Upgrading iron and steel plants could save equivalent of two years of global carbon emissions

Upgrading, or retrofitting, the world's iron and steel processing plants early could reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 gigatonnes by 2050, roughly equivalent to two years' net global carbon emissions, according to a new study led by UCL researchers

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

 NEWS RELEASE 20-SEP-2023

Upgrading, or retrofitting, the world's iron and steel processing plants early could reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 gigatonnes by 2050, roughly equivalent to two years' worth of net global carbon emissions, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

Published in the journal Nature, the researchers found that by upgrading the world’s iron and steel production facilities, carbon emissions can be reduced by 58.7 gigatonnes between 2020 and 2050, roughly equivalent to two years’ worth of net global carbon emissions. In addition, they found that by bumping forward emissions reduction retrofits five years ahead of when they would be typically scheduled, it would reduce emissions by 69.6 gigatonnes over that time frame. Iron and steel production contributes about 7% to total global carbon emissions.

To develop this schedule, the team created a comprehensive database of 19,678 individual processing units located in 4,883 individual iron and steel plants around the world, inventoried by their technical characteristics, including their locations, processing technologies, operating details, status and age.

Iron and steel production is a carbon emissions heavy process. The researchers found that as of 2019, the last year that data is available, 74.5% of the world’s steel was produced in coal powered plants that release considerable carbon emissions. Technologies exist to reduce these admissions, but upgrades are expensive and time consuming and so are usually only undertaken at the end of a processing unit’s operational lifetime.

Refining is also hard on the equipment, and the individual processing units within each plant need to be retrofitted periodically to prolong their operational lifetimes. Overall, 43.2% of global iron and steel plants have been retrofitted with new technologies or have otherwise enhanced their processes to extend their operating lifetime. The frequency of their retrofits depends on the technique they employ and how old they are, but typically they occur after 15 to 27 years of use.

The researchers found that if all currently operating processing units were upgraded to incorporate low-emissions technology at their predicted time of their refit, total emissions from the iron and steel sector could be reduced by 58.7 gigatonnes between 2020 and 2050, but if all the refits and upgrades were bumped forward and completed five years early, the total carbon savings would be 16% greater at 69.6 gigatonnes.

But the team also emphasises that mitigation efforts will have to take place at the individual facility level, and that the decarbonisation of the entire iron and steel industry depends on the efforts undertaken by every single plant. Because of the complexity and variety of methods involved in steel production around the world, there’s no one-size-fits-all decarbonisation technology or solution for the entire sector, and each processing unit should be upgraded individually according to its technical specification.

Senior author Professor Dabo Guan (UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction) said: “Our results lend vivid background to the possibility of achieving net-zero carbon emissions in iron and steel production in the future. By retrofitting existing plants with low-carbon technologies, and improving scrap collecting and recycling, the iron and steel sector can dramatically reduce its carbon emissions. This study sheds light on the specific emissions reductions that are possible within the iron and steel industry.”

About 63% of the world’s steel production is from some type of blast oxygen furnace, while most of the remaining capacity is produced by electric arc furnaces. Upgrading the global inventory of blast oxygen furnaces will yield the greatest net carbon savings, about 74% of the total projected carbon savings. Upgrades to electric arc furnaces would account for the second highest net carbon savings, at about 16% of the projected whole, though this may be limited by the total amount of stock scrap available worldwide as the technique is dependent on recycling existing metals.

The researchers hope that this data can be used to identify improved ways to update ageing steel plants with emission reduction technologies in order to reach net-zero carbon emissions more quickly. Compiling this publicly available global database of iron and steel plants and tracking all their ages and technologies has significantly improved the detail of data around the carbon emission of global iron and steel production.

The researchers emphasise that because of the wide range of production methods and plant designs, the particulars of individual upgrades and mitigation effort of each processing unit will have to be done on an individual basis. Their research will help policymakers create a roadmap of when and how to upgrade iron and steel plants to meet emissions reduction targets.

