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The Future of Builders: Embracing Sustainable Building Practices!

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:31:13 -0500

The construction industry is at a crossroads. As we face the challenges of climate change and resource depletion, the need for sustainable building practices has never been greater. The future of builders is in embracing sustainable building practices, and in this blog post, we will explore the key trends and innovations shaping the industry.

Green Building Materials for Sustainable Building Practices

One of the most significant shifts in construction practices is the adoption of green building materials. Traditional construction materials such as concrete and steel are resource-intensive and contribute to high carbon emissions. In response, builders are turning to sustainable alternatives like bamboo, recycled steel, and engineered wood. These materials are not only eco-friendly but often cost-effective as well.

Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient buildings are becoming the norm rather than the exception. From energy-efficient insulation to solar panels and smart building management systems, the construction industry is rapidly integrating technologies and practices that reduce energy consumption and decrease a building’s carbon footprint.

Prefabrication and Modular Construction

Prefabrication and modular construction methods are revolutionizing the way buildings are put together. These techniques reduce waste, save time, and promote sustainability. With components manufactured in controlled environments, there is less material waste and greater precision in construction.

Green Certifications for Sustainable Building Practices

Sustainability certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) have gained prominence in the construction industry. These certifications set standards for environmentally responsible construction and provide a framework for architects and builders to follow.

Net-Zero Buildings

The concept of net-zero buildings, which produce as much energy as they consume, is gaining traction for sustainable building practices. These buildings are designed with a holistic approach, incorporating energy-efficient design, renewable energy sources, and water conservation practices. Achieving a net-zero building can significantly reduce a structure’s impact on the environment.

Smart Buildings

Smart technology is making buildings more sustainable and efficient. From automated lighting and HVAC systems to sensors that optimize energy use, smart buildings are reducing resource waste and enhancing occupant comfort.

Sustainable Design Principles

Architects and designers are embracing sustainable design principles that focus on integrating buildings with their natural surroundings. This includes optimizing natural lighting, passive heating and cooling, and using landscaping to reduce energy needs.

Circular Economy Practices

The construction industry is increasingly adopting circular economy practices, which involve recycling and reusing materials to reduce waste and minimize the extraction of new resources. By repurposing materials and minimizing waste, the industry is moving toward a more sustainable future.

Conclusion

The future of construction is undoubtedly tied to sustainability. From green building materials and energy efficiency to innovative construction methods and smart technology, the industry is evolving to meet the demands of a changing world. Embracing sustainable building practices is not just an environmental necessity; it’s also a smart business decision. As the construction industry continues to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, it is clear that the path forward is a sustainable one. By adopting these practices and staying informed about emerging technologies, construction professionals can lead the way towards a greener, more sustainable future.

Sustainable construction: What's needed to drive action in 2025 and beyond?

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:28:58 -0500

Sustainable construction is no longer a trend, but an urgent priority in an era defined by global challenges.
The 2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer is a call to action for stakeholders across the construction value chain.
The survey's findings reveal the progress made so far and the significant gaps that remain.

In an era marked by major demographic, social, energy and climate challenges, sustainable construction is no mere trend – it’s an urgent necessity. As the construction sector faces the task of accelerating its transformation to meet immense challenges, the 2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer , a global survey published by Saint-Gobain’s Sustainable Construction Observatory, offers critical insights demanding immediate action across the construction value chain.

The Barometer surveyed stakeholders (professionals, students, associations, local elected officials and government representatives) across 27 countries and, for the first time this year, included the general public. It provides a compelling snapshot of where we stand in our pursuit of a more sustainable built environment. The findings not only highlight the progress we’ve made in terms of the necessary awareness as a vital foundation for progress, but also reveal the significant gaps that remain, creating an urgent call for collective action.

1. Awareness and urgency on the rise

Awareness of sustainable construction is steadily rising. A notable 67% of stakeholders report familiarity with the concept, marking a 6-point increase from last year, with elected officials showing an impressive 32-point jump. The sense of urgency is palpable, with 69% of stakeholders viewing sustainable construction as a priority, echoed by 60% of the general public, while 95% consider it important at least. There are some regional disparities, however — for example, in the US, where 34% of the public is still unaware of sustainable construction. To move forward globally, we must ensure that no region is left behind.

2. Broad consensus, diverse priorities

The desire to push the boundaries of sustainable construction is prevalent, with 87% of respondents agreeing that we "need to do more" in this area. However, who should lead this change? According to the Barometer, private actors are seen as the most legitimate drivers, with architects and engineering firms at the forefront (56%) followed by private companies in the construction sector (44%).

Regional priorities, however, differ. In Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, adapting buildings to natural and climatic hazards is paramount, while in Latin America, the use of ecological materials takes precedence. Europe focuses on renovation of existing buildings, and North America grapples with affordability. This diversity underscores the need for strategies that are globally aligned yet locally adapted.

While Europe has historically been a leader in sustainable construction, small signs of waning enthusiasm should not go unnoticed. Although the overall desire for more action remains very strong (86% in Europe vs 87% globally), a higher share of the remaining minority of respondents in Europe believe we should "go backwards", while elsewhere, most favour the status quo ("it’s fine the way it is"). Though marginal, this is surprising given the momentum sparked by Déclaration de Chaillot one year ago, which rallied support for sustainable building practices. Could this reflect frustration with ever-changing regulations in some regions or perhaps a broader backlash against environmental issues?

3. From environmental focus to resilience and well-being

While sustainability has historically been defined in narrow terms, often focusing solely on the environment, buildings’ resilience to climatic events is emerging as a key topic. The Barometer reveals that 21% of stakeholders now cite resilience, with this number growing particularly in Africa and Asia-Pacific. This shift reflects the growing urgency of climate adaptation, especially in regions more vulnerable to extreme weather events.

Still, the human dimension of sustainable construction remains neglected. Only 15% of stakeholders and public respondents link it to improved occupant well-being. To address earlier challenges and re-engage marginal stakeholders who believe we should move backward, highlighting the benefits of sustainable construction in terms of health and well-being could make a difference. A clearer understanding of its critical role in human comfort and health should help drive broader adoption.

4. Linking awareness and action through training

Awareness is growing, but action is lagging. While 67% of professionals claim to evaluate their projects’ carbon footprint, only 30% do so systematically. And although 51% of elected officials want to exclude public construction contracts that do not consider sustainable construction methods, just 37% have taken action (despite a 26-point increase from 2024). This disconnect between ambition and action is a major obstacle to progress and deserves closer attention.

Lack of training may be one reason. Only 28% of stakeholders feel they fully understand what sustainable construction entails, with professionals and students trailing elected officials and associations. Indeed, only 35% of professionals have received specialized training, and only 28% of students receive regular training. Closing this training gap could be the key to converting awareness into action.

The way forward

The message is clear: the transformation of the built environment is urgent, and we are at a critical juncture. Stakeholders across the construction value chain must unite to drive concrete actions toward a sustainable future.

The 2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer is a call to action for us all. The sector has made significant strides, but much work remains. It’s time to turn awareness into action. Mobilizing all stakeholders – from design to execution – is essential to creating a resilient, sustainable and liveable built environment for future generations.

Construction professionals, elected officials and citizens are crucial to this transition. The future of our cities, their inhabitants’ well-being and the health of our planet depend on the decisions we make today.

War-torn Myanmar embraces solar to tackle power crisis

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:17:26 -0500

Nov 14 (Reuters) - When Thailand cut power supply to Myanmar across its western border this year, it intended to curb online scam centres linked to regional networks trafficking hundreds of thousands of people.

However, the move also hit the wider community, pushing hospitals and some offices to install solar panels, said Zaw, a rescue worker in Myawaddy town just across the Thai border. Homes, too, made the switch.

"Three out of four people now rely on solar panels, with businesses using multiple panels," said Zaw, who did not want to disclose his full name, fearing retribution.

Myanmar's electricity supply has deteriorated since the 2021 military coup and ensuing civil war, exposing millions to chronic blackouts, with a cash-strapped government hit by Western sanctions unable to maintain power infrastructure.

The World Bank estimated the country's operating power capacity plunged to 2015 levels in 2024, describing electricity supply in conflict-affected areas as "catastrophic".

Chinese firms have helped fill the gap, supplying cheap solar panels.

NATURAL GAS SHORTAGE SAPS GENERATION

Light intensity data - a proxy for economic activity and electricity access - analysed by the United Nations revealed an average 8% annual decline after the 2021 coup.

The drop is largely due to a shortage of natural gas, Myanmar's main generation fuel, as domestic production has declined and the government has halted imports of liquefied natural gas due to a foreign exchange shortage, the World Bank said in a June 2024 report.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration froze about $1 billion of Myanmar assets and imposed sanctions, some of which have been eased by the Trump administration. Western sanctions have restricted access to technical support, spare parts, and expertise to maintain infrastructure, such as transmission lines damaged in the civil war.

Myanmar's junta said earlier this year generation capacity had plunged by nearly half from pre-2021 levels. Data on the Ministry of Electric Power's website shows output has not changed much since 2018.

The information ministry did not respond to detailed questions on power supply and demand, and the junta's spokesperson did not answer calls from Reuters.

CHEAP SOLAR PANELS FROM CHINA

To combat the power crisis, households and businesses are embracing solar, according to interviews with a dozen residents, business owners and panel and battery sellers across the Southeast Asian country.

"Unlike most of Asia, where we're seeing corporate demand drive solar growth, energy security concerns and fuel shortages are the key drivers in Myanmar," said Linda Zeng, renewables analyst at Fitch Solutions unit BMI.

Solar panel imports from China, Myanmar's largest supplier, more than doubled in the nine months through September to about $100 million, according to Chinese customs data. Shipments have risen over eightfold from pre-pandemic levels, the data showed.

Shops, restaurants, and workshops seeking reliable power for lighting, refrigeration and electronic payments, as well as water kiosks, clinics, and schools increasingly use small solar systems, said an official from an international development agency working in Myanmar.

"I have about 10 refrigerators. The electricity here is not regular, so I had to use solar panels," said an ice cream seller from the ancient city of Mawlamyine, who declined to be named due to fear of retribution.

Household solar installations have surged from a few hundred in 2019 to roughly 300,000 in 2025, as users switch from diesel generators to solar panels with storage, said Ken Pyi Wa Tun, chairman of Parami Energy, which sells solar panels and diesel generators in Myanmar.

"A household solar-plus-battery-plus-inverter can be acquired for under $1,000 and power essentials, run for four to five hours and power 2 AC units," Ken Pyi Wa Tun said.

While that is too expensive for most homes, it is cheaper than the roughly $7,000 for a small diesel generator, plus fuel costs of $50 to $100 per week, he said, predicting solar could potentially power 2 million to 2.5 million Myanmar households.

IT'S NOT ABOUT CLIMATE GOALS

Myanmar's surging solar imports mirror a trend of increased solar adoption to escape erratic power supply in lower- and low-middle income countries such as Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

They are among the fastest-growing markets for panel exports from China, the world's dominant solar manufacturer, data from energy think-tank Ember showed.

"If the grid is not reliable or the prices too high, then people will do it themselves. And now they can, thanks to solar," said Richard Black, director of policy and strategy at Ember.

Solar adoption, driven by necessity rather than policy, could disrupt traditional utility models, challenge forecasts about fossil fuel demand and complicate grid management, analysts say.

In Pakistan, a surge in affluent residents ditching the country's costly grid power by installing solar panels has forced utilities to raise prices even further for remaining customers.

Diesel imports by Myanmar declined 11% in the first 10 months of 2025, data from analytics firm Kpler showed, while solar panel purchases grew.

"It is not like we are using them for clean energy or for some environmental reasons. We are a country with civil war. We are just using them out of necessity," said a resident in the Bago region.

Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan and Shoon Naing; Editing by Tony Munroe and Sonali Paul

Sustainable Lettuce Production: Smart Practices for a Greener Future

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:50:10 -0500

Sustainability in agriculture is essential for the planet’s future. Lettuce, one of the world’s most popular leafy greens, offers an ideal opportunity to showcase environmentally responsible farming methods.

