In the fast-paced world of personal care products, one trend has captured the attention of beauty enthusiasts and eco-conscious consumers alike: shampoo bars. These ever increasingly luxurious compact, solid bars are quickly gaining popularity as an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional liquid shampoos. With their numerous benefits for both hair and the environment, it’s no wonder shampoo bars are currently trending in the beauty industry.

Beauty Favours is a UK business that has recently been awarded as the Sustainable Cosmetics Retailer of the Year in Staffordshire for 2023 by the Midlands Enterprise Awards, recognising the dedication to sustainable business practices. In addition, Beauty Favours were awarded the title of the Best Cruelty-Free Shampoo Bar Company 2023 London at the SME Business Elite Awards, reinforcing the commitment to cruelty-free beauty and high-quality products.

Shampoo bars offer a range of advantages that are fuelling their rapid rise in popularity. Firstly, they are highly concentrated, resulting in a high foaming, longer-lasting product that reduces packaging waste. Unlike plastic bottles commonly used for liquid shampoos, shampoo bars are typically packaged in minimal, eco-friendly materials, aligning with the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

Moreover, shampoo bars are a game-changer for frequent travellers and those seeking convenience in their hair care routine. The compact size and solid form make them ideal for easy transportation, eliminating the risk of leakage during transit. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a long-haul journey, shampoo bars provide a mess-free and hassle-free option for maintaining healthy, beautiful hair on the go.

Beyond their practical benefits, shampoo bars are renowned for their hair-loving formulas.  These bars are often crafted with luxurious nourishing ingredients, and mild cleansing for ultimate care for both hair and scalp.The rising popularity of shampoo bars has also ignited a wave of creativity and diversity in the market. With an increasing number of brands and artisans entering the scene, consumers now have a plethora of options to cater to their unique hair needs. From bars formulated for specific hair types, such as curly, oily, or dry, to those enriched with botanical extracts, nourishing oils and vitamins, the variety of shampoo bars available ensures that every individual can find their perfect match.Recognising the potential of shampoo bars to revolutionise the way we approach hair care; industry experts anticipate further growth in this trend. With their environmental benefits, travel-friendly nature, and hair-loving formulas, shampoo bars are poised to become a staple in personal care routines worldwide.

To try some of the latest shampoo bar formulations see www.beautyfavours.com

 

Kitty Cabins are one of the UK’s favourite pet shelters and now animal lovers can buy an eco-friendly version that’s made entirely from waste plastic.

Kitty Cabins are made using a manufacturing process called rotational moulding by a company called RevMo, based in Callington, Cornwall. The shelters are popular because they’re made from a single piece of highly durable plastic so they don’t rot like wooden shelters, they need no assembly and they’re easy to clean.

Although the process is relatively low waste, the company has found a way to collect all of the waste and get it ground down to form the powder suitable for making new products.

Claire Walker, managing director of RevMo, said: “We use a moulding process that doesn’t create a lot of waste but we always try and re-use as much as we can. We wanted to make sure the Cabin still looks good and is nice and smooth inside so it’s comfortable for pets. And now, we think we’ve cracked it!”

The Eco Kitty Cabin is just as robust and good-looking as the original but made entirely from waste plastic. This 100% recycled plastic pet shelter shows how manufacturing can help the UK meet its global commitment to net zero.

The original Cabin is made from a highly durable moulded plastic so it lasts a long time, but this recycled version means that no new plastic was used in its making.

Claire added: “The Cabin is made from a plastic powder that’s heated inside a metal mould until it forms the shape. The challenge was to produce something that looks attractive. Traditionally reprocessed plastic is all black, no matter the original colour of the waste material. Now we have managed to recycle our waste in a way that the finished product is a random colour effect.

“I’m so pleased we got it right in the end and I can’t wait to see what customers – and their pets – think of it.”

Eco Kitty Cabin | Recycled Plastic Pet Shelter – Cosy Cabins (cosy-cabin.com)

Royal Assent has been granted by the King for the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill – now making this Law.

The Bill has passed through all Commons and Lords stages without any amendments or opposition, which is unique for any animal law and has immediately received Royal Assent the same day from King Charles.

