⛰️ Enviro Futures #27

Happy Monday 👋

This week, significant developments in the environmental sustainability industry include Forever Feed Technologies’ completion of the world’s largest automated sprouted grain feed mill, advancing sustainable cattle feed production. The UK Environment Agency secured a record $27B investment to enhance water quality and nature restoration efforts. Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest’s carbon storage capacity continues to decline due to deforestation. In aquaculture, Mowi and the Roslin Institute launched a $10.5M project to improve Scottish salmon health. Cleantech startup Adsorbi secured $1M for air purification, and Meteomatics raised $22M to enhance weather forecasting for businesses navigating extreme weather impacts.

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🌱 Food Systems

🌱 Forever Feed Technologies Completes Automated Sprouted Grain Feed Mill. Forever Feed Technologies completed the world's largest automated sprouted grain feed mill, revolutionizing cattle feed production with a system that uses significantly less water while delivering highly nutritious feed. The facility enhances sustainability in livestock farming by optimizing resource efficiency and improving feed quality.

🌱 Kenyan Farmers Combat 'Witchweed' Using Bioherbicide. Kenyan farmers are using a bioherbicide to fight the invasive 'witchweed' that damages staple crops like maize, affecting millions in sub-Saharan Africa and causing billions in losses annually.

🌱 Heritable Agriculture Launches AI-Powered Plant Breeding. Heritable Agriculture, a company originally incubated at Alphabet's moonshot factory, officially launched its innovative AI-powered platform for plant breeding and biotechnology. The company focuses on enhancing agricultural efficiency by harnessing the potential of AI to accelerate genetic advancements in crops, leading to more sustainable and productive agricultural practices.

🌊 Oceans and Water

💧 Record $27B Investment Secured for Water Quality and Nature Restoration. The Environment Agency secured a record $27B investment from water companies, who have agreed to take 24,000 actions to improve water quality and restore nature, representing a four-fold increase in investment.

💧 Novel Nuclear Reactor to Desalinate Wastewater. A new small modular nuclear reactor design in Texas will use waste heat from its operations to desalinate wastewater from oil and gas industries. This innovative approach aims to address both energy and water scarcity issues in the region, offering a sustainable solution by turning waste into a resource.

💧 New Printed Membrane Technology for Water Treatment. A new 3D-printed membrane technology offers a breakthrough for water treatment, potentially transforming the industry by improving efficiency and sustainability. This development could reduce energy consumption and costs in water filtration processes, offering a new solution for global water management challenges.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌳 Amazon Rainforest Losing Carbon Absorption Capacity. The Amazon rainforest's ability to store carbon is weakening due to ongoing deforestation, wildfires, and climate change. Degradation from human activities reduces the forest’s capacity to absorb CO₂, accelerating global warming. Scientists warn that continued destruction could shift the Amazon from a carbon sink to a carbon source, worsening climate instability.

♻️ Scientists Engineer Enzyme for Low-Temperature PET Recycling. Scientists engineered an enzyme that can efficiently recycle PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic at low temperatures to produce new synthetic fibers, offering a more energy-efficient solution compared to traditional methods.

🌱 Avantium Develops Cotton Recycling Technology. Avantium, a Dutch renewable chemistry company, developed a chemical recycling process for poly-cotton textiles. This method breaks down cotton into glucose, making it possible to recycle mixed material fabrics, which have long been challenging to reuse. The breakthrough could help reduce textile waste and improve sustainability in the fashion industry.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🐟 Mowi and Roslin Institute Launch $10.5M Project to Improve Scottish Salmon Health. Mowi, a seafood company, and the Roslin Institute launched a $10.5M project funded by the UK government to improve the resilience of Scottish salmon to diseases, focusing on heart and gill health.

$2M in Grants Secures Maine’s Fishing Legacy. Maine's fishing industry secured a $2M grant aimed at preserving the state's fishing legacy. The funds will support projects related to sustainable fishing practices, workforce development, and maintaining the cultural heritage of the fishing community.

🐟 India Boosts Fisheries Sector with Record Budget. India's fisheries sector received a historic budget boost to enhance sustainable practices and strengthen infrastructure. The government allocated funds for modernization, infrastructure development, and improving livelihoods for fishermen. The initiative aims to support the sector's growth, ensure food security, and promote eco-friendly practices in aquatic resource management.

💨 Air Quality

💰 Adsorbi Secures $1M for Pilot Plant Development. Cleantech startup Adsorbi raised $1M to build a pilot plant focused on air purification. The company focuses on leveraging its unique adsorption process for environmental conservation, particularly for art preservation and air quality improvement.

😷 Air Pollution Crisis in Delhi. Delhi re-implemented GRAP III anti-pollution measures as air quality deteriorated, with harmful pollutants reaching unhealthy levels. The city's air quality index (AQI) has worsened due to factors like vehicle emissions, construction, and weather patterns. Authorities have initiated restrictions on construction activities, heavy trucks, and certain industrial processes to mitigate the pollution levels.

🛠️ 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.

🥬 New Greenhouse Propagation Course to Boost Canadian Agricultural Workforce. A new Greenhouse Propagation and Production course, launching in February 2025, will train workers for Canada’s growing agricultural sector. Developed by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Hupacasath First Nation, and North Island College, the program addresses local labor needs by equipping participants with skills in hydroponics, plant physiology, and sustainable farming. Supported by a provincial grant, the initiative fosters job creation and food security, offering hands-on greenhouse training to unemployed and underemployed community members.

⚒️ San Juan College Launches Uranium Mine Cleanup Training Program. San Juan College’s new Careers Remediating Environmental Waste (CREW) program aims to address abandoned uranium mines in the Four Corners region while creating stable, well-paying jobs. Backed by New Mexico’s workforce and environment departments, the program offers displaced energy workers and others training in mine reclamation. With an estimated 500 abandoned mines, cleanup efforts could generate 2,500 jobs. Companies have committed to interviewing graduates, ensuring pathways to long-term employment.

💼 Colorado Launches Climate Jobs Coalition Amid Federal Policy Shifts. Colorado Climate Jobs, a new labor coalition, aims to create high-quality union jobs and a strong clean energy economy despite federal uncertainty under Trump’s administration. With 77,000 clean-tech jobs statewide, Colorado’s renewable workforce grew 3.9% in 2023. However, federal policy shifts, including tariffs and stalled IRA funding, threaten progress. State leaders remain committed to advancing climate-related job growth while monitoring the impact of new executive orders on green energy initiatives.

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

💰 Meteomatics Raises $22M in Series C Funding Round. Meteomatics, a Swiss weather intelligence and technology company based in St. Gallen, raised $22 million in a Series C funding round to expand its weather forecasting platform.

🌱 Swiss Startup Raises Funds to Tackle 'Forever Chemicals' in Water. Swiss startup Oxyle raised $16M in funding to develop a solution to eliminate PFAS, commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’ from wastewater.

💰 Rwandan Agritech Firm Pula Secures $10.4M Grant. Pula Foundation, a Rwandan agriculture insurtech company, received a $10.4M grant from Bayer Foundation, to expand its efforts in providing farmers with risk management tools and insurance products.

♻️ French Startup Le Fourgon Raises $8.5M to Scale Reusable Glass Deposit System. Le Fourgon, a French startup based in Marquette-lez-Lille, raised $8.5M in an extension of its Series A funding round to scale its reusable glass deposit system as an alternative to plastic packaging.

🌱 Avisomo Raises $5.3M for Vertical Farming Tech. The Norwegian AgriTech startup Avisomo, which develops automated vertical farming solutions, secured $5.3M in new funding to further develop its indoor farming technology.

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