🍃 Enviro Futures #6

HolonIQ's environment futures coverage for the week ahead.

Our Climate Tech coverage has grown significantly, and due to popular demand, we're splitting it into weekly Energy Futures, Enviro Futures, Infra Futures, and Mobility Futures newsletters over the coming weeks.

This newsletter is 'Enviro Futures,' and you can update your subscriptions to any of the other weekly newsletters here.

Happy Monday 👋

Drought and near-drought conditions over the past two months in parts of Ghana responsible for about 62% of its grain production have triggered a food shortage, resulting in the government banning the export of rice, corn, and soy. Aligning with the growing number of those facing food insecurity, Blue Horizon, one of the top investors in the emerging food sector, decided to change course and begin constructing massive protein factories in arid areas. In the carbon markets, a $3.7B funding package to assist the industry in lowering carbon emissions and developing carbon capture and storage technology was launched by the German Economy Ministry. The neighboring Czech Republic’s Agriculture Ministry requested the European Commission to postpone the implementation of the EU's new anti-deforestation law, citing concerns about its unclear impact on businesses. Furthermore, Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC, announced a $510M business combination with Benson Hill, a food technology company.

🌱 Food Systems

🌽 Ghana Bans Grain Exports to Prevent Food Shortage. Ghana banned the export of rice, corn, and soy to avoid a local food shortage caused by drought. Drought and near-drought conditions over the past two months have increased the risk of crop failure in a part of the country responsible for about 62% of Ghana’s grain production. 

🌱 EU Aims to Streamline Approval of Sustainable Pest Control Solutions. The European Union is proposing changes to pesticide rules to accelerate the approval of sustainable biocontrol products. Member states are providing input on defining these products.

🌱 Food Tech Investor Shifts to Building Giga Protein Factories. Blue Horizon, previously a leading investor in the future food industry, decided to pivot and start building large-scale protein factories in desert regions.

🌊 Oceans and Water

💧Water Industry Seeks Higher Household Bill Increase. Water UK, the trade body for major water companies, is urging the regulator Ofwat to allow a higher increase in household water bills than the currently proposed £19 a year cap, arguing that this will deter investment in the sector.

♻️ Environmental Services

🏭 Germany Invests Billions to Decarbonize Industries. The German Economy Ministry announced a $3.7B funding program aimed at helping industries reduce carbon emissions and develop carbon capture and storage technologies.

🥡 Vietnam Embraces Circular Economy for Waste Recycling. Businesses in Vietnam are adopting circular economy models that convert waste into energy and building materials from power plant byproducts.

♻️ Major Companies Join Forces to Combat Plastic Waste in Sri Lanka. GIZ, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever, and local authorities launched a project to address plastic pollution and solid waste management issues in Sri Lanka.

💨 Air Quality

🌫️ ZDHC Releases Air Emissions Guidelines. The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) group, an organization focused on reducing harmful chemical discharges in the textile and footwear industries, published guidelines for managing air emissions.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🌳 Czechia Seeks Delay in EU Anti-Deforestation Law. The Czech Agriculture Ministry requested the European Commission to postpone the implementation of the EU's new anti-deforestation law, citing concerns about its unclear impact on businesses.

🛢️ Ecuador's Vote to Ban Amazon Oil Operations Defied. Despite over 10 million Ecuadorians voting to ban oil operations in part of the Amazon rainforest last year, heavy crude oil extraction has continued in the region that is home to uncontacted Indigenous tribes.

🌳 Carbon Credits Issued for Yucatan Forest Management Projects. Invert Inc. and The Earth Lab announced the issuance of carbon credits from improved forest management projects in the Yucatan Peninsula, a significant step in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable forestry.

👗 Textiles

👕 Ganni Partners with Canopy for Sustainable Textiles and Packaging. Ganni, a fashion brand, is working with Canopy, an environmental organization, to ensure that all of its textiles and paper packaging are free from fibers sourced from climate-critical forests.

♻️ TITK Invests in Textile Recycling Facility. The Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research (TITK) is investing $11M in a new research and development center that will explore advances in textile recycling. The ‘Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy (DICE), which has received support from several leading sportswear and equipment brands, including Adidas, Vaude, and Head, will be built at the institute's premises in Rudolstadt, Germany.

💰 Environment Deals

🌱 Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation to Merge with Benson Hill. Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC, announced a $510M business combination with Benson Hill, a food technology company.

🪸 Brazilian Agritech Firm Secures $50M Investment for Coral Reef Conservation. Agrion Agrisolutions, a Brazilian agriculture innovator, received a $50M investment from Global Fund for Coral Reefs, an investment fund managed by Pegasus Capital Advisors.

🌱 HabiTerre Raises $10M in Series A to Scale Environmental Farming Models. HabiTerre, a company that creates environmental systems models to analyze the impact of farming on the environment, raised a $10M Series A funding round. The funds will be used to scale up the company's technology.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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