Duncan McNair – CEO of award winning charity Save The Asian Elephants who devised and has driven the Bill says:

“Save The Asian Elephants and the millions who have supported our campaign hope the passing into law of the landmark Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill will prove a momentous day for animals everywhere.

The measures, resolutely implemented and enforced, will help protect endangered and vulnerable species across the world from extreme exploitation, harm and death in tourism. They will also save many lives of humans too, turned upon by maddened elephants and other creatures provoked by torture.

Save The Asian Elephants is hugely appreciative of all who have supported our campaign for these changes, of our government, our Parliament across the party divide, the charity sector and the public. All must now set our hand to starting the transition from brutal and dangerous practices to ethical sanctuaries and wildlife reserves.

Britain can take pride in this world-first law. Now we must encourage the world to follow suit whilst time remains for so many beleaguered species, our brothers and sisters in nature.”

One of the most important animal-related bills ever in the UK, protecting millions of endangered animals worldwide is a necessity because of extreme brutality to many species (often endangered) in modern tourism.

With Asian elephants this starts with “pajan” (breaking of the spirits) …. snatching baby elephants illegally from the wild, isolating and starving, into crushing cages (kraals) then severe stabbing, ripping and beating till they are terrified into submission for easy use in tourism.

STAE has identified to date 1,212 UK based travel companies advertising nearly 300 brutal overseas elephant venues alone.

Elephants, primates, big cats, bears, dolphins and marines, exotic birds, horses, donkeys and camels – all and more – can be helped back from cruel abuse and often from the brink of extinction now.

Duncan adds;

“Our House of Lords and King Charles has backed this historic measure to protect endless endangered and vulnerable species from extreme violation and death in abusive tourism across the world.

Now Law a wondrous new vista of opportunity falls open for the safeguarding of the most beautiful and most beleaguered of the world’s creatures.

The aims and wider potential are momentous for this Law. It is a world first for our nation and a template for all nations that harbour a ruthless trade in abusive animal tourism.

Parliament, government, animal welfare advocates, everyone who treasures this wondrous inheritance of the animal kingdom, will continue to work together to realise the opportunities this Law presents.

We must harness our efforts to start turning back the many decades of degradation and destruction just one species – ours – has visited on so many others.

This important Law provides the means of striking back to depose those who would ravage the precious and vulnerable creatures with whom we share this planet. They have been exploited till the last penny of profit has been squeezed from them in blood and pain. Yet they are our brothers and sisters.”

STAE has been named amongst the 10 best charities in the world 2023 for helping elephants: https://impactful.ninja/best-charities-for-protecting-elephants/  

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SUPPORT FOR THE GARDENS!

This winter, visitors to Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens in Horsham, West Sussex, can enjoy a captivating after-dark light trail as the gardens come alive with colour and sound during this year’s Leonardslee Illuminated event.  

Open between 4pm and 10pm, with light trails running from 4.15pm to 8.15pm, the event will take place on various dates from 24th November to 21st December: please visit the Leonardslee website for details of ticket prices and free and discounted offers for Leonardslee members. 

Now in its fifth year, Leonardslee Illuminated at the historic 240-acre Grade I Listed estate will transport visitors into a magical world as the gardens are transformed with illuminations, large-scale installations, and atmospheric soundscapes. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with a Victorian funfair, a small Christmas market, a selection of seasonal food and drink, and other entertainment before entering the mile-long trail. 

“Visitors can explore the lit trails and walk down through the valley, decked with fairy lights and lanterns, giant flowers and mythical animals. There will be displays of massive stars and planets suspended over the seven lakes, reflecting the sparkling lights and the towering lakeside trees,” says Adam Streeter, general manager. 

“We’ve worked hard to make the event even more affordable this year, given the rising cost of living: there is a price reduction from last year, and Leonardslee members will get free entry on selected days, and 50% off at other times. 

“There are fairground attractions, mulled wine and other food and drink to enjoy either before or after the trail, which is around 60 to 90 minutes long. The market features arts and crafts and other gifts for sale from local artisans, and our shops will be open, with wines from our sister estate’s vineyards at Benguela Cove in South Africa”. 

