The Inequalities of Plastic Waste – Who Should Pay?
Every year, the world produces almost 370 million tonnes of plastic. The UK produces more plastic waste per person than all other countries in the world, bar the USA, equating to 5.2 million tonnes every year – enough to fill Wembley Stadium six times over! With many of us rinsing, sorting and separating our plastics […]
Rethinking the Restoration of Nature
There is an increasing division between nature and wilderness. Perfectly manicured gardens and heavily regulated reserves may represent elements of nature, however, can something so regulated really be described as wild? There is an unquestionable need for ecological restoration with ecosystem degradation estimated to cost between £1.28-2.88 trillion per year, approximately 7.5% of global GDP. […]
Fashion – But at What Cost?
While for many of us slavery is a concept which has been consigned to history, for millions it remains a reality. Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power. According to the International Labour Organisation, 40 million individuals worldwide […]
Human Rights – Going Beyond Minimum Safeguards
When analysing the recent EU regulations on sustainable finance, a recurring and converging theme can be observed alongside the focus on climate and environment – this is human rights due diligence. Human rights due diligence is a way for corporates and investors to proactively manage any potential negative human rights impacts, within which they are involved. On the 12th of July 2020 the EU Taxonomy was introduced – the regulation requires companies and investors to report in alignment with six environmental objectives, […]
The Protectors of Our Planet
There are approximately 476 million people who self-identify as indigenous worldwide. Although the indigenous population makes up less than 5% of the world’s total population, they own, occupy or use up to 22% of the global land area, which includes 80% of the world’s biodiversity. For thousands of years indigenous communities have been caretakers of […]
Into the Blue
Carbon is arguably the most important element; the universal building block for life as we know it. However, carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas produced across the world from human activities, posing a major threat to ecosystems across the world via global warming. Curbing the release of carbon dioxide is vital, to slow the rate of global warming and prevent ecosystem degradation. Across […]
Making Peace with Nature
What is more valuable, a tree, or its equivalent weight in paper products? Is a lake’s value equal to its volume in water bottles on supermarket shelves? Most of us would not know how to approach this question, with the dominant perception of value represented by market prices. In the past few months, notable figures have discussed this […]
Pollinators Against Pesticides
Across the world around two million tonnes of pesticides are being used annually, with approximately 85% of all pesticide usage occurring in the agricultural industry. Agriculture uses pesticides to boost productivity and output by controlling weeds, preventing insect infestations and reducing plant diseases. However, it has been predicted that the costs of pesticides now outweigh […]
Regenerative Farming; A Solution to Save our Soil
Agriculture in developed nations is consolidated around industrial, largescale farms. These farms, which will often grow a limited range of crops or even a single crop (also known as ‘monoculture’), are increasingly responsible for the food that we eat. The advantages of a largescale farm are commonly assumed to be self-evident: consistency of output and economies of scale. For the consumer in the supermarket, this translates […]
One Giant Cost for Mankind
Water on the moon looks to be more abundant and accessible than previously thought, which is good news for all those considering a future lunar economy. Lunar water offers the potential of lunar manufactured rocket fuel, which means more efficient space exploration of other heavenly bodies. But before we view the solar system as the […]