#SDG Media Zone

[silvianap]

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was a guest at Day 1 of the SDG Media Zone to talk about climate change, his docu-series "An Optimists Guide To The Planet" and hope for future generations.

📌 New York - 79th Session of the UN General Assembly

📆 September 23, 2024

-> twitter thread

[ricmlm]

Natalie Portman on Empowering Women & Girls Everywhere | SDG Media Zone ...

[waterandenergyrelief]

Ramp up #internationalcooperation to address #waterissues and avoid a looming crisis.

On the first day of the #un2023WaterConference, the UN News led a conversation focused on building partnerships and enhancing cooperation, to accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal for Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), and realizing the human right to water and sanitation.

The guests were Kristin Meyer, a programme manager at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Neil Dhot, the Executive Director of the International Federation of private water operators (Aquafed), and Richard Connor, the editor-in-chief of the UN World Water Development Report.

The session took place the day after the launch of the 2023 Report, which warns that, with up to three billion people experiencing water shortages, we are facing a global water crisis, unless international cooperation is significantly improved.

The following is an edited summary of the SDG Media Zone session.

Conor Lennon (UN News): How has the message of the UN World Water Development Report changed over the years?

Richard Connor: Statistically it has evolved. More people are covered by water and sanitation services, but we’re definitely not seeing enough progress.

There is more recognition of the importance of inclusivity, whether related to gender or poverty, and that we need to work together. This led to the theme of this year’s report, which is cooperation and partnerships.

Conor Lennon: Is it important that the UN is holding a devoted to water issues?

Richard Connor: It’s surprising that there hasn’t been a water conference for so long, considering that water is omnipresent. There is Conference of Parties (COP) for water, as there is for biodiversity or climate change.

Forty-seven years is a ridiculously long time to wait, and I hope we have a follow-up within a decade or so, to truly take stock of what we can accomplish, such as general worldwide agreement on water.

Conor Lennon: Kristin Meyer, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) says that, over the last decade, nine out of 10 of the disasters triggered by natural hazards were water related.

Kristin Meyer: We know that floods and droughts are increasing, from each new IPCC (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change) report.

However, if we take appropriate action, natural hazards don’t have to turn into disasters. That’s why we’re promoting international cooperation. We also need to really look at the links between climate change, resilience building, and also the role of biodiversity and ecosystems to prevent disasters from happening.

We’re seeing a lot of progress in the international debate and in the international community and this is also where we can make the biggest impact, by bringing those different elements together and making a better impact for people on the ground.

On the sidelines of the historic Conference – held at UN Headquarters from 22 to 24 March – the SDG Media Zone is an informal setting for experts and senior officials to discuss a wide range of topics related to water.

UN Water Conference: ‘we need a renewed sense of action’

[josemontoyablog]

SDG Media Zone at the 72nd General Assembly

[usafphantom2]

Czech grpens will defend the skies of Slovakia from September

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/06/2022 - 08:44 AM in Military, War Zones

Czech gripen

Czech gripen

Czech fighter jets will temporarily protect Slovak airspace from September 1, in a possible negotiation to send MiG-29 fighters from Slovakia to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala (SDG) and his Slovak colleague Eduard Heger (O? aNO) announced this on Czech television on Sunday. The assistance will last until Slovakia receives the ordered American F-16 fighters, whose delivery has been postponed, as reported by the Novinky website.

"Slovakia can count on the defense of airspace. It's a beautiful example of trust and cooperation. We will be happy to do that. We are ready technically and in terms of capacity," said Fiala, adding that this will happen from September 1. According to him, the government will approve for sure.

Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Na? asked the Czech Republic for help in protecting airspace in June. "It is also in our interest. We cannot allow a country that is on the verge of war (...) to be threatened in any way. It's our joint task," Fiala added on Sunday.

MiG-29 from Slovakia.

"I am very grateful that our countries are not only historically close, but that relations are improving. You were one of the first to provide us with soldiers, now you will protect our airspace," added Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

According to him, the aid should last at least a year, much longer. According to Heger, American F-16 fighters ordered by the previous Slovak government should arrive by the end of 2024. Deliveries are delayed due to COVID-19 and the global shortage of chips. They must replace MiG-29 machines made in Russia.

According to unofficial sources, the Slovak Air Force maintains at least six MiG-29 operational, including one training aircraft.

In 2018, it ordered 14 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters in the latest Block 70/72 configuration. The delivery of the aircraft was supposed to begin in 2023.

In addition, reports emerged in June suggesting that Slovakia is ready to transfer the grounded MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine on the condition that its neighbors, Poland and the Czech Republic, temporarily take over the defense of the country's airspace.

Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets.

In a separate televised speech on July 3, Fiala confirmed the reports, however, he emphasized that the details would not be disclosed.

Both Heger and Fiala noted that what surprised everyone was the effectiveness and time that Ukraine managed to defend itself against the invasion of Russia, whose army should have been "much stronger". "We have all the prerequisites to believe that Ukraine will win this war," said the Slovak Prime Minister.