Streeter says that the illuminations and other events are vital to maintaining the estate, helping to fund the major programme of works needed to preserve the woodland gardens, which were originally created by the great Victorian plant collector, Sir Edmund Loder. The estate is now a protected ecosystem for fauna and flora that are threatened elsewhere in the UK and beyond, including several rare ‘champion’ trees.  

Tickets are available online, at a reduced price this year, from £16 for adults and £9 per child, down from £18 and £10 last year, and with special free and discounted ticket offers for Leonardslee members. Annual membership at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens starts from £60.

Visit https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/all-events 

The interiors industry is grappling with an inadequate ability to accurately quantify and convey its carbon footprint impact, a challenge recognised by the Furniture Industry Research Associate (FIRA). In a dedicated effort to transform this issue and take responsibility, leading interiors company, BoxNine7 have considered how they can put their proactive efforts to use and enact a meaningful change for the planet, pioneering the industry towards a sustainable design future.

As Britain’s first B Corp certified interior design collective, BoxNine7 recognises the importance of a comprehensive approach to responsibility and sustainability within a business. This recognition has allowed the brand, who offer turnkey furnishing solutions and interior design, to embrace a holistic perspective throughout the organisation, going beyond its design and specification processes.

As a part of Accouter Group of Companies, and in line with the collective’s Sustainability Manifesto, the company aims for 100% sourcing from responsible suppliers and achieving full traceability across their supply chain. However, the interiors industry faces significant challenges and scrutiny when considering its sustainable practices, especially positioned so far behind the fashion industry. The fashion industry has received notable and significant attention for its negative environmental impact, particularly due to its association with fast fashion and the production of clothing at a large scale.

Through a newly launched ‘Conscious Collection’, BoxNine7 have shown that there are other unique approaches to embarking on the sustainability journey, towards reaching the goal of their Sustainability Manifesto.Sustainability in interiors is starting to become a part of the larger conversation on environmental responsibility and consumers of the industry are becoming more conscious of the materials, manufacturing processes, and supply chains behind furniture and home goods. As a forward-thinking and environmentally conscious company, BoxNine7 have been looking to understand the impact of their carbon footprint of everything they purchase from suppliers. To do this, the brand have been working with the Furniture Industry Research Associate, otherwise known as FIRA who have identified that the interiors industry currently lacks standardised stamps or certifications to effectively measure and communicate its carbon footprint impact, a huge challenge in itself. As a result of this, consumers, businesses, and designers continue to struggle to assess the environmental implications of interior design products and practices accurately.

The absence of these industry-recognised stamps further hinders the industry’s progress towards sustainability and responsible consumption. However, whilst this gap is being addressed, BoxNine7 are showing that there are unique approaches to embed sustainability within its practices with its current resources through their new Conscious Collection. Through a partnership with leading real estate developers, Ghelamco, the brand states that their new Conscious Collection “isn’t labelled the ‘sustainability’ collection for a very good reason”, as the brand refreshingly admits they are “not 100% sustainable”. Although BoxNine7 are on their journey ‘towards a more sustainable design future’, and so conscious of their every step. From handcrafted and carbon conscious, to non-toxic and organic, the brand’s transparency on this is illustrated through ‘Environmental Icons’ which are labelled and explained alongside products making up the full collection. The brand states that they “believe in transparency and responsible sourcing. To forever increase our offering of responsible products, we need to seek full traceability from our handpicked suppliers. The role of the environmental icons is to grade our supply chain’s products whilst giving you clarity and confidence in buying from us”.

The collection is composed of products such as headboards crafted from recycled plastic, a coffee table constructed using carbon-neutral components, and plush accessories fashioned from eucalyptus silk, sourced from fellow B Corp certified enterprises. The collection’s show room is housed in Ghelamco’s inaugural UK development, The Arc, situated in Shoreditch. The building is fully electric, and holds triple sustainability certifications – BREEM, WELL and DGNB. With 30% lower carbon emissions than other multi-fuel operated developments, the building is full of cutting-edge technology. Doubling on the sustainability collaborations, the playful patterns and soft earthy palette of the collection pieces have been complimented by the wall colourings, adorned with the striking paints of Britain’s first B Corp certified paint company, COAT paints.

