The functional and the sacred don't have to be separate. In fact, it may serve us best if they are not.

I was reminded of that when reading about the role of good fire in clearing prairies for elk to live on the land where the Yurok people live, in northern California. Humans have to burn off the dense growth so the animals can run around and live there. That's so functional! And it is recognized as sacred by the practitioners of cultural burning, like Margo Robbins of CulturalFire.org, interviewed in this incredible book: Climate Resilience: How We Keep Each Other Safe, Care for Our Communities, and Fight Back Against Climate Change. kylie flanagan in conversation with 39 women, nonbinary, and gender-expansive climate leaders.

In the town I live in, the Parks Department has Green Pipe Season, when they clear out plant overgrowth along the riverbanks, so the animals that live there can have a corridor to travel.

Inspired by a spirit of reverence, we offer you some functional information tidbits below, some lessons others are learning that we offer for your use as well. It's a work in progress; I see for example that 18% of all the recommendations our system made this morning were to one source: Mongabay. (See chart below. One of you got all three of your recommendations from Mongabay, and I know you already read the site on your own!) We will continue to tend the system, seeking to make it as useful to you as possible.

Ok, let's get into it.

-Marshall Kirkpatrick

Founder, Earth Catalyst 

Daily personalized email and consulting based on two decades of building, learning, and leading. We're in this together.

Quote of the Month

This report was published a few weeks ago, but I don't believe I've quoted it yet and it popped up again. The authors from Oregon State University and University of Sydney discussed the report here. Time for our most effective functional mitigation work and some sacred resilience.

And now...

Today's Updates

Table of Contents

• Agriculture (11 stories) - SCiFi Foods winds down cultured meat operations; Rare Earth Global launches hemp marketplace; SAPLING expands Vietnam farming initiatives; global focus on biodiversity-agriculture balance and genetic resources amid Amazon concerns

• Carbon (7 stories) - BECCS and enhanced rock weathering show promise amid rising emissions, as Wood Mackenzie warns of 2.5°C warming trajectory

• Circular (4 stories) - AI food tracking at Conrad Hotel Shanghai; biodegradable party supplies launch; Atacama Desert fashion upcycling; mycelium buoys replacing foam in seafood supply chains

• Climate (1 story) - Historical weather records from 1580-1613 reveal Little Ice Age extremes paralleled modern climate volatility

• Ecosystems (12 stories) - UN pressures Australia on biodiversity targets as Ulu Masen rainforest faces threats; Rio Grande's "Forgotten Reach" dries up while Hindu Kush Himalaya region and Azores marine network highlight global conservation efforts

• Efficiency (3 stories) - Heat pump installer Vamo raises €7M as U.S. invests $150M in facility upgrades, while smart thermostats and LED tech drive 30% home energy savings

• Finance (7 stories) - LiveEO, Standard Chartered Vietnam, COP29, and Planet lead financial moves in climate tech while UT's LBJ School launches infrastructure funding center

• Grid (2 stories) - AI grid management advances with ThinkLabsAI system as U.S. energy production hits export milestone

• Indigenous (6 stories) - Standing Rock pipeline lawsuit, Canadian media scholarships, UN conservation data highlight Indigenous territories' role, while Brazilian seed collectors and Rio Suruí activists advance environmental protection

• Industry (7 stories) - Pennsylvania methane mitigation sector grows 22% with 33 companies, while Netflix, Disney, and RMI partner to eliminate diesel from film sets

• Policy (26 stories) - EPA mandates nationwide lead pipe replacement as UN urges tripled climate action at COP29, while US-China climate talks advance and Global Methane Pledge targets 155 nations

• Renewables (4 stories) - Nuclear startups attract funding for SMRs and fusion tech, while Maine awards 6.8GW offshore wind leases and Delta hits 76% renewable power en route to RE100 goals

• Transport (6 stories) - ZeroAvia and PowerCell expand aircraft fuel cell partnership; EPA grants $3B for port emissions; NJ mandates EV charging expansion

Agriculture

SCiFi Foods winds down cultured meat operations; Rare Earth Global launches hemp marketplace; SAPLING expands Vietnam farming initiatives; global focus on biodiversity-agriculture balance and genetic resources amid Amazon concerns

• Under six months of runway and no term sheet? SCiFi Foods’ guide to a ‘graceful exit’ (AgFunderNews) - Cultivated meat startup SCiFi Foods outlines strategic shutdown plans with its remaining $40M after failing to secure Series B funding.