However, Fiala admitted that no one knows how long it will take for Ukraine to gain full control of its territory, noting that without the help of the West, it will not be able to defend itself against the Russians.

"They must have weapons to be able to fight for their independence, our security and our freedom. They are fighting for us," he added.

Fiala also stated that, if necessary, the Czech Republic is ready to participate in the training of the Ukrainian military.

In early June, it was announced that a Ukrainian An-26 plane was going from Uzhhorod to Moldova and allegedly picked up parts for MiG-29 fighters, but Moldova said that the plane carried out a technical flight and did not carry any equipment.

The issue of the fighter air force will also be addressed by the Czech government during the summer. In 2027, the lease of Swedish claws to the Czech Republic ends, and it is necessary to decide whether we will continue with these machines or move to others. Recently, there has been a lot of speculation about the transition to American F-35 fighters.

JAS39 Gripen fighters of the Czech Republic Air Force.

The Swedish ambassador told the media this week that his country is willing to deliver the existing machines free of charge by concluding an agreement to continue with the Gripens. However, Defense Minister Jana Cernochová and Fiala said they do not officially register any such offers.

Fiala and Heger also agreed that the east wing of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) needs to be strengthened. In the coming months, a plan will be created to protect NATO borders in the long term.

“How to configure the defense architecture of the entire European territory is being discussed very intensively. We have to send a strong signal, but plan, not for three and four years, but for ten, twenty, fifty years," says Heger.

Fiala also agreed that the future of the defense of NATO countries should be mixed units in which the Czechs also operate. "The Czech Republic is ready to participate in this and increase the number of soldiers in the future. We will prepare plans in the coming months," he added.

At the same time, both prime ministers announced that they would ratify Sweden and Finland in NATO. This should happen in early autumn. The Nordic countries will sign the accession protocols in a week.

Tags: Military AviationF-16 Fighting FalconCzech Republic Air ForceJAS39 GripenNATO - North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationSAF - Slovak Air Force/Slovak Air ForceWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[trilliontreesconservation]

Trillion Trees Initiative's Global Greening Foundation and reforestation fund for Biodiversity Conservation Ecosystem Restoration and Healthy Forests

The Trillion Trees Initiative for biodiversity conservation, climate adaption, ecological education, ecosystem restoration, environmental protection, sustainable greening, reforestation and species protection can reduce climate change effects, deforestation, droughts, desertification, land degradation, mass extinction, global warming and pollution worldwide. The world's first and official Trillion Trees Initiative was started in 2017 by Greening Deserts founder Oliver Gediminas Caplikas. Others like the WEF and the White House followed the good example and started also trillion trees initiatives or programs. Many people, international organisations, institutions and even governments have been inspired by the Trillion Trees Initiative and connected projects.

 Greening Deserts principles and the real Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) agreeing with the sustainable goals and scientific parts of the Trillion Tree Campaign by Plant for the Planet, the One Trillion Trees Initiative by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Trillion Trees Partnership by TrillionTrees.org, Birdlife and WWF. TTI is not directly related to the mentioned organizations but supports some of the good goals and advises against bad goals or shows good alternatives. Greening Deserts and TTI supporting also other conservation organizations and tree planting actions by good examples and ideas. How everybody can see the others took many of the ideas in their programs or agendas. But there is also criticism of some points in the Trillion Trees Act and other campaigns or initiatives. On the official pages of TrillionTreesInitiative.org you can read about the backgrounds, facts and worldwide opinions of different media outlets, conservation organizations and institutions.

 Together with many innovative developments and sustainable projects the initiative want to plant over 100 Billion Trees and can support other big tree planting actions to reach the trillion trees goal fast and efficient. Project developments like Agrophotovoltaik, Desert Bamboo Africa, Greening Coasts, Greening Drones, Greenhouse Ship, Green Ring Africa, Great Green Wall North Africa, Seeding Balloon, Transparent Solar greenhouses and many other awesome projects, organizations, institutions, partners and sponsors can support. Financial and institutional experts will help to implement good aspects of Climate Finance, Green Finance, Sustainable Investment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Swiss finance experts and sustainable finance institutions were informed since 2018, many of them liked the idea of a Trillion Trees Foundation and Trillion Trees Fund. Some of them already working on a fund for the Trillion Trees Initiative. It will be a chance for the nations, innovative institutions and organisations to join the future actions and programs of the TTI in different parts of the world. The main focus for the next years is on Europe, Africa and MENA region. The One Trillion Trees Initiative of WEF, the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council and a special Executive Order of the White House in Washington D.C. have already positioned themselves for America and have shown their support by planting a part of the trillion trees in the USA. About more support and solidarity for the other Americas and especially tree planting actions in Africa we all would be happy.

