But US and Canadian companies must do much more if they are to manage their carbon risks and play an active part in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

As the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Conference draws nearer, latest research from sustainable investment specialists EIRIS finds finds that the vast majority of North American companies operating in sectors with a high carbon footprint now have a corporate-wide policy on climate change (91% compared to 93% at the global level).

However, when it comes to implementing concrete measures to deliver on corporate climate change policies and commitments, businesses in North American still fall behind companies in other countries.

Highlights of the EIRIS 2009 Climate Change Tracker: North America report on how some of the biggest companies in the USA and Canada are responding to climate change are listed below:

Limited progress, further changes needed

-           Rising CO2 emissions: Canada reported 751,974 gigagram (Gg) of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2006 (a 54.8% increase from base year 1990), whilst the US reported 6,087,487 Gg of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2007 (a 15.8% increase from base year 1990).

-           North American companies are on a par with their global peers on climate change policy and short term emission targets: 91% have a corporate-wide climate change policy compared to 93% at the global level.

-           Poor disclosure overall: 37% of North American companies have advanced or good disclosure compared to about 50% at the global level; 35% meet external verification of data compared to 51% at the global level. However, encouragingly 80% report absolute emissions compared to 84% at the global level; 72% disclose scope of data compared to 81% at the global level.

-           Improvements in short-term targets: 57% of North American companies have made commitments to reduce short-term GHG emission targets, compared to 62% at the global level.

-           Lack of implementation: only 16% of North American companies have made a commitment to link board remuneration to GHG emissions reductions compared to 28% at the global level; only 43% have policies committing them to address climate change impact of their products compared to 71% at the global level.

-           Product impacts ignored: only 9% have set targets to reduce indirect climate change impacts arising from their products, compared to 19% at the global level.

Stephanie Maier, Head of Research at EIRIS said ‘Evidence suggests that positive policy developments announced by President Obama are beginning to provide an impetus for companies to act on climate change. But there are still significant areas where they lag behind and it clear that much more needs to be achieved in the region.’

Stephanie Maier added ‘Investors should focus their attention on engaging with companies to improve disclosure of GHG emissions and ensure that corporate commitments to reduce climate change impacts apply to emissions associated with products – as well as direct emissions.’

As national, regional and international initiatives to regulate GHG emissions move forward, companies will need to better manage their carbon risks and take firm steps to be part of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Therefore investors need to incorporate analysis of the corporate response to climate change into the mainstream financial assessments of the companies in which they invest.

Press contact: mark.robertson@eiris.org, +44 (0)20 7840 5741, +44 (0)7950 931313

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EIRISNews

Appearing
this month on the shelves in WH Smith and Borders nationwide, new eco-living
directory BOOK OF GREEN is the most comprehensive guide for everybody to
genuinely and easily green their lifestyles.

With
the general public currently becoming more receptive to living a more
eco-friendly life, this completely free guide points the consumer in the right
direction – it includes hundreds of approved ethical providers in a wide range
of sectors including business services, health and beauty, home and garden,
green energy, travel, parenting and food & drink.  All the companies
in the directory are in some way mostly or completely environmentally friendly,
sustainable, fair trade, organic,  ethical and socially responsible.

Book
of Green is intended to show everybody how to easily reduce their carbon
footprint, live a healthy lifestyle and make  a personal positive 
impact on the environment by integrating truly ethical products and services
into their daily home and family lives.

With
an initial print run of 30,000, the guide comes in a handy A5 format and is
printed in vegetable inks on 100% recycled paper.  An online flip magazine
version is also available at www.bookofgreen.com 
 Book of Green will be available in WH Smiths this July, attached to the
front of Permaculture Magazine as well as distributed across the UK in high
street eco stores, online eco stores, and at events during the summer as well
as at the Eden Project and the Kent Eco Village, the Kent Show by The
Ecologist, July 17-19.

Book
of Green is co-founded by Sue Jueno (founder of Allthingseco) and Katie Keegan
(founder of One Green Earth),
 whose combined experience of 6 years in the eco/ethical business arena
has given them the experience, knowledge and contacts to create a guide for
green living which everybody can trust.

