Australian petrol retailer Ampol has partnered with electric vehicle manufacturer SEA Electric to develop a network of charging stations. Importantly, the aim is "to support the uptake of lower emission commercial vehicles in key parts of the transport sector” as an industry-first.SEA Electric sells its own EV vehicles as well as power systems that can be fitted to existing models.According to SEA Asia/Pacific president, Bill Gilespie "we are building an entire customer led ecosystem to simplify the transition to electrification, with full factory warranty, 24/7 support and roadside assistance" plus charging stations nationally.https://www.innovationaus.com/ampol-teams-up-with-sea-electric-for-ev-charger-rollout/
The US Dept of Agriculture has approved
a vaccine for honeybees to prevent further devastation to the
insects, who are key to the global food supply. The
vaccine, developed by Georgia-based biotech
Dalan Animal Health, is targeting American Foulbrood, a widespread deadly disease in Australia, US and globally, caused
by Paenibacillus larvae bacteria.To administer the novel vaccine, beekeepers can mix it into the feed the
worker bees consume and then feed to the queen.This is great news as the company proposes to use the format of this vaccine to target other diseases that honeybees face. https://www.cnet.com/science/biology/first-ever-honeybee-vaccine-approved-to-target-deadly-global-disease/
What COP27 and 'Net Zero' was to Climate, so COP15 and 'Nature Positive' is for Biodiversity and the Conference underway in Montreal has struck a '30 by 30' deal to restore 30% of the Earth for 'nature' by 2030.Amid plummeting insect numbers, acidifying oceans filled with plastic waste, and rampant overconsumption of the planet’s resources,
the agreement, if implemented, could signal major changes to farming,
business supply chains and the role of Indigenous communities in
conservation.China’s environment minister and Cop15 president, Huang Runqiu pushed through the agreement (and the US didn't sign): https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-historic-deal-signed-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-by-2030-
The Good: Loss and damage gets a dedicated fundThe Bad: No sunset for oil and gas with a pushback from Saudi Arabia and other major oil and gas exporters - can this be resolved in Dubai at COP28???However: China’s top climate diplomat Xie Zhenhua announced that his country, the world’s top methane
emitter, is cooking up a national strategy for curbing methane emissions - this is a significant step.The Ugly: News from CSIRO saying we have already reached 1.47deg warmingAnd Maybe: COP31 in Australia - and we'll be over 1.5deg by then?https://qz.com/emails/cop27/1849803425/cop27-the-good-the-bad-and-the-vaguely
At COP27, various stakeholders have deliberated on ways to accelerate the decarbonisation of the carbon-heavy steel industry - currently contributing 8% of world carbon emissions. In response, China’s steel efforts aim to turn around its 'dirty' industry via a range of measures, including new steel furnace technology, hydrogen direct reduced iron and scrapped steel regeneration. China produces over 1/2 the world's total of crude steel.A recently published plan states the
country will “upgrade over 80% of steel production capacity” to slash
carbon emissions and aim to push down overall energy consumption per
tonne of steel: https://climatetracker.org/can-china-decarbonise-its-dirty-steel-industry-by-2030/
COP27
in Sheikh, Egypt will be centered on the themes of decarbonization, the energy transition,
innovative solutions, pro-climate finance, nature and biodiversity, and most importantly, International FUNDING.
McKinsey senior partners will be hosting a series of virtual events with
CEOs, experts, and thought leaders focused on accelerating the net-zero
transition. For the full agenda, and to register for McKinsey’s discussions see below:In the meantime, Here's a revealing McKinsey commentary on how last year's COP26 impacted world business:https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/our-insights/cop26-made-net-zero-a-core-principle-for-business-
