Consumer power changes the market

We are not sufficiently aware of the power we have as consumers to influence the economy. But we have to start believing it: citizens can change the market and make local and sustainable trade even more important.

The pandemic has made us rediscover the importance of community and proximity. Restrictions on mobility have made us realise that relying on products from the other side of the world makes no sense. In fact, we are still suffering from delays in the supply and trade of products because of the global confinement we have experienced and the geopolitical turmoil that never stops. 

When we talk about local products, we often only think of food products, but we must also think of services: telephony, health care, energy, finance… All these services are usually offered by large corporations that have their headquarters outside Catalonia and, therefore, do not invest their profits in the citizens of Catalonia. 

On the other hand, if we contract the services of companies, businesses or cooperatives in Catalonia, the profits obtained are invested in our community, and also contribute to providing work for thousands and thousands of people.

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At a time when the planet is calling for responsibility and common sense, consumption has also entered a new phase. Buying new products is no longer the only option. More and more people are choosing to extend the useful life of everything that already exists, and this has given rise to a trend that is not only here to stay, but is changing the culture of consumption: recommerce.

The concept is simple but powerful: selling and buying second-hand products through digital platforms. The goal? To reduce waste, reuse what is still useful, and avoid the overproduction that fuels the traditional consumption model. It is the practical version of the three famous Rs of the circular economy: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

This change in habits, which until a few years ago was considered minority or alternative, has spread strongly among consumers who want to save money and at the same time have a positive impact on the environment. To this end, a digital ecosystem of platforms has emerged that facilitate the sale and purchase of second-hand items in a fast, secure and affordable way. Here are some highlights:

• One of the major drivers of this revolution is Back Market, a platform specialising in refurbished technology. Smartphones, laptops, cameras, small appliances… everything passes through the hands of professionals who ensure it is in good working order before putting it up for sale. In addition, the platform itself acts as a guarantee, offering a rigorous and responsive after-sales service. It is a smart way to buy the latest technology at much more affordable prices without generating more electronic waste.
• For those who want to sell what they no longer use — or find bargains on all kinds of products — Wallapop remains one of the most popular options. This app has positioned itself as a kind of digital second-hand market, where proximity and direct contact between buyers and sellers facilitates logistics. From furniture to sports equipment, video games and children’s clothing, it is a window onto responsible and practical consumption.
• Another platform to consider is Letgo, which stands out for incorporating artificial intelligence technology. This functionality allows objects to be recognised from an image, automatically categorised and quickly published. The result is a very smooth and efficient user experience, especially useful for those who want to sell without complications.
• In the field of mobility, Coches.net has become a benchmark. This app not only allows you to buy and sell second-hand cars, but also new vehicles, motorhomes, and vans. The added value is the guarantee offered by many of the professional sellers on the platform, which generates trust and reduces risks in such a sensitive transaction as the purchase of a vehicle.
• Clothing, one of the major sources of mass consumption and pollution, also has its own specific platforms. Vinted is a fashion buying and selling community that works like a social network: people sell their clothes with photos or videos, and can follow each other. It is a fresh and fun way to give a second life to clothes we no longer use, while also renewing our wardrobe without falling into the spiral of consumption driven by fast fashion.
• We cannot forget Milanuncios, a classic classified ad site that has successfully adapted to the digital world. With a wide variety of offerings that go beyond objects—jobs, housing, services—it remains a very useful platform for all kinds of transactions, especially in more rural areas or for people looking for more traditional options.
• And when it comes to specific niches, an app like Bkie shows just how far personalisation can go within recommerce. Dedicated exclusively to the sale of bicycles and cycling equipment, it has created its own loyal and active community. With cycling on the rise, this app has managed to capture the needs of a demanding group of users who are looking for quality, good prices and trust between users.

This new way of consuming not only has environmental and economic benefits. It also changes the relationship we have with objects, makes us more aware of their value and educates us in a more mature culture of consumption, based less on novelty and more on responsible use.

Buying second-hand today is no longer synonymous with necessity, but with awareness. And recommerce is a powerful tool for making that change a reality. Through these apps, we can shop better, sell what we don’t use and actively contribute to a more sustainable, humane and efficient economy. So next time you think about buying something new, ask yourself first: do I really require it new? The answer may surprise you… and the planet will thank you for it.