• Rare Earth Global raises $1.3m to expand access to industrial hemp products (AgFunderNews) - UK startup Rare Earth Global secures $1.3M in pre-seed funding to grow its B2B marketplace connecting hemp producers with feed, construction, and energy buyers.

• Establishing a livestock production and trade alliance to improve market access for small-scale farmers (CGIAR) - A new livestock trade alliance in Vietnam's Mai Son District aims to link small farmers with markets through government and SAPLING coordination.

• SAPLING assessment shows livestock farmer groups have increased adoption of innovative practices in Vietnam (CGIAR) - Vietnamese farmers in Son La Province expanded sustainable agriculture practices to 613 households as membership in livestock groups surged from 127 to 658 through the SAPLING initiative.

• Agriculture must evolve from a source of biodiversity loss to a driver of environmental restoration and conservation (CGIAR) - Agricultural experts at COP16 propose using gene banks and sustainable practices to shift farming from harming biodiversity to restoring it, while exploring new funding mechanisms.

• Colombia ratifies International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGIAR) - Colombia's ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources marks a milestone as the 153rd nation to join global efforts safeguarding food security and biodiversity conservation.

• Mitigating the agricultural drivers of biodiversity loss (CGIAR) - Global leaders convene to examine a $4 billion biodiversity plan, as agriculture continues driving the annual destruction of 2.2 million hectares of forest worldwide.

• Paisagens Sustentáveis da Amazônia: Agricultores de Rondônia intensificam a recomposição da vegetação em resposta à crise hídrica. (Ecopore) - Amid worsening Amazon drought conditions, more than 200 farmers in Brazil's Rondônia state have received vital resources to restore vegetation surrounding crucial water sources.

• Neither Women nor Land are Territories to Conquer! – Joint Declaration of the Women’s Articulations of ARNA and ECVC (Via Campesina) - Women farmers across three continents rallied for equal land rights and resource access, while protesting ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

• Brazil minister rejects EU deforestation law despite postponement plans (Mongabay) - Brazil's Agriculture Minister warns of trade diversification away from the EU over its upcoming deforestation import law, despite a planned two-year implementation delay until December 2025.

• Agriculture Must Evolve from a Source of Biodiversity Loss to a Driver of Environmental Restoration and Conservation. (CGIAR) - Agricultural experts reveal gene banks and sustainable practices could transform farming from a leading cause of biodiversity decline into a key driver of environmental restoration worldwide.

Carbon

BECCS and enhanced rock weathering show promise amid rising emissions, as Wood Mackenzie warns of 2.5°C warming trajectory

• BECCS: Seeing the Forest for the Trees (Orennia) - New analysis reveals BECCS technology could benefit the environment through sustainable forest management, especially in Canada where geology and carbon pricing align favorably.

• The Energy Transition Is Slowing Down (Heatmap News) - Global decarbonization efforts falter as emissions continue rising, with warming projected to reach 2.5°C despite Paris Agreement targets, according to Wood Mackenzie's latest energy outlook.

• Scientists Warn Of Possible Collapse Of Atlantic Currents (Barron's) - Scientists warn Nordic leaders that a potential Atlantic Ocean current collapse poses severe risks to the region, with impacts more dire than previously estimated.

• COP29 side event: Measuring climate impacts across the cycle of armed conflicts (CEOBS) - New methodology for measuring wartime greenhouse gas emissions debuts at COP29, incorporating data from Ukraine and Gaza conflicts.

• Calls for caution as enhanced rock weathering shows carbon capture promise (Mongabay) - Scientists call for rigorous testing protocols as enhanced rock weathering emerges as a potential carbon capture solution capable of removing billions of tons of CO2, despite significant implementation hurdles.

