Tarmo Virki

"Biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and natural resource shortages will be among the top five global risks in the coming decade. Circularity is a major enabler for combating the decline of species and ecosystems." As the World Circular Economy Forum WCEF starts today, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra published a list of leading European companies that are at the forefront of applying circular economy principles. Explore it here: https://lnkd.in/e_yRQysp Four key sectors are responsible for the majority of current biodiversity loss linked to the change in the use of land for harvesting and extraction practices: food and agriculture; buildings and construction; fibres and textiles; and forestry. Sitra has also published a comprehensive handbook for businesses aiming to integrate circular business models into their operations to effectively address biodiversity loss. Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/eQvHKR3D I'm convinced that many startups embracing circularity as a business opportunity will be successful - and we need to support them with time, talent, treasure and ties. #biodiversity #circularity #startups #innovation

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Unfortunately, most of the CDR methods being developed today are either skeptical, costly, non-scalable, or difficult to monitor. The least problematic method from an environmental perspective is often the most rejected from a business standpoint due to weak MRV. Burning dead trees and biomass and store/utilize the emitted gas is also questionable because it disrupts the carbon cycle. Preventing the decomposition of biomass to reduce CO2 emissions interferes with this natural process. By burning biomass, we deprive microorganisms of their food, negatively impacting nutrient cycling. In simpler terms, burning biomass reduces the nutrients available for current and future plants and trees. Ocean electrolysis methods fare no better. A single droplet of ocean water contains thousands of microorganisms. Running direct electricity strong enough to break chemical bonds will also kill these microorganisms and affect the ocean food web badly. These are just two examples highlighting why current CDR methods are questionable. Other methods might be less controversial but are either prohibitively expensive or not scalable to gigaton levels, based on current capabilities rather than optimistic projections pitched to investors/media. #CDR #CarbonRemoval #ClimateChange

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What would a Donald Trump presidency mean for renenewables and low carbon technologies? This is the question industry leaders are debating as opinion polls show the former president and Kamala Harris locked in a very close race ahead of November's election. My Financial Times colleague Amanda Chu and I interviewed almost two dozen green tech leaders this week who warned a Donald Trump presidency could upend their industries and enable China to cement its lead in key sectors. The most vulnerable area is probably US offshore wind, given Trump has said bluntly that he plans to halt projects on day one of a new term in office. But the roll out of EVs, solar and other low carbon technologies could also be delayed if Trump is able to follow through with plans to gut the Biden administration's inflation reduction act, which offers hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies to industry. It is no surprise that some green tech leaders have begun organising fund raisers for Harris and climate group are supporting her campaign. Whether these efforts match Big Oil's financial support for Trump is debateable- but clearly this election will have a major impact on US climate and energy policies. Read our story https://on.ft.com/3Xs7leA here:

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Is your company ready for the CSRD challenge? 🔴 Episode 2 - Pollution Continuing our series on mapping activist campaigns to the ESRS taxonomy, we now turn our attention to pollution. Our analysis provides insight into the relative materiality of pollution-related issues for different industries, as indicated by civil society activity. Here are some key themes and narratives around pollution from the past two years: ➡️ Plastic Pollution Environmental groups are intensifying campaigns against single-use plastics and microplastics, demanding stricter regulations and corporate accountability. There's growing pressure on companies to adopt circular economy practices and invest in alternative packaging solutions. ➡️ Mining - Environmental Impact Activists are highlighting the severe environmental consequences of mining operations, including water pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. There are increasing calls for more stringent environmental impact assessments and for mining companies to adopt sustainable practices. ➡️ Oil, Gas, Coal & Climate Change (most criticised issue) Campaigners emphasise the pollution caused by fossil fuel extraction and use, linking it directly to climate change. There's mounting pressure on energy companies to transition away from fossil fuels, with demands for increased investment in renewable energy and for governments to end fossil fuel subsidies. Key observations: 👉 Increased focus on corporate accountability for pollution across supply chains 👉Growing demands for transparency in environmental impact reporting 👉Rising emphasis on the interconnectedness of pollution and climate change issues 🔴 Episode 3 on Water and Marine is coming in 2 weeks as I'm away on holiday! #CSRD #SustainabilityReporting #Pollution #CorporateResponsibility

