Across Western countries and large parts of the Middle East, health systems are approaching a structural turning point.

Rising costs, chronic disease, demographic change, and environmental stress are exposing the limits of existing healthcare models.

What is becoming visible is not a crisis of medicine, but a crisis of system design.

Policymakers are increasingly recognizing that the future of health prevention and healthcare cannot be secured through medical expansion alone. Long-term stability will depend on how foundational systems—water, food, energy, and living environments—are designed and integrated.

In this article, I point out why health must be understood as the outcome of coherent system architectures. The question is no longer whether health systems will need to change, but whether they will be redesigned deliberately—or forced to change under pressure.

From System Loss to System Design – Why Health Begins Long Before Hospitals

In many countries, healthcare costs are rising faster than economic growth. At the same time, chronic disease is placing lasting pressure on public budgets. This situation is often described as a medical crisis. In reality, it is a structural one.

Health is not a medical sector.

It is the outcome of systems.

Modern health policy focuses primarily on hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and clinical care. These are necessary, but they intervene late—after imbalances have already emerged.

Health begins earlier: with water quality, food systems, living environments, and the ecological conditions of daily life. When these systems are unstable or poorly regulated, disease rates rise and healthcare systems enter a permanent repair mode.

This is not a failure of medicine.
It is a failure of system design.

Historically, this understanding of health was self-evident. Medical traditions across the Levant and the wider region viewed health as balance between human beings and their environment. Water, food, climate, and lifestyle were central medical factors. These systems were preventive and sustainable over time.

Today, it is becoming clear that intervention-based health systems—however effective in acute care—face economic limits. Even the countries that developed them struggle with rising costs and structural overload.

A different path is possible.

Where water systems are stable, nutrition improves. Where nutrition is stable, human physiology stabilizes. Where living environments support biological needs, long-term health costs decline. Health does not emerge as a service delivered, but as the result of good design.

This also changes how medicine itself is understood. Originally, the physician was a system thinker. In this sense, many professions shape health—from water and agricultural experts to urban planners and infrastructure operators.

This systemic relationship is illustrated in the accompanying graphic.

What Comes Next?

If health is a system outcome, reform cannot begin with isolated projects. It must take place at the level where systems are designed: states and ministries.

The next step lies in developing national health architectures that integrate water, food, living environments, and infrastructure as a coherent foundation. The goal is no longer intervention, but prevention—and long-term stability.

::Bonn Climate Project

___

Heinz J. Sturm is a system architect and analyst working at the intersection of energy, water, health, and societal resilience. He is the initiator of the Bonn Climate Project, where he develops integrated system frameworks linking climate action with public health and long-term stability. Sturm is also the developer of Ars Medica Nova, a conceptual platform exploring new models of preventive health that draw on systems thinking, biology, and infrastructure design. His work focuses on translating complex system architectures into practical narratives for policymakers, researchers, and civil society.

The post Why Health Systems Are Reaching a Turning Point appeared first on Green Prophet.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, large investments are being made in green hydrogen, renewable energy, water infrastructure and sustainability. Most of these efforts are discussed in the context of climate change, decarbonization and economic diversification. That framing is important, but it may not capture their full value.

If these systems are designed well, they can do more than produce clean energy or reduce emissions. They can help create healthier societies and greater long-term stability.

Today, health is usually treated as a medical issue. We think of hospitals, drugs and treatments. From a systems and economic perspective, this approach is becoming increasingly expensive and limited. Health does not begin in hospitals. It begins much earlier, in the conditions people live in every day.

Clean water, healthy soil, reliable energy, nutritious food and safe environments shape human health long before anyone sees a doctor. When these foundations are weak, chronic illness increases, healthcare costs rise and societies become more fragile. Medical systems then try to manage the consequences, often treating symptoms rather than underlying causes.

This challenge exists everywhere, but it is especially visible in regions facing water scarcity, climate stress, rapid urban growth and demographic change, including the Levant, the Gulf states and the wider MENA region.

From a health-economics perspective, many modern healthcare systems function as repair systems. They step in late, once disease has already developed, and continue treatment over long periods of time. 

As a result, healthcare spending grows faster than the economy, chronic disease consumes a growing share of public budgets, and long-term affordability becomes a serious concern.

For many countries, copying high-cost Western healthcare models is neither realistic nor necessary. The more important question is how societies can reduce the need for medical intervention in the first place.

This is where green energy, water and food systems become relevant in a different way. When renewable energy and green hydrogen are developed together with clean water supply, sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems, they form the real infrastructure of prevention. Clean energy supports water security. Clean water supports fertile soil and healthy food. Good food supports stable human health.

Seen this way, health is not something that constantly needs to be repaired. It emerges naturally when systems are designed properly.