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Tourism is one of the businesses that shows one of the highest capital flow worldwide. As per the report from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2019, 1.4 billion of international tourists were recorded and up to between 100 and 120 million of jobs are linked to it.

It is, therefore, a sector with an undeniable weight in the world’s economy, and more particularly, with a direct affectation to practically all the inhabitants in the planet either in an active form as travellers or in a passive one as locals.

The touristic sector asks for regulation and responsibility

Given its importance, since years ago there are more and more organisations, Companies and collective bodies that ask for a sustainable tourism system that can be kept over time and nourish the population. Everything points to the fact that this industry will continue growing during the next years and, therefore, if the current model does not change, the negative impact that it generates will increase at the same rate. We are all currently familiarised with sustainability as a concept and we even have adopted certain daily routines that contribute to respect the environment. An attitude that changes more or less when we travel: we leave lights switched on, recycling, take care of public spaces, using more ecological transport ways, spend the necessary water, using less plastic … actions that we may miss when we are on holidays and which, by themselves, do not generate an impact, although they may mean a higher issue when they are multiplied by 1.4 billion people.

Within this context, and with the urgency to change the touristic model into a more responsible perspective, it pops-up the sustainable tourism concept, understood as the one which “satisfies current needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to satisfy their own needs”, as it is described in the Brundtland report. It will be about then, to minimise the negative impact that tourism is currently generating and to maximise its benefits, mainly from the three big pillars: environmental, sociocultural and economical.

To reduce the environmental impact to preserve future 

Tourism very much depends on the environmental quality to survive and evolve but, paradoxically, this is one of the main activities that it harms. Infrastructures construction like airports and roads, highly polluted transport ways by land, sea and air, creation of equipment and touristic resorts like restaurants, shopping centres, golf fields or sportive areas are examples of the negative impact that it brings to any region. All of this brings also risk to the flora and fauna in the area, which in the past years has worsened the situation of hundreds of species, especially the marine ones, which have not been able to overcome the changes that human pollution has caused in their natural habitat.  

In parallel, it has been thanks to tourism that some natural areas have become protected areas or they are areas with especial care being taken orientated to preserve the space looking forward to the future. This is the positive impact where sustainable tourism should be betting: to achieve the maintenance of care of spaces both natural and urban, by governments’ organisms to favour both, local citizens and future visitors.

Controlling the sociocultural impact and to bet for the diversity wealth

The willingness to often travel comes motivated by the restlessness to know other Countries, together with everything that this implies: culture, language, food and costumes. Diversity within the globalism is foreseen, and this arouses respect, tolerance and knowledge by both parts, but especially from the visitor’s point of view. For sustainable tourism it is essentially this cultural preservation but, amongst everything the respect for it. Guaranteeing a value experience therefore, must mean to guarantee sociocultural wealth.

A non-planned tourism, other than being a nuisance to local inhabitants, can bring miserable consequences on their lives and their quality of life, an issue that some areas of Catalonia have already suffered first-hand in terms of gentrification, this is a disproportionate increase of dwellings’ and plots’ prices that turn into, those being inhabitants, to look for more economically viable alternatives, giving way to those who can invest, a fact that may not have a direct relation to tourism in some cases but which, without doubt, has meant an aggravating item. 

The increase in prices in touristic  is one of the reasons to destabilise local people, forcing them to assume higher prices, well above the standard prices they could find in any other street of the city outside the touristic path. If we look at Barcelona, coronavirus crises forced many restaurants in touristic areas to lower their prices to match those offered in the rest of the city, showing the prices war that tourism business means. Avoiding this through regulation policies could not only protect local citizens but ensuring tourists pay for the right price of the product.

Positive economic impact: investing in people

From and economical point of view, it makes sense that as a business, tourism should bring benefits to the related area, but the challenge is making it in an equitable and sustainable way. It will bring nothing to improve the turnover if this does not bring a positive impact in the welcoming area. This is, to have a true benefit it has to mean an advantage to all implied parties and, if managed in a controlled and efficient way, tourism can have the enormous power of enriching the population through the creation and maintenance of jobs both, direct and indirect. 