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The EU #CBAM regulation is entering its next phase, requiring EU imports to collect primary data from suppliers and precursor suppliers for all CN codes of covered commodities: aluminum, iron/steel, fertilizers, hydrogen, cement, and electricity. Default values are no longer accepted. A common concern is what to do if a supplier refuses or is unable to provide the necessary emission data. On August 8th, the European Commission addressed this in a Q&A, stating that "all possible and reasonable efforts" must be made to collect the data, with documented evidence to prove these efforts. In line with the recently released CSRD-reporting guidance, what constitutes "reasonable effort” depends on a company’s resources and size. For further insights, see Gabriel Rozenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of CBAMBOO, and his excellent summary. The full Q&A can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ehRn-pzZ

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We are glad to welcome team number 14 in our Climate Founders portfolio: Hula Earth! 🎉 🌍 💚 The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are described as sibling crisis with strong interdependencies. Therefore we decided to jump into biodiversity topics and start with the foundational layer: proprietary data. As biodiversity is incredible complex, the first steps to take action are about understanding nature by collecting data to an extend never seen before and a proper analysis of this data. This will help to take action, avoiding negative measures in the supply chains for agriculture related companies and to funnel investments in restoration and nature positive measures. Think about food companies, fashion companies, cosmetics companies and many more. They are strongly depended on mother nature's output. More than half of the global GDP depends on nature. $44 trillion economic value. Those companies have a strong motivation to invest in a good relationship and health of their by far most important supplier and they already start to invest. Hula is here to accelerate that. Combined with political actions like the European Nature Restoration Law to restore 20% of degraded land & sea by 2030 and similar laws in UK and other countries we currently create a chance for nature and biodiversity to recover partly. But we probably don't have many chances to do it right, as time and money are limiting factors, therefore a good understanding of what we do and how we funnel money will be crucial to succeed. Hula Earth found a fantastic mix between accuracy with their BioT-Sensors and scalability with satellite data. This combination can be able to create the data foundation we need, as fast as possible in high quality. Thank you Florian Geiser & David Schmider for your trust! Let's change - or better - let's protect the world together! Have a look at Hula Earth website: https://hula.earth/ If you are a climate or biodiversity startup before your first funding round, check out our remote acceleration program and apply until September 27th: https://lnkd.in/diWDSpnw

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The Nature and Climate Crisis: Conferences vs. On the Ground Action! The gap between discussing climate financing and real-world action can’t be bigger. While conferences and podcasts on nature restoration and carbon projects thrive, we must prioritize on-the-ground progress. Carbon “tech” start-ups and “financial infrastructure” like exchanges / marketplaces attracting (and burning) millions of dollars are important, but they only work if we can successfully bring carbon projects from paper to soil. Yes, select corporates are ready to sign large offtake deals, but largely without upfront capital payments. Yes, many funds are emerging but want to invest in de-risked projects with larger cheques (>$20-50m). The biggest gap lies in funding early-stage initiatives ($100k to $5m) for feasibility, design, development, and validation. Honestly, I think if we just redirect 50% of conference budgets into these crucial early-stage initiatives - most of the financing gap could be closed. With our investments in Thryve.Earth Alcom Klimacap we are dedicated to building carbon project development capabilities and mobilizing necessary financing. By adopting a structured and commercial approach early on, we can empower vital nature and land restoration efforts on the ground. Vinay Kulkarni Ron Steinherz Prateek Tiwari Siddharth Kaul Tom Enger Galuh Pandita Yiwei Lee Jonathan Hang Ethan Tan Janet Kim Jolynn Swee

