Sustainability
Can Stem Cell Meat Save the Planet?
Singapore allows meat grown from stem cells in laboratories to be marketed and eaten by consumers. It is the first country in the world to approve stem cell–produced meat for public consumption, in line with efforts to reduce reliance on imported food.
Shiok Meats, an Innovation Council member, is a Singaporean company producing seafood made from stem cells. Its work is featured in this article by Der Spiegel.
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Global Health – New EU Strategy
A new EU Global Health Strategy (GHS) to be developed this year has been developed to ensure that the EU remains an effective and progressive global health player, delivering on its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continuing its commitment to promote healthy lives and well-being for all.
There are various opportunities to contribute to EU law-making as it evolves – from the preparation phase through to proposals for new laws and evaluations of how existing EU laws are performing. The Commission has invited stakeholders to share their views and ideas about the Global Health Strategy on the Have Your Say portal.
You can learn more by watching the Global Health Policy Forum which allowed for interventions from stakeholders on how to develop the EU Global Health Strategy, or you can click here for more information.
Ethical and Educational Marketing (ME2): Marketing for the XXII Century
Innovation Council member AVA is proposing a new trend for responsible, ethical and educational marketing, which will for the benefit of the consumer, providing a multidisciplinary vision focused on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to positively impact society in terms of education, consumer protection, intellectual property and the future of society.
Environmental sustainability and a greener economy: The transformative role of 5G
A new Qualcomm report highlights the many ways 5G technology can achieve critically needed sustainability benefits and calls for joint efforts by industry and government to accelerate 5G adoption. The report finds that 5G can transform and positively impact industries across the globe by creating new products and processes that support environmental sustainability. Importantly, the report shows how 5G enabled sustainability is an economic opportunity with major potential for increased revenues, profit margins and productivity – as well as a range of other business benefits.
With 5G, industries and organization can increase their overall sustainability and competitive advantage by significantly improving greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, pesticide usage, and energy consumption.
2021 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen
In her State of the Union Address on September 15, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised the need for Europe to focus on long-term innovation priorities, and to connect them to key green and digital goals. She stated that the EU has the necessary innovation and science capabilities, but needs to create the right conditions to foster innovation. This is particularly important for Europe’s planned digital transformation and in regard to the growing demand for chips, she said, and should be addressed through the European Chips Act, which will invest in European technology sovereignty, strengthen global supply chains, and develop new investment projects for green and digital technologies as part of the European Green Deal.
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Spotlight on Singapore: 10 Questions for Shiok Meats’ Ka Yi Ling
Innovation Council sat down with Ka Yi Ling, the CTO and Co-Founder of Shiok Meats, a cell-based meat and seafood company in Singapore. An early member of Innovation Council, the company produces delicious and nutritious meats that are at the same time animal-, health- and environment-friendly. A recent tasting event in Singapore confirmed the appeal of the Shiok Meat crustacean meat products to discerning palates.
Q&A with Innovation Council members Wetility & Renewables in Africa
Innovation Council sat down with Vincent Maposa, the Founder and CEO of Wetility and Tony Tiyou, the Founder and CEO of Renewables in Africa, to talk about the beginnings of their companies and what made them successful.
Wetility is a rooftop solar PV technology company based in South Africa. It creates optimal capacity for stand-alone and sectional title homes and small commercial buildings. The company harnesses the power of the sun, with the aim of introducing the world to a hybrid solution that works seamlessly and in harmony with current power supply options.
Renewables in Africa is a clean energy engineering consultancy providing services in renewable energy and energy management to project developers and investors. RiA is primarily focused on projects in Africa, but it does advise clients about energy projects in other emerging markets as well. RiA is also a media platform with the vision to transform Africa and African lives by leveraging the power of renewable energy.
Wetility and Renewables in Africa work closely together.
Call for game changing solutions for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021
WIPO Green is calling for game changing solutions for the UN Food Systems Summit, which will take place later this year. The summit is part of the larger process of pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals, and has the ambitious objective of transforming the way the world produces, consumes, and thinks about food. The process is guided by five Action Tracks, and the Summit will bring together key players from the worlds of science, business, policy, healthcare, and academia, as well as farmers, indigenous people, youth organizations, consumer groups, environmental activists, and other key stakeholders. The first wave of callsfor solutions has been completed, and a second wave is now active, with a deadline of April 30th. If you are interested, and would like to know more or need assistance, you are welcome to contact Peter Oksen at WIPO GREEN (peter.oksen@wipo.int).
Public–Private Partnerships for Climate Technology Transfer and Innovation: Lessons from the Climate Technology Centre and Network
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and a number of other important agreements call on the United Nations (UN) to strengthen its relationship with the private sector in order to facilitate global action on climate change. The Technology Mechanism (TM), for example, anchored in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a key enabler for the attainment of the Goals of the Paris Agreement, growing interest in collaboration with the private sector has created new ambitions within the UN’s Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
One of the primary reasons to pursue such increased engagement with the private sector is the importance of technology transfer: many of the technologies that can help mitigate climate change exist in various private companies, and sharing this technology safely and responsibly is key to using it on a large scale. This paper reviews and analyses the role of the private sector in facilitating technology transfer that is undertaken as a part of CTCN’s provision of Technical Assistance. Based upon this analysis, several recommendations are made regarding how best to enhance public–private partnerships in order to strengthen private sector participation in climate technology transfer activities, and there is a special focus on technology–push and market–pull innovation.
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