Human rights

Scotland is ditching its flagship 2030 climate goal – why legally binding targets really matter

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Temperature, European Court, High court, Climate change, Letter, Human rights, Climate, Urgenda, Policy, Neubauer, Carbon, Court of cassation, ClientEarth, Embarrassment, Government, Legislation

The target was statutory, meaning it had been set in law in the Emissions Reduction Targets Act of 2019.

Key Points: 
  • The target was statutory, meaning it had been set in law in the Emissions Reduction Targets Act of 2019.
  • Scotland is still subject to the 2030 carbon target for the UK as a whole.
  • The consistent implementation of the existing targets, in other words, is the difference between meeting the Paris objectives and condemning the planet to dangerous climate change.

Legally (but not literally) binding

  • In 2017, Sweden was the first major economy to enact a statutory net zero target.
  • Its net zero target is complemented by a series of intermediate steps: five-yearly carbon budgets, which are also legally binding.
  • Legal scholars have long known that, even though the targets are legally binding, they would be difficult to enforce against an unwilling government.

Governments in the dock

  • The plaintiff was the environmental law charity ClientEarth, which remains dissatisfied with the strategy and returned to court in February 2024.
  • If successful, such a move would be the latest in a series of court cases in which judges have ordered governments to scale up their climate ambitions.
  • The political embarrassment of missing a statutory target, or being subject to a court case, can focus the mind.
  • A review of the UK Climate Change Act found that civil servants were petrified about the threat of a judicial review.
  • Scotland’s decision to abandon its 2030 climate ambition is the most brazen violation of a statutory climate target yet.


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Sam Fankhauser receives funding from the University of Oxford's Strategic Research Fund for Oxford Net Zero and the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN).

Frank Elderson: “Know thyself” – avoiding policy mistakes in light of the prevailing climate science

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
European Convention, Reproduction, Failure, European Court, Face, Human rights, Frankfurt, Climate, United Nations, World Bank Group, Investment, Paris Agreement, International economics, Policy, Bank of Greece, Wildfire, Speech, Environment, United Nations Environment Programme, Science, ECB, Blog, Risk, Education, EIOPA, Communication, Drought, Ancient Greek, Climate change, Safety, Watcher, De Nederlandsche Bank, Procrastination, Depression, European Environment Agency, Green, Tourism, Knowledge, Research, Food, Private sector, Insurance, IPCC, Movement, European Central Bank, The, Temperature, Health, Uncertainty, Attention, Conference, Financial system, Supervisory board, Oracle, Bank, Fishery, Flood, Thought, DELFI, Water, World Bank, Persians, Government, International human rights law, Renewable energy

Stock market development and familiarity (language and distance) are considered key determinants for home bias.

Key Points: 
  • Stock market development and familiarity (language and distance) are considered key determinants for home bias.
  • The literature neglects however that investors often invest in foreign funds domiciled in financial centers.

Shifts in how sex and gender identity are defined may alter human rights protections: Canadians deserve to know how and why

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Elimination, Convention, Democracy, Government, Organization, Amnesty International, Future Fund, Human rights, Federation, Education, Department of Justice (Canada), Public policy, Research, United Nations, Female, Policy, Gender identity, Factorization of polynomials, Data collection, Private sector, Student, The Department, Woman, Male, Justice, Curriculum, Universal, Rights, Richard Wagner (judge), Discrimination, Treasury Board of Canada, Parent, Humanities, Legislation, Social science, Fear, Toy

Recent education policy changes and protests about sex education reveal increasing concern and polarization over how sex and gender identity are taught in public schools in Canada.

Key Points: 
  • Recent education policy changes and protests about sex education reveal increasing concern and polarization over how sex and gender identity are taught in public schools in Canada.
  • They also expose the significant role now played by school boards in constructing the meaning of gender identity and gender expression.
  • Changes in how words and terms are used can impact our ability to know about people’s lives and protect their rights.
  • Significant shifts are taking place around how we define and understand sex and gender in education and public policy in Canada.

Sex, gender and law

  • Yet sex, gender identity and gender expression are not defined in human rights legislation in Canada.
  • They should be able to express their concerns and participate in open discussions about the meaning of words we share.

Changes in the definition of sex

  • The Charter of the United Nations prohibits sex discrimination.
  • The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights precludes discrimination based on sex.

Changes since 2018


Since 2018, the word sex is increasingly defined by the federal government as something that is “assigned at birth.” But there is no consistency across federal departments and agencies. Some continue to define sex as a biological question of male or female. Those that define sex as assigned at birth do not consistently explain how sex is assigned or by whom.

Conceptual shifts around word ‘woman’

  • Similar conceptual shifts are taking place around the word woman.
  • The word woman was formerly linked to sex and used to refer to female people.
  • Now, government departments including the Department of Justice increasingly use the word woman to refer to all people who identify as women.

