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India’s tightly regulated tobacco leaf sector, producing the world’s second largest annual output of tobacco leaf at around 800,000 tonnes (following China and just ahead of Brazil), according to the Tobacco Board of India, is investing in modernisation to further strengthen this position, which includes a recent surge in export sales (1).  …

Sustainability is not only a marketing buzzword in the packaging sector, but also a legal and environmental necessity, even if it costs more, packaging experts have told Packaging Gateway. Notably, making recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is more expensive than virgin PET, and due to “limited availability and the high cost of recycled content,” PepsiCo used more virgin plastic than planned in 2022 according to its ESG [environmental, social and governance] 2022 report (1) released earlier this year (2023).…

China’s key government economic body has released restrictions on the use of iron oxide pigments and titanium dioxide, the most important white pigment used in the coatings industry. In July (2023), China’s National Development and Reform Commission and related departments issued an updated Notice on Issuing the Energy Efficiency Benchmark Levels and Baseline Levels in Key Industrial Fields, with 11 additional controls, including 11 key areas including titanium dioxide (TiO2).…

As decentralised finance (DeFI), non-fungible tokens (NFT) and associated crypto-currency based technologies expand in scope, regulators are playing whack-a-mole to try and ensure services are covered by AML/CFT legislation. It is sometimes not fit-for-purpose, with a US Treasury risk assessment (1) released in April (2023) stressing that some DeFI services could legitimately be exempt from Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) AML/CFT rules.…

Knitting companies based in the European Union (EU) may be told they cannot destroy unsold or returned textiles in future, pushing them to consider design, manufacturing and sourcing changes that will reduce their exposure to a new law.

According to the European Commission, about 5.8 million tonnes of yarn and fabric of all kinds are discarded every year in the EU, approximately 11 kilos per person (1), and their destruction “by economic operators is becoming a widespread environmental problem across the Union, in particular due to the rapid growth of online sales” (2).  …

Bangladesh is exploring offshore wind power as a key solution for a country seeking energy diversification, but whose dense population restricts land availability for renewable power. In July (2023), a USD1.3 billion investment offer in Bangladesh’s wind power energy from Denmark-based Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a leading green infrastructure fund manager, working with offshore wind developer Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) has boosted this south Asian country’s renewable energy ambitions (1).…

The North Sea, tapped for oil and natural gas I earnest since the 1960s by Britain, Norway, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium – is increasingly being utilised as a site for renewable energy projects, as well as carbon capture and storage.…

Russia military attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure may be paving the way for the victim country to build a sustainable decentralised renewable energy-based electricity system.

By striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Russia hopes to destroy the will of the Ukrainian population, who have remained resilient against Russian occupation and attacks against civilian infrastructure.…

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has proposed an International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, ‘General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements’. Released for public consultation, the standard is designed to guide limited and reasonable assurance engagements on sustainability information.…

Textile suppliers have been navigating a growing and confusing world of sustainable standards and certifications while trying to meet clients’ diverse requests.  

“This is very difficult because every company has different requirements. So as of today, it is a bit of the Wild West.…