Latest news with #environmentalpolicy
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
Study reveals important benefit of charging for plastic bags
A new study published in the journal Science indicates that local plastic bag bans and fees are effective in reducing plastic bag litter along shorelines. The research found a 25 to 47 per cent decrease in plastic bag litter during shoreline cleanups, with the most significant impact observed along lakes. The study highlights that full bans and fees are more effective than partial bans, which often include exemptions for thicker plastic bags. Experts, including Anna Papp from MIT and environmental scientist Dr. Zoie Diana, confirm that these policies reliably lead to a decrease in plastic bag litter. Plastic bag regulations are gaining global popularity, with over 100 countries implementing them and 175 countries discussing a global plastics treaty, while in the US, 11 states and over 200 counties have adopted such measures.
The National
a day ago
- Science
- The National
Bans and fees cut plastic bag waste in the environment, study reveals
Stricter plastic bag policies have cut the amount of litter in the environment, a US study has found, which could indicate the UAE may also see improvements thanks to its own restrictions. The research found that in areas of the US where restrictions had been introduced, plastic bags accounted for a reduced proportion of shoreline waste. More than 100 countries have imposed plastic bag bans or fees, and while these have reduced consumption, researchers behind the new paper said that until now their effectiveness at actually cutting plastic waste in the environment had not been confirmed. Scientists looked at data from more than 45,000 shoreline clean-up operations in the US and measured this alongside the plastic bag policies that were in place. They considered hundreds of statewide and more localised plastic rules brought in between 2017 and 2023. They found that in areas with restrictions, there was a 25 per cent to 47 per cent decrease in plastic bags as a share of all waste collected, compared to areas without limits. One of the study's two authors, Dr Anna Papp, of Columbia University in New York, told The National she was 'surprised to see how effective plastic bag policies have been in reducing plastic bag shoreline litter', given that many factors – such as consumer behaviour and waste management – influenced a plastic bag's journey. 'However, it's important to note that these policies don't completely eliminate plastic bags in the environment but do help mitigate it,' she added. Fees not fines The other author, Dr Kimberly Oremus, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, said the results suggested fees for plastic bags may be more effective than bans. 'We can only say definitively that both [fees and bans] are effective,' she said. 'And both full bans and fees are more effective than partial bans. 'We hypothesise that fees may cover more retailers than full bans, such as take-out bags from restaurants, and fees can be used as revenue to clean-up shorelines.' The study also indicates that wildlife entanglement might fall between 30 per cent and 37 per cent when plastic bag policies are in place, although the researchers said they had limited data on this. Other scientists not linked to the new study have backed up its findings. Dr Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, a US-based organisation that researches plastic pollution and works to reduce it, said the effects of plastic bag policies had been seen in southern California, where he lives. 'I witnessed the 10-year battle to ban plastic bags across the state,' he said. 'There were sceptics about the effectiveness, but the data came in from shoreline clean-ups and we saw a significant decline in plastic bags present, not only in coastal clean-ups but in municipal data on roadside clean-ups.' Turning the tide The UAE is one of many countries where restrictions have significantly reduced plastic bag use, with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi having said a ban on single-use plastic bags in the emirate introduced on June 1, 2022 cut the number entering circulation by 364,000. Initiatives to recover and recycle plastic bottles have also been brought in. A ban on single-use plastic bags has been in force in all emirates since 2023, alongside restrictions on other plastic items. Dr Eriksen has previously researched the effect of plastic pollution in the UAE, co-writing a study showing that in many camels, large amounts of plastic, including ropes and bags, have accumulated in their stomachs. He said manufacturers should have to bear some costs associated with the entire lifecycle of plastic bags. 'A good EPR [extended producer responsibility] scheme whereby bag manufacturers contribute to a clean-up fund, in combination with a bag fee, would go a long way to eliminating bag use,' he said. While the latest research indicates that restrictions reduce plastic bag litter, Dr Papp warned this was 'only a small part of the larger plastic pollution problem'. 'Our results show that bag policies' effects are limited to reducing plastic bags and not other plastic items, so they are nowhere close to a solution for eliminating plastic waste in the environment,' she said. 'Addressing the production of plastics alongside consumption and waste, as currently under consideration in the UN Plastics Treaty, is likely crucial for a more comprehensive approach.'