The first author PhD student Tianyang Lei of Tsinghua University said: “Our study presents various CO2 emissions mitigation pathways at the plant level, optimizing when and how to retrofit each plant based on processing routes, latest retrofitting year, and operating lifetime, stressing the importance of early retrofitting with deep decarbonisation technologies for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

The database reveals other insights into the iron and steel industry. Geographically different regions tend to use different technologies and techniques based on the available technologies and raw materials in the region. Some of the most carbon-intensive, coal-based production plants are concentrated in China, Japan, and India, while plants in the Middle East and North America which have greater access to natural gas resources use techniques that emit relatively less carbon dioxide.

The top five carbon emitting iron and steel plants contribute 7% of the total CO2 emissions from the global iron and steel industry but only make up 0.1% of the total 4,883 plants. They are: Anshan Iron & Steel (China), Posco - Pohang Iron & Steel (South Korea), Shanghai Baosteel (China), Jiangsu Shagang (China), Maanshan Iron & Steel Group (China). The researchers say that retrofitting these plants to lower their carbon emissions would demonstrate the feasibility for other, similar plants. 

The research was led by UCL and conducted in collaboration with Tsinghua University, Peking University and King's College London.

 

Notes to Editors

For more information or to speak to the researchers involved, please contact Michael Lucibella, UCL Media Relations. T: +44 (0)75 3941 0389, E: m.lucibella@ucl.ac.uk

Tianyang Lei, Daoping Wang, Shijun Ma, Weichen Zhao, Can Cui, Jing Meng, Xiang Yu, Qiang Zhang, Shu Tao, Dabo Guan, ‘Global iron and steel plant CO2 emissions and carbon neutrality pathways’ will be published in Nature on Wednesday 20 September 2023, 16:00 UK time 11:00 US Eastern Time and is under a strict embargo until this time.

The DOI for this paper will be 10.1038/s41586-023-06486-7.

 

Additional material

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06486-7

Please contact Michael Lucibella for a copy of the research paper under embargo

 

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JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-06486-7 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Global iron and steel plant CO2 emissions and carbon neutrality pathways

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Sep-2023

 

Effective visual communication of climate change

New study published in GEOSPHERE

Peer-Reviewed Publication

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

 

IMAGE: DR. ELIJAH JOHNSON MODELS THE SCREEN-BASED EYE-TRACKER ACTIVITY USED FOR THIS STUDY, WHERE AN INFRARED SENSOR DETECTS THE VISUAL FOCUS OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS. CREDIT: STEPH COURTNEY. view more 

CREDIT: STEPH COURTNEY

Boulder, Colo., USA: The consequences of a warming climate frequently dominated the news this summer, from devastating wildfires and floods to deadly heat waves across the globe. Reducing harm from climate change is a challenging endeavor, and it requires comprehensive public education. Thus, the question arises: How can climate change science be made most accessible to the general population, as well as decision-makers and educators?

In a new paper published in the journal Geosphere, Steph Courtney and Karen McNeal explore the effects of improved data visualizations on user perception of climate change evidence.

With a geoscience background and a specialization in science education and communication, Courtney is passionate about improving the public’s understanding of climate change. “We get excited and carried away as scientists but that’s not going to work for a lot of audiences,” says Courtney. “Your communication goal is more important than how cool you think your graph is.”

In this study, the team redesigned three graphs from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report. They assessed the impact of the redesign on graph usability (i.e. individuals’ ability to accurately and quickly extract information from it) and user perception of scientist trustworthiness and climate change risk, which correlate to both knowledge and intention to take action. The process was iterative, including two rounds of user testing and successive redesign and re-testing. Methods included a combination of surveys, eye-tracking, ranking activities, and interviews.

While the overall usability of the redesigned charts was found to be equivalent to that of the originals, study participants perceived all of the redesigned figures to be more trustworthy. Participants also reported one of the redesigns made them more concerned about climate change than the original.