On the contrary some multinationals, way away from applying a sustainable tourism system, choose to do the other way around, what is known as “scape”. These are business models where profits are not left in the welcoming Country nor bring any profit to the Country, like in hotels with an all-inclusive regime, where customers do not go away from the resort and, therefore, do not generate a positive impact to the area’s economy. They do create an impact indeed but negative as far as taxes is concerned, since the required infrastructures to welcome tourism are often financed through this business. It will require though to weight the generated impact of tourism against the cost that population  pays for. If there is no balance, then we are presumably facing a non-sustainable system and which will need to be revisited.

Tourism is in the end, our joint responsibility since we have all been involved for some time. There are actions that depend only on the individual responsibility and commitment to bet for a sustainable life model, also when we travel. The other side of the management, and that with a higher impact, belongs to the private and public organisations that will need to plan tourism facing next coming years with a clear motive: a bet for sustainability is a bet for the future.

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We are all aware of the need to reduce plastic consumption to mitigate its impact on the planet. It is therefore important that we are proactive in making small changes to our habits to eliminate or make better use of plastics.

The enormous environmental problems caused by single-use plastics are well documented. Every year we dump millions of tonnes of plastic waste into the seas and oceans, literally forming vast islands of non-biodegradable rubbish that accumulate thanks to ocean currents.

Governments, corporations, and major supermarket brands are implementing changes to reduce their consumption and mitigate the environmental impact of the plastic waste generated. Still, we can harness the power we have as consumers to spur a paradigm shift that can wait no longer.

So, here are five habits that we can include in our daily routine to easily reduce the amount of plastic we use.

Use cloth bags

Despite the fact that the ban on the giveaway of plastic bags came into force in Catalonia in March 2017 and that from 1 January 2021 there will be a ban on the giveaway of lightweight plastic bags offered to consumers, we still use bags that, although compostable, contain a large amount of plastic. Carrying cloth bags, a basket, or a shopping trolley saves us unnecessary plastic consumption.

Buy food wholesale

Buying in bulk eliminates unnecessary packaging and promotes responsible consumption because it allows us to take from the shop only what we will consume. Our bags and packaging, preferably glass, can be reused many times.

Use environmentally friendly detergents

Some of the most common ingredients in conventional detergents can be highly harmful to the environment. Fortunately, there are cleaning products made with ecological criteria, such as Natulim’s biodegradable detergent strips, which do not generate environmental waste and avoid the use of plastic in their packaging.

Eliminate single-use products

Disposable products such as plastic cutlery, plates, cups, straws, and razors may be practical, but they create large amounts of waste that could easily be avoided by replacing them with products made of glass, metal, or other materials.

Avoid or recycle coffee capsules

It goes without saying that buying ground coffee and making coffee with a traditional coffee machine is much more environmentally friendly than using coffee capsules. That said, not everyone has the time or patience to make coffee in the traditional way once they are used to single-serve pods. Fortunately, some capsule manufacturers offer recycling schemes to take advantage of this waste and give it a second life.

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Després d’una reducció temporal provocada per la pandèmia, la petjada de carboni torna a créixer i el canvi climàtic s’accelera. Individus, empreses i reguladors poden contribuir a minorar l’emissió de gasos d’efecte d’hivernacle. Vegem com està evolucionant i quines mesures contribuirien a mitigar-la.

Només les necessitats energètiques de l’activitat humana van generar 36.000 milions de tones de diòxid de carboni (CO₂) el 2021, segons l’Agència Internacional de l’Energia. Una referència per a assimilar la magnitud d’aquesta xifra? Pensa que tota la població mundial posada en una balança no arribaria als 400 milions de tones. És a dir, el CO₂ que emetem en només un any multiplica per cent el pes de tota la humanitat.

El diòxid de carboni és el gas d’efecte hivernacle més abundant i que més ha contribuït a l’escalfament global en les últimes dècades. Les emissions directes i indirectes d’aquest gas, juntament amb el metà, l’òxid de nitrogen, l’hexafluorur de sofre, els hidrofluorocarburs i els perfluorocarburs, conformen el que es coneix com a “petjada de carboni”. Es tracta d’un indicador ambiental encunyat als anys noranta per a mesurar la contribució de l’activitat humana a l’escalfament del planeta.

La realitat és que estem molt lluny dels objectius marcats per a aturar el canvi climàtic. Els científics adverteixen que les emissions netes de CO₂ haurien de reduir-se a zero d’ara el 2050 si volem evitar les seves conseqüències catastròfiques. L’augment de temperatura global porta aparellats fenòmens meteorològics extrems i una pujada del nivell del mar a causa del desglaç.