Defining gender identity

  • When gender identity was added to federal human rights legislation, the Department of Justice defined gender identity as:
    “each person’s internal and individual experience of gender.
  • A person’s gender identity may or may not align with the gender typically associated with their sex.”
    “A person’s internal and deeply felt sense of being a man or woman, both or neither.
  • A person’s gender identity may or may not align with the gender typically associated with their sex.”

School boards define terms differently

  • Researchers have identified that secular boards across Ontario define gender identity and gender expression differently from one another.
  • Some school boards now define gender identity as something everyone has.

Data collection shifts away from sex towards gender

  • A shift away from sex and towards gender (identity) has occurred in data collection practices at the federal government level.
  • In 2018, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Department of Justice Canada recommended “ways to modernize how the Government of Canada handles information on sex and gender.” They recommended that “departments and agencies should collect or display gender information by default, unless sex information is specifically needed.” They used “sex” to refer to biological characteristics, and “gender” to refer to a social and personal identity.

Open discussions are overdue


As Canadian society shifts to accommodate the legal recognition of gender diversity, there will be tensions. Ultimately, courts will be tasked with deciding how some of those tensions are resolved, when sex, gender identity and gender expression are all protected in human rights laws. In the meantime, as a society, we need to openly and transparently grapple with some increasingly important questions:
First, how will foundational concepts such as sex, gender identity and gender expression be defined and given effect in education, law, public policy and beyond?
Second, how will tensions between experiences, interests and rights associated with sex and those associated with gender identity and/or gender expression be resolved?
Third, who is best placed to decide how these questions are answered in education, law, public policy and beyond?
Everyone who may be impacted by the answers to these questions should be included in the conversation.
Debra M Haak receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Bar Association Law for the Future Fund, and the Queen's University Faculty Association Fund for Scholarly Research.

Resilience through music: Violins of Hope exhibition showcases historic instruments connected to the Holocaust

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Hebrew language, Education, Human rights, National Music Centre, History, Sale, Violins of Hope, Chairperson, JUNO, City, Survivor, Exhibition, Music, Collection, Hardship, NMC, Violin, Tourism

Scheduled to run from May 3 to June 16, 2024, Violins of Hope is a poignant collection of string instruments dating from before and during the Holocaust.

Key Points: 
  • Scheduled to run from May 3 to June 16, 2024, Violins of Hope is a poignant collection of string instruments dating from before and during the Holocaust.
  • “Violins of Hope marks a significant milestone as the first internationally-themed music exhibition hosted by the National Music Centre,” said Andrew Mosker, President and CEO, National Music Centre.
  • “We are excited to host this moving exhibition that promotes hope and healing through music.
  • For further information regarding the Violins of Hope exhibition and ticket purchases, please visit studiobell.ca .

Statement by the Prime Minister on the passing of the Honourable Iona Campagnolo

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Cabinet, International Centre, Today, Human rights, Politics, University, Fitness, Parliament, Woman, Democracy, Iona Campagnolo, Liberal Party, Optimism, Bangladesh Technical Education Board, Lieutenant, Human

OTTAWA, ON, April 5, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of the Honourable Iona Campagnolo:

Key Points: 
  • OTTAWA, ON, April 5, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of the Honourable Iona Campagnolo:
    "Today, I join Canadians in mourning the passing of Iona Campagnolo, a respected politician, former Cabinet minister, and former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
  • She served under my father, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, as Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport, and was a strong voice for women's rights both in Canada and around the world.
  • She was also the first woman to serve as President of the Liberal Party of Canada.
  • "For her decades of tireless service, Mrs. Campagnolo received numerous awards and accolades, including honorary degrees, Indigenous honours, and the Order of British Columbia.

CP Group Rebrands Downtown Atlanta’s Former CNN Center to ‘The Center,’ Launches Office and Retail Leasing

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Other Construction & Property, Commercial Building & Real Estate, Construction & Property, Interior Design, CBRE, Interior, Congress Center, Culture, CNN Center, Sport, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Human rights, Centennial, Sale, Charoen Pokphand, Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, Senior, City, CNN, AT&T, Heart, Commerce, State Farm Arena, Summer Olympic Games, Multimedia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium

CP Group , a vertically-integrated commercial real estate and management firm, today announced the repositioning of the renowned 1.2 million-square-foot CNN Center, which is now available for office and retail leasing.

Key Points: 
  • CP Group , a vertically-integrated commercial real estate and management firm, today announced the repositioning of the renowned 1.2 million-square-foot CNN Center, which is now available for office and retail leasing.
  • Rebranded as “The Center,” the mixed-use development is set to become a hub of world-class retail, dining, content creation, and entertainment at the core of downtown Atlanta’s entertainment district.
  • Coleman Weatherholtz of Healey Weatherholtz Properties is the retail leasing agent, while Jeff Keppen and Nicole Goldsmith of CBRE are The Center’s exclusive office leasing agents.
  • For leasing opportunities or further information, contact Coleman Weatherholtz of Healey Weatherholtz Properties (retail) or Jeff Keppen and Nicole Goldsmith of CBRE (office).

