Weekly Wrap-up 48/2020
In case you missed the most important news in sustainability & cleantech this week:
Landmark wheat genome discovery could shore up global food security
An international team led by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has sequenced the genomes for 15 wheat varieties representing breeding programmes around the world. This landmark discovery will enable scientists and breeders to identify influential genes for improved yield, pest resistance and other important crop traits much more quickly. The research results, published in Nature, provide what the research team has called the most comprehensive atlas of wheat genome sequences ever reported. The 10+ Genome Project collaboration involved more than 95 scientists from universities and institutes across Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Israel, Australia and the US (NewFood)
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Tesla loses leadership position in European EV market
Although Tesla is the undisputed king in the global EV market, the automaker has encountered much resistance in Europe this year. As of 3Q20, Tesla’s share in the all-EV market in Europe fell by 20% YoY, its throne usurped by Volkswagen and Renault (energytrend).
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Which countries are true food innovators?
Food innovation has become a focal point for most countries in recent years as Governments recognise the importance of growing economies in both rural and urban settings. However, some countries have achieved greater success in fostering a culture of innovative thinking for the food industry than others. Benchmarking countries using specific innovation pillars has never been conducted, until now. The Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Canada compares how countries have been enabling proper conditions for the industry to innovate further (NewFood).
According to the study, the UK emerges as the leading food innovator followed by the US & Germany.
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Renewable power represents almost 90% of total global power capacity added in 2020
Bucking the slowdown in most of the power sector caused by responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable energy actually grew in 2020, and will represent about 90% of the total power capacity added for the year, according to the International Energy Agency. A surge in new projects from China and the U.S. led the charge for renewable power, which will account for almost 200 gigawatts of additional power-generating capacity around the world, according to the IEA’s “Renewables 2020.” Big additions came from hydropower, solar and wind. Wind and solar power generating assets are expected to jump by 30% in both China and the U.S. as developers take advantage of incentives that are set to expire (techcrunch).
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New semiconductor coating may pave way for future green fuels
Hydrogen gas and methanol for fuel cells or as raw materials for the chemicals industry, for example, could be produced more sustainably using sunlight, a new study shows. In this study, researchers have developed a new coating material for semiconductors that may create new opportunities to produce fuels in processes that combine direct sunlight with electricity (ScienceDaily).
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