This way of thinking is not new in the Middle East. The Levant and surrounding regions were once centers of advanced medical and scientific knowledge. Thinkers such as Hippocrates, and later scholars including Ibn Sina, ar-Razi and al-Kindi, understood health as a balance between the human body, the environment and daily life. Their focus was on water quality, nutrition, lifestyle and the relationship between people and their surroundings.

In modern terms, this was forward-looking knowledge. Not mystical, but practical. It recognized that the way systems are designed determines long-term outcomes.

What is new today is our ability to explain this older systems wisdom using modern science, including biochemistry, electrochemistry and economics, and to apply it to today’s policy and investment decisions.

If green hydrogen and renewable energy projects are seen only as climate measures, their potential remains limited. When they are connected to water, food and health systems, they become foundations of societal resilience. This has clear economic benefits: lower healthcare costs over time, fewer chronic diseases, better returns on sustainability investments and greater social stability.

The next phase of the energy transition is therefore not only about reducing emissions. It is about creating the conditions in which healthy societies can emerge.

Medical care will always be important, but it cannot carry the system alone. Health grows upstream, in water, energy, food and living conditions. When these systems work, health follows naturally, at lower cost and with greater stability.

This idea is old. But in a time of rising costs and increasing pressure on societies, it may be more relevant than ever.

::Bonn Climate Project

___

Heinz J. Sturm is a system architect and analyst working at the intersection of energy, water, health, and societal resilience. He is the initiator of the Bonn Climate Project, where he develops integrated system frameworks linking climate action with public health and long-term stability. Sturm is also the developer of Ars Medica Nova, a conceptual platform exploring new models of preventive health that draw on systems thinking, biology, and infrastructure design. His work focuses on translating complex system architectures into practical narratives for policymakers, researchers, and civil society.

The post From Green Energy to Healthy Societies: Why old systems thinking is becoming relevant again appeared first on Green Prophet.

We used to think climate work lived in laboratories, policy rooms, and protest signs. But these days it’s living comfortably inside Jewish thought. The Jewish Climate Trust is quietly proving that climate action doesn’t sit outside Judaism — it grows from it. Jewish Climate Trust (JCT) isn’t a think tank that lives only in theory, and it isn’t a charity that writes checks without strategy. It is a values-driven investment in how Jewish life — and Jewish responsibility — shows up in a world already shaped by climate change.

The starting point is simple and uncomfortable: the climate crisis is real, measurable, and accelerating. Denial is not a Jewish position. Despair isn’t either. Judaism teaches obligation without guaranteed success. You are not required to finish the work — but you are not free to abandon it. JCT lives inside that idea: it insists on action without pretending to own the ending.

The focus of the JCT is twofold: putting less carbon into the atmosphere and preparing communities for what is already unfolding.

But there is a third layer that feels distinctly Jewish: co-benefits. Every climate action should strengthen human relationships — between Jews and Jews, Israel and the diaspora, and across borders between people. We see that work in action in Israel’s Arava Center, a cross-border environment research study center that funds desert research, water, cleantech, advancing partners for peace along the way. Climate work, according to the JCT is not only environmental; it is social, political, spiritual, and it’s the moral thing to do.

In North America, JCT has made the largest climate grant ever given in the Jewish world, funding Adamah to accelerate Jewish climate leadership. This includes expanding the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, building regional hubs, and integrating climate into young leadership training. They also helped launch a Green Business Network, which is growing faster than anticipated.

Green Prophet founded a chapter of Green Drinks in Israel in 2009. Adamah is continuing the spirit with their next meet-up in Boston in February.

The goal is cultural change — not a single project, but a shift in how Jewish institutions understand responsibility.

In Israel, JCT is funding major research on climate preparedness and security. Climate awareness in Israel is not only about nature — it is about stability, health, migration, food systems, and national resilience. The JCT is pushing Israel to think ahead rather than react too late.

Regionally, JCT is supporting the Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy at the Arava Institute — one of the most important cross-border environmental cooperation platforms in the Middle East. When USAID funding was lost, years of trust-building between Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, and international partners were suddenly at risk. JCT stepped in with a significant multi-year commitment, joined by private stakeholders, to keep this fragile but vital ecosystem alive.

Jewish Climate Trust has quickly attracted the attention and support of some of the most influential voices in Jewish philanthropy, drawing backing from prominent family foundations and business leaders connected to the Bronfman and Schusterman philanthropic networks, alongside climate-focused investors and community builders aligned with founding leader Nigel Savage. Together, these donors have committed many millions of dollars to build a serious, long-term climate platform for the Jewish world — not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic intervention in one of the defining challenges of this generation.

::Jewish Climate Trust

The post What is the Jewish Climate Trust? appeared first on Green Prophet.

