⛰️ Enviro Futures #7

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 👋

Nigeria is set to appeal to developed nations for increased financial assistance at the Africa Food Summit as the number of people suffering from food insecurity is poised to further increase, exacerbated by climate change. A recent study by the University of Leeds found that the world produces 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution every year, most of which ends up in our oceans, significantly destroying the ocean ecosystem. Taiwan is launching a carbon credits platform called TCX in October, which is forecasted to bring in $131B by 2030, though carbon markets have been facing increased scrutiny amid greenwashing and fraudulent claims. While Dhaka recorded the third worst air quality in the world with an Air Quality Index score of 146, a UN report found that fine particle air pollution declined in Europe and China in 2023 due to a drop in emissions from human activities, fueled by increased adoption of clean energy and electric vehicles.

🌱 Food Systems

💰 Developing Nations Seek Financial Support. Nigeria and other developing countries plan to request increased financial assistance, investments, and debt relief from wealthier nations. Nigeria will seize the opportunity of the Africa Food Summit scheduled to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, to push for financing and increased investments and ask for debt relief from its creditors.

🌾 Cropify Raises $2M to Assist Farmers with Grain Classification. Cropify, an AI Agtech startup based in South Australia, raised $2M from Mandalay Venture Partners and Hatcher+ to help farmers classify grains.

🌱 Agmatix Launches RegenIQ to Promote Regenerative Agriculture. Agmatix, a company focused on regenerative agriculture, launched RegenIQ, a new offering designed to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices by providing a structured approach to assess the impact of field-level efforts on environmental health and productivity.

🌊 Oceans and Water

🌍 Alarming Plastic Pollution Levels Revealed in Global Study. A study by the University of Leeds found that the world produces 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually, which spreads from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people's bodies, and more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South.

🌊 Harnessing Ocean Power for Renewable Energy. A wave energy converter is set to be launched off Western Australia in 2024 as part of a study to explore generating renewable electricity from ocean waves.

♻️ Environmental Services

🌳 Taiwan to Launch Carbon Credit Exchange That Could Rake in $131B by 2030. Taiwan is launching the TCX platform on October 2, 2024, which will allow the trading of carbon credits and align Taiwan with global carbon markets.

♻️ NUCA Partners with ZeroCarbon for Construction Waste Recycling. NUCA signed a protocol with ZeroCarbon to recycle construction waste in new cities in Egypt, starting with the Beit Al Watan project in New Cairo.

🌳 Icelandic Companies Optimize Carbon Supply for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project. Haffner Energy and IðunnH2, two Icelandic companies, are optimizing the carbon procurement for an e-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) project in Iceland through bio-carbon gasification.

💨 Air Quality

🌍 Air Pollution Decline in Europe and China in 2023. The United Nations reported that fine particle air pollution declined in Europe and China in 2023 due to a drop in emissions from human activities.

😷 Dhaka's Air Pollution Crisis. Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, had the third worst air quality in the world on Thursday morning with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 146.

🐟 Forestry and Fishing

🌳 TotalEnergies Invests $100M in U.S. Forestry for Net Zero Push. TotalEnergies, a French energy company, invested $100M in U.S. forestry projects as part of its efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

🌱 AI Reduces Costs for Soil Carbon Capture Projects. Artificial intelligence is being used to reduce barriers and costs associated with implementing soil carbon capture projects, opening up new opportunities in agricultural technology.

👗 Textiles

💰 India's Textile Sector Targets $300B Valuation by 2030. India's textile industry, currently valued at $175B with exports of $38-40B, aims to reach a valuation of $300B by 2030, with sustainability as a key priority.

🌱 Taiwan's Eco-Textile Leadership. Taiwan is leading in the production of eco-friendly textiles, demonstrating innovation and sustainability in the textile industry.

♻️ Goodwill and Walmart Collaborate on Textile Sustainability. Goodwill is conducting a study funded by the Walmart Foundation to research and expand circularity and traceability in textiles after a successful pilot.

💰 Environment Deals

💰 Thai packaging firm SCG Packaging acquires majority stake in Indonesian peer. SCG Packaging, a Thai packaging company, acquired an additional 44.48% stake in Indonesian packaging firm Fajar Surya from PT Intercipta Sempana for $652M, raising its total shareholding to 99.72%.

🌱 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.

💰 TAQA Acquires SWS Holding for $460M. Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) finalized the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Sustainable Water Solutions Holding Company (SWS Holding) for $460M.

🌱 GALY Raises $33M in Series B for Cellular Agriculture Platform. GALY, a company working on cellular agriculture, raised a $33M Series B funding round to further develop its platform for producing materials like cotton using cellular agriculture technology.

🌱 Agritech Startup AGRIM Raises $17.3M in Series B Round. AGRIM, a B2B platform for agricultural inputs, raised a $17.3M Series B funding round led by Asia Impact.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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