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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Brazil's ‘King of Cattle' is embracing a plan to save the Amazon
By Manuela Andreoni and Ana Mano XINGUARA, Brazil -Decades of ranching in the Amazon have earned Roque Quagliato, Brazil's 'King of Cattle,' great wealth – and some trouble. His family's immense farms were accused of submitting workers to slavery-like conditions in the 1990s and deforesting huge tracts of the rainforest in the early 2000's. But as Brazil's beef industry evolves under pressure from some of the world's greatest export markets, Quagliato, at 85, is now in evidence for something else: he is the face of the push to fix cattle ranching in the Amazon, one of the world's biggest drivers of deforestation. Quagliato's cattle were the first to be tagged with chips in their ears as part of a government program to make millions of cattle in the Amazonian state of Para traceable around the time world leaders arrive there for the United Nations climate summit in November. 'What we hope is that, at the end, the international market gives Brazil a better price,' he said at the sidelines of a recent cattle auction in Xinguara, one of the beef capitals of Para. Deforesters, he added, are now 'a matter for jail.' Quagliato has his eyes on exporting pricier and more demanding markets in the United States, Europe and Asia, some of which buy from Brazilian states but not Para at least partly because of concerns around animal health and links to deforestation. "Brazil is hustling to open high-demand markets such as Japan and South Korea, and improving its traceability system is one of the key steps to reaching that goal," said Renan Araujo, a senior market analyst at S&P Global. Para, which has a herd of 26 million, about the size of Australia's, wants to tag all its cattle by 2027 as it seizes on the global spotlight to become a test for a wider policy and a major shift for the world's largest beef exporter. So far, it's off to an inauspicious start. The law, passed in late 2023, requires that ranchers in Para identify their cattle by the end of 2026. But by May ranchers in the state of Para had only tagged some 12,000 cattle. But the buy-in of big ranchers, like Quagliato, has allayed concerns that 'there was going to be wholesale rejection' of the policy, said Andy Jarvis, who directs the program Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund, which donated $16.3 million to Para's project. "The success of this initiative needs the farmers and ranchers themselves to be supporting it." The ambitious move, if successful, could be a turning point in the struggle to halt the destruction of the world's largest rainforest. Environmentalists have long argued that improvements in cattle traceability would give law enforcement a powerful tool to choke off ranching in illegally deforested farms from the global supply chains relying on Brazil to feed growing global appetite for beef. While the state's proposal to track cattle individually is no silver bullet against deforestation, it would be a step forward that many thought unimaginable not so long ago. Many ranchers are resisting the program, which they think will take some of them out of business, and few believe the government will meet its goals for this year. But several big-time farmers interviewed by Reuters are throwing weight behind the policy. "There is a cost," Quagliato said. But when ranchers sit down to talk about it, he added, they simply conclude that "we have to do it." The Quagliato family still faces questions over their own impact on the forest and its people. Brazil's federal environmental protection agency said Quagliato paid all his deforestation fines, except for one which he settled, agreeing to regenerate the forest. One of his family members was recently convicted of submitting workers to slave-like labor conditions, though he is appealing. Quagliato declined to comment on these cases. 'WE HAVE POLITICAL WILL' Tagging each cow in Para isn't simply a tool to guarantee animals aren't eating grass where forests were illegally razed. More than anything, it allows animal health agencies to quickly track any sick cattle and their contacts. Data suggests the market rewards traceable herds. The average price of the beef Brazil exports is 8% lower than Uruguay's, which traces cattle individually, according to 2024 data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association. That's partly because Uruguay sells much of its beef to the European Union, which has long worked to rid its supply chains of ties to deforestation and requires individual traceability at least 90 days before cattle are slaughtered. Most big ranchers interviewed by Reuters see cattle tagging as an unavoidable path forward, though some fear Para is moving too fast for farmers to adapt and would like the policy to be watered down. Quagliato declined to say how big his herd is or how many of his cattle he had tagged. Local publications have estimated his herd size to be around 150,000 cattle. Ranchers told Reuters they are waiting to comply until the legal deadline comes closer, because they want to make sure it won't be delayed as many observers expect. Some also complained about technical glitches in the system to register cattle, which the government denies. Still, the project has gained support from both the meat packing industry and environmental groups. São Paulo-based JBS, the world's biggest meat packer, has donated 300,000 tags to the program so far. "I'm optimistic," said Marina Guyot, a policy manager at Imaflora, a nonprofit that received a grant from Bezos to help implement the policy. "At the moment, we have political will, which is more than half the way there." 