• Methane Mitigation on the Global Stage | Briefing Series: What Congress Needs to Know about COP29 (Environmental Defense Fund) - Nations face hurdles implementing methane reduction pledges, even as 150 countries aim to slash emissions 30% within seven years.

• Webinar 2 of 3: Transitioning to 24/7 Carbon-Free Electricity (UN) - Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, have been conclusively identified as the primary force behind global climate change and temperature shifts, UN experts report.

Circular

AI food tracking at Conrad Hotel Shanghai; biodegradable party supplies launch; Atacama Desert fashion upcycling; mycelium buoys replacing foam in seafood supply chains

• Conrad Shanghai embraces AI to reduce food waste by over 45% (Winnow Solutions) - Shanghai's Conrad Hotel slashes food waste by 45 percent and rescues 5,000 meals per year through AI-powered tracking technology.

• 5 Must-Have Biodegradable Products for a Green Halloween Celebration (EcoSoul Home) - Leading eco-friendly manufacturer unveils five biodegradable party essentials, from plates to cutlery, aimed at reducing Halloween celebration waste.

• Castoffs to catwalks (The Guardian) - A Chilean fashion show spotlights the Atacama Desert's 100,000-tonne clothing waste crisis with upcycled designs, as the dump grows large enough to be seen from space.

• Startups replace plastics with mushrooms in the seafood industry (Mongabay) - Global startups are creating biodegradable mycelium-based buoys and coolers to replace plastic foam across seafood industry supply chains in North America, Europe and Asia.

Climate

Historical weather records from 1580-1613 reveal Little Ice Age extremes paralleled modern climate volatility

• New insights from Shakespeare’s England reveal striking parallels to contemporary climate change (The Conversation) - Analysis of 1,800 weather records from Shakespeare's England shows extreme weather patterns during the Little Ice Age mirrored today's climate challenges, with droughts, floods and heatwaves accompanying frigid spells.

Ecosystems

UN pressures Australia on biodiversity targets as Ulu Masen rainforest faces threats; Rio Grande's "Forgotten Reach" dries up while Hindu Kush Himalaya region and Azores marine network highlight global conservation efforts

• Australia at Biological Diversity COP16 in Columbia (Climate Citizen) - Australia faces mounting international pressure at UN biodiversity talks in Colombia over missed reporting deadlines, while struggling to meet its pledges to protect 30% of land and 52% of oceans by 2030.

• Protect This Place: The Mountainous Ulu Masen Ecosystem (The Revelator) - Indonesia's vast Ulu Masen rainforest, spanning 3,600 square miles, struggles to protect its endangered tigers and elephants amid rising threats from logging, mining and poaching.

• Holding Out Hope On the Drying Rio Grande (Inside Climate News) - The Rio Grande River, historically known for flooding the El Paso-Juárez region, now lies barren for 200 miles in its "Forgotten Reach" amid water management challenges and climate pressures.

• RENCONTRES HOMME-NATURE #7/ Castor, lémur, choucas des tours : cohabiter avec des espèces protégées (YouTube) - Wildlife experts document growing populations of beavers, lemurs, and jackdaws adapting to city life across France.

• NBSAP Accelerator Partnership paves the way for action (CGIAR) - A new global biodiversity matchmaking platform connects nations with technical expertise to help implement their biodiversity strategies and action plans.

• “We had the same conversation 4 years ago—it’s time to pass this Framework” (CGIAR) - Global environmental experts demand swift implementation of biodiversity protection measures, as research shows 40 years of inaction despite clear evidence linking ecosystem health to human wellbeing.

• Amid seismic change, race is on to revive Earth’s ‘third pole’ (Conservation.org) - Urgent conservation efforts span eight nations as climate change and human activities endanger water resources for 2 billion people across Asia's Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

• Inclusive tracking and recognition of area-based conservation helps people & planet (commentary) (Mongabay) - New research reveals Amazon's conservation potential spans 40% of its land mass, significantly higher than the 28% currently documented in official databases.