From nurturing healthy soil to using the right pesticide for lettuce when necessary, farmers can ensure both productivity and ecological balance.

Empowering Communities with Eco-Friendly Agriculture

As the world embraces sustainable living, the role of responsible agriculture becomes paramount. At Wins Solution, we believe in promoting practices that respect nature, support communities and enhance food security.

One such crop where sustainable methods can make a significant impact is lettuce — a staple in many diets around the world.

Why Lettuce Matters in Sustainable Agriculture

Nutritional Value, Global Demand and Environmental Footprint

Lettuce is a fast-growing leafy green, rich in vitamins and minerals, making it a key component in many diets.
Because it grows quickly and can be harvested multiple times, lettuce offers strong potential for small-scale and community farming.
But lettuce also poses sustainability challenges: heavy water use, potential pesticide residues, soil depletion and supporting large-scale monocultures.
By introducing eco-conscious methods, farms can reduce environmental footprint and improve long-term viability.

Core Principles of Sustainable Lettuce Farming

Soil Health, Water Efficiency and Crop Diversity

1. Building Healthy Soil

Healthy soil supports nutrient uptake, reduces disease and lowers the need for chemical inputs. Practices include:

Crop rotation (e.g., alternating lettuce with legumes or cover crops)
Incorporating organic matter (compost, green manure)
Minimising mechanical disturbance to preserve soil structure
Monitoring pH and nutrient levels to match crop needs

2. Optimising Water Use

Water is a precious resource. To farm lettuce sustainably:

Use drip irrigation or micro-sprinklers to precisely deliver water to the root zone
Monitor soil moisture to avoid over-watering
Capture and reuse rainwater where possible
Mulch between rows to reduce evaporation

3. Diversifying Crops & Integrating Ecosystems

Monocultures can lead to pest build-up and soil fatigue. Instead:

Intercrop lettuce with herbs or flowers that attract beneficial insects
Use trap crops to intercept pests before they reach the lettuce
Encourage natural predator populations, such as ladybugs or parasitic wasps

Managing Pests and Diseases: Balanced Approach

Recognise the Challenge

Lettuce is vulnerable to pests (e.g., aphids, slugs, thrips) and diseases (e.g., downy mildew, bacterial leaf spot). An integrated pest-management strategy is essential.

Introducing an Appropriate Pesticide for Lettuce

When pest pressure reaches a threshold where non-chemical controls are insufficient, a targeted pesticide for lettuce may be necessary. Key considerations:

Choose formulations approved for leafy crops, with low residual toxicity
Apply only when beneficial insect populations are safe or will recover
Follow label instructions and observe pre-harvest intervals
Combine with non-chemical methods (crop hygiene, insect-proof netting, beneficials)

By including such a reference, we help readers access specialised resources while emphasising that chemical interventions are a last resort, not a first step.

Case Study: Community Lettuce Farm with Sustainable Practices

Initiating a Real-World Project

In one of our community initiatives at Wins Solution:

A local cooperative introduced raised beds for lettuce, using compost enriched with local organic waste
Water-efficient drip lines reduced irrigation use by 40%
Beneficial insect habitat (e.g., flowering strips) cut aphid infestation by over 50%
When aphid levels rose above threshold, a low-impact pesticide for lettuce was applied; subsequent scans showed minimal residue and no adverse effect on beneficial populations

Outcomes & Learnings

Yield improved by 30% compared to previous years
Community engagement increased — members took ownership of watering, pest-monitoring & composting
Soil organic matter improved, and the cost of synthetic fertilisers dropped. This proves how sustainability and productivity can go hand-in-hand.

Best Practices Checklist for Growers

Step	Practice	Benefit
Soil prep	Use organic compost & test nutrient levels	Stronger plants, fewer inputs
Water management	Drip irrigation + mulch	Saves water, reduces weeds
Crop diversity	Intercrop/rotate crops	Reduces pest/disease buildup
Pest monitoring	Regular scouting, threshold-based action	Minimises unnecessary treatments
Targeted pesticide use	Apply approved low-impact options only when necessary	Keeps lettuce safe & ecosystem healthy
Record keeping	Track inputs, yields, soil tests, pest data	Enables continuous improvement

Role of Organisations in Supporting Sustainable Agriculture

We champion grassroots and institutional efforts to integrate sustainability across sectors. Our work in agriculture focuses on:

Educating farmers and communities about sustainable crop systems
Supporting pilot-projects that demonstrate best practices in water, soil and pest management
Advocating for policies and partnerships that encourage low-impact farming and environmental stewardship — aligning with our mission.

Conclusion: Growing Lettuce Responsibly for a Cleaner Future

Sustainable lettuce production is more than an agricultural method — it’s a mindset that prioritises balance between productivity and environmental care. Farmers, researchers, and organisations play a crucial role in shaping this balance.

By investing in soil health, embracing efficient water use, integrating biodiversity, and applying the right pesticide for lettuce only when absolutely necessary, growers can achieve long-term food security without harming ecosystems.

Sustainability isn’t about eliminating all interventions — it’s about making smarter choices. A lettuce farm that thrives without polluting waterways or depleting soil nutrients represents the kind of agricultural transformation the world urgently needs.

When communities come together to share knowledge, conserve resources, and implement proven eco-friendly strategies, they build resilience — not just in crops, but in people and the planet. The community continues to champion these values, empowering global farmers to grow cleaner, safer, and more sustainable food.

Together, we can cultivate a future where every harvest contributes to planetary health — one lettuce leaf at a time.

24 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2025 and 2026

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:44:47 -0500

Sustainability has become a critical business imperative. From regulatory pressures to shifting consumer demands, sustainability professionals are navigating a complex landscape. To stay ahead, businesses need to adapt to emerging sustainability trends that are reshaping industries and redefining what it means to be sustainable.

We identified 24 sustainability trends that professionals must watch closely in 2026, and should actually already monitor closely now.

In the video below you can see the trends as they were forecasted for 2025.

24 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2026

Sustainability Trend 1. Sustainability Disclosure

With the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) coming into force, the demand for transparency is intensifying. Companies must refine their ESG reporting to meet investor expectations. Unilever’s “Future Fit Business Benchmark” provides a roadmap for integrating sustainability into long-term strategies, setting a new standard for disclosure.

Sustainability Trend 2. Biodiversity Impact

2026 will continue to see biodiversity take center stage as companies face increasing scrutiny over their environmental impact. Nestlé’s pledge to regenerate farmland exemplifies how biodiversity initiatives will drive corporate responsibility. Businesses must now factor ecosystems into their sustainability strategies or risk falling behind.

Sustainability Trend 3. Circular Economy Models

The shift toward circular economies is gaining speed as businesses prioritize waste reduction and resource efficiency. IKEA’s global refurbishment program is an example of how circular models are being implemented to prolong product lifecycles and cut waste, setting a template for other industries to follow.

Sustainability Trend 4. Sustainable Supply Chains

Transparency and ethical sourcing will continue to be critical for supply chains in 2026. H&M’s initiative to trace cotton back to sustainable sources highlights a growing trend toward greater accountability in sourcing. Ethical supply chains has become the norm as consumers demand eco-friendly and socially responsible products.

Sustainability Trend 5. Renewable Energy Investments

As the cost of renewable energy continues to drop, more companies will transition to green energy sources. Google’s commitment to 100% carbon-free energy by 2030 signals a larger trend. In 2026, expect significant investments in solar, wind, and other renewable sources as companies strive to meet net-zero goals. A search engine that already made that transition is Ecosia. There will also be further research done in order to recycle solar panels.

Sustainability Trend 6. Water Stewardship

Water scarcity is a growing concern, pushing companies to adopt stronger water management practices. Coca-Cola’s water replenishment initiative demonstrates how businesses are rethinking their water usage to mitigate risks and protect vital resources. Water stewardship will be a key area for companies, particularly in regions facing drought and scarcity.

Sustainability Trend 7. Social Equity

Sustainability strategies will increasingly incorporate social equity, ensuring fair treatment and opportunities for all stakeholders. Starbucks’ focus on racial equity and inclusivity highlights the importance of social issues within corporate sustainability frameworks. Despite a setback from larger companies, 2026 will see more businesses embracing equity as a core pillar of their ESG strategies.

Sustainability Trend 8. Stakeholder Engagement

Engaging all stakeholders – employees, customers, and communities – will be critical for building resilience in 2025. Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” program is an example of how businesses can involve customers in sustainability initiatives, fostering loyalty and shared responsibility. Stakeholder engagement will remain essential for brands seeking to build lasting relationships and a sustainable future. In 2026 this will continue to be key.

Sustainability Trend 9. Sustainable Finance

The rise of ESG-linked financial products, such as green bonds and sustainability-linked loans, is transforming the financial sector. BlackRock’s commitment to sustainable investing signals broader market shifts. In 2026, the intersection of finance and sustainability will deepen further, aligning capital with climate and social goals.

Sustainability Trend 10. Digital Transformation

AI, blockchain, and IoT are driving efficiency and accountability in sustainability efforts. Microsoft’s AI for Earth initiative exemplifies how technology is reshaping sustainability practices. In 2026, tech-driven solutions will continue to revolutionize industries, making them greener and more resilient, but at the same time also changing the job market completely.

Sustainability Trend 11. Climate Resilience Planning

Businesses are preparing for climate-related risks like extreme weather events. Citi’s climate stress tests are one example of how companies are planning for climate resilience, ensuring their operations and supply chains are future-proof. As climate risks escalate, resilience planning will be a critical element in corporate strategies.

Sustainability Trend 12. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

As decarbonization accelerates, carbon capture and storage technologies are becoming more widespread. Norway’s “Northern Lights” project highlights the role of CCS in reducing emissions. In 2026, more companies will explore this technology to meet ambitious climate targets.

Sustainability Trend 13. Sustainable Packaging

The shift from single-use plastics to biodegradable and reusable materials is transforming the packaging industry. Unilever’s pledge to cut virgin plastic use by 50% by 2025 already reflected a larger industry trend toward eco-friendly packaging. In 2026, expect innovative materials like algae-based packaging to gain prominence.

Sustainability Trend 14. Sustainable Aviation

The aviation industry is under pressure to decarbonize, with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and electric aircraft development at the forefront. United Airlines’ investment in SAF is just one example of how the sector is transforming. Breakthroughs in electric aviation will be critical in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint in the coming years.

Sustainability Trend 15. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)

Businesses are increasingly turning to nature to solve environmental challenges. Microsoft’s investment in forest conservation for carbon removal demonstrates the growing adoption of nature-based solutions (NBS). In 2026, more companies will invest in restoring ecosystems as a cost-effective way to tackle climate and biodiversity issues.

Sustainability Trend 16. Product Life Extension

Durability and longevity are becoming key focuses as companies shift from consumption to longevity. Patagonia’s repair services and second-hand sales highlight the growing emphasis on extending product lifecycles. In 2026, product life extension will become a core strategy for reducing environmental impact.

Sustainability Trend 17. Urban Sustainability and Smart Cities

Cities are adopting smart technologies to enhance urban sustainability. Singapore’s “Smart Nation” initiative is a leading example of how urban centers are driving sustainability innovation. In 2026, expect more cities to follow this trend, becoming hubs for green technology. But a lot of smart cities also fail.

Sustainability Trend 18. Agroforestry and Regenerative Agriculture

Sustainable farming practices, like agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, are gaining momentum. Companies like General Mills and Danone are working with farmers to implement regenerative practices, improving soil health and carbon sequestration. These methods will continue to grow in 2026, transforming agriculture’s role in sustainability.

Sustainability Trend 19. Net-Zero Buildings

Buildings contribute significantly to global emissions, and the trend toward net-zero buildings is accelerating. The Bullitt Center in Seattle showcases how sustainable construction can reduce environmental impact. In 2026, net-zero building standards will become the norm, particularly in urban centers.