While not making headlines this month, the UAE’s cloud-seeding program continues to attract both attention and skepticism. Cloud seeding—dispersing substances like silver iodide or salt particles into clouds to encourage rainfall—has been part of the country’s water-security strategy for decades. The UAE’s National Center of Meteorology has long framed the practice as an innovative approach to supplement scarce freshwater resources in an arid climate.

Yet critics, particularly after the 2024 Gulf storms, have argued that the technology may worsen extreme rainfall events and flooding. During those storms, severe flooding inundated parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, prompting speculation on social media and in some regional outlets that cloud-seeding flights had intensified rainfall.

Officials and weather scientists have repeatedly rejected a causal link between cloud seeding and the floods. The UAE’s meteorological authorities have pointed out that storms are driven by large-scale atmospheric systems, and that cloud seeding cannot create storms from nothing—it can only enhance precipitation in clouds that already have potential for rain. The Times of India reported that international meteorological experts also dismissed claims that cloud seeding was a primary factor in the 2024 events, noting that the scale of rainfall was consistent with natural variability and climate-change-driven extremes.

This debate is instructive beyond meteorology. It illustrates how government-led interventions in environmental systems—whether in the atmosphere, the ocean, or on land—can be portrayed as bold solutions while also facing public doubt about unintended consequences.

Cloud seeding, like artificial reef construction or large-scale afforestation projects, often enjoys positive framing in official narratives and promotional campaigns. But without independent, peer-reviewed assessment, such projects can leave the public reliant on institutional claims. This information gap can breed suspicion, especially when interventions coincide with extreme or unexpected events.

Broader Implications

As America evaluates private climate-engineering companies like Make Sunsets, the UAE example underscores the need for:

Independent evaluation — Transparent, third-party assessments of environmental interventions.

Clear communication — Proactive public engagement on scientific limits and potential risks.

Data transparency — Open publication of monitoring results, allowing independent scrutiny.

These principles apply equally to ocean engineering projects, geoengineering proposals, and climate adaptation measures in other parts of the world. In each case, the balance between innovation and precaution determines not only the environmental outcome but also public trust. Since the UAE does not have a free press and does not accept criticism of its government it will likely take international pressure from the US and Europe to ensure that a regulatory body oversees cloud seeding projects undertaking in the UAE.

Related articles:

• Masdar nanotech promises to bring on the rain!
• UAE to build a man-made mountain to increase rainfall
• “Seeding” Clouds Produces 20% More Rain in the Middle East
• The Flash Flood Wave Redefining Policy in the MENA Region

The post Who’s monitoring the UAE’s cloud seeding programs? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has entered a phase of rapid scale-up in 2025. Driven by national emissions targets, investor pressure, and the emergence of structured carbon markets, this sector is moving from pilot projects into industrial deployment. Global CO2 capture capacity now exceeds 50 million tonnes annually, and it’s expected to triple by 2030. Investment is accelerating in membrane separation, modular capture units, direct air capture (DAC), and nature-integrated CO2 recovery systems.

This article presents a detailed snapshot of the 2025 carbon capture landscape, key companies and technologies, and where the carbon credit market is heading.

Global Technology Leaders and Market Movers

Evonik is scaling its SEPURAN® polymer membranes for CO2 separation in biogas upgrading and industrial emissions. Their focus on decentralized, energy-efficient modules makes them well-suited to sectors like chemicals and food processing.

Air Liquide continues deploying Cryocap™ cryogenic carbon capture at hydrogen and ammonia facilities. In 2025, the company expanded CCUS clusters in Europe and the Middle East to support industrial decarbonization at scale.

Air Products is delivering some of the world’s largest hydrogen production projects with integrated CO2 capture. Its blue hydrogen project in Louisiana captures more than 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually, using proprietary reforming and capture technologies.

UBE Corporation is developing polyimide-based membrane systems for post-combustion capture, with pilot projects in Japanese utilities and Southeast Asian petrochemical plants.

Linde Engineering licenses its RECTISOL® and amine-based technologies for syngas and natural gas CO2 removal. In 2025, Linde delivered several modular capture units to decarbonize refineries and hydrogen valleys across Europe.

Grasys specializes in membrane and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) systems used widely in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The company’s gas purification units are increasingly being adapted for landfill gas and industrial CO2 separation.

Airrane, a Korean membrane manufacturer, is expanding hollow fiber technologies for nitrogen and CO2 separation. Their systems are being adopted across Korea’s chemicals and energy sectors.

Generon IGS offers skid-mounted, plug-and-play CO2 capture units suited to oil & gas and industrial clients in North America. Their membrane and PSA systems are increasingly used for enhanced oil recovery and low-volume emitters.

DMT International delivers turnkey biogas upgrading systems with integrated CO2 recovery. They are now expanding operations into Southeast Asia, targeting landfill and wastewater treatment opportunities.