• In Kenya, a river restoration initiative pays for itself, and then some (Mongabay) - Kenya's watershed restoration program has doubled its $10 million investment through economic gains, while cutting river sediment by half and boosting dry season water flow by 15%.

• The Azores creates largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic (Mongabay) - The Azores archipelago has created the North Atlantic's largest marine protected network, safeguarding 287,000 square kilometers with 50% designated as no-fishing zones.

• How biodiversity is like Jenga #cop16 (Vox) - Artist's towering 20-foot Jenga installation illustrates how human activity has removed 68% of Earth's wildlife since 1970, with each missing block representing species extinction.

• Castor, lémur, choucas des tours : cohabiter avec des animaux exotiques (Fondation François Sommer) - French researchers explore solutions to wildlife conflicts affecting three species through a scientific conference hosted by the Fondation François Sommer on October 30.

Efficiency

Heat pump installer Vamo raises €7M as U.S. invests $150M in facility upgrades, while smart thermostats and LED tech drive 30% home energy savings

• How to Avoid High Electric Bills This Winter: The Do’s and Don’ts of Energy Savings (MCE Clean Energy) - Energy experts say households can slash winter power bills up to 30% through thermostat management, LED decorations, and simple home adjustments like draft sealing and reversed fan operation.

• From Install to Impact: Why we invested in Vamo to transform residential green heating (Extantia Capital) - German heat pump installer Vamo secures €7M seed extension to combat installation delays and labor gaps via digital networks and monitoring systems.

• Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $104 Million to Advance Net-Zero Projects at Federal Facilities (Energy.gov) - Federal energy projects totaling $150M across 28 states will save $41M annually and leverage $1.6B in funding to advance net-zero goals at 67 U.S. facilities.

Finance

LiveEO, Standard Chartered Vietnam, COP29, and Planet lead financial moves in climate tech while UT's LBJ School launches infrastructure funding center

• LiveEO | Meet us at ADIPEC 2024 (LiveEO) - Satellite monitoring firm LiveEO will present its pipeline safety solutions at Abu Dhabi's ADIPEC 2024 energy conference this November.

• The Climate Leaders Network presents: a Q&A with Michele Wee (Energy Alliance) - Standard Chartered Vietnam's CEO Michele Wee outlines how banking leadership can merge sustainability goals with financial decisions while promoting women's empowerment and environmental stewardship.

• COP29: Crucial Moment For Business To Accelerate Global Climate Action (We Mean Business Coalition) - Global climate summit COP29 in Baku aims to set fresh finance targets supporting developing nations' green transition, with emphasis on boosting private sector funding for climate initiatives.

• DEADLINE: NPPF Alan Hagman Photojournalism Grant (SEJ) - The National Press Photographers Foundation is accepting applications for its $6,000 Alan Hagman grant, supporting photojournalism projects focused on human rights and environmental issues through November 7.

• Updates on Negotiations (CGIAR) - Nations clash over biodiversity funding as 70% seek new financial instruments while 30% push to strengthen current resource strategies, reports show.

• New Training and Research Center to Leverage Private Capital for Public Infrastructure Launches at UT (UT News) - The University of Texas has established a new center at its LBJ School aimed at training professionals to secure private funding for public infrastructure initiatives.

• Satellite firm Planet’s ‘biodiversity subscription’ aims to make tech accessible (Mongabay) - Planet's new subscription service grants 50 conservation groups access to detailed satellite imagery and tools for tracking global biodiversity hotspots over three years.

Grid

AI grid management advances with ThinkLabsAI system as U.S. energy production hits export milestone

• AI Agents to Accelerate the Energy Transition: Josh Wong, CEO of ThinkLabsAI on His Vision for Autonomous Grid Management (Blackhorn Ventures) - ThinkLabsAI's new physics-based artificial intelligence system aims to transform power grid management, supporting clean energy integration across America's aging electrical infrastructure.

• U.S. energy production has increased faster than energy consumption over the past 50 years (EIA) - U.S. energy production surged 68% as consumption rose 32% since 1973, shifting America from an energy importer to a net exporter in 2019.