 During the next years we will all see if the United States of America or the president will keep their promises to plant a trillion trees until 2030 worldwide. The U.S. chapter of the One Trillion Trees Initiative announced to plant at least 855 million trees by 2030. Would be great if the most of the trees will be part of national parks or for biodiversity causes and not for monoculture tree plantations. Biodiversity conservation, climate adaption and establishing healthy forests with different trees species are some of the main tasks of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. The focus is to establish more biodiversity in forests, agroforestry, ecological forestation (EcoForestry), mixed forests and supporting reforestation of damaged ecosystems – focus is also on wilderness, wildlife and ecosystem restoration as whole. Critically endangered and threatened tree species will be saved by breeding or cultivation in the Greening Camps and by all the coming tree planting actions. Of course native and typical trees of each region will be planted also in other right areas, habitats or climate zones the tree species belong typically. For this mammut task we will use the help and experiences of artificial intelligence (AI), plant databases, climate scientists, conservationists, indigenous people or natives, plant and tree experts or scientists like arborists and botanists. Maybe GIS experts, blockchain, cloud, supercomputing, supercomputer programs and scientific organizations or networks can support to find unknown endangered keystone species, the right tree species and places. There are some interesting programs we could imagine to integrate, like of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), WolframAlpha network, Planetary Computer by Microsoft and Wildlife Insights by Google. Landscape architects, land administrations, private landowners, satellite operators and services can also  help to match the right plants and regions for the new trees and forests in future. For the TTI it is also important to integrate each concerned region into the greening process and reforestation actions. For example school classes and students of universities can use the greening camps, planting actions and workshops for environmental education, to establish better connections to nature and to get more environmental awareness. By the way, it is also great for fitness, healthy movement and health in general. Army troops and soldiers can also plant trees as a kind of training and to do something real good for the environment and humanity. The idea to include parts of the army, to fight climate change and global warming by planting trees, was published with Greening Deserts projects Greening Army and Forest Army in 2017 and 2018.

  Key factors: Biodiversity forests, grasslands and landscapes, climate adaption and protection, environmental education and species protection, sustainable greening and real ecological forestry

 People must understand that it is not just about to plant a few tree species. Each tree has typical plants, animals, mushrooms, insects and microorganisms to grow really healthy and to provide a kind of own cosmos or biotope. To know and to establish the most of these connections, relations and key factors is the key for real healthy and natural forests. Just compare the biodiversity, ecosystem services, productivity and soils of a rainforest and a monoculture tree plantation. Because all of these points Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative started the Critically Endangered Species Research and Protection Program (CES-RPP), especially to show the importance of keystone species and the biodiversity in agriculture, forestry and urban greening. Of course the waters and life forms of lakes, rivers, seas and oceans are also important in this aspect. Just to mention important issues like the biodiversity in coastal areas, coral reefs and sea grass. Later if all runs good with the research, reforestation and Greening Camps we can also support with innovative developments and projects like Greening Coasts, Greenhouse Ship and Recycling Ship.

 But back to the main issues and topics of this article, the biodiversity, nature conservation, climate improvement, environmental protection and species conservation by establishing real healthy forests, grasslands and other ecosystems who need more or less trees. The official Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) is really unique in this relation, because the members of the connected projects can cultivate, sow and plant many trees directly with the help of forestation and greening camps, balloons, greening buses or trucks, drones and planes – if seeds need to be covered by soil we will use seed balls. With connected tree experts, databases and networks we will choose the right trees for the right areas or regions where we and our partners will start with bigger tree planting actions.

 A statement and important facts from the official Trillion Trees Initiative website: The TTI do not just support other tree planting organisations. Other trillion trees initiatives write that they planted that trees or want to plant a trillion trees. In fact many of them have not planted any trees themselves and they wont if you take a closer look. In some cases their partners or supporters are big polluters or questionable industries who try to do greenwashing or treewashing. They let others do that work, mostly by cheap workers and volunteers. In general it is ok if others will be supported to plant new trees, but pay them good money if they do important work for biodiversity and environmental protection ! To plant countless monocultures or monotonous tree plantations has nothing to do with ecological forestry, ethical business or fair trade. They do or will do more damages as improvements, especially if too much trees will be planted in ancient grasslands, savannas or wetlands. The main goal should be to stop deforestation, to improve ecosystem restoration and supporting the regeneration of existing natural forests which were affected by fires or pollution. To all that companies and groups out there ! Join our real climate, environmental and species protection initiative if you really want to improve the worldwide climate and environments. Many institutions, organisations and people were informed during the years, especially about the backgrounds and true history of the real Trillion Trees Initiative.

 More than 10,000 of approx 60,000 tree species worldwide are threatened with extinction. On the IUCN Red List over 1,400 tree species are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), in reality it are probably much more. Biodiversity, conservation and reforestation programs should care more about these critically endangered and keystone species. The Trillion Trees Initiative and Greening Camps in concerned regions could recultivate the critically endangered trees species. Each camp will have extra greenhouses and storage rooms for the seeds. Botanical gardens and other biodiversity projects can be connected. During the last years over 20.000 institutions, organisations and personalities were invited to join the official Trillion Trees Initiative and the special species protection program. Many academics, ambassadors, environmentalists, developers, entrepreneurs, ministers, researchers or scientists and students showed interest. Most of them liked the ideas and developments of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. Even some people of the EU Commission, UN and WHO became inspired by the initiative. It is sad that some conservation and environmental organisations ignored Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative, even after several friendly contact requests. We all should act and work together, but the society and world shows that it is not so easy, especially in these times of the crises, egoism, fears, ignorance and misunderstanding.