Membrane Technology & Research (MTR) is piloting “CaptureX” membrane systems on gas-fired and coal plants with support from the U.S. Department of Energy. MTR’s polymer technologies offer reduced energy penalties and simpler installation.

Fujifilm is innovating in membrane and sorbent materials for CO2 separation under high-temperature and corrosive environments. Their collaboration with academic labs is helping to refine long-life membranes for industrial settings.

Toray is commercializing advanced hollow fiber modules for carbon and nitrogen separation. Their CO2 capture products are being piloted in water treatment and desalination plants to lower embedded emissions.

BORSIG is bringing high-efficiency amine systems to market with integrated energy recovery. Their focus is on upgrading legacy power plants and industrial boilers across Germany and Central Europe.

SLB (formerly Schlumberger) is repositioning itself as a carbon management leader. Its CENOS™ line of capture technologies now includes solvent, membrane, and storage integration. SLB has over a dozen active CCUS projects across oil, steel, and cement in 2025.

Sumitomo Chemical is commercializing advanced hybrid sorbents for municipal solid waste and waste-to-energy facilities. Their systems blend chemical absorption with physical separation for higher capture efficiency.

Honeywell continues to expand its UOP Separex™ membrane and Ecofining™ capture systems. In 2025, it launched a carbon capture-as-a-service platform targeting mid-sized industrial firms with bundled hardware, monitoring, and credit integration.

Carbon Markets and Access to Carbon Credits

The voluntary carbon market is consolidating around more rigorous methodologies. Projects using CCUS are now eligible for carbon credits under frameworks from Verra, Gold Standard, and the Puro.earth platform.

Credits from bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) and DAC are in increasing demand, especially by corporations pursuing science-based targets. Marketplaces like Patch and Nori allow businesses and individuals to purchase verified CO2 removals, with real-time tracking and blockchain-based auditing.

Direct air capture projects from firms like Climeworks and Carbon Engineering remain high-cost (above $600/tonne), but prices are expected to fall by more than half as modularity and renewable integration improve.

Outlook: Innovation Needs and Investment Trends

Significant gaps remain in capture cost reduction, especially for low-concentration flue gases and DAC. Key areas of innovation include:

• Low-energy solid sorbents and hybrid systems

• Waste heat integration and process intensification

• Durable membranes resistant to contaminants

• Long-term, verifiable CO2 storage options

Governments are supporting deployment with instruments such as the U.S. 45Q tax credit, the EU Innovation Fund, and the UK’s CCUS cluster support. The IEA, Global CCS Institute, and ARPA-E continue to back R&D in electrochemical capture, DAC, and value-chain integration.

By 2028, the global CCUS market is projected to surpass $14 billion. Companies able to deliver scalable technology and tie it directly to revenue from high-integrity carbon credits are best positioned to benefit from the next wave of climate finance and regulation.

Carbon capture technologies are accelerating in 2025, reshaping how industries and investors tackle emissions across the globe.

Read more on Green Prophet:

• RepAir Carbon: The Game-Changing Carbon Capture Tech Set to Revolutionize Net-Zero Goals

• Make Sunsets is Launching Geo-Engineered Cooling Credits with VC Money

• Carbon Capture the Saudi Way

• Dubai Buys 20% of Zimbabwe for Carbon Offset Projects

• Masdar and the Dicey Science of Carbon Credits

The post Carbon Capture in 2025: Technologies, Markets, and Investment Trends appeared first on Green Prophet.

Following the breakdown of the Colombia-hosted COP16 summit in November, global leaders reconvened in Rome in late February for a fresh round of the U.N.’s annual biodiversity summit. While fraught negotiations have this time led to a last-minute deal, critics have already lamented that the agreement lacks the ambition needed to meaningfully tackle biodiversity challenges.

The previous COP16 gathering notably collapsed without a deal on nature restoration financing in developing countries, creating ongoing tensions between Global North and South governments. Deepening geopolitical disputes have since compounded the negotiations’ obstacles, with the new U.S. administration’s aversion to environmental multilateralism and sweeping foreign aid cuts underscoring the ongoing obstacles facing global cooperation.

In this climate, relying on government-led action to curb the global biodiversity crisis is no longer viable, making the private sector’s contribution increasingly vital. Moving forward, large companies from industries traditionally associated with biodiversity loss must now step up, with leading players in the mining, energy and maritime sectors already showing the way.

Political action outpaced by global crisis

Adopted at the COP15 conference in December 2022, the global goal of halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 is rapidly slipping out of reach, with political will failing to match the gravity of a deepening biodiversity crisis. Since 1970, global wildlife populations have plummeted by over 70% and one million species are now on the brink of extinction, while unsustainable agriculture, pollution and deforestation continue ravaging ecosystems at an alarming pace.

