The Upside - Issue 27
Crackdown on greenwashing, agrivoltaic farms and movement on high seas protection.
EU approves new greenwashing law
Last week the EU approved a new law to tackle greenwashing in products. The law will prevent manufacturers from using green buzzwords like ‘planet-positive’ or the like which are used to sell products that roughly 50% of the time have no green credentials. Products will soon only display green claims if they have been verified to be more sustainable than the conventional alternative. The law will also see manufacturers provide clearer information on the durability and repairability of their products, boosting the popularity of more robust, high-quality goods. Once enacted, this legislation will enable consumers everywhere to be confident to make more sustainable purchasing decisions and will encourage manufacturers to make more circular products.
Insects like solar farms
A five-year study into the impact of solar farms on insect populations has discovered that surrounding solar panels with native wildflowers creates a habitat in which insects can flourish. Dubbed “agrivoltaics”, these farms provide the co-benefits of producing clean energy, protecting insect populations, and boosting pollination in surrounding farmland, helping to improve crop yields. Last year New Scientist revealed that sheep enjoy grazing the grass beneath solar panels as it provides some respite from the weather conditions. Now with the conclusions of this study, it seems that giving a little thought to the design process can see farmland and solar sites happily coexist.
Chile becomes the first country to ratify the UN high seas treaty
Last September a global agreement was signed by 84 nations to protect over one-third of the Earth’s oceans, described by some as the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. However, this agreement will only enter into force if ratified by at least 60 nations, and last week Chile became the first nation to do so. Chile’s swift action piles pressure on other signatories and we should soon see many more nations following suit. It’s great to see an agreement turned to action so quickly, which is exactly what we need as time to protect nature, climate, and people is running out - it seems all nations could learn something from Chile on climate action.