tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/sustainability-300/articlesSustainability – The Conversation2024-03-25T19:05:50Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256742024-03-25T19:05:50Z2024-03-25T19:05:50ZIf you’ve got a dark roof, you’re spending almost $700 extra a year to keep your house cool<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584001/original/file-20240325-26-6somxa.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C66%2C4025%2C2969&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sebastian Pfautsch</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you visit southern Greece or Tunisia, you might notice lots of white rooftops and white buildings to reflect the intense heat and keep residents cooler. </p>
<p>It’s very different in Australia. New housing estates in the hottest areas around Sydney and Melbourne are dominated by dark rooftops, black roads and minimal tree cover. Dark colours trap and hold heat rather than reflect it. That might be useful in winters in Tasmania, but not where heat is an issue.</p>
<p>A dark roof means you’ll pay considerably more to keep your house cool in summer. Last year, the average household in New South Wales paid A$1827 in electricity. But those with a lighter-coloured cool roof <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/pdfs/unsw-adobe-websites/arts-design-architecture/built-environment/our-research/high-performance-architecture-research-cluster/2022-08-22282-UNSW-Cool-Roofs-Project-Report-WEB.pdf">can pay</a> up to $694 less due to lower cooling electricity needs. Put another way, a dark roof in Sydney drives up your power bill by 38%. </p>
<p>When suburbs are full of dark coloured roofs, the whole area heats up. And up. And up. This is part of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">urban heat island effect</a>. In January 2020, Penrith in Western Sydney was the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-sydney-suburbs-that-hit-50c-last-summer-20201002-p561by.html">hottest place on Earth</a>. </p>
<p>Cool roofs have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112577">many benefits</a>. They slash how much heat gets into your house from the sun, keep the air surrounding your home cooler, boost your aircon efficiency, and make your solar panels work <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960148123013939?via%3Dihub">more efficiently</a>.</p>
<p>State governments could, at a stroke, penalise dark roofs and give incentives for light-coloured roofs. Scaled up, it would help keep our cities cooler as the world heats up. But outside South Australia, it’s just not happening. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="infrared image of housing estate showing dark roofs becoming much hotter than light" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583606/original/file-20240322-18-1dka8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=356&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can clearly see here the difference roof colour makes. On the left, you can see the real view of a new housing estate. On the right, an infrared camera shows you the difference in heat (redder = hotter, green = cooler.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sebastian Pfautsch</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why won’t state governments act?</h2>
<p>To date, our leaders show no interest in encouraging us to shift away from dark roofs. </p>
<p>In New South Wales, plans to ban dark roofs were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/09/plan-to-ban-dark-roofs-abandoned-as-nsw-government-walks-back-sustainability-measures">axed abruptly</a> in 2022 after pushback from developers. </p>
<p>The current NSW planning minister, Paul Scully, has <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/basix-pause-to-help-home-buyers-and-builders">now paused upgrades</a> to the state’s sustainability building standards which would have <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/nonsense-call-leaves-millions-vulnerable-to-summers-silent-killer/news-story/d4f9221eb33157f8d6df4b6213e4c1e3">encouraged light-coloured roofs</a>. Other Australian states and territories have <a href="https://www.absa.net.au/notes/ncc-2022/">also paused</a> the rollout of new, more ambitious building sustainability standards. </p>
<p>This is short-sighted for several reasons: </p>
<ol>
<li>it costs the same for a light- or dark-coloured roof </li>
<li>owners will pay substantially higher electricity bills to keep their houses cool for decades</li>
<li>keeping the building status quo makes it harder to reach emission targets</li>
<li>dark roofs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.111948">cut how much power</a> you get from your rooftop solar, especially when it’s hot. This is doubly bad, as blackouts are most likely during the heat. </li>
</ol>
<p>At present, South Australia is the only state or territory acting on the issue. Early this year, housing minister Nick Champion announced dark roofs <a href="https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/media-releases/news-items/northern-suburbs-housing-hotspots-cooler-future">will be banned</a> from a large new housing development in the north of Adelaide. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-australian-dream-new-homes-in-planned-estates-may-not-be-built-to-withstand-heatwaves-166266">The Great Australian Dream? New homes in planned estates may not be built to withstand heatwaves</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s at stake?</h2>
<p>At present, the world’s cities <a href="https://ghgprotocol.org/ghg-protocol-cities">account for 75%</a> of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. It’s vitally important we understand what makes cities <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/resources/factsheets">hotter or cooler</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="chart showing city design and built infrastructure make cities hotter while trees and proximity to water make it cooler" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583603/original/file-20240322-30-hbnhwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=634&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">These are the main factors making cities hotter or cooler.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/figures/chapter-10/faq-10-2-figure-1">IPCC</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Brick, concrete, tarmac and tiles can store more heat than grass and tree-covered earth can, and release it slowly over time. This keeps the air warmer, even overnight. </p>
<p>Built-up areas also block wind, which cuts cooling. Then there’s transport, manufacturing and air-conditioning, all of which increase heat. </p>
<p>Before aircon, the main way people had to keep cool was through how they designed their homes. In hot countries, buildings are often painted white, as well as having small windows and thick stone walls. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="mykonos greece panorama, white rooftops" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/583975/original/file-20240325-30-bm2jka.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">White rooftops are common in hot regions, such as Mykonos in Greece.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mykonos-greece-panoramic-view-town-cyclades-1916571950">Izabela23/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The classic <a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/list/why-queensland-architecture-is-celebrated">Queenslander house</a> was lifted off the ground to catch breezes and had a deeply shaded veranda all around, to reduce heat. </p>
<p>But after aircon arrived, we <a href="https://archive.curbed.com/2017/5/9/15583550/air-conditioning-architecture-skyscraper-wright-lever-house">gradually abandoned</a> those simple cooling principles for our homes, like cross-ventilation or shade awnings. We just turned on air conditioning instead. </p>
<p>Except, of course, the heat doesn’t go away. Air conditioning works by exchanging heat, taking the heat out of air inside our house and putting it outside. </p>
<p>As climate change intensifies, it makes hot cities even hotter. Heatwaves are projected to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081004">be more frequent</a>, including in spring and autumn, while overnight temperatures will also increase. </p>
<p>As cities grow, suburbs can push into hotter areas. The 2.5 million residents of Western Sydney live at least 50km from the sea, which means cooling sea breezes don’t reach them. </p>
<p>Sweltering cities aren’t just uncomfortable. They are dangerous. Extreme heat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102671">kills more people</a> in Australia than all other natural disasters combined. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/western-sydney-will-swelter-through-46-days-per-year-over-35-c-by-2090-unless-emissions-drop-significantly-177056">Western Sydney will swelter through 46 days per year over 35°C by 2090, unless emissions drop significantly</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How can we cool our cities?</h2>
<p>We don’t have to swelter. It’s a choice. Light roofs, light roads and better tree cover would make a real difference. </p>
<p>There’s a very practical reason Australians prize “leafy” suburbs. If your street has established large trees, you will experience less than half the number of days with extreme heat compared on residents <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/945">on treeless streets</a>. If you live in a leafy street, your home is also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016920461200299X">worth more</a>.</p>
<p>Blacktop roads are a surprisingly large source of heat. In summer, they can <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-01-24/why-australia-builds-dark-roads-despite-heatwaves-climate-change/103375122">get up to 75°C</a>. Our research shows reflective sealants can cut the temperatures <a href="https://doi.org/10.26183/hstd-bj72">up to 13°C</a>. Some councils <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024-01-24/why-australia-builds-dark-roads-despite-heatwaves-climate-change/103375122">have experimented</a> with lighter roads, but to date, uptake has been minimal. </p>
<p>Cool roofs markedly reduce how much energy you need to cool a house. When used at scale, <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/arts-design-architecture/our-schools/built-environment/our-research/clusters-groups/high-performance-architecture/projects/study-on-the-cool-roofs-mitigation-potential-in-australia">they lower</a> the air temperatures of entire suburbs. </p>
<p>The simplest way to get a cool roof is to choose one with as light a colour as possible. There are also high-tech options able to reflect <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778823003614">even more heat</a>.</p>
<p>Soon, we’ll see even higher performance options available in the form of daytime radiative coolers – <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1110">exceptional cooling materials</a> able to reflect still more heat away from your house and cut glare.</p>
<p>Until we choose to change, homeowners and whole communities will keep paying dearly for the luxury of a dark roof through power bill pain and sweltering suburbs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477">Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225674/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Riccardo Paolini has received funding from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sebastian Pfautsch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We could make our hot cities cooler with white roofs and light roads. But progress has been glacially slow.Sebastian Pfautsch, Research Theme Fellow - Environment and Sustainability, Western Sydney UniversityRiccardo Paolini, Associate Professor, School of Built Environment, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242532024-03-15T01:53:33Z2024-03-15T01:53:33ZUltra-fast fashion is a disturbing trend undermining efforts to make the whole industry more sustainable<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582074/original/file-20240314-22-28steu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C10%2C6659%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-lying-on-pile-different-2212805919">New Africa, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the 1990s, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09593960903498300">fast fashion</a> has enabled everyday people to buy the latest catwalk trends. But the sheer volume of garments being whipped up, sold and soon discarded is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7">contributing to a global sustainability crisis</a>.</p>
<p>Now, just when the fashion industry should be waking up and breaking free of this vicious cycle, it’s heading in the opposite direction. We’re on a downward spiral, from <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9">fast fashion</a> to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40691-023-00337-9">ultra-fast fashion</a>. The amount of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9">natural resources consumed and waste produced</a> is snowballing.</p>
<p>Ultra-fast fashion is marked by even faster production cycles, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it trends, and <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com.au/latest-news/what-s-the-real-cost-of-shein/">poor labour practices</a>. Brands like Shein, Boohoo and Cider are liberated from the concept of seasonal collections. Instead they are <a href="https://sk.sagepub.com/cases/strategy-at-shein-the-secrets-of-ultra-fast-fashion">producing garments at breakneck speeds</a> and self-generating <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/core-aesthetic-microtrends-2023">microtrends</a> such as balletcore, Barbiecore and even mermaidcore. At the same time there is <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJRDM-04-2019-0133/full/html">limited transparency or accountability</a> around clothing supply chains. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/infs_00082_7">overproduction and consumption of clothing</a> cannot be allowed to continue. Without change, the industry will account for <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive">26% of the world’s carbon budget</a> for limiting global warming to 2°C by 2050. The fashion industry must take responsibility for its actions. Policymakers also have an important role to play in enabling the necessary shift towards a <a href="https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/sft_0010_1">more responsible and circular fashion economy</a>. And let’s not forget the power of consumers.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eIuM6lykHxc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The dark side of Shein’s success (China Tonight, ABC News)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-make-our-wardrobes-sustainable-we-must-cut-how-many-new-clothes-we-buy-by-75-179569">To make our wardrobes sustainable, we must cut how many new clothes we buy by 75%</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Cheap clothing at what cost?</h2>
<p>It was once thought the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15487733.2020.1829848">pandemic would trigger a transition</a> to a more sustainable fashion industry. Unfortunately in reality the industry is getting worse, not better. </p>
<p>Most ultra-fast fashion brands emerged in the late 2010s following the most well known, Shein, founded in 2008. These online, direct-to-consumer brands exploded in popularity during lockdowns, with Shein holding the title of the <a href="https://time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/">world’s most popular brand in 2020</a>.</p>
<p>Established brands such as Gap introduce <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein/">12,000 new items a year and H&M 25,000</a>. But Shein leaves them in the dust, listing 1.3 million items in the same amount of time. How is this even possible? </p>
<p>The ultra-fast fashion model <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein/">thrives on data</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/18/ultra-fast-fashion-retail-sites-shein">addictive social media marketing</a> to create insatiable consumer demand.</p>
<p>But Shein’s incredibly low prices (its website has thousands of items under A$5) come at a human cost. The company’s own 2021 Sustainability and Social Impact Report (later removed from the site) found <a href="https://fashionmagazine.com/style/shein-influencer-trip/">only 2% of its factories and warehouses met its own worker safety standards</a>, with the rest requiring corrective action. </p>
<p>The brand has also forgone in-house designers. Instead it works with independent suppliers who can <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein/">design and manufacture a garment in two weeks</a>.</p>
<p>The result is an incredibly profitable business model. Shein filed for an initial public offering (IPO) last year to value the brand at US$136 billion, up from US$2.5 billion in 2018.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gWotBPtsulo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How Shein Built a $66B Fast-Fashion Empire (WSJ)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Shifting from fast to ultra-fast fashion has serious environmental and social consequences. This includes even more exploitative labour practices. Shein garment workers reportedly work <a href="https://www.publiceye.ch/en/media-corner/press-releases/detail/75-hour-weeks-for-shein-public-eye-looks-behind-the-chinese-online-fashion-giants-glitzy-front">75-hour weeks and warehouses operate 24/7</a>. </p>
<p>Ignoring this shift isn’t just a fashion faux pas. Doing so jeopardises national efforts for a more sustainable fashion industry.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fast-fashion-why-garment-workers-lives-are-still-in-danger-10-years-after-rana-plaza-podcast-203122">Fast Fashion: Why garment workers' lives are still in danger 10 years after Rana Plaza — Podcast</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A seamless transition to sustainability</h2>
<p>The Australian Fashion Council is leading a <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/program/seamless/">national product stewardship scheme</a> called Seamless that promises to transform the fashion industry by 2030. </p>
<p>The idea is to bring fashion into the <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy">circular economy</a>. Ultimately that means zero waste, but in the meantime raw materials would be kept in the supply chain for as long as possible by designing out and minimising waste. </p>
<p>Members will contribute a four-cent levy for every clothing item they produce or import. </p>
<p>These funds go into clothing collection, research, recycling projects and education campaigns.</p>
<p>BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, R.M. Williams, THE ICONIC, <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/womenswear-giant-sussan-group-joins-seamless-foundation-members/">Sussan Group</a> and <a href="https://cottonongroup.com.au/news/cotton-on-signs-seamless/">Cotton On</a> are <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/program/seamless/">Seamless Foundation Members</a>. Each has <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/meet-the-foundation-members-of-seamless/">contributed A$100,000</a> to the development of the scheme.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AFC-NCPSS-Global-Scan-Report.pdf">one of the world’s first</a> industry-led collective product stewardship initiatives for clothing textiles, Seamless presents a unique opportunity to drive change towards a more sustainable and circular fashion industry. </p>
<p>But there is a risk ultra-fast fashion brands <a href="https://stewardshipexcellence.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/White-Paper-Overcoming-Freeriders-September-2021.pdf">may act as freeriders</a> in Seamless, benefiting from the investment and initiatives without making meaningful contributions. Shein and others will continue putting more and more product on the market, which will need to be dealt with at the end of its short life. But if they fail to commit to the scheme, they won’t be the ones paying for that. </p>
<p>The government-funded consortium must also recognise ultra-fast fashion in tackling the industry’s environmental and social sustainability challenges. At the moment they’re only talking about fast fashion and ignoring the rise of ultra-fast fashion. Their global scan, for example, includes a discussion of fast fashion and <a href="https://ausfashioncouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AFC-NCPSS-Global-Scan-Report.pdf">no mention of ultra-fast fashion</a>. </p>
<p>This also points to a lack of data more broadly in the industry but in the case of Seamless, it could have a big impact if this growing market segment is ignored. </p>
<p>Shein and Temu are estimated to earn a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-08/rise-of-shein-temu-effect-on-australian-retail-ecommerce-future/103546188">combined $2 billion in sales in 2024</a>, with customers from all walks of life.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyK4_Z-tRCe","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fast-fashions-waste-problem-could-be-solved-by-recycled-textiles-but-brands-need-to-help-boost-production-213802">Fast fashion's waste problem could be solved by recycled textiles but brands need to help boost production</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The critical crackdown</h2>
<p>Some brands are actively engaged and <a href="https://insideretail.com.au/business/ebay-australia-names-dempstah-as-circular-fashion-fund-winner-202402">working towards a more sustainable future</a>. But others such as Temu are learning from Shein and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-06/fashion-retailer-shein-s-competitors-are-copying-its-super-fast-business-model?sref=Yg3sQEZ2">looking to emulate</a> their business model. </p>
<p>The transition to a more sustainable and responsible fashion industry requires a greater understanding of ultra-fast fashion, urgent systemic changes and collective efforts. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/isf">Institute for Sustainable Futures</a>, where I work, is a founding member of an international academic research network aimed at tackling the complexities of ultra-fast fashion. That includes how ultra-fast fashion is affecting the livelihoods of garment workers, how it’s fuelling textile waste and underscoring the industry’s struggle to embrace circular economy principles. We’re also investigating how to reshape consumer behaviour, away from <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/education/war-on-waste-shein-haul/102708968">social media-fuelled hauls</a> towards more sustainable consumption particularly among Gen-Z consumers. </p>
<p>Last month, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-21/plibersek-warns-fast-fashion-considering-clothes-levy/103492154">potential intervention</a>, perhaps by introducing minimum environmental standards or a clothing levy by July.</p>
<p>The clock is ticking. It is time to lay the foundation for a more sustainable and just fashion industry. Australia has a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1745-5871.12460">rich fashion history</a> and is home to many leading local brands – many of whom have gone global. These brands show us what is possible when good design, sustainability and innovation drive an industry.</p>
<p>Ultimately, our collective choices wield immense power. By understanding the consequences of our fashion habits and advocating for change, we can all be catalysts for a more sustainable and just fashion industry.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224253/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taylor Brydges is an Advisor to the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence, which has provided mentorship to Seamless. </span></em></p>We know fast fashion is bad for the environment. Ultra-fast fashion makes matters worse. This disturbing trend towards disposable clothing is the opposite of sustainable. Here’s what must be done.Taylor Brydges, Research Principal, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2240642024-03-14T19:24:44Z2024-03-14T19:24:44ZWhat washing machine settings can I use to make my clothes last longer?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581554/original/file-20240313-30-b0w0se.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=194%2C310%2C4780%2C3135&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-accidentally-dyeing-laundry-inside-washing-236885413">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth’s surface, the astronauts on the International Space Station live a pretty normal social life, if not for one thing: they happily wear their unwashed clothes <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-interns-take-space-washing-machine-designs-for-a-spin/">for days and weeks at a time</a>. They can’t do their laundry <a href="https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Keeping_your_underwear_clean_on_the_Moon">just yet</a> because water is scarce up there.</p>
<p>But down here on Earth, washing clothes is a large part of our lives. <a href="https://bigee.net/media/filer_public/2013/03/28/bigee_domestic_washing_machines_worldwide_potential_20130328.pdf">It’s estimated</a> that a volume of water equivalent to 21,000 Olympic swimming pools is used every day for domestic laundry worldwide.</p>
<p>Fibres from our clothes make their way into the environment via the air (during use or in the dryer), water (washing) and soil (lint rubbish in landfill). Most of this fibre loss is invisible – we often only notice our favourite clothing is “disappearing” when it’s too late.</p>
<p>How can you ensure your favourite outfit will outlast your wish to wear it? Simple question, complex answer.</p>
<h2>Washing machines are not gentle</h2>
<p>When you clean the filters in your washing machine and dryer, how often do you stop to think that the lint you’re holding <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-laundry-releases-microfibres-weighing-the-equivalent-of-1-500-buses-each-year-199712"><em>was</em>, in fact, your clothes</a>?</p>
<p>Laundering is harsh on our clothes, and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">research confirms this</a>. Several factors play a role: the type of washing machine, the washing cycle, detergents, temperature, time, and the type of fabric and yarn construction. </p>
<p>There are two types of domestic washing machines: top-loader and front-loader. Mechanical agitation (the way the machine moves the clothes around) is one of the things that helps ease dirt off the fabric.</p>
<p>Top-loaders have a vertical, bucket-like basket with a paddle, which sloshes clothes around in a large volume of water. Front-loaders have a horizontal bucket which rotates, exposing the clothes to a smaller volume of water – it takes advantage of gravity, not paddles.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person selecting a program on a front loader washing machine panel with buttons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581556/original/file-20240313-26-zgawjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Washing machine programs tend to be carefully programmed to ensure minimal damage to the garments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-washing-machine-5591460/">RDNE Stock Project/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Top-loading machines <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12541-010-0047-7">tend to be more aggressive</a> towards fabrics than front-loaders due to the different mechanical action and larger volumes of water. </p>
<p>Washing machine panels also present many choices. Shorter, low-temperature programs <a href="https://clevercare.info/more-eco-temperature-tips">are usually sufficient for everyday stains</a>. Choose longer or <a href="https://iprefer30.eu/animations/UK/wash-brochure-uk.pdf">high-temperature programs</a> only for clothing you have concerns about (healthcare uniforms, washable nappies, etc.).</p>
<p>Generally, washing machine programs are carefully selected combinations of water volume, agitation intensity and temperature recommended by the manufacturer. They take into consideration the type of fabric and its level of cleanliness.</p>
<p>Select the wrong program and you can say goodbye to your favourite top. For example, high temperatures or harsh agitation may cause some fibres to weaken and break, causing holes in the garment.</p>
<h2>Some fabrics lose fibres more easily than others</h2>
<p>At a microscopic level, the fabric in our clothes is made of yarns – individual fibres twisted together. The nature and length of the fibres, the way they are twisted and the way the yarns form the fabric can determine how many fibres will be lost during a wash.</p>
<p>In general, if you want to lose fewer fibres, you should wash less frequently, but some fabrics are affected more than others. </p>
<p>Open fabric structures (knits) with loose yarns <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98836-6">can lose more fibres</a> than tighter ones. Some sports clothing, like running shirts, are made of continuous filament yarn. These fibres are less likely to come loose in the wash. </p>
<p>Cotton fibres are only a few centimetres long. Twisted tightly together into a yarn, they can still escape.</p>
<p>Wool fibres are also short, but have an additional feature: scales, which make wool clothes much more delicate. Wool fibres can come loose like cotton ones, but also tangle with each other during the wash due to their scales. This last aspect is what causes wool garments to shrink when <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/004051756403400303">exposed to heat</a> and agitation.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A tangle of white fibres in a loose web." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581557/original/file-20240313-22-s1rv88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cotton fibres under a microscope, magnified 100 times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fibres-under-microscope-100x-1013172277">Dr. Norbert Lange/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/laundry-is-a-top-source-of-microplastic-pollution-heres-how-to-clean-your-clothes-more-sustainably-217072">Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here's how to clean your clothes more sustainably</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Go easy on the chemicals</h2>
<p>The type of detergent and other products you use also makes a difference.</p>
<p>Detergents contain a soap component, enzymes to make stains easier to remove at low temperature, and fragrances. Some contain harsher compounds, such as bleaching or whitening agents.</p>
<p>Modern detergents are very effective at <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/laundry-detergents/review-and-compare/laundry-detergents">removing stains such as food</a>, and you don’t need to use much.</p>
<p>An incorrect choice of wash cycles, laundry detergent and bleaching additives could cause disaster. Certain products, like bleach, can <a href="https://site.extension.uga.edu/textiles/textile-basics/understand-your-fibers/">damage some fibres like wool and silk</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, research on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120366872?via%3Dihub">fabric softeners and other treatments</a> <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233332&type=printable">continues</a> – there’s no one-size-fits-all answer about their potential impact on our clothes.</p>
<h2>Just skip laundry day</h2>
<p>So, how to ensure your clothes last longer? The main tip is to wash them less often.</p>
<p>When it’s time for a wash, carefully read and follow the care labels. In the future, our washing machines will <a href="https://www.teknoscienze.com/tks_article/trends-in-laundry-by-2030/">recognise fabrics and select the wash cycle</a>. For now, that’s our responsibility.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-clothes-last-longer-its-good-for-your-bank-account-and-the-environment-too-201823">How to make your clothes last longer – it's good for your bank account and the environment too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>And the next time you throw your shirt into the dirty laundry basket, stop. Think of the astronauts orbiting above Earth and ask yourself: if they can go without clean laundry for a few days, maybe I can too? (Although we don’t recommend just burning your dirty undies, either.)</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C1j6KLP492E?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224064/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alessandra Sutti has received research funding from the Australian Research Council, the Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre, the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre and by companies participating in associated projects such as the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres and the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Green Chemistry, as well as from industry partners associated with these grants, such as HeiQ Pty Ltd, Xefco Pty Ltd, C. Sea Solutions Pty Ltd (trading as ULUU) and Simba Global Pty/Ltd. Alessandra is a paid member of the HeiQ Innovation Advisory Board, is a member of the American Chemical Society and serves as a volunteer member on Standards Australia ME-009 Committee (Microplastics). She collaborates closely with The GLOBE Program (through GLOBE Italy), The University of California Berkeley and San Francisco State University, co-developing microplastics monitoring protocols and is involved in environmental education programmes.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amol Patil is engaged at the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres, a collaboration between Deakin University, the Australian Research Council and industry partners such as Simba Global Pty Ltd, Xefco Pty Ltd, HeiQ Pty Ltd, and Sea Solutions P/L (trading as ULUU). He is also working on a joint project sponsored by HeiQ-Marine bioproducts (MBCRC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maryam Naebe is the recipient of Discover Natural Fibre Initiative Innovation Award. She has received funding through competitive grants and industry projects including Australian Research Council ARC Research Hub, ARC Discovery Project, Australian Wool Innovation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Incorporated (USA), Ford Motor Company (USA).
