April’s pills

New package of proposals for the european Green Deal

The European Commission has presented a package of proposals on the european Green Deal to make more sustainable all goods on the market. The aim is to control products at all stages, from design to disposal, evaluating them according to respect for the environment, energy efficiency and the degree of circularity. Attention to the stages of the production process has become necessary since only the design phase determines up to 80% of the environmental impact of a product. All products, is stated in the proposal, will have digital passports, to monitor the life cycle.

The certifications of sustainability

A Report produced by the Dutch foundation Changing Markets analyzes ten certifications that serve to assess the ecological footprint of clothing products on the market. These are the Higg Index, Oeko-Tex, Zdhc, Cradle to cradle, Ellen McArthur foundation, Weap, The microfibre consortium, Bluedesign, Eu Ecolabel, Textile Exchange. The goal is to understand whether or not there is a push for change behind this type of label. The scenario that is described is not reassuring, because in some cases, the certifications do not consider the entire life cycle of the product.

New IPCC report on climate change mitigation measures

The third part of the IPCC Report, released on 4 April 2022, provides a comprehensive assessment of the commitments made in climate change mitigation and the latest developments in emission reduction attempts.

The results of the 2022 Circular Economy Report

The 4th “Report on the Circular Economy in Italy 2022” by the Circular Economy Network, considers 5 countries of the European Union: Italy, France, Spain, Poland and Germany, and analyzes some aspects of the economy. Italy has good results with regard to recycling. the consumption of materials and the circular use of resources; on the contrary, some criticalities have been found in the consumption of soil, with regard to this results in a high percentage of cementified soil.

More investment needed in CO2 cuts

The latest IPCC report is further confirmation of the need to reverse a disastrous trend for our planet. Without an immediate reduction in emissions it will not be possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. To achieve this goal by 2050, it is necessary to zero carbon dioxide emissions and and among the solutions proposed by experts there are the increase of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Deforestation of the Brazilian portion of the Amazon rainforest is worsening

According to data from the National Space Research Agency, during the first three months of 2022 deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased by 64% compared to a year ago. The situation has worsened since the beginning of President Bolsonaro’s government in 2019.