'IT SCARES US' Alaion Lacerda's 50-strong cattle herd at the heart of Para state munch on grass alongside cocoa growing beneath the shade of native trees he planted. He is one of thousands of small producers at the bottom of Brazil's supply chain, providing young calves that bigger ranchers will fatten and sell to slaughterhouses. But, like about half the cattle in Para, his herd is grazing in areas where the rainforest was illegally razed, and he now wonders if the new law will make it harder for him to sell his cattle. "It scares us," he said, sitting on his porch. "We live in a region where almost all producers have a liability." Every day satellites collect visual data on deforestation that the government and meat packers use to mark farms where forests were illegally razed. But tagging will allow officials to geo-locate cattle with a swiping device. The tool could make it harder for farmers to say cattle that were reared in illegally deforested areas came from legal farms, said Ricardo Negrini, a federal prosecutor who monitors links to deforestation in the beef supply. But the program, he added, "still falls short in terms of environmental standards," partly because the tags only geolocate animals at specific moments, allowing ample time for bad-faith producers to move cattle without being noticed. "Whatever you want to control, you can't catch everything," said Raul Protazio Romao, the head of Para's environmental department. "You have to progressively implement control mechanisms that constantly evolve and close gaps." Lincoln Bueno, a big rancher whose family also controls beef exporter Mercurio, said he is not yet tracing his cattle because he fears he may be punished for buying from small suppliers who have illegally deforested plots in their land. "I can only do what I am able to comply with," he said. Convincing ranchers like Bueno and Lacerda to tag their cattle is Para's biggest challenge. It's why the government now allows farmers who have illegally cleared forest on their ranches in the past to clear their records by committing to allowing the forest to grow back. On a recent morning, agricultural analysts from a nonprofit called Solidaridad, visited several small ranchers who they hoped would enter the program. Some were open to the idea that cleaning up their records would have benefits. Others, like Lacerda, were more skeptical. "For me to reforest, isolate the area so I can be legal, I'm going to have to reduce the number of animals," he said. But that, he added, "will affect my income." Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why Brazil's 'King of Cattle' is embracing a plan to save the Amazon
Decades of ranching in the Amazon have earned Roque Quagliato , Brazil's "King of Cattle," great wealth - and some trouble. His family's immense farms were accused of submitting workers to slavery-like conditions in the 1990s and deforesting huge tracts of the rainforest in the early 2000's. But as Brazil's beef industry evolves under pressure from some of the world's greatest export markets, Quagliato, at 85, is now in evidence for something else: he is the face of the push to fix cattle ranching in the Amazon, one of the world's biggest drivers of deforestation. Quagliato's cattle were the first to be tagged with chips in their ears as part of a government program to make millions of cattle in the Amazonian state of Para traceable around the time world leaders arrive there for the United Nations climate summit in November. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nowa miniaturowa piła łańcuchowa clubsit Dowiedz się więcej Undo "What we hope is that, at the end, the international market gives Brazil a better price," he said at the sidelines of a recent cattle auction in Xinguara, one of the beef capitals of Para. Deforesters, he added, are now "a matter for jail." Quagliato has his eyes on exporting pricier and more demanding markets in the United States, Europe and Asia, some of which buy from Brazilian states but not Para at least partly because of concerns around animal health and links to deforestation. Live Events "Brazil is hustling to open high-demand markets such as Japan and South Korea, and improving its traceability system is one of the key steps to reaching that goal," said Renan Araujo, a senior market analyst at S&P Global. Para, which has a herd of 26 million, about the size of Australia's, wants to tag all its cattle by 2027 as it seizes on the global spotlight to become a test for a wider policy and a major shift for the world's largest beef exporter. So far, it's off to an inauspicious start. The law, passed in late 2023, requires that ranchers in Para identify their cattle by the end of 2026. But by May ranchers in the state of Para had only tagged some 12,000 cattle. But the buy-in of big ranchers, like Quagliato, has allayed concerns that "there was going to be wholesale rejection" of the policy, said Andy Jarvis, who directs the program Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund, which donated $16.3 million to Para's project. "The success of this initiative needs the farmers and ranchers themselves to be supporting it." The ambitious move, if successful, could be a turning point in the struggle to halt the destruction of the world's largest rainforest. Environmentalists have long