</span></em></p>Next time you do your laundry, think like an astronaut – wash your clothes as little as possible.Alessandra Sutti, Associate Professor, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin UniversityAmol Patil, Reseach Engineer, Deakin UniversityMaryam Naebe, Associate professor, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2248322024-03-10T13:10:41Z2024-03-10T13:10:41ZHow nature-based knowledge can restore local ecosystems and improve community well-being<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580297/original/file-20240306-16-iukteg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=39%2C29%2C6032%2C3674&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Regenerative agricultural strategies can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from food production, restore local ecosystems and enhance community well-being.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Organizations in the food and agriculture sector have been <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/three-things-nature-based-solutions-agriculture">looking to nature for inspiration</a> to improve soil health, maintain water quality and foster local food security in the places where they operate.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/17/cop28-sustainable-agriculture-food-greenhouse-gases">evidence is clear</a> that our current food and agriculture systems are severely impacting global greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater usage and deforestation.</p>
<p>In response to these issues, activists, policymakers and corporate executives have been exploring <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/analysis-cop28-put-food-system-transformation-menu-who-will-pick-up-bill-2023-12-21">new strategies</a> for making our food systems more resilient and sustainable. </p>
<p>Regenerative agricultural strategies, in particular, can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from food production, restore local ecosystems and enhance community well-being in specific geographical locations. </p>
<p>But they also require a foundation of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/climate/the-farming-conundrum.html">nature-based or ecological knowledge</a> in order to be effective. Our recent research sheds light on how organizations can gain and make use of this knowledge.</p>
<h2>Regenerating local communities</h2>
<p>In the face of current global ecological challenges, there is a need to explore how organizations can help revitalize local communities and ecosystems. Our research on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10860266231220081">farming organizations on Vancouver Island</a>, British Columbia, aims to explore this.</p>
<p>We studied nine certified organic farming organizations to examine how they were harnessing and using ecological knowledge. Certified organic farming involves business operations that are <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/ongc-cgsb/P29-32-310-2020-eng.pdf">“sustainable and harmonious with nature</a>.” In B.C., farms are awarded <a href="https://organicbc.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BCCOP-Accreditation-Manual-v4.pdf">certification annually</a> after a rigorous evaluation process. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Piles of strawberries and cherries on sale at an indoor market." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Consumers have been increasing demand for locally sourced, pesticide-free and certified organic products.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unlike <a href="https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr54.c2">conventional farming practices</a> that prioritize short-term gains through the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and monocropping, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2009.11.002">organic farms focus on long-term health and ecological balance</a>.</p>
<p>The farms we studied were actively engaged in community initiatives aimed at conserving nature and strengthening local food and nutrition security.</p>
<p>Through a series of in-depth interviews with farmers, owners and other key decision-makers, we found these organizations were helping regenerate their local communities by committing to environmental stewardship, and pursuing, acquiring and applying new ecological knowledge.</p>
<h2>Environmental stewardship</h2>
<p>The leaders and decision-makers of the farming organizations we interviewed were strongly committed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9749-0">environmental stewardship</a>. Environmental stewardship refers to actions and decisions that prioritize the conservation and enhancement of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the interests of future generations.</p>
<p>This commitment was evident through two main factors. First, decision-makers demonstrated a genuine appreciation for nature, leading them to feel strongly about safeguarding it from harm.</p>
<p>During our interviews, one farmer described how the goals of building sustainable communities and healthy ecosystems influenced her business’ long-term goals. She said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“In the long term if you don’t have a really solid, values-based business, then you’re going to disappear anyway. [We] put our values behind our environmental footprint and [our efforts to make] this community a better place.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Second, these leaders had a deep understanding of how their organizations relied on the health of the surrounding ecosystems. The farming practices adopted by them were based on building mutually beneficial relationships between their organizations, local ecosystems and communities. </p>
<p>One board member we interviewed emphasized their reliance on the surrounding ecosystems in an interview, stating that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“By enhancing biodiversity, we can bring back beneficial ecosystems that directly benefit our farmers. We recognized the importance of pollinators and took steps to increase biodiversity by reintroducing native bees.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This dedication to environmental stewardship led decision-makers to seek out ecological knowledge about the local ecology to help them foster the creation of healthy and diverse ecosystems.</p>
<h2>Restoring local ecosystems and well-being</h2>
<p>The decision-makers we interviewed decided to seek out new knowledge to improve their organization’s performance and promote long-term social and ecological well-being. They often did this in response to <a href="https://organicbc.org/media-release-organic-market-2021">rising demand from customers and community members</a> for locally sourced, pesticide-free and certified organic products. </p>
<p>Organizations acquired ecological knowledge by collaborating with scientists, academics and non-profit organizations through knowledge exchanges. In our study, for example, some farmers integrated scientific knowledge with their farming methods, resulting in improved crop yield and quality. </p>
<p>Organizations then put their newly acquired ecological knowledge into practice by transforming it into manuals, reports, operating procedures or other similar formats. This allowed the knowledge to be accessed easily and updated as necessary. Applying new knowledge required flexibility, a hands-on learning approach, and the willingness to discard outdated practices.</p>
<p>Once organizations fully integrated new ecological knowledge, they were able to contribute to regenerating their communities, which enhanced financial and ecological sustainability.</p>
<h2>A growing urgency</h2>
<p>With the world’s population projected to reach <a href="https://sustainablefoodbusiness.com/regenerative-agriculture-jbs-global/">10 billion by 2050</a>, there’s even more of a growing urgency to address environmental impacts and ensure community well-being, ecosystem health and food security, particularly in vulnerable places.</p>
<p>As businesses navigate today’s complex social and environmental challenges, the importance of <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/win-win-win-how-regenerative-farming-can-help-the-planet-farmers-and-you-1.5330180?cache=tzbrsjtr">turning to nature for inspiration is becoming increasingly evident</a>. </p>
<p>Businesses, in particular large corporations, have the responsibility to address the environmental impacts of the food system by committing to promote regenerative farming practices. </p>
<p>By situating themselves within their communities and prioritizing ecological knowledge, businesses have the potential to not only improve their own sustainability, but also to ignite positive change within the communities they operate in.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224832/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saeed Rahman received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowships.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Slawinski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In the face of growing social and environmental challenges, organizations in the food and agriculture sector are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration.Saeed Rahman, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Sustainability, University of The Fraser ValleyNatalie Slawinski, Professor of Sustainability and Strategy, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180912024-03-10T13:10:22Z2024-03-10T13:10:22ZThe world is not moving fast enough on climate change — social sciences can help explain why<p>In late 2023 the United States government released <a href="https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/">its Fifth National Climate Assessment</a> (NCA). The NCA is a semi-regular summation of the impacts of climate change upon the U.S. and the fifth assessment was notable for being the first to include <a href="https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/chapter/20/">a chapter on social systems and justice</a>. </p>
<p>Built on decades of social science research on climate change, the fifth NCA contends with two truths that are increasingly being reckoned with in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/climate/biden-environmental-justice.html">U.S. popular</a> and <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1816020116">academic conversations</a>. </p>
<p>The first is that climate change has the potential to exacerbate health, social and economic outcomes for Black, Indigenous, people of colour (BIPOC) and low-income communities. The second is that social systems and institutions — including governmental, cultural, spiritual and economic structures — are the only places where adaptation and mitigation can occur.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/it-is-not-just-heat-waves-climate-change-is-also-a-crisis-of-disconnection-210594">It is not just heat waves — climate change is also a crisis of disconnection</a>
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<p>We only have to compare <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-06081-w">mortality rates for the COVID-19 pandemic disaggregated by race, income, and other axes of inequality</a> to recognize that we are not all in the same boat, despite experiencing the same storm. Today, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sou120">race</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087403253053">income</a> similarly predict who is likely to be displaced permanently after a major hurricane — and forced relocation can have negative impacts on individuals and communities for generations. </p>
<p>Understanding how existing social systems influence, and are influenced by, climate change is key to not only slowing the effects of an increasingly warming Earth, but also ensuring that society’s transition to a new world is a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-030-89460-3.pdf">just one</a>. </p>
<p>And there is no doubt that we are indeed facing a new world.</p>
<h2>Not moving fast enough</h2>
<p>Decades of scientific research have shown that <a href="https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/all-figures">increasingly devastating and rapid climatic changes</a> are ahead of us, including more intense hurricanes, droughts and floods. </p>
<p>Our recent levels of resource consumption — particularly in the Global North and countries with large developing economies — <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262681612/a-climate-of-injustice/">are untenable</a>. To be clear, the world <em>is</em> responding to these risks with the U.S. alone achieving a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-1990-2019-data-highlights.pdf">13 percent decrease in annual greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2019</a>, but these responses are not good enough.</p>
<p>It is the purview of social scientists — the scientists tasked with studying human society and social relationships in all of their complexity — to ask why.</p>
<p>What is it about the ethics, cultures, economies, and symbols at play in the world that have made it so difficult to turn the tide and make change? Why do we — individuals, societies, cultures, and nations — mostly seem unable to curb emissions at the rates necessary to save ourselves and our planet?</p>
<p>These are questions that can only partially be answered by new information and technologies developed by physical scientists and engineers. We also need an understanding of how humans behave. Having new technology matters for little if you do not also understand how social, economic and political decisions are made — and how certain groups are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818859116">able to develop habits around lower rates of emissions and consumption</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/telling-stories-of-our-climate-futures-is-essential-to-thinking-through-the-net-zero-choices-of-today-210326">Telling stories of our climate futures is essential to thinking through the net-zero choices of today</a>
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<p>We know that inequitable systems create <a href="http://thinkpunkgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lee_2021.pdf">unevenly distributed risk</a> and capacities to respond. For example, a hurricane’s intensity scale is less predictive of its mortality rates than the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27572097/">socio-economic conditions within the nation where the storm makes landfall</a>. Understanding these dynamics is the only way to respond to climate change in a way that does not entrench deep tendencies towards racist, sexist and classist landscapes of vulnerability. </p>
<h2>Empowering real change</h2>
<p>Recognizing that disasters and climate disruptions have the potential to make inequality worse also means that we have the opportunity to do better. </p>
<p>There are a range of outcomes that may stem from climate related disasters with a vast inventory of what is possible. There are also hopeful examples that point the way to rich collaborations and problem solving. For example, <a href="https://www.cityoftulsa.org/government/departments/engineering-services/flood-control/flooding-history/">Tulsa, Okla.</a> was the most frequently flooded city in the U.S. from the 1960s into the 1980s, but a coalition of concerned citizens came together with the city government to create a floodplain management plan that serves as <a href="https://kresge.org/resource/climate-adaptation-the-state-of-practice-in-u-s-communities/">a model</a> for other cities. </p>
<p>In another example, Indigenous communities around the U.S. have some of the most <a href="https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH16">proactive planning</a> in place for adapting to climate change, despite histories of persecution, theft and violent exploitation.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A report on Indigenous-led bison conservations in the U.S., produced by the Associated Press.</span></figcaption>
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<p>There is an adage that says in order to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Make no mistake, climate change is the most urgent issue of our time. However, moving quickly and carelessly will serve only to re-entrench existing social, economic, political and environmental inequalities. </p>
<p>Instead, we must look at other ways of being in the world. We can repair and recreate our relationships with the Earth and the consumption that has gotten us to this point. We can <a href="https://theconversation.com/respect-for-indigenous-knowledge-must-lead-nature-conservation-efforts-in-canada-156273">pay attention and listen to global Indigenous peoples and others who have cared for this earth for millennia</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cop28-climate-change-theatre-and-performances-reveal-new-narratives-about-how-we-need-to-live-219366">COP28: Climate change theatre and performances reveal new narratives about how we need to live</a>
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<p>We must be more creative with our solutions and committed to ensuring that all, and not just a privileged few, are able to live in a better world than the one in which they were born into. Technological approaches alone will not achieve this goal. To build a better world we need the social sciences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218091/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Climate change is often seen as solely a technical problem. This is a misguided belief. Understanding how to build a better world begins, and ends, with understanding the societies which inhabit it.Fayola Helen Jacobs, Assistant Professor of urban planning, University of MinnesotaCandis Callison, Associate professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, and Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies, University of British ColumbiaElizabeth Marino, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Oregon State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247432024-03-07T03:34:32Z2024-03-07T03:34:32ZBig businesses will this year have to report their environmental impacts – but this alone won’t drive change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580340/original/file-20240307-24-6jfhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1690%2C0%2C4539%2C2830&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/open-pit-mine-industry-big-yellow-1521928421">Parilov/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This year, large businesses in Australia will likely have to begin reporting their environmental impacts, climate risks and climate opportunities. </p>
<p>The final draft of Australia’s new mandatory climate disclosure laws are due any day now, <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2024-466491">following consultation</a>. </p>
<p>These laws are meant to increase transparency about how exposed companies are to risks from climate change, and will require companies to look into and share what impact their activities have on the environment. This, the government hopes, will accelerate change in the corporate sector. </p>
<p>But will it help lower emissions? I don’t think so. We <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-carbon-tax-can-have-economic-not-just-environmental-benefits-for-australia-210380">don’t have</a> a carbon tax, which means many companies have no financial incentive to actually lower their emissions. (The strengthened Safeguard Mechanism applies to about 220 big emitters, but they can <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-unsafe-safeguard-mechanism-how-carbon-credits-could-blow-up-australias-main-climate-policy-213874">simply buy offsets</a> and avoid harder change.) </p>
<p>By themselves, climate disclosures will not trigger the change we need. </p>
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<span class="caption">A company’s emissions and environmental impact come from many sources, from vehicle fleets to electricity use.</span>
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<h2>Why are these laws being proposed?</h2>
<p>In June 2023, the newly formed <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/groups/international-sustainability-standards-board">International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)</a> released a set of <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-sustainability-standards-navigator/ifrs-s1-general-requirements/">sustainability standards</a> and <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-sustainability-standards-navigator/ifrs-s2-climate-related-disclosures/">climate disclosures</a>. </p>
<p>These standards have influenced Australia’s draft laws. </p>
<p>In planning mandatory corporate disclosures on climate and environment, Australia is following similar efforts overseas. In 2022, the United Kingdom began to roll out mandatory reporting on climate risks and opportunities for the largest UK companies (those with more than 500 employees and A$970 million in turnover). </p>
<p>Once the Australian legislation comes into effect, it will require large companies and asset owners to publish their climate-related risks and opportunities. </p>
<p>In the draft legislation, companies would have to evaluate and report on their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from sources they own or control and from sources such as purchased electricity.</p>
<p>From July this year, the laws would require disclosures from companies with 500 employees, $1 billion in assets or $500 million in revenue. Over time, this would expand to medium-sized companies. From July 2027, companies with 100 employees, $25 million in assets or $50 million in revenue would have to share this information. </p>
<p>Sustainability reports will be subject to external auditing and directors would be personally liable for the accuracy of the disclosures – with one major exception.</p>
<p>For many Australian companies, it’s already proving too hard to account for <a href="https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard">Scope 3 emissions</a> – the greenhouse gas emissions upstream and downstream in a company’s operations, such as the emissions from gas burned after we export it. </p>
<p>As these emissions occur outside a company’s direct control, accounting for them is a complex task costing time and money. Only some companies have voluntarily started to report their Scope 3 emissions in anticipation of future regulatory change.</p>
<p>The draft legislation exempts companies from the need to report Scope 3 emissions for their first year of reporting and proposes limited liability for these disclosures for a fixed three-year period. </p>
<p>This means companies can simply come up with a best-guess estimate, rather than reporting their actual Scope 3 emissions, which can make up <a href="https://www.climateleaders.org.au/documents/Scope_3_Roadmap_PUBLISHED.pdf">65–95% of their overall emissions</a>. In some sectors, such as the integrated oil and gas industry, Scope 3 emissions can comprise more than <a href="https://www.msci.com/www/blog-posts/scope-3-carbon-emissions-seeing/02092372761">six times the sum of Scope 1 and 2 emissions</a>. Woolworths’ Scope 3 emissions <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/Net-Zero-Integrity%E2%80%93Assesement-of-the-Net-Zero-Pledges-of-Australian-Companies.pdf">account for 94% of emissions</a>. </p>
<h2>What are disclosure laws meant to do?</h2>
<p>You can see why the government is introducing these laws. To nudge corporate Australia towards a greener future, it helps to know what impact your business has – and what risks it is exposed to. It will also be useful for investors.</p>
<p>But it will not drive rapid decarbonisation. Critics have pointed out that reporting and disclosure alone <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01174-8">will not lead</a> to a shift away from carbon-intensive business operations. Disclosures give the appearance of action rather than real action. If there are no stronger policies accompanying, disclosures act as window dressing for global financial markets. </p>
<p>Our existing policies do not require organisations to make genuine changes in terms of their emissions. Unless organisations abandon their reliance on fossil fuels and substantially decarbonise their operations, we are simply not going to get any change. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-disclosures-corporations-underprepared-for-tighter-new-standards-study-of-100-companies-reveals-210737">Climate disclosures: corporations underprepared for tighter new standards, study of 100 companies reveals</a>
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<p>These laws also come with a cost. The regulatory burden and compliance costs for Australian companies will not be trivial, especially for companies which haven’t reported on climate or sustainability before. </p>
<p>We already have a shortage of trained <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/australian-auditors-lag-on-climate-risk-disclosure-expert-warns-20200402-p54gfy">reporting, auditing and assurance professionals</a> able to do climate and environment work, following years of minimal action on climate change in Australia. To fix this will require substantial and rapid upskilling. </p>
<p>These costs should give us pause. It’s worth thinking through how much emphasis we place on disclosures to drive change versus policies that would actually drive change, such as mandating that large companies have to reduce their direct emissions 10% a year.</p>
<p>Australian companies can only benefit from these laws if they use the data unearthed by disclosure <a href="https://www.climateleaders.org.au/documents/Scope_3_Roadmap_PUBLISHED.pdf">to rethink</a> how they operate, invest and green their supply chains towards sustainability. This may mean <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264999318304619">investing</a> in clean technology, shifting from polluting transport fleets to electric, or reconsidering how they produce their products. </p>
<p>And to do that, of course, companies will need to see supportive government policies. </p>
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<span class="caption">Should gas exporters track the scope 3 emissions when their product is burned for power overseas?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-drone-ultra-wide-panoramic-photo-2137586843">Aerial-motion/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>These laws can be useful – but not alone</h2>
<p>Assuming the laws pass, big companies will begin assessing and reporting their emissions and environmental impact from July this year. </p>
<p>In doing so, Australia will align itself with international efforts for more transparency. Requiring companies to scrutinise and disclose their environmental impact will give corporate leaders the data needed to look for greener ways to run their business. But this assumes they have the interest and time to do so. </p>
<p>This isn’t a quick fix for climate change. To be worth the cost, Australia will need to link climate-related financial disclosures to clear policies designed to bring down emissions. </p>
<p>Disclosure policies produce disclosures. Emission reduction policies produce emission reductions. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sec-approves-first-us-climate-disclosure-rules-why-the-requirements-are-much-weaker-than-planned-and-what-they-mean-for-companies-224923">SEC approves first US climate disclosure rules: Why the requirements are much weaker than planned and what they mean for companies</a>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martina Linnenluecke receives funding from the Australian Research Council and from UTS in the form of a Strategic Research Accelerator Grant.</span></em></p>Will it make a difference when companies have to track and report emissions and environmental impact? Only if policies with teeth follow.Martina Linnenluecke, Professor of Environmental Finance at UTS Business School, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2031442024-03-06T03:09:41Z2024-03-06T03:09:41ZHuge housing costs make us slaves to our jobs and unsustainable growth. But there’s another way<p>Every three months, Australian economists, analysts and commentators anxiously await the new gross domestic product (GDP) figures, a key measure of economic performance and growth. The latest figures, released today, show <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/06/australia-gdp-december-quarter-2023-reserve-bank-interest-rates">GDP growth of 0.2%</a> in the December quarter.</p>
<p>But our dependence on such growth is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01157-x">destroying our planet</a>. Humans are consuming resources faster than they can be replenished, and disrupting <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1259855">vital Earth systems</a> through pollution, deforestation and other damage. </p>
<p>Why are we so reliant on an ever-expanding economy? The answer can be found in our economy’s first building block: the <a href="https://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/articles/short-history-enclosure-britain">privatisation of land</a>. The high and rising cost of land for housing has monumental, often lifelong implications. It influences the work we do, our available time, our need for a car, and so on. We’re made reliant on growth, while care for the planet often falls by the wayside.</p>
<p>There are alternatives. Innovative examples of public housing offer hope – and a chance to move away from endless growth towards a more sustainable future.</p>
<h2>The foundation of the problem</h2>
<p>Before land was broadly <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article/117/2/365/30072">privatised</a>, people in many parts of the world survived through subsistence farming, hunting and gathering on land commons.</p>
<p>Much changed during the 16th century, starting in Europe and spreading through colonisation. The turning point was the shift to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41475544">larger-scale agriculture</a>, which made it increasingly profitable for the nobility and merchant classes to enclose land.</p>
<p>Once land was privatised, many people had <a href="https://uncomradelybehaviour.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/thompson-ep-the-making-of-the-english-working-class.pdf">no real option</a> but to enter the market to sell their labour. They now had to rent or buy land for shelter and food. </p>
<p>Broadly speaking, the privatisation of land serves as the cornerstone for an economy <a href="https://www.ppesydney.net/content/uploads/2021/06/19_Baumann-Alexander-and-Burdon1.pdf">tethered to economic growth</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-searching-for-sanity-in-a-world-hell-bent-on-destruction-160447">Friday essay: searching for sanity in a world hell-bent on destruction</a>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Alex Baumann and Western Sydney University students describe how land commons would make economic contraction, or degrowth, possible.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Green growth has limits</h2>
<p>Some proponents of economic growth argue a that rapid transition to <a href="https://theconversation.com/renewable-projects-are-getting-built-faster-but-theres-even-more-need-for-speed-221874">renewable energy</a> will make this growth environmentally sustainable.</p>