Sustainability Trend 20. Sustainable Fashion and Ethical Consumption

The fashion industry is evolving toward sustainable and ethical practices. Brands like Stella McCartney and the rise of second-hand marketplaces are leading this change. In 2026, more consumers will prioritize eco-friendly, long-lasting fashion, pushing brands to adopt transparent, ethical supply chains.

Sustainability Trend 21. Sustainable Agriculture in High-Demand Crops

The Mexican avocado industry, supplying over 80% of avocados consumed in the U.S., is launching a major sustainability initiative called “The Path to Sustainability.” This program aims to ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability while meeting growing demand. It outlines commitments across four key areas: water, biodiversity, climate, and deforestation. For instance, over 60% of Michoacán orchards already rely solely on rainfall, and a 2026 program will further strengthen efficient, sustainable water use. Additionally, the industry plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions throughout its supply chain by 2035 and will restrict U.S. entry of avocados grown on recently deforested land.

Sustainability Trend 22. Integration of Digital Technologies for Environmental Sustainability

The intersection of digital technologies and environmental sustainability, often termed the “twin transition,” is gaining prominence. Initiatives like the European Green Deal promote harnessing digital technologies to support sustainability goals. This includes leveraging AI, IoT, and blockchain to optimize resource use, monitor environmental impact, and forecast risks.

Sustainability Trend 23. Emphasis on Traditional Environmental Topics

Traditional environmental concerns such as pollution control, chemical stewardship, and waste management are regaining attention. Heightened awareness of substances like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is impacting regulatory frameworks and corporate practices. Companies are expected to proactively address these issues to ensure compliance and meet stakeholder expectations.

Sustainability Trend 24. Advancements in Sustainable Construction

The construction industry is adopting sustainable practices through strategies like the use of mass timber (e.g., cross-laminated timber) for building structures, which offers a renewable alternative to traditional materials. Additionally, the development of hemp-based building materials, such as ‘hempcrete,’ provides eco-friendly options for insulation and construction. These innovations aim to reduce the environmental impact of construction activities.

What are Sustainability Trends Exactly?

Sustainability Trends refer to emerging patterns, innovations, behaviors, and policy shifts that shape how societies, businesses, and governments reduce environmental impact, improve resource efficiency, and promote long-term ecological balance.

These trends typically focus on:

Decarbonization: Transitioning to renewable energy (solar, wind, green hydrogen) and reducing CO₂ emissions across industries.
Circular Economy: Designing products for reuse, repair, and recycling, minimizing waste and raw material consumption.
Sustainable Agriculture: Promoting regenerative farming, reducing chemical inputs, and improving soil health.
Green Finance: Redirecting investments toward ESG-compliant (Environmental, Social, Governance) projects and disincentivizing polluting industries.
Climate Adaptation: Building resilient infrastructure, water management systems, and disaster-preparedness strategies in response to climate change.
Sustainable Mobility: Expanding electric vehicle use, public transit, and low-emission logistics.
Biodiversity Preservation: Protecting ecosystems, restoring habitats, and integrating nature-based solutions into urban and rural planning.
Corporate Responsibility: Increasing transparency in supply chains, sustainability reporting, and stakeholder-driven governance.
Tech for Sustainability: Using AI, IoT, and satellite data to monitor environmental impact, optimize resource use, and forecast risks.
Behavioral Shifts: Changing consumer behavior toward low-impact lifestyles—plant-based diets, slow fashion, local purchasing.

These trends are dynamic. They evolve with technological breakthroughs, geopolitical pressures, regulatory updates, and shifting public values. Understanding them helps organizations future-proof strategies, comply with ESG frameworks, and drive systemic change.

The Path Forward in Sustainability Trends: Seizing Opportunities in Sustainability

Sustainability professionals face both challenges and opportunities in 2026 and beyond. Those who embrace these above mentioned 20 trends will not only enhance their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance but will also lead the way in building a resilient and sustainable future.

From leveraging digital transformation to investing in biodiversity and renewable energy, businesses have the chance to innovate while reducing their environmental impact. The urgency of these trends cannot be overstated. Staying ahead of them will be the key to long-term success and global impact.

By acting now, companies can solidify their position as sustainability leaders, making a real difference for both the planet and their bottom line.

FAQ: Sustainability Trends in 2026

What are sustainability trends?

Sustainability trends are emerging developments in technology, regulation, consumer behavior, and corporate strategy that drive environmental and social responsibility. They shape how businesses reduce emissions, minimize waste, and build resilience in a changing world.

Why are sustainability trends important for 2026?

By 2026, companies face intense pressure from regulators, investors, and consumers to take real climate action. Staying ahead of sustainability trends allows businesses to meet compliance, manage risks, unlock innovation, and maintain market relevance.

What are the key sustainability trends to watch in 2026?

Here are 20 critical trends reshaping sustainability:

Sustainability Disclosure – Stricter reporting under CSRD and ESG expectations.
Biodiversity Impact – Nature protection becomes a core business metric.
Circular Economy Models – Reuse, refurbish, recycle across product lifecycles.
Sustainable Supply Chains – Transparency and ethical sourcing as new standards.
Renewable Energy Investments – Surge in solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects.
Water Stewardship – Corporate accountability for water use and restoration.
Social Equity – Integrating fairness, diversity, and inclusion into ESG goals.
Stakeholder Engagement – Empowering customers and communities in climate efforts.
Sustainable Finance – Growth of green bonds and ESG-aligned investments.
Digital Transformation – Using AI, blockchain, and IoT to drive sustainable innovation.
Climate Resilience Planning – Anticipating extreme weather and supply disruptions.
Carbon Capture & Storage – Technologies for permanent CO₂ removal.
Sustainable Packaging – Shift to compostable, recycled, and smart packaging.
Sustainable Aviation – Rise of electric planes and low-emission fuels.
Nature-Based Solutions – Restoring forests, wetlands, and ecosystems.
Product Life Extension – Prioritizing repairability and long-term durability.
Urban Sustainability – Smart cities focused on energy and mobility efficiency.
Agroforestry & Regenerative Farming – Agriculture that heals rather than harms.
Net-Zero Buildings – Low-carbon construction and energy self-sufficiency.
Sustainable Fashion – Ethical production and circular clothing models.

How do these trends affect business strategy?

These trends reshape business priorities—from supply chain transparency to investment strategies. Adapting early allows companies to future-proof operations, meet compliance, and enhance their ESG reputation. Sustainability is now a business imperative, not a side initiative.

What role does technology play in sustainability trends?

Technologies like AI, blockchain, and satellite monitoring enable real-time data tracking, emission reduction, resource optimization, and transparency. Companies leveraging digital tools will move faster and smarter on sustainability goals.

How can companies start integrating these trends?

Start by:

Auditing current sustainability efforts.
Aligning goals with top trends (e.g., CSRD compliance, biodiversity).
Investing in technology and stakeholder collaboration.
Embedding sustainability into core business functions.

Why act now instead of waiting until 2026?

Regulatory changes, shifting consumer expectations, and climate risks are accelerating. Companies that act now gain a competitive edge, avoid penalties, attract investment, and drive meaningful impact—both environmentally and financially.

Author: Figen Sekin - I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I'm not writing, you'll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.

Environmental Management Solutions in a High-Risk World

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:39:57 -0500

From industrial parks to indoor shooting ranges, businesses operate in in situations where a single spill, leak, or poorly handled waste stream can trigger health risks, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage. That pressure has pushed environmental management from a compliance box-ticking exercise into a core operational function. Full-service providers such as HCI Environment illustrate this shift: the California-based company delivers integrated solutions for waste management, hazardous material handling, site remediation, and even specialized services such as shooting range maintenance, helping clients run safer and more sustainable operations.

Why environmental management moved into the boardroom

Regulators treat hazardous waste and contaminated land far more strictly than a decade ago. In the United States, the EPA’s hazardous waste rules treat “remediation waste” from cleanups as part of the same legal framework that governs day-to-day waste, closing loopholes that once allowed contamination to sit unattended.

At the same time, environmental services have consolidated into a global industry. When Veolia announced its planned acquisition of U.S. hazardous waste group Clean Earth for about $3 billion in November 2025, it projected hazardous-waste earnings growth of at least 10% between 2024 and 2027.

The deal shows two realities:

hazardous waste management is now a large, profitable business,
regulators and investors expect companies to treat waste and contaminated sites as strategic issues, not as afterthoughts.

Environmental management solutions have evolved in response. The most effective models combine engineering, logistics, and compliance expertise under one umbrella, backed by rapid emergency response.

Waste management solutions, from cradle to grave

Modern waste management goes well beyond scheduled bin collections. Companies that generate industrial or hazardous waste must classify materials, store them safely, transport them using licensed haulers, and document every step to prove compliance. From hazardous waste disposal, contaminated soil handling, to remediation support to companies that cannot manage this complexity in-house.

To use HCI Environmental as an example, the company operates in that same space, focusing on hazardous and non-hazardous waste transportation and disposal, alongside emergency spill response. According to the company information, its teams collect, package, label, and transport waste streams ranging from solvents and paints to used oil under state and federal rules, then route them to licensed treatment or disposal facilities.

For clients, the benefit is straightforward: one provider designs the waste profile, supplies compliant containers, arranges transport, and produces a documentation trail for audits and inspections. When that same provider also handles cleanup, construction, and training, environmental management becomes an integrated part of operations rather than a patchwork of separate contractors.

Don’t forget, poor waste systems already impose huge hidden costs that robust environmental management could prevent as I show you in the below table which offers you an overview of global waste growth and cost pressures as gathered in the UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook 2024.

Metric	Year	Value	Why it matters
Municipal solid waste generated worldwide	2023	2.1 billion tonnes	Baseline volume that must be collected, treated, or landfilled safely.
Projected municipal solid waste	2050	3.8 billion tonnes	Waste volume projected to grow by ~81%, increasing demand for waste and environmental management systems.
Direct cost of waste management	2020	USD 252 billion	“Official” spending on collection, treatment, and disposal infrastructure.
Cost incl. pollution, health and climate impacts from poor disposal	2020	USD 361 billion	Externalities add roughly USD 109 billion per year to the bill.
Projected total annual cost of waste (with externalities)	2050	USD 640.3 billion	Cost of inaction on sound waste management could almost double by mid-century.

Hazardous material handling as risk control

Hazardous materials sit at the heart of environmental risk. Poor labeling, incomplete inventories, or informal disposal arrangements create exposure not only for the environment but also for employees and nearby communities.

Specialist consultancies now support the full hazardous materials lifecycle: waste characterization, packaging, storage, manifesting, transport, and final treatment or disposal. Companies like HCI Environmental positions itself squarely in this space, with services covering hazardous waste transportation and management, biohazard clean-up, and 24/7 emergency chemical spill response.

The practical work is often unglamorous but highly technical:

segregating incompatible chemicals to avoid reactions during transport,
stabilizing reactive or unknown wastes so they can move safely,
clearing and decontaminating lab spaces or production lines,
managing biohazard or medical waste streams and their associated documentation.

Training forms a critical part of these solutions. HCI Environmental, for example, supplements field services with OSHA training and K-12/higher education programs on hazardous materials and safety. This combination of hands-on work and education reduces the chance of improper storage or disposal that later turns into a remediation project.

Site remediation solutions for contaminated land

When spills, leaks, or legacy operations contaminate soil and groundwater, companies must remediate affected areas before they can safely reuse or sell the land. Traditional methods include excavation and off-site disposal, capping, and pump-and-treat systems for groundwater.

Recent research shows newer techniques. Chelator-assisted soil washing and chemical immobilization have emerged as practical options for stabilizing lead and other metals in contaminated soils, reducing their mobility and allowing more soil to remain on site. European technology networks also point to integrated solutions that combine conventional engineering with real-time data, so operators can remediate faster, minimize waste volumes, and meet ESG reporting expectations.

Companies often outsource remediation project management. Specialists coordinate site investigations, regulatory approvals, contractor selection, and fieldwork, ensuring that the chosen technology matches the contamination profile. Full-service environmental management firms that already know a client’s operations can design remediation plans that align with existing waste streams and treatment partners, avoiding unnecessary duplication.

