⛰️ Enviro Futures #10

Happy Monday 👋

The Plenty Richmond Farm opened its doors this week in the US, designed to produce more than four million pounds of strawberries grown indoors vertically in 30-ft-tall towers, using up less than 40,000, which willsquare feet – or less than a single acre. Lohum, an India-based battery recycling company, signed a $30M joint venture with a US firm to build a 15.5 GWh battery recycling facility in Indiana that will create 250 green jobs. Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy announced a pilot project to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of certain industrial products to help reduce emissions from manufacturing processes. Across the ocean, the EU also reiterated its commitment to its anti-deforestation law banning imports of products linked to deforestation overseas from January, despite opposition from trading partners and lawmakers. In the same week, clothing manufacturers in Bangladesh and Asia are seeking support from international brands to comply with the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

🌱 Food Systems

🪴 World's First Large-Scale Indoor Vertical Farm Opens. A major indoor vertical farm that can produce 4 million pounds of food year-round opened, representing a significant step towards sustainable and affordable food production.

🌱 The Struggles of the Plant-Based Food Industry. An article by DigitalFood Lab on the struggles faced by the plant-based food industry amidst declining sales and a lack of funding. 

🚜 John Deere Implements SmartDetect Technology. John Deere, a major agricultural machinery company, implemented its SmartDetect technology on its utility and production loaders.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌊 Major Companies Collaborate on Desalination Technology Initiative. TAQA, SUEZ, and Siemens partnered on a five-year initiative to advance desalination technologies through reimagining systems, methods, and materials.

💧 EtihadWE and Khalifa University Partner to Enhance Water Desalination. EtihadWE and Khalifa University signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on developing pilot projects for testing water desalination technologies and deploying AI models to improve the efficiency and sustainability of desalination processes.

♻️ Environmental Services

🔋 Indian Battery Recycling Startup Partners with US Firm for Indiana Facility. Lohum, an Indian battery recycling startup, signed a $30M joint venture with an unnamed US firm to build a 15.5 GWh battery recycling facility in Indiana that will create 250 green jobs.

🏭 Scientists Urge UK to Delay CCUS Investment. Scientists have called on the UK government to pause its £1 billion investment plans for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, citing concerns that the technology is unproven.

🗑️ The former advisor urged an incineration tax on household waste. A former government adviser is calling for the UK Government to introduce an incineration levy on household waste to address the country's waste crisis.

💨 Air Quality

🏭 DOE Launches Emissions Tracking for Industrial Products. The U.S. Department of Energy announced a pilot project to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of certain industrial products, which will help reduce emissions from manufacturing processes. This government initiative aims to provide data on carbon footprints.

⛽ CPCB study finds the major cause of air pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board conducted a study and found that incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, including traffic, is the dominant contributor to air pollution. This was reported to the National Green Tribunal.

💨 Colorado Leads in Landfill Methane Detection. Colorado is launching a first-of-its-kind initiative to detect methane emissions from its landfills using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🌲 EU Stands Firm on Anti-Deforestation Law. The European Commission insists it will implement a new law banning imports of products linked to deforestation overseas starting in January, despite opposition from trading partners and lawmakers.

🌳 Amazon and other firms buy $180M in carbon credits from the Amazon rainforest. Amazon and other companies have agreed to purchase $180M in carbon credits from the Amazon rainforest through LEAF's first deal in the region to protect the rainforest.

💰 CDPQ Invests in Chinook, Launches US Forestland Platform. CDPQ, a Quebec-based institutional fund manager invested in and became a minority shareholder of Chinook, a forestry investment firm that will deploy capital and manage assets focused on US forestland.

👗 Textiles

🛍️ Fashion suppliers seek brand support for EU sustainability rules. Clothing manufacturers in Bangladesh and Asia are seeking support from International brands to comply with the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which calls for major European brands to ensure their suppliers are conducting due diligence to protect workers and communities from the adverse effects of their operations or pay compensation for damages.

🧵 China's Fabric Exports Rise in First Seven Months of 2024. China's fabric exports increased by 2.74% year-on-year to reach $39.519 billion during January-July 2024, with Vietnam being the largest buyer, accounting for 16.52% of exports.

🧶 Global Fiber Production Hits New Heights. Global fiber production, which includes materials like cotton, wool, and synthetic fibers, reached an unprecedented level, likely driven by increasing demand from various industries.

💰 Environment Deals

🔋 Battery Recycling Company Awarded $150M Federal Grant. American Battery Technology Company has been awarded a $150M federal grant to construct its second lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

☀️ Zelestra secures major financing for the Indian solar plant. Zelestra, a company, secured $147M in financing to build a solar power plant in India that will generate electricity for over 128,000 homes.

🗼 Utility Global Raises $53M for Emissions-Reducing Technology. Utility Global raised a $53M Series C funding for its eXERO™ technology, aimed at reducing emissions in hard-to-abate industries. The company has partnered with ArcelorMittal to develop commercial facilities utilizing this innovation.

📦 Sustainable packaging startup raises $22M for US expansion. Notpla, a UK startup producing sustainable packaging, raised $22.2M from investors including Temasek to fund its expansion into the US market.

♻️ Biomaterial Innovator PACT Raises $10M in Seed Funding. PACT, a startup based in Cambridge, UK secured a $10m seed funding round for developing innovative biomaterials.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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