Lara Obst

🌲𝐈𝐬 𝐚 #tree 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? Read on for the answer - and for pretty exciting news in the #DAC space. ⚙Our wooden friends are pretty complex and non-straightforward systems in themselves and are serving the planet, its ecosystems and ultimately humans a great deal. In discussions, trees oftentimes are reduced to being natural solar power plants plus carbon capture units. In fact their co-benefits are much more broad than _just_ doing carbon capture. 💪Coming back to the opening question: how does the growth process of a tree - and large parts of its carbon fixation process actually look like? And more importantly: is there something to learn when designing their electric cousins: next-gen #DirectAirCapture? 🌜𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #night! That is because the key driver for their growth - water availability for their cell division - can much favorably be utilized at night time. (Link to the very interesting paper in the comments.) 💡Turning to electric trees, one of the key drivers for just about any DAC syst is energy cost. Wooden trees are smart enough to grow exactly during the local maximum of their key driver. So why are most DAC technologies designed upon the assumption that cheap power would be available 24/7? 🥁Introducing Phlair and their revolutionary #Hydrolyzer. A machine without notable co-benefits but rigorously designed with #affordability as a guiding north star. It has been designed to solve for the #DuckCurve. In order to fully(!) benefit from the ultra-cheap electricity prices of #SolarPV two things need to come together: 1️⃣ A storage system inherently integrated into the system (avoiding expensive battery storage) 2️⃣ Ultra-low CAPEX ☀In fact, the Hydrolyzer is a true sun lover - a match made in heaven for Solar PV, because it uses a #pH swing electrochemical cell to generate strong acids and bases during daytime - at prices baseload power could never compete. The resulting liquids can easily be stored in tanks and continuously used for capturing CO2 - also during the night. 💰And how do you know your #CAPEX is low enough? This is the case if intermittent operation actually lowers the plant's levelized cost of capture. 🙌 Welcome to the Extantia portfolio, Malte, Paul, Steffen and the entire Phlair team! Apart from the nerdy details above, you have been executing impressively on the commercial front. Way to go and very much looking forward. Proud to be partnering with you and co-investors Planet A Ventures, Verve Ventures, Counteract, Atlantic Labs! ➡ Techcrunch: https://bit.ly/4e6Eqnu ➡ Our thesis: https://bit.ly/3XO5B0n Carlota Ochoa Neven Du Mont Elisabeth Iszauk Paola Brenni Tobias Seikel Andrew Shebbeare Yair Reem Sebastian Heitmann Joern-Carlos Kuntze Fernanda Bartels Christian Guba Jan Olsson Fridtjof Detzner Jan Christoph Gras

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Inspiring discussions at 'Circular Economy Futures 2050: Shaping the Action Agenda'! 🌍 The event highlighted the urgent need for collaborative action across sectors to create an enabling policy environment that supports the transition to a circular economy. A key takeaway was the critical role of circularity in addressing the global environmental crisis, with material extraction projected to increase by 60% by 2060 unless we act now. The economic potential of circularity is vast: it could unlock $4.5 trillion in growth and create 6 million jobs through activities such as recycling, repair, and remanufacturing. Moreover, the adoption of circular practices could cut global GHG emissions by up to 7% annually, saving up to 76 gigatons of CO2 between 2026 and 2050. As we reflect on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future, it’s clear that circularity is key to achieving the SDGs and driving a regenerative global economy. Looking forward to seeing how the Global Circularity Protocol for Business will support this vision by helping businesses measure and improve their circularity performance. #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #SDGs #GlobalCircularity #Innovation #ClimateAction

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The #BonnClimateConference, one of the most significant yearly held conferences, is kicking off in a week. This year it's taking place throughout June 3-13, organized by UNFCCC to set a path for environmental action and policy. Being the preamble to COP, it lays the foundations for the topics that are discussed at #COP29 and other significant environmental conferences. One of Arboretica’s main projects is providing analyses on what shapes the present industry and world dynamics surrounding #climatechange and #climateaction, which includes both the Bonn and COP conferences. You can check out our previous findings here: https://lnkd.in/gY7yPT6r Take a look at this year's Bonn conference at https://unfccc.int/sb60