Although the fresh deal struck at COP16 has been embraced by certain leaders as a breakthrough for international cooperation, many others – particularly from the Global South – have expressed frustration at its lack of urgency and concrete action. Bolivia’s negotiator, Juan Carlos Alurralde Tejada, has notably decried the agreement’s failure to deliver real progress, warning that prolonged bureaucratic delays will only worsen the environmental collapse. The so-called solutions – such as agreeing to a global biodiversity fund in 2028 and establishing the voluntary Cali Fund without any financial pledges – reflect the international community’s “kick-the-can-down-the-road’ approach to biodiversity.

This insufficiently-ambitious agreement comes amid a broader backdrop of global challenges: trade disputes, shrinking foreign aid and rising political tensions. The absence of the U.S. at the summit – having refused to sign the UN Convention on Biological Diversity – further undermines hopes for meaningful action. The burden of biodiversity preservation thus continues to fall on the shoulders of the private sector, which must now fill the leadership void left by political inertia. As global leaders in their respective sectors, TotalEnergies, CMOC and CMA CGM are setting the stage for a new era of corporate responsibility in biodiversity conservation.

Private firms rising to the occasion

TotalEnergies, with its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, integrates biodiversity into every stage of its operations. Notably, during the construction of the Shetland Islands gas plant in Scotland, the company invested $100 million to excavate and preserve peatlands – critical ecosystems for carbon sequestration and wildlife, ensuring these wetlands are restored to their original state over time.

Building on this momentum, TotalEnergies is also advancing its Tilenga project in Uganda, where the company’s efforts aim for a net gain in biodiversity. The project will protect 10,000 hectares of forest from deforestation and restore 1,000 hectares of tropical woodland. Additionally, TotalEnergies is focused on boosting populations of endangered species, including lions and elephants, in the Murchison Falls National Park. Equally crucial are the actions Total has pledged to avoid, with the company emerging as a pioneer in voluntary conservation, excluding operations in sensitive areas such as UNESCO World Heritage sites and the Arctic.

Chinese mining group CMOC shares this commitment to overhauling the practices of its sector. Guided by its Biodiversity Vision, CMOC Brasil has implemented significant conservation actions, such as a reforestation program in the country, where it has planted over 89,000 saplings and reforested 1,448 hectares. What’s more, CMOC’s environmental control plan includes 34 biodiversity monitoring sites, ensuring ongoing efforts to protect animal and plant populations in Brazil’s Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes.

At CMOC’s TFM copper-cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, meanwhile, the company is focused on conserving local plants adapted to the challenging conditions of the area. Through its partnership with the University of Lubumbashi, CMOC has advanced scientific understanding of heavy-metal-tolerant plants and is helping to restore copper-rich soil areas. In 2022, CMOC cultivated over 2,500 plants, with some used for revegetation programs and others donated to local communities. As a result of these efforts, CMOC has protected roughly 40 copper flora species around its TFM site over the last 15 years.

Meanwhile, CMA CGM, a French leader in maritime shipping, is protecting marine biodiversity through its innovative “zero loss” policy, prioritising container security and fleet management to prevent environmental harm. Since 2020, the company has launched its Reef Recovery program, aimed at restoring coral reefs – critical ecosystems that support a quarter of marine biodiversity. Working closely with WWF, CMA CGM is supporting conservation efforts in France, South Africa and the Philippines, underscoring its commitment to healthy oceans and the vital biodiversity they sustain.

The bottom line

Moving forward, governments have a critical role to play in facilitating and expanding the private sector’s contribution to biodiversity, even if they fail to deliver meaningful political cooperation. At a minimum, the public sector must remove barriers that stifle corporate investment in sustainability, offering a clear, consistent regulatory framework that incentivises long-term environmental responsibility. From creating tax breaks for companies that invest in nature restoration to establishing carbon markets and setting mandatory reporting standards for biodiversity-related risks, government measures can empower businesses to act, ensuring they can make meaningful strides in preserving ecosystems.

Given the fragile COP16 deal offering little progress from the breakdown of November’s talks last November, the private sector must fill the gap left by governments’ ongoing inaction. With their resources, technological capabilities and influence, leading companies in industries such as mining and energy are in a unique position to lead meaningful change – now is the time for others to follow suit to drive nature restoration efforts and set the standard for global biodiversity leadership.

The post COP16 exposes failing political will, private sector’s key role in global biodiversity action appeared first on Green Prophet.

At the end of last week, more than 1,000 employees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received distressing news: they could be dismissed immediately. Workers with less than one year of service were notified via email that they had been identified as “probationary/trial period” employees and were at risk of immediate termination.

According to the email, “As a probationary/trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you.” The unsettling message has left many EPA employees uncertain about their futures and has sparked widespread fear across the agency.