Emergència climàtica

L’ONU estima que des de 1990 les emissions de diòxid de carboni s’han incrementat gairebé un 50 %. De fet, l’Organització Meteorològica Mundial apunta que els nivells actuals de CO₂ a l’atmosfera són similars als de fa tres milions d’anys, quan la temperatura mitjana de la Terra era 3 °C més elevada i el nivell del mar se situava molt per sobre de l’actual.

Per això, és lògic que un dels Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible establerts per l’ONU incideixi en la necessitat d’aturar el canvi climàtic. La fórmula demana prendre mesures que en els pròxims anys ens portin a una economia baixa en diòxid de carboni.

De fet, la immensa majoria de països del món van signar el 2015 l’Acord de París, un tractat internacional que pretén limitar l’escalfament global. Així i tot, la nostra petjada de carboni ha continuat creixent. Les emissions de gasos d’efecte hivernacle només es van reduir el 2020. I la raó va ser l’aturada econòmica que va provocar la pandèmia.

L’informe Climate Transparecy Report calcula que les emissions dels països del G-20, responsables del 75% dels gasos d’efecte hivernacle, van tornar a créixer un quatre per cent el 2022. La Xina, l’Índia, Indonèsia i l’Argentina ja estan en nivells superiors als de 2019.

Per zones geogràfiques, la Xina, els Estats Units, la Unió Europea i l’Índia sumen més de la meitat dels gasos emesos a l’última dècada. Quant a activitats, les que produeixen més CO₂ són la generació d’energia i calor (40%), el transport de béns i persones (20%) i l’activitat industrial (20%).

Calcula la teva petjada de carboni personal

La quantitat de gasos d’efecte hivernacle que genera cada individu a la seva vida quotidiana en desplaçar-se, alimentar-se i consumir recursos es coneix com a petjada de carboni personal. Per a evitar un augment de temperatura global superior als 2 °C, The Nature Conservancy, una ONG mediambiental, calcula que hauríem de reduir-la a la meitat abans de 2050.

Existeixen nombroses eines per a calcular la petjada de carboni personal. En concret, la calculadora de l’ONU té en compte aspectes com les característiques de la nostra llar, el consum d’energia, el tipus de transport que utilitzem diàriament, la quantitat de vols que realitzem, els nostres hàbits alimentaris i quant reciclem.

Algunes mesures per a reduir la nostra petjada de carboni personal són apostar per un consum responsable, moure’s de forma més sostenible, moderar la despesa energètica i rebaixar la quantitat de residus que generem.

El pes de les empreses

Bastant superior a la petjada de carboni personal és la que deixen les empreses en processos com la fabricació o el transport de mercaderies. És el que es coneix com a petjada de carboni corporativa. D’aquí la importància d’incidir en aquest apartat per a reduir l’escalfament global.

Les companyies poden reduir el seu impacte mediambiental millorant la seva eficiència energètica o incrementant el percentatge d’energia renovable que consumeixen. També poden recórrer a eines de compensació, com la inversió en projectes mediambientals, el pagament d’impostos verds o la compra de drets d’emissió de CO₂.

Una tendència a l’alça

Milers d’empreses ja publiquen la seva petjada de carboni, però no totes la calculen igual. La major part de les grans multinacionals obvien les emissions indirectes, aquelles que formen part de la seva cadena de valor, però que no depenen directament d’elles.

Un exemple paradigmàtic és el d’Amazon. La pressió d’activistes i inversors va portar a aquest gegant del comerç en línia a fer pública la seva petjada de carboni per primera vegada l’any passat. No obstant això, s’acaba de conèixer que en el seu informe només comptabilitzava una petita part de les emissions generades amb les seves vendes.

 A diferència d’altres comerços, Amazon només comptabilitzava l’impacte mediambiental total dels productes propis, que suposen únicament l’1% de les seves vendes. La companyia no assumeix les emissions generades per l’ús d’un producte d’una altra marca una vegada que els seus repartidors el lliuren al client.

Un incentiu per a la sostenibilitat

El gran impacte de l’activitat empresarial en el medi ambient ha fet que cada vegada més veus reclamin l’obligatorietat per a les companyies de publicar la seva petjada de carboni als informes anuals.