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A fascinating categorization of #CDR in an article exploring the "#CDR #emissions gap" in the latest edition of Nature Climate Change: > Conventional CDR on land: This includes #afforestation, in which trees are planted when previously there were none, and #reforestation, which means restoring areas where the trees have been cut down or degraded. > Novel CDR: This includes all CDR methods that are not based on #forestry and #landuse change, such as #biochar, #directaircapture (#DAC) and #bioenergy with #carboncapture and storage (BECCS). I understand this grouping, but I would argue that categorizing #CDR by Engineered Solution and #NatureBased solution might be more telling. I suspect it allows a more accurate assessment of scalability and #CarbonInvestmentEfficiency (#CIE). https://lnkd.in/gzTdydN3

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BREAKING: EU's game-changer for circular products! If everyone lived like Europeans, we would need 3 planets to sustain our needs. And it costs money too! Consumers lose € 12 billion / year from choosing new products over repairs in the EU. That's why 18th of July, the EU rolled out ESPR, a game-changing regulation, which will enforce: ✅ extended ecodesign ✅ labeling requirements ✅ digital product passports ✅ circular public procurement ✅ no destruction of unsold goods ... and much more... These are massive, structural changes that go to the core of manufacturing. Design. Procurement. Life extension. At scale. Now we are talking! 📌 PS: If you liked this post, you'll love my free newsletter, The Loop. Get weekly actionable tips and success stories on how to master the circular economy here: https://lnkd.in/e-Xd-E8c #circulareconomy #wastemanagement #sustainability

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🌍 Curious about how the climate will evolve and why both #Mitigation and #Adaptation are essential? Join us at #TheShift corporate climate adaptation conference on Nov 6th in Berlin and hear directly from Stefan Rahmstorf, one of the world’s leading climate scientists ("What the data show and what to expect") We are very proud to welcome him as a keynote speaker, where he will engage in a compelling discussion on #ClimateRealism alongside Jem Bendell, Katharina Beck, and moderated by Ina Karabasz from Handelsblatt. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the future of our climate and how businesses can adapt! #ClimateChange #CorporateAdaptation #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Berlin

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Knock knock... It's Friday, yet again so here's your brief!🔥 Helping Scope 3 emissions come clean 🟢 Berlin-based carbmee, a startup active in enterprise carbon management, has raised €20 million in a Series A funding round led by CommerzVentures, with participation from Fly Ventures and angel investors. The funding will accelerate carbmee’s international expansion and further enhance its AI-powered EIS™ platform, which simplifies managing Scope 3 emissions in complex supply chains. Founded in 2021, carbmee has already delivered results for clients like Maersk, Miele, and Coca-Cola, helping them achieve faster carbon footprint calculations and comply with regulations such as CSRD and CBAM. 🔥https://bit.ly/4gmFLXP   Alexa, automate my freight logistics 🤖 Vooma, an AI platform transforming logistics operations for freight brokers and carriers, has raised $13 million in Series A funding led by Craft Ventures, with additional participation from Definition Capital, HOF Capital. It also revealed a $3.6 million Seed round led by Index Ventures. The funding will accelerate the rollout of Vooma’s AI-powered tools, including Vooma Quote, Build, and Voice, which automate time-consuming workflows like quoting, load building, and call handling. Vooma Agents can autonomously communicate across email, text and voice channels. Since launching in 2023, Vooma has onboarded larger logistics players like Echo and MODE and scaled revenue 12.5x positioning itself at the forefront of AI-driven logistics solutions. 🔥https://bit.ly/4ilZqck An heirloom like no other 🎁 San Francisco-based Heirloom Carbon, a direct air capture startup, has raised $150 million in Series B funding led by Future Positive Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Japan Airlines, and others. The company’s innovative approach uses crushed lime treated with a proprietary compund to accelerate CO2 capture, aiming to bring costs down to $200–$300 per metric ton by the early 2030s. Heirloom plans to scale its operations, including a Louisiana plant expected to open in 2026, as it advances its mission to tackle climate change through large-scale carbon removal. 🔥 https://bit.ly/3Zkhb37 Fusion, but make it muons 🪨 Cambridge, MA-based Acceleron Fusion, Inc. has raised $24 million in Series A funding co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and Collaborative Fund to advance its innovative muon-catalyzed fusion technology. Leveraging a novel approach that uses muons to achieve fusion at sub-1,000°C temperatures, Acceleron aims to create a scalable, cost-effective clean energy solution. The funding will accelerate R&D and bring the company closer to demonstrating a commercially viable prototype, with the potential to transform the energy landscape. 🔥https://bit.ly/3D254QK