<p>But there’s increasing <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(23)00174-2/fulltext">evidence</a> that key industries – such as retail, construction and tourism – are just too environmentally intensive. Even with <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-green-growth-wont-save-the-planet-116037">optimistic uptake of renewables</a>, continued growth will surpass <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-planetary-boundaries-and-why-should-we-care-213762">planetary boundaries</a>, such as the extent of global warming and biodiversity loss Earth’s systems can withstand. </p>
<p>We <a href="https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/">cannot separate</a> increases in GDP from dire environmental consequences.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1482665096941867008"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-shows-housing-costs-leave-many-insecure-tackling-that-can-help-solve-an-even-bigger-crisis-137772">Coronavirus shows housing costs leave many insecure. Tackling that can help solve an even bigger crisis</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The survival paradox</h2>
<p>Altering our dependence on economic growth is not easy. We all rely on the opportunities it provides. </p>
<p>Take me, for example. I’m a sustainability academic and my employment relies on the government to subsidise education. But a large proportion of these funds come from taxing unsustainable commodities such as iron ore, coal and gas. </p>
<p>Universities also depend on international students who fly in from overseas, contributing to aviation emissions. And the university’s business model ultimately relies on student employment in a perpetually growing economy.</p>
<p>This dependence does not sit well with me. But bills have to be paid. The biggest and most unavoidable bill is the cost of keeping a <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-prices-have-hit-most-people-but-homeowners-have-felt-it-harder-than-renters-211200">roof over my head</a>. </p>
<p>I’m not alone. For most people, the <a href="https://everybodyshome.com.au/report-reveals-brutal-reality-of-housing-crisis/">pressures of paying for housing</a> far outweigh other survival concerns, such as those related to the environment. And those pressures are increasing. </p>
<p><iframe id="BsJeV" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/BsJeV/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Given this, it’s not surprising that environmental concerns also take a back seat in government priorities. To remain electable, governments must foster jobs through economic growth. </p>
<p>For instance, the Labor government has rejected the <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/un-says-australia-must-quit-coal-by-2030-reach-net-zero-by-2040/#:%7E:text=The%20Secretary%20General%20of%20the,any%20new%20oil%20or%20gas">United Nations’ call</a> for a moratorium on fossil fuel projects, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/devastating-impact-pm-rejects-greens-call-to-halt-fossil-fuel-exports-20220726-p5b4v3.html">citing</a> mass job and revenue losses as primary reasons.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-are-the-1-the-wealth-of-many-australians-puts-them-in-an-elite-club-wrecking-the-planet-151208">We are the 1%: the wealth of many Australians puts them in an elite club wrecking the planet</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A practical way forward</h2>
<p>How do we escape this vicious cycle? A modern urban commons land arrangement, developed through a revitalised public housing sector, offers a way forward.</p>
<p>A noteworthy precedent can be found in <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/renters-utopia-greens-say-vienna-proves-public-housing-can-be-highquality-and-affordable-for-all/news-story/6df55cc046bc18a2a2ac1c4355e4aeb6">Vienna</a>, where public housing and rent controls mean 80% of residents spend only 20-25% of their income on housing.</p>
<p>This policy redefines land and housing as social or common goods, rather than just as market commodities. After all, land, like air and water, is <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/land">not a market good</a> but part of our collective natural heritage. Such policies can significantly free people from economic growth reliance. As Peter Pilz, a Viennese social housing tenant, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/magazine/vienna-social-housing.html">told The New York Times</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>If people don’t have to struggle all day long to survive — if your life is made safe, at least in social conditions — you can use your energy for much more important things.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These “more important things” could be activities that promote <a href="https://theecologist.org/2020/mar/04/towards-walden-wage">collaborative, sustainable ways of living</a> such as <a href="https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/what-self-help-housing#:%7E:text=This%20could%20be%20an%20option,on%20a%20longer%2Dterm%20project.">self-help housing</a>, “share and repair” programs and local food production.</p>
<p>Such housing models are not confined to Europe. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-century-of-public-housing-lessons-from-singapore-where-housing-is-a-social-not-financial-asset-121141">Singapore</a>, as many as 80% of residents are publicly housed.</p>
<p>And what about Australia? The seeds are sewn in this nation’s long heritage of public housing and <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/living/rights-responsibilities/get-involved">tenant participation</a>. This includes activities such as producing food, hosting community events and managing tenancy issues. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.tenantsrights.org.au/blog/co-operative-housing-interview-co-op-renter-amalina-wallace">Emoh Ruo housing cooperative</a> in Sydney is a public tenant housing cooperative, where tenants are active in roles such as managing their tenancies. </p>
<p>Centrelink’s <a href="https://guides.dss.gov.au/social-security-guide/3/11/3/30">voluntary work option</a> for unemployed people – intended to partially fulfil their obligations for income support – also provides an Australian policy precedent.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Protestors hold up a sign saying 'Housing for people not profit'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579829/original/file-20240305-20-z6gt17.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Civil unrest is building over the housing crisis.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dublin-september-15-2021-protestors-gather-2111985701">Damien Storan, Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A catalyst for change</h2>
<p>Of course, many barriers to such urban commons arrangements exist. </p>
<p>The main barrier is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/20/nsw-state-budget-labor-daniel-mookhey-social-housing">inadequate funding</a> of public housing. But as the housing crisis deepens, public housing is <a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-proposed-10-billion-social-housing-fund-isnt-big-as-it-seems-but-it-could-work-174406">attracting more funding</a> which could be applied to innovative housing models. </p>
<p>The right model of public housing could eventually be expanded toward the high levels seen in places such as Vienna and Singapore.</p>
<p>Not everyone wants to live in public housing, and there will likely always be a mix of housing tenure types. But widespread global adoption of public forms of housing could help balance the downsides of our current absolute reliance on economic growth.</p>
<p><em>Information in this article is drawn from a <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110778359-018/html">chapter</a> written by the author and others in the <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110778359/html">Handbook of Degrowth</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203144/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Baumann is affiliated with the NTW project (<a href="http://www.ntwonline.weebly.com">www.ntwonline.weebly.com</a>). This project is working on a reframing of public housing policy settings – to provide an example of local collaborative development on public land. This association is voluntary and involves no financial interests. </span></em></p>This obsession with economic growth is destroying our planet. We must rethink private ownership of land – that’s where it all went wrong.Alex Baumann, Sessional Lecturer, School of Social Sciences & Psychology, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2233052024-03-01T02:15:13Z2024-03-01T02:15:13ZOn fisheries, Australia must be prepared for New Zealand as opponent rather than ally<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578815/original/file-20240229-26-3xjoe8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C0%2C4403%2C2942&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fishing-net-trawler-hauled-on-deck-2146555375">Tara Lambourne/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On February 1, senior Australian and New Zealand ministers signed a <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/joint-statement-australia-new-zealand-ministerial-consultations-anzmin-2024">Joint Statement of Cooperation</a>, acknowledging the long history of collaboration between the two nations. </p>
<p>The same week, New Zealand <a href="https://www.sprfmo.int/assets/Meetings/01-COMM/12th-Commission-2024/COMM12-Report-2024-Final-26Feb24-No-Annexes.pdf">rejected</a> an Australian proposal on sustainable fishing at the annual fisheries meeting of nations that fish in the high seas of the South Pacific. The move has driven a wedge between these traditional allies. </p>
<p>At stake was an agreement by those nations to protect 70% of special and vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as ancient corals, from destructive fishing practices like bottom-trawling. </p>
<p>Until December 2023, NZ was jointly leading the work to implement this agreement with Australia. But New Zealand’s new government, a coalition of conservative parties, rejected the proposed restrictions, citing concerns about jobs and development. </p>
<p>This sudden about-face raises many questions for Australia, and for progress on sustainable fishing more generally. On fishing, Australia must now be prepared to consider New Zealand an opponent rather than ally. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1761828748163420434"}"></div></p>
<h2>Sustainable fishing alliance no more?</h2>
<p>In 2009, Australia, New Zealand and Chile led successful negotiations for a convention governing sustainable fishing in the South Pacific high seas beyond a nation’s marine exclusive economic zones, meaning more than 370km off the coast. The goal was to make sure fish stocks were not fished out and to protect marine ecosystems. (Tuna are not included, as they are dealt with under a separate convention.) </p>
<p>Since then, New Zealand and Australia have led much of the development of regulations governing the sustainable use of deepwater fish species and the conservation of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the South Pacific region. Their work led to the first measures governing deepwater fisheries, science-based catch limits for deepwater species, and a joint assessment of seafloor fishing methods such as trawling.</p>
<p>But the idea of banning or restricting trawling was controversial. Bottom-trawling, in which boats deploy giant nets that scrape along the ocean floor, is very effective – so much so that it can devastate everything in its path. </p>
<p>In 2015, the United Nations’ first <a href="https://www.un.org/regularprocess/content/first-world-ocean-assessment#:%7E:text=The%20First%20Global%20Integrated%20Marine,Marine%20Environment%2C%20including%20Socioeconomic%20Aspects">worldwide ocean assessment</a> found bottom-trawling causes widespread, long-term destruction to deep-sea environments wherever it is done. Scientists have compared it to clear-felling a forest. The practice is banned in the Mediterranean and in shallow waters of the Southern Ocean, and is increasingly restricted by many nations, including Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="bottom trawling coral" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580023/original/file-20240305-16-hv069o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This 2005 photo shows crew on the New Zealand bottom trawler, Waipori, dumping a large piece of Paragorgia coral dredged from the deep sea in their net.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/writing-on-the-wall-for-nz-bottom-trawling-industry/">Malcolm Pullman/Greenpeace</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The UN has repeatedly called for better protection, as well as specific actions to make it a reality. And many nations and organisations are heeding that call. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-now-have-a-treaty-governing-the-high-seas-can-it-protect-the-wild-west-of-the-oceans-201184">We now have a treaty governing the high seas. Can it protect the Wild West of the oceans?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The science is clear. But the politics is not. International waters in the South Pacific are one of the few areas where deepwater bottom-trawling is still permitted on seamounts – underwater mountains rich in life – and similar features.</p>
<p>Last year, South Pacific nations agreed to protect a minimum of 70% of marine ecosystems vulnerable to damage from fishing. This agreement came from research done largely by New Zealand. </p>
<p>Other countries pushed for a higher level of protection, but New Zealand insisted on 70% to ensure its fishing could continue. These kinds of compromises are common at meetings like this.</p>
<p>The meeting in February was meant to agree on how to make the consensus decision a reality. But it was not to be. Now that NZ has withdrawn support, the original decision remains but without the mechanisms to make it happen. Bottom-trawling will likely continue in the South Pacific. </p>
<p>Why? The new NZ fisheries minister, Shane Jones, has <a href="https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/01/jones-to-make-nz-jobs-no-1-to-dismay-of-ocean-conservation-allies/">publicly stated</a> he was “keen to ensure that, number one, we’re looking after our own people, looking after jobs and opportunities for economic development to benefit New Zealand.”</p>
<p>While high seas fishing is an important industry for New Zealand, their bottom trawling activity in the South Pacific <a href="https://www.sprfmo.int/assets/Meetings/02-SC/11th-SC-2023/Plenary-documents/SC11-Doc16-Annual-Report-of-New-Zealand-to-SC11-2023.pdf">is small</a>. One vessel fished the bottom in 2021-2022, catching only 20 tonnes of orange roughy. No bottom trawling has happened since then. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="fishing boats in Auckland" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578819/original/file-20240229-28-1xzxwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New Zealand’s seafood exports are economically important.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/auckland-new-zealand-february-01-2016-381601837">krug_100/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since coming to power, New Zealand’s new government has questioned 2030 renewable energy targets, promised to “address climate change hysteria”, declared mining more important than nature protection – and supported bottom-trawling. </p>
<p>Many of these changes will be of considerable concern to Australia. For the past 15 years, Australia has taken a prominent leadership role – alongside New Zealand – in sustainable ocean management. </p>
<p>With Pacific island nations, Australia and NZ worked long and hard to progress the High Seas Treaty – a breakthrough <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-now-have-a-treaty-governing-the-high-seas-can-it-protect-the-wild-west-of-the-oceans-201184">opening new legal avenues</a> to protect up to 30% of the unregulated high seas where illegal and exploitative fishing practices are common. </p>
<p>The NZ government’s willingness to jettison long collaborative work, abandon agreed commitments and risk existing agreements bodes poorly for cooperation across the Tasman. Australia must sadly now treat New Zealand as an opponent when it comes to protecting the seas and managing fisheries for the long term. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-now-have-a-treaty-governing-the-high-seas-can-it-protect-the-wild-west-of-the-oceans-201184">We now have a treaty governing the high seas. Can it protect the Wild West of the oceans?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223305/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lynda Goldsworthy has attended South Pacific regional fisheries meetings as an academic advisor on the Australian delegation for the past 5 years, and provides occasional consultancy advice to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition on high seas conservation issues. </span></em></p>For years, Australia and New Zealand have been united in working for sustainable fishing in the South Pacific. That just changed.Lynda Goldsworthy, Research Associate, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243122024-02-27T12:32:52Z2024-02-27T12:32:52ZE-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577761/original/file-20240225-22-nb9e6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C15%2C5019%2C2916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-pulls-his-kids-behind-an-electric-bicycle-near-the-pier-news-photo/1311180585">Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>E-bikes have captured <a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/ebike/ebike-gear/5-e-bike-trends-we-expect-to-see-in-2024/">widespread attention</a> across the U.S., and for good reason. They are <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/11/e-bikes-are-radically-more-efficient-than-electric-cars/">the most energy-efficient way</a> to move from place to place, providing exercise in the process, and offer enough assistance while pedaling uphill or into headwinds to make them usable for many types of riders. </p>
<p>Greenhouse gas emissions from e-bikes are much lower than those from either gasoline-powered or <a href="https://www.itf-oecd.org/good-go-assessing-environmental-performance-new-mobility">electric cars</a>. Some cities and states are encouraging the use of e-bikes by providing purchase incentives, often drawing on public funds dedicated to curbing climate change.</p>
<p>Currently, over 100 cities and states <a href="https://trec.pdx.edu/news/e-bike-incentive-programs-north-america-new-online-tracker">have or plan to launch e-bike incentive programs</a>, most funded by energy or environment initiatives. However, there has been little research on the effectiveness of these types of programs, how to design them or how to define goals. </p>
<p>We study transportation from many angles, including <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I3wi1-EAAAAJ&hl=en">innovation</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Macarthur-4">sustainability</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JltA3IAAAAAJ&hl=en">economics</a>. Our new study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104114">Transportation Research Part D</a>, investigates the effectiveness of several types of e-bike purchase incentives and the investment required to induce additional e-bike purchases. </p>
<p>We found that incentives do spur extra e-bike purchases, but at a relatively high cost compared with narrowly defined climate benefits. We find that a public agency using a point-of-purchase discount would have to distribute about US$4,000 in incentives to generate one additional e-bike purchase. This is because over 80% of people who buy an e-bike would likely have bought one even without the discount. For perspective, it takes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2017.01.002">about $30,000 worth of incentives</a> to induce an electric car purchase. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8cAJzqjNx0I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">California initiated a $10 million statewide program in 2023 that offers voucher incentives to low-income residents for purchasing electric bikes.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nonetheless, e-bikes provide many other benefits. They make mobility easier and more affordable for many people, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2023.100940">older adults and people with disabilities</a>. They bolster the case for <a href="https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/cost-benefit-of-bicycle-infrastructure-with-e-bikes-and-cycle-sup">investing in bike paths and infrastructure</a>, which produce <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/why-us-cities-are-investing-safer-more-connected-cycling-infrastructure">economic, safety and mobility benefits for cities</a>. And they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2017.06.002">boost health by promoting exercise</a>. In our view, cities and states should assess e-bike incentive investments based on this broad range of benefits, rather than focusing solely on a narrow environmental objective.</p>
<h2>Not just a climate tool</h2>
<p>Clean technology incentives tend to be focused on a specific outcome – usually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This works well for most energy-related upgrades, such as replacing old air conditioners, improving home insulation and generating electricity from wind and solar power. Consumers want the services that these devices deliver – cool air, comfortable conditions indoors and electricity that’s available and affordable. The new devices simply deliver those familiar goods more sustainably. </p>
<p>E-bike incentives are different. They invite people to adopt a new technology that can fundamentally change recipients’ travel patterns. In fact, while replacing car trips with e-bike trips <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102482">can provide substantial climate benefits</a>, those benefits may be smaller than other benefits that are less widely measured. Focusing narrowly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing car trips means providing incentives to people who drive the most, or who drive the biggest gas guzzlers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/C3lJZJpp8jH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>But what about carless households, transit riders or bicyclists? For them, e-bikes can make it much easier to travel in most North American cities. That increased mobility could provide greater access to jobs, shopping or other important services, such as health care.</p>
<h2>Is investing in e-bike incentives worth it?</h2>
<p>Transportation is the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions">largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Electrifying as much of it as possible is an important strategy for slowing climate change. However, e-bike incentives – and, indeed, electric car incentives – are pretty expensive ways to reduce emissions. </p>
<p>The importance of e-bike incentives is that e-bikes are good at replacing car trips and make daily trips easier for people who rely on other options. These advantages provide two main classes of benefits from increasing ownership of e-bikes.</p>
<p>The first set of benefits comes from substituting car-based trips with e-bike trips. Transportation researchers think about a swap like this in terms of vehicle miles traveled.</p>
<p>If I used to drive to work but now ride an e-bike, many benefits will be proportional to the number of miles that I now cover by bike rather than by car. They include reduced traffic congestion, lower fuel and parking costs, increased physical activity and improved health, cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In North America, <a href="https://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1041">about 60% of e-bike trips replace car trips</a>. </p>
<p>A second class of benefits comes from improvements in mobility. These effects are more complex to measure. For many people in U.S. cities who don’t own cars, the basic options for getting around are walking, public transit, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, or riding a conventional bicycle. In almost all cases, e-bikes would get them to their destinations faster. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQhzEnWCgHA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A father explains how his family used electric cargo bikes to replace a car in Toronto and the Netherlands.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Carless households <a href="https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63059">tend to have lower income</a> and lack mobility options. E-bike incentives can make travel more affordable and give people better access to jobs, health care, child care, shopping and other destinations. Such benefits likely far exceed any nominal greenhouse gas accounting from these transportation users. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives are an investment in the broad benefits that e-bikes can provide. We believe they should be measured against the collective goals of the agency providing the incentives, whether its mission is transportation, equitable mobility, public health, economic development or environmental protection. </p>
<h2>Putting more people on two wheels</h2>
<p>Once there’s agreement that e-bikes are worth supporting for many reasons, the challenge is how to induce more e-bike use and realize those benefits.</p>
<p>Point-of-purchase discounts or vouchers are the most popular strategy, because they mimic other clean energy incentives, such as those for high-efficiency appliances or electric cars. Our study found that they are also the most efficient way to influence consumer behavior compared with other purchase incentives, such as rebates. </p>
<p>Other strategies could be more effective but need further research. For example, <a href="https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/bike-libraries-are-increasing-access-to-bikes-across-america">e-bike lending libraries</a> let people test-ride e-bikes without ownership. And employers can <a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/2051-Fitch-Ebike-Employer.pdf">provide e-bikes to employees</a> to help encourage more sustainable and affordable ways to get to work. </p>
<p>Partnering with community organizations or local mobility-oriented programs could be an effective way to get e-bikes into the hands of people who need them and couldn’t afford them otherwise. And giving e-bike owners more reason to use them, such as <a href="https://momentummag.com/is-it-time-governments-start-paying-people-to-bike-to-work/">payments for biking to work</a>, could increase e-bike use and subsequent benefits. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives may be an expensive climate solution, but they also offer other important benefits. Carefully designed incentive programs could help many urban and suburban residents access a faster, healthier and cleaner way to get where they need to go.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224312/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher R. Cherry receives research funding from State and Federal Departments of Transportation and the National Science Foundation. He has consulted for micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John MacArthur has received research support and funding from state and federal agencies, the National Science Foundation, micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many incentive programs promote e-bike use, but they aren’t necessarily targeting the right people for the right reasons.Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of TennesseeJohn MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager, Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State UniversityLuke Jones, Professor of Economics, Valdosta State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2172532024-02-26T13:39:14Z2024-02-26T13:39:14ZWhat ancient farmers can really teach us about adapting to climate change – and how political power influences success or failure<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576820/original/file-20240220-22-4dkk2z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C15%2C5160%2C3391&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A farmer paddles to his fields on an artificial island among canals, part of an ancient Aztec system known as chinampas, in 2021. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ae1d688be96145e38f16681367992bca?ext=true">AP Photo /Marco Ugarte</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In dozens of archaeological discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101166">Angkor Wat</a> in Cambodia to the deserted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209615120">Viking colonies</a> of Greenland, new evidence paints pictures of civilizations struggling with unforeseen climate changes and the reality that their farming practices had become unsustainable.</p>
<p>Among these discoveries are also success stories, where ancient farming practices helped civilizations survive the hard times. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209615120">Zuni farmers</a> in the southwestern United States made it through long stretches of extremely low rainfall between A.D. 1200 and 1400 by embracing small-scale, decentralized irrigation systems. <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343757/the-scarcity-slot">Farmers in Ghana</a> coped with severe droughts from 1450 to 1650 by planting indigenous African grains, like drought-tolerant pearl millet. </p>
<p>Ancient practices like these are gaining new interest today. As countries face unprecedented heat waves, storms and melting glaciers, some farmers and international development organizations are reaching deep into the agricultural archives to revive these ancient solutions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A canal running through a mountain side with snowy peaks in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576825/original/file-20240220-18-dywyn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An ancient irrigation method used by the Moors involving water channels is being revisited in Spain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/water-channel-for-irrigation-known-as-an-acequia-sierra-news-photo/525482563?adppopup=true">Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Drought-stricken farmers in Spain have reclaimed medieval <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/world/europe/spain-drought-acequias.html">Moorish irrigation</a> technology. International companies hungry for carbon offsets have paid big money for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ancient-farming-practice-draws-cash-from-carbon-credits-a803aee1">biochar made using pre-Columbian</a> Amazonian production techniques. Texas ranchers have turned to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/29/rio-grande-valley-farmers-study-ancient-technique-cover-cropping-climate-crisis">ancient cover cropping</a> methods to buffer against unpredictable weather patterns.</p>
