Global Climate News

Thailand has unveiled initiatives to become a global leader in agriculture, using gene editing (GEd) to modernize its sector, combat climate change, and improve food security. The plan includes developing GEd crops like maize, soybeans, sugarcane, and medicinal herbs, reducing import reliance and creating high-value products. International collaborations with the US and Japan are supporting research and regulatory frameworks.

Germany-based Formo, a food tech company, received a €35 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to scale up its fermentation processes for producing dairy and egg alternatives. The loan, backed by the EU’s InvestEU guarantee, brings Formo’s total funding to over €135 million. Formo’s products are already sold in German and Austrian supermarkets.

Global biodiversity loss is at an unprecedented rate, with up to one million species at risk of extinction. More than 50% of global GDP depends on natural resources. The World Economic Forum estimates business opportunities in sustainable resource use to be worth up to USD 10 trillion annually by 2030. Nordea launched a biodiversity fund investing in sustainable resource use and biodiversity restoration.

The Environment Agency in England issued an environmental permit (EPR/BQ1972IR/V007) to Young’s Seafood Limited for their Humberstone Road Fish Processing facility in Grimsby under the Industrial Emissions Directive.

India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) held a webinar on "Biomanufacturing for Climate Resilient Agriculture," focusing on sustainable biomanufacturing solutions for agriculture under the BioE3 Policy. The webinar included discussions on leveraging bioresources, sustainable practices, and technologies like synthetic biology and AI/ML to improve plant productivity and create bio-based solutions for climate-resilient agriculture.

US-based REP Provisions published an article about the negative health impacts of seed oils, highlighting their high omega-6 content, processing methods, and potential links to various diseases. The company promotes its own regenerative agriculture products as a healthier alternative.

The UK and China have agreed to further cooperation in clean energy, including strengthening the existing UK-China clean energy partnership. China announced plans to issue a sovereign green bond in London in 2025 to finance environmentally sustainable projects. Agreements are expected to deliver up to £1 billion of value to the UK economy.

US-based Algaeo, founded by Nick Sokol, has developed a technology to produce organic fertilizers from microalgae. This reduces reliance on petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers, decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Algaeo is part of the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, utilizing ORNL resources to optimize its fertilizer production.

The UK government has announced a new farming roadmap focusing on sustainable food production, business diversification, and nature restoration. £5 billion will be invested over two years in sustainable farming methods. The government will also monitor public sector food sourcing to increase purchases of British produce and introduce reforms to improve supply chain fairness and planning regulations for farm businesses. New precision breeding technologies will be introduced to improve crop resilience.

A survey revealed that concern about the climate crisis increases with age, with 23.4% of 18-24 year olds citing it as a main concern, rising to 37.8% for the 65-74 age group. Younger respondents prioritized concerns about food, fuel, electricity prices, and employment. The survey also showed a correlation between age and the importance placed on sustainability, with higher income individuals rating sustainability as more important.

Norway's Producer Price Index (PPI) data for 2024 shows a 3.7% increase in industrial prices, lower than previous years. Energy prices decreased by 6.7%, with significant drops in oil and gas prices (-6.4%) and electricity prices (-18.4%). The food industry showed a 4.1% price increase.

The UK government awarded nearly £52 million to 25 businesses to reduce their carbon emissions. Projects include heat pumps, carbon capture, and expanding recycling capacity. Notable recipients include Heinz (£2.5M grant, £5M investment), Hanson Cement (£5.6M grant), and Novelis (£14M grant). Total project value is £154 million.

Sweden-based Alfa Laval is investing in a new Food Innovation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, to be completed in 2027. The center will focus on developing sustainable food production technologies, including plant-based and fermentation-based foods, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of food production. Initial focus will be on protein processing to improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption.

Oregon DEQ awarded $1.2 million in Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine grant funds to 14 recipients across 11 counties. The grants support waste prevention projects focusing on reusable foodware, construction material reuse, deconstruction programs, and reusable goods markets. The program aims to reduce environmental and human health impacts of materials throughout their lifecycle.

The Environment Agency in England issued an environmental permit (EPR/VP3732VD/V002) to Hovis Limited for its Forest Gate Bakery under the Industrial Emissions Directive.

US-based NRDC supported over 20 cities diverting over 35,750 tons of food waste, preventing nearly 62,000 metric tons of emissions. $11.5 million in USDA grants funded 38 composting projects. California banned confusing food date labels. Illinois mandated organic waste collection at large events. Michigan aims to halve food waste by 2030. The National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste was released. The Zero Food Waste Coalition grew to over 250 members. EPA invested $39 million in a national campaign.

India's Indusfood 2025, an integrated farm-to-fork trade show, showcased the nation’s commitment to sustainable and comprehensive food systems. The event, organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) with support from the Department of Commerce, featured 1,800 exhibitors from over 20 countries and attracted over 5,000 international buyers. Concurrent events included Indusfood Manufacturing and Indusfood Agritech, focusing on food manufacturing solutions and agricultural innovations, respectively.

Norwegian Invertapro, with support from Nordea, produces larvae for sustainable protein sources, aiming for 70 tonnes per week by 2025. Larvae require significantly less feed, water, and land, and produce far less CO2 than traditional protein sources like beef. The company focuses on aquaculture, aiming to increase Norway's food security.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) report highlights that major price increases in energy and food were key drivers of the 2021–22 inflation surge. Growing geopolitical disruptions, climate change and a bumpy transition to green energy threaten to make commodity price shifts larger and more frequent, raising greater risks for price stability and limiting the scope for monetary policy to look through them.

"Denmark-based Technical University of Denmark (DTU) launched a new initiative called BRIGHT, supported by Novo Nordisk Foundation with up to DKK 1.05 billion (€134.1 million) over seven years. BRIGHT focuses on sustainable materials, microbial foods, and microorganisms for net-zero agriculture to create bio-based solutions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."