⛰️ Enviro Futures #16

Happy Monday 👋

China launched the world's first vertical farm powered by a small modular reactor (SMR) in Gansu Province. Xatoms, supported by public figures, is developing AI and quantum chemistry-based solutions to tackle global water contamination. The UN biodiversity conference focused on closing a $700B funding gap for conservation, with ongoing debates on funding and the effectiveness of biodiversity credits. An international collaborative project is working to advance open ocean aquaculture technology. Meanwhile, Lahore's air pollution levels reached record highs, surpassing WHO limits by 80 times. In the climate tech space, Axeleo Capital launched a $134.6M fund for climate tech startups.

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

🌱 China Unveils World's First Vertical Farm Powered by Small Modular Reactor. AEssense LLC deployed and launched a cultivation system and solution in what is claimed to be the world's first vertical farm powered by an SMR in Gansu Province, China.

⛏️ ADB Backs $192M Project to Boost Smart Agriculture and Food Technology in Bangladesh. ADB backed a $192M project to enhance Bangladesh's agricultural and food technology sectors. The Strengthening Higher Education in Agriculture Project (SATP) will improve research, climate adaptation, and agricultural productivity.

🌊 Oceans and Water

💧 Xatoms using quantum chemistry and celebrity support to tackle the global clean water crisis. Xatoms is using quantum chemistry and AI to develop photocatalyst solutions that purify water by removing harmful pollutants like E. coli. With support from public figures such as Alexis Ohanian and Matt Damon, Xatoms aims to tackle global water contamination. 

🌧️ Spain's Worst Flood Disaster in Decades. Spain undertook its largest peacetime disaster recovery operation as the death toll from devastating floods reached 214, making it Europe's deadliest flood-related disaster since 1967 when over 500 people died in Portugal.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 UN Conference Struggles to Fund Global Biodiversity Goals. The UN biodiversity talks in Colombia focused on closing a $700B annual funding gap for global conservation efforts. Countries debated funding sources, with calls to phase out harmful subsidies. A proposed biodiversity credit system could generate funds, but concerns about its effectiveness and integrity persist. 

🌳 Canada's $16.5B Bet on Carbon Capture to Cut Oil Sands Emissions. Canada's Pathways Alliance pursues a $16.5B carbon capture and storage project, working with the Canada Growth Fund to reduce emissions from the oil sands industry.

🌊 Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching Prompts UN Alarm. The United Nations raised concerns over the fourth mass coral bleaching event, emphasizing the vital role of coral reefs in supporting marine biodiversity and providing food security, coastal protection, and livelihoods for nearly a billion people.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🐟 International project advances open ocean aquaculture. A new international collaborative project, Ngā Punga o te Moana – Anchoring Our Open Ocean Future, is set to drive the development of technologies and infrastructure that will transition aquaculture operations from coastal waters to open ocean environments.

🌳 Germany Allocates Funds for Pakistan's Forest Protection Project. Germany allocates $21.5M to Pakistan for the second phase of a forest protection project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. An agreement was signed between Pakistani and German officials.

💨 Air Quality

🏭 Air Pollution in Lahore Surpasses WHO Limits by 80 Times. Air pollution in Lahore spiked to over 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 80 times the World Health Organization's safe limit for PM2.5 particulate matter. The dangerous levels of pollution are linked to health risks, with officials confirming this as a record high.

🌍 COP29 aims to hold polluters financially accountable. COP29 reinforced the "polluter pays" principle, holding corporations and countries accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. This includes implementing penalties, carbon taxes, and legal frameworks for climate damage while ending fossil fuel subsidies.

🛠️ 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.

📖 LinkedIn has released its Green Skills Report 2024. The report reveals an 11.6% increase in the demand for green talent this year, outpacing a 5.6% growth in supply. Jobseekers with green skills are hired 54.6% faster, led by the US and Ireland. Demand is largely driven by the utilities, construction, and manufacturing sectors. However, only 1 in 10 women currently have a green skill compared to 1 in 5 men. LinkedIn urges governments to prioritize green upskilling in climate policies, advocating for COP29 to emphasize workforce investment for climate goals.

🌱 Proposition 4 has passed in California. $10 billion in climate bonds have been approved, to combat wildfires and create green jobs. It allocates $1.5B for wildfire preservation and $3.8B for water protection. Community colleges will expand training in clean energy, green construction, water management, and EV maintenance, preparing students for careers in climate resilience. Prioritizing disadvantaged communities, this measure supports workforce development in climate jobs, enhancing California’s environmental and economic future by enabling partnerships between community colleges and green industry employers.

⚡ Bute Energy has launched its Net Zero Skills Strategy. This program is tackling Wales’ green skills gap by engaging students and fostering upskilling partnerships. This initiative addresses the need for 25,000 green roles by 2050, reaching over 7,000 students with workshops, creating internships, and funding advanced education in green fields. Collaborating with Careers Wales and Cardiff University, Bute Energy supports green workforce readiness. Amidst a UK-wide green skills shortfall, this program underscores the critical need to cultivate a workforce prepared for the net-zero transition.

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

🌱 Axeleo Capital Launches $134.6M Fund for Climate Tech Startups. Axeleo Capital, a French venture capital firm, launched a new $134.6M fund to help finance first-of-a-kind (FOAK) climate technology startups.

💰 Environmental consultancy Pollination secures a $20M investment from Mizuho Bank. Environmental consultancy Pollination secured a $20M investment from Japanese financial giant Mizuho Bank to strengthen its ability to support clients in hard-to-abate sectors.

🍫 Blue Stripes Closes $20M Series B Funding for Sustainable Cocoa Supply Chain. Blue Stripes, a cacao brand, closed a $20M Series B funding round led by Zintinus and other investors like The Hershey Company and Whole Foods Market to create a more sustainable cocoa supply chain.

🌱 Finnish textile tech firm Spinnova gets $13.7M loan for sustainable fiber production. Spinnova secured a $13.7M loan from Business Finland to advance its eco-friendly fiber production technology and improve technology efficiency.

🌊 Dutch Startup SeaO2 Secures Over $2M In Seed Funding For Its Direct Ocean Capture Tech. SeaO2, secured over $2M in seed funding to advance its direct ocean capture technology and support the scaling of carbon capture technology.

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