Tant és així que la Securities and Exchange Commission, el regulador borsari dels Estats Units, acaba de proposar que les empreses cotitzades en aquest país hagin de revelar les seves emissions de gasos d’efecte d’hivernacle. I, molt important també, que ho facin seguint uns mateixos criteris.

 Segons molts experts, obligar les empreses a publicar la seva petjada de carboni pot contribuir decisivament a escurçar el camí cap a una economia lliure d’emissions contaminants. Cada cop més inversors valoren les qüestions mediambientals en les seves decisions d’inversió.

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European farmers are up in arms. Rising costs, the removal of subsidies, new environmental measures and cuts to finance the war in Ukraine are strangling a sector that is essential to the continent’s food sovereignty and has become the scapegoat of the Eurocrats.

After seeing the images of half of Germany blocked by the avalanche of tractors heading towards the Brandenburg Gate, one might think that you reap what you sow. Europe’s political class has long been fomenting discord against the agricultural sector, and it was only a matter of time before one day or another it paid the consequences.

These protests are the latest in a series of farmers’ demonstrations across Europe. Previously, similar demonstrations have been seen in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and other European states, where farmers have also taken to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the effects of planned environmental reforms and high production costs.

The casus belli of the German rural revolt

Although grouping all the demonstrations under a common denominator is tempting, they have mainly been triggered by specific national situations. The German agricultural sector is opposed to proposed cuts in fuel subsidies used in agriculture. An austerity policy that the German government argues became necessary after a Constitutional Court verdict prohibited the coalition government from transferring 60 billion euros in appropriations to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the fight against climate change.

The cuts were intended to eliminate the existing tax benefits for diesel and the road tax exemption for agricultural and forestry vehicles. This would have allowed the federal government to save almost 1 billion euros in additional revenue from the official amount it has to save in the 2024 fiscal year – still pending parliamentary approval – of around 17 billion euros out of a budget of 450 billion euros.

This is against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. The war, instigated and perpetuated by the US and its client states in Europe, has been devastating for the German economy and industrial sector. Yet Berlin has pledged more than 17.1 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine from 24 January 2022, the same amount it would have to save through cuts during 2024.

But of course, these billions of euros in military “aid” are recycled into the German military-industrial complex which, like the one of the United States, is making a killing from this war, courtesy of the taxpayers and farmers who suffer the cuts because there is no money and the Ukrainians who serve as cannon fodder for the corporate interests behind these conflicts. As President Biden keeps repeating to keep the funds flowing, the money going to “Ukraine” is a good investment.

Climate targets vs. food sovereignty

Despite the loss of more than 5 million farms since 2005, a decline of 37%, Europe is generally self-sufficient in most foodstuffs. However, support for farmers provided by the Common Agricultural Policy is essential in ensuring the continuity of farms and crops in the EU. Especially since the increased costs caused by the sanitary crisis, the logistical funnel and the war in Ukraine.

Eurocrats in Brussels are nervous about the agricultural revolt on the continent. The EU has set a global goal of zero emissions by 2050, and EU officials are concerned that the outpouring of protests could set back the ambitious climate targets set by the European Commission.

According to Greenpeace, the current system, which pushes farmers to run large, intensively industrialised farms is broken and protesting for business as usual will not help. In any case, the situation of political neglect in which the rural world finds itself is unsustainable. The transition to a more sustainable model has to guarantee much more than the mere survival of the sector.

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Scientific research has shown for the first time that microplastics are already flowing through our bloodstream, the river of life in our bodies. The next step will be to see to what extent they are deposited in organs such as the brain and what their effect is.

Microplastics have been found in remote places such as the Himalayas and the Vatnajokull glacier, Europe’s largest ice cap. Even traces of plastic had been found in the human placenta. However, there was still no scientific evidence that microplastics were running through our veins. Until now. 

A study led by Heather Leslie and Marja Lamoree of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has found for the first time that tiny bits of plastic from our environment can be absorbed into the human bloodstream. The results of her research were published at the end of March in the scientific journal ‘Environment International’.

Three out of four

The research team tested the blood of 22 people for the presence of five different polymers, which are the building blocks of plastic. The result indicates that three-quarters of the subjects tested had nanoplastics or microplastics, i.e. plastic particles smaller than five millimetres, in their bloodstream. Only one out of four participants were free of detectable amounts of plastic.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene and polymerized styrene were the most abundant in the blood samples, followed by polymethyl methacrylate. For polypropylene, concentrations were too low for accurate measurement.