An interesting question explored in this study was whether more simplistic figures would look “less scientific” and thus less trustworthy. Surprisingly, this did not turn out to be the case. “Pretty is fine,” explains Courtney. “If it looks nicer, it looks like you put time into it, so you care about it and you know what you are doing. Understandable and attractive graphs can be trustworthy. It is a win-win!”

The authors found that familiar figure formats were most useful; even minor changes to standard charts were confusing to the audience. Intentional use of color-coding was very important to participants, increasing both their understanding and perception of credibility. Likewise, minimal use of additional explanatory text on axes and fields greatly helped in those respects, although visual cluttering is a potential downside.

Graph redesign in this study was subtle, in order to be able to confidently parse out which change resulted in what improvement. Yet some of these changes were quite impactful. “Little changes that take just a bit of effort can make the science more accessible and meaningful to people. It is worth that little bit of effort. Communication is not the only barrier in addressing climate change, but it is an area we can stand to improve—and it is worthwhile,” emphasizes Courtney.

Courtney sees the future of this research field focusing on practical examples of climate scientists’ top priorities for public understanding of and actions to address climate change, perhaps attempting more dramatic graph edits. She will share her results with the IPCC and is looking forward to seeing their next assessment report.

One of the graphs and its redesigns used for this study. (A) Original for this study (IPCC, 2014); (B) Redesign 1 based on guidelines from Harold et al. (2016); © Redesign 2 guided by user testing.

CREDIT

Steph Courtney

FEATURED ARTICLE

Seeing is believing: Climate change graph design and user judgments of credibility, usability, and risk
S.L. Courtney and K.S. McNeal
Contact: Steph Courtney, scourtney@usetinc.org
https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02517.1

GEOSPHERE articles published ahead of print are online at https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geosphere/early-publication. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary copies of articles by contacting Justin Samuel. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOSPHERE in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org.

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JOURNAL

Geosphere

DOI

10.1130/GES02517.1 

ARTICLE TITLE

Seeing is believing: Climate change graph design and user judgments of credibility, usability, and risk

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Sep-2023

 

New study reveals a long history of violence in ancient hunter-gatherer societies

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TULANE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: TULANE PROFESSOR JOHN VERANO IS A CO-AUTHOR OF A STUDY ABOUT HOW INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AND WARFARE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE LIVES OF ANCIENT POPULATIONS IN NORTHERN CHILE. view more 

CREDIT: HELEN CHAVARRIA

Violence was a consistent part of life among ancient communities of hunter-gatherers, according to a new study co-authored by a Tulane University researcher that looked for signs of trauma on 10,000-year-old skeletal remains from burial sites in northern Chile.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Archaeological research has shown that interpersonal violence and warfare played an important role in the lives of hunter-gatherer groups over time. Still, many questions remain about the factors that influence such violence. The record of human populations in northern Chile extends across 10,000 years, providing a valuable opportunity to study patterns in violence over time.

John Verano, a biological anthropologist and professor at Tulane School of Liberal Arts, specializes in examining ancient and modern human skeletons. He collaborated with lead study author Vivien Standen, from the University of Tarapacá, Chile, to investigate potential cases of skull fractures and their timing. They analyzed whether the injuries had healed or were likely to be fatal and determined if the wounds were accidental or caused by interpersonal violence.

“I was able to participate in this important research thanks to a kind invitation to travel to Chile,” Verano said. “It was a great opportunity to share our experience diagnosing injuries to bone and their possible causes.”

In this study, the researchers examined signs of violent trauma on the remains of 288 adult individuals from funerary sites across the Atacama Desert coast, dating from 10,000 years ago to 1450 AD. The group also analyzed patterns in weaponry and artistic depictions of combat during this time. They found that rates of violence were surprisingly static over time. However, a notable increase in lethal violence during the Formative Period started around 1000 BC, a trend also found in similar studies of the Andean region. Data from strontium isotopes indicate that this interpersonal violence occurred between local groups, not between local and foreign populations.