 We want to be honest and work transparent. The future staff of the initiative will plant a lof of trees and can connect many awesome tree planting projects from around the world. So far as possible only native species will be planted, biodiversity experts and indigenous people will be included. We respect indigenous people who protect approx 80% of the world’s remaining forest biodiversity, including cultural, spiritual, social and environmental values. If Greening Deserts projects and the official Trillion Trees Initiative get enough financial support and can generate good income by the greening and research camps, developments and products, we can share much better our experiences with learning materials, various media, online or offline courses, workshops, etc.. The camps and projects can provide much work, generate a lot of jobs and income for each region. With appropriate funding and constructive support we can accelerate or improve the project developments and team building for each camp, as well as the whole infrastructure. Without money it is not possible to build up any of these camps and with too less support it needs many years more as planned, in this case other tree cultivation and tree planting projects cannot really be supported. We have not that time to wait longer and longer for all that promised support by officials or politicians. The projects need this year finally real active and financial support or it maybe will be too late. If you know the real backgrounds because of the keystone species, accelerating mass extinction and tipping points,.. you understand why we must act now or fast as possible. We must put these important points of species protection on the first place of all ‘green agendas’, whether it is the Green Deal, Greening Act, Trillion Trees Act or UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

 Just imagine all that actions, the attention and financial support in the Corona Crisis would be used to reduce the Climate Crisis. We really would change the world into a better one, prevent new crises, disasters and even new pandemics who are caused by environmental pollution, species extinction and weak environments. Climate adaption, global warming mitigation, ecological education, environmental resilience and species protection is now more important as ever before. Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is also species protection – so it is human protection.

 About the author: Oliver Gediminas Caplikas is the founder and initiator of the Trillion Trees Initiative and connected projects of Greening Deserts. He works since years on biodiversity, conservation, environmental and species protection issues. The developments and projects have big potential to reduce human-made deforestation, desertification, land degradation, climate changes and global warming worldwide.

[whatwouldbeenough]

(via Performance by Ari Afsar, SDG Media Zone - 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum)

[bearsofair]

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador at the SDGs Media Zone to tackle the Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare today at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

[trilliontrees]

The Trillion Trees Initiative for biodiversity conservation, climate adaption, ecological education, ecosystem restoration, environmental protection, sustainable greening, reforestation and species protection can reduce climate change effects, deforestation, droughts, desertification, land degradation, mass extinction, global warming and pollution worldwide. The world's first and official Trillion Trees Initiative was started in 2017 by Greening Deserts founder Oliver Gediminas Caplikas. Others like the WEF and the White House followed the good example and started also trillion trees initiatives or programs. Many people, international organisations, institutions and even governments have been inspired by the Trillion Trees Initiative and connected projects.

Greening Deserts principles and the real Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) agreeing with the sustainable goals and scientific parts of the Trillion Tree Campaign by Plant for the Planet, the One Trillion Trees Initiative by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Trillion Trees Partnership by TrillionTrees.org, Birdlife and WWF. TTI is not directly related to the mentioned organizations but supports some of the good goals and advises against bad goals or shows good alternatives. Greening Deserts and TTI supporting also other conservation organizations and tree planting actions by good examples and ideas. How everybody can see the others took many of the ideas in their programs or agendas. But there is also criticism of some points in the Trillion Trees Act and other campaigns or initiatives. On the official pages of TrillionTreesInitiative.org you can read about the backgrounds, facts and worldwide opinions of different media outlets, conservation organizations and institutions.

Together with many innovative developments and sustainable projects the initiative want to plant over 100 Billion Trees and can support other big tree planting actions to reach the trillion trees goal fast and efficient. Project developments like Agrophotovoltaik, Desert Bamboo Africa, Greening Coasts, Greening Drones, Greenhouse Ship, Green Ring Africa, Great Green Wall North Africa, Seeding Balloon, Transparent Solar greenhouses and many other awesome projects, organizations, institutions, partners and sponsors can support. Financial and institutional experts will help to implement good aspects of Climate Finance, Green Finance, Sustainable Investment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Swiss finance experts and sustainable finance institutions were informed since 2018, many of them liked the idea of a Trillion Trees Foundation and Trillion Trees Fund. Some of them already working on a fund for the Trillion Trees Initiative. It will be a chance for the nations, innovative institutions and organisations to join the future actions and programs of the TTI in different parts of the world. The main focus for the next years is on Europe, Africa and MENA region. The One Trillion Trees Initiative of WEF, the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council and a special Executive Order of the White House in Washington D.C. have already positioned themselves for America and have shown their support by planting a part of the trillion trees in the USA. About more support and solidarity for the other Americas and especially tree planting actions in Africa we all would be happy.

