⛰️ Enviro Futures #15

Happy Monday 👋

Saudi Arabia secured $9B in private investment for sustainable agriculture, covering diverse sectors from livestock to agricultural processing and infrastructure. At COP16, the Southeast Asia Ocean Fund was launched to accelerate marine conservation beyond traditional protected areas. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved over $1B for climate initiatives, marking new projects in Angola, Iraq, Somalia, and Azerbaijan. The EU enhanced fishery regulations with AI to combat illegal fishing, while UN summits in Colombia and Baku addressed plastic pollution’s impact on biodiversity. Additionally, agritech platform Arya.ag received $19.8M in debt financing to support grain commerce growth.

What's new?
HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveal industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

🌱 Food Systems

🌱 Saudi Arabia secures $9B for sustainable agriculture projects. Saudi Arabia has secured $9B in private funds for sustainable agriculture projects covering crop production, livestock, fisheries, agricultural processing, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.

🌍 BRICS Leaders Call for Action on Land Degradation Ahead of UN Conference. BRICS leaders issued a joint statement calling for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation ahead of the UN Land Degradation and Drought COP in Riyadh.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌊 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund Launched at COP16 to Accelerate Marine Conservation. Philanthropic organizations launched a Southeast Asia ocean fund at COP16 to fast-track conservation efforts beyond traditional Marine Protected Areas, extending protection to more coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems.

⚠️ Scientists Warn of Underestimated Dangers of Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse. European scientists warn that disruptions to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could severely impact ocean currents, affecting Europe's climate and ecosystems. The weakening of AMOC, which redistributes heat and nutrients in the ocean, may lead to colder European winters, rising sea levels, and disrupted marine biodiversity. However, predicting the timing of this tipping point remains challenging.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 Green Climate Fund Approves $1B for Climate Projects. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board approved over $1B in funding for 16 climate projects, bringing its total portfolio to $16B across 286 projects, including first-time projects in Angola, Iraq, Somalia, and Azerbaijan.

🌳 6 European Countries Pledge $141M to Protect Biodiversity. Six European countries have pledged $141M to protect biodiversity, which environmental groups consider a moderate start, but call for more nations to contribute financially towards nature conservation.

🛰️ Sceye Partners with NASA and USGS to Tackle Climate Change from the Stratosphere. Sceye, a US aerospace company, partnered with NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS) to address climate change using high-altitude platform systems (HAPS) operating in the stratosphere.

🌳 US Retires Massive Number of Carbon Credits. The US retired over 267 million carbon credits, leading the way in integrating voluntary and compliance carbon markets. This shift is fueled by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which facilitates international cooperation on emissions reduction. Countries like Colombia and South Africa are also utilizing voluntary credits for compliance with national emissions targets. 

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🐟 EU Revamps Fishery Rules with AI to Combat Illegal Fishing. The European authorities are revamping fishery rules, utilizing AI and high-tech to crack down on illegal fishing, aiming to protect species and legitimate fishers.

🪵Construction Moratorium in Bhutan’s Sarpang Puts Timber and Wood Industries at Risk. The construction moratorium in Sarpang, Bhutan, has severely impacted timber and wood-based industries, leading to a reduction in production, revenue, and employment. Many sawmills are struggling to maintain operations and are now limited to producing low-margin items like wooden crates due to decreased timber demand and regulatory constraints.

🎣 Student Develops AI-Powered Aquaponics System. A new AI-powered system, "NeuroAqua," aims to enhance aquaponics by optimizing fish farming and plant growth through automated environmental monitoring. This advancement promises to increase efficiency and sustainability in aquaculture by reducing labor and resource use.

💨 Air Quality

🌍 UN Tackles Plastic Pollution at Global Summits. World leaders at COP16 in Colombia and COP29 in Baku are addressing plastic pollution as a key driver of biodiversity loss ahead of a UN meeting on plastic pollution in Busan.

🏭 Arctic Faces Growing Light Pollution from Industrial Activities. Rising light pollution in the Arctic, primarily due to expanding oil, gas, and mining activities, is increasingly impacting local air and environmental quality. This artificial illumination disrupts native species' behaviors, especially reindeer and Arctic plants, and intensifies ecological damage in already fragile tundra ecosystems. Scientists warn that such industrial activities could worsen the effects of climate change on these sensitive regions.

🏭 Super Polluting Coal Plants Fuel Economies and Climate Crisis. Coal-fired power plants that emit large amounts of pollution are fueling economies and contributing to the climate crisis. This presents an opportunity to address climate change by moving away from these plants, but it also carries social risks.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

HolonIQ is now tracking reskilling and upskilling initiatives that are critical in bridging workforce gaps. Impact industries are rapidly evolving, fueled by technological advancements, decarbonization, geopolitical dynamics, and socio-economic factors. These sectors require considerable workforce/professional development initiatives to enhance workers' capabilities, boost economic growth, and promote social well-being. Read on for this week’s insights.

🌱 UK must address green skills shortfall. The City & Guilds Impact Report 2024 revealed a significant increase in demand for green skills, with the organization providing 13,545 certifications in 2023-24. The report showed particularly strong support among business owners (76%) for investment in ecological, environmental, sustainability, and other ‘green skills’ essential to boosting short- and long-term productivity. More than a quarter of business owners (27%) identified green skills gaps in existing roles. 

📖 Cornwall College Empowers Students with Green Skills. Cornwall College is providing a Pre-16 Green Skills Construction Pathway to GCSE students across Cornwall to equip them with skills for a sustainable future. Partnering with local schools, Cornwall College has rolled out a series of workshops, assemblies, and after-school clubs, offering students a practical introduction to sustainable practices. The program has already generated a range of student-led projects, highlighting the efforts young people are making toward a greener future.

🎓 CHIETA Highlights Skills Development, Green Hydrogen Milestones. The Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority successfully trained and upskilled over 75,000 people in the chemical sector, of which 74% are youth. These people have acquired new skills that will significantly improve their employability and quality of life, contributing to employment creation and entrepreneurial opportunities across the country. 

🏫 Milton Keynes College Group Opens New Green Skills Centre. Milton Keynes College Group has opened a new Green Skills Centre, specializing in skills required to install energy storage systems, electric car charge points, and solar panels. The courses have been designed with significant input from employers including SJD Electrical Contractors & Engineers and solar and electric vehicle specialist Eden.

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for the purpose of cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Environment Deals

💰 Agritech startup Arya.ag secures $19.8M debt financing. Arya.ag, a grain commerce platform, secured a $19.8M debt commitment from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

🏗️ Emidat Raises $4.3M to Simplify Construction Emission Management. Emidat, a Munich-based provider of environmental data solutions for the construction industry, announced a $4.3M seed funding round led by General to make construction emission management simple as the EU deadline looms.

💰 Oyster Agribusiness Secures $2M Investment. Oyster Agribusiness, a company operating in the agriculture sector with a diverse range of products, has secured a $2M investment.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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