These results indicate that violence was a consistent part of the lives of these ancient populations for many millennia. The absence of a centralized political system during this time might have led to the consistency of violent tensions in the region. It’s also possible that violence resulted from competition for resources in the extreme environment of the desert, a factor which might have become exacerbated as farming became more prominent and widespread.

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DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0290690 

ARTICLE TITLE

Violence in fishing, hunting, and gathering societies of the Atacama Desert coast: A long-term perspective (10,000 BP—AD 1450)

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Sep-2023

 

Archaeologists discover world’s oldest wooden structure

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

 

IMAGE: KALAMBO FALLS, ZAMBIA WHERE THE WOOD WAS FOUND (PHOTO CREDIT, PROFESSOR GEOFF DULLER, ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY) view more 

CREDIT: PROFESSOR GEOFF DULLER, ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY

Half a million years ago, earlier than was previously thought possible, humans were building structures made of wood, according to new research by a team from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University.

The research, published in the journal Nature, reports on the excavation of well-preserved wood at the archaeological site of Kalambo Falls, Zambia, dating back at least 476,000 years and predating the evolution of our own species, Homo sapiens.  

Expert analysis of stone tool cut-marks on the wood show that these early humans shaped and joined two large logs to make a structure, probably the foundation of a platform or part of a dwelling.

This is the earliest evidence from anywhere in the world of the deliberate crafting of logs to fit together. Until now, evidence for the human use of wood was limited to its use for making fire, digging sticks and spears.

Wood is rarely found in such ancient sites as it usually rots and disappears, but at Kalambo Falls permanently high water levels preserved the wood.

This discovery challenges the prevailing view that Stone Age humans were nomadic. At Kalambo Falls these humans not only had a perennial source of water, but the forest around them provided enough food to enable them to settle and make structures.

Professor Larry Barham, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, who leads the ‘Deep Roots of Humanity’ research project said:

“This find has changed how I think about our early ancestors. Forget the label ‘Stone Age,’ look at what these people were doing: they made something new, and large, from wood. They used their intelligence, imagination, and skills to create something they’d never seen before, something that had never previously existed.”

“They transformed their surroundings to make life easier, even if it was only by making a platform to sit on by the river to do their daily chores. These folks were more like us than we thought.”

The specialist dating of the finds was undertaken by experts at Aberystwyth University.

They used new luminescence dating techniques, which reveal the last time minerals in the sand surrounding the finds were exposed to sunlight, to determine their age.

Professor Geoff Duller from Aberystwyth University said:

“At this great age, putting a date on finds is very challenging and we used luminescence dating to do this. These new dating methods have far reaching implications – allowing us to date much further back in time, to piece together sites that give us a glimpse into human evolution. The site at Kalambo Falls had been excavated back in the 1960s when similar pieces of wood were recovered, but they were unable to date them, so the true significance of the site was unclear until now.” 

The site of Kalambo Falls on the Kalambo River lies above a 235 metres (772 foot) waterfall on the border of Zambia with the Rukwa Region of Tanzania at the edge of Lake Tanganyika. The area is on a ‘tentative‘ list from UNESCO for becoming a World Heritage site because of its archaeological significance.   

Professor Duller added: 

“Our research proves that this site is much older than previously thought, so its archaeological significance is now even greater. It adds more weight to the argument that it should be a United Nations World Heritage Site.” 

This research forms part of the pioneering ‘Deep Roots of Humanity’ project, an investigation into how human technology developed in the Stone Age. The project is funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council and involved teams from Zambia’s National Heritage Conservation Commission, Livingstone Museum, Moto Moto Museum and the National Museum, Lusaka.

Professor Barham added:

“Kalambo Falls is an extraordinary site and a major heritage asset for Zambia. The Deep Roots team is looking forward to more exciting discoveries emerging from its waterlogged sands.”