“The team at BoxNine7 approached the collaboration at The Arc with passion, bringing fresh and creative ideas which married well with sustainable credentials and carbon-conscious development. The show flat they delivered was a great representation of the vision we shared and dealing with the team throughout the process has been a pleasure.”

– James Hicks, Residential Sales Director, Ghelamco.

AGC ARE B CORP™ CERTIFIED – WHAT DOES ACTUALLY THIS MEAN?

Earlier this year, Accouter Group of Companies were proud to announce our B Corp™ certification, being the first British Interior Design Collective to achieve this. Although the discourse of sustainability has risen significantly in recent years, the definition of a B Corp™ and how it develops us as a luxury studio may not be so clear.

B Corps™ are defined as businesses that want to achieve more than just making a profit. Their company goals and values are committed to creating a positive impact on their employees, communities, clients and suppliers throughout their strategic decisions and operations.

As a B Corp™, our brands including BoxNine7 take a holistic approach, understanding that the overall design and specification process itself is not the only way for us to be responsible and considerate. Sustainable milestones, as well as our Manifesto, gives our environmental ambitions credibility, and therefore proves our mission to be both purposeful and achievable. However, our B Corp™ design practice also must pay as much attention to our Social responsibilities and Corporate governance. This certification ticks every box in relation to a full ESG strategy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT B CORP™ HERE

BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BOXNINE7’S PROCESS & CLIENTELE?

“Both on the run up to and after achieving our certification, our process here at Accouter Group of Companies has gradually shifted.

We are constantly working on strategies and educating our supply chains to allow for our clients to purchase fully responsible and traceable product, in environmentally friendly packaging.

The key changes we have incorporated at our studio include finding local suppliers in the areas which we are designing interiors for, instead of further national or international suppliers. Not only is this supporting local businesses, but it also helps to protect our planet.

Another change to our process, is that we work with a trusted select group of craftsmen and artisans here in the UK, saving unnecessary emissions, meaning that we are being mindful of our carbon footprint.”

• Lucy Day-Shanks, Group Director, Accouter Group of Companies

AS BRITAIN’S FIRST B CORP™ CERTIFIED INTERIOR DESIGN COLLECTIVE, WE HAVE MADE 5 PROMISES:

• We commit to proving to you that we can make a positive impact on the world by acting and evolving as a responsible company.

• We promise to direct our efforts on measures that deliver the biggest impacts, aiming to continuously review and improve AGC’s environmental performance.
• We pledge to play our part in building an industry that is filled with, and supports talent from all backgrounds, abilities, ages and identities.
• We believe in the power of kindness, and pledge to use the powers of our business to create a positive impact on society. We support the Red Cross and charities that mean the most to our people.
• We understand that being a ‘Force for Good’ is a journey without a destination and we are committed to continuously improve and evolve our business for good. For more information regarding our B Corp journey please click here.

A written piece by award-winning children’s author Hannah Gold on how she writes eco adventures without preaching to or terrifying her young readers, and the inspiration for her books, which include The Last Bear, The Lost Whale and her latest book, FINDING BEAR, which publishes on 28^th September.

In FINDING BEAR, Hannah reunites readers with April Wood who has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But over a year later, she can’t stop thinking about her best friend, a polar bear called Bear. When she hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, April is convinced it’s her friend and persuades her dad to return with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic.

So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers. But along the way, April discovers much more than she bargained for – a tiny polar bear cub, in desperate need of her protection.

From Hannah:

When I wrote my debut children’s book, THE LAST BEAR, I wanted to tell a story of friendship, of love, of hope – but most of all a story about making a difference.

Inspired by my love of animals, I told a tale of a girl who becomes best friends with a wild polar bear. And somehow it became a multi-award winning smash hit!