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Some prep for bear invasions, but little environmental policy expected at G-7 summit
CALGARY, Alberta — Environmental policy has been largely omitted from this year's Group of Seven summit. But there's no ignoring nature at the remote lodge in the Canadian Rockies where the world's most powerful leaders have been gathered this week. Bear invasions are among the top safety concerns in Kananaskis, where officials have taken extensive measures to shield G-7 participants from encounters with the local populations of grizzly and black bears. They've erected electric fences, set bear traps and developed strict protocols to ensure that food does not inadvertently attract uninvited animals. Local schoolchildren in May removed buffaloberry bushes from the area, taking out a key attractant in an effort to deter bears from approaching. Event organizers distributed pamphlets reminding attendees that they should keep a distance of at least 10 buses between themselves and bears. 'You're definitely in bear country,' said Trevor Julian, the executive director of Friends of Kananaskis, which organized the effort to extract the berry bushes. He visited the conference site before the world leaders arrived and saw extensive fencing and security cameras. 'I don't think a person or a bear would be able to breach that area without being seen,' Julian said. The decision to host the summit in the bears' habitat drew objections from some local residents, who were concerned about the impact of the event on the area's wildlife. A bear died after it was tranquilized by security officials during the 2002 summit in Kananaskis, then called the Group of Eight because Russia was a member. The ursine tiff serves as something of a metaphor for the much larger issue of how the international meeting is handling environmental questions, most notably climate change. As event organizers tried to avoid any confrontation between the world leaders and natural threats, they also attempted to avoid confrontations with President Donald Trump over environmental policy. Climate change had been a priority at recent G-7 summits, but this year, organizers opted to raise the subject indirectly through sessions on related issues such as wildfires and minerals. Trump departed the summit a day early to address the crisis unfolding in the Middle East. Before leaving, he declined to sign on to a G-7 statement calling for Iran and Israel to de-escalate. Trump's 2017 decision to not implement the Paris climate agreement became a significant stumbling block during international meetings in his first term. And domestically, Trump has sought to unwind many of the climate-related policies adopted by the Biden administration. The moves to avoid confrontation with Trump have enraged some local climate activists, especially as hundreds of wildfires burn in Canada. The warming climate has increased the risk of drought and fire across the country in recent years. 'Canada has invited world leaders to a country that is literally on fire,' said Keith Stewart, a senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada. 'Rather than tiptoeing around Trump and his climate denialism, Canada and the rest of the G-7 should be strengthening climate cooperation even if that means finding ways to work around the President of the United States.' Environmentalists became concerned about the G-7's handling of climate issues last month, when finance ministers gathered in Banff, Alberta. The joint communiqué released from that meeting did not include a set of actions to combat climate change, a departure from every other G-7 since 2019. The G-7 is gathering at a tumultuous time for international environmental policy, but it has been overshadowed by other topics. The summit's emphasis has traditionally been on economic issues, and tariffs were expected to dominate the discussions here after Trump instigated trade wars against many of the United States' closest allies. It's understandable that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would leave climate issues off the table as he attempts to create some consensus on these other issues, said Aaron Cosbey, a senior associate at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Cosbey is disappointed, but avoiding a debate on climate change could protect programs established by previous G-7 agreements, he said. 'If they're not mentioned, then they're not shut down,' Cosbey said. Climate change is only accelerating, however, as leaders avoid the topic, he said. 'The fact that we're ignoring it doesn't mean it's going away,' Cosbey said. 'The lack of international cooperation on climate change is a problem.' As for Kananaskis's bears, Julian said he does not expect 'a large negative effect' on the local grizzlies because organizers have largely kept the events contained to a small area. Amanda Coletta contributed to this report.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
How the fate of endangered swifts has become a political battleground
As thorny issues go, the plight of the humble swift may seem an unlikely controversy to split political thinking. But, a proposed new law to make including a single 'swift brick' – a block with a cavity for a bird's nest – compulsory for all new homes is now at the heart of a pitched Westminster battle. Reform UK is hoping the environmental cause celebre for the 50 million-year-old species – backed by unlikely allies Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Packham – will help garner them support within the countryside's traditional Tory heartlands. Richard Tice recently posed holding a sign calling for the bricks to be used to help endangered cavity-nesting birds, such as swifts, house martins, sparrows and starlings. The Reform deputy leader, who was once a housing developer, used social media to declare his support for the scheme and asked: 'why won't the Government act?' He wrote: 'The Conservatives rejected swift bricks in government, and now Labour is backtracking despite supporting them in opposition. 