Indigenous

Standing Rock pipeline lawsuit, Canadian media scholarships, UN conservation data highlight Indigenous territories' role, while Brazilian seed collectors and Rio Suruí activists advance environmental protection

• Energy Transfer’s $300 Million Lawsuit (Greenpeace USA) - Energy giant Energy Transfer seeks $300M in damages from environmental group Greenpeace, as North Dakota court schedules 2025 trial over Standing Rock pipeline demonstrations.

• DEADLINE: Canadian Media Guild's Scholarship for Indigenous Students (SEJ) - The Canadian Media Guild is offering Indigenous students a $10,000 annual renewable scholarship for media programs, with applications due November 30, 2024.

• November Newsletter (Enkamgak) (NFN News) - Nipissing First Nation has announced its November schedule, featuring their 2024 Annual General Meeting, a Remembrance Day ceremony, and recruitment for Enaahtig Healing Lodge board positions.

• CAMINHADA INTER-RELIGIOSA POR JUSTIÇA CLIMÁTICA NO RIO SURUÍ (MAGÉ – RJ) (GreenFaith) - Faith leaders marched through Rio Suruí to demand environmental recovery after toxic spills devastated local fishing communities.

• ‘Glimmers of promise’ for 30×30 goal as UN report calls for boosted efforts (Mongabay) - Global protected areas now cover 17.6% of land and 8.4% of marine regions, with Indigenous territories potentially expanding conservation to 31.2% worldwide, according to new UN findings.

• Brazil’s native seed collector networks drive wider social change, study finds (Mongabay) - Brazilian seed collectors have amassed 180 tons of native seeds for reforestation, earning $1 million while strengthening Indigenous community bonds from 2018 to 2021.

Industry

Pennsylvania methane mitigation sector grows 22% with 33 companies, while Netflix, Disney, and RMI partner to eliminate diesel from film sets

• New Findings Highlight 22% Growth in Pennsylvania’s Methane Mitigation Industry (EDF) - Pennsylvania's methane mitigation sector has expanded to 33 companies across 50 locations statewide, marking a 22% growth over three years.

• Behind the Fusion Scene: Takako Matsudaira (Kyoto Fusioneering) - Safety expert Takako Matsudaira spearheads new fusion research protocols at Kyoto Fusioneering's first facility while maintaining work-life balance.

• Pioneering Clean Energy at Netflix — and Across the Entertainment Industry (RMI) - Netflix, Disney, and RMI have joined forces to eliminate diesel generators from film sets, targeting the entertainment industry's shift toward sustainable power solutions.

• New Findings Highlight 22% Growth in Pennsylvania’s Methane Mitigation Industry (EDF) - Pennsylvania's methane mitigation sector has expanded to 33 companies across 50 locations statewide, marking a 22% growth over three years.

• For DRC’s artisanal miners, promise of formalization has yielded little (Mongabay) - Two decades after DRC's pledge to regulate copper and cobalt mining, 200,000 artisanal miners continue working in dangerous conditions without significant safety or industrial improvements.

• Delta Power’s Bet on Hydrogen Backup Generators Is the Right Call for Data Centers (ABI Research) - Delta Power and Ceres Power join forces to develop solid oxide fuel cell technology for data centers, aiming for mass production in 2026 across India and Southeast Asia.

• Delta Power’s Bet on Hydrogen Backup Generators Is the Right Call for Data Centers (ABI Research) - Delta Power and Ceres Power's collaboration on SOEC and SOFC technology aims to deliver backup power solutions for data centers across India and Southeast Asia by 2026.

Policy

EPA mandates nationwide lead pipe replacement as UN urges tripled climate action at COP29, while US-China climate talks advance and Global Methane Pledge targets 155 nations

• 10 Trends and Opportunities in the 2024 NDC Synthesis Report (EDF) - Global climate pledges will cut emissions by just 5.9% from 2019 levels by 2030, far below targets needed despite gains in methane reduction and nature-based solutions.