<p>But grasping for ancient technologies and techniques without paying attention to historical context misses one of the most important lessons ancient farmers can reveal: Agricultural sustainability is as much about power and sovereignty as it is about soil, water and crops.</p>
<p>I’m an archaeologist who studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10814-019-09138-5">agricultural sustainability</a> in the past. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1914211117">Discoveries in recent years</a> have shown how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.07.022">the human past</a> is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145941">full of people</a> who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03190-2">dealt with climate change</a> in both sustainable and unsustainable ways. Archaeologists are finding that ancient sustainability was tethered closely to politics. However, these dynamics are often forgotten in discussions of sustainability today.</p>
<h2>Maya milpa farming: Forest access is essential</h2>
<p>In the tropical lowlands of Mexico and Central America, Indigenous Maya farmers have been practicing milpa agriculture for thousands of years. Milpa farmers adapted to drought by gently steering forest ecology through <a href="https://doi.org/10.1890/120344">controlled burns</a> and careful <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gVyTDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Maya+milpa+forest+garden&ots=1ozG6sVYyg&sig=KZNXSDWX2ZR_Em7qGY37CqdeIG0#v=onepage&q=Maya%20milpa%20forest%20garden&f=false">woodland conservation</a>.</p>
<p>The knowledge of milpa farming empowered many <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cX7SEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=chan+Cynthia+robin&ots=yErzYIWFsz&sig=vNrtsYW7IC0X2UnieHxor4Hiiiw#v=onepage&q=chan%20Cynthia%20robin&f=false">rural farmers</a> to navigate climate changes during the notorious <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1114838109">Maya Collapse</a> – two centuries of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1419133112">political disintegration and urban depopulation</a> between A.D. 800 to 1000. Importantly, later Maya political leaders worked with farmers to keep this flexibility. Their light-handed approach is still legible in the artifacts and settlement patterns of <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Political_Geography_of_the_Yucatan_M.html?id=52BlAAAAMAAJ">post-Collapse farming communities</a> and preserved in the flexible <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00134-8">tribute schedules</a> for Maya farmers documented by 16th century Spanish monks.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/96rIEVptFwo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Maya farmers and researchers explain milpa farming.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520395879/rooting-in-a-useless-land">my book</a>, “Rooting in a Useless Land: Ancient Farmers, Celebrity Chefs, and Environmental Justice in Yucatán,” I trace the deep history of the Maya milpa. Using archaeology, I show how ancient farmers adapted milpa agriculture in response to centuries of drought and political upheaval.</p>
<p>Modern Maya milpa practices began drawing public attention a few years ago as <a href="https://www.cimmyt.org/news/helping-farming-families-thrive-while-fighting-climate-change-in-mexico/">international development organizations</a> partnered with celebrity chefs, like <a href="https://www.cimmyt.org/es/noticias/el-restaurante-noma-llega-a-tulum-y-utilizara-maices-sustentables-de-yaxunah-2/">Noma’s René Redzepi</a>, and embraced the concept. </p>
<p>However, these groups condemned the traditional milpa practice of burning new areas of forest as unsustainable. They instead promoted a “no-burn” version to grow certified <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/dining/noma-tulum-pete-wells-mexico-rene-redzepi.html">organic maize for high-end restaurants</a>. Their no-burn version of milpa relies on fertilizers to grow maize in a fixed location, rather than using controlled fire ecology to manage soil fertility across vast forests.</p>
<p>The result restricted the traditional practices Maya farmers have used for centuries. It also fed into a modern political threat to traditional Maya milpa farming: land grabs. </p>
<p>Traditional milpa agriculture requires a lot of forested land, since farmers need to relocate their fields every couple of years. But that need for forest is at odds with hotel companies, industrial cattle ranches and green energy developers who want cheap land and see Maya milpa forest management practices as inefficient. No-burn milpa eases this conflict by locking maize agriculture into one small space indefinitely, instead of spreading it out through the forest over generations. But it also changes tradition. </p>
<p>Maya milpa farmers are now fighting to practice their ancient agricultural techniques, not because they’ve forgotten or lost those techniques, but because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12520">neocolonial</a> land <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2016.1215305">privatization policies</a> actively undermine farmers’ ability to manage woodlands as their ancestors did. </p>
<p>Milpa farmers are increasingly left to either adopt a rebranded version of their heritage or quit farming all together – as many have done.</p>
<h2>Mexico’s fragile artificial islands: Threats from development</h2>
<p>When I look to the work of other archaeologists investigating ancient agricultural practices, I see these same entanglements of power and sustainability.</p>
<p>In central Mexico, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24931564?casa_token=Mnjg8lpMxdEAAAAA:xtiTRUNdJVlBTAR3voVS3IszoyqO-VSb8MSohjUlxpYEdNtVKu0QPefJMjiSyvobBMO94-zcDj2E6DOXbNoUl1d-MNm3UO6TDKVsG4JLVxpWkHtFIg">chinampas</a> are ancient systems of artificial islands and canals. They have enabled farmers to cultivate food in wetlands for centuries. </p>
<p>The continuing existence of chinampas is a legacy of deep ecological knowledge and a resource enabling communities to feed themselves.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571516/original/file-20240125-21-sq17hw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chinampa techniques use canals and artificial islands. This photo shows one in 1912.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinampas.jpg">Karl Weule, Leitfaden der Voelkerkunde via Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A well-maintained farming island among canals near Mexico City." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571517/original/file-20240125-19-ug1yul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The chinampas of Xochimilco are a UNESCO world heritage site today, but development expanding from Mexico City has put their survival in danger.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sergiosf/12546098673">Sergei Saint via Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But archaeology has revealed that generations of sustainable chinampa management could be overturned almost overnight. That happened when the expansionist Aztec Empire decided to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00101164">re-engineer Lake Xaltocan</a> for salt production in the 14th century and rendered its chinampas unusable.</p>
<p>Today, the future of chinampa agriculture hinges on a pocket of protected fields <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/07/in-mexico-city-the-pandemic-revived-aztec-era-island-farms">stewarded by local farmers</a> in the marshy outskirts of Mexico City. These fields are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.07.018">now at risk</a> as demand for housing drives informal settlements into the chinampa zone.</p>
<h2>Andean raised fields: A story of labor exploitation</h2>
<p>Traditional Andean agriculture in South America incorporates a diverse range of ancient cultivation techniques. One in particular has a complicated history of attracting revival efforts.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, government agencies, <a href="https://www.penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/30-3/Raised.pdf">archaeologists</a> and development organizations spent a fortune trying to persuade Andean farmers to <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315810997/inventing-indigenous-knowledge-lynn-swartley">revive raised field farming</a>. Ancient raised fields had been found around Lake Titicaca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia. These groups became convinced that this relic technology could curb hunger in the Andes by enabling back-to-back potato harvests with no need for fallowing.</p>
<p>But Andean farmers had no connection to the labor-intensive raised fields. The practice had been abandoned even before the rise of Inca civilization in the 13th century. The effort to revive ancient raised field agriculture collapsed.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A view from a plane shows the outlines where fields were raised." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571518/original/file-20240125-21-4uobzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An aerial photograph shows pre-Colombian raised fields in Bolivia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/861590">Umberto Lombardo, University of Bern, Switzerland</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since then, more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2005.03.002">archaeological discoveries</a> around Lake Titicaca have suggested that ancient farmers were forced to work the raised fields <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2004.08.001">by the expansionist Tiwanaku empire</a> during its peak between AD 500 and 1100. Far from the politically neutral narrative promoted by development organizations, the raised fields were not there to help farmers feed themselves. They were a technology for exploiting labor and extracting surplus crops from ancient Andean farmers.</p>
<h2>Respecting ancient practices’ histories</h2>
<p>Reclaiming <a href="https://www.soulfirefarm.org/media/farming-while-black/">ancestral farming</a> techniques can be a <a href="https://www.icollectiveinc.org/">step toward sustainable food systems</a>, especially when descendant communities lead their reclamation. The world can, and I think should, reach back to recover agricultural practices from our collective past.</p>
<p>But we can’t pretend that those practices are apolitical.</p>
<p>The Maya milpa farmers who continue to practice controlled burns in defiance of land privatizers understand the value of ancient techniques and the threat posed by political power. So do the Mexican chinampa farmers working to restore local food to disenfranchised urban communities. And so do the Andean farmers refusing to participate in once-exploitive raised field rehabilitation projects. </p>
<p>Depending on how they are used, ancient agricultural practices can either reinforce social inequalities or create more equitable food systems. Ancient practices aren’t inherently good – it takes a deeper commitment to just and equitable food systems to make them sustainable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217253/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chelsea Fisher has received research funding from the National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and the Fulbright-Hays Program.</span></em></p>Agricultural sustainability is as much about power and sovereignty as it is about soil, water and crops.Chelsea Fisher, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226692024-02-12T13:58:41Z2024-02-12T13:58:41ZHow to buy sustainable salmon: an expert guide to navigating the nuance of eco-labels<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574194/original/file-20240207-28-t5ap9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Choosing between wild-caught and farmed salmon can be confusing to shoppers, but certain eco-labels can provide guidance. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fresh-fish-fillet-put-sale-supermarket-1958154268">monticello/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve all been there. You’re in the supermarket freezer aisle trying to make sense of the different labels on seafood products. You know the oceans are <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc0461en">in trouble</a> and you’re trying to do the right thing, but the information is confusing and seemingly contradictory. </p>
<p>One packet of salmon fillets has a smiling dolphin logo on the back. Another, a less-smiley bright blue fish logo. You pull out your smartphone and open the sustainable seafood app your friend told you about, only to become more confused by its traffic light ratings. In the end, you just pick any product that the label assures you is sustainable.</p>
<h2>Making sense of salmon sustainability</h2>
<p>Salmon is one of the <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc0461en">most consumed</a> seafoods globally. It’s a rich source of <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173686/nutrients">protein, key micronutrients and fatty acids</a>. But with so many different products on the shelf, it’s hard to know which ones harm the environment and fish stocks the most. </p>
<p>Both wild-caught and farmed salmon can be sustainable, but determining the environmental impact of a fillet isn’t simple. Both can present significant social and environmental problems. Wild-caught salmon can be <a href="https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsh.10062">overfished</a> or sourced from vulnerable fish populations. But while salmon aquaculture can reduce the pressure on wild stocks, it’s no panacea. </p>
<p>Farmed salmon producers often <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/72/3/997/686282">face scrutiny</a> for overcrowding, parasites and pollution, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/30/thousands-of-salmon-escaped-an-icelandic-fish-farm-the-impact-could-be-deadly">escapees from open-net pens</a> feared to endanger local wild populations. The fish meal used to feed farmed salmon presents further problems, as it often <a href="https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000005">originates from wild-caught fish</a> that aren’t always <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-018-0077-1">taken at sustainable levels</a>.</p>
<p>These challenges are expected to be <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12164">exacerbated by shifting climates</a>: higher water temperatures and reduced rainfall can enable the growth of pathogens, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aqc.3624">increase the susceptibility of fish</a> populations to disease. </p>
<p><a href="https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/66214/gupea_2077_66214_4.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y">Many</a> certification schemes, eco-labels, rankings and guides exist to signpost salmon sustainability. For wild-caught salmon, the <a href="https://www.msc.org/uk">Marine Stewardship Council</a> provides the gold standard, assuring that it has been sourced from fisheries managed according to rigorous environmental standards. For farmed salmon, a tick of approval from the <a href="https://asc-aqua.org/">Aquaculture Stewardship Council</a> is considered the most thorough certification, indicating responsible aquaculture practices.</p>
<p>One of us (Laurence Wainwright) has <a href="https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/66214/gupea_2077_66214_4.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y">researched eco-labels for five years</a>, finding that these two certification schemes are currently the most scientifically sound, evidenced-based standards for seafood sustainability – including salmon. </p>
<p>Other seafood sustainability schemes offer some assurances of sustainability, but are often not nearly as rigorous. Schemes for farmed salmon such as the <a href="https://www.soilassociation.org/certification/aquaculture/">Soil Association’s organic standard</a> have recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/30/unacceptable-greenwashing-scottish-farmed-salmon-should-not-be-labelled-organic-say-charities">faced criticism</a> for having standards that are perceived by some as not going far enough – or potentially even misleading customers by certifying some Scottish salmon farms as organic. </p>
<p>To a consumer, an “organic” label generally signifies that a product has been grown from organic feed and produced without the use of chemical pesticides or antibiotics. Farmed salmon can be organic, if raised and fed correctly. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://8point9.com/soil-association-pushes-back-against-criticism-of-organic-salmon/">Soil Association spokesperson</a> stated: “Organic farms must follow strict rules to minimise impacts on the environment and animal welfare, and when problems occur, they must prove they are taking action in order to use the organic logo.” The Soil Association’s aquaculture standards are currently under review following a <a href="https://www.soilassociation.org/our-standards/aquaculture-and-northern-ireland-organic-standards-consultation/consultation-on-soil-association-standards-for-uk-organic-aquaculture/">60-day consultation</a>, and an update to its standards is due later in 2024. </p>
<p>According to fish conservation charity <a href="https://wildfish.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Responsibly-Sourced_-FINAL-REPORT_130923.pdf">WildFish</a>, some badges of sustainability in salmon aquaculture can mask details of unregulated salmon supply chains – with certifications rarely being lost even when conditions are breached. According to its 2023 report, some UK farms have been permitted to use wild-caught fish for feed and to use <a href="https://wildfish.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Responsibly-Sourced_-FINAL-REPORT_130923.pdf">toxic chemicals</a> for parasite control, without losing their organic certification. This is controversial: such ambiguity and lack of transparency only hinders the salmon aquaculture industry. </p>
<p>In terms of wild-caught salmon, it is our strong opinion that it is never legitimate, under any circumstances, to call it organic. Not only is this misleading but it defies scientific evidence and undermines the meaning of the term organic.</p>
<h2>Which salmon should you buy?</h2>
<p>When buying salmon or ordering it at a restaurant, look for key information on the labels or ask staff about the sourcing of their fish. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>How, and from where, was it caught or farmed? Either can be sustainable, but the devil is in the detail. </p></li>
<li><p>If farmed, what was it fed – and from where did this feed originate? The feed should be from a sustainable source of fish, and perhaps even certified itself. </p></li>
<li><p>If wild-caught, is there minimal by-catch associated with it? </p></li>
<li><p>Which species of salmon is it? Whether Atlantic, chinook, sockeye, pink, coho or chum, sustainability depends on a variety of factors so there is no hard-and-fast rule. But there are better and worse options: <a href="https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/download-consumer-guides/sustainable-salmon-guide">this guide</a> from Seafood Watch is very useful. </p></li>
<li><p>Which eco-labels does it have? Certifications from the <a href="https://www.msc.org/uk">Marine Stewardship Council</a> and <a href="https://asc-aqua.org/">Aquaculture Stewardship Council</a> are best. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>The scale of salmon</h2>
<p>While it’s best to choose locally sourced fish where possible, many salmon-loving populations live far from the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00130095.2018.1506700?needAccess=true">hotspots of salmon production</a>. Sushi salmon in Japan, for example, may have travelled <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-023-00290-7">17,000 km</a> from Norwegian or Chilean farms. And an estimated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919223000507#bi005">52%</a> of emissions from the production of 1 kilogram of farmed salmon in Norway comes from its air transport to China for consumption. </p>
<p>The need to mitigate the carbon footprint of salmon production will only increase as the world ramps up decarbonisation efforts. With an <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population">increasing global population</a>, pressure on the already over-exploited wild salmon stocks is set to intensify.</p>
<p>Salmon farming or aquaculture currently bridges this gap between supply and demand, accounting for <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79617">70%</a> of the salmon available for consumption. As the <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79617">fastest-growing food</a> production system, the salmon farming industry is projected to reach a value of <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/salmon?utm_source=CI&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=fzgfsf&utm_campaign=1851063+-+Global+Salmon+Market+Report+2023:+Sector+to+Reach+$37.4+Billion+by+2027+at+a+3.9%2525+CAGR&utm_exec=como322prd">US$37 billion</a> (£29 billion) globally by 2027. </p>
<p>We need to fundamentally change our relationship with seafood if we are to preserve this wonderful natural food resource. We don’t have to stop eating salmon but we must make smarter decisions, both at the fish counter and within seafood supply chains. </p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Knowing which fish to buy can be confusing, but certain eco-labels can help decipher whether wild-caught, farmed or organic salmon is best for the environment.Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer and Course Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of OxfordNatasha Lutz, PhD in Disturbance Ecology and Machine Learning, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2210632024-02-07T17:30:28Z2024-02-07T17:30:28Z‘Digitising’ your wardrobe can help you save money and make sustainable fashion choices<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574112/original/file-20240207-28-3dsoc7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C74%2C8144%2C5413&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/high-angle-above-view-photo-stressed-1819488686">Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Spring is traditionally the season for a good clean – and maybe a clear out. Taking stock and having a bit of a declutter can <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362960760_The_cultural_practice_of_decluttering_as_household_work_and_its_potentials_for_sustainable_consumption">freshen things up domestically</a>. </p>
<p>One popular new way <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/jan/05/how-digitally-tracking-clothes-fashion-consumption-taking-off-online">of doing this</a> involves targeting your wardrobe by making digital inventories of your clothes – and then tracking what you wear. You note the price, brand and category of your garments (and shoes and bags) and then record how much use they get. </p>
<p>The idea is that having this information can then lead to better choices in the future, whether that’s saving money or having a more sustainable approach to fashion.</p>
<p>And <a href="https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/253310/">better choices are needed</a>. The clothing industry in Europe is ranked fourth in terms of its detrimental <a href="https://wrap.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/nations-wardrobes-hold-16-billion-items-unworn-clothes-people-open-new#:%7E:text=Catherine%20David%2C%20Director%20Collaboration%20and,ambitious%20targets%20of%20Textiles%202030">environmental impact</a> after housing, transport and food. </p>
<p>Clothing is heavily underused, with the number of times a garment gets worn reportedly <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-business-models/overview">decreasing by 36%</a> globally between 2000 and 2015. In the UK it has been estimated that 65% of women and 44% of men have clothing in their wardrobe which they <a href="https://www.saveyourwardrobe.com/blog/how-to-spend-lockdown-2.0-save-your-wardrobe/">are yet to wear</a>, while one survey found that many women consider garments worn once or twice <a href="https://cdn.businessoffashion.com/reports/The_State_of_Fashion_2019.pdf">to be “old”</a>. </p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-social-media-detox-may-not-be-as-good-for-you-as-you-think-new-research-217484?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Why a social media detox may not be as good for you as you think – new research</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-men-and-women-can-improve-their-health-before-trying-to-conceive-220260?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Four ways men and women can improve their health before trying to conceive</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/expert-advice-to-help-young-people-keep-their-new-year-resolutions-220451?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Expert advice to help young people keep their new year resolutions</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>So while brands compete with online services to offer ever increasing amounts of clothing to consume, amid popular tools to <a href="https://theconversation.com/selling-on-vinted-etsy-or-ebay-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-paying-tax-220988">sell the clothes</a> you no longer need, we wondered whether digital tracking could make your wardrobe more sustainable.</p>
<p>For <a href="https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/nimmir-2022-0009">our research</a>, we worked with Save Your Wardrobe, an app designed to help people organise and categorise their clothes. We interviewed users to find out if digitising their wardrobes led to any noticeable changes. </p>
<p>From the start, we found consumers feeling anxious and dissatisfied with their clothing behaviours and wardrobe management. There was an aspiration to better understand what was in their wardrobes and how they used their garments.</p>
<p>One woman told us: “Personally I would feel happier if I felt like I was making really thoughtful decisions [about what clothes I buy] and they weren’t coming from a place of anxiety, or a place of feeling constantly like there is some new gap in my wardrobe that I have to fill.”</p>
<p>Another said: “I think a lot about reducing the eco footprint of my lifestyle. And I think clothing is one area where I get frustrated because I don’t feel like my values line up with my behaviour.”</p>
<p>She added: “I feel like we should just consume less, but then I can get anxious and stressed out and feel like I need something, and those two things are incompatible.”</p>
<h2>Make do and mend</h2>
<p>For many, the initial process of organisation required to upload photos of garments to the app became a moment of reflection and an opportunity to challenge and change existing patterns of behaviour. The effort involved also resulted in a sense of appreciation of the clothing which was already owned. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman using phone to take photo of a shirt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C70%2C5193%2C3370&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573796/original/file-20240206-22-vtlsxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Getting shirty.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-women-taking-photo-shirts-cell-664507150">Nitiphonphat/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An important aspect of this was the ability to quantify what was in the wardrobe – and many of the people we spoke to were surprised (or even shocked) by the amount of clothing they possessed. </p>
<p>One said: “I realised that 50% of my wardrobe is from Primark. It’s ridiculous and I was like, ‘Oh my god!’” </p>
<p>She continued: “I knew that when I go to Primark I go crazy but I didn’t have a full overview of all the things I have.” </p>
<p>Another commented: “I definitely felt more organised. Revisiting old clothes made me see what I have in my closet. That was good, because I [had been] wanting to buy something new, but realised I don’t need to.”</p>
<p>This kind of reaction was common, as users of the app came to understand – and seek to change – their patterns of behaviour around clothing. Items were rediscovered and brought back into use in a way that made owners feel they were “shopping from their own wardrobes”. </p>
<p>As they realised how much money they had spent on clothes, some pieces were put aside for repair so they could be worn again, while others were given away. </p>
<p>Overall, we found that consumption of clothing is fuelling consumer anxiety – but that using an app can help people feel more in control of their wardrobes. Tracking data about their behaviour gave consumers a sense of being more in control of their actions and where they could make changes. </p>
<p>The chance to quantify and gain insight in this way was viewed as similar to other digital solutions – like wearable fitness trackers that record data and can provide motivational encouragement. </p>
<p>Being more aware of the clothes they already owned made a difference to people’s appetites for owning more. So, with a climate change crisis, and when incomes are being squeezed by the cost of living, perhaps it’s time to ditch the shopping apps – and spend some time becoming reacquainted with the clothes you already own.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221063/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deirdre Shaw receives funding from ESRC. She is affiliated with Textiles 2030. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Duffy receives funding from ESRC. She is affiliated with Textiles 2030.</span></em></p>How to really get to know your clothes.Deirdre Shaw, Professor Marketing and Consumer Research, University of GlasgowKatherine Duffy, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224552024-02-06T12:29:35Z2024-02-06T12:29:35ZE-bikes are freewheeling through rain and over hills, with huge promise for sustainable transport in rural tourist areas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573443/original/file-20240205-21-g9ec3r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research has found that hills and rainy weather are not posing barriers for people wanting to explore rural tourist areas using e-bikes. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-cyclists-on-electric-bikes-narrow-1865997586">Paddy Morton/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I first rode an e-bike after a day out exploring the fells on foot a few years ago. Instead of driving back to my accommodation, I travelled 40km through the Lake District on an e-bike and I was surprised by how easy it was, even after a physically demanding day. Since then, I’ve been researching the potential for people to shift from cars to e-bikes and recently found that rural areas have the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X21003401?via%3Dihub">greatest capability</a> to replace car travel and cut carbon emissions. </p>
<p>Most of the Lake District National Park’s <a href="https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/state_of_the_park">18 million annual visitors</a> travel by car.