PET is widely used in beverage and food packaging, as well as in the textile industry; polyethylene is used, among many other things, in supermarket bags; polymerized styrene is present in lightweight packaging; and polymethyl methacrylate is mostly used in medicine.

From blood to organs?

Lead researcher Heather Leslie said this study shows that “our bloodstream, our river of life, has plastic in it”. The next step would be to find out to what extent these particles pass from the bloodstream into organs such as the brain. This will allow us to better determine to what extent exposure to plastic particles poses a threat to public health.

This research has been funded by the NGO Common Seas and the ZonMw Microplastics and Health programme, which aims to determine the effects of plastic particles on our health. It is one of a number of European initiatives to establish the extent to which exposure to microplastics is harmful to human health. In this context, a group of Italian scientists published research earlier this year that also found the presence of microplastics in the human placenta.

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A study shows that the benefits of biodiversity are equivalent to twice the global GDP.

No country has achieved the diversity targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, with a deadline in 2020. We now face a funding gap of more than $700 billion by 2030, warns the UN Secretary General. 

That is why 2021 has to be the year for reconciliation between humanity and nature. So far we have been destroying our planet, we have been abusing it as if we had a spare one, our current resource consumption requires almost two planets, but we only have one. If we compare the history of the earth to a calendar year, we have used one third of those natural resources in the last 0.2 seconds.  

Actions such as air, land, and water pollution have provoked a counter-attack by nature that is evident in record temperatures, the collapse of diversity, the spread of deserts and in the numerous and increasingly dangerous extreme events such as fires, floods, and hurricanes.

A planet for biodiversity 

Biodiversity or biological diversity is, according to the International Convention on Biological Diversity, the term that refers to the wide variety of living things on Earth and what happens to the natural patterns that shape them. They are the result of billions of years of evolution according to natural processes and also the increasing influence of human activities. Biodiversity also includes the variety of ecosystems and genetic differences within each species that allows the combination of multiple life forms. The mutual interactions with the rest of the environment make the sustainment of life on earth possible.

Biodiversity is an essential basis for our economic well-being. While industrial production is currently one of the main causes of pressure on biodiversity, such as land use, overexploitation or pollution, businesses in all sectors can also be key drivers of biodiversity conservation. All stakeholders now need to work together to integrate the value of biodiversity into our decision-making and develop solutions that harmonise nature and economic growth.

Biodiversity in business

Many companies are not willing to let company growth come at the expense of people and the planet. For this reason, they are changing the way business is done. Internal plans have been carried out to help create a world in which we can all live well within the natural limits of the planet. By using resources to address issues such as health and hygiene, gender equality, climate change and plastic packaging waste, long and short-term benefits to society are being generated. 

In 2010 many companies started to be sustainably conscious, the impact that all these changes have made is quite significant: costs and risks have been reduced, and of course, the most important value, to build trust in the consumer. 

Danone, for example, is acting against climate change, biodiversity loss and water scarcity. It is reducing its carbon footprint with the aim of achieving zero emissions by 2050. Beyond its production sites, it is working towards these goals in areas where it shares responsibility, especially in agriculture, promoting regenerative agriculture to protect soil, water and biodiversity, promoting animal welfare and empowering a new generation of farmers.

It also has its own policies and tools aimed at promoting biodiversity:

• An example of this is its forestry policy, where it makes a statement of intent to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain and contribute to reforestation.
• Or the fund dedicated to promoting its local ecosystems, the Danone Ecosystem Fund, which supports the company’s projects with a social purpose. This is the case of Renueva, a Danone Aguas waste management and revaluation system which, together with other partners, works to recycle out-of-home consumer packaging, and has a plant in Barcelona Montcada i Reixac.

 17 goals to transform the world

The United Nations has created 17 goals to transform our world. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for a sustainable future for all. They are interrelated and incorporate the global challenges we face every day, such as poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace, and justice. 

In order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each of these goals by 2030:

1. End poverty
2. Zero hunger 
3. Health and well-being 
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth 
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
10. Reducing inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible production and consumption
13. Climate action
14. Undersea life
15. Life of terrestrial ecosystems
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
17. Partnerships to achieve their goals

And this is our daily goal and that of business too. There will probably be many companies that will put this into practice anonymously. Other companies will post on their website the development plans and all the changes they have made; some examples are: Cepsa, Decathlon, Ferrovial, San Miguel Mahou, Iberdrola, Unilever, Danone, among others. 