During the next years we will all see if the United States of America or the president will keep their promises to plant a trillion trees until 2030 worldwide. The U.S. chapter of the One Trillion Trees Initiative announced to plant at least 855 million trees by 2030. Would be great if the most of the trees will be part of national parks or for biodiversity causes and not for monoculture tree plantations. Biodiversity conservation, climate adaption and establishing healthy forests with different trees species are some of the main tasks of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. The focus is to establish more biodiversity in forests, agroforestry, ecological forestation (EcoForestry), mixed forests and supporting reforestation of damaged ecosystems – focus is also on wilderness, wildlife and ecosystem restoration as whole. Critically endangered and threatened tree species will be saved by breeding or cultivation in the Greening Camps and by all the coming tree planting actions. Of course native and typical trees of each region will be planted also in other right areas, habitats or climate zones the tree species belong typically. For this mammut task we will use the help and experiences of artificial intelligence (AI), plant databases, climate scientists, conservationists, indigenous people or natives, plant and tree experts or scientists like arborists and botanists. Maybe GIS experts, blockchain, cloud, supercomputing, supercomputer programs and scientific organizations or networks can support to find unknow endangered keystone species, the right tree species and places. There are some interesting programs we could imagine to integrate, like of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), WolframAlpha network, Planetary Computer by Microsoft and Wildlife Insights by Google. Landscape architects, land administrations, private landowners, satellite operators and services can also  help to match the right plants and regions for the new trees and forests in future. For the TTI it is also important to integrate each concerned region into the greening process and reforestation actions. For example school classes and students of universities can use the greening camps, planting actions and workshops for environmental education, to establish better connections to nature and to get more environmental awareness. By the way, it is also great for fitness, healthy movement and health in general. Army troops and soldiers can also plant trees as a kind of training and to do something real good for the environment and humanity. The idea to include parts of the army, to fight climate change and global warming by planting trees, was published with Greening Deserts projects Greening Army and Forest Army in 2017 and 2018.

Key factors: Biodiversity forests, grasslands and landscapes, climate adaption and protection, environmental education and species protection, sustainable greening and real ecological forestry

People must understand that it is not just about to plant a few tree species. Each tree has typical plants, animals, mushrooms, insects and microorganisms to grow really healthy and to provide a kind of own cosmos or biotope. To know and to establish the most of these connections, relations and key factors is the key for real healthy and natural forests. Just compare the biodiversity, ecosystem services, productivity and soils of a rainforest and a monoculture tree plantation. Because all of these points Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative started the Critically Endangered Species Research and Protection Program (CES-RPP), especially to show the importance of keystone species and the biodiveristy in agriculture, forestry and urban greening. Of course the waters and life forms of lakes, rivers, seas and oceans are also important in this aspect. Just to mention important issues like the biodiversity in coastal areas, coral reefs and sea grass. Later if all runs good with the research, reforestation and Greening Camps we can also support with innovative developments and projects like Greening Coasts, Greenhouse Ship and Recycling Ship.

But back to the main issues and topics of this article, the biodiversity, nature conservation, climate improvement, environmental protection and species conservation by establishing real healthy forests, grasslands and other ecosystems who need more or less trees. The official Trillion Trees Initiative (TTI) is really unique in this relation, because the members of the connected projects can cultivate, sow and plant many trees directly with the help of forestation and greening camps, balloons, greening buses or trucks, drones and planes – if seeds need to be covered by soil we will use seed balls. With connected tree experts, databases and networks we will choose the right trees for the right areas or regions where we and our partners will start with bigger tree planting actions.

A statement and important facts from the official Trillion Trees Initiative website: The TTI do not just support other tree planting organisations. Other trillion trees initiatives write that they planted that trees or want to plant a trillion trees. In fact many of them have not planted any trees themselfs and they wont if you take a closer look. In some cases their partners or supporters are big polluters or questionable industries who try to do greenwashing or treewashing. They let others do that work, mostly by cheap workers and volunteers. In general it is ok if others will be supported to plant new trees, but pay them good money if they do important work for biodiversity and environmental protection ! To plant countless monocultures or monotonous tree plantations has nothing to do with ecological forestry, ethical business or fair trade. They do or will do more damages as improvements, especially if too much trees will be planted in ancient grasslands, savannas or wetlands. The main goal should be to stop deforestation, to improve ecosystem restoration and supporting the regeneration of existing natural forests which were affected by fires or pollution. To all that companies and groups out there ! Join our real climate, environmental and species protection initiative if you really want to improve the worldwide climate and environments. Many institutions, organisations and people were informed during the years, especially about the backgrounds and true history of the real Trillion Trees Initiative.

