In this issue:
- Beetle biomimicry
- Global ESG standards
- Emerging tech 2023
- We have been looking at...
Beetle Biomimicry
Observing and imitating nature’s processes and structures to help solve human problems, biomimetic techniques, have been applied to design innovation for centuries. Recent history is littered with examples of architectural cooling devices; familiar product examples include Velcro and LED technology. Scientists have recently made advances in water capture technology based on the natural characteristics of beetles and spiderwebs.
Professor Michael Tam, and his team at University of Waterloo, Canada, published their work to distil water vapour from air in late August. Two projects are underway:
1. a material which mimics the Namib Desert beetle’s unique surface structure - this cellulose-stabilized wax emulsion attracts tiny water droplets while swiftly releasing larger ones; and,
2. a material inspired by spiderwebs - sponges and membranes with large surface areas that continually capture moisture from their surroundings.
Mimicking Namib Desert beetles’ ability to harvest water is not a new idea and has been the focus of research for more than a decade. In 2012, NBD Nanotechnologies began work to develop a self-filling water bottle, however, this work has now transitioned to the development of fog capturing metal as a means of harvesting water in California, in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture. In 2017 Infinite Cooling developed a system to capture vapour plumes from industrial cooling systems; artificially ionizing (electrically charging) air particles causes condensation which can be easily captured and re-used. Units are commercially available in the US.
In New Zealand, biomimicry work has included the development of the Thermo-Bio-Architectural Framework to influence energy efficient building design. Are there opportunities for New Zealand to further utilise biomimicry to create solutions and competitive advantage?
Global ESG Standards
As countries and consumers around the world apply greater scrutiny to ethical investment and product origins it is important for New Zealand businesses to keep pace. Consumers are increasingly looking to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards to inform their purchasing decisions.
ESG standards are not new, the concept was conceived in the 1960’s and developed into frameworks in the 1990’s. Currently, 29 countries have some degree of mandatory ESG disclosure regulation, others are making progress:
- UK legally requires over 1,300 large and medium-sized companies and institutions to disclose;
- EU proposals take effect in January 2024;
- US rules are expected to be announced in October 2023;
- India has mandated their top 150 listed companies to disclose by end of 2023; and,
- China is widely expected to implement regulations soon.
As the largest global companies have to report on ESG, their value chains will need to adopt the same requirements, affecting producers and suppliers globally. New Zealand exporters will need to meet global ESG requirements regardless of local regulations.
In June 2023 the International Sustainability Standards Board issued its first two IFRS® Sustainability Disclosure Standards, aimed at providing governments with consistent, comparable and reliable climate-related financial disclosure tools, to facilitate international trade and investment. Concerns have been raised around the potential for ESG verification to effectively become a trade restriction in the form of non-tariff barriers.
Non-compliance with ESG standards is becoming a business risk with governing bodies prepared to prosecute, highlighted in the recent civil court action raised by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission against superannuation fund Active Super.
Climate-related reporting requirements in New Zealand are limited to two hundred financially large companies. However all export goods will ultimately need to meet in-country sustainability regulations; smaller businesses could consider voluntarily investing in processes that demonstrate ESG credentials right now to be ready for a future global shift.
As ESGs become increasingly mandated and scrutinised, what metrics can New Zealand businesses use to prove/maintain legitimacy?
Emerging TEch 2023
The pace of innovation has accelerated dramatically in recent decades due to rapid advances across many technologies: engineering, food, materials, information technology and more. The World Economic Forum’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2023 report highlights some developments – many of which could add value to New Zealand’s food and fibre sector:
- Flexible batteries are gaining prominence as versatile and rechargeable power sources. They use lithium-ion or zinc-carbon on conductive polymer collectors and can incorporate additives to boost conductivity and flexibility.
- Generative AI, with its ability to create original content through complex algorithms, has applications ranging from drug design to education and productivity enhancement in workplaces.
- Sustainable aviation fuel, derived from various resources, is a key element in achieving net-zero aviation emissions.
- Wearable plant sensors continuously monitor temperature, humidity, moisture and nutrients, providing real-time insights into plant health and enabling precise interventions for sustainable agriculture.
- Sustainable computing strategies include: liquid cooling systems to manage heat, AI-powered real-time energy optimisation, and modular, demand-based infrastructure.
The emerging technologies report has previously identified little-known technologies that later had a global impact, such as CRISPR-Cas9 and mRNA vaccines. Which of these latest technologies could have a similarly significant global impact?
We have been looking at...
- AgriFutures AgXelerate Programme participants: mimicking thunderstorms, livestock disease detection, Artificial Intelligence (AI) for beekeepers and the world’s first real-time food and fibre verification tool.
- North Carolina-based Jellatech raises US$3.5m to scale production of its animal-free collagen.
- MycoTechnology has discovered a natural sweetener derived from rare honey truffle.
- Bühler partners with insect technology company Entocycle towards large-scale black soldier fly farms for alternative protein production.
- UK food and drink manufacturing company insolvencies surge 108%.
- Overview: threats to agrobiodiversity and the benefits of crop diversification.
- Could room-temperature superconductors change science?
- Californian machine learning shows daily wildfire risk increased by 25%, further increases of 59-172% expected by 2100.
- AI is able to predict a chemical’s smell, providing descriptions for a wide variety of molecules, including some that don’t exist in nature.
- How centuries of extractive agriculture helped set the stage for the Maui fires.
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Published by Te Puna Whakaaronui. Not government policy.