“Being
green is more than reducing the threat of climate change, it’s also about
ethical trading and personal health.  The companies found within Book of
Green provide solutions across all sectors through their products &
services to help build a positive foundation for your family’s future
generations,”  says Katie Keegan.

“With
credit crunch in mind and a passion for promoting green shoot businesses we
have made Book of Green extremely affordable to advertisers and free to the
public to show off exceptional companies that are solving environmental
problems and that will be leading us into the future,” says Sue Jueno.

Tropical Wholefoods, pioneer of sun-dried tropical fruits, has
come up with two delicious Easter recipes – including a classic Simnel
cake and a creative twist on the traditional hot cross bun.

The recipes demonstrate the versatility of the Tropical Wholefoods range and include the
newly introduced apricot kernels from Pakistan.

The hot cross bun recipe uses dried mango and apricots to replace the usual currants and is a great way to encourage children to have a go at baking.

The Simnel cake contains dried mango, pineapple and apricot, while the ‘apostle’ decorations on the top – 11 balls to represent the apostles minus Judas – are made using ground apricot kernel. The cake will make a fabulous centrepiece  for any dining table on Easter Sunday.

Kate Sebag, Marketing Director of Tropical Wholefoods, says: “These recipes will make Easter taste extra special for families. Although the cake looks very professional, it is relatively simple to make and the hot cross buns taste so great fresh from the oven I guarantee they will be eaten in one sitting!”

The Tropical Wholefoods range  – in striking new packaging – includes sun dried bananas, apricots, pineapple, mango, snack bars and apricot kernels in three flavours.

Many of the products are organic and and carry the FAIRTRADE Mark.

RECIPES

Fairtrade Simnel Cake
This is a lovely cake to make at Easter, full of fruity nutty flavours and Fairtrade goodness. The eleven marzipan balls represent Jesus’ apostles with Judas excluded. You can have  fun decorating the cake with spring flowers and ribbon.

Ingredients
For the Cake
175g light muscovado sugar
175g butter, softened
175g self raising flour
3 large eggs
25g ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Organic Dried Mango, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g Tropical Wholefoods Sun Dried Pineapple, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g stem ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
For the almond marzipan to cover the cake
200g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
half a large egg yolk beaten
2 tbs of orange juice
3 drops of almond essence
For the apricot kernel marzipan centre of the cake and “the apostle balls”
200g icing sugar
125g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade natural apricot kernels
half a large egg yolk beaten
2 tbs of orange juice
3 drops of almond essence

To decorate
Spring flowers
Beaten egg
A ribbon

Method
1. Preheat oven 160C/320F/Gas 3
2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment
3. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl or food processor and beat well until thoroughly blended.  Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
4.To make the apricot kernel marzipan centre and “apostle balls”, grind the apricot kernels to a powder in an electric grinder.  Place the ground kernels and icing sugar in a food
processor.  Process, slowly dripping in the egg yolk, orange juice and almond essence until you have a smooth pliable paste. Set aside about a third of this marzipan for the balls with which to decorate the cake.
5. Scatter icing sugar on a board and roll out remaining kernel paste into a circle to cover the cake mixture.  Place the circle over the cake mixture, spoon the remaining cake mixture on top of the paste and level the surface.
6. Bake for about one and three-quarter to two hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle.  If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil.  Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack.
7. Whilst the cake is baking, make the almond marzipan for the top of the cake in the same way as the apricot kernel marzipan.  
8. When the cake is cool, roll out the almond marzipan on an icing sugar covered board and use it to cover the cake.  Then make the 11 even sized balls out of apricot kernel marzipan and arrange the around the edge of the cake.
9. Lightly brush with a beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes turning the cake so it browns evenly.  You could use a blow-torch for this if you prefer.
10. Tie spring coloured ribbon around the edge of the cake and scatter a few narcissi or primroses in the centre for decoration.

Fairtrade Hot Cross Buns
A fun twist on traditional Hot Cross Buns, making them with Fairtrade dried apricots and mangoes.  Delicious toasted and buttered, and also with apricot jam.  Makes about 12 buns.

Ingredients:
50g, plus 1 level tsp, caster sugar
1 level tbs dried yeast (do not use the easy-blend dried yeast.)
450g plain flour
1 level tsp salt
1 rounded tsp mixed spice
50g Tropical Wholefoods Organic Fairtrade Mango chopped into 1cm pieces
75g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots chopped into 1cm pieces
40-55 ml warmed milk
1 egg, beaten
50 g butter, melted

For the glaze:
2 level tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs water

For the crosses:
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
3 tbs water
You will also need a greased baking sheet.