Ends

Professor Larry Barham (pictured, right) uncovering the wooden structure on the banks of the river with a fine spray

CREDIT

Professor Geoff Duller, Aberystwyth University

The excavation team uncovering the wooden structure

A wedge shaped piece of wood

The wooden structure, showing where Stone Age Humans have cut into the wood

The excavation team uncovering the wooden structure

CREDIT

Professor Larry Barham, University of Liverpool

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JOURNAL

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-06557-9 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Evidence for the earliest structural use of wood at least 476,000 years ago

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

20-Sep-2023

 

Toronto to consider ban on gas-burning Uber, Lyft and taxi cars by 2031

Jordan Fleguel , BNN Bloomberg

Toronto’s city council could soon consider a recommendation that all vehicles-for-hire, including Ubers, Lyfts and taxis, must produce zero emissions by 2031.

The recommendation is included in a report from Toronto’s Municipal Licensing and Standards division.

City Hall’s Economic and Community Development Committee is set to consider the report this Thursday, and will decide whether the recommendations will be brought forward as a motion at next month’s council meeting.

The report recommends that an exception should be provided for stretch-limousines and accessible vehicles “until further review determines that enough zero-emission vehicle models can be converted.”

Plug-in hybrid vehicles would also be exempt until 2033, according to the report.

The report also recommends the creation of a city-funded grant that would be dispersed to taxi and limo owners, as well as to transportation companies like Lyft and Uber, to help offset the cost of the transition to zero-emissions vehicles.

OPERATORS SPLIT ON FEASIBILITY

Kristine Hubbard, Beck Taxi’s operations manager, said the report doesn’t take into account the infrastructure needed to successfully implement its recommendations.

“We don't have the infrastructure in place, we don't have the charging stations in place and what we learned over the consultation process with the city … is this works really well for people with single-family homes that can install a charging station at their house,” Hubbard told BNNBloomberg.ca.

“Do we think that this is the demographic we're talking about when it comes to Uber and taxi drivers? I'm going to suggest, largely, no.”

Hubbard said other thresholds, such a clear number of targets for charging stations in the city, need to be met in order for the industry to realistically achieve zero-emissions by 2031.

She added that currently, some taxi drivers who attempt to transition to zero-emissions vehicles have difficulty getting insurance.

“We have a driver who bought a Tesla product, brought it to the insurance company, and they will not insure an electric vehicle as a taxi,” Hubbard said.

Toronto’s two major vehicle-for-hire companies, Uber and Lyft, have each already made commitments to become net-zero platforms by 2030.

“Three years ago, we announced our commitment to reach 100 per cent electric vehicles on the Lyft platform by the end of 2030, and we look forward to partnering with the city of Toronto on this journey,” Lyft said in a statement.

“Along with smart, targeted investments in incentives and charging infrastructure, we can help tear down the barriers that prevent drivers from making the switch — and build a cleaner and more sustainable city in the process.”

On its website, Uber said it intends to become a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2030 in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company plans to become net-zero internationally 10 years later.

DIFFERENT SETS OF RULES

Hubbard says that despite the well-intentioned goal of creating a greener vehicle-for-hire industry in Toronto, the city report’s recommendations would price out many taxi drivers, who operate under a different set of regulations than Uber and Lyft drivers.

“We have two different groups here. The city likes to suggest that there's been some kind of even playing field, or that Uber and taxi drivers are the same – they just absolutely are not,” she said.

“The rules are completely different, insurance requirements are completely different. Operating a taxi is miles ahead in terms of cost compared to an Uber or Lyft driver.”

Hubbard said that ultimately, if it becomes too expensive to be a taxi operator, no one will want to do it anymore.

Most Canadians view about Online News Act is news should be free, survey suggests

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS BELONGS TO THOSE THAT OWN ONE.

AJ LEBLING

The Canadian Press

A new survey suggests that most Canadians feel news should be free and accessible for anyone, while also believing that media will find other ways to make money.

Leger conducted a national online survey of 1,564 people over the weekend to seek opinions about the Liberal government's Online News Act.