Shooting range maintenance as an environmental issue

One of the most complex – and underestimated – environmental management challenges is shooting range maintenance as i spoke about in my introduction. Shooting ranges are one of the largest sources of lead contamination in the environment, second only to the battery industry.

Lead bullets fragment and weather in berms, bullet traps, and surrounding soils. If operators neglect routine shooting range maintenance, lead dust can spread through ventilation systems at indoor facilities or migrate into surrounding soils and water bodies at outdoor ranges. EPA guidance for outdoor shooting ranges stresses lead containment, regular reclamation of spent bullets, and careful waste handling to keep ranges compliant with environmental law.

Specialized firing range remediation companies describe a typical shooting range maintenance plan as far more involved than occasional sweeping. It usually includes:

bullet trap and berm cleaning,
HEPA-grade vacuuming and filter replacement,
air-quality monitoring and ventilation checks,
lead-contaminated soil management and stabilization where needed,
packaging and shipping of collected lead and filters as hazardous waste.

HCI Environmental addresses this niche explicitly. In its own firing range guidance, the company recommends weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning schedules depending on range usage and describes shooting range maintenance as a combination of bullet trap cleaning, air-quality checks, equipment inspections, and compliant hazardous waste disposal. For operators, outsourcing this work to a full-service environmental management company reduces liability and consolidates waste streams under existing hazardous-waste transport contracts.

HCI Environmental as an integrated case study

HCI Environmental & Engineering Service is headquartered in Corona, California, and has provided environmental services across the United States for more than 25 years. The company markets itself as a full-service environmental management provider, combining general contracting with hazardous waste transportation and disposal, biohazard clean-up, mold and asbestos abatement, and 24/7 emergency spill response.

A typical client engagement can link multiple service areas:

Routine hazardous waste management – inventorying, packaging, and transporting drums of chemicals, paints, and oils under hazardous waste regulations.
Emergency spill response – dispatching hazmat teams to contain and clean chemical spills on roads, in warehouses, or at industrial sites, then documenting the cleanup for regulators.
Facility decontamination and remediation – handling mold, asbestos, and lead abatement in buildings, along with decontamination after biohazard incidents.
Shooting range maintenance – managing regular cleaning of firing ranges, lead recovery, and disposal of contaminated filters and debris as hazardous waste.

Because all of these services sit within one organization, clients deal with a single set of procedures and reporting formats. That consistency is valuable when auditors, insurers, or investors want a unified view of environmental performance.

What businesses should ask before choosing a provider?

Whether you run a manufacturing plant, a hospital network, a logistics hub, or a public shooting range, the questions to ask potential environmental management partners are similar:

Scope of services: Can the provider cover the full lifecycle, from waste characterization and transport to site remediation and emergency response? Or will you need multiple contractors?
Regulatory footprint: Does the company hold the permits and licenses required in every state or region where you operate? Ask for permit numbers, not general assurances.
Specialized capabilities: If you operate high-risk sites – such as labs, chemical warehouses, or shooting ranges – check that the provider has documented experience and clear procedures for those environments, including structured shooting range maintenance plans.
Training and culture: Look for a provider that invests in employee training and offers OSHA or equivalent programs for clients. That culture of safety tends to translate into better field practices.
Data and reporting: Ask how you will access manifests, certificates of disposal, air-quality data, and remediation progress reports. Integrated portals and standardized reporting reduce admin work and help with ESG disclosures.
Response times and capacity: For emergency scenarios, written response time guarantees and clear escalation paths matter as much as technical expertise.

The next phase of environmental management

The environmental services sector is moving into a data-rich, technology-driven phase. Sensors, drones, and satellite imagery now feed into risk assessments for large facilities and contaminated sites. Software platforms aggregate manifests, lab results, and inspection records into dashboards that boards and regulators can understand.

In that context, full-service environmental management companies such as HCI Environmental occupy a pivotal role. Their field crews, hazardous-waste logistics, remediation projects, and shooting range maintenance programs generate the underlying data that feeds compliance systems and ESG reporting.

For businesses, the lesson is clear. Choosing the right partner – one that can handle waste management, hazardous material handling, site remediation, and specialized niches under a single, accountable umbrella – has become a core part of operating safely and sustainably.

Growing Sustainability from the Ground Up in Eastern Poland

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:29:47 -0500

SVZ Ingredients, a Netherlands-based supplier of fruit and vegetable ingredients, is helping farmers across Europe adopt more sustainable practices. Though it typically sources just 5% of a farmer’s harvest which are primarily “imperfect” fruit and vegetables that do not meet fresh market standards, SVZ nevertheless, plays an active role in improving how food is grown.

At the heart of this effort is SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). SVZ has been using the FSA since the early 2000s to guide its sourcing strategy and support farmers to adopt better environmental, social, and economic practices. The FSA provides a clear framework for setting goals, tracking progress, and building long-term resilience on the farm.

Eastern Poland is a key region for SVZ’s sourcing strategy, supplying a diverse array of crops from raspberries and blackcurrants to kale and beetroot. Here, the FSA has helped drive measurable change:

In 2024, 77% of SVZ’s core raw materials met FSA Silver-level or higher verification.
Between 2022 and 2025, over 1,800 Polish growers achieved FSA Silver status.
Biodiversity initiatives included distributing flower meadow seeds and installing insect habitats to support pollination and natural pest control.

The FSA also helps SVZ monitor and report progress through the Sustainable Juice Covenant (SJC), ensuring transparency and accountability across the supply chain. Beyond the farm, SVZ invests in energy and water efficiency and promotes climate-smart agriculture that protect both the planet and livelihoods.

Looking ahead, SVZ plans to expand FSA implementation to all sourcing regions and reach 100% sustainable sourcing by 2030, engaging up to 4,000 farmers. The company continues to call for broader collaboration with both farmers and other SAI Platform members, especially fresh market players, to decrease agricultural carbon emissions, and increase water efficiency and biodiversity at the farm-level.

Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:22:59 -0500

Investigating Seeding Rate of Cover Crops for Biomass and Nutrient Content

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager, and Anthony Reyes, FLT Program participant

Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center is a nonprofit farm in the floodplains of Snoqualmie Valley, WA. Anthony Reyes, the Agricultural Program Manager, manages 81 acres of certified organic land by experimenting and trialing climate adaptive and resilient agricultural practices. Along with his team, he works to reconcile our expanding human needs and the health of our ecosystem through sustainable agriculture, thoughtful management of our forests, ecological restoration, and education.

Oxbow Farm cultivates a variety of different crops well suited to the Snoqualmie Valley floodplain, and maintains a crop rotation to allow the soil to recover and regenerate. Anthony strategically removes fields from production each year and leaves them fallowed in cover crop to help protect the watershed, build up nutrients, and manage weeds, pests, and diseases.

Finding a Cover Crop that Works

Anthony was interested in understanding how to find a cover crop that would meet the needs of the farm – managing climatic challenges, erosion, and weed pressure. Ideally, anything that would be planted would help add biomass and could withstand drought conditions. Manipulating the seeding rate of the cover crops had been one way that the farm had considered better coverage of the soil, and Anthony was curious if the recommended seeding rate was the right density for their soil.

Farm Trial Plan

A portion of the cover cropped trial field.

With technical support from OFRF, Anthony is investigating the impact of seeding rate on biomass and nutrient content for German Foxtail, Pearl Millet, and Sudex cover crops. He will plant single varieties at two different seeding rates: the recommended rate and 25% above the recommended drilling rate.

The trial was arranged in a randomized complete block design, with 24 rows, each 100’ x 10’ wide, with 1’ pathways and borders on outside rows. Each of the 4 replications contained 6 plots (3 varieties at 2 different seeding rates), for a total of 24 plots.

Measurements were taken from a random 3×3’ quadrat from each plot, including a biomass and leaf tissue sample. These samples were sent to Ward Lab for analysis of biomass, nutrient content, dry matter, and C:N ratio of the crop matter.

Trial updates

The quadrat samples were taken in September and lab results were returned in late October. The OFRF team is now reviewing the data with Anthony, for a full report on how the trial went and findings from the data.

Trial fields at Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

“I have long been interested in conducting and furthering our on-farm research, having worked on and set up many trials throughout my career. The Farmer-Led Trial Program goes beyond and centers the experience and voice of farmers by identifying us as the content experts and by playing a highly supportive and facilitative role in creating sound research from our identified goals. I have greatly valued the time and care given by OFRF staff and am so appreciative of this program.”

– Anthony Reyes, Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

An overhead drone shot of Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

This is part of a series of blogs highlighting farmers who are participating in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program. Farmers receive technical support to address their production challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

Bridging Mobility, Industry, and Policy Innovation

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:19:22 -0500

Bridging Mobility, Industry, and Policy Innovation

Morocco Showcases Its Sustainable Transport Approach at the 2025 Transport and Climate Change Week in Berlin

The global community is slowly advancing a comprehensive decarbonisation of the transport sector, as most recently demonstrated at the COP30 with an emphasis on transitioning energy, industry, and transport away from fossil fuels—an ambition well reflected in Morocco’s cross-sectoral approach. Morocco’s position in the global automotive industry is gaining recognition, its recently updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) show a reinforced commitment to energy and transport decarbonisation, and preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and 2030 World Cup are in full gear. In this context, this year’s Transport and Climate Change Week (TCCW) presented a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s achievements and ambitions, to build further its expertise – from emissions testing to climate finance – and to deepen international dialogue and cooperation in the transport sector in Africa and beyond.

From 22 to 26 September 2025, the 8th Transport and Climate Change Week (TCCW) brought mobility practitioners from more than 30 countries to Berlin under the theme “Time to be Accountable.” Organised by GIZ with the support of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Government of Germany,[1] the annual event serves as a global platform to share best practices, foster dialogue, and advance solutions for decarbonising the transport sector.

The Moroccan delegation at the TCCW 2025, institutional partners of the projects DKTI VI and IMPROVE, participated actively in the conference programme. Reflecting the country’s ambition and growing role as regional leader in sustainable mobility and decarbonisation, the representatives shared achievements, strategies, and engaged with the experiences of other countries presented throughout the week.

Training on Vehicle Efficiency in Dresden

Part of the Moroccan delegation’s journey began on Monday, 22 September, in Dresden, where partners of the IMPROVE project—Ministry of Transport and Logistics (MTL) and the National Agency for Road Safety (NARSA)—participated in a guided visit to the Dresden University of Technology’s vehicle emissions laboratory. Led by Prof. Dr. Frank Atzler, the visit offered an in-depth look into how vehicle emissions are measured and analysed, providing valuable technical insights into data-based policymaking for vehicle efficiency standards.

Morocco’s Perspective in the Opening Plenary

During the official opening of TCCW on Tuesday, 23 September—in the first Country Perspectives session of the week—representatives from several African countries highlighted shared ambitions and national strategies for climate-friendly mobility. Mr Nabil Dahhou, Head of Service for Strategy & Planning at the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (MTEDD), outlined Morocco’s integrated approach to advancing both the energy and transport transitions. He highlighted Morocco’s strong commitment to climate action through the Long-term Low Carbon Strategy 2050 (French) and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (French). Mr. Dahhou emphasised the synergies between renewable energy and sustainable mobility, describing them as essential drivers of Morocco’s low-carbon development agenda and its national climate objectives.

Thematic Trainings

The representatives of Morocco took part in three thematic trainings addressing central challenges of the transport transition.

The first, “Regulating the Transition to Clean Vehicles,” explored vehicle efficiency standards, emissions monitoring, effective industrial dialogue, and data management. The second, “Financing and Funding Approaches for Mobility,” organised by the EBRD, examined how to mobilise climate finance and effectively prepare sustainable transport projects. The third, “Decarbonising Informal Transport: Roadmaps for Reform,” addressed how paratransit systems—such as shared taxis and minibuses—can be integrated into urban mobility planning.

These sessions offered opportunities for exchange between countries at different stages of the mobility transition, and provided participants with actionable tools to advance policy development and implementation at home.