argued that improvements in cattle traceability would give law enforcement a powerful tool to choke off ranching in illegally deforested farms from the global supply chains relying on Brazil to feed growing global appetite for beef. While the state's proposal to track cattle individually is no silver bullet against deforestation, it would be a step forward that many thought unimaginable not so long ago. Many ranchers are resisting the program, which they think will take some of them out of business, and few believe the government will meet its goals for this year. But several big-time farmers interviewed by are throwing weight behind the policy. "There is a cost," Quagliato said. But when ranchers sit down to talk about it, he added, they simply conclude that "we have to do it." The Quagliato family still faces questions over their own impact on the forest and its people. Brazil's federal environmental protection agency said Quagliato paid all his deforestation fines, except for one which he settled, agreeing to regenerate the forest. One of his family members was recently convicted of submitting workers to slave-like labor conditions, though he is appealing. Quagliato declined to comment on these cases. 'WE HAVE POLITICAL WILL' Tagging each cow in Para isn't simply a tool to guarantee animals aren't eating grass where forests were illegally razed. More than anything, it allows animal health agencies to quickly track any sick cattle and their contacts. Data suggests the market rewards traceable herds. The average price of the beef Brazil exports is 8% lower than Uruguay's, which traces cattle individually, according to 2024 data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association. That's partly because Uruguay sells much of its beef to the European Union, which has long worked to rid its supply chains of ties to deforestation and requires individual traceability at least 90 days before cattle are slaughtered. Most big ranchers interviewed by Reuters see cattle tagging as an unavoidable path forward, though some fear Para is moving too fast for farmers to adapt and would like the policy to be watered down. Quagliato declined to say how big his herd is or how many of his cattle he had tagged. Local publications have estimated his herd size to be around 150,000 cattle. Ranchers told Reuters they are waiting to comply until the legal deadline comes closer, because they want to make sure it won't be delayed as many observers expect. Some also complained about technical glitches in the system to register cattle, which the government denies. Still, the project has gained support from both the meat packing industry and environmental groups. Sao Paulo-based JBS, the world's biggest meat packer, has donated 300,000 tags to the program so far. "I'm optimistic," said Marina Guyot, a policy manager at Imaflora, a nonprofit that received a grant from Bezos to help implement the policy. "At the moment, we have political will, which is more than half the way there." 'IT SCARES US' Alaion Lacerda's 50-strong cattle herd at the heart of Para state munch on grass alongside cocoa growing beneath the shade of native trees he planted. He is one of thousands of small producers at the bottom of Brazil's supply chain, providing young calves that bigger ranchers will fatten and sell to slaughterhouses. But, like about half the cattle in Para, his herd is grazing in areas where the rainforest was illegally razed, and he now wonders if the new law will make it harder for him to sell his cattle. "It scares us," he said, sitting on his porch. "We live in a region where almost all producers have a liability." Every day satellites collect visual data on deforestation that the government and meat packers use to mark farms where forests were illegally razed. But tagging will allow officials to geo-locate cattle with a swiping device. The tool could make it harder for farmers to say cattle that were reared in illegally deforested areas came from legal farms, said Ricardo Negrini, a federal prosecutor who monitors links to deforestation in the beef supply. But the program, he added, "still falls short in terms of environmental standards," partly because the tags only geolocate animals at specific moments, allowing ample time for bad-faith producers to move cattle without being noticed. "Whatever you want to control, you can't catch everything," said Raul Protazio Romao, the head of Para's environmental department. "You have to progressively implement control mechanisms that constantly evolve and close gaps." Lincoln Bueno, a big rancher whose family also controls beef exporter Mercurio, said he is not yet tracing his cattle because he fears he may be punished for buying from small suppliers who have illegally deforested plots in their land. "I can only do what I am able to comply with," he said. Convincing ranchers like Bueno and Lacerda to tag their cattle is Para's biggest challenge. It's why the government now allows farmers who have illegally cleared forest on their ranches in the past to clear their records by committing to allowing the forest to grow back. On a recent morning, agricultural analysts from a nonprofit called Solidaridad, visited several small ranchers who they hoped would enter the program. Some were open to the idea that cleaning up their records would have benefits. Others, like Lacerda, were more skeptical. "For me to reforest, isolate the area so I can be legal, I'm going to have to reduce the number of animals," he said. But that, he added, "will affect my income."
