⛰️ Enviro Futures #19

Happy Monday 👋

The European Investment Bank (EIB) committed $84M to support PÜSPÖK Group's agrivoltaics projects in Austria, promoting sustainable energy and agriculture integration. At COP29, nearly 50 countries endorsed the Water for Climate Action declaration, focusing on tackling climate impacts on water basins. The conference also saw the negotiation of a $300B fund deal, though it was deemed insufficient by developing nations. Meanwhile, the US government allocated $147.5M to enhance fisheries research through NOAA. In global environmental efforts, UN negotiations continue to shape a treaty addressing plastic pollution. Additionally, APAC agrifood tech startups secured $4.2B in funding, highlighting strong resilience amid global economic challenges.

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

🌞 EIB supports PÜSPÖK with $84M for agrivoltaics in Austria. The European Investment Bank is providing $84M to the PÜSPÖK Group to support agrivoltaics projects, integrating renewable energy production with agricultural activities for sustainable development.

💰 Hort Innovation and Artesian Launch $60M Agtech Venture Fund. Hort Innovation and venture capital firm Artesian will invest around $60M into agricultural technology startups through a new fund called the Hort Innovation Venture Fund.

🌱 Leciel Greenhouse Vegetables Achieves 1 Million Square Feet of Greenhouse Production. Leciel Greenhouse Vegetables celebrated a major milestone, reaching 1 million square feet of greenhouse production, reflecting continuous growth and a longstanding partnership.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌍 Nearly 50 Countries Sign Baku Declaration on Water for Climate Action at COP29. At COP29, the COP29 Presidency launched Water for Climate Action, part of its Action Agenda, which includes a declaration endorsed by nearly 50 countries to combat climate change impacts on water basins.

🚰 Tribes Push for $5B Colorado River Water Deal Passage. Native American tribes push for the passage of a $5 billion water deal for Colorado River flows during the lame-duck session, but the settlement faces opposition over water leasing and impacts on Upper Basin states.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 COP29 Climate Talks Reach Dissatisfactory $300B Fund Deal. The COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan reached a $300B fund deal to avoid collapse, but the deal was seen as dissatisfactory by developing states.

🍞 Brazil's Global Initiative to Combat Hunger at G20. Brazil launched a global initiative to combat hunger at the G20 summit as the world struggles to reduce food insecurity levels that have risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected to pull over 500 million people out of poverty and currently has over 80 members.

🌱 Goterra launches maggot 'robots' to tackle food waste in Western Sydney. Climate tech startup Goterra launched its Maggot Robots, which use maggots to convert organic waste into valuable products like protein and fertilizer, in Sydney's western suburbs, supporting a circular economy while reducing emissions and landfill waste.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🐟 US Funds New Technology For Fisheries Research. The US Government announced a $147.5M investment from the Inflation Reduction Act to strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) science and management capabilities for fisheries research.

🌲 Restoring Forests Decimated by Wildfires in Pacific Northwest. Major efforts are underway to restore the tens of millions of acres of forests in the Pacific Northwest that have been destroyed by large wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years, with a focus on replanting native species and enhancing forest resilience.

💨 Air Quality

🌍 UN Negotiates Global Treaty to Tackle Plastic Pollution. The ongoing UN negotiations for a treaty to combat plastic pollution reveal significant divides among countries. Some developed nations advocate for stricter regulations while developing nations express concerns about economic impacts and implementation costs. 

🌎 EPA Issues Guide for Assessing Total Pollution Impacts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new guidelines for assessing total pollution impacts, focusing on how various pollutants interact across different environmental and health dimensions. The guide aims to enhance decision-making by considering total pollution effects rather than isolating individual pollutants, ensuring more comprehensive risk assessments.

🛠️ 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.

🗑️ ILO Skills Project Enhances Waste Management and Sustainability for SMEs. A recent ILO initiative in Arba Minch, Ethiopia, focused on training women-led and disability-inclusive small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in environmental sustainability and waste management. The training addressed skills gaps and fostered green business practices, including circular economy and waste-to-value strategies. Participants gained practical knowledge in waste management, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, which they can apply to their businesses, supporting Ethiopia’s green growth and economic inclusion goals. The program highlights the role of SMEs in sustainable development.

👔 Newsom Unveils Jobs Program in Fresno, Reinforces $200M Downtown Promise. California Governor Gavin Newsom introduced a $120M jobs program in Fresno focused on clean energy, carbon capture, and manufacturing, aligning with the California Jobs First Initiative. Highlighting community-driven strategies, Newson emphasized workforce development through local partnerships. The program is aimed at bridging regional economic gaps. Additionally, Newsom reaffirmed his commitment to a $200M downtown revitalization fund, ensuring its inclusion in the upcoming state budget.

🪟 New Training Center Bridges Green Heating Skills Gap in Cumbria, UK. Lakes College in Cumbria has launched a new green energy training center, funded by £200K from the government, to address the skills gap in low-carbon heating. The center will offer courses in air and ground source heat pumps, solar thermal, and electric vehicle charging. As the UK seeks 33,700 heat pump installers, the center aims to provide critical training to meet Net Zero goals, supporting the nation’s green targets.

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

💰 APAC agrifoodtech startups secure $4.2B in funding. APAC agrifood tech startups secured $4.2B in funding, representing 31% of global funding in the sector, showcasing impressive resilience with a 38% YoY increase in 2024 despite global market challenges.

💰 Strauss Sells Sabra Stake to PepsiCo for $244M. The Israeli food giant Strauss sold its 50% stake in Sabra to PepsiCo for $244M, ending their newark=ly 20-year partnership, as it shifts focus to snack foods and core business growth.

💧 Aquaria secures $112M funding to address global water crisis. Aquaria, a startup based in New York, secured $112M in funding to develop and deploy scalable water solutions that extract water directly from the atmosphere.

💰 Fiagro Nagro Oikos Investment Fund Raises $12.9M. Fiagro Nagro Oikos, an investment fund managed by the partnership between Nagro Crédito Agro and Oikos Capital, announced fundraising of $12.9M.

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