Method
1. First stir the teaspoon of caster sugar into 150 ml hand-hot water, then sprinkle in the dried yeast and leave it until a good frothy ‘beer’ head forms.   
2. Meanwhile sift the flour, salt and mixed spice into a mixing bowl and add the remaining 50 g of sugar, and the chopped dried fruits.
3. Make a well in the centre, pour in the yeast mixture plus 40 ml of milk (again hand- hot), the beaten egg and the melted butter. Now mix it to a dough, starting with a wooden spoon and finishing with your hands (add a spot more milk if it needs it).
4. Transfer the dough on to a clean surface and knead it until it feels smooth and elastic – about 6 minutes.
5. Now pop it back into the bowl, cover the bowl with a lightly oiled plastic bag, and leave it in a warm place to rise – it will take about an hour to double its original size.
6. Turn it out and knead it again, back down to its original size.
7.  Divide the mixture into 12 round portions, arrange them on the greased baking sheet (allowing plenty of room for expansion). Leave them to rise once more, covering again
with the oiled polythene bag, for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.
8. For the crosses, mix the flour and water, roll out thinly and divide into small strips, dampen and place on top of the buns before baking.
9. Bake the buns for about 15 minutes. While they’re cooking, make the glaze by melting the sugar and water over a gentle heat. Brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven, to make them nice and sticky.

ENDS

High res images available

For more information, samples, packshots and other images please contact Helen Riley helenriley@headlinemedia.co.uk 020 8348 3103 / 07931 300 425 or Margaret Rooke margaretrooke@btinternet.com 0790 44 55 666.

Notes to Editors
Tropical Wholefoods’ range of products includes:  organic Fairtrade mango, sun-dried pineapple, chewy banana chips, bogoya bananas, Fairtrade apricots,  Fairtrade apricot kernels (3 flavours), 4 types of dried mushrooms – organic chanterelles, shiitake, porcini, oysters, 6 flavours of organic, Fairtrade fruit and cereal bars – mango & brazil, date & walnut, apricot & kernel, pineapple & cashew, banana & honey, tropical fruit bar. Pack sizes range from 50g to 150g.  Bars are 40g. All fruits are also available in bulk on line.

 The company was established by husband and wife team Adam Brett and Kate Sebag seventeen years ago in order to win lasting markets for farmers in developing countries. It supplies its branded products to supermarkets and also supplies dried fruit to them for use in their own brand products. Most of their products carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, the only independent consumer guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries. In the UK the FAIRTRADE Mark is administered by the Fairtrade Foundation. Tropical Wholefoods supplies Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrisons, Oxfam, Boots and smaller health food and fair trade stores nationwide. It has a significant niche in the independent sector with products well known for their healthy and ethical qualities.

Tropical Wholefoods works with business partners in some of the world’s poorer countries. It buys dried bananas and pineapples from Fruits of the Nile in Uganda which in turn works with more than 700 farmers. It buys dried apricots, walnuts, almonds and apricot kernels from Mountain Fruits which works with more than 1500 farmers in the remote, arid mountains of northern Pakistan. It buys dried mangoes and cashews from Farming Associations WOUOL and TON in Burkina Faso.

The company which packs and bakes all its own products on site, employs 30 people in Sunderland and three in London.

Natural Spa Supplies Challenges Journalists to the very lowest carbon footprint strip washing challenge

Hot on the heels of last year’s Go Prehistoric Clay Challenge, champions of natural Moroccan Rhassoul clay Natural Spa Supplies now ups the ante and asks you – could you replace bathing and showering for a week with the neglected but highly economical strip washing method?  Using just a minimum of hot water, Rhassoul clay for washing the hair and body, and natural alum crystal for deodorant, you will be taking part in the most environmentally washing system on earth.

We are confident that this challenge will reduce your energy
consumption dramatically and you may even find the condition of your
skin and hair improves by reducing exposure to chlorinated water.  By
reintroducing the nearly forgotten strip washing method you will save
water and the energy used to heat it, as well as using biodegradeable
washing products: clay and alum are both naturally produced by
volcanoes using the free energy of nature.