• UNDRR engagement at COP29: Financing climate action is not charity but a responsibility (UNDRR) - Global disaster costs soar to $130 billion annually as UN urges nations to triple climate action at COP29 for emissions reduction, adaptation scaling, and loss compensation.

• IRA Clean Electricity Credits Under Threat of Becoming New Fossil Fuel Handout (Friends of the Earth) - Analysis shows fossil fuel and farming lobbyists seek to exploit clean electricity tax credits through offset schemes that could funnel $90M yearly in subsidies to gas plants.

• 10 Trends and Opportunities in the 2024 NDC Synthesis Report (EDF) - Global climate pledges will cut emissions by just 5.9% from 2019 levels by 2030, far below targets needed despite gains in methane reduction and nature-based solutions.

• Real economy and Indigenous leaders call on Colombia and Brazil to drive a ‘year of united action on climate, nature and food’ (Nature4Climate) - Over 70 global leaders endorse Brazil and Colombia's environmental initiatives, as research reveals only one-third of nature policies worldwide receive dedicated funding.

• Policy Tracker 2024: Only 33% of nature-related policies published since the Paris Agreement have allocated budgets (Nature4Climate) - Global study finds only one-third of nature policies since Paris Agreement have funding, while Indigenous Peoples feature in just 19% of environmental initiatives across 190 nations.

• Letter Cali to Belém: United action on climate, nature and food transformation – for our peoples (Nature4Climate) - Over 70 global leaders have urged Brazil and Colombia's presidents to take unified action on climate, nature, and food systems ahead of upcoming climate summits.

• Trump, SLAPPs, and the Erosion of Democratic Freedoms (Greenpeace) - Trump's history of legal intimidation and Project 2025's proposed Justice Department changes could expand White House authority while endangering activist protections, warns Greenpeace.

• How language barriers influence global climate literacy (The Conversation) - Global research finds nine in ten climate science papers are published in English, creating barriers for the 75% of people worldwide who cannot speak the language.

• Beyond bottled water and sandwiches: What FEMA is doing to get hurricane victims back into their homes (The Conversation) - Federal disaster aid of up to $85,000 per household is available after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as damages top $100 billion and vulnerable communities struggle to access support.

• A Simple Way to Mobilize Voters This Week (Distilled.Earth) - Personal messages from friends boost voter turnout by 8.3 percentage points compared to traditional outreach's 0.29%, new research reveals ahead of the 2024 elections.

• DEADLINE: Jaime Espina Klima Correspondents Fellowship (SEJ) - Ten Filipino reporting teams will receive grants up to P100,000 each to cover energy transition stories through 2024 under the Jaime Espina Klima Correspondents Fellowship.

• The Telegraph Ramps Up Anti-Climate Coverage During Labour’s Early Months (DeSmog) - Analysis reveals Telegraph published 94% anti-climate opinion pieces in Labour's first 100 days, repeatedly targeting Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and climate policies.

• The great disruption: Climate change provoked migration and its effect on American healthcare (SchwartzReport) - Migration experts now classify climate displacement into two categories: temporary "volcanic" movements during crises and permanent "glacial" shifts of entire populations.

• Climate wins: what your support made possible (350.org) - Climate activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng has been released from Vietnamese detention amid international pressure, as 350.org advances heat pump and G20 wealth tax initiatives in Canada.

• PCEF Committee meeting - October 29, 2024 (YouTube) - Committee members convened Tuesday to deliberate community initiatives and funding distributions during the Public Community Engagement Fund's October session.

• ‘Don’t call it the high seas treaty’: Ocean biodiversity risks being sidelined in new deal (Mongabay) - A new UN ocean treaty, while celebrated as historic, cannot regulate fishing, mining or shipping activities within marine protected areas.

• NGOs ask to include Brazilian Cerrado in the EUDR at next review (Mongabay) - Deforestation in Brazil's Cerrado savanna surged 43% in 2023, with 74% of the region lacking protection, prompting NGOs to demand EU regulatory action.

• Action against forest biomass subsidies gains momentum at COP16 (Mongabay) - Global leaders at COP16 scrutinize $155 billion in forest biomass subsidies amid mounting evidence linking bioenergy production to environmental damage.

