Learn about record low sea-ice, toxic "forever chemicals" across the UK and Europe, the overlooked energy crisis solution, and more, with our summary of this week's sustainability news.
24/02/23
This past week was filled with interesting sustainability and climate news, we’ve summarised the top stories below.
International Sustainability Standards Board to launch first two global frameworks by June
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will release its first two sustainability frameworks by the end of June, with the first corporate reports aligned with the frameworks expected to be issued in 2025.
The standards will cover climate-related reporting and other sustainability-related risks and opportunities.
The two standards are IFRS S1 and S2, with S1 applying globally to all sectors and providing the baseline for sustainability reporting while linking sustainability-related and financial information.
S1 also requires companies to disclose all material sustainability-related risks and opportunities.
S2 is more detailed, focusing on climate mitigation and adaptation. It builds on existing disclosure frameworks in this field, particularly the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
The ISSB is focused on enterprise value and sustainability, aiming to unify disclosures from corporates to help investors and stakeholders to properly compare sustainability performance and related risks.
The standards are expected to be effective from January 2024 and voluntary in the first case, with some nations and regions likely opting for mandatory disclosures in the future.
Major mapping project reveals high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals' across UK and Europe
A mapping project has revealed high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or "forever chemicals", at thousands of sites across the UK and Europe.
PFAS are a group of non-biodegradable chemicals valued for their non-stick and detergent properties, and are found in a variety of consumer products, firefighting foams, waste, and industrial processes.
Two PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, have been linked to a range of health problems including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol.
PFAS have been detected at high concentrations of over 1,000 nanograms per litre of water at around 640 sites, and over 10,000ng/l at 300 locations.
The highest levels of PFAS in the UK were found in a discharge from a chemicals plant on the River Wyre, above Blackpool.
Experts call for sites with readings above 1,000ng/kg to be urgently assessed and remediated.
Environmental experts highlight overlooked solution to energy crisis: capturing and recycling excess heat in Europe
Environmental experts suggest that excess heat produced in Europe could almost power the entire region, but this waste is largely ignored as a solution to the energy crisis.
A report by Danfoss estimated that in the EU alone, excess heat was equal to 2,860 TWh a year, almost the same as the EU's total energy demand for heat and hot water.
Much of this excess heat can be captured and used via existing heat recovery technologies, such as heat pumps and more efficient air conditioners and manufacturing machinery.
To rapidly tackle the energy crisis, experts propose a heat planning directive that enables local authorities to map existing waste heat sources in greater detail and propose thermal networks that distribute heat more effectively, along with initiatives that improve energy efficiency in buildings.
UK must up its net-zero game to attract global capital
The Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) has urged the UK government to act now to attract global capital for green industry and market development, or lose out to the US and EU, which have been "raising the stakes" in the race to net zero.
GTAG recommended that the UK adopt the same concepts, methodologies, and metrics as the EU taxonomy to promote harmonization of the UK's taxonomy with others around the world without compromising on robustness or science.
GTAG also noted that investors and corporates are calling for harmonization of rules, and the UK has the opportunity "to be at the forefront of the global harmonization project".
The group outlined ten recommendations in its report to promote harmonization of the UK's taxonomy with others around the world, including conducting thrice-yearly reviews that assess the UK green taxonomy against the evolving international taxonomy landscape.
GTAG also recommended that the UK advocate for harmonization across taxonomies by working with international fora such as the IPSF, ISSB, and foster/support international cooperation to develop a list of core economic activities that can be deemed equivalent to the UK green taxonomy.
Record low sea-ice extent recorded in Antarctica in 2023
There is less sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any time since the late 1970s, with just 1.91 million square km remaining on 13 February 2023, down from last year's record-breaking minimum of 1.92 million sq km.
The melt still has some way to go this summer, and three of the last record-breaking years for low sea-ice have occurred in the past seven years: 2017, 2022, and now 2023.
Computer models had predicted a long-term decline in sea-ice extent, but the trend is more complicated than anticipated, with sea-ice showing variability over the last 40 years of available satellite data.
Antarctic sea-ice was in decline early in the last century but then started to increase, showing record satellite winter maximums and now record satellite summer minimums.
Sea-ice is an important regulator of energy in the climate system, with freezing seawater at the surface of the ocean expelling salt, causing denser water to sink and driving the ocean conveyor mass movement of water. Sea-ice is also critical for life in the Antarctic, being a source of food for krill and a platform for resting species.
This year's record sea-ice minimum has likely been influenced by unusually high air temperatures, with the Southern Annular Mode strengthening the prevailing westerlies and breaking up floes, causing them to melt.