Related: Cheryl Crows sells her Tesla to protest Elon Musk

Marie Owens Powell, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents approximately 8,500 EPA staffers, confirmed that about 1,100 employees received this notification. While no probationary employees have been let go yet, Powell emphasized that the email had caused significant anxiety among staff. “It was scary for people to receive the message, as you can imagine,” she said. “The agency obviously can dismiss probationary employees, but it has to be for cause.”

The decision to send out these termination notices comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to downsize the federal government.

In line with President Trump’s “energy dominance” policy agenda, the EPA is undergoing a reorganization aimed at reducing regulations and realigning resources to focus on energy production and deregulation efforts. This includes a reevaluation of agency functions and staffing, with a particular focus on programs that do not align with the administration’s priorities.

In addition to the layoffs, nearly 200 employees involved in environmental justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been placed on administrative leave. These programs, which focus on supporting communities disproportionately impacted by pollution, have been sidelined in the new direction of the EPA, raising concerns about the future of environmental justice within the agency.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was confirmed last week, has been tasked with leading the agency’s efforts to roll back regulations enacted under the previous administration, including those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental equity. The restructuring and layoffs are expected to further weaken the EPA’s capacity to address climate change, pollution, and public health issues, particularly for vulnerable populations who rely on the agency’s protective regulations.

The atmosphere within the EPA has become one of fear and uncertainty, as employees are left unsure of their job security and the future of the agency’s work. With critical programs in jeopardy and a shift in focus away from key environmental issues, many are questioning how the agency will continue to fulfill its mission of safeguarding public health and the environment. As these changes unfold, the long-term impact on U.S. environmental policy remains uncertain, and the ripple effects could be felt across the country and beyond.

The post Layoffs Begin at the EPA: A Setback for Environmental Protection Efforts appeared first on Green Prophet.

Water-poor Jordan is home to numerous organizations dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability. Here are ten prominent eco-organizations making significant contributions. Jordanians are extremely positive and friendly people. It’s worth a visit.

1. Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN): Established in 1966, RSCN is an independent national organization committed to protecting Jordan’s natural resources. It manages several nature reserves and spearheads efforts in wildlife conservation and environmental education.
   ::myjordanjourney.com
2. EcoPeace Middle East: This unique organization brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists to promote sustainable development and peace in the region. Their initiatives focus on water conservation, ecological rehabilitation, and fostering cross-border cooperation.
   ::ecopeaceme.org
3. Jordan Environmental Union (JEU): Serving as a national advocacy front, JEU comprises nine of Jordan’s most active environmental NGOs. Their collective efforts cover various environmental sectors, promoting stewardship and conservation across the country.
   :: jordanewe.com
4. Jordan Green Building Council (JGBC): Dedicated to promoting sustainable building practices, JGBC works to raise awareness and implement green building standards in Jordan’s construction industry.
5. Jordanian Friends of the Environment (JOFOE): This organization focuses on environmental education and awareness campaigns, encouraging community involvement in conservation efforts.
6. Energy Conservation and Environment Sustainability Society (ECESS): ECESS advocates for energy efficiency and the adoption of sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact.
7. Jordanian Society for Desertification Control and Badia Development (JSDCBD): Committed to combating desertification, this society implements projects aimed at land rehabilitation and sustainable development in arid regions.
8. Climate Action Network (CAN) Jordan: CAN Jordan works to address climate change by fostering partnerships among local communities, businesses, and government bodies, aiming to transition towards a sustainable society.
   ::prima-med.org
9. Jordanian Royal Ecological Diving Society (JREDS): Focusing on marine conservation, JREDS conducts activities related to the protection of marine ecosystems, particularly in the Gulf of Aqaba.
10. Edama Association: Edama is a business association that seeks innovative solutions in energy, water, and environment sectors, promoting sustainable development in Jordan.

Have an organization to add? Contact us walla@greenprophet.com

The post Jordan’s leading ecological organizations appeared first on Green Prophet.

On the occasion of the president of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco, the French company Veolia and the Kingdom of Morocco signed yesterday a MOA for the establishment of a strategic partnership to develop on an exclusive basis a seawater desalination project that will be the largest in Africa and the second largest in the world.

It will supply drinking water to regions of the Kingdom particularly affected by drought.

Desalination plants are energy intensive and destructive to the environment and are often seen as a last chance.

Located near Rabat on the Atlantic coast, a great surfing spot, the project will be structured as a public-private partnership, involving the construction, financing and operation for 35 years, by Veolia, of a seawater desalination plant. With a capacity of 822,000 m3 of drinking water per day, or 300 million m3 per year, it will ensure the supply of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Fès-Meknès regions to meet the water needs of nearly 9.3 million inhabitants.