Presentation on the FRAT

Mr Essaid Fraigui, Head of the Fonds d’Accompagnement des Réformes au Transport (FRAT),presented to participants of the financing training the unique role played the FRAT, a financial instrument of the Ministry of the Interior. He explained how the FRAT was established to support public transport reform and finance major infrastructure projects, such as BRT and tramway networks. Mr Fraigui’s presentation offered an inspiring example of how national funding instruments can catalyse investments in sustainable mobility and strengthen institutional frameworks for transport reform.

The Moroccan delegation embarked on a transport-focused tour through central Berlin, experiencing the city’s integrated public transport network firsthand. Visiting Berlin’s mobility hubs operated by BVG and accessible through the Mobility-as-a-Service app Jelbi, participants observed how digitalisation, multimodality, and public–private cooperation can facilitate sustainable mobility solutions for urban residents.

Morocco’s Role in the Future of Automotive Value Chains

On Thursday, 25 September, Mr Karim Ben Amara, Head of Service for Sustainable Mobility at the MTL joined a panel discussion entitled “Driving Transitions: The Future of Automotive Industry Value Chains in a Changing Global Landscape.” The panel, moderated by Christian Hochfeld (Agora Verkehrswende), also included Ms Annika Berlin (UNEP), Dr Juma Mukhwana (Kenya’s Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry), and Mr Li Disi (China’s GSTIKC). Mr Ben Amara showcased Morocco’s increasing significance in global automotive value chains, highlighting ongoing investments in battery and (electric) vehicle production. He emphasised the country’s commitment to aligning industrial development with decarbonisation objectives and international climate goals.

Showcasing National Strategies in the Africa Dialogue

The week concluded with the Africa Dialogue session entitled “Accountability in Motion – Linking National to Regional Impact in the Transition to Net-Zero Mobility.” Mrs Dounia Squali, Head of Division for Sustainable Mobility and Innovation at the MTL presented Morocco’s national policies for transport decarbonisation, including measures for fleet renewal and the design of an incentive mechanism for low-emission vehicles, a central part of the IMPROVE project. The session fostered exchanges among African representatives, strengthening regional collaboration and mutual learning.

The 8th Transport and Climate Change Week demonstrated that achieving a sustainable, low-carbon transport future depends on international partnerships, shared accountability, and continued dialogue between governments, public and private stakeholders, and citizens alike.

The Sustainable Mobility with Renewable Energies in Morocco (DKTI VI) project is and is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (MTEDD) and the City of Agadir.

The IMPROVE project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and is funded through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation Climate Action and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). It supports partner ministries in Colombia, Kenya, Morocco and Thailand to develop policies and regulations that support the transition to cleaner and more energy efficient vehicles.

©GIZ by Thomas Ecke

Author(s)

Gregor Bauer
gregor.bauer@giz.de
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Kenya’s Road to Electric Mobility

clolli — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:15:45 -0500

Kenya’s Road to Electric Mobility

Insights from the EMAK 2025 White Paper

Kenya is accelerating its transition to electric mobility and the EMAK 2025 E‑Mobility White Paper lays out a comprehensive fiscal, regulatory, and infrastructure roadmap aimed at rapidly scaling up electric-vehicle (EV) adoption across the country. According to the White Paper, electric two-wheelers notably motorcycles, and e-bikes account for roughly 90% of Kenya’s registered EVs. Other vehicle categories remain in initial stages of adoption. As of 2024, 9144 EVs were registered, a sharp growth in registrations from 4047 in 2023.

The recommendations in the White Paper build on earlier stakeholder dialogues organized through EMAK’s round tables, where industry leaders, government representatives and civil-society actors have cited regulatory frameworks, financing models, and integration of EV policy into urban transport planning as critical components for a successful transition. At those roundtables, stakeholders have severally emphasized that beyond pushing EVs, Kenya needs charging-station networks, urban transport reforms, enabling legislation, and long-term national strategy to integrate E-Mobility into public transport and infrastructure planning.

So, what does the white paper advocate for?

Fiscal incentives and policy support: The paper calls for tax exemptions (import duty, VAT, excise) for EVs, batteries, and charging equipment plus a tiered incentive system to support local assembly and manufacturing. Under a “moderate support” scenario (i.e. if fiscal/regulatory incentives are adopted), Kenya could see up to 2.2 million EVs deployed by 2040. The 126% growth between 2023 and 2024 cited above shows the EV market is no longer niche, it is scaling fast.
Boost for local manufacturing and supply-chain development: By encouraging local assembly (rather than relying solely on imports), the white paper envisions creating jobs, reducing dependency on imports, and building a resilient domestic EV industry. With a potential market of millions of EVs by 2040, there’s room for local manufacturing, battery-swap infrastructure, and maintenance industries creating jobs and building local capacity.
Infrastructure expansion: A key recommendation is the development of nationwide charging infrastructure including public charging stations and battery-swap networks to address “range anxiety” and support widespread EV use.
Long-term growth modelling: EMAK projects that, under strong policy support, EV adoption could grow dramatically by 2040, spurring reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, fuel imports, and generating economic benefits such as green jobs and new investments.

In conclusion, the white paper offers a clear, evidence-driven roadmap for turning Kenya’s climate ambitions into tangible progress in the transport sector. As the country develops mass rapid transit corridors, expands local EV assembly and manufacturing, grows its charging infrastructure, and brings informal transport operators into cleaner mobility systems, E-Mobility is positioned to become not just a complement to existing transport, but a core pillar of Kenya’s decarbonisation strategy.

Read more about the EMAK E-Mobility white paper here.

The GIZ Promotion of Electric Mobility in Kenya project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Co financed by the European Union (EU), aims to bridge gaps in the structured introduction of climate-friendly E-Mobility solutions and to build the capacities of key sector stakeholders. Electric mobility in Kenya is still at an early stage, and local experience with the technology remains limited. At present, the regulatory environment is largely designed around internal combustion engine vehicles, leaving both technical expertise and appropriate policy frameworks underdeveloped. The project therefore focuses on strengthening skills, institutions, and regulatory conditions to create an enabling environment and support market development for wider adoption of electric mobility.

Author(s)

Carol Mutiso
carol.mutiso@giz.de
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Turning CO2 into clean fuel faster and cheaper

clolli — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:36:37 -0500

A team of scientists led by Dr. Kee Young Koo from the Hydrogen Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Yi Chang-Keun, hereafter referred to as KIER) has created a world-leading catalyst capable of transforming carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, into an essential ingredient for producing eco-friendly fuels.

The reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H₂O) by reacting it with hydrogen (H₂) in a reactor. The resulting carbon monoxide can then be combined with hydrogen to make syngas, a fundamental building block used to produce synthetic fuels such as e-fuels* and methanol. Because of its ability to recycle CO₂ into usable fuel components, the RWGS reaction is seen as a promising pathway for advancing sustainable energy production.

Overcoming the Limits of Conventional Catalysts

Traditionally, the RWGS reaction operates best at temperatures above 800 °C. Nickel-based catalysts are often used because they can withstand such heat, but they lose performance over time as particles clump together, reducing surface area and efficiency. Operating at lower temperatures avoids this problem, but it also leads to the formation of unwanted byproducts such as methane, lowering carbon monoxide output.

To make the process more efficient and affordable, researchers have been searching for catalysts that remain highly active under low-temperature conditions. The KIER team succeeded by developing a new copper-based catalyst that delivers outstanding results at just 400 °C.

A Breakthrough in Copper Catalyst Design

The newly engineered copper-magnesium-iron mixed oxide catalyst outperformed commercial copper catalysts, producing carbon monoxide 1.7 times faster and with a 1.5 times higher yield at 400 °C.

Copper catalysts have a key advantage over nickel: they can selectively produce only carbon monoxide at temperatures below 400 °C without forming methane. However, copper's thermal stability typically weakens near that temperature, leading to particle agglomeration and loss of activity.

To solve this challenge, Dr. Koo's team incorporated a layered double hydroxide (LDH) structure into their design. This layered structure contains thin metal sheets with water molecules and anions between them. By adjusting the ratio and type of metal ions, the researchers fine-tuned the catalyst's physical and chemical characteristics. Adding iron and magnesium helped fill the gaps between copper particles, effectively preventing clumping and improving heat resistance.

Real-time infrared analysis and reaction testing revealed why the new catalyst performs so well. Conventional copper catalysts convert CO₂ into carbon monoxide through intermediate compounds called formates. The new material, however, bypasses these intermediates entirely, converting CO₂ directly into CO on its surface. Because it avoids side reactions that produce methane or other byproducts, the catalyst maintains high activity even at a relatively low temperature of 400 °C.

Record Performance and Global Significance

At 400 °C, the catalyst achieved a carbon monoxide yield of 33.4% and a formation rate of 223.7 micromoles per gram of catalyst per second (μmol·gcat⁻¹·s⁻¹), maintaining stability for over 100 continuous hours. These results represent a 1.7-fold higher formation rate and a 1.5-fold higher yield than standard copper catalysts. When compared to platinum-based catalysts, which are costly but highly active, the new catalyst still outperformed them with a 2.2-fold faster formation rate and a 1.8-fold higher yield. This places it among the top-performing CO₂ conversion catalysts in the world.

"The low-temperature CO₂ hydrogenation catalyst technology is a breakthrough achievement that enables the efficient production of carbon monoxide using inexpensive and abundant metals," said Dr. Kee Young Koo, the project's lead researcher. "It can be directly applied to the production of key feedstocks for sustainable synthetic fuels. Moving forward, we will continue our research to expand its application to real industrial settings, thereby contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality and the commercialization of sustainable synthetic fuel production technologies."

Notes

* E-Fuels are synthetic fuels produced by combining green hydrogen, generated with renewable electricity, and captured CO₂ from the atmosphere or sustainable biomass. They are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuels, especially for hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation and shipping.

The research findings were published online in May 2025 in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy, a leading journal in the field of energy and environmental catalysis. The study was supported by the KIER's R&D project, 'Development of e-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) production technology from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Journal Reference:

Yeji Choi, Byeong-Seon An, Gi Dong Sim, Unho Jung, Yongha Park, Kee Young Koo. Synthesis of CuO catalysts supported on Fe-modified mixed oxides with high CO formation rates in low-temperature CO2 hydrogenation. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2025; 377: 125475 DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125475

National Research Council of Science & Technology. "Turning CO2 into clean fuel faster and cheaper." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 November 2025. /releases/2025/11/251105050712.htm>.

This engineered fungus cuts emissions and tastes like meat

clolli — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:27:58 -0500

A recent study published November 19 in Trends in Biotechnology reports that scientists used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to improve how efficiently a fungus produces protein while also lowering the environmental footprint of that production by as much as 61% -- all without introducing foreign DNA. The modified fungus has a meatlike flavor and is easier for people to digest than the natural strain it originated from.

"There is a popular demand for better and more sustainable protein for food," says corresponding author Xiao Liu of Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China. "We successfully made a fungus not only more nutritious but also more environmentally friendly by tweaking its genes."

Sustainable Protein and the Need for Alternatives

Animal agriculture accounts for about 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It also requires large amounts of land and fresh water, both of which are increasingly strained by climate change and human activity. Because of these challenges, microbial proteins found in yeast and fungi have gained attention as promising alternatives to meat.

Among the many mycoprotein sources studied so far, the fungus Fusarium venenatum has become a prominent choice because its natural flavor and texture closely mimic meat. It has already been approved for consumption in several regions, including the United Kingdom, China, and the United States.

Why Fusarium venenatum Needed Improvement

Even with its advantages, Fusarium venenatum has thick cell walls that limit how well humans can digest it. Producing it is also resource intensive. Growing even modest quantities of mycoprotein requires significant inputs, and the spores must be cultivated in large metal tanks filled with sugar-rich feedstock and added nutrients such as ammonium sulfate.

Liu and his colleagues wanted to determine whether CRISPR could make this fungus easier to digest and more efficient to grow while still avoiding the introduction of foreign DNA into the organism.

