Impextraco

The face of activism

Less than a year ago, no one had heard of Greta Thunberg. Last December, the 16-year-old climate change activist was named TIME 2019 Person of the Year. She has taken up the mantle of change, two years after the BBC’s Blue Planet II documentaries highlighted the global plastic plague. The TV series had a huge impact, now amplified. Public outcry was followed swiftly by numerous actions, both from brands and from governments, with many new promises and laws. 

We solemnly promise…

With global emissions reaching record levels, realistic plans were made by over 70 countries at the UN Climate Change Summit last September. These aim to enhance nationally determined contributions by 2020, in line with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next decade, and to nullify emissions by 2050.

Key national commitments

Some of the key national commitments are:

• France announced that it would not enter into any trade agreement with countries that have policies counter to the Paris Agreement. 
• The UK doubled its overall international climate finance to £11.6 billion (€13.9 billion/ $15.2 billion) for 2020 to 2025. 
• India pledged to increase renewable energy capacity and joined the other 80 countries in the International Solar Alliance. 
• China said it would pursue a path of high-quality growth and low-carbon development, and 
• announced a partnership that could potentially unlock up to 12 billion tons of global emissions reductions and removals annually through nature-based solutions. 
• At least 25% of the EU’s next budget will be devoted to climate-related activities. 
• The Russian Federation announced that it will ratify the Paris Agreement, bringing the total number of countries that have joined the Agreement to 187. 
• Pakistan said it would plant more than 10 billion trees over the next five years. 

Over 100 business leaders delivered concrete actions to align with the Paris Agreement targets, and to speed up the transition from a grey to a green economy. As a result of increased focus, there have also been great strides in sustainability – both branded and technological. 

Renewable initiatives everywhere

A trend in sustainable materials is turning a problem into a solution and embracing circular practices. As cities keep growing, urban waste becomes an increasing problem to which material designers have sought to find original solutions, seeing waste as a resource rather than as something to discard.

Some of the most innovative plastic alternatives include Piñatex, a non-woven textile made from pineapple plant leaves that are traditionally discarded by the fruit industry. As another example, Living Ink Technologies uses sustainable algae technology to replace petroleum-derived products such as ink. 

Even the big corporates are going green. Dell has turned to organic alternatives such as bamboo, mushrooms and wheat straw, instead of using traditional oil and plastic based packaging. With true eco-friendly processes and materials, companies and consumers can both participate in protecting human and environmental health while still using products and engaging in everyday life.

It is not all puppies and sunshine

However, there is a cautionary tale of ‘greenwashing’. Last year in the UK and Ireland, McDonalds abolished their plastic straws, even though they were recyclable, as part of a green drive. As 1.8 million straws are used daily, this would have had a significant impact. 

Now, McDonalds sadly say that the new paper straws are not yet easy to recycle and should be put into general waste, and customers were unhappy with the new straws, saying they dissolved before a drink could be finished.

The moral of the story: if going sustainable, ensure you meet customers’ needs and have a great product – do not just jump on the PR bandwagon. 

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in closing the Summit, said: “You have delivered a boost in momentum, cooperation and ambition. But we have a long way to go.”