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How to use the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the impact of climate change on Switzerland? Climate change is showing negative impacts worldwide and Switzerland is particularly affected - what can be done? More than 70 experts and scientists from 30 renowned Swiss universities, authorities and industrial institutions wanted to know how new key technologies and methods can make our society and economy more resilient. Overall, the experts have high hopes for the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) in order to overcome the various challenges. The results have been published by the Schweizerische Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften SATW in the following white paper: https://lnkd.in/e4siBU-3 A summary in EN/DE/FR is provided in the accompanying factsheet: https://lnkd.in/eNuRxm3i

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Interesting insights from CIRCULAR REPUBLIC about the Circular Economy Startup Landscape for Textiles! ♻️ 👉 My 50cents in regards to Carl´s post: - One reason for the funding gap is that there are also much more startups focussing on circular input. This correlates with the amount of funding - reuse, repair and remanufacture are not only underfunded, but also "under-founded" My take: Especially R4 to R7* (repair, refurbish, remanfucture, repurpose) will see a strong increase in new start-ups and funding in the near future. This is probably the biggest untapped potential in the industry. ✌ *Relating to the 9R framework of zero waste hierarchy - link in comment.

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💶 The costs of climate change.... 💡 In a new study, the Technische Universität Berlin has analysed the condition of #trees in 62 historic #parks in Germany. #Climatechange was found to have a negative impact on 59% of the trees.  ⛳ For the GC Feldafing in the historic Lenné Park on Lake Starnberg, the annual maintenance costs are increasing dramatically, with the greenkeeping team alone having around 500 work assignments solely related to #tree work. Working hours are adding up and the annual budget for tree-care is rising. 🌳 A typical example of the costs of climate change affecting #golf clubs increasingly. But how many club members know about it? Creating awareness of these rising costs is one of the main tasks concerning #sustainability. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dyGF2hG5 Interested in our newsletter? https://lnkd.in/dyCdFGZJ

