Climate Tech Highlights #12

Feather-based packaging, funding for adaptation tech and more!

Author

Amanda Magalhães
June 18, 2024


Hello, there!


This week, I've been delving into the Drawdown Review for work. This 2020 publication by Project Drawdown offers numerous key insights into various climate solutions, ranging from carbon sink technologies to food, agriculture, and land use initiatives. If you haven't read it yet, it's definitely worth a look!

Now, without further ado, let's dive into the climate tech highlights from the past few days!

Around the globe 🌎

  • Feather-based thermal packaging: London-based materials innovation startup Aeropowder has secured a £150,000 investment from the British Design Fund. The company is launching thermal packaging made from surplus feathers as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics and other harmful materials. This innovative packaging is designed for use in the life sciences industry and cold chain logistics. Aeropowder’s patented solution can maintain an internal temperature of 2-8°C for over 72 hours, even when external temperatures average 30°C during that period. Read the full story

  • Upgraded Carbon Capture Tech: Switzerland-based Climeworks recently announced the next phase of its carbon dioxide capture efforts with its Generation 3 direct air capture (DAC) technology. Tested at scale in Switzerland this month, Climeworks reports that Generation 3 can capture twice the CO2 per module compared to its predecessor, while halving its energy consumption and associated costs. This impressive improvement is achieved through an upgraded filter that increases direct surface contact with CO2, resulting in higher capture totals and reduced processing time. The construction of the first plant to utilize Generation 3 technology is planned to begin in Louisiana in 2026, as part of the company’s partnership with the Department of Energy. Read the full story

  • 17x more funding needed: The majority of climate tech funding goes to mitigation technologies, which aim to remove or reduce emissions to help prevent climate change. However, there’s also adaptation tech—solutions designed to help us adapt to the rapidly changing climate. Adaptation tech includes innovations to make housing and workplaces more livable, agritech solutions like drought-resistant crops, and water tech to expand access to clean drinking water in areas facing shortages. Despite its importance, adaptation tech receives minimal funding compared to mitigation. A new report from VC firm PT1 Ventures and consulting agency DWR eco suggests that globally, we need $1.1 trillion in adaptation funding, yet only $63 billion was invested in 2021. The math is clear: we need 17 times more funding annually. Read the full story.

A glance at Brazil 🇧🇷

  • First among the first: Natura Cosmetics, part of Natura & Co holding, a global leader in sustainable and ethical beauty, has achieved a Carbon Integrity Platinum Claim. Issued by the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI), this means Natura Cosmetics has purchased and retired high-quality carbon credits, equal to or greater than 100% of its remaining emissions. The announcement marks the first Carbon Integrity Claim for a company based in Latin America. Read the full story

  • Suzano🤝Lenzig: Suzano has spent R$ 1.3 billion to acquire a 15% stake in Lenzing, an Austrian company renowned for its sustainable fibers and valued at $1.3 billion on the Vienna Stock Exchange. This deal marks the entry of Brazil's leading paper and pulp company into the textile market, as Suzano will now have a direct role in clothing manufacturing. Suzano sees potential in using its eucalyptus cellulose, which has lower production costs, in the fibers used by Lenzing. Read the full story

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