Business Wire
30-04-2025
- Science
- Business Wire
Clean Food Group to Exhibit at 'Future of Food' Exhibition at the Science Museum
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clean Food Group ('CFG'), a leading UK food tech business, manufacturing sustainable oils and fats through fermentation, announces that it will be taking part in the Science Museum's upcoming Future of Food exhibition in London, UK. Future of Food is a significant exhibition at the Science Museum that will demonstrate how science is creating new and sustainable ways of producing and consuming food. Bringing together more than 100 historic and contemporary objects from over 3,500 years, the exhibition invites visitors to learn how human stories, technology and climate have shaped our food consumption patterns of the past and how a collaboration of science, technology and innovation will shape our future industrial food systems. Food production currently accounts for 25% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and Clean Food Group will demonstrate how its fermentation technology can be impactful in reducing these levels both now and for future generations to come. CFG will provide a live Bioreactor for the exhibition, showcasing how Metschnikowia pulcherrima, a yeast found on vine leaves and grapes around the world, can be fermented to make a palm oil equivalent. Opening from 24 July 2025 until 4 January 2026, the exhibition will also feature the first ever prototype foods, from chocolate to peanut butter and cakes, to contain Clean Food Group's yeast-made 'palm' oil. Professor Chris Chuck, Technical Lead and Co-Founder of Clean Food Group, said: 'It is an honour to be included in such a prestigious exhibition, and featured alongside some of the most exciting discoveries and innovations in food development over thousands of years. It is a unique opportunity to see the very latest food science in its historical context, a 3,500 year old piece of bread alongside the pioneering technology creating new foods for future generations. "At Clean Food Group our mission is to provide cleaner, cheaper and more sustainable oil and fat alternatives through our proprietary technology platform, to help address the three main challenges facing the global food system – health, environment and food security. As part of this exhibition, we hope to inspire the minds of the scientists of tomorrow. I would like to thank the Science Museum for including CFG in this important initiative.' Notes to Editors: About Clean Food Group CFG is a leading UK food tech manufacturer of sustainable oils and fats for the global food, cosmetic and pet food industries. Through its proprietary CLEAN OilCell™ technology platform, CFG delivers functional oils (CLEAN Oil™) and fats (CLEAN Fat™) at price parity to agriculture alternatives, whilst meeting the growing need for local and sustainable production. Founded in 2022 after eight years of pioneering research, CFG manufactures its oils and fats from food waste, leveraging scalable yeast strains and fermentation technology to deliver sustainable alternatives to traditional oil and fat ingredients. With the manufacturing process now validated at scale, CFG has strategic and industrial collaborations in place with leading global FMCG and ingredients manufacturers and has a strong demand pipeline for its products. CFG has a vastly experienced management team with a successful track record in scaling businesses in high growth regulated industries. For more information on CFG, please visit About the Science Museum The Science Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, the world's leading group of science museums that share a world-class collection providing an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. Over the last century the Science Museum has grown in scale and scope, inspiring visitors with exhibitions covering topics as diverse as robots, codebreaking, cosmonauts and superbugs. The Science Museum was named a winner of the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year prize for 2020. Follow on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
Clean Food Group to Exhibit at 'Future of Food' Exhibition at the Science Museum
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2025-- Clean Food Group ('CFG'), a leading UK food tech business, manufacturing sustainable oils and fats through fermentation, announces that it will be taking part in the Science Museum's upcoming Future of Food exhibition in London, UK. Future of Food is a significant exhibition at the Science Museum that will demonstrate how science is creating new and sustainable ways of producing and consuming food. Bringing together more than 100 historic and contemporary objects from over 3,500 years, the exhibition invites visitors to learn how human stories, technology and climate have shaped our food consumption patterns of the past and how a collaboration of science, technology and innovation will shape our future industrial food systems. Food production currently accounts for 25% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and Clean Food Group will demonstrate how its fermentation technology can be impactful in reducing these levels both now and for future generations to come. CFG will provide a live Bioreactor for the exhibition, showcasing how Metschnikowia pulcherrima, a yeast found on vine leaves and grapes around the world, can be fermented to make a palm oil equivalent. Opening from 24 July 2025 until 4 January 2026, the exhibition will also feature the first ever prototype foods, from chocolate to peanut butter and cakes, to contain Clean Food Group's yeast-made 'palm' oil. Professor Chris Chuck, Technical Lead and Co-Founder of Clean Food Group, said: 'It is an honour to be included in such a prestigious exhibition, and featured alongside some of the most exciting discoveries and innovations in food development over thousands of years. It is a unique opportunity to see the very latest food science in its historical context, a 3,500 year old piece of bread alongside the pioneering technology creating new foods for future generations. 