The law, which comes into effect later this year, will force digital giants such as Google to compensate media outlets for content that is shared or otherwise repurposed on their platforms.

About three out of every four respondents said they were aware of the Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, with 34 per cent of respondents saying the law is a good thing to help media outlets that compete for advertising dollars with tech giants.  

In response to the bill, Meta removed news from its social platforms Facebook and Instagram, irking respondents of the survey. 

Overall, 59 per cent of respondents agreed the company should restore access to news, and only 12 per cent agreed that Meta should be allowed to protest the legislation. 

"It is sort of interesting because there isn't much opposition to the bill itself," said Christian Bourque, executive vice president at Leger. 

"There's opposition to the fact they would not get their news whenever they want, wherever they want."

The survey suggests that two out of every three Canadians think that news should be free and accessible to anyone, and "the struggling media have other ways to make money."

That feeling was highest among 18 to 34-year-olds, a group that mainly gets their news from social media. 

Bourque said there's a sentiment of: "It's there, it's out there. I should be entitled to have access to it."

He said this is a byproduct of the internet and the idea that it should give people universal access to whatever they want. 

"And social media basically offered everything for 'free'," he said. "I think most Canadians expect that this is how you get news."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has often said that Meta is refusing to "pay their fair share" because they chose to remove local news from their platforms instead of negotiating deals with publishers, as the law requires. 

The survey suggests that 43 per cent of Canadians support the bill, while 31 per cent are opposed and 26 per cent don’t know enough about the situation to have an opinion.

The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

News companies have long relied on subscribers, viewers and advertisers to deliver revenues, but in recent years have watched each of those sources decrease.

The Canadian Media Concentration Research Project found Google and Facebook collectively accounted for 79 per cent of an estimated $12.3 billion in online advertising revenue in 2021, and more than half of total advertising spending across all media.

News Media Canada has said that advertising revenue for community newspapers in the country dropped to $411 million in 2020 from $1.21 billion in 2011. During that timespan, almost 300 papers either disappeared or merged with other publications.

Bourque said respondents believe media will find some other way to make money. "But what other way?"

The survey indicates nearly half of Canadians, or 47 per cent, noticed the change after Meta blocked news, with higher numbers of 54 per cent among Quebecers and 59 per cent among those who get their news mainly through social media.

Respondents are turning elsewhere for news, with 22 per cent of respondents saying they're turning to TV and radio, 20 per cent saying they are going to free media websites and apps and 13 per cent choosing other social media sites like Reddit and X, formerly known as Twitter.

Only six per cent said they're willing to pay for a subscription to access news directly. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.

 

CIB CEO hints at $100M funding to come for northern mining project

Jordan Fleguel , BNN Bloomberg

Critical mineral projects are crucial for Canada’s clean energy transition, but investments need to be made in the infrastructure that supports them if they’re going to succeed, according to the head of Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB).

At the World Energy Conference in Calgary, CIB CEO Ehren Cory told BNN Bloomberg that the bank is preparing to lend $100 million towards mineral mining infrastructure.

“We're investing in the roads, clean power, water and wastewater, and the infrastructure that those mines need to be economically viable, especially in northern and remote communities, which is where many of our resources are,” he said.

“So that first investment is coming, (but) that $100 million is really just our initial target. It's a floor, not a ceiling.”

The CIB was established as a federal Crown corporation five years ago, with the purpose of investing in infrastructure that also attracts private capital.

Cory said that the federal government has pinpointed critical minerals as an important part of Canada’s energy transition strategy, but companies face unique challenges when it comes to extracting them, which is where the CIB comes in.

He said the bank is preparing to make an announcement about a new critical mineral project in Canada’s north it intends to help fund through infrastructure lending.

“It's a mine, it produces several critical minerals because often mineral deposits are co-located, it is in the north, and it involves active participation of local communities and of Indigenous groups,” Cory said.

“It's got a great private company who's leading it … we're not the drivers, our private partners are. We get to be their supporters, their cheerleaders and their financiers.”