More than 10,000 of approx 60,000 tree species worldwide are threatened with extinction. On the IUCN Red List over 1,400 tree species are listed as Critically Endangered (CR), in reality it are probably much more. Biodiversity, conservation and reforestation programs should care more about these critically endangered and keystone species. The Trillion Trees Initiative and Greening Camps in concerned regions could recultivate the critically endangered trees species. Each camp will have extra greenhouses and storage rooms for the seeds. Botanical gardens and other biodiversity projects can be connected. During the last years over 20.000 institutions, organisations and personalities were invited to join the official Trillion Trees Initiative and the special species protection program. Many academics, ambassadors, environmentalists, developers, entrepreneurs, ministers, researchers or scientists and students showed interest. Most of them liked the ideas and developments of Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative. Even some people of the EU Commission, UN and WHO became inspired by the initiative. It is sad that some conservation and environmental organistations ignored Greening Deserts and the Trillion Trees Initiative, even after several friendly contact requests. We all should act and work together, but the society and world shows that it is not so easy, especially in these times of the crises, egoism, fears, ignorance and misunderstanding.

We want to be honest and work transparent. The future staff of the initiative will plant a lof of trees and can connect many awesome tree planting projects from around the world. So far as possible only native species will be planted, biodiversity experts and indigenous people will be included. We respect indigenous people who protect approx 80% of the world’s remaining forest biodiversity, including cultural, spiritual, social and environmental values. If Greening Deserts projects and the official Trillion Trees Initiative get enough financial support and can generate good income by the greening and research camps, developments and products, we can share much better our experiences with learning materials, various media, online or offline courses, workshops, etc.. The camps and projects can provide much work, generate a lot of jobs and income for each region. With appropriate funding and constructive support we can accelerate or improve the project developments and team building for each camp, as well as the whole infrastructure. Without money it is not possible to build up any of these camps and with too less support it needs many years more as planned, in this case other tree cultivation and tree planting projects cannot really be supported. We have not that time to wait longer and longer for all that promised support by officials or politicans. The projects need this year finally real active and financial support or it maybe will be too late. If you know the real backgrounds because of the keystone species, accelerating mass extinction and tipping points,.. you understand why we must act now or fast as possible. We must put these important points of species protection on the first place of all ‘green agendas’, whether it is the Green Deal, Greening Act, Trillion Trees Act or UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Just imagine all that actions, the attention and financial support in the Corona Crisis would be used to reduce the Climate Crisis. We really would change the world into a better one, prevent new crises, disasters and even new pandemics who are caused by environmental pollution, species extinction and weak environments. Climate adaption, global warming mitigration, ecological education, environmental resilience and species protection is now more important as ever before. Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is also species protection – so it is human protection. - Oliver Gediminas Caplikas

[dippedanddripped]

Expanding on its commitment to cultivating a responsible supply chain within the apparel industry, Lenzing announced during Climate Week NYC that in September it launched carbon-zero Tencel fibers. Climate Week NYC, which was held Sept. 21–27, was the perfect opportunity for the Austria-headquartered company to announce the latest advancement in its long line of renewable, wood-based fibers, which will see the calculation and offset of emissions from the processing of this product, according to the guidelines of The CarbonNeutral Protocol.

Following the announcement, Florian Heubrandner, vice president of global business management of textiles for Lenzing, shared how the year-and-a-half-long path to carbon-zero Tencel began.

“It all starts with the raw material, dissolved wood pulp, which we source from a low-carbon-footprint location,” he said. “Next, we only produce Tencel Carbon Zero in our Austrian production sites where we have the lowest carbon footprint in our entire group. We’ve made additional investments in energy efficiency and green energy to avoid carbon emissions wherever we can.”

While Heubrandner explains that the process begins with Lenzing’s wood-pulp sources, he reveals that the company cannot reach carbon zero alone. Due to the potential for environmental impacts along the supply chain from individual partners, Lenzing relies on partnerships with its suppliers and ecologically focused solutions providers.

“We’ve collaborated successfully with suppliers to make sure they reduce the carbon footprint of their products. All these measures result in a carbon footprint that is 65 percent to 80 percent lower than generic lyocell or modal fibers,” he said. “The [small] carbon footprint that is still left we compensate for with offsetting credits from Natural Capital Partners. There is a roadmap in place to make sure we become better every year and reduce the offsetting part step by step. Natural Capital Partners verifies our progress in that respect.”

On Sept. 22, the same day that Lenzing made its announcement, Heubrandner participated in a webinar called “Action Toward Climate Change.” The panel included an introduction by Annemarie Hou, executive director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships, and moderation by Kerry Bannigan, executive producer of the SDG Media Zone and founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign. Heubrandner was joined by fellow panelists Lewis Perkins, executive director of the Apparel Impact Institute, and Jad Finck, vice president of innovation and sustainability at the San Francisco–headquartered Allbirds, which is a Lenzing partner.

“We try to use the lowest carbon materials possible and the lowest carbon processes possible,” Fink explained during the webinar. “That is a great area where we can work with an important partner of ours, Lenzing, to use a lot of Tencel Lyocell. It’s the fundamental product for our entire tree platform—a very low-carbon product, amazing environmental footprint. That is why we’re excited today to be talking about their new initiatives.”

The benefit of Lenzing’s partnerships with companies such as Allbirds who share its ideals and sustainable vision is also beneficial for the fiber producer in its quest to become carbon neutral. Working with like-minded brands affords greater visibility to Lenzing’s mission in addition to creating a responsible-apparel community.