Key Gene Edits That Boost Efficiency

To explore this approach, the researchers removed two genes linked to the enzymes chitin synthase and pyruvate decarboxylase. Removing the chitin synthase gene resulted in a thinner cell wall, which made the internal protein more accessible for digestion. The deletion of the pyruvate decarboxylase gene fine-tuned the fungus's metabolism, reducing the amount of nutrients needed for protein production.

Their analyses revealed that the modified strain, named FCPD, used 44% less sugar to create the same amount of protein as the original strain and did so 88% more quickly.

"A lot of people thought growing mycoprotein was more sustainable, but no one had really considered how to reduce the environmental impact of the entire production process, especially when compared to other alternative protein products" says first author, Xiaohui Wu of Jiangnan University.

Life Cycle Footprint and Global Comparisons

The team then assessed the environmental footprint of FCPD across its entire life cycle, from laboratory spores to inactivated meat-like products, at an industrial scale. They modeled production in six countries with different energy systems, including Finland, which depends largely on renewable energy, and China, which relies more heavily on coal. In every scenario, FCPD produced lower environmental impacts than conventional Fusarium venenatum. Across its full life cycle, FCPD production reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60%.

How FCPD Compares to Animal Protein

The researchers also compared the impacts of FCPD production to those associated with raising animals for food. Against chicken production in China, FCPD required 70% less land and lowered the potential for freshwater pollution by 78%.

"Gene-edited foods like this can meet growing food demands without the environmental costs of conventional farming," says Liu.

This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of China, the Jiangsu Basic Research Center for Synthetic Biology, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province.

Journal Reference:

Xiaohui Wu, Mengru Wang, Shijun Luo, Zhitong Zhou, Yanan Wang, Guocheng Du, Jian Chen, Xiao Liu. Dual enhancement of mycoprotein nutrition and sustainability via CRISPR-mediated metabolic engineering of Fusarium venenatum. Trends in Biotechnology, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.09.016

Cell Press. "This engineered fungus cuts emissions and tastes like meat." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 November 2025. /releases/2025/11/251121082049.htm>.

At COP30 UNECE promotes low-carbon and climate-resilient transport systems

clolli — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:06:13 -0500

Transport systems are vital enablers of economic growth, trade and connectivity, essential for ensuring the continuity of supply chains, access to services, and the overall functioning of economies. Yet, transport also accounts for nearly a quarter of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, whereas increasingly frequent and severe weather events are disrupting transport systems, threatening safety, causing economic losses, and limiting access to workplaces, markets and essential services.

UNECE is responding to these challenges through both mitigation and adaptation work defined in its decarbonization strategy for inland transport adopted in 2024, as well as with its stress-test framework for evaluating the resilience of transport systems, a new template for preparing the inland transport–specific components of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and by developing a globally harmonized methodology for measuring vehicle carbon footprints.

At COP30 side events co-organized with ECLAC and ESCAP, UNECE showcased these tools and explored actions to accelerate the transformation of commitments into concrete actions for a cleaner, more resilient global transport future.

Decarbonizing transport

With over 30,000 components and complex global supply chains, the automotive industry exemplifies the challenge and opportunity for reducing carbon emissions. A key focus is cutting automotive carbon footprints through a technology-neutral cradle-to-grave assessment, which captures emissions across production, use and end-of-life stages.

The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) is currently developing the world’s first harmonized methodology to measure vehicles’ carbon footprint throughout their lifecycle – from raw material extraction and manufacturing to use and end-of-life. Expected to be adopted in March 2026, this important milestone will provide governments and industry with a common framework for quantifying and comparing vehicle emissions, supporting evidence-based policymaking and advancing the transition to truly sustainable mobility.

With participation of Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Climate Envoy of The Netherlands, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), views were exchanged on the potential for greater alignment between the maritime and inland transport sectors, especially on the fuel cycle from the well-to-wheel or well-to wake (WtW) aligning carbon accounting methodologies for various fuel types. Participants also noted the longer-term opportunity of developing interoperable data systems that could support more consistent traceability of upstream emissions across transport modes—an area that remains at an early stage of exploration.

To accelerate the shift to cleaner mobility, UNECE is advancing regulatory work on battery durability and emphasizing the link between vehicles and the renewable energy systems that sustain them through its e-Mobility Task Force.

Finally, with its new template for integrating the transport sector into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), UNECE aims to help countries to systematically reflect the transport sector’s role in their climate commitments. The template offers clear indicators and metrics for measuring emission reductions and qualitative guidance for integrating transport actions into broader development strategies, to help member States translate their transport decarbonization efforts into credible, measurable and transparent national reporting.

These initiatives and tools build on the UNECE Inland Transport Committee’s Decarbonization Strategy. Together, they form a coherent framework that connects global standards to national implementation, and exemplify how regulation, innovation, and data can work hand in hand to transform ambition into tangible outcomes and accelerate the global transition to low-carbon, resilient mobility systems, noted Dmitry Mariyasin, UNECE Deputy Executive Secretary.

Building climate resilience

To limit the growing economic and social costs of climate-related disruptions, urgent action is needed to strengthen both new and existing inland transport systems. A key first step lies in understanding exposure to climate hazards and assessing the sensitivity and vulnerability of infrastructure and operations.

At a side-event co-organized with ECLAC, UNECE showcased how countries and international organizations are advancing this effort through geospatial climate risk analysis, data integration, and collaborative tools, such as the International Transport Infrastructure Observatory (ITIO).

This data-driven platform brings together transport network information and overlays it with climate hazard data. It already includes climate exposure data for Europe, Central Asia, North America and the Middle East, enabling policymakers in these regions to visualize risks and identify transport systems in need of more detailed vulnerability assessments. The platform will be expanded to include additional regions and datasets to create a truly global resource for climate-resilient transport planning.

As part of efforts to broaden the geographic scope of climate-resilient transport planning, UNECE welcomed a proposal by the South American Infrastructure Observatory of the Brasilia Consensus to collaborate with the ITIO platform and with ECLAC on incorporating GIS data and climate hazard overlays for South American transport networks. The invitation was extended during the COP30 side event by Mr. Murilo Lubambo, General Coordinator for South American Integration Affairs at the Ministry of Planning and Budget on behalf of the Brazilian Government.

Established on 30 May 2023, the Brasilia Consensus brings together twelve South American nations—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela—with the shared objective of strengthening regional ties and advancing integration. This initiative marks a significant step toward creating a truly global platform for climate-informed transport planning.

Moreover, participants were informed about the UNECE stress-test framework for evaluating the resilience of transport systems helps countries determine whether a specific transport system can withstand a series of stress tests related to defined hazard scenarios and thus be assessed as resilient to such scenarios. For transport systems that do not pass these stress tests, targeted adaptation programmes must be put in place. UNECE is supporting member States in developing adaptation pathways: forward-looking strategies that guide investment and maintenance decisions under different climate scenarios.

By combining infrastructure and hazard data, scientific projections can be translated into actionable insights, “identifying where extreme heat might disrupt a key corridor, where flood-risk mitigation is most urgent, or where maintenance funding will yield the greatest resilience gains, empowering policymakers to act before disasters strike,” said Mr. Mariyasin.

Focusing on Soil Health Helps Colorado Farmers Adapt to Climate Changes

clolli — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:02:05 -0500

Focusing on Soil Health Helps Colorado Farmers Adapt to

Climate Changes

On May 18, 2023 by Danielle Rotella Adams to Colorado, Colorado Environment

In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture

Colorado is experiencing an extended drought with the increasingly dry conditions going back more than 1,000 years. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people live in water-stressed regions, and that number is expected to double by 2050 when Earth’s population is estimated to grow to 9 billion people.

The recently approved Colorado Water Plan specifically identifies robust agriculture as a top-level priority for the entire state, including established farms and ranches, crops, local food, ditch companies, acequias, and urban agriculture. According to the plan’s executive summary, if no new water projects or strategies are implemented, modeling for the driest periods shows Colorado communities could need 230,000 to 740,000 acre-feet of additional water per year by 2050. The upper-end need is about enough water to fill 370,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year. Water will be needed across the state.

Landowners in Colorado are addressing the climate crisis by partnering with soil health advocates to implement farmer and rancher led solutions for Colorado agriculture to thrive, even with less water.

Regenerative Recovery Coalition assists landowners to incorporate regenerative agriculture methods throughout the state. Photo credit: Bill See

Bolstering Soil Health

Adopting climate resilient agriculture practices is one of the most effective ways farmers and ranchers can make soil and water improvements on their land.

“Regenerative agriculture has a unique focus on soil health, and I think it is the future of agriculture,” says Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, executive director of The Alliance Center, a nonprofit that created the Regenerative Recovery Coalition, which provides connections and funding to landowners in partnership with Restore Colorado.

Photo credit: Jane Cavagnero/Mad Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture methods are used across the state, but prioritizing their use on a large scale is critical for production. Composting, planting cover crops and adding animal grazing improve soil health, water quality and retention while helping to maintain soil nutrients.

“The healthier the soil, the more nutritious the food being grown will be, and the more water is retained, which requires less water for irrigation,” Simmons-St. Onge says.

Since launching in 2020, the coalition has worked to direct federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to support communities across Colorado, and their crowdsourced policy ideas have influenced 44 new state laws.

Photo credit: Jane Cavagnero/Mad Agriculture

Funding and Restoration

Transitioning to regenerative agriculture techniques comes with upfront costs. These can be offset by grants offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but more funding is needed to effectively implement long term change. That’s where Restore Colorado and Zero Foodprint (ZFP) comes in.

After seeing initial success in California, Restore Colorado, a pilot program launched in Boulder County in 2022, has partnered with the USDA, Colorado Department of Agriculture, ZFP and Mad Agriculture as well as the Regenerative Recovery Coalition to connect Colorado soil health-focused producers with businesses.

Restaurants and food and beverage companies in the program offer their customers an optional 1% fee, with the money going to a fund to help farmers and ranchers invest in regenerative agriculture practices.

“Each dollar invested in the program creates about $40 in benefit,” says Anthony Myint, ZFP executive director.

Since 2021, ZFP has awarded 11 grants for more than $100,000 in Colorado, and plans to make available an additional $200,000 for statewide application started mid-March.

“Our goal is to raise $5 million annually by 2025 to reinvest in Colorado food production,” Myint says.

ZFP is actively working to expand the Restore Colorado program to new regions and create further collaborations between producers committed to soil health and climate-minded consumers.

The Mancos Conservation District assesses a rapid stream riparian area. Photo credit: Mancos Conservation District

Water Improvements

Another organization focused on regenerative agriculture and water conservation is the Mancos Conservation District in southwestern Colorado, which works holistically with landowners who want to improve their water infrastructure, land and production.

“We first listen to agriculture producers and landowners to understand their issues and to identify barriers and then provide technical assistance in the areas of data, science and engineering to create solutions,” says Gretchen Rank, executive director of the Mancos Conservation District.

The Mancos district coordinates with local, state and federal partners to engineer and install irrigation diversions and infrastructure to address water conservation and efficiency while providing fish passage. This offers multiple agricultural and environmental benefits while improving riparian areas.

Mancos Conservation District’s Watershed Coordinator Sensa Wolcott, District Manager Neva Connolly and Executive Director Gretchen Rank; Photo credit: Mancos Conservation District

“Landowners have seen their land change over time and recognize that their main assets are their land and water – not just the products they produce. If they care for their water and land, higher yield production will follow,” Rank says.

Since 2015, Mancos has funded nearly $12 million through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and other grants to support water implementation projects benefiting landowners and the broader community. The district is also part of the CDA’s STAR Plus Program, which administers financial and technical assistance to producers employing soil health practices in their operations.

“It’s important for farmers and ranchers to know that they aren’t solely responsible for financing the transition to regenerative methods,” Myint says. “By working together, we can make the change happen.”

