UNGA 76th Session Features a Climate Focus

The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) is now well underway and is featuring significant discussion of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). As a part of the Decade of Action, a UN call to action initiated in 2020 to make reaching the Goals by 2030 a possibility, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened the second ever SDG Moment. The SDG Moment, which ran from 8 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST on September 20, featured a speech from Secretary-General Guterres, debate by UN officials on COVID-19, and a performance by BTS, a popular K-pop group.

Leading into the UNGA, Secretary-General Guterres aimed to strengthen multilateral efforts to achieve the SDGs by proposing a plan titled “Our Common Agenda.” This ‘Agenda’ includes making vaccine distribution more expansive and equitable, creating the conditions for sustainable recovery to help in the elimination of poverty, championing equal rights for women and girls, and committing to net zero emissions by 2050. In order to reach net-zero emissions, Mr. Guterres asked for member states to dedicate $100 billion to climate action, an amount that the UN estimates could cause a direct economic gain worth trillions of dollars.

Climate action remained the topic of discussion of discussion as world leaders addressed the assembly. Most notably, Zeljko Komsic, the chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced to the other leaders that “the climate crisis is no longer a warning situation.” President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar echoed this sentiment, “call[ing] upon each state to act in an equitable fashion and commensurate with their polluting activities.”

General debate is schedule to run from September 21 to September 27, featuring over 100 Heads of State. High-level events that will accompany the general debate include the UN’s first Food Systems Summit on September 23, the High-Level Dialogue on Energy on September 24, and the High-Level Event on Jobs and Social Protection for Poverty Elimination on September 28. Each of these events will include a focus on how states can work to achieve the SDGs.

To watch the UNGA general debate, click here for the UN’s live feed.

Illinois Passes Comprehensive Clean Energy Bill

On September 15, 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois signed a comprehensive clean energy bill into law, making Illinois the first state in the Midwest to set climate goals for phasing out coal and natural gas. The omnibus bill received support from both environmental groups, who endorse the law’s emphasis on decarbonization, and union groups, who support the law’s protections of unionized labor.

While not explicitly mentioned in discussions surrounding the law, the law will work to further three of the sustainable development goals: Ensuring access to affordable and sustainable energy (Goal 7), reducing inequality (Goal 10), and taking urgent action to combat climate change (Goal 13).

To ensure access to affordable and sustainable energy, the law requires that 40 percent of the state’s energy be carbon free by 2030, 50 percent be carbon free by 2040, and 100 percent be carbon free by 2050. While residential electric bills are expected to increase by about three to four percent in the short-term, the government is subsidizing three nuclear power plants over the next five years and increasing annual nuclear energy subsidies by more than $350 million. In an effort to increase the number of electric vehicles in the state, the state government will also be providing a $4,000 rebate to all Illinoisans purchasing an electric vehicle starting next July.

In an effort to reduce inequality, the law establishes a Clean Jobs Workforce Network program under the supervision of the Department of Commerce and Economic opportunity. This program will provide job training, focusing on Black and Latinx populations in Illinois. Training will extend to the formerly incarcerated who are interested in pursuing a career in the renewable energy field. The law also creates a Jobs and Justice Fund to ensure the equitable distribution of any economic benefits that result from this transition to cleaner energy.

Upon signing the bill, Gov. Pritzker announced, “We can’t outrun or hide from climate change… There is no time to lost but what we can do, what we must do – and thanks to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act – Illinois is doing, is to fight, to stop, and even reverse the damage that’s been done to our climate.” While Illinois is the first in the Midwest, and among the first in the United States generally, to pass such a sweeping climate and labor bill, it is likely far from being the last.

To learn more about the climate crisis in the U.S., click here.

To see the full text of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, click here.

The 2021 THRIVE | Bayer Sustainability Challenge

The THRIVE | Bayer Sustainability Challenge, which took place over ten months, culminated on Thursday September 9th, 2021 as ten finalists from start-ups and scale-ups across the globe pitched their solutions to a live audience and esteemed panel of leaders across the agrifood industry. These ten innovators were chosen out of the 268 applications received from 57 countries for a chance to compete for the THRIVE | Bayer Sustainable Startup Award, Sustainable Scaleup Award, and the People's Choice Award.

This virtual event, led by THRIVE Founder and CEO John Hartnett, successfully combined Bayer Crop Sciences’ sustainability commitments and THRIVE’s Global Initiative focus on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to promote innovations that can address pressing challenges in the global agrifood chain.

Panel members included Bayer Head of Global Public Affairs for Science & Sustainability Sara Boettiger, U.S. Department of State Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, and Food and Agriculture Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. The panel explored many topics including the reduction of field greenhouse gas emissions and food waste, the environmental impact of crop protection, and the empowerment of smallholder farmers to access sustainable agricultural solutions. They also discussed the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and being open to new ideas as it can help promote vital conversation, education, collaboration, and policy in the agtech industry.

After listening to the ten international finalists pitch their solutions, the judging panel made the difficult decision of presenting the three awards. 

The 2021 People’s Choice Award is voted on by agrifood leaders and peers—determining their “favorite company.” This award was presented to AgroCognitive, a Venezulan company working on an AI precision farming universal platform. 

The 2021 Sustainable Startup Award was granted to Haystack Ag, an American company promoting high-accuracy, cost-effective soil carbon measurement. As the selected winner of this award, Haystack is set to receive investment, placement in THRIVE’s accelerator program, and access to Bayer’s research and development team.

Lastly, the 2021 Sustainable Scaleup Award was presented to MagGrow, an Irish-based company that is improving the effectiveness of pesticide sprays and reducing water usage. As the winner of this award, MagGrow will go on to explore a proof-of-concept pilot project with Bayer. The scaleup will receive automatic nomination for THRIVE’s Top 50 listing, which annually ranks agtech and foodtech companies who are pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology. MagGrow will also receive access to the Leaps by Bayer investment team, who invests in paradigm-shifting advances in the life sciences and collaborates with the world’s brightest minds in biotech and agriculture to solve the industry’s most pressing problems.

Missed the event? No need to worry. Watch the recorded livestream of the THRIVE | Bayer Sustainability Challenge here!