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What if I told you that you could learn a lot about making your own sustainability strategy by looking at Coldplay? You must be thinking: Yeah, because nothing says "cutting-edge environmental innovation" like a band that’s been making the same four-chords carbon-neutral since 2000! (Just a joke) But stay with me. They know what they are doing on and off the stage. With their ongoing “Music of the Spheres” tour, Coldplay has shown how sustainability can be at the core of a global enterprise while also strengthening a brand. Here’s why Coldplay’s climate action is a great business move: 1. Walking the talk on Sustainability Coldplay has committed to reducing the carbon emissions of their tour by 50%, incorporating: Renewable energy-powered concerts Biodegradable wristbands for fans Planting one tree for every ticket sold This bold step resonates with the global push for more responsible business practices, building authenticity with a growing base of eco-conscious consumers. 2. Attracting the right audience Consumers, especially younger generations, are increasingly loyal to brands and businesses that align with their values. Coldplay’s climate-conscious actions appeal directly to this demographic, creating deeper fan engagement and strengthening their brand loyalty. Research says over 70% of Gen Z actively seek to minimize their environmental impact, and around 60% say they would pay more for sustainable products and services, even if their current financial situations limit them. Only 5 years until there's over 50% with that kind of mindset (that's when genZ will make up about 50% of the entire world population). 💰 3. Enhancing Brand Equity & Differentiation In a competitive industry, Coldplay is differentiating itself not just through music, but by leading on sustainability. They’ve positioned themselves as innovators, which enhances their brand value and opens doors to partnerships with environmentally-focused organizations. Reinvent or die. 4. Financial Efficiency through Sustainability While the upfront costs of sustainable touring might be higher, Coldplay is future-proofing their business. From lower energy costs to long-term savings from eco-friendly practices, they’re preparing for a future where sustainability is non-negotiable for businesses. 5. Setting Industry Standards By being one of the first major bands to take climate action seriously, Coldplay is setting an example for the broader music and entertainment industries. This gives them a leadership position that not only benefits the planet but also enhances their influence within the sector. Coldplay’s commitment to climate action isn’t just about being green—it’s a strategic, long-term business decision that builds loyalty, differentiates their brand, and prepares them for the future. I’ve seen many companies already take the same bath but trust me there’s room for so many more. #ClimateAction #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility #NetZero

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📢 Our planet’s vital signs are flashing red! Newly launched #PlanetaryHealthCheck – a first-of-its-kind scientific tool and report on the health of the Earth’s vital systems, built and hosted by the Global Commons Alliance #EarthHQ, PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Planetary Guardians.👇 The overall diagnostic of the first report is that the 'patient', Planet Earth, is in a critical condition. With seven of the nine #PlanetaryBoundaries processes showing increasing transgression, we will soon see the majority of them in the high-risk zone. 🔥 Reports will be published annually in recognition of the importance of timely updates on Earth’s health and will show how the boundary processes relate to each other as well as with Earth-system #tippingpoints. 📈 https://lnkd.in/dYrDv6Ft #darenow #theclimateschool

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There has been much talk lately of how local authorities and community groups could work together to tackle the collective challenge of Net Zero. But how is this actually going to work? Germany is often given as an example of best practice here. So how did the Germans do it? We took a deep dive into German municipal policy to find out ... - https://bit.ly/3WBuKtJ #NetZero #SustainableFuture #CommunityAction #LocalAuthorities #ClimateAction #GermanEfficiency #GreenInitiatives #MunicipalPolicy #EcoFriendly #BestPractices

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Check out some of out Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) registrants - the programs and solutions to decarbonize the making of our clothes... #climatesolutionsportfolio #fashionclimatefund #apparelimpactinstitute

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Underestimation of personal carbon footprint inequality in four diverse countries Credits to Kristian Steensen Nielsen. Follow him for sustainability & Climate change insights. Original post : __________ 🚨 Beyond excited to share our new paper in Nature Climate Change on perceptions of 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 🙌 🙌 Across four countries 🇩🇰 🇮🇳 🇳🇬 🇺🇸, we find widespread underestimation of within-country carbon footprint inequality, including among the wealthy. We sampled approx. 1,000 participants in each of the four countries. A unique feature was that 50% of participants came from the Top 10% income segment, which is systematically under-represented in behavioral science research. The remaining 50% of participants came from the 'general population'. Participants estimated the average personal carbon footprint for three groups: the bottom 50%, the top 10%, and the top 1%. They also reported their support for climate policies and perceived fairness of carbon footprint inequality. ⭐ KEY RESULTS ⭐ 1️⃣ We observed widespread underestimation of the carbon footprints in the top income groups, especially in #Denmark and #UnitedStates. 2️⃣ In 🇩🇰 and 🇳🇬, the more participants underestimated actual carbon footprint inequality, the less they supported *climate policies*. Participants from the top 10% generally supported climate policies more in India 🇮🇳 and certain policies across the countries. 3️⃣ On average, actual carbon footprint inequality was perceived as slightly unfair. Interestingly, participants from the top 10% income segment in 🇩🇰 🇳🇬 🇺🇸 perceived the actual carbon footprint inequality to be significantly fairer than those from the general population 🔥 Together, our results underscore the urgent need to raise awareness about carbon footprint inequality and its implications for #ClimateJustice and #ClimateAction. Huge thanks to my amazing co-authors: Ulf Hahnel, Jan M. Bauer, Ramit Debnath, Sakshi Ghai, Sonja Geiger, Wencke Gwozdz, & Charles Emogor 🙏 🙏 __________ ♻️ Find this post useful? Feel free to share it with your network 📣 👉Follow Sustainability Infographics 📊 to learn from the industry's best visuals. @Copenhagen Business School CBS Sustainability Centre University of Cambridge Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) University of Basel Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen University of Oxford Springer Nature Group Andreas Rasche @Sander van der Linden Katharine Hayhoe Ajit Niranjan Peter Møllgaard Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE Carbon Brief Amy Westervelt #climate #sustainability #inequality #dkpol Carlsberg Foundation Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Fonds national suisse FNS

