⛰️ Enviro Futures #20

Happy Monday 👋

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) attracted more than $12 billion to strengthen drought resilience worldwide. In a parallel effort, Multilateral Development Banks committed $50B over five years to water security. The EU announced a $4.8B investment in decarbonization and hydrogen projects, but delayed anti-deforestation regulations by one year. Meanwhile, Lahore faced hazardous air quality levels, ranking as the most polluted city globally. Lastly, Alibaba acquired a 5% stake in South Korean fashion app Ably, investing $71.4M.

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

🌍 Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership secures $12B in funding commitments. COP16 in Riyadh secures $12B in financial commitments to combat drought, land degradation, and desertification. The Arab Coordination Group pledges up to $10B by 2030, while the OPEC Fund and IsDB contribute $1B each.

🌾 OPEC Fund Provides $394M Loan to Support African Smallholder Farmers. The OPEC Fund signed a $394M sustainability-linked loan with ETC Group to support smallholder farmers in Africa. The initiative focuses on enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting rural livelihoods.

🌱 Plant-Based Leaders Demand Change at COP29 Over Food's Climate Impact. Plant-based leaders signed a collective call to action at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, criticizing the neglect of the food system's role in the climate crisis and advocating for the integration of sustainable food practices into global climate strategies.

🌊 Oceans and Water

💧 Multilateral Development Banks Commit to Water Security. The Multilateral Development Banks, including major global financial institutions, jointly committed to prioritizing water security and have collectively lent $50B to the water sector in the last five years.

🌡️ New Images Reveal Accelerating Arctic Ice Retreat. Satellite images highlight the alarming scale of Arctic ice loss, underscoring the rapid impacts of climate change. The retreat poses significant risks to ecosystems, sea levels, and global climate stability.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌍 EU Invests $4.8B in Decarbonization and Hydrogen Projects. The European Commission announced a $4.8B investment in decarbonization technologies and clean hydrogen initiatives across Europe. The funding aims to advance clean energy technologies, reduce emissions, and support the transition to a sustainable energy future.

🌱 Scientists Restore Eelgrass for Enhanced Carbon Capture. Researchers on the US East Coast are restoring eelgrass, a critical seagrass species that sequesters carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Threatened by rising sea temperatures, eelgrass plays a vital role in mitigating climate change and preserving marine ecosystems.

🌍  UN Negotiators Fail to Reach Agreement on Global Plastic Pollution Treaty. Negotiations for a global plastics treaty collapsed, delaying a final decision until 2025, with issues like limiting new plastic manufacturing and phasing out some chemicals creating roadblocks.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🌳 EU Delays Anti-Deforestation Rules by One Year. EU negotiators secured a one-year delay to the implementation of anti-deforestation rules. The final deal did not include additional changes proposed by the EPP and hard-right parties.

🐟 Malta Signs Major Agreement to Boost Local Aquaculture Research. Malta signed a significant agreement to enhance aquaculture research, focusing on sustainable practices and innovation. The partnership aims to strengthen the local aquaculture sector, improving environmental impact and boosting production.

💨 Air Quality

🌍 Lahore Ranked World's Most Polluted City with Air Quality at 303. Lahore's air quality index hit 303, making it the most polluted city globally. This severe pollution poses significant health risks, with the city experiencing hazardous levels of airborne particles. 

🌫️ U.P. to add 193 new air quality monitoring stations. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) is adding 193 new air quality monitoring stations and developing innovations like a real-time monitoring app and super sites to monitor air quality.

🛠️ 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.

🚗 UNDP and Partners Launch Electric Mobility Skilling Programme. In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Makerere University Innovation Pod (UniPod), and Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), an Electric Mobility Skilling Programme was introduced to equip students with cutting-edge skills in electric vehicle technologies.

🌧️ Boston Secures $9.8M Grant for Climate Resilience Workforce Expansion. Boston has received a $9.8 million federal grant to create over 1,200 climate resilience jobs in four years, focusing on coastal protections and green infrastructure. The funding supports roles in construction, storm response, and wastewater redesign while establishing the Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance to enhance training accessibility. Mayor Wu highlighted the program's security against federal rollbacks, and local businesses, like Parterre, underscored the urgent need for skilled workers in the field.

🌿 New City College Wins Prestigious Green Gown Award for Green Skills. New City College (NCC) earned the Green Gown Award for Next Generation Learning and Skills, recognizing its groundbreaking ‘Green Skills Revolution’ curriculum. NCC’s innovative low-carbon courses, supported by £10 million in partnership projects, focus on electric vehicle maintenance, energy efficiency, and solar power. With state-of-the-art labs and specialized staff training, NCC equips students, apprentices, and workers with essential green skills, positioning itself as a national leader in sustainable education and workforce development.

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

💰 Alibaba Acquires 5% Stake in South Korean Clothing App Ably. The Alibaba Group invested $71.4M to acquire a 5% equity stake in Ably, a leading South Korean sustainable clothing manufacturer, marking Alibaba's first equity investment in a South Korean company.

💰 Argor Capital to Increase Stake in eFishery Through $70M Continuation Fund. Argor Capital Management is closing a $70M continuation fund to increase its equity stake in eFishery, an aquaculture technology company, from 6-7% to 9-10%.

🌱 Vietnam Agritech Startup Techcoop Raises $70M Series A. Techcoop, a Vietnam-based agritech startup, raised $70M in a Series A funding round led by TNB Aura and AVV, with participation from new investors including BlueOrchard Finance, Capria Ventures, Sogo Energy, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, and AppWorks.

🦐 Euro shrimp farmer secures $36.7M development loan. Oceanloop, a German aquaculture technology company, secured a $36.7M loan from the European Investment Bank to expand its sustainable land-based shrimp farming business.

🌱 French startup Lactips raises $16.8M to produce biodegradable plastic alternatives. France-based Lactips raised $16.8M to advance its biodegradable, water-soluble polymer production made from natural materials. The funding, led by the Blue Ocean Fund, will scale production, support international expansion, and enhance eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastics.

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