In my brand new adventure, FINDING BEAR, when April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s her friend and so persuades her dad to return with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. Along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for – a tiny polar bear cub in desperate need of her protection.

This is a story full of wildness, bravery and wonder but it’s also a story which touches upon the environment. In truth, it’s impossible not to write about polar bears without mentioning the melting sea-ice. I’m not here to preach though. I write about hope and beauty because I see it in the world around us every single day. And if I can inspire young readers, like you, then my heart is full.

With reduced home electricity price tariffs from next month, EV drivers will be able to charge up for less, says Ohme, the UK’s fastest growing dynamic smart charging company.

However, EV drivers could make even greater savings by switching to a smart EV tariff and taking advantage of Ohme’s unique software technology. Ohme is the only charger provider that can work with both Octopus Intelligent and OVO Charge Anytime.

From 1^st October, the Standard Variable Tariff for domestic electricity will be reduced to 28p/kWh, the lowest level for a year, ensuring that EV drivers can now save more money when charging. But by switching to a smart EV tariff, such as those from Octopus or OVO, EV drivers can reduce their charging costs much further.

“During the cost of living crisis, EV drivers will no doubt welcome this drop in the standard domestic electricity tariff,” said Ohme CEO David Watson. “But Ohme’s unique charger technology combined with a smart EV tariff means that they can make bigger savings and have greater control over their charging – software that no other EV charging company has.”

With the average UK driver covering 6800 miles a year, charging on a smart EV tariff in a typical EV would cost just £127.50 for a year’s worth of driving with Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p/kWh. At the new Standard Variable Tariff of 28p/kWh, that same annual mileage would cost £476. By comparison, the same mileage in an equivalent petrol car would cost a driver more than £1110*.

Ohme’s smart chargers can connect with the national grid in real time and automatically adjust their charging for drivers to take advantage of all the times of low price charging with smart EV tariffs. Ohme also offers drivers the option to charge their car when renewable energy generation on the National Grid is at its highest, further lowering their CO2 impact.

Ohme is the official charger provider for Mercedes-Benz in the UK, as well as the Volkswagen Group in the UK and Ireland and customers on the Motability scheme, the largest fleet operator in the UK. It has been named as the Best Electric Charging Point Provider by Business Motoring and recently won Fast Track Company of the Year in the 2023 Green Business Awards.

* Petrol at £1.49/litre and 40mpg average

Take part in Oxfam Second Hand September and shop second hand to reduce waste, take a stance against climate change, and help create a fairer world – all while looking super fabulous.

WHAT IS SECOND HAND SEPTEMBER?

Second Hand September is a campaign that promotes donating, reusing, rewearing and restyling your clothes during September – and beyond!

Explore slow fashion, sustainable fashion and ethical fashion, shop and donate second hand and help create a fairer world.

Since 2019, Second Hand September has inspired thousands of people to shop in a way that is kinder to people and planet.

This year, taking part will get you a free limited edition poster and postcard set, so you can spread the word about sustainable shopping, and help fight the climate crisis in style.

DONATE CLOTHES

Fashion doesn’t have to add fuel to the climate crisis. Donate your pre-loved clothes, and give them another life. Every item you donate gives clothes a second life, reduces waste, and funds change that the world needs, now.

WHY SHOP SECOND HAND?

What you wear has never been more important. The fashion industry is one of the worst offenders for greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, people who have done the least to cause the climate crisis are facing the very real consequences.

Shopping and donating second hand is one step we can take towards building a better, safer, fairer world.

WHY SECOND HAND SEPTEMBER?

Climate change is impossible to ignore – and it’s pushing people deeper into poverty. So, it’s more important than ever to act now, to prevent this global crisis from becoming a global catastrophe.

When a new pair of jeans is made, an estimated 16.2kg of CO2 is emitted – the equivalent of driving over 58 miles in a car.

So, by recirculating our clothes – buying, wearing and donating second hand – we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes. And this could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet.

By shopping with Oxfam, you’re investing in vital work to beat poverty – standing with communities worldwide as they fight the climate crisis and speak out against the global inequalities that push people deeper into poverty.