'At Clean Food Group our mission is to provide cleaner, cheaper and more sustainable oil and fat alternatives through our proprietary technology platform, to help address the three main challenges facing the global food system – health, environment and food security. As part of this exhibition, we hope to inspire the minds of the scientists of tomorrow. I would like to thank the Science Museum for including CFG in this important initiative.' Notes to Editors: About Clean Food Group CFG is a leading UK food tech manufacturer of sustainable oils and fats for the global food, cosmetic and pet food industries. Through its proprietary CLEAN OilCell™ technology platform, CFG delivers functional oils (CLEAN Oil™) and fats (CLEAN Fat™) at price parity to agriculture alternatives, whilst meeting the growing need for local and sustainable production. Founded in 2022 after eight years of pioneering research, CFG manufactures its oils and fats from food waste, leveraging scalable yeast strains and fermentation technology to deliver sustainable alternatives to traditional oil and fat ingredients. With the manufacturing process now validated at scale, CFG has strategic and industrial collaborations in place with leading global FMCG and ingredients manufacturers and has a strong demand pipeline for its products. CFG has a vastly experienced management team with a successful track record in scaling businesses in high growth regulated industries. For more information on CFG, please visit About the Science Museum The Science Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, the world's leading group of science museums that share a world-class collection providing an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. Over the last century the Science Museum has grown in scale and scope, inspiring visitors with exhibitions covering topics as diverse as robots, codebreaking, cosmonauts and superbugs. The Science Museum was named a winner of the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year prize for 2020. Follow on X, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on CONTACT: Clean Food Group Hannah Du Beke, Chief Marketing Officer Burson Buchanan Henry Harrison-Topham / Jamie Hooper / Abby GilchristVia Burson Buchanan Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000 [email protected] KEYWORD: EUROPE IRELAND UNITED KINGDOM INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY FOOD TECH SCIENCE OTHER SCIENCE SOURCE: Clean Food Group Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 04/30/2025 04:00 AM/DISC: 04/30/2025 03:59 AM
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Current Climate: Curbing Cow Farts With Selective Breeding
Current Climate brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability every Monday. Sign up to get it in your inbox. getty Much of the news on climate has been discouraging of late. Europe had its warmest-ever March. President Trump is pushing to ramp up mining and use of coal, the most carbon-intense energy source. His administration is also gutting environmental rules, curbing climate research and trying to stop state programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas pollution. But there's promising news on efforts to cut down on harmful methane emissions generated by cows and other livestock. Globally, cattle are the single largest source of agricultural methane emissions, and efforts are underway to reduce that problem with new types of feeds and improved management of their manure. But the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub kicked off a $27.4 million program that's aimed at breeding cattle and other farm animals that are naturally less gassy. The initiative will provide grants in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Oceania to identify and prioritize the breeding of animals with biological traits that cause them to produce less methane. Within every herd, some animals produce up to 30% less methane than others and selecting and breeding for these traits could lead to substantial cuts in emissions. This means farmers won't have to change how they feed and raise their animals, making it an easy, no-cost pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 'Reducing methane from cattle is one of the most elegant solutions we have to slow climate change,' Andy Jarvis, director of the Bezos Earth Fund's Future of Food program, said in a statement. AFP via Getty Images Tesla's stock has slid steadily this year, hurt by declining sales and widespread protests over CEO Elon Musk's leadership of President Trump's DOGE initiative, which is making haphazard staffing and budget cuts to federal agencies. The electric vehicle maker's sharp-edged Cybertruck is also sliding, posting sharply lower sales in the year's first quarter. The Austin-based company delivered just 6,406 Cybertrucks this year through March, according to Cox Automotive. That's more than double its volume in the year-earlier period, when it was slowly starting to make the hard-to-build model. But the quarterly figure was less than half of what it sold in either the third or fourth quarter of 2024–14,416 and 12,991 units, respectively–as its production ramped up. Musk had previously forecast that annual sales