These cars <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966692399000010?via%3Dihub">create problems</a> with increased greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, pollution, and accidents. High volumes of traffic also <a href="https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=4434">affect ecosystems</a> and can be ugly. All these factors can affect how many people want to visit national parks. </p>
<p>But e-bikes could transform the way people experience rural areas like this, and reduce the negative environmental effects of tourism on rural areas. </p>
<h2>To the hills</h2>
<p>A lot of the previous research about e-bikes as transport focuses on urban areas. With my colleagues Llinos Brown and Noel Cass, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.103813">I surveyed</a> around 500 people in the Lake District in 2020 and 2021 about their use of e-bikes. These survey respondents included residents and visitors, e-bike owners and those who didn’t use e-bikes. We asked them about the barriers that limited their use of e-bikes or prevented them shifting trips to e-bikes from other forms of transport. We quizzed them about their desire for services and their attitudes to car restrictions in certain valleys popular with tourists. </p>
<p>One of the most striking findings is that people using e-bikes in the Lake District are riding them a long way in wet, hilly places. So much transport research regards hills and rain as barriers to active travel. But that’s not so in this case. One person said hiring e-bikes for the first time was a revelation, even in the rain. Another family found it really easy to get up the hills, even with children tagging along behind the bikes. </p>
<p>The average Briton rides <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-travel-survey-2019">54 miles</a> per year on an ordinary bike. Many of our survey respondents were riding e-bikes more than this in a week. We found that Lake District resident e-bike owners were riding an average of 77 miles per week in the 2020 lockdown and more than 63 miles per week in spring 2021. </p>
<p>Our research showed that e-bikes replaced car trips more often than they replaced trips taken on ordinary bicycles or public transport. That’s positive in terms of decarbonisation potential and reducing environmental effects on rural ecosystems.</p>
<p>E-bikes are being used more for errands and leisure than commuting. Because at busy times visitors outnumber residents several times over, replacing car leisure trips with e-bike leisure trips could be <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/border/2021-07-18/tourists-urged-to-park-responsibly-too-allow-for-access-by-emergency-vehicles">important</a> in reducing car <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966692306001177?via%3Dihub">traffic in tourist areas</a>. Our recommendation is that planners try to think differently about hills and weather as they need not be a barrier to active travel. Doing so will improve the design of facilities that enable people to use e-bikes instead of cars to get to where they want to go. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close-up of orange and black e-bike with charger plugged in" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573761/original/file-20240206-22-3go1ok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Better design of facilities in national parks could make it easier for people to park, charge and store their e-bikes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-ebike-plugged-charging-2190390549">Nedrofly/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Harnessing e-pedal power</h2>
<p>E-bikes may give more flexibility where <a href="https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/insight/how-britains-bus-services-have-drastically-declined">public transport is poor</a> and our respondents commented on poor public transport serving relatively few places. </p>
<p>We found that e-bikes are well used by those who already have them. Many of those who don’t own e-bikes would be interested in using an e-bike share scheme and visitors would be interested in a scheme that links e-bike sharing with busses trains and boats with a combined daily ticket. E-bikes could be made more easily available through sharing schemes or a <a href="https://www.bicycleassociation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Case-for-a-UK-Incentive-for-E-bikes-FINAL.pdf">purchase subsidy</a>. Together with improving public transport in rural areas, this could help to reduce dependence on cars and better support those who are vulnerable when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.05.009">costs</a> like fuel go up. </p>
<p>With e-bikes being expensive, there was a strong desire among respondents for more secure e-bike storage in Lakeland towns and villages. Accommodation and hospitality providers could offer more secure storage or parking and other facilities such as battery recharging. </p>
<p>There’s a big opportunity for cycling and e-biking on quieter roads or on cycle infrastructure. Though safety was raised as a concern when traffic returned after lockdown, e-biking levels remained quite high, which indicates that e-bikes should form part of national parks’ sustainable transport strategies. Some people also said e-bikes helped with their physical and mental health, especially during lockdowns. </p>
<h2>Quieter valleys</h2>
<p>Our research showed strong support for restricting tourist cars in popular valleys such as Borrowdale and Langdale. Most felt it would make those areas more beautiful and be good for business. </p>
<p>Some people mentioned <a href="https://lowcarbondestinations.org/">places in Europe</a> with successful public transport provision or effective car restrictions. In the Italian Dolomites, free and regular bus services drastically reduce the number of cars on the roads, making cycling easier and safer. Meanwhile, in the Bohinj valley in Slovenia, cars are banned, the park-and-ride scheme is free and cycling is a pleasure, according to another. </p>
<p>So, hills and rain need not be a barrier to active travel in national parks. Providing e-bikes alongside public transport and also restricting car access to some valleys could help rural areas become more sustainable, in the Lake District and beyond.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Philips received funding from UKRI grants.</span></em></p>Research shows that rain and hilly terrain doesn’t put people off e-bikes.Ian Philips, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Transport Studies, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220962024-02-02T16:25:24Z2024-02-02T16:25:24ZEight things grassroots football clubs can do to reach net zero<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572833/original/file-20240201-29-eyaceu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">De Montfort University students volunteering at Leicester Nirvana Football Club to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mark Charlton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Germany and England might be bitter rivals when it comes international football – but some of their amateur clubs have found common ground leading the charge to tackle climate change in sport.</p>
<p>I’m investigating the sustainability tactics of grassroots teams including Leicester Nirvana, Germany’s Eintracht Peitz and International Berlin. As well as sharing expertise with a global network of amateur clubs, the Net Zero Football Project I’m working on at De Montfort University is researching how best to enable coaches, players and their families to play a blinder for the planet. This will develop into a blueprint for teams wanting to transform a game which both contributes to, and is impacted by climate change.</p>
<p>Often, clubs are at the forefront of environmental impacts. A women’s club in the Gambia, Yakaar Academy, is feeling the effects of a changing planet as extreme weather <a href="https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/gambia_cfr_2022.pdf">impacts</a> agricultural production, the economy and health in the country.</p>
<p>Leicester Nirvana’s pitch was submerged in the <a href="https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/flooding-leicester-expected-subside-county-9012791">recent UK floods</a>, meaning football was cancelled for weeks leaving the kids of Highfields estate, one of the poorest postcodes in the country, with little to do. And clubs in Germany are busy offering solace from the backlash of a stifling economy, the cost of living crisis and growth of the far-right populists and climate change deniers – the Alternative for Germany (AfD) – amidst plans for a green energy transition.</p>
<p>Football clubs have the potential to bring people together to tackle the climate crisis collectively and Green Football Weekend (3-5 February) is a time to kick off with eight simple ways improve your club’s sustainability credentials.</p>
<h2>1. Recruit a captain</h2>
<p>Appoint a volunteer sustainability officer to oversee the club’s plans. They can create a sustainability checklist of things to do after matches and training like turning off the lights and taps, or putting the recycling out. Ideally, this person should report to a sustainability committee that involves managers and players. Leicester Nirvana has its own UN Sustainable Development Goal <a href="http://www.leicesternirvana.com/updates">champion</a>, Ivan Liburd. As coach and part of the management team, he finds ways to promote climate action amongst players, tackle racism and violence in the community while ensuring the clubhouse lights are switched off when he goes home.</p>
<h2>2. Buy in bulk</h2>
<p>Make simple switches and show others how to protect the planet and save money. Buy recycled toilet paper, install LED lightbulbs that are more energy-efficient than <a href="https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/">conventional bulbs</a> and wash team kits with biodegradable washing powder. Harness the club’s buying power to make sustainability demands on suppliers. At International Berlin, kit companies must meet certain criteria if they want to tender to supply their squads. As a big club, that can mean substantial business for the right sportswear brand if they commit to the necessary changes. </p>
<h2>3. Park the bus</h2>
<p>In recent <a href="https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/news/2023/november/dmu-researchers-discover-exactly-how-local-football-club-produces-carbon-emissions.aspx#:%7E:text=Dr%20Ozawa%2DMeida%2C%20a%20Senior,and%20in%20less%20extent%20to">emissions tests</a> done at Leicester Nirvana, we found team and fan travel to be the one of the largest contributors to the club’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Where possible use a minibus or share cars to cut costs and reduce emissions when heading to training or games. Eintracht Peitz invested in a minibus for its team with club logos and sponsors emblazened on the side, so it’s hard to miss on match days. </p>
<h2>4. Put more plants on plates</h2>
<p>Reducing meat and dairy consumption <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-014-1104-5?sa_campaign=email/event/articleAuthor/onlineFirst&error=cookies_not_supported&code=69712fa0-329b-4333-abc2-85ddccfe122d">cuts carbon footprints</a> massively. Encourage players to go vegan whenever possible. Buy local produce where you can, but be mindful it’s <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local">important to consider</a> what you eat rather than just where it is from. Install a compost bin for food waste. Many drinks sold at amateur football games are unhealthy and come in plastic bottles. Follow the lead of Leicester Nirvana and encourage the use of reusable bottles for all players.</p>
<h2>5. Green your club</h2>
<p>When a player joins Eintracht Peitz, they’re handed a spade and invited to plant a tree as part of their <a href="https://klimakids-peitz.de/en/start/">growing with the club</a> programme. While most urban green spaces are not managed with nature in mind, lots of towns and cities make space for nature in <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/06/8-cities-rewilding-their-urban-spaces/">innovative ways</a>. Enhancing biodiversity within the club grounds is a big win. By rewilding some of the green spaces beside the pitch, unused corners and verges can become a haven for wildlife.</p>
<h2>6. Communicate creatively about climate</h2>
<p>Lots of work needs to be done to educate, inspire and empower players through environmental action. Media messaging and discourse can create feelings of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8431103/">eco-anxiety and helplessness</a>. Use resources from environmental charity <a href="https://climateoutreach.org/">Climate Outreach</a> to get positive messages across in creative ways. Encourage coaches and players to sign up to <a href="https://carbonliteracy.com/">Carbon Literacy training</a> or take part in a fun <a href="https://climatefresk.org/">Climate Fresk workshop</a>. Birmingham County Football Association offers carbon literacy sessions for its <a href="https://www.birminghamfa.com/news/2023/feb/17/carbon-literacy-course">local clubs</a>.</p>
<h2>7. Shout about your success</h2>
<p>Lead by example and show others that there are alternative ways to run a football club. Encourage players to be advocates for the planet. Share what you are doing through social media and invite the local press to cover your stories. </p>
<h2>8. Goals win games</h2>
<p>Set clear targets for the coming season. To find inspiration and access free resources that outline key goals, join sustainable sports networks, such as the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/footballforthegoals">UN Football for the Goals</a>, <a href="https://pledgeball.org/">Pledgeball</a> and De Montfort University’s <a href="https://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/themes/net-zero/index.aspx">Net Zero Football Project</a>.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Charlton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>By inspiring collective action, amateur football clubs can drive positive behaviour change and embed sustainability tactics in grassroots sport.Mark Charlton, Net Zero Research Theme Director, De Montfort UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212812024-01-18T16:49:08Z2024-01-18T16:49:08ZMigrants can be a transformative force for sustainable development<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570079/original/file-20240118-30-qftv6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3401%2C2341&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A study found migrants were more likely to volunteer in their communities than native residents.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-multiracial-senior-women-having-fun-2350443587">Sabrina Bracher/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amsterdammers are proud of their city. But it turns out that people who have moved there from other parts of the world are just as concerned about keeping the place green and pleasant. We surveyed Amsterdam residents and <a href="https://www.projectmisty.org/post/is-covid-19-shifting-attitudes-towards-sustainability-a-case-study-from-amsterdam">found</a>, among other things, that recent migrants were just as likely to recycle as those born and raised in the city.</p>
<p>Similarly, research has shown that internal and international migrants living in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102790">Accra, Ghana</a> were more likely to take part in activities that enriched the local environment, like creating community gardens to grow food, than people who were born there.</p>
<p>Can the movement of people (including those displaced by climate change) aid sustainable solutions to environmental problems? Our research suggests that it can. Migration is good for society in circumstances when it reduces inequality, enhances overall wellbeing, and does not place greater environmental burdens on the regions where people move to or from.</p>
<h2>Migrant flows and their consequences</h2>
<p>Sustainable development means enhancing wellbeing in ways that fairly meet the needs of present and future generations. A new set of <a href="https://www.pnas.org/topic/554">studies</a> has shown that new policies are needed to manage migration in a way that ensures such sustainability, while also minimising involuntary displacement due to conflict or disasters.</p>
<p>Poorly managed migration can deepen inequality and increase environmental damage. One <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2206192119">study</a> looked at Florida in the US, where sea-level rise is expected to lead to outward migration – with younger, economically active adults moving first. Such migration would put pressure on housing and water and contribute to congestion and pollution in the destination cities, while leaving the coastal areas with ageing populations and a lower tax base.</p>
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<img alt="Cars driving down a flooded road in the US." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570077/original/file-20240118-21-clste5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Climate change is expected to spur the significant movement of people this century.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/car-driving-through-water-on-flooded-2209624689">Ajax9/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>In Niue, Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands, a recent <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2206190120">study</a> showed that people’s sense of belonging and their capacity to maintain a sense of unity, even when many of them are emigrating, affected the long-term stability of remaining populations. Current patterns of emigration by working-age adults from these areas reduce pressure on natural resources in the origin islands, while the emigrant populations in Australia and New Zealand still support and promote their communities in the island nations. </p>
<p>In this way, population levels in the islands are kept stable and people there are less directly dependent on fishing and farming, as their income and ability to invest locally is increased through remittances. According to <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/851570-sergio-jarillo-de-la-torre">Sergio Jarillo</a> and <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/8871-jon-barnett">Jon Barnett</a> from the University of Melbourne, it is this sense of belonging that “binds the people who live in and migrate from these places into a collective commitment to the continuity” of these island communities, which are threatened by climate change.</p>
<p>It is crucial to consider the impact of migration in the places people leave behind, as well as their new homes. At a global level, migrants remain rare (most people live close to where they were born) and international migrants even rarer, with those displaced by conflict or disaster rarer still. Most media attention on environmental migration to date has concerned people fleeing conflict or disasters, and so-called climate refugees.</p>
<p>Most migrants fleeing conflict or disaster end up concentrated in a few places relatively near to where they have fled from, creating significant new demands on water, food and waste services. As such, it is the clustering of people in one place, not migration itself, that poses the greatest challenges for sustainability.</p>
<p>The world’s largest refugee camps, home to those displaced because of conflict and disaster, are regularly in places that <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2206189120">are vulnerable to climate change</a>. The Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, for example, have regularly been made uninhabitable by flooding in recent years.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A row of people stood amid waterlogged soil with tin houses in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570074/original/file-20240118-25-jshnpp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Fleeing persecution in Myanmar, over 700,000 Rohingya people have sought shelter in Bangladesh.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/coxs-bazar-january-26-2018-muslim-1034950948">Hafizie Shabudin/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Addressing migration and the environment together</h2>
<p>Sustainability and migration are often managed separately. Yet we need new policies that manage migration in the interests of people and the planet, now and into the future. This includes focusing on the largest reason people move, known as “regular” migration: to find new economic and life opportunities. </p>
<p>For regular migration flows, planning is needed in destination areas to meet the increased demand for housing, employment and services. When new populations are integrated into communities with urban planning, the cities tend to work better for them and they feel more invested in their new homes. Such measures have <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12855">been shown</a> to create a positive environment for growth and reduce social tensions. </p>
<p>City planners in Chattogram in Bangladesh, for example, listened to migrants through forums and discussion groups, and have begun to amend their infrastructure plans to improve the city’s informal settlements and provide clean water. </p>
<p>Governments also need to minimise the displacement of people as a result of environmental degradation and climate change in the first place, which amounts to a fundamental breach of their rights to a secure life.</p>
<p>Ultimately, we need to reset how migration is discussed in society – away from simple tropes that paint it as a threat, towards using evidence of its consequences for economies, environments and social cohesion. </p>
<p>Realising the potential of migration to enhance sustainability requires seeing the benefits and costs to society in the round – not putting migration and sustainability <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2206184120">in separate boxes working against each other</a>.</p>
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<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221281/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sonja Fransen received funding from the Dutch Scientific Council (NWO) for the MISTY project, and an institutional Comprehensive Innovation grant from UNU-MERIT.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neil Adger receives funding from International Development Research Centre, Canada; Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, UK; National Institute for Health Research, UK; Economic and Social Research Council, UK; and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ricardo Safra de Campos receives funding from International Development Research Centre, Canada; Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, UK; National Institute for Health Research, UK; Economic and Social Research Council, UK; and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>William C. Clark receives funding from Italy's Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea through its gift to Harvard University’s Sustainability Science Program.
