This week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories – 25 May

Posts 25 May 2017

How is champagne going low-carbon? How will green bonds support Poland’s climate efforts? And could energy be the next market for Blockchain?

This, and more, in the week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories.

1. Company climate risk disclosure could become mandatory in a few years

Companies’ disclosure of risks to their business from climate change could become mandatory in a few years as investor pressure gathers pace, climate finance experts said this week.

2. Fashion industry coalition aims for 30 per cent sustainable cotton by 2020

A new industry coalition wants to cut the confusion out of responsible sourcing and make recyclable, sustainable cotton a mainstay of the fashion industry.

3. World Bank’s IFC invests €137 million in Bank Zachodni’s green bonds

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will invest €137 million in green bonds issued by Poland’s Bank Zachodni WBK. With IFC’s support, BZ WBK will be able to significantly expand its existing climate portfolio in renewable energy, green buildings and climate-smart equipment.

4. Low-carbon bubbly: champagne industry adapts to climate change

The French wine region is attempting to protect its interests in the face of the changing climate, and is on track to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter by 2020, against 2003 levels. Ambitious plans are under way to deliver a 75 percent cut by 2050.

5. Genoa pilot aims to define operating standard for V2G in Italy

Enel Energia, Nissan Italia, and the Italian Institute of Technology are working together on pilot to launch Vehicle to Grid (V2G) vehicles in Italy. The project in Genoa will begin with V2G chargers at the Italian Institute of Technology campus in Genoa, Italy, with Nissan providing Leaf vehicles.

6. Recycling nightmares but can packaging be improved?

A BBC video looks into why so much packaging we put into recycling goes to landfill, and highlights a €1.7 million innovative packaging design competition backed by the UK’s Prince Charles.

7. Switzerland votes to phase out nuclear energy and switch to renewables

The plan will provide billions of pounds in subsidies for renewable energy, ban the construction of nuclear plants and decommission the country’s five existing ones, which produce about a third of the country’s electricity.

8. Will Blockchain transform the energy market?

Energy companies including Centrica, Elia, Engie, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil, Stedin and Tokyo Electric Power have said they will contribute $2.5 million (€2.23 million) to seed the Energy Web Foundation, a non-profit Blockchain developer, with a mission to accelerate the technology in the decentralised energy sector.

9. Romania doubles incentives for plug-in electric vehicles

The government of Romania has reportedly doubled the incentives on offer for buyers of plug-in electric vehicles in a bid to help reduce the country’s growing air pollution problems.

10. Spain seeks €3.9 billion investment to meet EU clean energy goal

Spain is seeking as much as €3.9 billion in investment through its biggest auction for contracts to supply electricity from clean energy sources, as part of efforts to meet European Union targets.

https://twitter.com/BloombergNEF/status/864922262092337152

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