WHO CAN TAKE PART IN SECOND HAND SEPTEMBER?

Anyone can take part! Over the past few years, thousands of people have taken up the challenge of not buying anything new for 30 days .

You can find inspiration by searching #SecondHandSeptember on Instagram – it’s full of photos of people sharing the second hand gems they’ve found. You can also find some great tips on the Oxfam blog.

CHECKOUT OUR LATEST INSTAGRAM OR TIKTOK ON HOW TO USE OXFAM DONATION BAGS:

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#secondhandseptember @Oxfam GB I have taken part in Secondhand September to join the movement of recycling, reusing and rehoming your unwanted items. Just remember, the month is to raise awareness but really we should be doing this ALL YEAR ROUND ♻️ #waste #reducereuserecycle #reducewaste #secondhand #secondhandfashion #fashion #eco #sustainableliving #sustainabilitytiktok #reuse #recycle #vinted #september #oxfam #clothes #fashiontiktok #fashioninspo #savetheworld #savetheplanet #upcycling #charityshop #charity

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A ‘Net Zero’ project at the Castle Howard estate in Yorkshire is benefitting from a share of the government’s £1.5 million Innovate UK programme, to help protect and enhance the future of the business and its natural landscape.Aimed at connecting businesses with cutting-edge digital tools that can help them reach sustainability ambitions, the Net Zero Living Digital Accelerator funding will support the use of Skylark’s strategic land use technology in combination with Fera Science Ltd’s LAND360 service at the 9,000-acre estate.

Paul Brown, head of remote sensing, GIS and spatial data science at Fera, explains how the LAND360 landscape assessment service is being used.

“Working alongside Skylark Analytics, we’re providing the Castle Howard team with as much detailed information as possible to help inform their land management plans for the next 50 years,” he says.

“The estate is looking at how they can increase biodiversity and carbon stocks, particularly in marginal farmland and parkland areas parkland. While striving towards the government’s 2050 ‘Net Zero’ goal, potential income opportunities for the business will be explored too.”

With attractive deals for habitat creation projects on offer to landowners, managers and farmers, Mr Brown says it is important to understand the options available and forecast potential results before committing to lengthy contracts.

This relies upon collating high quality, accurate data to work from.

He explains: “At Castle Howard, we’ve built a baseline that shows current biodiversity units and carbon stocks, to give us a benchmark to forecast from.

“We call this a ‘natural capital baseline’ – analysing up-to-date imagery, mainly from satellite platforms, as well as drones for more high resolution data, and on-the-ground surveys to create a habitat map of the estate that’s 90-95% accurate.

“This habitat map is then used to calculate current biodiversity units, using the Natural England metric tool, carbon stocks and carbon flux – which is the rate of carbon exchange via sequestration or emission.

“Using this, we can model potential investment plans for the estate and forecast how different decisions could work best for achieving sustainability and business income objectives.

“It also helps ensure the outcomes farmers and land owners can achieve, such as biodiversity units or carbon credits, are accurately valued. We want producers to get a fair deal, if and when they consider selling these to the marketplace.”

Fera’s collaboration with Skylark on this Innovate UK-funded project is helping to make the natural capital assessment technology as user-friendly as possible, Mr Brown adds.

“Using Skylark’s AR (augmented reality) technology, Castle Howard will actually be able to see how potential plans for the estate could look in 3D, underpinned by LAND360 data .

“Being able to play out different scenarios with real-life visualisation will build land managers’ confidence in making the right decisions, which is so vital ahead of signing up to long-term land use agreements.”

He concludes: “This in-depth analysis can also help highlight untapped opportunities for investing in biodiversity uplift or carbon sequestration, that could add a new income stream alongside what a farm or estate business is already doing.”

Jasper Hazell, CEO at Castle Howard Estates, shares his team’s excitement to be collaborating with Skylark and Fera.

He says: “This pioneering technology will help shape the way our land management decisions are made in the future, to help meet the challenges of improving biodiversity and achieving Net Zero.

“The Innovate UK Grant funding will kickstart this research, using Castle Howard as a pilot from which wider applications can be developed across the region and nationally.”

