A new research report indicates that mainland China, on par with the United States, is rapidly taking on a leading role in addressing global climate change, but the report also warns that global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase significantly. The report, titled "The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change," reviewed actions taken over the past nine months and was compiled by the Climate Commission, an independent body based in Australia. Tim Flannery, a co-author of the report and a key member of the Climate Commission, said that mainland China has halved its electricity demand growth rate, significantly increased renewable energy capacity, and reduced emissions growth at a faster rate than expected. Whatever the reasons, these achievements carry weight. Mainland China has rapidly risen to a prominent position among the leaders in climate change. The report points out that mainland China invested $65.1 billion in clean energy in 2012, a 20% increase from 2011. This is the highest among G20 countries, accounting for 30% of total investment last year. The United States ranked second, investing $35.6 billion in renewable energy. Flannery points out that within a year, global renewable energy has surged, with solar power capacity increasing by 42% and wind power by 21%. In contrast to the surge in global investment in renewable energy, the report shows that global carbon emissions continue to rise strongly, impacting...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed flame retardants as a key focus of its 2013 chemical risk assessments. The EPA announced the following seven substances that will undergo comprehensive evaluation: 1. 1,2-ethylhexyl ester 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) 4,5-tetrabromobenzoic acid; 1,2-ethylhexyl 3,4,5,6-tetrabromo-benzenedicarboxylate, or (2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide; 1. tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP)

A report commissioned by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and authored by The Climate Group and the Central University of Finance and Economics states that China will need to raise up to $243 billion annually for clean energy development by 2020. The report will be submitted to the Chinese government this month. China invested $67.7 billion in renewable energy last year (2012), a 20% increase from 2011, accounting for a quarter of global investment in clean energy despite an overall decline in 2012. The report indicates that to help achieve its carbon reduction and low-carbon energy targets, China will need to spend 3.5 times more by 2020 than last year. China plans to meet 15% of its domestic energy demand with low-carbon energy by 2020, reduce carbon concentration by 17% from 2011 to 2015, and reach 40-45% of 2005 carbon concentration by 2020. The report states that achieving these targets requires an investment of up to $333 billion in 2015 and $413 billion by 2020. Current public and private funding is insufficient to complete the investment, with a financing gap of approximately 2% of the 2015 GDP forecast, or as high as $214 billion annually. This gap is projected to reach $243 billion annually by 2020. The report also notes that "although the funding gap is large, 2% of GDP is relatively small… Chinese leaders have ways to bridge the gap." Source:

On April 12, 2013, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) submitted a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) proposing to add five toxic and hazardous substances to the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law. These substances, or products containing them, would be classified as toxic or hazardous. The notification is currently in a 60-day public comment period and is expected to be adopted on July 1, 2013, and take effect on July 15, 2013. The five toxic and hazardous substances are as follows: Substance Name | Toxicity Classification             

Following the launch of the IEEE 1680.2 (television) standard earlier this year, the U.S. Green Electronics EPEAT certification has officially opened for registration. The first batch of EPEAT-certified television manufacturers includes LG and Samsung. The EPEAT environmental assessment mechanism, originally introduced in the United States, is a standard for evaluating the diverse environmental performance of electronic products. Since 2006, EPEAT has been the gold standard for sustainability assessment in the electronics industry, initially aimed at helping companies, governments, and consumers purchase more environmentally friendly personal computers and monitors. Initially, EPEAT only applied to desktop computers, laptops, and computer monitors, but it has gradually expanded to the home appliance sector. According to the IEEE 1680.2 standard, televisions must meet 24 "required" criteria, and to achieve the EPEAT Gold rating, an additional 29 "optional" criteria must be met. IEEE 1680.2 was developed over four years by hundreds of stakeholders from environmental groups, manufacturing industries, research institutions, recycling companies, and the public sector. Since 2006, the EPEAT assessment mechanism has had a considerable impact on environmental protection. Consumers who choose to purchase EPEAT-registered electronics have reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 11 million US cars, and toxic emissions have been reduced by 3%.

