IEA Proposes Ways to Decarbonize Power & Cut Energy Intensity in Industry
Thursday, October 1st, 2009From the International Energy Agency (IEA): IEA proposes approaches to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the key sectors, industry and power “In the global fight against climate change, the industry and power sectors both play a key role,” said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) today in Paris. “Industry is one […]
Chile to Ratify the London Dumping Protocol
Friday, September 18th, 2009President Bachelet has sent the 1996 Protocol to the London Convention on Dumping to the Chilean Congress for ratification, and initial indications are that both houses view ratification favorably. If they do so, it will change Chilean law on disposing of wastes at sea and make Chile only the sixth Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) […]
Brazil Raises Steel Can Recycling to 49%
Thursday, March 19th, 2009From the World Steel Association: Global steel can recycling rate reaches highest recorded level The World Steel Association (worldsteel) announced today that 7.2 million metric tons (mmt) of steel cans were recycled across the 37 countries reporting in 2007. This avoided approximately 13 mmt of CO2 emissions. The global recycling rate for steel cans was […]
Minas Releases Its Own Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Sunday, November 30th, 2008Earlier this year the Brazilian state of MInas Gerais (MG) released an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2005. I found this inventory interesting and this you might too. MG has a more diverse economy than most Brazilian states, being a leader in agriculture, mining and industry, all with different impacts on GHG emissions. […]
Mexico’s Environmental Audit Program
Monday, June 9th, 2008Mexico has an interesting environmental audit program. In many countries, environmental audits are voluntary assessments done internally by companies, or by accredited third parties they hire, following their own design and the results of which usually are utilized internally to adjust practices and ensure compliance. In Mexico, the National Environmental Audit Program (PNAA) is also […]
The Eco-Provision Tucked Into a Steel Loan
Saturday, June 7th, 2008In mid-May the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved two loans worth US$200 million to the Brazilian steel firm Gerdau Açominas S.A. for “capital investment” at its Ouro Branco mill in Minas Gerais state (the mill is located about 100 kilometers southeast of Belo Horizonte). Loan A of US$50 million is from the Bank’s capital, Loan […]
Software to Calculate Gains from Recycling / Software para calcular los beneficios de reciclar
Thursday, September 20th, 2007Municipalities have been known to spend thousands of dollars to consultants to provide them with an assessment of the economic and environmental viability of creating and implementing a municipal recycling program. Now several Brazilian professors have created a software package that they claim will do all that with just a few clicks of a computer […]
CVRD Chooses to Lead by Example
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007One of Brazil’s biggest home-grown multinationals and employers, the Doce River Valley Company (Companhia Vale do Rio Doce – CVRD) has decided to take its efforts on sustainable development and social responsibility to the next level: it is refusing to supply iron ore to clients that are not complying with Brazilian environmental and labor standards. […]
The Metals Industry Stance on Recycling and Recycled Content
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007At the end of November a coalition of entities representing major segments of the mining and metals industries* issued a joint “Declaration on Recycling Principles.” As you may have discerned by now, everything having to do with waste and recycling interests me. I downloaded the Declaration, jotted notes and questions in a draft post, and […]