Killing Two Big Fossil-Powered Industries
“The Race to Clean Energy is On”
May 6, 2023
Killing Two Big Fossil-Powered Industries
A startup co-founded by a former NBA star is making concrete that avoids and removes CO2, attracting $12 million in financing.
A pioneer livestock carbon credit platform completed its seed funding round to help the beef and dairy value chains capture carbon and earn extra revenues.
Lets dive in!
The Race to Clean Energy is On
Clean energy seems to be the household name these days. Companies, big and small, are changing their business models to fit the transition toward clean energy.
And one of America’s largest energy holding firms, Duke Energy is taking the lead in the power sector.
Duke pledges $145 billion in clean energy investment over the next 10 years, supporting its net zero by 2050 goal, which covers over 95% of its total emissions - Scopes 2 and 3 - making it the first in the sector to do so.
It will also invest another $40 billion in zero-carbon power generation from nuclear, solar, and wind.
Diesel’s Last Ride
The era of diesel is coming to an end, quicker than expected, as the report “State of Sustainable Fleets Market Brief” by the Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) says.
The report highlights the growing shift towards zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and renewable fuels in the transportation sector.
One major driver for that is the increasing regulatory pressure to transition away from conventional fuels to cleaner alternatives.
In particular, public incentive funding for clean fleet technologies and vehicles will average $32 billion each year for the next 4-5 years, focusing on ZEVs.
The preference over clean and renewable fuels will bring death to diesel and give birth to the rise of electric vehicles while driving the carbon credits market up.
Turning Concrete into Carbon Sponges
Cement is the most widely-used substance after water. The global cement industry is responsible for emitting 8% of the global emissions and this number could be on the decline.
One company looking to help that drop in emissions is Partanna. The startup is changing how concrete binder is made which will cause less pollution and turn buildings into carbon sponges.
Partanna’s carbon-negative concrete replaces Portland cement with a binder made from brine and steel slag.
Both materials are wastes, locally sourced, with lower processing costs, and generate carbon credits for avoiding and removing CO2.
Its patented concrete has secured a $12 million investment from Cherubic Ventures at a $190 M valuation.
Animals' Huge Footprint
Raising animals as pets may not leave a significant footprint, but growing livestock for food is a different matter. It does leave a footprint, a huge one, which the pioneering livestock carbon credit marketplace of Athian aims to address.
Athian's cloud-based, industry-wide platform will help the beef and dairy value chains capture carbon and reward producers for their sustainable practices.
Its successful seed funding from California Dairies, Inc. and DSM Venturing advances the company's entry into international carbon credit markets.
The investment will enable Athian to achieve two objectives: slash the sector's footprint and provide farmers with new revenue streams