Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

Cobalt is key in emerging low-carbon technologies, specifically lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. It forms part of the cathode active material (for example, lithium cobalt oxide, LiCoO2) that receives positively charged lithium ions during the battery’s discharge.

Most people wouldn’t guess it, but concrete is the single most widely used material in the world. And both production and consumption are on the rise. The amount of energy used to produce all of this concrete is mind-numbing, as is its impact on the climate.

As unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – commonly known as drones – become more vital for commercial use, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is weighing whether to free up more national airspace for them by relaxing restraints on their operation. Such airspace rules changes could allow beyond-line-of-sight use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and Black & Veatch is part of the team helping test the safety of that.

An improved web-based Paper Calculator, launched today by the Environmental Paper Network-North America, provides users with new information and features to help them measure the impacts of their paper and reduce that impact through better choices. Paper Calculator version 4 is the most comprehensive update of this tool to be released. It delivers more expansive environmental impact categories including additional pollutants and new biodiversity and ecosystem impacts, for a total of 24 indicators in all. It provides more accurate climate change reporting and has been updated with the latest paper industry and life cycle assessment data from trusted sources. Additionally, the new calculator covers an expanded range of paper grades. Read more...

HPE released annual Living Progress Report, showcasing how HPE is driving sustainable innovation and embedding corporate citizenship within our culture. From garnering investor confidence with leading environmental and social governance (ESG) performance, to developing the world’s most efficient and secure products, I'm delighted to share a few of the highlights from the new report.

When it comes to water management, Ford Motor Company continually strives to go further. The company has reduced water use by more than 10 billion gallons since 2000 and is aiming for an additional 30 percent reduction per vehicle from 2015 to 2020. Its long-term ambition: zero freshwater use in manufacturing.

It’s getting simpler for HP Inc.’s chief sustainability and social impact officer Nate Hurst to justify his strategy to his CFO. He lets the numbers do the talking. Like this compelling data point: In 2017, HP calculates that at least $700 million in new revenue was related to contracts or sales in which sustainability factors were a known consideration.

In the United States, we use 500 million plastic straws per day; enough to fill up 125 school buses a day.

SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certifier of environmental claims, is now authorized under the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program to verify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories for participating Airports. This accreditation is the latest addition to SCS’ broad suite of carbon footprint, carbon offset validation and verification, GHG management, and other climate-change related services.

Despite an impressive start, single-use technology recycling is still in its infancy in the biopharma industry. The MilliporeSigma/Triumvirate partnership is the only one of its kind in the industry and is focused primarily on East Coast facilities. As global disposable plastic production continues to exceed the ability of waste management to keep up, recycling is becoming imperative.