Fera’s natural capital assessment service, LAND360, helps farmers and land managers to measure, map and monitor their natural capital, so they can make more informed land use decisions. To find out more, visit: https://www.fera.co.uk/land360-land-management

News broke earlier this week that the current wildfire in Greece’s northeast region is the biggest the European Union had ever recorded, as it continues to burn since the 19th August. 

All summer, Europe’s wildfires have burned through thousands of hectares of green space as the continent battles record heat waves for another year, and using data from the EFFIS (European Forest Fire Information System), Distrelec reveals the impact of the European countries worst-hit with wildfires so far in 2023. 

The new research explores the number of hectares lost, the estimated economic impact and, the potential cost of preventative measures governments could put in place to ease spreading:  

Which countries in Europe have been worst affected by wildfires so far in 2023? 

Few European countries have been untouched by wildfires this year, but Distrelec’s research reveals that Greece is the country with the largest area of land burned and the country with the worst estimated economic impact. 

In fact, Greece’s current wildfire in the northeast region has been declared the worst the EU has ever seen, with the EU’s civil protection service saying the fire has burned more than 810 sq km – an area bigger than New York City. 

Distrelec’s analysis of EFFIS data shows that Greece has seen an estimated 161,008 hectares of land burned so far in 2023 at the time of the report (30th August 2023) – roughly 3.7 times more than the annual average from 2006 to 2021, with estimated costs of €1,663,856,672.

Second was Spain, with an estimated 84,315 hectares of land burned at an estimated cost of €871,311,210.

The research found Italy as the third-worst affected European country, with 66,035 hectares burned, at an estimated cost of €682,405,690.

See the 10 worst affected countries below by hectares burned, CO2 emitted (tonnes), and financial cost: 

Country	Hectares burned 2023	CO2 emitted as a result (tonnes)	Financial cost (euros)
Greece	161,008	966,048	€ 1,663,856,672
Spain	84,315	505,890	€ 871,311,210
Italy	66,035	396,210	€ 682,405,690
Portugal	29,096	174,576	€ 300,678,064
France	22,022	132,132	€ 227,575,348
Romania	15,308	91,848	€ 158,192,872
Bulgaria	9,233	55,398	€ 95,413,822
Ireland	4,302	25,812	€ 44,456,868
Croatia	2,521	15,126	€ 26,052,014
Cyprus	1,122	6,732	€ 11,594,748

Could IoT sensors be the solution? 

The earlier a wildfire is discovered, the easier it is to stop or contain. Although early detection of fires in forested regions is particularly difficult, numerous startups and firms are developing IoT systems using wireless sensors to give early warning of wildfire activity. 

These IoT sensors can bear harsh forest conditions and, according to the ultra early wildfire detection experts, Dryad, volume costs of these sensors will be about €18.30 ($20) each. Using this cost, alongside the forest density of each country (in square km), the team at Distrelec estimated how many IoT sensors each country would need and the estimated cost to help curb wildfires. 

The research estimates that wildfires in Europe have cost an estimated €4.1billion (€4,112,704,652) so far this year, yet the IoT wireless sensors that can trigger early warnings of wildfire activity could cost a marginal €1.9million (€1,885,379) to purchase across the 23 worst affected countries. 

For Greece, the estimated cost of these IoT sensors is just € 47,601.96: 34,954 times less than the estimated cost of wildfires so far this year. 

See the full estimate IoT costs for the 10 worst affected European countries below: 

Country	Forest density (sq km)	Number of sensors required	Total estimated cost of sensors
Greece	39,018	2,601	€ 47,601.96
Spain	185,721.7	12,381	€ 226,580.47
Italy	95,661.3	6,377	€ 116,706.79
Portugal	33,120	2,208	€ 40,406.40
France	172,530	11,502	€ 210,486.60
Romania	69,290.5	4,619	€ 84,534.41
Bulgaria	38,930	2,595	€ 47,494.60
Ireland	7,820.2	521	€ 9,540.64
Croatia	19,391.10	1,293	€ 23,657.14
Cyprus	1,725.30	115	€ 2,104.87