“We need partners like Allbirds to help share the ‘burden’ that comes with these targets and commitments. Becoming carbon neutral involves heavy financial investments and time from our people,” Heubrandner said while noting the importance of his colleagues across different Lenzing departments. “By paying a [little] bit more for our most sustainable products, our partners help advance the industry. Of course, we know that cost competitiveness is particularly important these days, and that’s why we make sure that Tencel Carbon Zero is available at very reasonable prices.”

While Lenzing has long emphasized its commitment to sustainable fiber sourcing over the course of its 80 years in business, consumer awareness is continuing to shift toward examining the impact of the products they buy, including apparel. During its “Global Consumer Perception Survey on Sustainable Raw Materials in Fashion and Home Textiles” survey, which was conducted in early 2020, Lenzing discovered that respondents are engaging actively in furthering their education regarding a product’s sustainability prior to purchase, in addition to placing the most trust in brands whose ingredient lists and origins are transparent. This change toward a more-conscientious consumer has accelerated over the course of the year.

“What we are learning, particularly in the last six months, is that we see a real shift within the apparel-and-footwear industry as individuals are questioning their relationship to materials and products and questioning their values as it relates to the planet as a whole and also consumption and production,” Perkins said.

With a goal to reduce its specific greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030, Lenzing believes its introduction of a carbon-zero product will facilitate its arrival at this goal. While Lenzing notes that it is the first wood-based fiber manufacturer in the industry with approved Science Based Targets, Heubrandner sees this latest product as reaching beyond those guidelines.

“I think it will help us because Tencel Carbon Zero goes beyond the Science Based Targets,” he said. “Also, it makes our sustainability leadership and commitment even more prominent and will motivate us to offer more and more products in a carbon neutral way and turn our sites more sustainable faster.”

Adhering to an approach rooted in “progress, not perfection,” Heubrandner sees hope as brands that are committing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals continue to receive increasing acknowledgment for their efforts. As a personal observation, he often recognizes these brands as sources for “cool” approaches to design and branding, sentiments he feels are shared by many consumers.

“I think the current crisis has shown us that we can all make a contribution. Every ton of CO2 that gets avoided counts,” Heubrandner said. “Also, consumers start paying more attention to these initiatives as they understand the environmental impact that the fashion industry has on our planet.”

[sadoldjonny]

(via Confronting the Climate Challenge in Face of the Pandemic – SDG Media Zone, High-Level Week, 75th session of the UN General Assembly (19 September 2020))

[un-enfant-immature]

The Europas Awards goes virtual: Votes, workshops, pitches, networking, live awards & DJs

The Europas Awards for European Tech Startups is doing what everyone in tech has done before: pivoting! Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be ‘going virtual’ on an amazing new platform, to be unveiled. (OK, but not VR – just yet!). A percentage of proceeds from the event will be donated to charities across Europe helping to fight the pandemic.

Judging will be entirely virtual and the Awards themselves will be announced live on 25th June at an online event which will feature special guests, and live entertainment — so we can party!. All long-listed companies in the People’s Vote will be showcased on TechCrunch.

Of key interest to startups short-listed in the awards will be the opportunity to attend over 20 workshops built around the awards categories, to which investors will be invited. That’s 20+hours of programming. Shortlisted companies will be able to pitch live on the platform, with slides. IN addition the “Pathfounder Sessions” will offer exclusive workshops with specially invited guests, aimed at European startups raising money at this time.

If you’d like to talk about sponsoring, please contact Claire Dobson on claire@thepathfounder.com. Sponsors will be able to attend and participate in workshops.

The application form to enter is here.

NEW CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 24 April 2020

Our new platform will even allow everyone to network virtually and easily exchange contact details, just as you would at a real-world event.

Our virtual attendees will be limited to only 500 people, and will include only Investors, Founders and Senior Executives of mid to late-stage companies as well as some of the newest companies on the scene.

The Europas is always attended by journalists from major tech titles, newspapers and business broadcasters, and will still be.

The initial long-list will draw from late-stage seed and Series A companies tackling these ambitious goals with proven product-market fit and growing traction who have been carefully scouted and invited to apply.

We are delighted to unveil our judges for the awards, listed below.

The Awards — which have been running for over 10 years — will be live held on the evening of 25 June 2020 from the London time zone.

TechCrunch is once more the exclusive media sponsor of the awards and conference, alongside The Pathfounder.

We’re scouting for the top late-stage seed and Series A startups in 23 categories. After a decade of identifying the most innovative tech startups in Europe including Spotify, Transferwise, Soundcloud, and Babylon Health, The Europas has shown itself capable of finding Europe’s hottest startups. The Europas Awards have been going for the last 10 years, and we’re the only independent and editorially driven event to recognise the European tech startup scene. The winners have been featured in Reuters, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, Forbes, Tech.eu, The Memo, Smart Company, CNET, many others — and of course, TechCrunch.

You can nominate a startup, accelerator or venture investor that you think deserves to be recognized for their achievements in the last 12 months. This year we are particularly looking at startups that are able to address the SDGs/Globals Goals.