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Misinformation sucks. Coordinated, deliberately spread disinformation is even worse. Thanks to the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law for some handy tools for the #solar developer's tool box to counter the many unfortunanate examples of disinformation we've all seen and heard in our efforts to bring stable, price competitive, non-polluting sources of #renewableenergy to the businesses, institutions and communities for whom we work. Encore Renewable Energy Solar Energy Industries Association NECEC #misinformation #disinformation #factsmatter https://lnkd.in/dmTHds9Y

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Climate financing is going to the wrong places! Really insightful snapshot into the relationship between emissions and Climate tech VC by Daria Saharova (partner at World Fund) She states that: “85% of emissions receive only 52% of funding” And interestingly: - personal behavior change will reduce only 4.3% of emissions - technologies already in the market will account for 49.8% - technologies under development and in need of investment will need to fill in the rest. “46% of emissions will be reduced by technology that’s yet to be developed, and this is the tech we desperately need. Thanks for this Daria Saharova, really insightful.

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🎉 Fantastic € 1.6 million Pre-Seed Round for our Climate Founders portfolio company Hula Earth lead by Europe's legendary Seed VC Point Nine with Pawel Chudzinski supported by Partners in Clime, Yannick Frank, Lucas von Fürstenberg, Julian von Blücher, Triple Impact Ventures, Markus Linder, Andrei Podlesnyi, Lawrence Leuschner, Kilian Kaminski, 🌱🌎 Florian Hildebrand, Daniel Hanemann and Maex Ament 🎉 The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are described as sibling crisis with strong interdependencies. Therefore we decided to jump into biodiversity topics and start with the foundational layer: proprietary data. As biodiversity is incredible complex, the first steps to take action are about understanding nature by collecting data to an extend never seen before and a proper analysis of this data. This will help to take action, avoiding negative measures in the supply chains for agriculture related companies and to funnel investments in restoration and nature positive measures. Think about food companies, fashion companies, cosmetics companies and many more. They are strongly depended on mother nature's output. More than half of the global GDP depends on nature. $44 trillion economic value. Those companies have a strong motivation to invest in a good relationship and health of their by far most important supplier and they already start to invest. Hula is here to accelerate that. Combined with political actions like the European Nature Restoration Law to restore 20% of degraded land & sea by 2030 and similar laws in UK and other countries we currently create a chance for nature and biodiversity to recover partly. But we probably don't have many chances to do it right, as time and money are limiting factors, therefore a good understanding of what we do and how we funnel money will be crucial to succeed. Hula Earth found a fantastic mix between accuracy with their BioT-Sensors and scalability with satellite data. This combination can be able to create the data foundation we need, as fast as possible in high quality. https://lnkd.in/eNiP-TSz

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InterEarth Secures $8.25M Deal to Tackle Climate Change Globally Congratulations to InterEarth, a WA-based climate-tech startup, which has signed an A$8.25 million (US$5.5 million) deal with SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, as reported in Business News Australia Pty Ltd. This strategic partnership, underpinned by a revenue share model, will accelerate the commercialisation and expansion of InterEarth’s innovative carbon dioxide removal solution. Dr howard carr, co-founder and CEO of InterEarth, shared: “This deal provides the capital needed to tackle our biggest environmental challenge. We’re reducing CO2 levels worldwide with a proven, practical solution. This is not just emissions reduction; this is direct removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.” InterEarth’s unique solution involves growing trees, harvesting their biomass, and securely storing it to ensure long-term carbon sequestration. This approach not only captures CO2 efficiently but also revitalises degraded lands and boosts local employment. InterEarth is a strategic partner with FundWA, a venture capital firm which is helping tech startups in Western Australia achieve their ambitions of scaling up to reach a global market. Glenn Butcher Pia Turcinov AM Michael Nguyen Asheesh Malaney Glenn Murray Trent Rachow Simon Avenell #ClimateChange #TechInnovation #Sustainability #CarbonSequestration #InterEarth #SEFE #Startups #GlobalImpact #Innovation #GreenTech #PerthTech #TechForGood #EnvironmentalSolutions 