This initiative is part of the Moroccan national energy strategy, launched by King Mohammed VI, which aims to strengthen water supply security and to face the challenges of climate change.

Read related: Follow our adventures in Morocco at the Atlas Mountains here at the Kasbah

As a global leader in water technologies, Veolia will bring the best of its cutting-edge expertise in desalination for a reference plant in terms of efficiency, innovation and environmental protection. Its operational expertise will also ensure high plant performance by balancing investment and operating costs, thus ensuring the most competitive water price over the entire life cycle of the facility. The facility could be powered by low-carbon electricity, mainly from renewable sources.

Related: This eco luxury resort not in the Maldives will get its water from desalination

Against a backdrop of climate change, which is particularly affecting the Mediterranean region, this partnership comes at a time when Morocco is facing unprecedented water stress. The country is experiencing its worst drought for 40 years, with rainfall continuing to decline and reservoirs at historically low levels, threatening agriculture, drinking water supplies and, more broadly, the country’s economy. Seawater desalination is therefore becoming an essential solution to these urgent challenges.

Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, said: “With a long history of partnership, we are thrilled and honoured to write this new page with the Kingdom of Morocco and Moroccan citizens to meet the challenges related to the environment and water. We are fully aware of the urgency of the situation and proud to contribute to this major project, which will strengthen the country’s water resilience. We will put the best of our international expertise and our long-standing presence in the region at the service of the Kingdom for a reference project in terms of performance and sustainability.

The post Morocco and France to build largest desalination plant in Africa appeared first on Green Prophet.

As the former CEO of NatWest Group, Dame Alison Rose often inspires entrepreneurs by speaking about leadership challenges and her experiences overcoming these in the banking sector.

Many have heard her speak on James Harding’s ThinkIn podcast, where she delves into several leadership topics, from opening opportunities for female founders to supporting small businesses through Entrepreneur Accelerators.

On this podcast, she also explains how, as NatWest’s CEO, she managed the activity happening throughout the UK’s biggest business and commercial bank and kept track of its emissions-related goals.

She goes on to discuss the UK’s entrepreneurial position in the wider global economy and shares how she stayed calm while holding such an influential position.

Here are some highlights from the episode.

Alison Rose on Staying Afloat of Activity Throughout NatWest

As NatWest’s CEO, it was essential for Alison to stay afloat of activity throughout the bank. She oversaw both technical and ethical measures, carving out regular time to communicate with customers, review complaints, and track all emissions activity.

Communicating with customers was a cornerstone of her leadership approach. She often hosted round tables with customers to hear their updates, considering it important to “spend time with customers and talk to them. To ask what’s really going on, so that you get a feel, rather than just looking at the data.”

She would also “get home every weekend with a pile of complaint letters” to personally read and review. On top of this, she monitored NatWest’s whistleblowing process, which encouraged colleagues to share information openly. “We set very high standards of conduct and culture,” she says.

Alison also monitored activity from a sustainability, climate, and emissions perspective. This was “much easier to track” because of NatWest’s “credit policies, appetite policies, and guidelines of lending.”

She gives an example of a balance sheet at the time, which showed that NatWest only lent 0.8% of their funds to oil and gas. She and her colleagues could track and monitor that percentage, “flexing it up and down” as they aligned credit risk policies.

Working Towards NatWest’s Net Positive Goal

In 2020, Alison launched “a very clear strategy on climate” that mapped a route to NatWest becoming net zero by the end of the year. The organisation achieved this goal and aims to be net positive by 2025.

To reach these goals, Dame Alison and her colleagues identified the exposure to oil, gas, and coal on their balance sheet. They decided to phase out coal by 2030, then move on to phasing out oil and gas. The approach was to get their own house in order and then provide the tools and support to guide customers through the transition. They achieved this by:

• Partnering with leading carbon management solution companies like Cogo.
• Providing consumers with information about emissions from their spend via the app.
• Creating tools for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and suppliers to measure their environmental impact and help come up with solutions to minimise this.

Sharing information and offering support was critical to this wholesale rewiring of the economy and management of risk.

Introducing The Transition

To introduce the transition, NatWest’s relationship managers told customers in these sectors about the new goals. They asked the customers to provide a credible transition plan by the end of the year to continue receiving funds. Alison and her colleagues also introduced incentives to reduce fees when customers hit sustainable goals.

Having analysed major sectors for emissions — “which was about 46% of our balance sheet” — Alison and her colleagues decided how to halve these emissions. They knew this would “need collaboration across the public and private sectors” and a focus on global targets.

Alison notes that it was crucial to “start by being very clear about what we were doing, and then, most importantly, funding the transition.” In 2020, she set a target to secure £20 billion of renewable financing by 2021. They were already at £12 billion by May 2021. Demand was so high that she and her colleagues extended the target to £100 billion and, at last results, had reached £78 billion.

