⛰️ Enviro Futures #18

Happy Monday 👋

The US-UAE AIM for Climate initiative secured $29B to advance climate-friendly farming. NASA’s data supports global efforts to address sea level rise, aiding resilience planning for coastal regions. At COP29, developed nations pledged billions in climate finance for developing countries, though concerns over transparency persist. India’s green cover campaign planted over one billion trees, nearing its goal of 1.4 billion. In Pakistan, over 1.9 million people were hospitalized due to severe air pollution. Elicit Plant raised $48M in Series B funding to expand its climate-focused agri-biotech solutions.

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.

HolonIQ's new skills newsletter is here! Get updates on emerging skills, workforce shifts, and industry insights across impact sectors. Subscribe now to stay ahead.

🌱 Food Systems

🧺 US-UAE Climate-Friendly Farming Partnership Grows to $29B. The AIM for Climate initiative, a partnership between the US and UAE for climate-friendly farming, grew to $29B in funding. The initiative secured $17B at COP28 last year and $8B at COP27.

🌱 COP29 Focuses on Transforming Agri-Food Systems for Climate Action. COP29's Food, Water, and Agriculture Day emphasized the potential of agri-food systems to reduce emissions but also stressed the need for mitigation and adaptation efforts as these systems are vulnerable to climate change impacts.

🧑‍🌾 UAE Unveils World's First ChatGPT Tool for Farmers at COP29. The United Arab Emirates unveiled the world's first ChatGPT tool called 'CHAG' for farmers at the COP29 conference. The tool will leverage over 50 years of agricultural research data to support farmers globally.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌊 NASA Aids Global Efforts Against Sea Level Rise. NASA’s data aids in global efforts to combat sea level rise, providing vital projections for coastal regions. This information helps mitigate risks and plan for flooding impacts on infrastructure. The platform supports agencies like the World Bank and the U.S. Defense Department in building resilience against rising ocean levels.

🌊 UN Treaty to Protect International Waters Awaits Ratification. The UN's treaty to protect high seas biodiversity requires ratification by 60 countries to take effect. Despite over 100 nations signaling support, only 14 have ratified the treaty, leaving critical ocean areas vulnerable.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 COP29: Developed nations commit billions in climate finance. At COP29, developed nations pledged billions in climate finance to support developing countries in their fight against climate change. However, concerns remain regarding the transparency and effectiveness of these financial commitments, with calls for clearer definitions and more consistent delivery of funds to ensure they are used effectively for adaptation and mitigation projects.

🌍 Multilateral Development Banks Boost Climate Financing Efforts. Multilateral development banks increased their collective climate financing commitments, exceeding their 2025 projections with a significant rise in direct climate finance and mobilization efforts.

🌊 Record Coral Mortality on Great Barrier Reef. Researchers reveal that the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing unprecedented levels of coral bleaching due to record-high sea temperatures, with 2024 surpassing all previous records. These extreme temperatures, which have occurred frequently over the past two decades, are linked to human-driven climate change, threatening the reef’s biodiversity.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🌳 India's Green Cover Campaign Reaches Milestone of One Billion Tree Plantings. India's government-led green cover campaign aimed to plant 1.4B new saplings across the country in one year, equivalent to India's population. The campaign has successfully crossed the one billion tree-plantings milestone.

🌳 Brazil Revives Reforestation Plan, Experts Applaud. Brazil’s Planaveg initiative, launched at COP16, aims to restore 12 million hectares of land by 2030. Though seen as a vital step against deforestation, challenges include securing resources and addressing the 20.7 million hectares of degraded land on private properties.

💨 Air Quality

😷 Pakistan Air Pollution Crisis: Over 1.9 Million Hospitalized in a Month. Over 1.9 million people in Pakistan have been hospitalized due to toxic smog and air pollution in a month. Authorities have taken measures like school closures and lockdowns to mitigate the crisis.

🌍 COP29 Tackles Methane Emissions with 'An Eye on Methane' Initiative. At COP29, the launch of 'An Eye on Methane' initiative aims to address the urgent need to reduce methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

🛠️ 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.

🌳 Egypt Champions Green Jobs and Skills Development at COP29. Egypt's Minister Rania Al-Mashat, at COP29, spotlighted green job creation as a cornerstone of the global climate agenda. Emphasizing the critical need for skill development in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy sectors, Al-Mashat called for equitable climate finance to enable the Global South to bridge employment and sustainability gaps. Her address underscored the transformative potential of green skills in fostering economic resilience and environmental sustainability.

🏢 University of Tennessee Secures Funding for Green Jobs Initiative. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been awarded a $750,000 grant for East Tennessee Works, a regional green jobs initiative focused on Knoxville’s inner-city and rural Southern Appalachian communities. Over the next three years, the program aims to place 5,000 East Tennesseans into green economy jobs by collaborating with community partners, industry, labor organizations, and educational institutions to provide training in advanced manufacturing and green construction.

🔋 Newcastle Energy Hub to Create Thousands of High-Impact Green Jobs. A new energy hub in Newcastle, led by Britishvolt, is set to create over 2000 green jobs, revolutionizing the local economy. The project focuses on advanced battery production, supporting the UK’s clean energy goals while driving job growth in manufacturing, technology, and sustainability. By prioritizing workforce development and renewable innovation, this initiative underscores the transformative potential of green technologies to generate sustainable employment opportunities and bolster regional economic resilience.

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for 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

🌱 Elicit Plant Raises $48M in Series B Funding. Elicit Plant, an agri-biotech company, announced a $48M Series B funding round to accelerate its global expansion and further its mission to combat climate change.

🌳 Vaulted Deep Secures $32.3M Series A Funding. Vaulted Deep, a biomass carbon removal and storage company, secured $32.3M in Series A funding led by Prelude Ventures, to expand its biomass carbon removal and storage capacity.

🌱 Plantible Foods Raises $30M in Series B Funding. Plantible Foods, a sustainable plant-based protein producer based in San Diego, CA, raised $30M in a Series B funding round to leverage plants for promoting health and longevity.

🌎 OnStream Receives $26M Federal Funding and Announces Joint Venture for Louisiana Carbon Storage Hub. OnStream CO2, LLC, a developer of carbon storage projects in Louisiana, received $26M in federal funding for developing an offshore carbon storage hub and announced a joint venture partnership with a major midstream company.

Like getting this newsletter? For unlimited access to over one million charts, request a demo.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
Have some feedback or suggestions? Let us know at hello@holoniq.com