</span></em></p>Migration is considered an inevitable effect of climate change. It could also be part of the solution.Sonja Fransen, Senior Researcher, Migration and Development, Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), United Nations UniversityNeil Adger, Professor of Human Geography, University of ExeterRicardo Safra de Campos, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of ExeterWilliam C. Clark, Professor of International Science, Public Policy and Human Development, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2204552024-01-17T21:52:45Z2024-01-17T21:52:45ZRipple effect: How public attitudes can shift governments toward sustainable, and resilient, water systems<p>With all the negative news coming out about climate change, its impacts and its possible trajectory in the not-so-distant future, it can be difficult to maintain hope for a brighter future.</p>
<p>The last few years have been challenging, even for optimists, with international climate meetings like the recent COP28 in Dubai emphasizing <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/explaining-global-stocktake-paris-agreement">how far we are from where we need to be in terms of climate action</a>. Meanwhile, reports like IPBES’ global biodiversity report provide <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment">strong evidence for the accelerating deterioration of nature and its benefits</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/2023-was-the-hottest-year-in-history-and-canada-is-warming-faster-than-anywhere-else-on-earth-220997">2023 was the hottest year in history — and Canada is warming faster than anywhere else on earth</a>
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<p>It can feel like there is not enough momentum to move quickly enough to slow climate change and stave off its worst impacts. However, our recent work provides a point of hope and evidence for optimism.</p>
<h2>Understanding resilience</h2>
<p>We are researchers with expertise in psychology, sustainability and environmental governance. Our study assessed the attitudes of the general public towards a resilience-based approach to environmental decision-making, with a special focus on water. </p>
<p>Resilience is the ability to respond to disturbances (like climate change impacts) by resisting change, adapting or transforming, if needed, for the well-being of humans and ecosystems. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-051211-123836">seven principles that support resilience</a> that range from promoting connectivity of human and natural systems, to creating inclusive decision-making processes, to being willing to experiment with new approaches and learn from them, even if they are not entirely successful.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SDRxfuEvqGg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">An overview of the basic principles of climate change adaptation and resilience produced by the IPCC in 2022.</span></figcaption>
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<p>We can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2023.100249">assess these principles</a> and each of them contributes to resilience in unique and critically important ways. How we <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-meaning-of-environmental-words-matters-in-the-age-of-fake-news-106050">understand what resilience means matters</a>. </p>
<p>Some understand it to be only the ability to resist change, which is not sufficient for what the world needs in this moment. Beyond resisting, we must also adapt, and potentially, transform. However, resilience can also be used as a tool to deflect blame and responsibility for supporting disproportionately affected groups.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-unfairness-of-the-climate-crisis-podcast-192469">The unfairness of the climate crisis — Podcast</a>
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</em>
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<p>Many organizations and international bodies, including the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/">IPCC</a>, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34780">the World Bank</a> and the <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/adaptation-and-resilience/the-big-picture/introduction">United Nations Climate Change Secretariat</a>, argue that we need to integrate resilience — including adaptation and transformation — into how we govern, make strategic decisions and take action moving forward.</p>
<p>We need resilience because we are dealing with unprecedented environmental change and the drivers and impacts of this change are highly intertwined, making governance a complex task. Resilience can meet the challenge of complexity. In our work, we focus on resilience in surface freshwater governance, specifically. </p>
<h2>Public attitudes</h2>
<p>How we govern is determined by many factors, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/106591290305600103">including public attitudes</a>. </p>
<p>As members of the public, we can vote, protest, communicate directly with elected officials, write opinion pieces for news outlets, talk to our neighbours and friends, and educate our children. We have multiple ways to influence decision-making, and our attitudes play an important role in the messages we send through those spheres of influence.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/court-decision-in-youth-climate-lawsuit-against-ontario-government-ignites-hope-206275">Court decision in youth climate lawsuit against Ontario government ignites hope</a>
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<p>We measured the attitudes of the general public in six countries representing the Global North and South with a study focused on resilience and water governance. We offered participants in our survey a vignette, or short scenario, about a water issue. </p>
<p>Participants answered a series of questions about the vignette. For each question, they had four options, representing a spectrum of support for resilience, from no support to full support.</p>
<p>Across six countries (Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, India and South Africa) there was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2023.23">moderate to strong support for a resilience-based approach to water governance</a>. These findings suggest a positive outlook on public attitudes towards resilience-centred water governance, both now and especially for the future.</p>
<p>The best news from the study was that more than half of the participants across all countries showed the potential for strengthening their support for a more resilient approach to water governance. </p>
<p>We measured potential for growth by asking participants to select all of the options they considered acceptable for each question, before choosing their most preferred option. If participants selected an option that demonstrated stronger support for resilience than the one they most preferred, this signalled room for improving their support.</p>
<h2>Taking action</h2>
<p>We are encouraged by these results and how consistent they were across multiple countries that have different water issues, cultures and political leadership. We accounted for some of these differences by providing vignettes that dealt with a range of water issues, from flooding to drought to infrastructure concerns. </p>
<p>Even with differing water issues and cultures factored in, attitudes were consistent, and so was the potential to strengthen support for water resilience.</p>
<p>We feel that these results serve as a hopeful message to those who might be feeling discouraged or pessimistic about our shared future. There are many whose attitudes support resilience-based approaches to governance, and this is a fact worth celebrating.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadians-are-unprepared-for-natural-hazards-heres-what-we-can-do-about-it-201863">Canadians are unprepared for natural hazards. Here's what we can do about it</a>
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<p>We also share this message with those in policy leadership positions, like the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/canada-water-agency.html">Canada Water Agency</a>.</p>
<p>The public is supportive of approaches that will improve the resilience of water systems and strengthen the well-being of humans and the ecosystems upon which we all depend.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220455/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Baird receives funding from SSHRC and the Canada Research Chairs program. She is affiliated with the Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters as an academic advisor.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gary Pickering receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gillian Dale does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The results of a new study are clear: resilient water governance systems are effective and enjoy strong public support. The time is now to build resilience into our global water systems.Julia Baird, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience, Brock UniversityGary Pickering, Professor, Biological Sciences and Psychology, Brock UniversityGillian Dale, Research fellow, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170722024-01-12T13:28:09Z2024-01-12T13:28:09ZLaundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here’s how to clean your clothes more sustainably<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568922/original/file-20240111-28-mex9ej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5028%2C3334&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Laundry washwater is a major source of microplastic fibers that can end up in water and soil.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/view-inside-the-washing-machine-while-washing-royalty-free-image/862037340">Venca-Stastny/iStock via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Microplastics are turning up everywhere, from <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/plastics-remote-places-microplastics-earth-mount-everest">remote mountain tops</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180667">deep ocean trenches</a>. They also are in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani13040661">many animals</a>, <a href="https://www.undp.org/kosovo/blog/microplastics-human-health-how-much-do-they-harm-us">including humans</a>. </p>
<p>The most common microplastics in the environment are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/microfiber">microfibers</a> – plastic fragments shaped like tiny threads or filaments. Microfibers come from many sources, including cigarette butts, fishing nets and ropes, but the biggest source is synthetic fabrics, which constantly shed them.</p>
<p>Textiles shed microfibers while they are manufactured, worn and disposed of, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5173">especially when they are washed</a>. A single wash load can release <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158511">several million microfibers</a>. Many factors affect how many fibers are released, including fabric type, mechanical action, detergents, temperature and the duration of the wash cycle. </p>
<p><a href="https://sites.rutgers.edu/judith-weis/research-career/">My research</a> focuses on coastal ecology and water pollution, including work in New York and New Jersey marshes and estuaries that are heavily affected by human activities. Here are some things to know about reducing microplastic pollution from your washing machine.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A tangle of red fibers under a microscope." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568928/original/file-20240111-17-j58o84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=738&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Red microfibers collected from coastal waters in a towed sample off Newport, Ore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/science-blog/mysterious-microfibers">NOAA Fisheries</a></span>
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<h2>From fabric to water and soil</h2>
<p>Once garments release microfibers in washing machines, the fibers enter the wastewater stream, which generally goes to a wastewater treatment plant. Advanced treatment plants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2021.100264">can remove up to 99% of microfibers</a> from water. But since a single laundry load can produce millions of fibers, treated water discharged from the plant still contains a huge number of them.</p>
<p>Microfibers that are removed during treatment end up in <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-sewage-sludge-and-what-can-be-done-with-it">sewage sludge</a> – a mix of solid materials that is processed to remove pathogens. In many cases, treated sewage sludge is applied to soil as a fertilizer. This allows microfibers to enter air and soil, and to be transferred to soil organisms and up the terrestrial food web or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677">taken up by crops</a>. </p>
<p>Microplastics that wash into rivers, lakes and bays can have many harmful effects. They may be consumed by fish and other aquatic animals, affecting their <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13503">biochemistry, physiology, reproduction, development or behavior</a>. These microplastics contain chemical additives, including substances like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html">phthalates</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/BisphenolA_FactSheet.html">bisphenol A</a> that can leach out and may have health effects in humans and animals, including <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/exposure/endocrine">effects on the endocrine system</a>.</p>
<p>Textile microfibers also contain additional chemicals that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/jul/02/fashion-chemicals-pfas-bpa-toxic">have been shown to be toxic</a>, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biori.2019.09.001">fabric dyes</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxics10070361">anti-wrinkle agents</a> and <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/flame_retardants">flame retardants</a>. In addition, contaminants that are present in the water, such as metals and pesticides, can stick to microplastic particles, turning them into a veritable cocktail of contaminants that may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03263">transferred into animals that eat them</a> </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/83NL-8hZcFE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Textiles are a major source of microfiber pollution, which now is widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Washing more sustainably</h2>
<p>Not all fabrics shed microfibers at the same rate. A loosely woven fabric that feels fluffy or fuzzy, such as fleece, sheds more than a tightly woven one. While garments made of natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, would appear to be a solution, unfortunately they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">also shed microfibers</a> that can pick up pollutants in the environment.</p>
<p>Some textile scientists and manufacturers are developing <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Polluting-Textiles-The-Problem-with-Microfibres/Weis-De-Falco-Cocca/p/book/9780367760755">fabrics that shed less than existing ones</a>, thanks to features such as longer fibers and coatings to reduce shedding. Meanwhile, here are some ways to reduce microfiber shedding from your laundry:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Do laundry less often. Washing full loads instead of partial loads reduces release of microfibers because garments are <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/laundry_microplastics.htm">exposed to less friction</a> during the wash cycle.</p></li>
<li><p>Use cold water, which <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233332">releases fewer microfibers</a> than hot water.</p></li>
<li><p>Use less detergent, which increases microfiber release.</p></li>
<li><p>Use a front-loading washing machine, whose tumbling action <a href="https://www.neefusa.org/story/water/what-you-should-know-about-microfiber-pollution">produces less microfiber release</a>. </p></li>
<li><p>Dry laundry <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.025">on a clothesline</a>. Running clothes in dryers releases additional microfibers into the air from the dryer vent.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Several types of products collect microfibers in the washer before they are released with wastewater. Some are laundry bags made of woven monofilament, a single-polyamide filament that does not disintegrate into fibers. Laundry is washed while enclosed in the bag, which traps microfibers that the garments release. A study of one such product, <a href="https://guppyfriend.us/">Guppyfriend</a>, found that it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158412">collected about one-third of released microfibers</a>. </p>
<p>Another device, the <a href="https://coraball.com/">Cora Ball</a>, is a plastic ball with spines topped with soft plastic discs that capture microfibers. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.012">reduces microfibers by about 25% to 30%</a>, but may not be suitable for loose knits because it can snag on threads and damage clothing. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A white box with a dial sits on top of a washing machine." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568965/original/file-20240111-19-i3c3vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">External filters, like this Samsung version, can be attached to washing machines to remove most microfibers from wastewater.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://news.samsung.com/us/press-resources/media-library/?searchTerm=microfiber">Samsung U.S.</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Filter your washwater</h2>
<p>Several brands of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2023/washing-machine-microplastic-filter/782986">external filters</a> <a href="https://celsious.com/products/planetcare-microfiber-filter">are available</a> that can be <a href="https://www.trendwatching.com/innovation-of-the-day/samsungs-laundry-filter-works-with-any-brands-washers-and-captures-98-percent-of-microfibers">retrofitted onto existing washing machines</a>. External filters can <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15143023">remove up to 90% of microfibers from rinse water</a>. Their average cost is about US$150. Owners need to clean the filters periodically and dispose of the collected microfibers with other solid waste, not down the drain, which would put them back into the wastewater stream.</p>
<p>In a 2021 study, researchers installed washing machine filters in 97 homes in a town in Ontario, Canada, which represented about 10% of the households in the community. They found that this <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.777865">significantly reduced microfibers in treated water</a> from the local treatment plant.</p>
<p>Some companies are now manufacturing washers with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9ZmO1fN8t8">built-in microfiber filters</a>. France has <a href="https://www.textiletechnology.net/fibers/trendreports/eu-whitepaper-challenges-commission-to-tackle-microplastic-pollution-33929">enacted a requirement</a> for all new washing machines to be equipped with filters by 2025, and Australia has announced that <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8185735/washing-machine-filters-a-no-brainer-to-cut-pollution/">filters will be required</a> in commercial and residential washers by 2030. </p>
<p>In the U.S., a similar requirement was passed by the California legislature in 2023, but Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href="https://www.ehn.org/microplastic-filter-for-washing-machine-2666047363.html">vetoed the bill</a>, saying he was concerned about the cost to consumers. An economic study commissioned by Ocean Conservancy found that filters would increase the price of washing machines by <a href="https://tnc.app.box.com/s/jnf42lcjxjc1h5y168csa8dm31knf9y8">only $14 to $20 per machine</a>. Several states are <a href="https://dealerscope.com/2023/10/microplastics-may-lead-to-big-changes/">considering regulations that would require filters in washers</a>.</p>
<p>In my view, requiring manufacturers to add filters that can trap microfibers to washing machines is a reasonable and affordable step that could rapidly reduce the enormous quantities of microfibers in wastewater. The eventual solution will be reengineered textiles, which won’t shed, but it will take some time to develop them and move them into clothing supply chains. In the meantime, filters are the most effective way to tackle the problem.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Judith Weis is affiliated with. Beyond Plastics, Ocean Conservancy</span></em></p>Your washing machine is polluting the ocean.Judith Weis, Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University - NewarkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184252024-01-12T13:27:51Z2024-01-12T13:27:51ZNot all carbon-capture projects pay off for the climate – we mapped the pros and cons of each and found clear winners and losers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566974/original/file-20231220-29-i3lg8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C8500%2C5636&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Producing concrete blocks with captured carbon, like these in Brooklyn, NY., has both economic and climate benefits.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ClimateDecarbonizingBuildings/7719f5a25a9e4b1c89afd7eef7a37e58/photo">AP Photo/John Minchillo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Capturing carbon dioxide from the air or industries and recycling it can sound like a win-win climate solution. The greenhouse gas stays out of the atmosphere where it can warm the planet, and it avoids the use of more fossil fuels.</p>
<p>But not all carbon-capture projects offer the same economic and environmental benefits. In fact, some can actually worsen climate change.</p>
<p>I <a href="https://volker-sick.engin.umich.edu/">lead the Global CO₂ Initiative</a> at the University of Michigan, where my colleagues and I study how to put captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) to use in ways that help protect the climate. To help figure out which projects will pay off and make these choices easier, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2023.1286588">mapped out the pros and cons</a> of the most common carbon sources and uses.</p>
<h2>Replacing fossil fuels with captured carbon</h2>
<p>Carbon plays a crucial role in many parts of our lives. Materials such as fertilizer, aviation fuel, textiles, detergents and much more depend on it. But years of research and the climate changes the world is already experiencing have made <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/">abundantly clear</a> that humanity needs to urgently end the use of fossil fuels and remove the excess CO₂ from the atmosphere and oceans that have resulted from their use.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An illustration of a landscape shows how greenhouse gases and released, captured and stored in various ways, including oceans, land, forests and human activities." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=272&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566951/original/file-20231220-29-qulhfw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Balancing the environmental carbon budget is complex, and active carbon management is necessary to stabilize the climate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">University of Michigan</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some carbon materials can be replaced with carbon-free alternatives, such as using renewable energy to produce electricity. However, for other uses, such as aviation fuel or plastics, carbon will be harder to replace. For these, technologies are being developed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.52548/KCTT1279">capture and recycle carbon</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.globalco2initiative.org/">Capturing excess CO₂</a> – from the oceans, atmosphere or industry – and using it for new purposes is called <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/ccus-in-clean-energy-transitions">carbon capture, utilization and sequestration</a>, or CCUS. Of all the options to handle captured CO₂, my colleagues and I favor using it to make products, but let’s examine all of them.</p>
<h2>CCUS best and worst cases</h2>
<p>With each method, the combination of the source of the CO₂ and its end use, or disposition, determines its environmental and <a href="https://doi.org/10.7302/5826">economic consequences</a>.</p>
<p>In the best cases, the process will leave less CO₂ in the environment than before. A strong example of this is using captured CO₂ to produce construction materials, such as concrete. It seals away the captured carbon and creates a product that has economic value.</p>
<p><iframe id="A5bka" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/A5bka/11/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>A few methods are carbon-neutral, meaning they add no new CO₂ to the environment. For example, when using CO₂ captured from the air or oceans and turning it into fuel or food, the carbon returns to the atmosphere, but the use of captured carbon avoids the need for new carbon from fossil fuels. </p>
<p>Other combinations, however, are harmful because they increase the amount of excess CO₂ in the environment. One of the most common underground storage methods – enhanced oil recovery – is a prime example.</p>
<h2>Underground carbon storage pros and cons</h2>
<p>Projects for years have been capturing excess CO₂ and <a href="https://www.globalccsinstitute.com/resources/global-status-of-ccs-2022/">storing it underground in natural structures</a> of porous rock, such as deep saline reservoirs, basalt or depleted oil or gas wells. This is called carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). If done right, geologic storage can durably remove large amounts of CO₂ from the atmosphere.</p>
<p>When the CO₂ is captured from air, water or biomass, this creates a carbon-negative process – less carbon is in the air afterward. However, if the CO₂ instead comes from new fossil fuel emissions, such as from a coal- or gas-fired power plant, carbon neutrality isn’t possible. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2215-0">No carbon-capture technology works at 100% efficiency</a>, and some CO₂ will always escape into the air.</p>
<p>Capturing CO₂ is also expensive. If there is no product to sell, underground storage <a href="https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/why-carbon-capture-storage-cost-remains-high">can become a costly service</a> ultimately covered by taxes or fees, similar to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2020.0010">paying for trash disposal</a>.</p>
<p><iframe id="xQEcl" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xQEcl/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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<p>One way to lower the cost is to sell the captured CO₂ for <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/can-co2-eor-really-provide-carbon-negative-oil">enhanced oil recovery</a> – a common practice that pumps captured CO₂ into oil fields to push more oil out of the ground. While most of the CO₂ is expected to stay underground, the result is more fossil fuels that will eventually send more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, eliminating the environmental benefit.</p>
<h2>Using captured carbon for food and fuel</h2>
<p>Short-lived materials made from CO₂ include <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/sustainable-aviation-fuels/">aviation fuels</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2021.101726">food</a>, <a href="https://www.aspirin-foundation.com/history/chemistry/">drugs</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2013.10.003">working fluids</a> used in machining metals. These items aren’t particularly durable and will soon decompose, releasing CO₂ again. But the sale of the products yields economic value, helping pay for the process.</p>
<p>This CO₂ can be captured from the air again and used to make a future generation of products, which would create a sustainable, essentially <a href="https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/co2-recycling-technology-limits-opportunities-and-policies-circular-carbon-economy">circular carbon economy</a>. However, this only works if the CO₂ is captured from the air or oceans. If the CO₂ comes from fossil fuel sources instead, this is new CO₂ that will be added to the environment when the products decompose. So even if it is captured again, it will worsen climate change.</p>
<h2>Storing carbon in materials, such as concrete</h2>
<p>Some minerals and waste materials can convert CO₂ to limestone or other rock materials. The long-lived materials created this way can be very durable, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.878756">lifetimes of longer than 100 years</a></p>
<p>A good <a href="https://theconversation.com/bendable-concrete-and-other-co2-infused-cement-mixes-could-dramatically-cut-global-emissions-152544">example is concrete</a>. CO₂ can react with particles in concrete, causing it to <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/making-minerals-how-growing-rocks-can-help-reduce-carbon-emissions">mineralize into solid form</a>. The result is a useful product that can be sold instead of being stored underground. Other durable products include aggregates used in road construction, carbon fiber used in automotive, aerospace and defense ]applications and some polymers.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EcJWiy8Tvoc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Volker Sick, director of the Global CO₂ Initiative at the University of Michigan and author of this article, discusses why carbon capture and its use has been slow to gain attention.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These materials provide the best combination of environmental impact and economic benefit when they are made with CO₂ captured from the atmosphere rather than new fossil fuel emissions.</p>
<h2>Choose your carbon projects wisely</h2>
<p>CCUS can be a useful solution, and governments have started <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-1.2-billion-nations-first-direct-air-capture">pouring billions of dollars</a> into its development. It must be closely monitored to ensure that carbon-capture technologies will not delay fossil fuel phaseout. It is an all-hands-on-deck effort to take the best combinations of CO₂ sources and disposition to achieve rapid scaling at an affordable cost to society.</p>
<p>Because climate change is such a complex problem that is harming people throughout the world, as well as future generations, I believe it is imperative that actions are not only fast, but also well thought out and based in evidence.</p>
<p><em>Fred Mason, Gerry Stokes, Susan Fancy and Stephen McCord of the Global CO₂ Initiative contributed to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218425/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Volker Sick receives funding from the Grantham Foundation for the Preservation of the Environment.</span></em></p>The combination of the source of the CO₂ and its end use determines its environmental and economic benefits or consequences.Volker Sick, Professor of Advanced Energy Research, Director of the Global CO2 Initiative, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107372024-01-11T16:36:54Z2024-01-11T16:36:54ZClimate disclosures: corporations underprepared for tighter new standards, study of 100 companies reveals<p>Companies and the carbon emissions that they generate are one of the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf">key drivers of anthropogenic climate change</a>. Because of this, however, they also hold precious potential of curbing its severity. The <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230418183423">2021 Glasgow Pact</a> stated that rigorous sustainability reporting standards that will push companies to disclose information about their impact on the environment as well as climate change’s impact on their operations are essential. For this reason, it supported the creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), a new branch of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, which aims to develop a robust set of financial-related sustainability-reporting criteria.</p>
<p>In June 2023, the ISSB issued its first two standards, IFRS S1, <em>General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-Related Financial Information</em> and IFRS S2, <em>Climate-Related Disclosures</em>. The second focuses solely on climate change-related issues, requiring companies to disclose information around four aspects of their activities: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets. The standard requires information about the company’s governance body responsible for oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities, as well as quantitative disclosures (in particular, greenhouse-gas emissions).</p>