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🌍 Communicating Climate Responsibility with Precision 🌍 At #inextremis, we understand the responsibility of delivering impactful, precise messages on the climate crisis. Our extensive collaborations with leading European environmental stakeholders, including UNEP and the European Environment Agency, have reinforced the power of accuracy, respect, and partnership in climate communication. Our latest analysis dives into United in Science 2024, a report from the WMO and esteemed organisation that offers essential insights for environmental leaders. From harnessing AI in climate prediction to the transformative role of early warning systems, this report underscores the pivotal strategies that can elevate climate communications and strengthen advocacy. 🔗 Read our full article to explore how these findings can amplify your communication strategy, drive policy influence, and build global resilience. 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/eaHPwdKA #SustainableFuture #MyPartnerAgency #inextremis

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How to keep warm this winter - from big-ticket investments like the best heating system to renter-friendly budget hacks like bubble wrap on windows. The good thing about energy efficiency is it will save money AND emissions. My story 👇 https://lnkd.in/gmk9GkbE

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Cop29 CEO filmed agreeing to facilitate fossil fuel deals at climate summit 🙊 In a shocking twist, Cop29 CEO Elnur Soltanov was filmed allegedly agreeing to facilitate fossil fuel deals in exchange for sponsorship. Once again, fossil fuel interests find a foothold at a climate summit meant to curb emissions and transition to clean energy... This scandal isn’t just about one CEO—it’s about the credibility of Cop itself. If the UNFCCC wants real climate progress, they must ban fossil fuel lobbyists from these talks. #ClimateAction #FossilFreeCOP #Greenwashing #UNFCCC #COP #COP29 #Climate https://lnkd.in/eWHpyrHn

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Quoted in this Graham Lanktree / POLITICO analysis of the UK's current approach to Chinese EVs. In short: the time for decisions on EV tariffs is approaching. That will involve discussing trade offs - which British politicians are remarkably bad at doing - and showing your homework. What's the balance between 'security' v 'green', or the trade-off between 'climate concerns' v 'data exploitation'? How do you communicate that to your voters, peers and industries? Good thing it's not me in the driver's seat (sorry) https://lnkd.in/eTsahCVN

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I've been covering climate disinformation for a very long time and something that's been stuck in my craw the past couple of years is the fact that people often talk about it as something that happened in the past. But with so many of the climate "solutions" the fossil fuel industry proposes, the exact same issues are continuing to play out: they know these aren't really solutions, they know that they will never scale, and that is why they push them. It's part of the "discourses of delay" that social scientists talk about, or what Alex Steffen calls "predatory delay." The industry spends billions of dollars a year to fund university research, lobbying, advertising, and PR campaigns that create the illusion that its preferred "solutions" will work, even as its own scientists and technologists are telling it they won't. They hire management consultancies to draw up charts and graphs that lend credibility to these "solutions" too, and then those consultancies can throw up their hands and say "we just did the analysis they asked for, we didn't know they were going to use it to obstruct climate action!" Over the course of this summer we'll be running a new investigative series at Drilled Media digging into these efforts. Loads of both web and audio stories coming your way, but first up, a deep dive from me and Andy Rowell on how U.S. LNG producers are trying to position liquefied natural gas—a fossil fuel—as a climate solution, and use that "green" cred to lobby both EU and US politicians on increasing U.S. LNG exports to Europe. https://lnkd.in/gbFWNpcb

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Europe's Adaptation Mission stands at a critical juncture. The "build-up" phase is over, and now it's on to deployment. What happens over the next few years will determine whether or not it achieves its goal of climate-proofing at least 150 regions by 2030. What barriers stand in the way of success? Find out by reading today's Climate Proof! Not a member? Sign up here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eFDX8kWn https://lnkd.in/eZtuCrNw #climateadaptation #climateresilience #europeanelections #climaterisk #mission

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