Biodiversity is part of progress

We have to demystify the idea that biodiversity is synonymous with increasing costs, but quite the opposite. They go hand in hand together with the economy. Thanks to these gestures and changes, not only will we be able to reduce costs, but we will also have a healthier, more sustainable and better life for future generations. 

A documentary not to be missed is “David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet”, in which the renowned naturalist reflects on both the defining moments of his life and the devastating changes he has witnessed. The documentary is available on the Netflix platform and addresses some challenges of life on our planet. He explains how much ground the natural world has lost globally in less than a century, he witnesses the change in nature in his more than 50 years of work, and notes that the world is a unique and spectacular wonder. Moreover, Attenborough sends a message of hope to future generations, revealing the solutions to save our planet from disaster.

We can start with the famous 7 R’s: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Redesign, Repair, Renew and Recover. Among all of us, we can achieve it. Do you want to be part of this change? 

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L’última edició de Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 fa una anàlisi exhaustiva de l’estat actual del sector energètic global, proporcionant dades clau sobre la producció, el consum i les emissions, així com del progrés en la transició energètica cap a un model més sostenible.

2023 va ser l’any més càlid des que es tenen registres i l’impacte del canvi climàtic es va deixar notar en tots els continents. L’últim Informe de Riscos Globals 2024 del Fòrum Econòmic Mundial constata que els esdeveniments meteorològics extrems, la pèrdua de biodiversitat, el col·lapse dels ecosistemes i l’escassetat de recursos naturals suposen el risc més gran per la humanitat durant la pròxima dècada. La causa principal és la crema de combustibles fòssils, que ha anat augmentant a mesura que ho ha fet la població humana. 

En aquest context, l’Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 és un informe elaborat per l’Energy Institute que ofereix una visió detallada de la producció i el consum mundial d’hidrocarburs i d’energies renovables, així com de les emissions de diòxid de carboni i sobre el progrés en la transició cap a un model energètic menys depenent dels combustibles fòssils, impulsat per una explotació cada vegada més competitiva de l’energia eòlica i solar.

L’anàlisi feta per l’Energy Institute confirma que el consum mundial d’energia primària durant el 2023 va augmentar un 2% respecte a l’any anterior, assolint un nou rècord per segon any consecutiu, amb els països no pertanyents a l’OCDE dominant tant la quota com les taxes de creixement anual. Es van observar màxims històrics en el consum de combustibles fòssils i emissions, però també en la generació d’energies renovables. 

Aquest augment del consum energètic reflecteix l’expansió econòmica, especialment en regions en vies de desenvolupament com l’Àsia, on països com la Xina i l’Índia continuen depenent dels combustibles fòssils, que continuen sent la base del seu desenvolupament per alimentar el creixement industrial. 

L’increment del consum energètic va venir acompanyat d’un augment del 2,1% en les emissions de diòxid de carboni, superant per primera vegada els 40.000 milions de tones mètriques de CO₂. La crema en torxa i els processos industrials van ser els principals causants de l’augment rècord d’emissions.

L’impuls de les renovables

La bona notícia és que les energies renovables van créixer a un ritme sis vegades superior al de l’energia primària total, representant el 14,6% del consum total. Això no obstant, els combustibles fòssils continuen dominant, constituint el 81,5% del consum d’energia primària.

La producció d’electricitat va créixer un 2,5%, amb una contribució de les energies renovables al 30% de la producció total. L’energia eòlica i solar van representar el 74% de tota la nova capacitat de generació elèctrica instal·lada, experimentant un creixement sense precedents gràcies a les importants addicions des de la Xina i Europa. En l’àmbit regional, l’Amèrica Central i del Sud van registrar la contribució més gran al creixement d’energies renovables, amb un 72%.

Amb més de 115 GW, les noves instal·lacions de producció d’energia eòlica van protagonitzar un any rècord. Gairebé el 66% d’aquesta nova capacitat afegida correspon a la Xina, que equival a la de Nord-amèrica i Europa juntes, tot i que Europa té la proporció més gran d’energia eòlica marina (12%). Quant a l’energia solar, va representar el 75% (346 GW) de la capacitat afegida, sent la Xina responsable del voltant d’una quarta part del creixement.

