...And in the business world

Clifford Chance have released a report on climate change in the workplace, which amongst other lovely stats claims that 81% of employees are in favour of further regulation to enforce workplace change.

Toshiba has launched an offsetting scheme for laptops! For a shiny £1.18, you can 'negate' the CO2 released during your machine's production.

Greenbang questions why it's relatively low emitters such as the financial sector who're taking the thought leadership position on climate change.

IPCC reports, green packaging, and too many gaseous cows.

Business

• GreenBusiness writes about Virgin Games' green datacentre.
• Green employees - a great insight on a recent Ipsos MORI survey from Marketing Green. Article.
• Dennis Salazar reflects on how the packaging industry may be impacted by the green trend. Article.

Politics

• The Lib Dems have spoken out against GM crops, after a Defra survey showed the majority of members of the public are against commercial planting of GM varieties.
• The Independent publishes comments from Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's Environment Board, on recent figures showing that we recycle or compost 30% of our waste. Bettison says: "Britain is still the dustbin of Europe, throwing more waste into landfill than any other country in the EU. While these figures are a move in the right direction, there is an inescapable need to do more."
• London Councils has annouced its intention to reduce plastic bag usage in the capital, through either an outright ban or a tax on the offending articles. But what of that favourite landmark, the shredded bag billowing in the trees? Alas...
• The government has announced a carbon offsetting fund to cover flights made by the royal household and central government departments.
• The Observer reports that three out of four councils in the UK have no plan in place to reduce and monitor carbon emissions. Read more...
• Parliament gets greener - at a cost of £20 million. Slight inconsitency with it's lack of foresight on a national scale, methinks...

Science

• The IPCC's synthesis report will be released later this week. A draft already indicates that a decline in GHG emissions must begin before 2015, and that a third of our species are threatened with extinction if temperatures continue to rise.
• Leo Hickman writes in the Guardian about climate change and the folly of crying wolf...
• Taking meat off the menu could be a positive course of action, suggests a report from the Food Climate Research Network. A new report is to warn that the livestock industry generates 8 per cent of all UK greenhouse gas emissions - and that means not only meat products but also dairy. Vegans may have something after all...
• The founder of the Weather Channel calls global warming a scam... read more...

An exploding car is not an environmentally friendly car.

The Guardian Greenlist has been published, a year on from the Stern Report. It reveals that only 48 of the top 100 companies trading on the UK stock exchange have published a plan to address and reduce their carbon emissions and a significant minority refuse even to reveal their carbon footprint.

According to a BBC Poll, four out of five people say they are prepared to change their lifestyle. I wonder, however, if we’ll ever get on and do it? That human instinct of “I will if he does” suggests those sacrifices could be a long time coming.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), WWF and the RSPB, are urging the government to up its emissions reductions targets to 80%, claiming the current target of 60% is out of date. Crucially, the study includes in its methodology emissions from international aviation. However, it does baffle me how we can come up with any ‘absolute’ target at all – so much depends on international action.

G-Wiz has taken a bit of a blow – the new model, apparently, suffers from an occasional issue – bursting into flames! A total of 629 G-Wiz cars – about two-thirds of the number on Britain's roads – have been recalled and repaired because their battery chargers may be prone to overheating.
Read more

Further reading:
Environmentalism as business strategy – The Guardian
Consumer power – The Guardian
The Deceit Behind Global Warming – The Independent
Should I recycle the waste from carbon offsetting? – The Times
Volatile energy prices demand new form of management – BusinessGreen

The future of offsetting?

What about putting an optional offset on food too? Tills could be programmed not just with price details but also with carbon emissions. I bet the cost would be so small I might even pay it...

Silverjet makes offsetting optional.

Silverjet has backed down from it's industry-leading compulsory offsett scheme, citing the doubling of air passenger duty for business-only airlines as the motivation behind the action. At £80, the APD is no small sum.

Lawrence Hunt, Silverjet CEO, said: “we feel that given the doubling of APD as well as growing recognition for the ‘polluter pays’ principle, it is right for us to offer an opt-out option for our own carbon offsetting scheme and let customers decide whether they wish to pay the extra amount."

Now here's a thought - since the polluter should be paying, who do you think will be the first airline to include an optional offset in their fare, payable by them to the environmental cause of your choice?