NEWS
ENERGY STORAGE IS THE HOLY GRAIL – BUT HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE THE OPTIONS?
May 16, 2022
As the world transitions to decarbonized energy systems, emerging long-duration energy storage technologies will be critical for supporting the widescale deployment of renewable energy sources.
If energy intensive businesses and industries, such as steel producers and data centers, are to hit their net-zero targets, they must run their enterprises on renewable energy. But the sun does not always shine, and the wind does not always blow. So long-term energy storage is vital. But most storage assets can only kick in for a few hours and they cannot discharge for weeks at a time.
FOREST INSIGHTS #1
March 22, 2022
Keep up to date with the latest forest industry insight and top tips, from enhancing your sustainability communication to becoming a thought leader.
The Opticom newsletter is out now. If you haven’t seen it yet, click below to read the first edition and here to subscribe.
INTERNATIONAL FOREST DAY
March 21, 2022
Today we celebrate the fact that forests provide employment, food, income, shelter and ecosystem services to at least 1.5 billion people (International Labour Organization, Decent Work in Forestry report). Working forests are helping to grow a more sustainable future. It’s time to address the misconceptions and celebrate. We are here to help.
COUNTDOWN TO INTERNATIONAL FOREST DAY
March 14-18, 2022
5 fun facts to countdown to International Forest Day:
1. Did you know that cartonboard packaging can be recycled up to 25 times and still perform as well as the first time it was used (Graz University of Technology)?
2. Did you know that Europe’s forests grew by an area bigger than Switzerland from 2005-2020 – that’s more than 1,500 football pitches of new forest every day!
3. Did you know that 62% of Europe’s P&P mills’ energy comes from the forest? That EU forests absorb some 10% of total EU’s greenhouse gas emissions every year? That Europe’s paper producers have cut carbon emissions by 26% since 2005?
4. Did you know there are about 30 times more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way? Scientists at ESA estimate around 0.1 trillion stars in the Milky Way while the journal Nature reckons there are 3.04 trillion trees in the world.
5. Did you know that the iconic “Twin Peaks” actress Catherine E. Coulson, famously known as “Log Lady”, held onto her prop log and even took it on flights stored in the overhead compartment? At one convention, a fan tried to buy the log for 275,000 dollars but she declined the offer!
WHY ARE SO FEW PHARMA COMPANIES RANKED AMONG THE 100 MOST SUSTAINABLE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD?
March 9, 2022
The pharmaceutical industry has the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as its guiding light. These global goals should be achieved by 2030 – But out of the big pharma companies, only three make it to the top 100 in the latest Corporate Knights index of the world's most sustainable companies: Sanofi, Astra Zeneca, and Biogen, all found on the lower half with stagnant or even losing positions compared to 2021.
By comparison, two examples from the steel and chemical industries; Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc and Sekisui Chemical Co Ltd are doing much better. So, how can so many traditional companies in other industries perform so much better than their pharma counterparts?
FAST AND SOLID AD TESTING RESULTS FROM SELECTED TARGET GROUPS IS A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
March 7, 2022
Testing marketing material before it goes into production and is launched is becoming increasingly important, especially among leading pharmaceutical companies. Anna Burrows, Account Director at Up There Everywhere, a Stockholm-based global digital advertising agency handling marketing campaigns for Galderma, specializing in dermatological injectables and skin care products, believes that this is a model for the future.
CONSUMER INSIGHTS: FOREST INDUSTRY MUST BUILD TRUST THROUGHOUT THE VALUE CHAIN - ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO CONSUMERS!
February 18, 2022
According to a recent McKinsey study, published in February 2022 - a vast majority of consumers are highly concerned about packaging sustainability and express a willingness to pay more for sustainable packaging, especially in large markets such as China, India, Indonesia and Brazil.
More than 75% of the respondents are concerned and willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. In Europe and US the figure is lower, but still – over 50% are willing to pay more.