It is common to think that we are being economical by showering rather
than bathing, which is true, but even a ten minute shower will require
about 100 litres of water, compared with just 4 litres for a thorough
full-body strip wash.  It really is time to embrace once again the
traditions of strip washing!

We are therefore offering journalists 100g pure Rhassoul clay, an alum
crystal for deodorant and clear, full instructions if you can take up
the gauntlet and get strip washing for a week.

Please do rise to our challenge, and you may even start a new eco
friendly craze!  This is a great story for a feature, blog or other
item: the greenest, healthiest and most economical way of washing. 
Full instructions are available on how to prepare the clay and alum,
and how to conduct a strip wash in the most feasible way possible.

ENDS

We’d love to hear your personal feedback and if you have any questions during your week’s challenge then please do contact us for personal advice.                    

For your week’s Strip Wash Challenge Products and Instructions please contact :

Lisa Jackson,  Eurydice PR – good news
lisajackson@eurydicepr.co.uk 
01440 709460  /  07702 415187

Save the dates!
 
The seventh WALK YOUR TALK conference will take place this year from the afternoon of Sunday 8th to Wednesday 11th November 2009 at Buckland Hall, near Brecon in Wales.
 
Further details, including early bird rates, will follow shortly. If you have colleagues or friends who would like to receive news of WALK YOUR TALK 2009, please let us know.

As part of Article 13’s values and principles  we feel it our duty to do everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint. Therefore on a monthly basis a dedicated member of the Article 13 team monitors; the levels of fuel use; electricity and paper consumption; air travel; and public transport. Furthermore, Article 13 has inserted a standard rate Carbon Clause into client contracts which contributes £20 to offsetting carbon emissions.

We have recently published our annual Environmental report  which details;

1. Our monthly usage of fuel, electricity, paper, air travel emissions, public transport;
2. The 2008 percentage change on our 2007 levels;
3. Our targets and actions for 2009 to further improve our
   environmental practices and impacts of our business activities and
   operations.

Due to the day-to-day individual efforts of our team, as well as a
Company concerted effort up to and including 2008, Article 13 has
monitored and the following changes in our; in our fuel consumption
(14% increase on our 2007 levels due to increasing attendance and
therefore use of car travel to and from the office); electricity
consumption (a 27% decrease); paper consumption (a 10% decrease); and
business related air travel emissions (a 144% decrease) on 2007 levels.

To continue to push our targets and thus efforts, for 2009 we have
committed to further improvements to our environmental practices and
actions, mainly by; changing behaviour (e.g. reducing business related
car travel), promoting responsibility (e.g. advocate and raise
awareness through our vast network and website), and actioning measures
(e.g. annual offset of our carbon footprint)

These actions, alongside our existing and longstanding Environmental
policy , exemplify Article 13’s continual striving to improve its
environmental performance and advocates responsible business in the
area of environmental and social sustainability.  

For more information regarding Article 13’s environmental practices and policy, please see our UNGC pages.

For information on how Article 13 can assist you in auditing your
companies practices, developing action plans, and reducing your
business related effects on the environment, contact Fiona Banyard on
0208 840 4450 or mail fionab@article13.com

The Seasalt SALE has started in all their stores and online…

Penzance  Falmouth  St Ives  Truro  Fowey  Padstow  Totnes  Scilly  Guernsey  Salcombe
Sale Shop Penryn (open sat & sun only)

This New Year, forget resolutions, pledges are where it’s at – as US President-elect Barack Obama knows only too well. From 20 January, when Obama becomes the world’s most powerful man, the world will be looking to him to fulfil his manifesto pledge to make the US a leader on tackling climate change.

Christian Aid is calling on the British public to take their own pledge to go green and make their voices heard by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other world leaders including Obama. The charity wants them to speak out on behalf of millions of poor people in developing countries who are suffering the devastating effects of climate change. 

People like grandmother and coffee cropper Audelia Ramos, whose village in Honduras is under threat of hurricaines and flooding and mother Hadja Sala Diallo, who spends all day collecting water because of the encroaching desert in Senegal.