<p>The standards have gained support from many global bodies, including the G7, the G20, the International Organization of Securities Commissions, and the Financial Stability Board. Although no country has yet adopted them, many are expected to endorse or require them in the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-take-forget-the-sec-international-climate-reporting-standards-could-become-the-global-baseline-ea01d05a">near future</a>. Countries such as the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-sustainability-disclosure-standards">UK</a> and <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/news-and-events/news/2023/10/brazil-adopts-issb-global-baseline/">Brazil</a> are moving toward this direction. Also, the European Commission <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/news-and-events/news/2023/07/european-comission-efrag-issb-confirm-high-degree-of-climate-disclosure-alignment/">confirmed</a> that climate-related disclosures of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards exhibit a high degree of alignment with second IFRS standard, and EU-based companies will have to adopt them in 2024.</p>
<h2>Are companies ready for this transition?</h2>
<p>At the end of March 2022, the ISSB issued drafts of the two standards. <a href="https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/ACCA_Global/professional-insights/readiness-to-adopt-IFRS/PI-ISSB-CLIMATE-DISCLOSURE%20v7.pdf">Our study</a> explored the <em>ex ante</em> level of firms’ adherence with climate-related disclosures by capturing disclosure levels against those proposed as to be required by the draft IFRS S2 (known as ED IFRS S2). Our year of analysis was the financial year 2021, i.e., the year immediately prior to the publication of the draft. We purposely focused on 100 large international companies in sectors with high carbon emissions, comprising 50 from the chemicals and 50 from the construction materials sectors.</p>
<p>Due to their size, such companies are under increasing pressure from consumers, shareholders, regulators and NGOs to report on their climate-related risks and opportunities. To carry out our analysis, we built a research instrument based on the ED IFRS S2 and scored the firms’ publicly available reports, ranging from annual, sustainability to integrated reports.</p>
<h2>Variations in reporting</h2>
<p>Our findings indicate that, on average, the companies analysed disclose around 39% of the items they would be required to reveal under the ED IFRS S2. When we zoom into the four categories of the ED IFRS S2 “core content”, we find that companies engage much more with climate-related disclosures about their governance processes (around 60%) but much less with strategy and risk management disclosures (around 36% and 35%, respectively).</p>
<p>For metrics and targets, companies disclosed more of their climate-related targets than reporting their metrics (i.e., outcomes) with average levels around 67% and 35%, respectively. In other words, companies are found to be more vocal about their future plans (i.e., their future targets) than they are about their actual achievements so far (i.e., metrics). The moderate overall level of companies’ forecasted adherence with the draft standard does not allow us to draw a direct conclusion. Nevertheless, a closer look to the findings reveals some additional insights with important implications about the application of IFRS S2:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>It draws heavily from the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. When we focus specifically on the “new” items (those not included in the 2017 TCFD recommendations), we find that the related average disclosure score drops to about 25%.</p></li>
<li><p>Many “new” items relate to the effects of climate-related risks and opportunities on financial statements. Our evidence indicates that climate-related disclosures appear disconnected from the financial statements. This is consistent with our <a href="https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/professional-insights/global-profession/climate-change-risk-related-disclosure-extractive-industries.html">previous studies</a> on companies from the extractives sector that report very low levels of engagement with climate-related financial disclosures in their financial statements. For example, whether climate change affects companies’ accounting policies, their financial performance, and their cash flows.</p></li>
<li><p>Companies use various locations to disclose their climate-related information with limited cross-referencing between their various reports. On average, 50% of the items disclosed are found in the annual reports, about 25% are found in sustainability reports only, and around 15% in other reports only (e.g., CDP response). The absence of cross-referencing potentially hinders the connectivity (and hence the usefulness) of the disclosures scattered among different reports.</p></li>
<li><p>About 50% of the companies have, at least, some parts of their climate-related disclosures assured by a third party. The assurance refers primarily to the metrics disclosed and to a much lower extent to the narratives.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>More challenges ahead</h2>
<p>This fast-changing corporate reporting landscape brings new challenges for companies, regulators, standard setters, and users:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Having contrasted the suggested requirements in the ED IFRS S2 and in the final version of IFRS S2, we note few differences that, however, do not alter the requirements in substance. If anything, IFRS S2 is more prescriptive and thus more “demanding” for companies.</p></li>
<li><p>Future disclosure. Based on forecasted disclosure levels, companies face considerable changes to their reporting when the two standards are adopted, or made mandatory, at a country level.</p></li>
<li><p>New standards on the horizon. The ISSB is considering a <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/projects/work-plan/issb-consultation-on-agenda-priorities/">number of other sustainability-related topics</a> such as biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services; human capital; and human rights for its future standards. There is still a long way ahead for the ISSB to cover such a multidimensional topic satisfactorily. At the same time, companies may find it particularly challenging to collect all the necessary information for adequately disclosing their sustainability-related activities/impact when the full set of IFRS sustainability standards is completed.</p></li>
<li><p>Materiality. According to IFRS S1, companies shall disclose sustainability disclosures that have financial implications for them and their financial capital providers. Nevertheless, the magnitude of various climate-related risks (especially the physical ones) companies, potentially, face inherently cannot easily be reliably measured. Hence, the reliability of these disclosures may be questioned.</p></li>
<li><p>Audit and assurance. Neither IFRS S1 nor S2 requires assurance of disclosures, although they recommend verification for some items (such as the volume of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions). Nevertheless, companies are required to disclose material sustainability-related financial information which is likely to be subject to the audit process. It is unclear how the audit of this extra financially material information will be performed.</p></li>
<li><p>Integrated reporting. The intention of ISSB is to integrate financial and sustainability reporting, following the <a href="https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ir-framework/">Integrated Reporting Framework</a>. However, very few companies engage with disclosures directly connected to their financial statements. Without change in reporting, the ISSB’s purpose to provide integrated sustainability-related financial reporting standards may be undermined.</p></li>
<li><p>Standards competition. Although the ISSB has received support from many jurisdictions, other countries (namely the EU block and the US) are working on separate projects (e.g., European Sustainability Reporting Standards). While the current “polyphony” helps to improve the quality of sustainability reporting standards, companies may find themselves being subject to multiple reporting requirements. Moreover, users may find it difficult to compare companies’ performance that report against different Standards. Without global comparability, sustainability reporting may fail its very purpose.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210737/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Our research project was funded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Our research project was funded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Our research project was funded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ioannis Tsalavoutas ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>By and large, corporations who prepared themselves for new sustainability standards were more eloquent on their green plans than achievements.Diogenis Baboukardos, Associate professor in accounting, management control and economics, AudenciaEvangelos Seretis, Lecturer in accounting, University of GlasgowFanis Tsoligkas, Associate professor in management, accounting, finance & law, University of BathIoannis Tsalavoutas, Professor in accounting and finance, University of GlasgowRichard Slack, Professor of accounting, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2205192024-01-08T21:40:21Z2024-01-08T21:40:21ZCanada’s Impact Assessment Act must be both Constitutional and ensure a sustainable future<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/canadas-impact-assessment-act-must-be-both-constitutional-and-ensure-a-sustainable-future" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Behind closed doors in Ottawa, Canadian government officials are drafting amendments to their advanced but controversial 2019 <a href="https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/i-2.75/index.html">Impact Assessment Act</a>, the country’s main tool for assessing major projects that can include big dams, pipelines and mines.</p>
<p>It’s a difficult assignment. For practical and political reasons, they need to work quickly. But they face a longstanding dilemma — how to respect Canada’s venerable Constitution while also applying new knowledge and acting on new imperatives.</p>
<p>The law needs to be amended because, in an <a href="https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/20102/index.do">October 2023 ruling</a>, the Supreme Court of Canada found key components to be unconstitutional. </p>
<p>Proposed projects being reviewed under the Impact Assessment Act — <a href="https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/exploration?active=true&showMap=false&document_type=project">ranging from gold mines to an airport</a> — have often been <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/supreme-court-simpact-assessment-act-unconstitutional">lightning rods for controversy</a>. How they are assessed and what gets considered in decision-making — especially on whether projects are approved (usually with conditions) or rejected (rarely) — can have major consequences for generations to come.</p>
<p>But most of the projects identified for assessment under the federal law are undertaken in one or more provinces and can involve at least as much provincial as federal jurisdiction.</p>
<h2>Big concerns overlooked</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/">Constitution of Canada</a> was adopted in 1867 and updated modestly in 1982 with subsequent clarifications in high court rulings. </p>
<p>It divides powers and responsibilities, assigning some — like fisheries and navigation — to the federal government and others, including most natural resources, to the provinces. Areas of concern that overlap or weren’t recognized in either 1867 or 1982 — like the environment and sustainability, respectively — are problematic.</p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.scc-csc.ca/case-dossier/cb/2023/40195-eng.aspx">reference case decided in October 2023</a>, a majority of the Supreme Court justices concluded that important Impact Assessment Act provisions, including those on what matters are addressed in federal assessment decision-making, reach too far into provincial jurisdiction.</p>
<p>The amendments now being drafted are aimed at pulling back the overreach for cases involving major matters of provincial jurisdiction. </p>
<p>Unfortunately for the amendment drafters, the constitutionally focused approach outlined in the Supreme Court’s ruling is at odds with the core understandings and objectives of the current act. It also relies on a conception of assessment law that is no longer tenable. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-supreme-court-case-could-decide-the-future-of-canadian-climate-policy-202233">How a Supreme Court case could decide the future of Canadian climate policy</a>
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<h2>Favouring the old way</h2>
<p>The Supreme Court’s suggested approach has two core steps. </p>
<p>First, narrow the agenda of impact assessment to focus on mitigating the adverse environmental effects of proposed projects. </p>
<p>Second, assign responsibility for addressing particular effects according to whether they are within established federal jurisdiction or provincial jurisdiction. </p>
<p>The result would preserve what is, at least according to the court majority, the balanced division of federal and provincial powers and responsibilities set in the Constitution. But whatever the merits may be from a constitutional law perspective, the approach recommended by the Supreme Court would return assessment law and practice to a world that no longer really exists.</p>
<p>When assessment requirements were introduced in the 1970s, a focus on mitigating significant adverse environmental effects was defensible. In today’s world of worsening climate change and deepening unsustainability, mitigation is far from enough. </p>
<p>Canada and the rest of the world are wrestling with how to reverse the trajectories of global warming, biodiversity loss and conflict-inducing inequities. The core challenges are not merely to reduce additional damage, but to achieve long-term transformations to <a href="https://unfccc.int/news/cop28-agreement-signals-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era">non-fossil energy</a>, <a href="https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/">restorative ecology</a>, <a href="https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/circular_economy_14_march.pdf">a circular economy</a> and <a href="https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/reduced-inequalities">equitable distribution</a>. </p>
<p>We also now know that unsustainable trajectories interact, as do all other assessment concerns and opportunities. All are <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1258832">linked in complex social-ecological systems</a> that influence each other continuously at multiple scales. </p>
<h2>The strengths of the existing law</h2>
<p>Splitting assessment components into constitutional silos is not viable in a world of these interactions. On the contrary, such an approach would return us to the pre-assessment world of piecemeal regulatory licensing.</p>
<p>In contrast to earlier federal assessment law, the Impact Assessment Act includes mitigation of adverse effects within a bigger, more demanding and realistic agenda. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1712875641819787406"}"></div></p>
<p>It moves the core objective of assessment from merely reducing additional damage to seeking positive contributions to sustainability. </p>
<p>It establishes a largely open process for integrated decision-making in the public interest, covering social, economic health and environmental impacts and their interactions. And it requires attention to Indigenous rights, environmental obligations and climate commitments. </p>
<p>All these overlap with provincial powers and responsibilities. They should be top priorities for all levels of government hoping to leave a viable world for our grandchildren. </p>
<p>They also come as a package. They are deeply entwined matters of concern and opportunity best understood and addressed together. </p>
<h2>What the amendments must prioritize</h2>
<p>For the drafters of amendments to the Impact Assessment Act, then, the challenge is not only to bring the law into constitutional compliance. It is to craft a constitutionally compliant law that also meets 21st-century needs for assessments and decision-making in the lasting public interest. </p>
<p>Accomplishing that may require some creativity. Certainly, it will entail reinforcing the law’s integrated sustainability agenda. </p>
<p>That requires allowing specified compromises only for decision-making on projects primarily in provincial jurisdiction, expanding collaborative assessments among federal, provincial and Indigenous authorities and increasing the emphasis on broader assessments that address regional and strategic issues and options. </p>
<p>Beyond any immediate changes, the lessons of this case should spur exploration of more positive ways to respect federal, provincial and Indigenous authority by favouring co-operation and empowering, rather than dividing and restricting, responsible decision-making.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220519/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert B. Gibson has funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for work on next generation assessment. He is also a member of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's Technical Advisory Committee on Science and Knowledge.</span></em></p>The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the federal Impact Assessment Act needs amendments for Constitutional compliance, but the court’s recommended approach is no longer viable.Robert B. Gibson, Professor of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of WaterlooLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201952024-01-03T22:22:45Z2024-01-03T22:22:45ZHow drinking sustainable wine can help vineyards and the planet<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-drinking-sustainable-wine-can-help-vineyards-and-the-planet" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The current global food and beverage system is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216">unsustainable</a>. </p>
<p>In 2023, world leaders issued a <a href="https://www.cop28.com/food-and-agriculture">declaration at the UN climate change conference COP28</a> acknowledging the role that more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems can and must play in responding to the climate crisis. </p>
<p>The wine industry is both one of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12665">sectors of our agri-food system</a> most affected by climate change and is also a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.04.036">small (if not insignificant) contributor</a> to system-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.</p>
<p>The wine industry has faced criticism over its <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/what-can-the-wine-industry-teach-us-about-sustainability/">environmental, economic and social sustainability</a> more generally. However, it is consumer purchase decisions (which wine do I buy?) which have the greatest potential to drive much needed systemic change to improve sustainability across the wine industry.</p>
<h2>Bottling grapes</h2>
<p>Conventional wine production is <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages7010015">not inherently sustainable</a>, degrading land, water and air while reinforcing social injustices and inequity. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.124">Wine grape production</a> is responsible for over 17 per cent of the sector’s GHG emissions, mainly through fossil fuel-powered machinery, while the application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers <a href="https://theconversation.com/europe-has-lost-over-half-a-billion-birds-in-40-years-the-single-biggest-cause-pesticides-and-fertilisers-206826">can reduce biodiversity</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2017.00043">cause soil infertility</a> and pollute local rivers and lakes. </p>
<p>Less visible are the social injustices experienced by many of the critical migrant workers employed during the grape harvest. In the 2023 harvest, two <a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/human-trafficking-investigations-launched-in-the-champagne-region-512548/">human trafficking</a> investigations were launched in Champagne. Investigators discovered numerous undocumented workers living in squalid conditions describing their ordeal as being “treated like slaves.”</p>
<p>Wine-making accounts for up to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.206">81 per cent of sector-wide GHG emissions</a> through electricity, chemical and water use. However, <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.822798874769665">the emissions from glass bottle production and transport can also be a signifficant factor</a>. Bottles can weigh from around <a href="https://www.15bodegas.com/es_en/blog/how-much-a-bottle-of-wine-weigh#:%7E:text=Currently%2C%20the%20average%20weight%20of,place%20in%20the%20bottle%20itself.">350 grams</a> to almost <a href="https://wineeconomist.com/2021/06/29/wine-bottle/">1,220 grams</a>. </p>
<p>It’s estimated that <a href="https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2022/05/16/beyond-the-standard-bottle-wineries-are-embracing-greener-packaging#:%7E:text=Between%2050%20and%2068%20percent,also%20the%20issue%20of%20recycling.">more than half of the bottles</a> used in the United States are shipped from China, crossing the Pacific Ocean before being filled and then distributed across the globe. The heavier the bottle, the more fossil fuels are required to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09571264.2010.530111">transport them</a>. Then once consumed, managing the waste creates further <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2023.100649">emissions</a>.</p>
<h2>Growing actions</h2>
<p>The wine industry is responding to these challenges. In fact, Canada has been pioneering some of the important initiatives. For instance, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is one of the world’s largest alcohol purchasers and requires that standard wine bottles (750 ml) sold through their stores <a href="https://www.doingbusinesswithlcbo.com/content/dbwl/en/basepage/home/quality-assurance/quality-assurance-policies---guidelines/lcbo-lightweight-glass-bottle-program.html#:%7E:text=Glass%20Weight%20Requirements,the%20weight%20tolerance%20is%2020g.">weigh no more than 420 grams</a>. </p>
<p>Both small and large producers in the <a href="https://napavalley.wine/articles/napa-valley-loses-weight-wineries-embrace-lighter-glass--276">U.S.</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizthach/2023/05/31/burgundy-wine-powerhouse-albert-bichot-goes-100-organic-and-reduces-bottle-weight/?sh=4882204d6a59">France</a>, and <a href="https://feltonroad.com/?cache=659053540d2a3">New Zealand</a> are using lighter bottles to reduce their environmental impact and save money. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-may-make-bordeaux-red-wines-stronger-and-tastier-215503">Climate change may make Bordeaux red wines stronger and tastier</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/bottle-weight-goodies-and-baddies">Wine writers</a> are also playing their part, by beginning to add the bottle weight in their reviews. Reusing empty bottles can also significantly reduce emissions — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.206">more so than lowering bottle weight</a> — and <a href="https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/good-practices/rewine-reusing-wine-bottles">some countries</a> are making significant progress in this regard. </p>
<p><a href="https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2022/05/16/beyond-the-standard-bottle-wineries-are-embracing-greener-packaging#:%7E:text=Between%2050%20and%2068%20percent,also%20the%20issue%20of%20recycling.">Alternatives to glass bottles</a> with lower carbon footprints do exist, including bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), paper bottles, boxed wine, wine on tap and aluminium cans. Unfortunately, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Ffoods11081106">customers can be hesitant</a> to buy wine in these alternative formats, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139502">perceiving it to be of lower quality</a>. Thus, consumer education is important. </p>
<p>While winegrowing using <a href="https://organiccouncil.ca/a-snapshot-of-the-organic-wine-industry-and-viticulture-in-canada/">organic</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWR.S69126">biodynamic</a> principles may in some cases promote greater sustainability, these account for only six per cent of vineyards.</p>
<p>Most wine producers employ more conventional grape growing methods, which in many cases are being adapted to create more sustainable practices. In the vineyard, these include using more disease and drought resistant grapes and <a href="https://www.decanter.com/learn/vine-rootstocks-getting-to-the-root-of-the-matter-445696/">rootstock</a>, which require fewer chemical sprays and less water.</p>
<p>On the wine production side, many wineries — including <a href="https://vineroutes.com/spotlight-on-sustainability-stratus-vineyards/">here</a> in <a href="https://www.flatrockcellars.com/about-us/sustainability/">Canada</a> — are investing in geothermal systems for heating and cooling needs in the winery, significantly reducing electricity use. These initiatives are supported by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) — whose 50 member states produce <a href="https://www.oiv.int/who-we-are/presentation">87 per cent of global wine</a> — which recently <a href="https://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5766/oiv-cst-518-2016-en.pdf">adopted a policy</a> promoting general principles of sustainability across all production phases. </p>
<p>Other industry organizations such as <a href="https://www.iwcawine.org/about">International Wineries for Climate Action</a> are focused on ways to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2050, while the <a href="https://swroundtable.org/about-us/">Sustainable Wine Roundtable</a> is an independent group seeking to advance sustainability across the wine value chain and transfer that information to the consumer.</p>
<h2>Encouraging sustainability</h2>
<p>However, these efforts to improve sustainability have been uneven and inconsistent, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100681">confusing consumers</a> wanting to make an informed decision when purchasing wine. </p>
<p>Recent research from our lab has shown relatively <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09571264.2023.2254249">limited consumer knowledge about sustainably produced wine</a>, but equally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113555">a willingness to engage in many behaviors</a> around the product, including buying more environmentally friendly wine, and paying more for both environmentally and socially responsible wines. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/come-pests-frost-or-fire-how-the-swiss-are-arming-their-wines-against-climate-change-202663">Come pests, frost or fire: How the Swiss are arming their wines against climate change</a>
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<p>Interestingly, this is especially the case with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113555">younger wine consumers</a>, who value sustainability considerations more than older generations when <a href="https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A13%3A2391661/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A136924269&crl=c">making purchase decisions generally</a>.</p>
<p>Consumers seek easy ways to identify sustainable wine, such as clear visual cues on labels and trustworthy sustainability certifications. These considerations need to be priorities for the global wine industry as it seeks to respond to consumer demand, and address existential challenges to its long-term viability.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220195/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The wine industry has a major sustainability problem. Informed consumer choice can help drive real change.Gary Pickering, Professor, Biological Sciences and Psychology, Brock UniversityKerrie Pickering, Research Associate, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2194212024-01-02T16:50:12Z2024-01-02T16:50:12ZA beginner’s guide to sustainable investing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567074/original/file-20231221-24-zjv59y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=682%2C1161%2C7305%2C3317&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/businessman-holding-coin-tree-that-grows-1879675894">MEE KO DONG/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans have made drastic changes to the environment. We need to change our behaviour – and we need to do it fast. </p>
<p>One simple way you can do your part is by investing your money responsibly. Sustainable investing has emerged as a way to make a positive impact on the planet and society while also achieving your financial goals – and it’s popularity is really starting to grow.</p>
<p>At the beginning of 2020, the global value of sustainable investment in major financial markets stood at <a href="https://www.ft.com/partnercontent/london-stock-exchange-group/the-rise-and-rise-of-sustainable-investment.html">US$35.3 trillion</a> (£27.7 trillion). That’s equal to <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/CM.MKT.LCAP.CD?end=2020&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1975">approximately one-third</a> of the value of all the listed companies throughout the world in 2020, and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/745717/global-governmental-spending-on-space-programs-leading-countries/">almost 364 times</a> the amount spent globally on space programmes in 2022. </p>
<p>But what makes an investment worthy of the “sustainable” title? And what should you consider when researching sustainable investments of your own? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A graph showing the value of sustainable investment assets worldwide between 2014 and 2020." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567105/original/file-20231221-29-hkc96b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sustainable investing has been increasing in value for almost a decade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/742097/sri-assets-value-by-region/">Statista (2023)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Identifying a sustainable investment</h2>
<p>Sustainable investing is an investment approach that considers environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in addition to traditional financial factors. Environmental criteria might include factors like a company’s carbon footprint, resource use and energy efficiency. Social factors assess how a company handles its relationships with people, and governance factors examine the behaviour of the company’s leadership.</p>
<p>Sustainable and ethical investing are sometimes used interchangeably. But it’s important you understand the distinction between them. Sustainable investing tends to focus more closely on ESG factors overall and how they are being applied within an organisation. Ethical investing instead considers the moral, belief and value factors of an organisation and how they align with your principles.</p>
<p>The best place to start researching the sustainability of an investment would be to analyse either the annual report of an individual company or the fact sheet of a collective fund. Review the ESG practices of the organisation. Has the company complied with all required standards? And how do their results benchmark to competitors in the same industry?</p>
<p>Don’t forget to investigate the companies on various <a href="https://www.investing.com/">investment</a> and <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/">finance</a> sites, as many have detailed information for listed companies. Or check out the stock exchange sites themselves. </p>
<p>Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, for example, may have received the “<a href="https://www.londonstockexchange.com/raise-finance/sustainable-finance/green-economy-mark">Green Economy Mark</a>”. This recognises companies and funds that derive more than half of their revenues from products and services that are contributing to environmental objectives, such as tackling climate change or reducing waste and pollution. </p>
<p>The Nasdaq, an American stock exchange based in New York City, has the <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/green-equity-indexes#:%7E:text=Nasdaq%20provides%20a%20complete%20family,on%20reduction%20of%20carbon%20usage.">Green Equity Indexes</a>. The Indexes are comprised of companies that are working to enhance economic development based on a reduction of carbon usage. </p>
<p>And the New York Stock Exchange has a new asset class of companies called <a href="https://www.nyse.com/esg/resource-center#:%7E:text=To%20help%20issuers%20navigate%20the,term%20benefits%20for%20all%20stakeholders.">Natural Asset Companies</a>. These are companies that hold rights to the preservation and conservation of natural assets like trees and green spaces, so allow you to invest directly in environmental protection.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Rays of light falling through the lush tree canopy of a forest." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567077/original/file-20231221-23-6d2f7z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Investing in natural asset companies allows investors to play their part in environmental protection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rays-light-beautifully-falling-through-green-1715555989">Smileus/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Is it profitable?</h2>