Americhem has earned the EcoVadis Silver Medal for Sustainability

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 5, 2024
Other Manufacturing, Environment, Textiles, Climate Change, Chemicals, Plastics, Manufacturing, Alternative Energy, Sustainability, Energy, Carbon, PCR, Solar energy, Cold, Biophysical environment, Silver, Human rights, PET, Guarantee of origin, LCA, Wind, Life-cycle assessment, Water, Safety, Sustainable procurement, Certification

Americhem, a globally recognized designer and manufacturer of custom color masterbatch, functional additives, engineered compounds, and performance technologies, has been awarded the Silver EcoVadis Medal.

Key Points: 
  • Americhem, a globally recognized designer and manufacturer of custom color masterbatch, functional additives, engineered compounds, and performance technologies, has been awarded the Silver EcoVadis Medal.
  • EcoVadis is a globally recognized assessment platform that rates businesses' sustainability in various categories.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240404483358/en/
    Americhem has earned the EcoVadis Silver Medal for Sustainability (Graphic: Business Wire)
    The EcoVadis rating also covers a broad range of non-financial management systems including Environmental, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement impacts.
  • Americhem would like to thank EcoVadis for their commitment to ensuring that companies remain conscious in their efforts toward a more sustainable future.

Opinion: How Intel is Refining Its Approach to Responsible AI

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductor, Data Management, Intel, Learning, Human rights, Trust, Bias, Ethics, Research, Business Roundtable, Information technology, AI, Partnership on AI, Student, Workforce, Intelligent Systems, Supply chain, DFKI, Ecosystem, Safety, Curriculum, Privacy, IntelCenter, Artificial intelligence, RAI, Medical device

While there is nothing simple about addressing this complex area, responsible AI has never been about simplicity.

Key Points: 
  • While there is nothing simple about addressing this complex area, responsible AI has never been about simplicity.
  • Despite the great progress that has been made in responsible AI, it is still a nascent field.
  • At Intel Labs, we focus on key research areas including privacy, security, safety, human/AI collaboration, misinformation, AI sustainability, explainability and transparency.
  • Lama Nachman is an Intel Fellow and director of the Intelligent Systems Research Lab at Intel Labs.

PUMA Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 24% in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Automotive, Other Manufacturing, Environmental Health, Textiles, Sports, Sustainability, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Recycling, Manufacturing, General Sports, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Fashion, Environment, Retail, Alternative Energy, Energy, Transport, Professional Services, Footwear, EV, Electric Vehicles, FIBRE, Electricity, Culture, Science Based Targets initiative, Growth, Human rights, Carbon accounting, PUMA, GHG, Football, Science, Climate, Carbon, Athlete, Plastic, Suede, Maersk, Multimedia, Cobra Golf, Greenhouse, Marketing, Renewable energy

Sports company PUMA reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24% in 2023 compared to 2022, despite a strong sales growth.

Key Points: 
  • Sports company PUMA reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24% in 2023 compared to 2022, despite a strong sales growth.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240313721861/en/
    Sports company PUMA reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 24% in 2023 compared to 2022, despite a strong sales growth.
  • Compared with the 2017 baseline, this means an absolute greenhouse gas emission reduction of 29%.
  • sustainability strategy and our 10FOR25 targets.”
    With an 85% reduction of own emissions and a 65% reduction of supply chain emissions relative to sales, PUMA achieved its first science-based greenhouse gas reduction target in 2023, seven years ahead of the target year 2030.

Nagase Viita Receives Highest "Platinum" Rating for Sustainability from EcoVadis

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Human rights, Sustainable procurement, Sustainable Development Goals, Environment, Platinum, Policy, Labour, Gold

OKAYAMA, Japan, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nagase Viita Co., Ltd., a NAGASE Group member headquartered in Okayama, Japan, has received the highest "Platinum" rating in a sustainability survey conducted by EcoVadis SAS of France, one of the world's most trusted providers of business sustainability ratings for global supply chains.

Key Points: 
  • OKAYAMA, Japan, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nagase Viita Co., Ltd., a NAGASE Group member headquartered in Okayama, Japan, has received the highest "Platinum" rating in a sustainability survey conducted by EcoVadis SAS of France, one of the world's most trusted providers of business sustainability ratings for global supply chains.
  • The "Platinum" rating is awarded to companies that score in the top 1% of all eligible companies.
  • Nagase Viita received a Gold rating in 2022 and a Silver rating in 2023.
  • Encouraged by this Platinum rating, Nagase Viita will continue to promote measures to resolve social issues, improve its corporate value and continue to be sought after by its stakeholders.