Regulatory Watch
Regulation around ESG continues to evolve rapidly. This section summarizes some of the latest regulatory developments across key global markets, including the US, EU, UK, India, and the Middle East. Our analysis captures the nature of the legislative changes or updates, along with our high-level assessment of broader implications on business practices and compliance strategies.
ESG Best Practices Around the Globe
Uniqus has observed and summarized leading ESG practices worldwide, aiming to inspire governments, businesses, and individuals alike. We highlight exemplary initiatives and strategies that set environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance excellence standards. Learn how these best practices achieve sustainable outcomes and drive meaningful change across various sectors and communities.
Amsterdam’s Commitment to Becoming the World’s First City with a Circular Economy
Envisaged in 2020, Amsterdam’s strategy intends to halve the city’s use of new raw materials by 2030, becoming a fully circular economy by 2050.
The city’s authorities, citizens, and residents have focused on cutting waste in three areas – food consumed, products used, and construction in the built environment. Highlights include:
– The Circular Monitor built in the city tracks all the material streams and assists in making the right material-use choices, as well as fostering reuse and redesigns.
– Opportunities are identified in the most unlikely places; for instance, Amsterdam has begun recycling its artificial grass and redesigning new green pitches to increase their longevity. The municipality regularly reuses building materials and reserves the ordering of fresh supplies as a last resort.
An Indian Pilgrimage Adopts a Digital Deposit Refund System (DRS)
India’s diversity is evident from its many cultures and religions, each with its important sites. One such site for Hindus is Kedarnath in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand. To address environmental concerns associated with these sites, the Government of Uttarakhand, in collaboration with a startup, has implemented a digital Deposit Refund System (DRS) initiative. Under this innovative system, pilgrims are digitally reimbursed a deposit amount when they return used plastic packaging to designated deposit refund centers. These deposit refund centers are conveniently located along pilgrimage routes.
ESG Encyclopedia
Dive into the essentials of ESG with our monthly spotlight on key topics, themes, and concepts shaping the landscape of sustainable business practices. In each issue of our newsletter, we select a new focal area to give you an in-depth understanding of its significance and application.
The Carbon Sink
In essence, a carbon sink operates by absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, effectively acting as a storage mechanism for carbon. This process is exemplified by natural entities such as plants, oceans, and soil. On the other hand, a carbon source functions by releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs, contributing to the accumulation of greenhouse gases. Examples of carbon sources include the combustion of fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions. Carbon sinks can exist in both natural and human-made forms, each playing a crucial role in the global carbon cycle.
Carbon serves as a fundamental building block for life on our planet. It constitutes the fats and carbohydrates in our food as well as the molecules, such as DNA and proteins, in our bodies. Aside from being a crucial component of the air we breathe, carbon is also stored in various reservoirs, including the oceans, rocks, fossil fuels, and plant matter.
The carbon cycle describes the flow of carbon among these diverse reservoirs. A harmonious interaction between carbon sinks and carbon sources is vital for maintaining the balance of carbon concentrations on our planet.