• Women-led groups remain ‘severely underfunded’ for climate action: Report (Mongabay) - Global funding for women-led climate initiatives plummeted 29% to $631M since 2019, with female grassroots organizations receiving less than 1% of government climate aid.

• Environment America Action Fund endorses re-election of U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in OR-01 (Environment America Action Fund) - Environmental advocacy group backs Rep. Bonamici's re-election bid, praising her work on climate change, coastal protection, and anti-plastic pollution measures in Oregon's first district.

• Getting the lead out, 10 years after Flint (Environment America) - The Environmental Protection Agency mandates a decade-long nationwide replacement of 9 million lead water pipes, marking the most significant federal drinking water protection since the Flint crisis.

• U.S.-China Engagement and International Climate Diplomacy | What Congress Needs to Know about COP29 (Wilson Center) - U.S. and Chinese climate experts gathered to explore joint environmental initiatives before the upcoming COP29 summit in Azerbaijan.

• When Should Brands Take a Stand? (Alder Agency) - Nearly half of business owners back climate activism from brands, despite waning public support for corporate political positions, according to a new Gallup-Bentley survey.

• U.S.-China Engagement and International Climate Diplomacy (EESI) - US-China climate cooperation, including the 2023 Sunnylands Statement and bilateral working groups, is driving global emissions reduction efforts and international climate negotiations.

• Methane Mitigation on the Global Stage | Briefing Series (EESI) - Global experts convene to tackle methane emissions across 155 nations, focusing on energy, agriculture, and waste management under the Global Methane Pledge initiative.

Renewables

Nuclear startups attract funding for SMRs and fusion tech, while Maine awards 6.8GW offshore wind leases and Delta hits 76% renewable power en route to RE100 goals

• Ameresco’s New Empowered Futures: 2024 Clean Energy Career Report Reveals Gen Z and Millennial Demand for Impact-Driven Careers (Ameresco) - Survey reveals 88% of young workers seek values-aligned careers, yet misconceptions about qualification requirements could prevent them from pursuing clean energy opportunities.

• The Status of Key Nuclear Start-ups (Orennia) - Nuclear energy startups developing small modular reactors, microreactors, and fusion technologies are drawing major investments as they advance clean baseload power solutions.

• Two Offshore Wind Developers Wade Into the Gulf of Maine (Heatmap News) - US energy firms secure four offshore wind leases in Maine's deep waters, with potential to power 2.4 million homes through 6.8GW capacity despite sector challenges.

• Delta's Outstanding Performance in Advancing its “RE100 by 2030” (Delta Electronics) - Global electronics giant Delta achieves 76% renewable power usage in 2023, earning RE100's Market Trailblazer award while targeting full renewable operations by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Transport

ZeroAvia and PowerCell expand aircraft fuel cell partnership; EPA grants $3B for port emissions; NJ mandates EV charging expansion

• ZeroAvia and PowerCell to Collaborate on Next Gen Fuel Cell Development (ZeroAvia) - Aviation firm ZeroAvia and PowerCell Group are expanding their partnership to develop high-temperature fuel cells for large aircraft, following successful test flights of their existing technology.

• EPA announces recipients of monumental funding to clean up America’s ports (EDF) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocates $3 billion to fund 55 zero-emission projects at ports nationwide, aiming to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities.

• New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announces order for charging of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (EDF) - New Jersey regulators have ordered utilities to boost charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, with a focus on disadvantaged communities near freight routes.

• EPA announces recipients of monumental funding to clean up America’s ports (EDF) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocates $3 billion to fund 55 zero-emission projects at ports nationwide, aiming to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities.

• New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announces order for charging of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (EDF) - New Jersey regulators have ordered utilities to boost charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, with a focus on disadvantaged communities near freight routes.

• State agency wins half million dollar federal grant aimed at reducing emissions at New Bedford port (Acadia Center) - Massachusetts Clean Energy Center secured $500,000 from EPA to cut emissions and track air quality at New Bedford's offshore wind marine terminal.