Green Mobility Policy Brief – 7 November 2025 – High-speed rail plan, STIP, & Industry Reactions

clolli — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:28:07 -0500

Commission unveils transport package combining high-speed rail plan and new investment strategy for sustainable fuels
Commission sets 2040 blueprint for a connected European high-speed rail network: policy overview
Aviation industry calls for stronger incentives and clearer timelines following STIP
Maritime sector urges rapid follow-up and market measures to make clean fuels competitive under STIP
High-speed rail plan gains broad support as sector calls for swift and coordinated execution
Delayed Franco-German regional trains restricted to Alsace after German rule change
LEVA-EU warns Belgium against national e-scooter framework
Commission awards €2.9 billion to 61 net zero technology projects across Europe
OECD calls for stronger governance and housing safeguards in urban–suburban rail expansion
Commission opens feedback on urban mobility indicators under revised TEN-T

Commission unveils transport package combining high-speed rail plan and new investment strategy for sustainable fuels

The European Commission has presented a comprehensive transport package centred on the High-Speed Rail Action Plan and the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), described by Executive Vice-President Fitto as key to competitiveness and cohesion. Together, the measures aim to accelerate the completion of a connected European rail network by 2040 and to mobilise large-scale investment for renewable and low-carbon fuels in aviation and maritime transport.

Speaking in Brussels, Commissioner Tzitzikostas said the two initiatives are guided by the principles of competitiveness and sustainability. For rail, the goal is to expand Europe’s 12 000 km of high-speed infrastructure, currently concentrated in Spain, France, Italy and Germany, and to close cross-border gaps, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The Commission estimates that full network completion would cost €550 billion and yield €200 billion in additional social and economic benefits.

The plan sets a 2040 deadline for a truly European network, supported by a dedicated financing strategy, harmonised digital systems through the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), and new rules on ticketing and rolling stock certification. A proposal due in early 2026 will make cross-border booking “one click” and create a second-hand market for trainsets. The Commission also intends to review procurement rules to encourage standardised train design and faster production, while strengthening ERA’s role in vehicle authorisation and safety oversight.

STIP establishes a parallel investment framework for renewable and low-carbon fuels across all transport modes, with a focus on aviation and shipping where electrification is limited. To meet ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime targets, Europe must produce about 20 million tonnes of sustainable fuels annually by 2035. The Commission estimates €100 billion in required investment and plans to mobilise at least €2.9 billion from existing EU programmes including the Innovation Fund, Horizon Europe and InvestEU by 2027.

A pilot eSAF Early Movers Coalition will seek to attract €500 million for synthetic fuel projects, complemented by a mechanism to link producers with offtakers to provide revenue certainty. The Commission will also examine how the EU ETS can further support the aviation and maritime sectors and strengthen international partnerships to ensure fair competition for European producers.

According to Fitto, the measures will “make Europe more united and more efficient”, offering passengers faster connections and affordable alternatives to short-haul flights while creating a framework for private investment in clean transport fuels. Tzitzikostas added that implementation in the next two years will be decisive if the EU is to meet its 2030 and 2035 targets.

Commission sets 2040 blueprint for a connected European high-speed rail network: policy overview

The European Commission has set out a plan to complete a connected high-speed rail network by 2040, pairing corridor-level delivery timetables with a new financing approach and tighter EU-level coordination. The Communication, Connecting Europe through High Speed Rail (COM(2025) 903), argues that a continuous network linking capitals and major urban nodes can halve journey times on many cross-border routes, shift demand from short and medium haul aviation and private cars, and relieve pressure on metropolitan housing markets by widening labour catchments.

Brussels concedes that current performance is off track. Since 2015, high-speed rail traffic has risen by 17 per cent, and 12,128 km of high-speed lines are in operation, mostly in Spain, France, Italy and Germany. Central and eastern Europe remain fragmented. The plan therefore asks Member States and infrastructure managers to exceed the minimum 200 km/h TEN-T specification where viable and to design priority sections for very high speeds, including above 250 km/h, so that the core and extended core passenger network functions as one system.

Delivery is anchored in two governance moves. First, each European Transport Corridor will include a high-speed chapter in its work plan by mid-2026 that identifies national and cross-border bottlenecks and proposes fixes. Second, by 2027, the Commission will adopt corridor implementing decisions that set binding milestones for 2030, 2035 and 2040, covering scope, speeds, travel time targets and funding paths. A 2026 review of the Streamlining Directive will address permitting and procurement lag on complex, cross-border projects.

Financing is framed as the immediate constraint. Completing the currently planned TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 is estimated to cost about EUR 345 billion. Tripling today’s network and designing for very high speed would bring the bill to about EUR 546 billion, with a net positive benefit to society estimated at around EUR 750 billion and construction activity supporting more than 1.5 million job-years by 2050. The Commission will prioritise high-speed rail in a 2026 CEF call and proposes to double CEF Transport in 2028–2034 to EUR 51.5 billion, including an indicative EUR 17.7 billion for dual-use infrastructure. Cohesion instruments, InvestEU, Horizon Europe and EIB lending remain central. By end 2025 the Commission will table an EU financing strategy leading to a 2026 High Speed Rail Deal that aligns Member States, the EIB, national promotional banks, private investors and the rail supply chain around bankable project pipelines, blending grants, guarantees and user revenues, and standardising models such as PPPs, regulated asset base approaches and cross financing from road and ETS proceeds.

The market framework is tightened to make services viable and fares competitive. The proposed Capacity Management Regulation would hard-wire cross-border planning and digital traffic management, with multiannual capacity agreements to give operators path certainty. Guidance on track access charges and a recent Court of Justice ruling point toward tariff structures that maximise use of the network, including newcomer discounts and transparent market segmentation, subject to State aid rules. A 2026 ticketing package is planned to ease the purchase of multi-operator and multimodal journeys and to strengthen rail passenger rights where a single transaction covers several carriers. The Commission will also toughen the implementing rules on non-discriminatory access to service facilities, responding to uneven distribution of depots, stabling and station services that can lock out new entrants.

Rolling stock availability is treated as a strategic bottleneck. Brussels will work with the EIB, national promotional banks and private finance to expand leasing and guarantee tools for first movers, in line with State aid law. To spur a secondary market, the Commission will propose legislation in 2027 to curb anti-competitive scrapping and to set transparent cross-border conditions for resale and reuse. In parallel, authorisation and certification will be simplified. ERA’s role would be reinforced in 2026 so that high speed train approvals are valid at EU scale, cutting duplicated testing and shortening time to market. A reform of train driver certification is planned to create a single professional standard for operation across networks.

Interoperability is the backbone of the industrial chapter. The 2040 TEN-T obligation to replace national signalling with ERTMS is reaffirmed, with a new European deployment plan due in 2026 and stricter enforcement. Member States are asked to eliminate other technical divergences on high-speed lines and access routes, and to connect city approaches and diversionary lines so that long-distance, night and freight services can exploit released capacity. Recognising that costs for ERTMS products have risen under fragmented approaches, the Commission will push co-creation of a next generation of harmonised, multi-network high-speed trainsets under Europe’s Rail in 2026, paired with standardised infrastructure components to recover economies of scale, lift production capacity and shorten delivery timelines.

Resilience and environmental performance are carried through the asset life cycle. After extreme weather events repeatedly damaged key routes, the Commission will fund climate proofing and publish guidance this year for national noise action plans. By 2028 it wants harmonised life cycle assessment and climate resilience methodologies for transport infrastructure so that design choices reflect total environmental footprint and exposure to heat, floods and fires. Member States are encouraged to deploy on-site renewables and procure low-emission materials for construction and operation, and to specify the safety standards needed for integrated generation.

The plan seeks a stronger interconnection with other modes. The Commission will analyse rail connectivity at 40 major airports and promote best practice for urban hubs that link high-speed rail with local public transport, cycling and shared mobility. The wider network gains are explicit. Separating fast intercity and high-speed flows from the classic network should unlock capacity for regional and freight services, including movements relevant for military mobility, and accelerate night train development where track access, facilities and authorisations are coordinated.

Monitoring is designed to keep pressure on delivery. From 2026, a scoreboard will track kilometres of high-speed line, average speeds, passenger volumes and ERTMS roll-out, supported by an annual survey on perceived progress. Where specific cross-border city pairs face persistent barriers, the Commission will convene targeted roundtables on technical interfaces, facilities and charging. The expectation is that fixed milestones, standardised technology, predictable access to paths and capital, and a workable secondary market for trains together will convert latent demand into an affordable pan-European high-speed offer by 2040.

Aviation industry calls for stronger incentives and clearer timelines following EU’s Sustainable Transport Investment Plan

Aviation stakeholders have broadly welcomed the European Commission’s Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) as a step towards addressing the financing and policy barriers facing the industry’s transition to net zero, while warning that the measures fall short of what is needed to scale up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and ensure Europe’s competitiveness.

The DESTINATION 2050 alliance, which includes A4E, ACI EUROPE, ASD, CANSO Europe and ERA, described STIP as a constructive step that finally recognises the investment challenge and begins to consolidate EU financing instruments for SAF projects. The group welcomed the plan’s reference to a double-sided auction system designed to reduce the cost gap between fossil fuels and SAF, but said the proposed EU funding envelope remains “disappointingly low” compared with the estimated €100 billion required by 2035.

Industry groups also voiced concern that key elements of the investment and regulatory framework remain undefined. The lack of a concrete timetable for introducing a Book & Claim mechanism, which would allow airlines to access SAF credits regardless of local availability, is viewed as a critical omission. The alliance urged the Commission to prioritise its design and implementation, alongside a post-2030 extension of SAF allowances under the EU ETS and the use of ETS revenues to support fuel production.

The European Express Association (EEA) called the STIP “a small step in the right direction” but said €3.5 billion of support is “a drop in the ocean” compared with investment needs. The association reiterated the sector’s demand for a credible Book & Claim system and for longer-term, scaled-up SAF incentives to underpin multi-year offtake agreements.

From the perspective of emerging fuel producers, the Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator (SASHA) Coalition welcomed the inclusion of auction mechanisms and risk-reduction tools for e-fuels but criticised the limited focus on zero-emission technologies. SASHA Director of EU Policy Aurelia Leeuw said the Commission “deserves credit for de-risking e-fuel production” but warned that the plan lacks ambition on ETS reform and fails to secure sufficient backing for hydrogen and electric propulsion. She also cautioned that without a clear focus on e-kerosene produced within the European Economic Area, the planned Book & Claim system risks weakening Europe’s competitive edge.

Aviation stakeholders are now calling for coordinated follow-up between the Commission, Member States and industry to ensure policy coherence and stable investment conditions. Several groups have joined the Commission’s call for the European Investment Bank to increase its involvement in SAF financing and for unused national Recovery and Resilience funds to be redirected to low-carbon fuel projects before mid-2026.

Maritime sector urges rapid follow-up and market measures to make clean fuels competitive under STIP

Maritime industry groups have welcomed the European Commission’s Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) as an important step towards scaling renewable and low-carbon fuels, while urging faster follow-up and clearer measures to close the price gap between clean and conventional fuels.

European shipowners described the plan as a “good first step” that identifies the right investment priorities but warned that immediate action is needed to turn its commitments into practice. ECSA Secretary General Sotiris Raptis said that while Europe has “ambitious climate targets,” it still lacks the clean fuels necessary to achieve them. He called for revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), estimated at €9 billion from the shipping sector, to be used to make renewable fuels more affordable and to support a binding mandate for European suppliers to provide clean fuels for shipping. ECSA also welcomed the Commission’s commitment to simplify reporting requirements for shipping companies, particularly for SMEs, and urged full alignment between EU and future International Maritime Organization measures to maintain a global level playing field.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) similarly praised the plan for sending “a strong signal of support for scaling up renewable and low-carbon fuels.” The organisation highlighted that 97 percent of the world’s cruise ships are built in European shipyards, with €57 billion in new ship investments planned between 2024 and 2036. CLIA noted that Europe’s shipyards and supply chains can play a pivotal role in producing renewable fuels and technologies if the right policy and financial instruments are in place.