Setting A Clear Culture and Policy Suite to Best Protect Customers

Alison believes a bank like NatWest must find the “balance between supporting the economy and not being the moral arbiter of the economy.” To achieve this, a bank needs a clear ethical policy, sustainability policy, and culture.

This means deciding what types of businesses to support and setting environmental, social, and ethical criteria that the bank is prepared to lend by. Having laid this groundwork at NatWest, Alison and her colleagues could ensure they provided “the right support for customers within an ethical and social background.”

Alison gives data protection as an example, noting that NatWest has “huge amounts of data on customers that [it] collects from being in their lives and seeing their payments.” As CEO, she considered NatWest’s “ethical responsibilities as important as [its] data protection responsibility.”

This meant not using or selling the data in any way. “We [didn’t] do any of that,” Alison says. “We [had] a very clear, ethical policy around our use of data for what we [thought was] appropriate in terms of protecting our customers. We almost [viewed] that in the same way as their money. Our job [was] to keep that safe for them as well.”

Alison and her colleagues also “put a lot of systems and controls in place” to prevent financial crime.” Alison managed 4,000 people who specifically managed crime prevention, and NatWest invested almost half a billion pounds in systems and controls to make this possible between 2019 and 2021 alone.

The UK’s “Resilient” Position in the Global Economy

Alison considers NatWest “a bellwether of the UK economy” due to its position as the third-largest retail bank and number-one business bank. This makes it “inherently linked to the success of [its] customers.”

She notes that “regional economies are very different.” NatWest has “regional boards around the country that tap into the local economies,” which “have different dynamics,” she says.

Overall, she considers the UK’s business community “amazingly resilient” and “incredibly entrepreneurial,” as proven by its response to Covid-19. Even with the economy “put into a hard stop for effectively six months,” Alison saw “entrepreneurs and small business owners cope and pivot their businesses” in a way that she considers “really positive” and with “incredible resilience and ambition.” 

Today, “this country still attracts a huge amount of inward investment in terms of fintechs and startups and entrepreneurialism,” Alison says. With many SMEs creating jobs, these “are the lifeblood of the economy.” 

Because of this, Alison believes “there’s a huge amount to be optimistic about in terms of a nation of SMEs and real strengths in our economy through biotech, bioscience, manufacturing, entrepreneurism, and the different sectors.”

She also believes “the ability to export and import talent is a really important one, and we need to make sure we continue to be a place that is vital for skills coming in and being exported.”

“I think that’s a critical part of a thriving global economy,” Alison says. “We’re still one of the global financial centres [that] services the economy more broadly and a big contributor to tax receipts, which drives that.”

How Alison Rose Carried the Weight of CEO Responsibilities

Serving as the CEO of a major bank comes with a huge level of responsibility. A purpose-led strategy, strong team, and customer communication all helped Alison carry the weight of this responsibility.

“When banks get it wrong, I can see the damage we do in people’s lives,” Alison says. This is “because we’re so embedded in people’s lives and providing capital to the economy.” As a result, “having a purpose-led strategy… and knowing that we should be a force for good rather than bad is really important.”

To stay calm running such a big organisation, Alison turned to her “great team,” remembering that running a bank “is a team sport.” She recognises that “sometimes we all make mistakes” and prioritised only focusing on controlling the things she could control.

She also spent “as much time as possible talking to customers and colleagues” so that she and her team could “react quickly and respond quickly like we did during the pandemic.”

“Working really closely and being honest about what we [were] doing” was crucial, as was “trying to make sure we [were] always doing the best job we possibly [could],” Alison says.

Lastly, recognising that she held a “privileged position” helped Alison manage her CEO responsibilities. She would remember, “I have a fantastic job, and I’m very privileged to do it, and I love my job.” This helped “ease the days when you’re lying awake at night wondering what you need to do,” Alison says. “That’s how I [did] it.”

About Alison Rose

The former CEO of NatWest, Alison Rose is the first woman to lead a major UK bank. Having joined the organisation in 1992 as a graduate trainee, she progressed her career within the bank and became CEO in 2019. That same year, she launched the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, which has supported hundreds of thousands of women with their entrepreneurial ventures. 

The government commissioned this seminal report, which highlights the challenges that many women in business face and explores the opportunities they can leverage to overcome these barriers. Alison also served as chair of the Rose Review Board until 2023, when she became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to the financial sector. 

Today, Dame Alison is a senior adviser to the private equity firm Charterhouse and a member of the Board of Trustee Directors of Business in the Community (BITC). She also advocates for industry action on climate change and has served on the Net Zero Council and the government’s Energy Efficiency Taskforce.

The post From Meeting NatWest’s Emissions Goal to Managing CEO Responsibilities: Alison Rose on the Thinkin Podcast appeared first on Green Prophet.