Market Intelligence Report
July/August 2024 Newsletter
A debrief highlighting the most important, impactful and interesting topics affecting the sector.
Market Intelligence Report
ISB Global’s Pritesh Pattni Comments on Technologies Transforming the Waste Industry
“Blockchain technology can help waste operators to meet the reporting needs of their commercial clients,” explained Pattni. “Blockchain-based systems record and verify transactions securely across a distributed database, helping waste management companies to log every step of their processes. This leads to better reporting and oversight, with all logs and records both transparent and traceable.”
News we thought was of interest
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Brought Forward from 2027
“In a written response to a question posed by a Liberal Democrat MP, Creagh has confirmed that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is currently reviewing packaging reforms and plans to update the next steps for the DRS in due course.
Creagh stated: “This Government is committed to creating a roadmap to a zero-waste economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net-zero…”
“We are reviewing the suite of packaging reforms and are going to work with our devolved government counterparts, industry and other stakeholders to determine the next steps for the DRS. I would be happy to update the House in due course.””
The Circulate Initiative – The Private Investment Landscape for a Global Circular Economy for Plastics: Insights from the Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker
“This report, launched in cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), provides the latest data and insights from the third edition of the Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker.
The report analyzes more than 5,500 transactions across 3,000 companies in 100 countries from 2018 to 2023. It also showcases new case studies that feature innovative investment approaches such as thematic loans and bonds, blended finance and outcomes-based financing.
The insights highlight the urgent need to accelerate and diversify investments across the plastics value chain to curb the widening financing gap and drive capital towards solutions.”
Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) USA Publishes Guide to Increasing Recycling Supply
“Recycling supply and demand issues are primary components to recycling market development. For many years, increasing the demand for recycled materials has taken precedence over supply issues. The Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC) Board of Directors and Advisory Members recognized the need to refocus on supply side issues and created the Supply Side Policy Committee. The Committee’s primary role is to identify and discuss strategies used by different stakeholders to increase the supply of recycled materials and to share this information by creating the Guide to Increasing Recycling Supply.”
Green Impact Exchange files with the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish itself as an environmental- and sustainability-focused stock exchange
“The Jersey City, New Jersey-based Green Impact Exchange (GIX) has filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking approval to function as the first stock market in the U.S. dedicated to the emerging $50 trillion-plus global green economy.
GIX intends to host listed companies that make a “binding commitment” to set, implement, measure and achieve sustainability goals and be transparent with investors about their progress.
Companies that want to be recognized for their commitment to sustainability can dually list on GIX without giving up their primary listing exchange, according to GIX.
“Today’s filing is a major step forward for sustainable investors and capital markets,” GIX co-founder and CEO Dan Labovitz. “GIX will connect investors who care about sustainability with companies that are credibly committed to becoming and being sustainable.””
Eunomia Report – Global Recycling League Table
“It is very important to understand how each country around the world is performing in terms of waste generation and recycling of the generated waste so that we can accurately track the progress on moving towards a more circular world economy. This Eunomia initiative will enable us to do that, with 48 countries already included in this phase, and more countries to be added in the subsequent phases.” Joe Papineschi, Chairperson, Eunomia Research and Consulting”
UN Environment Programme Foresight Report on Planetary Health & Human Wellbeing
“The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with the International Science Council (ISC), developed a report that recommends a forward-looking approach to anticipating, preparing for, and responding to emerging challenges and future disruptions. It identifies eight critical global shifts that are accelerating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, along with 18 accompanying signals of change the world must better prepare for.
The global foresight report on planetary health and human well-being themed, ‘Navigating New Horizons,’ mirrors the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Our Common Agenda’ report, which calls for UN agencies and Member States “to engage foresight practices more deeply and apply the derived insights to address global systemic risks.””
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) USA Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Report Update 2024
“In 2014, EPA began building a dataset of names and locations of anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste to better understand the practice and prevalence of food waste digestion in the U.S. EPA recognized that data showing the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion to process food waste is important for states, communities, and others working to divert food waste from landfills and combustion facilities. In December 2016, EPA was granted the authority to survey digesters annually, and EPA renewed that authority until 2025. Learn more about the objectives, history, and previous survey results on the Anaerobic Digestion Data Collection Project homepage.”
UK’s Net Zero Transition – CCC’s Annual Progress Report
“All in all, the CCC has concluded that only one-third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the UK’s 2030 targets are backed with credible policies that have low delivery risks.
Of the 22 reporting indicators the CCC assesses, only five are on track. There has only been a “slight increase” in credible plans year-on-year and time is of the essence.
Interim CCC chair Professor Piers Forster said: “The country’s 2030 emissions reduction target is at risk. The new Government has an opportunity to course-correct, but it will need to be done as a matter of urgency to make up for lost time. They are off to a good start. Action needs to extend beyond electricity, with rapid progress needed on electric cars, heat pumps and tree planting.”
The Committee maintains that the costs of delivering net-zero are far outweighed by the risks of inaction, and are not significantly more than simply replacing existing infrastructure as it ages. The transition is priced at 0.5% to 2% of GDP.”
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