⛰️ Enviro Futures #17

Happy Monday 👋

Plant-based alternatives are now cheaper than animal products in Germany, incentivizing consumers to incorporate plant-based alternative meat into their diets. AgDevCo’s $9.5M investment in Kenya’s Agventure to advance regenerative agriculture, also highlights the increasing shift to sustainable agricultural practices. ATESS deployed solar-powered desalination in Saudi Arabia, addressing water scarcity and emissions reduction. At COP29, nations established rules for a global carbon market, aiming to enhance climate action. Brazil reduced Amazon deforestation by nearly 31% to its lowest in nine years. The Global Carbon Budget report, however, warns of surpassing the 1.5°C warming limit within six years. Meanwhile, BlueGreen Ventures launched with a $75M fund focused on climate, sustainability, and fintech sectors.

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.

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🌱 Food Systems

🌱 Plant-based Alternatives Now Cheaper Than Animal Products in Germany. A ProVeg study found that plant-based alternatives are now cheaper than animal products across several categories in Germany, providing relief for households struggling with high costs.

🌱 AgDevCo Invests $9.5M in Kenya's Agventure to Promote Regenerative Agriculture. AgDevCo invested $9.5M in Agventure, a Kenyan farmer-owned business focused on promoting regenerative agriculture. This investment aims to enhance sustainable farming practices and boost food security in the region.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌞 ATESS Brings Solar-Powered Desalination to Saudi Arabia. ATESS utilizes solar energy storage to power desalination in Saudi Arabia, tackling water scarcity with a sustainable solution. The initiative reduces reliance on fossil fuels and cuts emissions, addressing both water and environmental challenges in the region.

🌊 Affordable New Water Radar Debuts to Combat Flood Risks. A new affordable water radar system was introduced to combat flood risks by enhancing monitoring and predictive capabilities. This technology helps communities prepare for extreme weather events, offering cost-effective solutions for flood risk management in flood-prone regions.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 New UN rules on carbon markets approved at COP29. Nearly 200 nations approved essential rules for creating a global carbon market at COP29, concluding nearly a decade of complex discussions. The new framework aims to streamline carbon trading, boosting efforts to combat climate change.

🌍 NTPC Starts Converting Captured CO2 into Methanol. NTPC, an Indian energy company, has started converting captured carbon dioxide into methanol at one of its plants, marking a global first in carbon management and sustainable fuel production.

🌡️ Record-Breaking Coral Bleaching Event Threatens Global Reefs. Rising ocean temperatures due to climate change exposed over 75% of the world's coral reefs to potentially deadly conditions, triggering a record-breaking coral bleaching event, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🍃 Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Drops by Nearly 31%. Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell by nearly 31% between August 2023 and July 2024, per INPE, marking the lowest level of deforestation in nine years. The area cleared dropped from 9,500 km² to 6,600 km², reflecting government efforts to protect the rainforest and combat climate change.

🌳 US Forest Service Provides $34M Funding for Forestry Innovation. The US Department of Agriculture's Forest Service allocated up to $34M in funding to advance forestry innovation, focusing on creating jobs, sustainable wood products, and promoting resilient forest ecosystems.

💨 Air Quality

🔥 Global Carbon Budget Warns of Imminent 1.5C Warming Breach. The Global Carbon Budget report warns that global warming could consistently exceed the 1.5C threshold set by the Paris Agreement within about six years due to the world's failure to reach peak carbon emissions.

🌍 UK Raises Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target to 81% by 2035. The UK Government announced a new target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, raising its previous commitment of 78% reduction over the same period.

🛠️ 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, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

👷 IEA Report: 16 Million New Clean Energy Jobs Boost Transition in 2024. The IEA's 2024 report reveals clean energy jobs surged by 16 million since 2019, reaching 75 million globally. Solar and wind sectors lead growth, notably in Asia and the U.S., underscoring clean energy’s resilience amid complex geopolitical and supply chain challenges. The report identifies over half of the new roles in emerging economies, reinforcing their critical role in achieving the global energy transition.  

🏢 Jobs for the Future Awards $5M for US Workforce Equity Projects. Jobs for the Future (JFF) has awarded nearly $5 million to US-based organizations focused on improving workforce equity. This funding supports initiatives creating inclusive career pathways in fields like information technology, especially for marginalized communities. With grants dispersed across multiple states, JFF aims to reduce educational and employment disparities, fostering economic mobility.

🪫 Adani Group Pledges $10 Billion for US Energy Infrastructure Projects. India’s Adani Group has committed $10 billion to advance US energy security and infrastructure, with plans to create up to 15,000 jobs. This investment encompasses a range of projects aimed at bolstering energy resilience and enhancing infrastructure, showcasing Adani’s strategic confidence in the American market. The initiative aligns with broader US priorities to drive economic growth through strengthened energy systems and essential infrastructure development across key regions.

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

💰 Former Orios Partners Launch BlueGreen Ventures with $75M Fund. Former partners of Orios Venture Partners launched a new venture capital firm called BlueGreen Ventures with a $75M fund. The firm will invest in climate and sustainability, fintech, and post-COVID B2C companies.

🦐 Oceanloop secures $36.9M loan for indoor shrimp farming tech. Oceanloop, a company focused on indoor shrimp farming technology, raised $36.9M in the form of a loan from the European Investment Bank to support its expansion.

♻️ Bolder Industries Secures $33.7M EU Grant for Circular Plant in Antwerp. Bolder Industries received a $33.7M grant from the EU Innovation Fund to develop its NextGen plant at the Port of Antwerp. The facility aims to advance circular economy practices by converting end-of-life tires into sustainable raw materials, supporting Europe’s climate goals.

🌳 Kruger Inc Invests $23.75M in Carbon Capture Project. Kruger Inc. committed $23.75M to a carbon capture project at its Wayagamack Mill in Trois-Rivières, aiming to capture and reuse CO2 emissions to reduce its environmental footprint.

🌱 Berlin-based Klim Raises $22M in Series A Funding. Klim, a provider of insetting solutions for the food industry, raised $22M in Series A funding to advance its insetting solutions for sustainable agriculture within the food industry. The funding round marks Germany’s largest Series A in agritech for 2024, aiming to expand Klim’s platform for regenerative farming practices across Europe.

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