Tot i això, l’informe conclou que, si es volen complir els objectius climàtics i reduir les emissions de carboni, cal accelerar la transició cap a fonts d’energia més netes, al mateix temps que reconeix la diversitat de reptes en les diferents regions, reconeixent els marcats contrastos entre els hemisferis nord i sud.

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Car manufacturers are backtracking on electric cars in the wake of slowing global demand, and are extending their scheduled date for ending the production of internal combustion engines. High prices, cutbacks on incentives and a lack of reliable charging points have deterred consumers.

Since February 2023, when the European Union ratified legislation that from 2035 would ban the sale and registration of all vehicles emitting CO₂ emissions, as a central pillar of the European Green Pact, the reality of the electric car market is forcing a change of course that calls into question the strategy established to achieve emission reduction targets.

Electric cars are still selling, but they need to sell in much bigger volumes. The latest report from the European Commission’s Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) shows that electric car penetration in the European Union remains very low. Light-duty vehicles with electric and hybrid engines account for only 6.15% of the total fleet, or around 18 million of the almost 290 million vehicles on the road in Europe.

Moreover, electric vehicle registrations are declining in the European Union as a whole. In the first half of the year, pure electric vehicles accounted for 12.5% of registrations, compared with 12.9% the previous year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). On the other hand, plug-in hybrid vehicles have lost half a percentage point of market share, from 7.4% in the same period of 2023 to 6.9% this year.

June’s electric car sales data continues this trend, losing 1% of their market share, while registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles fell to 19.9%. This is a significant slowdown in the electric vehicle market when taking into account that total registrations – electric and combustion vehicles – during this month increased by 4.3%, and by 4.6% for the first six months of the year as a whole, compared to the same period last year.

Sales of electric vehicles have not only fallen across the board in Europe. In Q1 2024, the United States experienced a 7.3% decline in total electric car sales compared to Q4 2023. Only the continued growth of the Chinese car market, which accounts for 60% of global EV sales, is reversing this downward trend.

When the numbers don’t add up

After investing billions of euros in the development of new electric platforms, brands such as Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and the Stellantis group have announced that they have experienced a significant drop in electric vehicle orders.

The response from the automotive industry has not been long in coming, and for months now they have been announcing production cuts, factory closures and a rethink of their goals of becoming pure electric vehicle manufacturers by the end of this decade.

In this context, the Volkswagen Group has scrapped the possibility of opening a new plant around Wolfsburg, as planned, and has warned of the possible closure of Audi’s electric car factory in Brussels. Mercedes has cancelled the development of a new electric platform to concentrate its efforts on new, more affordable, combustion-engined vehicles.

But the European industry is playing against the clock – 2035 is the deadline for selling combustion vehicles and, as of today, this ban is still in force. However, the ban faces resistance from several quarters, who question the feasibility and impact of such a measure. MEPs agreed to a derogation until the end of 2035 for manufacturers with small annual production volumes and for the use of synthetic fuels.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), has called the ban “a mistake” after the European Parliament elections and promised that the party would discuss its repeal “in the coming days”. He is not the only voice among Eurocrats arguing for a less restrictive deal, and ultimately it will be decided in 2027 whether the legislation will be enforced.

From theory to reality

High prices, cut incentives and a lack of reliable recharging points have deterred consumers. The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) points to some of these factors as the main obstacles to the mass adoption of electric vehicles in Spain. According to the organisation, the use of electric vehicles is impractical without a place where they can be recharged daily at an affordable price, either at home or at the workplace.

On the other hand, the exorbitant prices of electric vehicles exclude buyers with lower purchasing power, i.e. the majority of the population in our country and in much of Europe, who demand more affordable vehicles. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Dacia Sandero was the best-selling car in the EU in the first half of the year, to the detriment of the Tesla Model Y, which has fallen from first place in 2023 to eighth this year, with a 26% drop in sales.

Another source of problems for the electric vehicle industry has to do with allegations of planned obsolescence. From batteries that, due to their high cost, are neither repairable nor replaceable, to software updates that give total control to manufacturers to the detriment of independent garages and owners, they limit the lifespan of electric cars, leave users feeling cheated and call into question the green credentials of this type of vehicle.

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