SEA-LNG welcomed the plan’s explicit recognition of the “methane decarbonisation pathway,” including LNG, biomethane and e-methane. The group said this confirms the inclusion of methane-based fuels in the EU’s clean-fuel mix and aligns with current market trends, with over 70 percent of alternative-fuel vessel tonnage ordered in 2025 designed for methane use. SEA-LNG called for consistent funding and eligibility frameworks for renewable methane and for existing LNG infrastructure to be treated as a foundation for future e-methane distribution.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) called the STIP “a promising first step” but stressed that it must now translate into financial mechanisms that make renewable marine fuels competitive. WSC said the maritime sector alone could absorb 14.4 million tonnes of renewable fuels by 2035; around 70 per cent of the Commission’s combined target for aviation and shipping, if investment conditions are right. The group urged the EU to focus STIP funding on price-bridging measures, targeted incentives for renewable fuels, and risk-sharing tools linking producers and buyers.

COP30: Green groups urge governments to crack down on shipping emissions

clolli — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:09:47 -0500

BusinessGreen says a coalition of environmental groups is using the run-up to COP30 to press governments to get tougher on maritime pollution by adopting national plans that cut shipping emissions. Their push follows controversy over reported U.S. efforts to stall stricter international rules for a global Net Zero Framework at the UN’s shipping body. The groups want countries to complement IMO-level targets with domestic policies, finance, and infrastructure that accelerate cleaner ships and fuels, and to show greater ambition in upcoming negotiations.

UK's "first all-electric football stadium" set to be built for Oxford United

clolli — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:05:19 -0500

With planning approval granted by Cherwell District Council, Ridge and Partners claimed the football stadium is set to be "the most sustainable mid-sized sports venue in the UK".

Ridge and Partners carried out the planning, sustainability and transport strategy, and worked with AFL Architects to design the stadium, which aims to provide amenities to the local community and give an economic boost to Oxford United Football Club.

Situated north of the city centre near Oxford Parkway train station, outside of areas with heritage constraints, it will be powered by renewable energy from photovoltaic panels and an air-source heat pump.

It was designed by Ridge and Partners with AFL Architects

"As the first all-electric stadium in the UK, it will operate entirely on renewable energy, integrating 3,500 square metres of roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to help reduce the impact on the national grid during matchdays," said Ridge and Partners.

"An air-source heat pump and energy-efficient building fabric will remove the need for carbon-based fuels and provide an 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per year compared with gas boilers."

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Invests in Air Handling Upgrades

clolli — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:04:24 -0500

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (DHSU) recently celebrated the completion of a critical update to the facility’s air handling units to better support medical and educational operations. The $10 million project required two years of study and design followed by two years of construction.

SUNY DHSU engaged engineering firm RMF to address concerns about the hospital’s five rooftop-mounted air handling units (AHUs), which were nearing the end of their useful life and used R-22, a refrigerant no longer manufactured due to environmental concerns. The RMF team completed a comprehensive field survey to document existing conditions. Airflow readings were recorded to determine baseline performance, while pressure readings were documented to determine operating static pressure and record heating water flow.

RMF analyzed the findings to develop a feasibility report that provided upgrade and replacement options that highlighted maintenance impacts, energy efficiency optimization, and the least disruptive construction phasing and construction cost estimates. The evaluation included a code assessment, potential upgrades to the energy management and electrical systems, ventilation air calculations using energy modeling software, full heating and cooling load calculations, filtration options and review of the existing ductwork.

Developed in coordination with the State University Construction Fund and DHSU, RMF’s implementation included concept-level phasing and sequencing plans for replacing the three AHUs serving the Labor and Deliver, NICU and PIRR/MRI critical care units. RMF also designed the new AHUs sized to accommodate more outside air than required by code –– requested by DHSU to provide increased capacity of Remote Terminal Units for future expansion –– and incorporate high-rating filters and ultraviolet lighting to improve indoor air quality. The existing electrical and building automation systems were extended to provide power and controls for the new equipment.

As the affected areas had to always remain operational, the project was completed in three construction phases and used newly installed equipment, including temporary units requested by DHSU which were installed for NICU and PIRR/MRI areas during construction to provide temporary air while subsequent equipment was replaced. Construction staging was planned to coordinate with DHSU operations and remain within the urban site’s limited available space.

“We aimed to enhance the capabilities of the hospital while ensuring there was little impact to its operations throughout construction, underscoring the importance of planning,” said Rich Heim, project manager at RMF. “We needed to be mindful of the sensitive and urgent needs of the areas the units impacted, implementing careful coordination that facilitated a seamless transition.”

DHSU is the only academic medical center in Brooklyn and trains more New York City doctors than any other medical college. It has also received $1.1 billion in state investment for its larger renovation to preserve and enhance service to the community.

“This project was designed and executed with the hospital’s future flexibility in mind,” said Yan Li, project manager at RMF. “To support modifications for years to come, we provided 10 percent additional airflow capacity, impacting the labor and delivery, NICU, and PIRR and MRI units and giving them the opportunity to advance their level of care as each practice evolves.”

Li added that, as safety precautions increased in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm wanted to make sure the hospital was equipped to handle similar situations should they arise in the future.

The project team also included architecture firm Azar Design Co., structural engineering firm Siracuse Engineers PC, hazardous material abatement firm Encorus Group and cost estimator Trophy Point.

By Lindsey Coulter

Farmland loans for regenerative agriculture: FBN and Walton family launch ‘first-of-its-kind’ lending program

clolli — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:56:38 -0500

As rising costs and regulatory uncertainty challenge farmers’ efforts to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, an innovative new pilot with support from the Walton family looks to help finance the transition through discounts in private conservation loans.

Led by agriculture e-commerce marketplace Farmers Business Network, the Regenerative Agriculture Financing Land Loan pilot program offers discounted interest rates on land loans for farms who successfully adopt conservation practices benefiting soil health, water quality and overall climate resilience.

The loans are made possible through a $750,000 investment from the Walton Family Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton.

“Helping farmers to grow crops while also protecting water and soil is key to protecting people and nature together,” Moira Mcdonald, environmental program director of the Walton Family Foundation, said in a statement, adding that the program will “provide farmers with access to affordable capital in order to incentivize the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.”

The pilot program is expected to serve about 20 farmers as a “proof of concept” with hopes of expansion down the line, Dan English, general manager of FBN Financial, said in an interview with Agriculture Dive.

To access the discounts, farmers must implement sustainable soil and water health practices and meet environmental criteria developed by Environmental Defense Fund and Gradable, a sustainable grain platform co-owned by FBN and ADM.

Eligible farmers will receive discounted interest rates — ranging from 0.25% to 0.5% — on newly financed land for seven years. The loans can be used to acquire or refinance land, English said, providing savings of around $5,000 to $6,000 a year.

The regenerative land loans build on the overwhelming demand for FBN’s sustainable financing program that provides operating loans to farms that implement regenerative practices. The operating loan program, launched as a pilot with the Environmental Defense Fund in 2021, has grown to support 140 farmers in 2024.

Private companies and partnerships could play more of a role in spurring adoption of regenerative agriculture, particularly amid a downturn in the farm economy and ongoing uncertainty around federal climate funding. There is demand among farmers to transition to regenerative practices, English said, but the sector needs “long term” investment.

Developing countries projected to use 25% more energy as living standards improve

clolli — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:49:50 -0500

> 4 billion people currently live in countries where access to energy is below what is needed to address basic human development needs.
Access to sufficient, affordable energy enables economic development.
Efficiency gains from new technology help slow energy growth from rising prosperity and a growing population.

In 2050, more people and growing economies will drive higher demand for the energy sources that enable modern living, even as efficiency gains enable per capita energy use to decline in developed economies.

Population
Billions

OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of more affluent democracies with market-based economies that promotes economic growth.

GDP
Trillions 2015$

The global population is projected to rise by > 1.5 billion people by 2050, a 20% increase from today, and nearly all of that growth will occur in developing countries.

Over that same time period, global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to nearly double, with developing nations growing twice as fast as developed nations. By 2050, the developing world will account for more than half of global GDP, up from about 40% today.

The combination of 1.5 billion more people and a global economy that is projected to nearly double in size drives about 25% higher energy use in developing countries in 2050 versus today.

Global energy demand
Quadrillion Btu

Sources: Smil, Energy Transitions (1900-1960), 2024 ExxonMobil Global Outlook (1970-2050)

Energy use and improved living standards go hand in hand. It is impossible to have one without the other. Data from the United Nations Human Development Index (U.N. HDI) shows that countries with higher energy use tend to have higher life expectancies, education levels, and income per person. Rising energy use fuels higher incomes that enable people to own homes, purchase labor-saving appliances, travel, and obtain needed medical services.

U.N. Human Development Index
2023 Index

Sources: U.N. Human Development Reports, EIA, ExxonMobil analysis

The U.N. HDI data show us that the opposite is also true: a lack of access to affordable, reliable energy means diminished living standards.

Energy consumption versus access to clean cooking fuels
MMBtu per person per year

Sources: U.N. Human Development Reports, EIA, ExxonMobil analysis
Each symbol denotes a country; bubble size proportional to population
Population weighted averages for UN and World Bank (data through 2024) except energy per capita in MMBtu per person (EIA 2023 data)

Our analysis estimates that basic living standards require at least 50 million British thermal units (MMBtu) per person per year. To put that in perspective, developed countries around the world, on average, use more than three times that amount, about 160 MMBtu per person, with ~75% of this energy going towards manufacturing, business, and commercial transportation.

Energy use
MMBtu per person per year

Based on our analysis, and the U.N. HDI data, we determined that about 4 billion people live in countries where access to energy is below what is needed to support basic human development, including access to housing, infrastructure, jobs, and mobility.

For example, today in countries with limited access to energy, cooking often involves burning wood, coal, or kerosene indoors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, Air quality, Energy and Health), more than 3 million people die every year from indoor air pollution, largely associated with burning these fuels. It isn’t until a country has access to reliable and affordable energy that households also get access to clean cooking fuels such as electricity or natural gas.

Comparison to third party analyses of minimum energy needs

The Energy for Growth Hub (Moss et al., 2021) has analyzed the level of per capita electricity consumption needed to support modern living standards, and identified the threshold as being 1000 kWh per person per year, with 75% of that being consumed in the wider economy, outside of households. Notably, electricity makes up only about 20% of the world’s total energy consumption, with the majority of energy demand being driven by the hard-to-electrify industrial and commercial transportation sectors. Our analysis takes a comprehensive view and considers the total energy mix. Despite this distinction, the analysis of Energy for Growth Hub provides a similar insight as our analysis: today ~4 billion people around the world live in countries where per capita energy and electricity use is less than needed to meet basic human development needs.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.1 limits its focus to household “access to electricity”, defined by the IEA as at least 50-100 kWh per household per year. It does not consider the broader energy needs outside the home. To put this in context, 50-100 kWh per household per year is sufficient to provide about four hours of electricity per day with a system capable of running basic devices such as lights and phone chargers (IEA, 2025). While access to electricity is a necessary and important first step to addressing energy poverty, this minimum threshold of 50-100 kWh per household per year that is tracked by U.N SDG 7.1 is less than 1% of the total amount of energy that is needed to address basic human development needs based on our analysis.

Even though developing countries are expected to use significantly more energy through 2050, we predict that total worldwide energy growth will slow as efficiency improves. From 2000 to 2010, total global energy demand grew by 27%. In the past decade, energy demand grew by 13%. Between 2040 and 2050, we project energy demand will grow by less than 3%. Because technology will become more efficient, we expect the next decade will be the first time in history where the world will see expanding economic growth, with lower per capita energy demand.

Energy per capita
MMBtu per person

However, our Outlook also projects limited growth in per capita energy demand in the developing countries, even as overall energy demand in the developing countries grows by 25%.

Sensitivity: How much energy would the world need for all countries to achieve basic living standards (50 MMBtu per person) in 2050? Even with the significant projected efficiency gains, we estimate that providing the energy needed for the developing world to universally achieve basic living standards would require nearly 20% more energy in 2050 compared to our Global Outlook projection.