As the New Year encourages people to re-evaluate their lifestyle, Christian Aid is challenging the public to help them reach a target of 250,000 pledges taken to help women like Audelia and Hadja. Taking the Copenhagen pledge includes a commitment to:

• Reduce your personal carbon footprint through recycling, reusing and reducing consumption
• Write to the Prime Minister and speak to your local MP and let them know you expect the UK Government and other world leaders like Obama to work for a new international climate change agreement that is fair to poorer countries
• Encourage friends and family to sign up to the pledge

It’s easy to take the pledge and e-mail Gordon Brown by adding your name at: www.christianaid.org.uk/climatechange

2009 is a crucial year for making real progress on climate change. World leaders are due to meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a deal on climate change. Christian Aid is calling for industrialised countries across the world to pledge to reduce their CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, to prevent climate catastrophe. Without this commitment, it will be impossible to keep the global temperature rise below 2˚C. As a result, 30 million more people could go hungry, 18 per cent of Bangladesh will be underwater and up to 3 billion people could face acute water shortages.

Rhian Beynon, Campaigns Manager for Christian Aid, said: ‘Let’s keep switching off the lights and cutting our flights, but let’s also make our voices heard by those in power. With a new US president who’s made climate pledges and a new international deal up for negotiation in December, it’s time to let Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other world leaders know that people across Britain want them to make a difference to the poor in countries like Senegal and Honduras.’

Ms Beynon added: ‘Campaigning with Christian Aid works. Last year our supporters successfully campaigned with us sending decision-makers and businesses some 70,000 letters, e-mails and action cards to get changes made to the pioneering UK Climate Change Bill, which now includes mandatory CO2 reporting for all FTSE-listed companies and a more ambitious CO2 reduction target. Our supporters highlighted the need for strong legislation and the government listened.’

How To Make Paper Chains
from Creative Charlie

Perfect for decorating your home at Christmas whilst saving money and waste!

You Will Need:

Old magazines and newspaper

Tape or glue

Scissors

Just follow the simple instructions ably demonstrated by the creative master himself, Charlie . . .

Instructions

1. Cut strips of out of the pages of the magazines and newspaper. The strips should be roughly 20cm x 3 cm, but it doesn’t matter if they are all slightly different.

2. Stick one of your strips of paper together, by connecting the ends to form a ring.

3. With the next strip of paper, thread it through the first ring before connecting the ends together. You should now have two rings of paper attached to each other.

4. Continue threading each new strip of paper through the previous ring, to make a chain of paper rings.

5. Decorate your room with your paper chain.

 
Merry Christmas from Creative Charlie

Carbon Offsetting and Gift Wrapping at BigGreenSmile.com

BGS has teamed up with Climate Care* to allow customers to contribute towards offsetting carbon that is released during the delivery of their goods with the aim of helping reduce the damage caused by global greenhouse emissions.

Ben Wigley of BGS said, “We consider the environment throughout our business; from the products we source to their delivery, the running of our warehouse, and now carbon offsetting. We recognise that carbon is released as a side-effect of us delivering orders and expect this initiative to contribute to addressing climate change.”

The site now also offers a gift wrapping service. Presents will arrive wrapped in a high-quality, coloured paper made from Lokta paper**, together with a hand written card. If more than one item is ordered, they will be sent in a gift-wrapped box and the items inside will not be wrapped. The invoice included with the package will omit prices.

Ben added, “In the lead up to Christmas we are hoping that customers will take advantage of this excellent time-saving, green wrapping service. Not only will we ensure gifts are delivered beautifully wrapped, but because we use Lokta paper, it also helps preserve the fragile eco system in Nepal and gives regular, fairly paid work to the people of the region.”

Both services can be seen at:

• gift-wrap-options

• carbon-offset-options

*Climate Care is an organisation that reduces global greenhouse gas emissions on behalf of companies and individuals. These reductions are made through a range of projects around the world that not only make real reductions in carbon emissions, but also make a difference to people’s lives and 100% of the carbon offsetting payment go.

** Lokta paper is made from the bark of the Lokta, or Daphne papyracea plant. Lokta grows in the Himalayas at altitudes in excess of 6500ft and is abundant in supply. Harvesting lokta helps preserve the fragile eco system in Nepal and gives regular fairly paid work to the people of the many mountain villages.