'Swifts – one of Britain's most iconic birds – are in steep decline, along with other cavity-nesting species. All they need is a brick with a hole. It's simple, low-cost, and essential.' The party's five MPs are now backing an amendment to the Government's planning Bill in a bid to make the £35 bricks compulsory. The amendment, tabled by Barry Gardiner, the Labour rebel, and backed by the Green party, Liberal Democrats and some Tory MPs, was revised to incorporate the bricks into building regulations, said to be the only way to ensure developers fit them to new dwellings. Although Labour supported the swift brick amendment when it was tabled in Conservative government legislation which failed in 2023, it has now reversed its position. Instead of legislation, Matthew Pennycook, the Housing Minister, wants guidelines to encourage, rather than compel, developers to fit the bricks. Hannah Bourne-Taylor, a 38-year-old former model and now environmentalist who has campaigned tirelessly on the issue – as well as walk nearly naked to Whitehall to promote the cause – believes her campaign has split the Right. She said: 'The swift bricks issue has become an unlikely political battleground. It is now a dividing line between Reform, who have declared their unequivocal support, and the Conservatives, who repeatedly failed while in Government to introduce a law to make them mandatory. 'The Tories are traditionally the party of the countryside. It remains to be seen whether they will pass it through the House of Lords where they have a majority. 'If they don't, the Tories will have killed off this amendment and have turned their backs on an issue that should be their domain. 'As for any fears Sir Keir Starmer may have that this scheme could scupper their plans to 'build baby build'; it seems remarkable that a brick used to do just that – build – could be seen to block developments.' The issue is to be debated in the Commons again during the report stage of the planning and infrastructure bill. The Conservatives failed to respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We've always been clear that our ambition to get Britain building and deliver the 1.5 million homes should create a win-win for nature recovery and development. 'Swift bricks are a simple and effective way to prevent the decline of an important bird species, without impacting building delivery ambitions.'
Fast Company
12-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
For new grads looking for green jobs, corporate sustainability may be the only safe bet
In just the first week of his administration, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders prioritizing domestic oil and gas and (once again) withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement for climate change mitigation. Since then, additional attacks on existing environmental policies have included the administration's cuts to sustainability research funding and its defunding and dismantling environmental agencies like NOAA and FEMA. Most recently, House Republicans voted to pass a budget reconciliation bill that will gut Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation in U.S. history. This comes at a time when young people really want to get involved and take action against climate change: A 2024 LinkedIn survey found that 61% of Gen Z workers say they want to get a green job within the next five years. But while sustainability fields like environmental justice, nonprofit work, climate policy, and climate research are under very significant threats right now, sustainability experts say that young people pursuing corporate sustainability jobs will likely have more luck. Why are corporate sustainability jobs better protected? Some major companies have dropped their sustainability goals: For example, Walmart says it will likely miss its 2025 and 2030 emissions reduction goals, and companies such as Kraft Heinz and Coca-Cola have dropped some sustainability goals. Banking giants such as Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo all dropped out of the United Nations-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, which aims to reduce the carbon footprints of banks around the world. But according to PwC's 2025 State of Decarbonization report, only 16% of companies are reducing climate commitments, while 37% are strengthening them. Additionally, the number of companies making commitments continues to grow, with nine times the number of companies reporting targets compared with five years ago. In 2023, 93% of Russell 1000 Index companies published a sustainability report, displaying a public commitment to keeping sustainability goals. According to Steven Cohen, program director of Columbia University's master of science in sustainability management program, these commitments aren't just going to disappear. 'Investors are driving the sustainability field first, because they want to know about the environmental risks incurred by corporations,' he says. Additionally, 'even though the U.S. reporting requirements are being reduced, [requirements from the EU or states like California] are not being significantly reduced.' However, even without pressures from the EU and states like California that have stricter climate regulations compared with the rest of the country, Cohen says that public sentiment against climate change is enough to drive companies to stick to their goals. 'People know that the planet is getting hotter. They know that environmental damage is being done, and they want to figure out ways of maintaining the economy without destroying the planet,' he says. 'Lots of people are interested in it, so there's lots of employment.' Cohen says that since around 80% of the students in Columbia's sustainability management master's program go into the private sector, they are not particularly worried about factors like the Trump administration's repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act having an impact on their employment. 'The job market for graduates is holding up pretty nicely, I'd say,' he says. For those interested in entering the sustainability world after graduation, Cohen recommends developing 'any skills that will help you with management and understanding the impacts' of climate change. He particularly recommends learning how to measure the impacts of environmental pollution and remediation. 'Those are objective conditions, and we'll continue to be focusing on that.'
