Our Top Stories
The sustainable shopper’s desires: Food Navigator reports on growing demand for sustainability from consumers. There continues to be a lot of interest in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, as well as a rise in interest in carbon emission reductions, and sustainability label claims. According to research from Yara, 76% of Europeans want to see the carbon footprint of items on the label. With evidence suggesting consumers are also likely to pay more for items that are better for the environment, there is increasing pressure on brands to join the global sustainability movement. [Food Navigator]
The beginning of the end for misleading ‘carbon neutral’ products: Adverts that claim products are carbon neutral using offsets are to be banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog unless companies can prove they really work, according to the Guardian. Under the plans, the ASA will take action against firms that tell consumers they can buy their products without them contributing to climate change – unless they can demonstrate that the offset projects the company has invested in are truly effective. Although carbon credits and the offset market have a vital role to play in mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss, companies are now to be held more accountable for their actions. The news is a win for climate transparent businesses who already hold themselves to a higher standard for the sake of the planet. [The Guardian]
1.5°C limit to be breached: Researchers say there's now a 66% chance we will pass the 1.5°C global warming threshold between now and 2027. The BBC breaks down the key findings of the study, with the chances of reaching 1.5°C rising due to emissions from human activities, on top of the El Niño weather event expected this summer. It was only 2020 when the chance of a breach in the next five years stood at 20%, which shows more than ever that we need to drastically reduce CO2 emissions if we are to stand a chance of preventing the worst effects of climate change. [BBC]
Brand Spotlight - Asahi
Japanese beverage giant Asahi has created new vending machines that can absorb and store CO2, with an aim to roll out the machines in densely populated areas with high CO2 concentrations. Annually, each machine has the carbon absorption capacity equivalent to 20 mature Japanese cedar trees. But while each machine’s impact is rather minimal, Asahi believes the cumulative effect across Japan will have a significant positive environmental impact. [TrendWatching]
Research Corner
The benefits of a low carbon diet: Elysia Lucas and her team have shown that approximately $2 of production-related external costs (health and ecological costs in particular) were embedded in every dollar of food expenditure in 2018, corresponding to a ‘hidden’ cost of $14.0 trillion. The results found that a dietary shift away from animal-sourced foods could greatly reduce these ‘hidden’ costs, saving up to $7.3 trillion worth of production-related global health damages and ecosystem degradation, all while curbing carbon emissions. [Nature]
Stat Attack
Global plastic pollution rates could be slashed by 80% by 2040, and more than $4.5trn of cost savings reaped in the process, according to a key new UN report.
Source: UNEP
The Big Picture
About Reewild
The food and agriculture industry is at the heart of the climate crisis, generating around a third of man-made greenhouse emissions. And while the challenge of reducing its impact may seem beyond our grasp, it is one that we all have the power to tackle.
We believe that the solution lies in climate transparency. That’s why we’re equipping businesses with the means to evaluate and communicate the emissions of their products. This, in turn, means consumers are armed with credible, independent information, which can be used to make more sustainable choices.
We know that many people want to take climate action but lack the necessary tools and information to do so. We're confident that, armed with the right knowledge, everyone can and will do their bit to build a greener, more sustainable food system.
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