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🟢 Sneak peek: ECOlitact podcast 🟢 Join us in our podcast where experts unpack the complexities of climate change and provide insights on how to critically navigate the overwhelming flood of climate information. Gain practical tools to become a more informed advocate for our planet. From strategies for reducing carbon footprints to adressing climate misinformation, we discuss practical solutions for both communities and individuals. “In a world filled with climate misinformation, understanding the truth is our strongest tool for action.” 🔑 Key Takeaways:  * Discover the importance of media literacy in climate action.  * Learn why introspection is essential to meaningful climate action.  * The importance of understanding and acting on complex systems. 💡 Are you ready to make a difference? We encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know how you are using media literacy to combat climate misinformation. Listen to the Ecolitact podcast now! Available on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/dcw7R2dn -- swideas.se Eco-Literacy and Green Education for Climate Action (ECOLitAct) is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, and led by SwIdeas in Sweden. The project consortium includes partner organisations from Germany (iberika education group gGmbH), Slovenia (Andragoški zavod Ljudska univerza Velenje), Greece (Active Citizens Partnership), and Italy (European Grants International Academy).  #ECOlitact #climateactionnow #sustainableleadership #medialiteracy #environmentaleducation #corporatesocialresponsibility #ecopodcast #podcast #euprojects #erasmusplus #navigatingclimatechange #criticalthinking #climatecommunication #misinformation #podcastpreview

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New research published in Nature finds that we are on track for #climate damages worth $38 trillion per year by 2050. This is a staggering figure. The damages are projected to be 6x more than the mitigation costs of limiting global warming to 2C. So any decision not in the mitigation bin is massively financially imprudent. Anyone thinking that such money exists in the future and that #insurance, even governments in aggregate, will cover any reasonable portion of that and that infrastructure build-outs and repairs can withstand such a financial and physical onslaught in an investable and durable manner? PS - Truth is blunt, objective and selective: #money will do what money does - invest in niches with the greatest probabilities of success / lowest probabilities of catastrophe (#convexity principles) - the masses won’t qualify.

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By only providing plant-based options, the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn could have made a real contribution to combating climate change. It's farcical that instead, it contributed to it! 🌍 It's clear how powerful plant-based choices can be. If the conference had been solely plant-based, it would have saved millions of litres of water and grain. Just one person eating plant-based over the 10-day event would have saved 41,000 litres of water, reduced CO2 emissions by 128 kg, and conserved 180 kg of grain. I call on COP29 Azerbaijan to be more proactive and adopt a 100% plant-based menu. The time for action is now. Let's lead by example and create a sustainable future. 🌱🌍 #BonnClimateConference #PlantBased #ClimateAction #SustainableEating #COP26 #Vegan #PlantBasedFuture

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