Cory added that such infrastructure investments can help Canada reach their environmental and economic goals, and become world leaders in the clean energy transition.

“We have the opportunity to be leaders domestically, but also leaders in the world's transition if we invest smartly in infrastructure,” he said.

“I'm very optimistic about our potential to reach not only our goals, but to play a big role in reaching the world's goals if we're smart about it.”

CANADA

Corporate ethics czar investigating Levi Strauss over alleged links to forced labour

The Canadian Press+

Canada's corporate ethics watchdog has launched an investigation into allegations that Levi Strauss Canada is working with companies that use forced labour in China. 

Sheri Meyerhoffer, the ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, is looking into whether the denim company known for Levi's jeans has supply relationships with Chinese companies that source materials from Uyghur people forced to work in the Xinjiang region.

Meyerhoffer's office is tasked with investigating complaints about possible human-rights abuses in the operations of Canadian garment, mining and oil and gas companies.

Levi Strauss denies the allegations, saying they are based on outdated and inaccurate data. 

The company did not make itself available for an initial assessment meeting and did not provide information verifying its response to the allegations, the ombudsperson's office said.

Given the company's limited participation in the complaint process, the watchdog said it may consider whether the company is participating in good faith at a later stage in the process. 

That could include making a recommendation to the minister of international trade about withdrawing or denying trade advocacy support to the company.

The allegations stem from a complaint that was made in June 2022 by a coalition of 28 civil society organizations. The organizations initially took their complaint to Levi Strauss in November 2021, and they say they have not received a response.

The complaint cited a March 2020 report from Australia that documented the use of Uyghur labour in Xinjiang, as well as a 2021 report by a professor at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom that linked Levi Strauss to three companies that use or benefit from forced labour.

The United Nations found in 2022 that China committed serious human-rights violations against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities that "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity." 

Beijing has disputed that report.

In its response to the ombudsperson, Levi Strauss said "to the best of the company's knowledge, it has no commercial relationships with the five suppliers named in the complaint." 

As a result, the investigation aims to "assess the reliability of the data" in the reports cited in the complaint.

The ombudsperson also recently announced investigations into Walmart, Hugo Boss and Diesel. 

Levi is the seventh company to be investigated for allegations it uses Uyghur forced labour in its supply chain, and the ombudsperson's office said more assessments will be made public in the coming weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.

 

International student flows could be affected by India tension: expert

Ben Cousins, BNN Bloomberg

As Canada’s relationship with India deteriorates politically, an international governance expert suggests it’s still too early to speculate how the fallout could hurt either country’s economy – though the flow of Indian students to Canada could be affected.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government had a hand in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader living in Canada, a claim Indian leader Narendra Modi subsequently called “absurd.” Both countries have expelled one of the other’s diplomats, trade discussions have halted and India has asked citizens to take caution when travelling to Canada.

Rohinton Medhora, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said it’s unclear how these latest developments might impact Canada’s economy.

“A lot depends on how each country’s government handles the public relations and strategic side of this,” he told BNN Bloomberg Tuesday.

“At this stage, there’s no sense that there will be retaliation on existing Canadian operations in India or vice versa, but I wouldn’t rule anything out, mainly because this isn’t a strong economic relationship.”

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, India represented just 0.62 per cent of Canada’s exports in 2021, while 1.02 per cent of India’s exports ended up in Canada.

“The Canada-India trade relationship is a good one, but it’s not as good as it could be,” Medhora said.

“Neither country wants to make concessions to the other that it would have to make to more important trade partners.”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IMPACT

One area where the Canadian economy could feel the pinch is in academia, Medhora noted, as Canada has issued 997,125 study permits to Indian students since 2015, according to data from Immigration and Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

“There’s no indication that this stream will dry up right away, but to the extent that Indian students were funded by government scholarships and if this crisis becomes worse and the government decides to do something about them and direct them to other countries with very good universities – Australia, the U.K., the U.S. – that too could be an economic consequence of this crisis,” he said.