The Carbon Trust

Michael Rea starts today as our new Chief Executive. While new in the CEO role, Michael builds on over 20 years with the Carbon Trust, taking climate action. He has held strategy and innovation roles, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, and has seen us through from inception to the more than 400-employee global organisation that we are today. Michael said, “our mission has never been more urgent, and I am excited to get to work, collaborating with clients and partners to deliver increased impact and to accelerate their journeys to Net Zero.” Please join us in welcoming him to his new position. Read the news ➡️ https://lnkd.in/es2EGM4a

What does the future look like for food sustainability? 🌱 Our expert Bethany Cockshutt explains why regenerative agriculture is the “vital ingredient for making food production more sustainable in the future.” She explains, “regenerative agriculture is a transformative, practical approach to farming that aligns agriculture with nature, aiming to sustain and enrich the soil for future generations.” Read the full piece on letsrecycle.com ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-dPxJ4z

Last week, the JSE, in partnership with the IFC - International Finance Corporation, hosted an in-person training for issuers on sustainability-linked bonds and transition finance, delivered by the Carbon Trust South Africa team. The session covered the latest trends, best practices, and the future potential of sustainability-linked bonds and transition finance, providing issuers with a roadmap to make a positive environmental and social impact. Participants gained a robust understanding of how to structure and issue these financial instruments, meet investor expectations, and navigate regulations, empowering them to attract investment but also drive meaningful change towards sustainability.

Earlier this month, Amazon released its 2023 Sustainability Report.   We’re delighted that our work on decarbonising the use phase of connected devices, alongside Amazon and other partners Samsung Electronics, Meta, Microsoft, and Comcast, is featured. This initiative aims to set an industry-first standard to reduce emissions during the customer use stage of devices ➡️ https://lnkd.in/giRycGQY We also work with Amazon on: 👣 Footprinting, verifying, and labelling Amazon devices, including Echo, Fire TV and Kindle, to empower consumers to choose devices with a reduced carbon footprint ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dZzejJfk  🌱 The Climate Pledge Friendly Scheme: our product footprint label is featured as an external certification on the Climate Pledge Friendly Scheme, helping customers shopping on Amazon’s platform to better understand the carbon impact of the products they buy   https://lnkd.in/gc8JAzmx

How can telecommunication companies increase digital inclusion across Africa without contributing further to climate change?   As a telecommunications provider, Airtel Africa has a unique opportunity to support the continent’s social and economic transformation. With help from the Carbon Trust, it set out the foundations for a Net Zero strategy to better understand its relationship with the environment. This helps Airtel Africa bridge the digital divide while building climate resilience. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/epYqTG4C

Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Climate Change Bill for South Africa. Our Co-Head for the region Jarredine Morris highlights that the announcement of South Africa's long-awaited Climate Change Act is a clear reaffirmation of the country’s unwavering commitment to climate action. She said, "this act provides clear guidance on the economic policies and measures that will be leveraged to achieve our climate goals. The law mandates that both state and non-state actors must measure, manage and reduce their emissions in line with the Nationally Determined Contribution (as updated), and with a long-term view to Net Zero. Importantly, the Act also provides a legal foundation for adaptation – enabling much-needed resilience to be built to deal with the unavoidable impacts of climate change. The law is also premised on the need for a just transition. It formally establishes the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), which is mandated to oversee this transition and has already drafted critical principles providing a framework for its work." Find out more about the announcement ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gTeCZV53

The world’s first carbon tax - Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism - is one way to address ‘carbon leakage’ says our EU Policy Lead, Noor Crabbendam.   She explains, "if you already know the tonnes of carbon emissions that you are exporting or importing versus the average carbon price, then you know that price will be impacted directly or indirectly on your company. Then you use that figure internally to incentivise you to reduce your carbon emissions.” Find out more in BusinessGreen's whitepaper ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gXWvr5QP

The Global Blockage Effect - how wind flows through, over and around large offshore wind farms - has become a hot topic in the offshore wind sector in recent years. As such, the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA)’s 'Global Blockage Effect in Offshore Wind' (GloBE) project has succeeded in measuring these effects and building industry consensus on how blockage should be modelled. To discuss the project findings, we are hosting two close-out webinars. Join our expert Neil Adams and Christopher Rodaway from RWE as they discuss: 📊 Measuring blockage effects | 6 August | https://lnkd.in/emFwGGd5 🗺️ Modelling and accounting for blockage and wake effects | 8 August | https://lnkd.in/evkFdVPg

Earlier this week, the Welsh Government launched the UK’s first publicly-owned renewable energy developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru. To help fast-track renewable energy deployment in Wales, we’re proud to have helped Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru hit the ground running. In collaboration with Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales and Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, we assessed the development opportunities and planning risks of onshore wind sites on government-owned land, and kick-started the development process. Find out how ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eUkinc_K

The new UK government has shown it has ambition and the early actions on onshore wind and solar are to be applauded. "To ensure legitimacy and durability, the more far-reaching changes that will be needed to decarbonise the economy will require unprecedented engagement across both communities and industry, and the courage to give them a genuine voice in shaping a future. Central government only has a certain number of levers to pull and it will need investors, utilities, supply chains, local authority planners, and communities to buy into the goal and play their part." Find out more of our policy experts Helen Andrews Tipper and Fred Stace-Smith's thoughts on the new UK government's climate ambitions ⬇️