The founding partners of The Investor Agenda released today a new tool to enable institutional investors to step up action to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy. The Investor Climate Action Plans (ICAPs) Expectations Ladder and Guidance aims to help investors navigate existing expectations and initiatives on climate change. It is inclusive and unique in that it sets out expectations for investors wherever they may be on their climate journey.
Transforming the carbon contained in industrial off-gases into valuable chemicals is the aim of a partnership between LanzaTech and BASF. Now the partners have achieved a key first success: With the help of special bacteria, they have been able to produce n-octanol at laboratory scale from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the main components of emissions, e.g. from the steel industry. n-octanol is an important molecule that is used in cosmetics, among other uses.
Neste and Kesko Group launched a pilot project that enhances recycling practices. The Finnish retailer will install recycling stations at its sites including a box for used cooking oil, which will be used to produce renewable diesel. The sorting facilities will be significantly increased as they aim to raise the recycling rate of waste generated at the station to almost 80%.
French biotech company Global Bioenergies announced the upcoming launch of its “LAST®” longwear cosmetics brand in June 2021. Eighteen products will comprise the world’s first range of longwear, transfer-resistant and waterproof eye make-up to use natural ingredients. This groundbreaking performance is based on the renewable isododecane produced by the Company as the main ingredient of its formulations. Products have been designed with over 90% natural ingredients and packaging to minimise their environmental footprint.
Nouryon has signed an agreement with Renewcell to provide specialty chemicals and engineering solutions for its new textile recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden. The facility will recycle textile waste, including items such as worn-out jeans and production scraps, to manufacture 60,000 metric tons of Circulose® dissolving pulp per year.
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DMC Biotechnologies and Conagen Inc. have entered into a manufacturing agreement for the commercial production of DMC’s first product, L-alanine. L-alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid used widely in homecare products, human nutrition, and pharmaceutical applications. DMC’s fermentation technology enables L-alanine to be produced with attractive economics as part of a regional supply chain with increased reliability and greater sustainability.
Univar Solutions Inc., a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, and Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, signed a new agreement to expand the partnership into the United States and Canadian food ingredients markets. The new food ingredients agreement takes effect May 1, one month after the companies announced an exclusive agreement expanding the partnership into the United States and Canadian beverage production, homecare, and industrial cleaning markets.
Innovative sugar beet processor Cosun Beet Company, part of Royal Cosun, and Avantium N.V., a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, will jointly construct and operate the first commercial plant for the production of plant-based glycols using Avantium’s Ray TechnologyTM. To this end, Cosun Beet Company and Avantium entered into a Term Sheet to establish a joint venture in which Cosun Beet Company will take a substantial share.
Clariant, a focused, sustainable, and innovative specialty chemical company, is working with Indonesia’s state-owned oil and gas corporation, Pertamina, since 2018 to evaluate and test the feasibility of Clariant’s sunliquid®technology to process available regional feedstocks in Indonesia into the advanced biofuel, cellulosic ethanol.
Amyris, a leading synthetic biotechnology company headquartered in the United States of America, executed a binding term sheet for the acquisition of Gen Z-focused beauty brand, EcoFabulous Cosmetics. The acquisition furthers Amyris’s growth and market leadership in clean beauty and complements Amyris’s family of consumer brands, consisting of Biossance®, Pipette®, Rose Inc., JVN, Terasana, and Costa Brazil.
