the total GHG emissions generated by the activities of a firm or organization, a product or activity, or a city, country, or other geographic entity. The assessment methodology used by Green Initiative estimates the carbon footprint through a five-step process: Establishing the scope of the assessment by clearly defining the activities or areas covered; Defining the timeframe over which the emissions are to be measured, often a one-year period Identifying emissions sources Quantifying emissions based on internationally recognized standards; and Preparing a detailed report that describes the findings of the analysis and proposes actions to reduce the carbon footprint. The Green Initiative assessment offered a consistent, and comprehensive inventory of the emissions generated by AJE Group activities. It encompassed all significant emission sources, and its methodology reflected international best-practice principles for analyzing corporate emissions. By commissioning an assessment of its carbon footprint, AJE Group was able to calculate its total emissions and identify priority areas for emissions reduction. The assessment has informed strategic decision-making at AJE Group, providing the analytical basis for a comprehensive cultural and operational transformation in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2020, AJE Group’s emissions sources included 20 production plants and 47 distribution centers in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam. Emissions levels varied dramatically across countries based on the type and scale of local AJE Group activities. The key emissions sources measured by Green Initiative included: a) Fuel consumption b) Electricity consumption; and c) The production and transportation of raw materials and other inputs. A more granular decomposition of emissions sources enabled AJE Group to obtain an estimate of the average carbon emissions generated for each liter of beverage produced, even though beverage types vary in terms of their carbon footprint. This per-liter emissions estimate has allowed the company to measure its performance over time and evaluate the impact of actions designed to reduce its carbon emissions. To ensure a steady transition to net-zero emissions, AJE Group has join Climate Neutral Now in December 2021, and committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 5% per year. Between 2016 and 2020, AJE Group achieved a remarkable 32% reduction in its carbon footprint by focusing on high-impact mitigation measures, such as substituting alternative ingredients for sugar and introducing circular-economy practices within its production cycle. AJE Group is currently developing a Climate Action Plan that will provide a roadmap for realizing its vision of comprehensive corporate sustainability. Autors: Alfonso Cordova – Carbon Management Team Erika Rumiche – Carbon Management Team

internet energy usage We’ve come a long way since Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. In 2016, 81% of the Spanish population were online, compared to just 76% of the United States population. These numbers are likely to increase as more and more people get into the internet. However, our collective internet consumption is not sustainable for our planet in the long term. The guide to global internet energy usage seeks to bring online habits to people’s attention so we can make smarter energy-conscious consumer choices. It covers: The immense growth of internet users across the world and the countries with the highest number of people online as of 2020 (China and India lead the top two spots). massive amount of energy The massive amount of energy needed to power social media websites, online streaming, cryptocurrency, and cloud computing services. An in-depth look at the carbon footprint that our online activities and consumption generate. Here are some numbers about the effects our internet use is having on the environment: One email releases 4 grams of carbon dioxide CO2 into the atmosphere. It’s possible for a single email with a large attachment to have a footprint of up to 50 grams. A year of inbound mail for a typical business creates around 135kg of CO2. 3.5% of the 3.7% global emissions coming from the internet is from the information communications and technology industry. Data centres worldwide are consuming approximately 1% of global electricity. Netflix was responsible for 300 million tonnes of CO2 globally in 2018. A simple online Google search emits 0.2 grams of carbon dioxide. To go deeper about the Global Internet Energy Usage guide, check out the full guide here: https://www.energyhelpline.com/help/a-guide-to-global-internet-energy-usage This blog article was prepared for GreenInitiative by Elisha Adams. ENGAGE IN CLIMATE ACTION Commit to a new level of leadership and competitiveness by becoming a Climate Positive, Carbon Neutral and Carbon Measured certified. Click here to learn more about Green Initiative Certifications.

El Perú se prepara para progresivamente dejar de emitir gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) que se generan principalmente por la deforestación, la agricultura intensiva y el consumo de combustibles fósiles en actividades de producción, comercio e industria. Este cambio de rumbo, podría dar un beneficio económico neto para el Perú de 98 mil millones de dólares al 2050, asociados a la generación de negocios verdes y la adecuación de las inversiones públicas y privadas. Estos son los resultados preliminares del “Estudio técnico hacia la carbono neutralidad en el Perú en el largo plazo”, que viene siendo elaborado por el Ministerio del Ambiente (Minam).   Existe un nuevo contexto de negocios impulsado por el Acuerdo de París firmado en 2015 por 195 países, que está influenciando las políticas comerciales globales. Países exportadores como el Perú, tienen en la agenda climática, un desafío y una oportunidad adicional para mantener su competitividad. Este desafío consiste en abrazar la acción climática e internalizarla en sus operaciones como parte de su programación de competitividad, eficiencia y generación de valor de su oferta. En GreenInitiative, trabajamos de la mano con el sector privado para impulsar su adaptación a este nuevo escenario de negocios, apoyándolos a cumplir con nuevas normativas y estándares climáticos de comercio internacional y a desarrollar ventajas comparativas que generen valor a su oferta, marca y perfil de riesgo para recibir inversiones ESG. Existe una oportunidad ¨perdida¨ que viene ganando momento, las empresas que se adapten más rápidamente y se anticipen, podrán desarrollar nuevas competencias y capacidades que las destaque en un contexto de economía climáticamente responsable. Las empresas que tarden en incorporar la acción climática a sus operaciones, podrán perder acceso a mercados, créditos diferenciados y en consecuencia competitividad. El Perú da un paso en la dirección correcta, sin embargo hay que reconocer que ejecutar esta proyección de un país carbono neutral al 2050, requerirá de apoyo internacional, capacidad y compromiso institucional y de un sector privado con capacidad de adaptarse rápidamente y reconocer que la acción climática es un nuevo requerimiento para hacer parte del sistema de comercio internacional. Para saber más sobre la visión Perú 2050   Haz click aquí   El equipo de GreenInitiative    

Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the greatest biodiversity on the planet, with approximately 40% of the world’s known species. The economic value of nature’s contribution to people is estimated at more than US$24 trillion per year, equivalent to the entire region’s GDP. Despite the valuable natural resources the region boasts, biodiversity is not yet recognized as a relevant comparative advantage and a real asset when modelling economic development.This situation promotes the perception that biological resources are unambiguously renewable, and that preserving biodiversity reserves represents a current expenditure instead of a strategic investment. The logical upshot of this notion is detailed in the first study on the Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, carried out by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a United Nations agency. The key message the study reveals is that, despite the efforts and achievements at national, civil society, private sector and international community level to value natural capital and promote a transformative economic development agenda, the results achieved thus far are insufficient.The net balance is negative and, as the assessment indicates, under current conditions, there are one million endangered species, which jeopardizes the delicate and complex balance that sustains life on the planet.The situation is the result of a set of variables, including notably the following: The loss and fragmentation of habitats, which reduces mobility and, consequently, the gene exchange capacity of species, thus weakening them into their extinction (18 million hectares deforested in 2017); Habitat pollution by pesticides and toxic wastes, which poison ecosystems, reducing the ability of species to survive and regenerate (25% of the known insect species are becoming extinct, at a rate of 2.5% per year); Overexploitation and destructive harvesting practices hinder the regeneration of biodiversity, pushing species to the limit (one in three commercial marine species are exploited above their reproductive capacity); Climate change, which pushes species into an abrupt adaptation process for which most of them are not genetically prepared (a temperature rise of 0.6° C since 1960, and 1.5° C by 2050). Instead of analyzing the underlying causes of these pressures, the core element of this trend is the logical interpretation from a economic policy and political economy standpoint on how to use and harness biodiversity. All signs show that this is the right time for new interpretations to be put into practice, in line with the present times. 

El cambio climático amenaza la diversidad genética de los alimentos del mundo, y salvar cosechas y animales en peligro sería crucial para preservar los rendimientos frente a patrones climáticos extremos, dijo ayer un documento de normativa de la ONU. Ciertos cultivos silvestres, variedades con frecuencia no cultivadas por los agricultores actuales, podrían ser más resistentes al calentamiento del planeta que algunos tipos más populares, dijo la Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO, por sus siglas en inglés). Pero esas cepas silvestres están precisamente entre las más amenazadas por el cambio climático. “Garantizar la seguridad alimenticia y proteger especies en riesgo de cara al cambio climático es uno de los retos más grandes que enfrenta la humanidad”, dijo el documento. Entre el 16 y 22 por ciento de las especies de cultivos silvestres podrían estar en peligro de extinción dentro de los próximos 50 años, según el documento de la FAO. Incluyen un 61 por ciento de especies de maní, 12 por ciento de especies de papas y un 8 por ciento de especies de caupí. “En un mundo con temperaturas más elevadas y condiciones meteorológicas más variables y severas, las plantas y los animales destinados a la alimentación deberán tener la capacidad biológica para adaptarse más rápidamente que hasta ahora”, dijo la vicedirectora general de la FAO, Maria Helena Semedo. “Prevenir nuevas pérdidas de recursos genéticos agrícolas y prestar más atención a estudiar su potencial aumentará la capacidad de la humanidad para adaptarse al cambio climático”, agregó. Para mejorar la resistencia de los sistemas alimentarios, el documento recomienda reforzar los bancos genéticos para incluir cultivos hasta ahora considerados “menores”, una revisión de las prácticas de reproducción, la creación de bancos de semillas comunitarios y mejorar el intercambio de semillas entre agricultores de diferentes regiones. Las semillas y el material genético de cultivos amenazados deberían preservarse en laboratorios cuando ya no estén seguros en su hábitat natural, dijo el documento. Aumentar la producción. “La producción mundial de alimentos necesitaría aumentar en un estimado de 60 por ciento para el año 2050 para alimentar a la creciente población”, dijo la FAO, y el cambio climático hará más difícil extender los rendimientos de las cosechas en muchas regiones. Las áreas de cultivo disminuirían en el Africa subsahariana, el Caribe, la India y el norte de Australia, pero las temperaturas más elevadas abrirán nuevas regiones a la agricultura en el norte de Estados Unidos, Canadá y gran parte de Europa. “Los sistemas agrícolas, y los propios cultivos, necesitarán adaptarse a estos nuevos ambientes”, dijo el documento. A los científicos les preocupa que ciertas variedades de cultivos y razas animales sean abandonadas por los agricultores ante el cambio climático sin medidas para conservarlos. “Los criadores y cultivadores deberán identificar recursos genéticos con características adecuadas para desarrollar variedad que puedan sobrevivir en condiciones climáticas extremas”, según el documento.