California and Europe partnering for the climate, a car that absorbs CO2, opportunities and more!
Cassia Moraes
Founder and Board member | Climate Policy and Innovation | International Cooperation
It has been a long time since my last newsletter, and I have the usual excuse of being busy (but who isn't?). A topic that has been a big part of my work this year is just transition, have you heard about it? On my recent trip to California for meetings at the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) , as well as at my classes at the Burgundy School of Business - BSB , I mentioned that just transition is about focusing on the HOW of the climate action. We often hear of win-win solutions for the climate, but as Professor Shiv S. says, there are many Win-Lose solutions that will also be needed.
A good example of a just transition challenge can be found on recent news in the Netherlands. The Dutch government has unveiled a €25bn (￡21bn) plan to radically reduce the number of livestock in the country as it struggles to contain an overload of animal manure.?Farmers are protesting at government's aims to reduce nitrogen compound emissions by 50% by 2030, and by 75% in protected nature reserves known as Natura 2000 areas, in line with EU rules.?Nature minister Christianne van der Wal has given provinces a year to come up with detailed plans aiming at halving emissions of ammonia and nitrogen oxide by 2030. The Netherlands has some 52,000 farms. (DutchNews.nl) .?
Agriculture is responsible for the largest share of nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands, much of it from the waste produced by the estimated 1.6 million cows that provide the milk used to make the country’s famed cheeses, like Gouda and Edam.?“My livelihood and my network is being threatened,” said Ben Apeldoorn, whose farm in the province of Utrecht has about 120 cows producing milk for making cheese. “You’re just no longer allowed to exist,” said Mr. Apeldoorn, 52, who has been a farmer for 30 years.?The Netherlands is a major dairy producer and exporter, making close to 14 billion kilos of milk in 2021.?“The problem is that a solution now needs to be found in a very short term,” he said. “This isn’t a problem that arose in a few years, this is a problem of decades, and everyone just kicked the can down the road.” (NYT )
During my trip to California, I also met with a startup called Climate Refarm , a company that uses carbon crediting to reward food providers for shifting to plant-based foods. They work with food providers to increase the share of healthy, plant-based foods on their menu. By quantifying avoided emissions through carbon crediting, they are able to cover the project costs and offer a financial reward for climate action. Such kinds of incentives will be needed also on the production side, supporting actors such as the Dutch farmers to make their transition without being financially penalized for it.
Another important part of the puzzle is that the transition to carbon-neutral societies will also demand unprecedented investments in reskilling and upskilling programs, including mapping skills of workers affected by layoffs to match them with (green) jobs better suited to them. Another startup I met this year, SkillLab , is doing precisely that by applying career guidance technology to address the challenges of labor market transitions. With planning, innovation, and public policies, it is possible to overcome these challenges, but we must start now! Is your organization already doing so? Share in the comments!
Meanwhile in Brazil
"Brazil is the second country (within OCDE) with the highest proportion of young people, aged between 18 and 24, who cannot find a job or continue their education. The data are from the Education at a Glance 2022 report , from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), released this month. According to the document, 35.9% of young people are in this situation in the country. The Brazilian proportion is twice the average of OECD member countries, which is 16.6% of people in this age group without work and education. South Africa is the only country with a higher proportion than Brazil, with 46.2%.The Netherlands, on the other hand, has the fewest young people in this situation, only 4.6%." (Folha de Sao Paulo )
Almost at the end of its Presidential elections, Brazil will have to face the challenge of unemployment, and one of the best ways of doing so is to invest in bold climate policies, thereby attracting new investments and creating well-paying green jobs. As it was highlighted, with reservations, last week by The Economist , Lula is the only one who can stops Bolsonaro, a for worse option for Brazil and the environment. As we are seeing with the Climate Bill in the US, climate action generates jobs, and jobs generate votes. "The impact of all this is going to be a greening of the voter base, left, right, and center. (...) Those workers will stand up for what’s working for them. They will lobby, they will organize, and they will vote. If history is any guide, this should lead to faster, bigger changes ahead." (Worldpositive )
Stay tuned - Youth Climate Leaders (YCL) is organizing LCOY Portugal (21-22 October)
Local Youth Conferences (LCOYs) are events of YOUNGO, a global youth network that constitutes the official group representing youth in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is a great opportunity to learn more and meet young people committed to building a better world - do not miss out!
Climate Innovation
In California we also met the amazing student team of the TU/ecomotive :
"Since 2013, TU/ecomotive has invited students from different disciplines to collaborate on year-long innovation projects to build sustainable vehicles. The 2021 team's goal was "zero emissions mobility," which gave the car its name: Zem. Incorporating multiple technologies from partner sponsors -- such as lithium-ion batteries from Dutch company Cleantron and solar panels from Watllab that provide up to 15% of the car's charge -- the student team is conducting a lifecycle analysis with SimaPro software to calculate the carbon emissions for construction, use, and afterlife of the car. Realizing carbon neutrality was impossible to achieve, the team set out to find a way to remove carbon from the air instead. Zem has two filters beneath the car, beside each of the front wheels. Air passes through the filter while the car is driving, and CO2 sticks to a special grain inside the filter. The filter needs to be emptied every 200 miles, so the students designed a custom EV charging station where the CO2 can be extracted from it. It can then be reused in the production of other fuels, such as clean hydrogen, or stored underground in geological formations to keep the CO2 out of the atmosphere." (CNN )
A big thanks to Peter Van Deventer (Coast to Coast, Province Noord-Holand) and Pui San Tam ( EIT Hub Silicon Valley ) for having put together such a great agenda of meetings as part of the MoU signed by Climate-KIC and the state of California .
领英推荐
Opportunities and Vacancies
Do not miss out the training opportunities below by Climate-KIC (last spots!)
- You can check here the list of RIS countries
Jobs at Climate-KIC
Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator
联合国开发计划署 Grant Funding Window – 2nd Call for Proposals?
The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator [AFCIA], administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is now open to receiving proposals for its second round of grant funding. The main objective of this funding window is to enhance local climate action and accelerate the delivery of targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, through the implementation and diffusion of innovative locally-led adaptation practices, tools, and technologies.
There are two types of grants available:
Eligibility: Grant funding is open to not-for-profit organizations, civil society organizations including NGOs, Business Member Associations, and other associations, cooperatives, and community-based organizations registered in a developing country.
Applications will be received until 31st October 2022.
How to Apply: https://lnkd.in/eqVv-XVc
>> Do you have opportunities to share? DM me to be featured on the next newsletter!