According to a notification submitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards in February of this year, South Korea plans to adopt revised adhesive safety standards in April. Following a 60-day consultation period, the proposed effective date for the standards is December 2013 or later. The revisions will include two main changes. The use of PHMG (polyhexamethylene guanidine) and PGH (oligo(2-(2-ethoxy)ethoxyethyl guanidinium chloride) will be restricted to household chemicals. Furthermore, regulations regarding ingredient composition and hazard labeling will be incorporated into the newly revised standards, which will include stricter regulations on "toxicity" labeling. The standards require manufacturers or importers of household chemical products containing adhesives to obtain product safety certification, with each product model requiring a product safety certificate issued by a testing laboratory designated by the agency. Manufacturers or importers must also declare to a safety product certification body before the product is marketed or cleared through customs to obtain market access. Last year, South Korea notified the WTO of legislation restricting the use of the same substances in air fresheners, deodorants, and other household chemical products. Source: Chemical Watch (2013-03-07) (PIDC&

A new report, commissioned by the UN Environment Programme's International Project on Ecosystem and Biodiversity Research (TEEB) and compiled by the renowned British environmental consultancy TruCost, reveals that major production and processing industries, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, and oil and gas exploration, cause environmental, health, and other critical losses to human well-being amounting to as much as $7.3 trillion annually. This necessitates stricter international measures to ensure ecological sustainability. The report, titled "Natural Capital at Risk – The Top 100 Externalities of Business," indicates that global businesses incur approximately $4.7 trillion in environmental losses annually, equivalent to 65% of the total environmental costs resulting from environmental shocks in major industries. The majority of these losses stem from greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use, accounting for 38%, 25%, and 24% of the total, respectively. Air pollution, water and soil pollution, and waste disposal account for 7%, 5%, and 1%, respectively. The report states that the most environmentally damaging industry is currently coal-fired power generation, particularly in Asia and the Americas, where losses due to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and increased healthcare spending amount to [amount missing].

The proportion of small green businesses in the UK seeking to export low-carbon products and services has tripled in the past two years, demonstrating that the rapid expansion of emerging small green businesses in the UK is playing a major role in the export-driven recovery. A survey conducted by the Carbon Trust shows that three-quarters of UK SMEs plan to expand into new markets in the next two years, with the US, Germany, mainland China, India, the Middle East, and Australia considered attractive export markets. The survey also indicates that green businesses continue to expand despite the challenging economic environment. More than half of the green businesses reported creating new jobs in the past year, and two-thirds believe they plan to create even more jobs in the coming year. Source: Green Trade Information Network (May 14, 2013)

Simon Mall, a US department store chain, pioneered the "Plastic Room," a plastic recycling center equipped with a plastic baling machine, to collect the large quantities of single-use plastic packaging materials generated by its retailers. A Simon Mall spokesperson explained that merchandise sold in the store is typically protected with PE plastic bags or shrink wrap and cardboard boxes. Removing these bags or wraps before displaying the goods generates a significant amount of plastic waste. Since these single-use plastic packaging materials are usually clean, proper recycling processes are simpler than sorting plastic waste from municipal waste, resulting in a much smaller environmental impact. Therefore, Simon Mall's three department stores were the first to introduce plastic baling machines and set up recycling rooms to centrally collect these clean single-use plastic packaging materials. Retailers bring their discarded plastic packaging materials to the "Plastic Room," where the baling machine compresses them into space-saving plastic cubes. To minimize its negative environmental impact, Simon Mall proactively recycles waste plastic packaging generated by retailers within the mall and has also sought assistance from the American Chemistry Council to find suitable recycling providers.

The European Commission (EC) announced that children's toys must comply with a new European ban effective immediately, prohibiting the use of dozens of chemicals that scientists say may cause cancer, impair fertility, or trigger allergies. The EC emphasized today (July 19, 2013): "From now on, toys cannot be manufactured using substances that can cause cancer, gene mutations, or affect fertility, nor can they use the 55 fragrances listed as allergens." The EC also mandates that manufacturers add warnings to the labels of 11 substances, indicating that they "may be allergens," and strengthens restrictions on 19 so-called "heavy metals," such as lead and barium. EC Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani stressed that if new scientific assessments emerge, the Commission will immediately introduce new regulations. For the full text of the toy directive, please refer to the attachment: EU Toy Directive - English Version. Source: Environmental Information Centre (2013-07-22) Attachment file: EU Toy Directive - English Version.pdf

Makati, a city in Metro Manila, Philippines, is the 16th most populous city in the country and its financial center. This city, comparable to Taipei's Xinyi District, will implement Southeast Asia's strictest plastic bag ban starting in June, prohibiting plastic bags, polystyrene, and other non-biodegradable single-use materials. The Solid Waste Management Ordinance, passed in 2003, originally scheduled to begin on January 1, 2013, but was extended to June 1, 2013, at the end of last year. Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay pointed out that the city has approximately 17,500 food retailers and restaurants, giving them over nine years to prepare for the ban. According to the ordinance, violators can be fined, imprisoned, or both, with serious offenses potentially resulting in the revocation of their business licenses. Manufacturers must submit a list of their inventory of plastic bags, polystyrene, and other non-biodegradable single-use materials between June 3rd and 7th, 2013, to avoid penalties. Source: Cleanbiz Asia (May 28, 2013) (Compiled by PIDC)

