Google says it has wiped out its carbon footprint

Having become carbon-neutral in 2007, the company claims it has now offset its entire carbon legacy

All hands on deck: the shipping industry’s mission to become more sustainable

Getting the shipping industry to reduce its environmental impact presents a huge challenge. Fortunately, a number of collaborative initiatives have been launched in the hope of creating a greener future

The UAE unveils its first floating solar power plant

The island of Nurai in Abu Dhabi has recently installed a floating solar power plant that is set to have a capacity of 80 kilowatts

False climate solutions are benefitting no one

Governments within the developed world must re-evaluate their current economic systems in order to drastically cut carbon emissions at the source

Forest 500 identifies companies fighting deforestation

A new Global Canopy Programme initiative outlines the impact of deforestation and analyses which names are doing the most to eliminate the issue from the supply chain

Deforestation in Indonesia's Borneo Island. In its Forest 500 report, the Global Canopy Programme has identified companies who are cutting deforestation from their supply chains

A new initiative carried out by the Global Canopy Programme has identified the 500 powerbrokers of the deforestation economy and looked at what steps they have been taken to remove the issue from supply chains. After a milestone year in which numerous zero deforestation commitments have been made, the Forest 500 project looks at how key parties can increase the sustainability of forest risk commodity supply chains and protect $1.7tn in at-risk shareholdings.

The findings acknowledge that the current level of deforestation puts key commodities at risk

“The overarching goal of the Forest 500 is to provide precise and actionable information to measure the progress of investors, corporates and governments in achieving their zero deforestation commitments,” said Mario Rautner, The Global Canopy Programme’s Drivers of Deforestation Programme Manager.

Having taken from 40,000 data points, the Global Canopy Programme has identified the 250 companies, 150 investors, 50 countries and 50 additional names that control important forest risk commodities, including palm oil, pulp, leather and paper.

Among the major powerbrokers are 150 financial institutions, whose backing is vitally important in realising ambitious zero deforestation goals. “Financial organisations are a critical part of the solution to end deforestation and can be extremely influential in being able to increase the sustainability of forest risk commodity supply chains. Whilst the Forest 500 saw a number of large banks taking a leadership role in this area, unfortunately this wasn’t indicative across the sector as a whole” said Rautner in a statement. “Though the findings highlight that much work needs to be done by the investment community, for the first time the Forest 500 provides a way to measure the progress of these key actors.”

The findings acknowledge that the current level of deforestation puts key commodities at risk, not just in the developing but the developed world also, and show that without swift action on the issue, the situation could worsen. The project also found that only a small minority of those surveyed were adequately equipped to tackle the problem, and the rankings set forth examples in how best jurisdictions, companies and investors around the world can follow up on zero deforestation commitments.