<p>Just because an investment is good for the environment doesn’t mean it won’t make money. To check whether it’s likely to be profitable, you can look at how well the company is doing financially and analyse predictions for its growth and future plans. </p>
<p>You should consider its position in the market and any unique characteristics it has, while also checking whether the company’s leadership own a significant amount of shares. If they do, then this demonstrates they believe in their company’s success and “have skin in the game”. Check if the company <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/101c66f0-2782-46bb-86c4-6b5be1e10398?segmentId=6faa8072-922c-4fbf-5b33-45a1342b0cc3">pays out a dividend</a> too, and remember to evaluate its planning for potential risks that could harm its reputation.</p>
<p>If you are looking to invest with a focus more on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1086026620919202">making a positive impact</a> over profitability, then consider companies that lack capital due to existing in less mature or niche markets. You could invest in “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-small-cap-stocks-lure-bargain-hunters-after-sluggish-2023-2023-12-07/">small-caps</a>”, which are generally up-and-coming companies with potential for large growth, or screen companies based on the <a href="https://on.ft.com/49d473L">types</a> and <a href="https://on.ft.com/3GbOHiM">costs</a> of their sustainability practices. </p>
<p>Smaller companies can be less profitable compared to their larger counterparts. But their potential for positive impact may be greater. This is because, among other things, small companies may be more likely to take into account the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/19932">full life-cycle</a> of their product. </p>
<h2>Minding your money</h2>
<p>It is paramount for you to clarify your own values and goals before deciding where you invest your money. This will help to determine if your interests align with the company’s ESG operations, performance and long-term strategies. </p>
<p>Sustainable investing can take several forms. You could decide to adopt “positive screening” where you actively seek out investments that match your values. Or you could avoid any investments in an area that you disagree with – a strategy called “negative screening”.</p>
<p>You should also undertake further research to ensure that the company has actually been carrying out its reported ESG activities and has not been accused of <a href="https://on.ft.com/3sQvTCJ">greenwashing</a>. Anti-greenwashing rules have recently been introduced banning UK asset managers from using vague references to “sustainability” in marketing their funds. Prior to this, companies applied this label with little oversight from regulators.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Brush painting green over a polluting power plant." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567080/original/file-20231221-23-cvmtov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Until recently, UK asset managers have been using vague references to</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/brush-painting-green-polluting-industry-smoke-2172519343">Ivan Marc/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When it comes to the investing process, you could be <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/carbon-credit-trading-scams">scammed</a> if you don’t conduct <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/protect-yourself-scams">due diligence</a> that the platform you are using is trustworthy and has the relevant credentials. You may also wish to consider an independent financial advisor for bespoke professional advice, especially if you have little investing experience. </p>
<p>Investments can go both up and down. It’s your responsibility to undertake thorough research before making an investment decision and putting capital at risk. Don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219421/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>All you need to know about investing your money sustainably.Davina Bird, Lecturer in Economics, University of LincolnJames Wright, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, University of LincolnLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193192023-12-28T20:37:29Z2023-12-28T20:37:29ZNo climate for cricket: how global warming is putting the heat on NZ’s summer game<p>The recently concluded men’s Cricket World Cup in India <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/2023-odi-world-cup-shatters-viewership-records-1410361">reached record audiences</a>. But there was one thing the organisers did not want those viewers to see (other than India’s defeat by Australia in the final): cricket’s own climate crisis. </p>
<p>Along with battling heat and humidity, players were forced to contend with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/INDIA-POLLUTION/CRICKET/jnpwwdnzbpw/">unhealthy air</a> created by pollutants from vehicles, factories and construction, and aggravated by <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-climate-crisis-is-affecting-elite-sport/a-67343583">increased temperatures</a> in 20 of the 47 matches. </p>
<p>As Indian captain <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/rohit-sharma-expresses-concern-about-air-pollution-in-india-1406612">Rohit Sharma remarked</a>, “It is not ideal and everyone knows that.”</p>
<p>The United Nations describes the threat more forcefully. Secretary-General António Guterres has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-stats-graphs-maps-cop26">warned</a> the world is on a “catastrophic path” to a “hellish future”. It is a future that threatens the very viability of cricket.</p>
<h2>Cricket and the climate Crisis</h2>
<p>As an outdoor summer game in which the natural environment plays a unique role, cricket is perhaps the pitch sport <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58b40fe1be65940cc4889d33/t/5a85c91e9140b71180ba91e0/1518717218061/The+Climate+Coalition_Game+Changer.pdf">most at risk</a> from a changing climate. </p>
<p>Increased temperatures and heat waves <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/game-set-match-sports-climate-change/">threaten the safety</a> of players and spectators, as well as the preparation and maintenance of playing surfaces. </p>
<p>Equally, <a href="https://basis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hit-for-Six-The-Impact-of-Climate-Change-on-Cr.pdf">cricket is vulnerable</a> to higher risks of drought and flooding. Air pollution, especially in the Indian subcontinent, continues to cloud the game. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/time-for-a-reckoning-cricket-australia-fossil-fuel-sponsorship-and-climate-change-176707">Time for a reckoning: Cricket Australia, fossil fuel sponsorship and climate change</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The threat is compounded by the precarious regions in which cricket is played. Bangladesh and Pakistan – where New Zealand’s Black Caps played their past two overseas Test series – are ranked seventh and eighth respectively for vulnerability on the <a href="https://www.germanwatch.org/en/19777">Climate Risk Index</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, cricket is not merely a potential victim of the climate crisis, it is a contributor to it. </p>
<p>While it lags behind other sports in calculating its environmental impact, cricket is a resource-heavy game. Preparation of a cricket field <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378018300165">requires around 60,000 litres</a> of water a day. An expanding international touring schedule means regular long-haul flights. </p>
<p>One of the few existing studies estimated an Indian Premier League match <a href="https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/marketing/can-the-ipl-become-a-carbon-neutral-sport/91461298">produced about 10,000 tonnes</a> of carbon dioxide. Overall, cricket’s carbon footprint is substantial. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heat-risk-and-young-athletes-rising-temperatures-lead-to-lawsuits-and-environmental-injustice-185189">Heat risk and young athletes — rising temperatures lead to lawsuits and environmental injustice</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Sport and Sustainability</h2>
<p>For a game facing a potential existential crisis, cricket’s sustainability efforts have been slow by comparison with other sports.</p>
<p>In line with the Paris Agreement, the International Olympic Committee has <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/sustainability/climate-positive-commitment">committed to a 50% reduction</a> in direct and indirect carbon emissions by 2030, and promised the 2032 Brisbane Olympics will be “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-08/qld-olympic-climate-positive-brisbane-2032-games-commitment/100598202">climate positive</a>”. </p>
<p>Both <a href="https://www.fifa.com/social-impact/sustainability">FIFA</a> and <a href="https://www.world.rugby/organisation/sustainability/environment">World Rugby</a> have sustainability plans, as do <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">Formula One</a> and most American sports leagues, including the <a href="https://cares.nba.com/programs/nba-green/">NBA</a>. Sail GP even has an “<a href="https://sailgp.com/general/purpose/impact-league/">Impact League</a>” that measures environmental mitigation efforts. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rising-costs-of-climate-change-threaten-to-make-skiing-a-less-diverse-even-more-exclusive-sport-177027">Rising costs of climate change threaten to make skiing a less diverse, even more exclusive sport</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>While some scepticism might be warranted – FIFA held a World Cup in oil-rich Qatar, and the 2030 men’s tournament will be <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-climate-crisis-is-affecting-elite-sport/a-67343583">held across two continents</a> – at least the intent is clear.</p>
<p>By contrast, the International Cricket Council has not published a sustainability strategy. Of its full members, only the <a href="https://www.ecb.co.uk/about/what-we-do/sustainability">England and Wales Cricket Board</a> has such a plan. </p>
<p>Of the more than 200 sporting organisations to sign up to the UN’s <a href="https://unfccc.int/climate-action/sectoral-engagement/sports-for-climate-action,">Sports for Climate Action Framework</a> – which requires participants to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040 – only six are cricketing entities, and most are in England.</p>
<h2>Inaction in New Zealand</h2>
<p>New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is as silent on climate as many of its global counterparts. Environmental sustainability does not appear in NZC strategy documents. </p>
<p>At the same time, its 2022-23 annual report <a href="https://www.nzc.nz/media/ij3e5vtk/nzc-fy23-annual-report.pdf">laments</a> that less than half of all scheduled recreational fixtures could be played in some areas due to rain and flooding. It also notes the “cyclones, floods and related civil emergencies” that caused these cancellations were “well beyond its control”.</p>
<p>New Zealand’s 2023-24 cricket season could be the <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300975921/nzs-hottest-ever-summer-could-be-ahead--with-fire-drought-and-sharks">hottest yet</a>. Following the devastating floods in Auckland in early 2023, a drought is <a href="https://niwa.co.nz/climate/seasonal-climate-outlook/seasonal-climate-outlook-october-december-2023">possible this summer</a>. Heat waves are becoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-summers-are-getting-hotter-and-humans-arent-the-only-ones-feeling-the-effects-174530">more persistent</a> and more dangerous. </p>
<p>Cricket is not made for such extremes. At a time when game is <a href="https://sportnz.org.nz/media/bnubr3sf/active-nz-changes-in-participation-2022_9-oct-2023.pdf">struggling to attract participants</a>, climate change is making it harder for recreational cricketers to play.</p>
<p>New Zealand Cricket’s <a href="https://www.nzc.nz/media/ij3e5vtk/nzc-fy23-annual-report.pdf">mission statement</a> states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We think ahead and pay it forward. It’s about doing the right things for the best reasons. Leading the way, and following our own path. We never give up, give in, or say die.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It may be time to apply those admirable sentiments to its response to the climate crisis. The first step would be to sign up to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework – and get some sustainability runs on the board.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219319/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris McMillan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The climate crisis poses an existential threat to cricket. Governing bodies like New Zealand Cricket need to up their sustainability game.Chris McMillan, Professional Teaching Fellow in Sociology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193652023-12-27T09:10:57Z2023-12-27T09:10:57ZHow to make your life greener in 2024<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565811/original/file-20231214-17-sz6ddr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4016&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-chooses-fruits-vegetables-farmers-market-1499488313">j.chizhe/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People all around the world traditionally use their new year to embark on a change in lifestyle. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.undp.org/publications/peoples-climate-vote">People’s Climate Vote</a>, a UN survey of public opinion on climate change, highlights that citizens around the world recognise climate change as a global emergency and agree that we should do everything necessary in response. </p>
<p>People are gradually adopting <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html">more sustainable lifestyles</a>, but many find it hard to change habits and often don’t know where to start their sustainability journey. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eco-anxiety-climate-change-affects-our-mental-health-heres-how-to-cope-202477">Eco-anxiety: climate change affects our mental health – here's how to cope</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>So if you’re looking to make your life greener in 2024, here are some manageable and affordable changes you can make.</p>
<h2>1. Eating</h2>
<p>We throw away a <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/why-global-fight-tackle-food-waste-has-only-just-begun">billion tonnes of food</a> each year. Food waste often generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/food-waste-makes-up-half-of-global-food-system-emissions/">more potent than carbon dioxide</a>.</p>
<p>But there are simple changes you can make to eat <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/affordable_sustainable">more sustainably</a> (and often at less expense too). These include eating locally and seasonally, or eating less meat and more plants, especially <a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-03-24/is-there-life-after-fert/">beans and greens</a>. Beans require no nitrogen fertilisers (which are, in part, produced from natural gas) thanks to their ability to convert nitrogen from the air into nutrients. </p>
<p>Going meat-free on one day each week would be a good start. Eating processed “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/10/fake-meat-sales-nutrition-environment">mock meats</a>” can be a stepping stone towards a more plant-based lifestyle, although they are relatively expensive. </p>
<p>Planning your meals in advance and making sure you eat your leftovers will help you reduce unnecessary waste. And use a microwave for cooking where possible since it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2022.03.010">more energy efficient</a> than cooking over a stove.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do them all – choose the ones that work best for you.</p>
<h2>2. Travelling</h2>
<p>We all need to travel, whether to work, school, university or to the shop. Sustainable travel is a balancing act.</p>
<p>Choosing active travel – walking, wheeling and cycling – is the greenest option, keeping us and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.030">our children</a> fitter and healthier while producing no carbon emissions. Try replacing one or two car journeys a week with active travel options if you can. </p>
<p>In urban areas, where you’re travelling shorter distances, active transport is often faster and cheaper than car travel. It also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2015.12.010">reduces congestion</a>, which is a significant cause of urban air pollution. </p>
<p>For longer journeys, travelling by train or bus is more environmentally friendly than by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129392">car</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102378">plane</a>. But you often must plan ahead to get the cheapest tickets.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A rear view of businessman commuting to work on a bicycle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565805/original/file-20231214-15-7bq6iy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Active transport is often a faster and cheaper way of travelling around a city.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rear-view-businessman-commuter-electric-bicycle-1323592877">Ground Picture/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Energy use</h2>
<p>The energy we use at home is becoming increasingly expensive and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Making small changes to our daily energy use can make a <a href="https://www.un.org/en/actnow/home-energy#:%7E:text=Improving%20your%20home%27s%20energy%20efficiency,year%20%2D%20that%27s%20almost%201%20ton!">big difference</a>, both to our bills and household emissions.</p>
<p>Most of these changes are easy and convenient. Turn off lights when leaving a room. Cook food with the saucepan lid on. Turn your home thermostat down by 1°C. Wash clothes and crockery at colder temperatures. Take shorter showers. Unplug devices such as microwaves when not in use and chargers when devices are fully charged. And replace broken halogen light bulbs with more efficient LED versions. </p>
<p>Using the data recorded by a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work">smart meter</a> (if you have one) to monitor your energy use can help you make these changes. </p>
<h2>4. Clothing</h2>
<p>People love buying new clothes. But “fast fashion” has an astonishingly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9">high environmental and social cost</a>. The fashion industry generates over 92 million tonnes of waste every year, most of which is incinerated, sent to landfill or exported to developing countries.</p>
<p>There are lots of ways to be both fashionable and sustainable. Start by organising your wardrobe so you know what you’ve got before you start shopping, and that anything you buy will “work” with what you currently have. </p>
<p>Don’t throw away damaged items – there are loads of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnxGHRlevlQ">YouTube videos</a> to help you repair clothes and accessories. You can even make your clothing more personal using repair methods such as <a href="https://www.wastefreeplanet.org/blog/how-to-mend-your-jeans-using-sashiko-stitching">Sashiko stitching</a>, making the repair a visible feature of your clothing.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.circularonline.co.uk/opinions/lets-get-this-reuse-party-started/">Buying second-hand</a> will save you money, and the social and environmental benefits of charity retail are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612153">widely recognised</a>. You could also swap clothing you no longer want with friends and family or at <a href="https://www.savethestudent.org/shopping/top-five-swapping-websites.html">swap shops</a>. </p>
<p>Alternatively, you could buy less, but higher quality clothing. These items are usually more durable and last longer. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young women swapping clothing with each other." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565810/original/file-20231214-27-giz0gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swap clothing you no longer want with friends or family.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-women-swap-party-choose-casual-2286018779">Fotoksa/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>5. Waste management</h2>
<p>We generate <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-waste-management-outlook">more than 2 billion metric tons</a> of solid municipal waste worldwide each year. This figure is expected to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/916625/global-generation-of-municipal-solid-waste-forecast/">increase by 70% by 2050</a>. There are many small changes we can make to reduce the amount we put in our bins. </p>
<p>Writing a shopping list can reduce overbuying and impulse buying. Take reusable bags with you when you shop. And shop packaging free. There are lots of places to buy food without excess packaging like zero-waste shops where customers are encouraged to use containers from home to fill and refill with bulk wholefoods. </p>
<p>Make sure you know what you can <a href="https://www.recyclenow.com/how-to-recycle/household-recycling">recycle locally</a> and follow the advice provided. Reducing waste saves valuable resources as well as reducing pollution and your weekly spend.</p>
<p>By making small changes to our lifestyles, we can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.002">collectively</a> move towards a more sustainable future.</p>
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<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219365/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Williams receives funding from EU Horizon 2020 and EPSRC. Ian Williams is a member of the International Solid Waste Association, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and the Royal Society of Chemistry.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alice Brock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s often challenging to live up to your new year’s resolutions – but becoming greener is surprisingly easy.Ian Williams, Professor of Applied Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonAlice Brock, PhD Candidate in Environmental Science, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195912023-12-12T17:30:11Z2023-12-12T17:30:11ZThe NZ aviation industry is making bold climate claims – and risking anti-greenwashing litigation<p>On the same day last week that Air New Zealand announced the purchase of its <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/504050/air-new-zealand-purchases-its-first-battery-powered-electric-aircraft">first fully electric aircraft</a>, Christchurch Airport <a href="https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/about-us/who-we-are/media/2023/cop28-christchurch-airport-among-first-ten-in-the-world-to-achieve-new-standard-for-decarbonisation/">announced</a> it had reached “a new standard for decarbonisation”. On the face of it, great news for reducing aviation emissions in Aotearoa. </p>
<p>The reality is a little more complex – and risky. As the climate warms, so too is the temperature in boardrooms and courtrooms. The aviation industry is under increasing scrutiny for its sustainability claims, and climate litigation is on the rise.</p>
<p>At the same time, “net zero” strategies in general are being challenged. The United Nations <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/high-level-expert-group">High-Level Expert Group</a> was established at last year’s COP27 summit, as Secretary General António Guterres explained, because “net zero suffers from a surplus of confusion and a deficit of credibility”. </p>
<p>The expert group has put forward a set of net-zero guidelines to put a “red line through greenwashing”. The guidelines underpin the UN’s approach to net zero, which requires corporate entities to advance ambitious climate mitigation actions based on rigorous and comprehensive <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/about-us">science-based targets</a>. </p>
<p>Among other things, the targets must include emissions reductions from the entity’s <a href="https://zerotracker.net/insights/un-hleg-net-zero-recommendations">full value chain and activities</a>. These include emissions from sources the entity owns and controls directly (known as scope 1); emissions the entity causes indirectly (scope 2); and emissions not produced by the entity itself, but arising up and down its value chain (scope 3). </p>
<p>The expert group also notes that voluntary carbon credits (offsets) <a href="https://zerotracker.net/insights/un-hleg-net-zero-recommendations">cannot be counted</a> towards interim emissions reductions required on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. This is because carbon offsetting has been shown to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-burning-too-much-fossil-fuel-to-fix-by-planting-trees-making-net-zero-emissions-impossible-with-offsets-217437">troublesome at best</a>, and in many cases a <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/79031600/government-allowed-climate-fraud-to-reach-emission-reduction-targets--report">scam</a>. </p>
<h2>Airlines in the firing line</h2>
<p>Key players in the global aviation industry that make unsupportable claims have become <a href="https://theconversation.com/airlines-are-being-hit-by-anti-greenwashing-litigation-heres-what-makes-them-perfect-targets-214501">targets for climate litigation</a>. </p>
<p>A recent greenwashing complaint to the European Commission, for example, was filed by consumer groups in 19 countries against 17 airlines. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/30/airlines-virgin-atlantic-british-airways-face-formal-complaints-over-contested-sustainability-claims">facing formal complaints</a> filed by a climate charity and law firm over sustainable flight claims. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/airlines-are-being-hit-by-anti-greenwashing-litigation-heres-what-makes-them-perfect-targets-214501">Airlines are being hit by anti-greenwashing litigation – here's what makes them perfect targets</a>
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<p>Advertisements for Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67625200">have been banned</a> in the UK for greenwashing, following complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Board that phrases such as “protecting the future”, “sustainable avitaion” and “low-emissions airline” are misleading consumers.</p>
<p>Delta faces a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-13/a-greenwashing-lawsuit-against-delta-aims-to-set-a-precedent">class action lawsuit</a> for claiming to be “the first carbon neutral airline on a global basis” in a case brought by a California resident claiming the airline has grossly misrepresented its climate impact. </p>
<p>And KLM is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/greenwashing-lawsuit-against-klm-can-proceed-dutch-court-2023-06-07/">being sued</a> for greenwashing by law firm Client Earth, which successfully argued the Dutch airline’s “Fly Responsibly” campaign consitutes <a href="https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press/klm-tells-dutch-court-it-will-pull-fly-responsibly-ads-following-greenwashing-lawsuit/">misleading advertising</a> under EU law while KLM is growing its number of flights rather than reducing emissions.</p>
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<h2>Long-haul growth versus decarbonisation</h2>
<p>Cases like these raise questions about Air New Zealand’s “<a href="https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/sustainability-carbon-reduction-management">Flight NZ0</a>” <a href="https://flightnz0.airnewzealand.co.nz/">strategy and marketing</a>, which focuses on sustainable aviation fuel and next-generation aircraft (including its recently bought electric <a href="https://www.beta.team/aircraft/">Beta Alia</a>), complemented by carbon offsetting and operational efficiency.</p>
<p>The focus on sustainable fuel will have to overcome significant scientific, energy, scalability and cost <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723025044">barriers</a>. Solutions to these <a href="https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/net-zero-aviation-fuels/">complex problems</a> are likely to be decades away at least.</p>
<p>While Air New Zealand promotes the Beta Alia – with its inherent altitude, payload and range limitations – it also aims to <a href="https://www.airnewzealandnewsroom.com/press-release-2023-air-nz-attracting-offshore-visitors-with-expanded-capacity-and-fleet-investment">significantly increase</a> its long haul network, and is <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/128136504/air-new-zealand-sets-lofty-goal-for-ultralonghaul-aucklandnew-york-flights">setting its sights</a> on the “ultra long haul experience”.</p>
<p>The contradiction between long-haul growth and decarbonisation strategies is expressed in the airline’s own 2017 <a href="https://p-airnz.com/cms/assets/PDFs/sustainability-report-2017-v2.pdf">sustainability report</a>, in which the sustainability advisory panel chair wrote:</p>
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<p>And that’s the dilemma for anyone who cares passionately about addressing the multiple threats of climate change: either stop flying altogether (the logical but somewhat unworldly idealist’s position), or fly as little and as discriminatingly and responsibly as possible (the often uncomfortable pragmatist’s position). </p>
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<p>As consumers and environmentalists focus more on the validity of climate claims and the viability of carbon reduction strategies, Air New Zealand may find it harder to defend its net zero pathway.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/high-court-decision-on-125-million-fine-for-volkswagen-is-a-warning-to-all-greenwashers-171733">High Court decision on $125 million fine for Volkswagen is a warning to all greenwashers</a>
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<h2>Airports on the radar</h2>
<p>The environmental claims of other players in the wider aviation system – notably airports – are also likely to attract critical attention.</p>
<p>Airports Council International (ACI) is the <a href="https://aci.aero/">global industry body</a> for airports, with over 550 airports taking part in its <a href="https://www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org/">Airport Carbon Accreditation</a> program, including many in New Zealand (most recently <a href="https://www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org/invercargill-airport-joins-airport-carbon-accreditation/">Invercargill Airport</a>).</p>
<p>Christchurch Airport has been in the program for longer, and makes significant climate claims. In April 2022, it <a href="https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/about-us/who-we-are/media/2022/another-world-class-sustainability-achievement-for-christchurch-airport/">announced</a> “another world class sustainability achievement”, going “beyond carbon neutral, to become climate positive”.</p>
<p>But this doesn’t account for scope 3 emissions, mainly associated with flights in and out of the airport, which make up 95.39% of <a href="https://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/globalassets/about-us/sustainability/carbon/fy2022-23-independent-ghg-inventory-report">total emissions</a>. Airports can only appear to be climate-neutral by not accounting for the high and growing emissions of the planes that are their core business.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/boys-will-be-boys-why-consumers-dont-punish-big-polluters-for-greenwashing-lies-194902">'Boys will be boys': why consumers don't punish big polluters for greenwashing lies</a>
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<h2>Stakeholder reputations on the line</h2>
<p>Key stakeholders are also exposed to any potential accusations of greenwashing. Christchurch City Council own 75% of the airport through a holding company, and the government owns 25%. Both have <a href="https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/christchurch-city-council-declares-climate-emergency">declared climate emergencies</a> and made emissions reduction commitments.</p>
<p>Industry groups are involved, too. Tourism Industry Aotearoa, which represents businesses across the tourism industry, last month announced Christchurch Airport the <a href="https://www.tia.org.nz/news-and-updates/industry-news/new-zealand-tourism-awards-winners-for-2023/">winner of its Tourism Environment Award</a>. </p>
<p>It cited the airport’s “climate positive” status and hailed it as being “at the forefront of airport environmental initiatives globally”. Such claims can be technically true if one accepts the limited parameters used to measure them.</p>
<p>But the Tourism Industry Aotearoa will need to ensure its environmental awards keep pace with developments in this rapidly changing field – including the increasing risk of litigation over unsustainable claims about sustainability.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219591/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Higham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Airlines and airports face increased scrutiny – and possibly legal action – over the contradictions between their sustainability claims and the reality of their high-emissions businesses.James Higham, Professor of Tourism, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.