In late April 2013, the South Korean National Assembly passed the Draft Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals. All regulated hazardous substances were required to undergo registration and evaluation starting January 1, 2015. Because this draft acted on the principles of the EU REACH regulation and shared many similarities, it was referred to by the industry as Korean REACH (K-REACH). Similar to the EU REACH regulation, the release of Korean REACH also took considerable time. Like the EU REACH regulation, K-REACH is a regulation governing substances, and its content broadly covers registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction. Similar to the EU, the registration of hazardous substances requires a sole representative (OR) within South Korea. Currently, K-REACH mandates that manufacturers and importers of chemical substances provide risk assessment reports to the South Korean Ministry of Environment, while users are not subject to this obligation. Information on the safe use of substances is also required to be transmitted downstream from the supply chain, including manufacturers and importers. Manufacturers also have an obligation to communicate risk information throughout the supply chain. They must notify manufacturers if a product contains more than 1 ton/year of hazardous substances at a concentration exceeding 0.1% in the finished product. This also applies to products containing hazardous substances that will not be released during use.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released a comprehensive report on material flows and resource productivity trends in the Asia-Pacific region, warning that the current rate of resource consumption in the region may not be able to support its rapid economic growth and lifestyle changes. The report emphasizes that the region's "material intensity"—the amount of material consumed per dollar of GDP—is three times that of the rest of the world, requiring serious attention. The report points out that from 1970 to 2008, the Asia-Pacific region saw a 13.4-fold increase in consumption of minerals for construction, an 8.6-fold increase in metallic ores and industrial minerals, a 5.4-fold increase in fossil fuels, and a 2.7-fold increase in bioenergy. Data shows that at this rate of consumption, the region will become increasingly reliant on imports for its material needs and will be unable to sustain its economic growth and lifestyle changes. The current rate of consumption also has negative environmental impacts. Although the UNEP report did not include Taiwan, Taiwan has also established a material flow database construction project under the National Science Council. Analysis from 2011 shows that Taiwan extracted and imported nearly 400 million tons of materials. Of the materials produced, 280 million tons were emitted as air pollutants, while 42 million tons were exported. Professor Li Yuming, who participated in the research, pointed out that "material flow analysis" is a systematic method used to analyze the use of materials within a specific area and to examine the flow of materials from extraction, use to disposal. The National Science Council's material flow database has been updated to 2011, and the 2012 research results are expected to be released by the end of 2013.

According to the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL) announced by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), manufacturers and importers in Japan are required to submit annual notifications of new chemical substances starting April 1, 2011. Failure to submit notifications may result in the inability to manufacture or import chemicals smoothly. In December of last year (2012), METI announced the production/import volume and notification period for new chemical substances subject to notification obligations for this year (2013). Small-volume new chemical substances refer to annual production/import volumes of less than or equal to 1 ton. Therefore, the notification period for small-volume new chemical substances this year is as follows: Stage | New Chemical Substance Production/Import Period

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has signed legislation banning formaldehyde from childcare products, making Minnesota the first state in the U.S. to enact such legislation. Under this law, starting August 1, 2015, all marketed childcare products intended for children under eight years old, such as lotions and shampoos, must not contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing substances. The governor also signed a bill banning the addition of bisphenol A (BPA) to infant formula and infant food containers. Manufacturers were prohibited from selling such products with intentionally added BPA starting August 1, 2014. This ban took effect on retailers of these products starting August 1, 2015. Both bills specifically stipulate that chemicals used to replace BPA, formaldehyde, or formaldehyde-releasing substances in products must not be known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, genetically harmful substances, or substances with developmental, immune, nervous, or reproductive system toxicities. Source: Chemical Watch (May 23, 2013) (Compiled by PIDC)

An analysis of reports submitted by children's product manufacturers in Washington, D.C., between June 1, 2012, and March 1, 2013, revealed that over 5,000 children's products contained at least one chemical of high concern to the state government. Under Washington's Children’s Safe Products Act, manufacturers of children's products are required to submit safety reports for substances of high concern in their products. This reporting mechanism began in 2012, with the next deadline for submissions being August 2013. The analysis listed 41 substances of high concern found in children's products, including cadmium, mercury, cobalt, phthalates, formaldehyde, arsenic, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, decabromodiphenyl ether (decabromodiphenyl ether), and D4 (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane). The report indicated that the categories of children's products containing these substances of high concern included toys, baby products, car seats, children's cosmetics, and clothing, with clothing having the highest number of products, followed by footwear, toys, jewelry, accessories, and baby products. The authors of this analysis, the non-profit organizations Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States, strongly recommend that other state governments establish mechanisms for reporting substances of high concern in products and, through the collection and analysis of these reports, strengthen legislation to control hazardous substances to ensure children's health and safety. Source: &