of the electric pickup might average 250,000 a year, though it delivered only about 39,000 last year. A combination of multiple recalls–including one last month to fix stainless steel body panels that fell off due to faulty glue–and the likelihood of sharply higher costs for steel, aluminum and imported auto parts due to Trump's tariffs, suggest Tesla will struggle to boost sales of a model that can sell for about $100,000. Weak demand has also led to an inventory of about 2,400 unsold new Cybertrucks, according to auto news site Jalopnik. Read more here World Economic Forum/Mattias Nutt It's easy to recognize water scarcity in times of drought, but how can we manage rising demand for it from things like data centers and manufacturing as well as population growth? It's often invisible, but water is vital for industry and society in terms of our health and running our economies and our cities. Just starting to think about the wider water or hydrological cycle being off-kilter, which science is showing us that it is, has a far-reaching impact in ways I think people haven't properly understood. When you're thinking about trends in the consumption of water, you have to look at the bigger picture and say we're experiencing the water cycle being off-kilter–through too much due to flooding and unpredictable weather patterns, extreme weather, or too little water, both in the form of scarcity and in the changing ways in which we can access it. And then, too, polluted water, which in developing countries can be in the form of wastewater that's going untreated and in developed countries can be in the form of contamination of drinking water. It's really touching on literally every industry, every community, every country. Having that wider narrative on the issues around water is important. When you start to get into the consumption trends, 70% plus of water consumption is going into producing our food. The rest is being pushed around for industrial use, and that has challenges. The third is really around cities. If you go industry by industry and start to look at what that means, there is the kind of classic competition for almost every basin on earth from industries like mining and agriculture and manufacturing. Then you have some of these emerging industries that are starting to both operate in water-stressed regions and use water within the ingredients of their business model, like fast fashion, AI and data centers. There's growing pressure, and we know now that in the next five years, by 2030, we're going to exceed our supply of water with an increased 40% in demand. So how do we reconcile the kinds of solutions that help us reinvent water management and also use much more circular thinking in the way we are approaching some of those problems? What's the answer? Companies have been more and more cognizant of their footprint, not only in terms of the water they're using within their supply chains but the fact that the communities and the basins where they now need to go and operate are so under stress that they're just not going to have that access. So even though [government] policy may or may not be addressing some of that, you are starting to see it on the industry side, whether it's concrete, whether it's energy or manufacturing, I think they have a little bit more of a real understanding of the cost of water and maybe in a better version of this in the future, the value of water. We need to look at this both around the governance of water, around the fit for purpose finance needed for water, the basin level or sort of waterway specific partnerships that need to happen, at least on the industry side in a pre-competitive way. Then also looking at the tools and the technologies, the policy nexus that can help enable new early-stage tech, but also innovation more broadly toward those outcomes. In terms of sparks of hope, where we're seeing good innovation, I think it's on a number of fronts. One is less sexy, which is that we need cooperation to happen. It isn't some breakthrough, deep-tech solution. We just need people to recognize that they have skin in the game, and they need to come around the table and solve for this. Global breakthrough on treaty to tackle climate emissions from shipping. The agreement covers the vast majority of the world's commercial shipping and means that starting in 2028, ship owners will have to use increasingly cleaner fuels or face fines (BBC) Trump issues order to block state climate change policies. The move is part of efforts by the administration to pump up domestic production of fossil fuels and came just hours after Trump issued orders to increase coal production (Reuters) Trump moves to hobble major US climate change study. The cuts are a potentially fatal blow to the National Climate Assessment that Congress mandated to ensure the government understands the threats posed by rising temperatures (Politico) Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos. EV startup Slate Auto, based in Michigan, could start production as soon as next year (TechCrunch) So much for 'drill, baby, drill.' Oil prices tumble further as Trump's tariffs weigh on economic outlook. Crude oil now costs 15% less than before he revealed his tariff plans–making more drilling economically unsound. (New York Times) World surpasses 40% clean power as renewables see record rise. Solar is the main driver of the growth in renewable electricity, with generation doubling in the past three years (Ember) U.S. electricity demand will grow 50% by 2050, study finds. Data centers and transportation electrification will drive U.S. electricity demand about 2% higher each year for the next quarter century (Utility Dive)