Timeline of The Europas Awards deadlines:

24 April___________Final deadline to submit applications 27 April___________All startups notified of longlist 04 May_____________Public voting begins 17 May_____________Public voting ends 25 May_____________Shortlist announced 26 May – 16 June___Awards Category Deep Dives + Pitches 17- 23 June________Pathfounder Workshops 25 June____________Winners announced / Virtual Awards

The Pathfounder Workshops Prior to the awards we will be holding special, premium content events The Pathfounder, designed be a “fast download” into the European tech scene for founders looking to raise money or enhance their business. This will be followed by the awards!

The Europas “Diversity Pass” We’d like to encourage more diversity in tech! That’s why we’ve set aside a block of free tickets to ensure that pre-seed female and BAME founders are represented at The Europas. This limited tranche of free tickets ensures that we include more women and people of colour who are specifically “pre-seed” or “seed-stage” tech startup founders. If you are a women/BAME founder, apply here for a chance to be considered for one of the limited free diversity passes to the event.

Lastly, remember: stay home, stay safe!

Meet our speakers and judges:

Anne Boden CEO Starling Bank Anne Boden is founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a fast-growing U.K. digital bank targeting millions of users who live their lives on their phones. After a distinguished career in senior leadership at some of the world’s best-known financial heavyweights, she set out to build her own mobile bank from scratch in 2014. Today, Starling has opened more than one million current accounts for individuals and small businesses and raised hundreds of millions of pounds in backing. Anne was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018.

Bernhard Niesner CEO and c-founder busuu Bernhard co-founded busuu in 2008 following an MBA project and has since led the company to become the world’s largest community for language learning, with more than 90 million users across the globe. Before starting busuu, Bernhard worked as a consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He graduated summa cum laude in International Business from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and holds an MBA with honours from IE Business School. Bernhard is an active mentor and business angel in the startup community and an advisor to the Austrian Government on education affairs. Bernhard recently received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 UK Awards in the Disruptor category.

Chris Morton CEO and founder Lyst Chris is the founder and CEO of Lyst, the world’s biggest fashion search platform used by 104 million shoppers each year. Including over 6 million products from brands including Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Prada and Saint Laurent, Lyst offers shoppers convenience and unparalleled choice in one place. Launched in London in 2010, Lyst’s investors include LVMH, 14W, Balderton and Accel Partners. Prior to founding Lyst, Chris was an investor at Benchmark Capital and Balderton Capital in London, focusing on the early-stage consumer internet space. He holds an MA in physics and philosophy from Cambridge University.

Claire Novorol Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer Ada Health Dr. Claire Novorol is Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Ada Health. Prior to founding Ada, Claire worked as a Paediatrician within the NHS before specialising in Clinical Genetics. She has degrees in Pathology and Medicine as well as a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. Claire is also the founder of Doctorpreneurs, a global community for healthcare professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. She is a member of the Advisory Team Steering Group for the AHSN Network Community for Artificial Intelligence, an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a member of the UK Digital Health Council. In 2018, Claire was featured on Business Insider’s Tech 100: The 100 coolest people in UK tech and Forbes’ Europe’s Top 50 Women in Tech, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing on healthtech.

Clare Jones Chief Commercial Officer what3words Clare is the chief commercial officer of what3words; prior to this, her background was in the development and growth of social enterprises and in impact investment. Clare was featured in the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list for technology and is involved with London companies tackling social/environmental challenges. Clare also volunteers with the Streetlink project, doing health outreach work with vulnerable women in South London.

Emily Orton Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer Darktrace Emily is responsible for global marketing and communications, a role she has held since Darktrace’s foundation in 2013. She is also a commentator on cyber security issues and has appeared in leading media outlets including BBC News, Sky News and Channel 4. Emily has ten years’ experience in technology marketing. She has an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge.

Husayn Kassai CEO and co-founder Onfido Husayn Kassai is the Onfido CEO and co-founder. Onfido helps businesses digitally onboard users by verifying any government ID and comparing it with the person’s facial biometrics. Founded in 2012, Onfido has grown to a team of 300 across SF, NYC and London; received over $100 million in funding from Salesforce, Microsoft and others; and works with over 1,500 fintech, banking and marketplace clients globally. Husayn is a WEF Tech Pioneer; a Forbes Contributor; and Forbes’ “30 Under 30”. He has a BA in economics and management from Keble College, Oxford.

Julia Hawkins Partner LocalGlobe Julia Hawkins is a Partner at LocalGlobe. Previously, Julia worked at Goldman Sachs, Last.fm, BBC Worldwide and most recently Universal Music where she set up their Corporate Venture arm and led investments in ROLI and Sofar Sounds among others. Julia enjoys working with mission driven founders and has a keen interest in consumer, entertainment, media and health tech from wellness to genomics. She holds a 1st from LSE, is a Kauffman Fellow and Board Trustee of Shwachman Diamond Syndrome UK, a charity dedicated to finding a cure for SDS, a rare genetic disease.

Kieran O’Neill CEO and co-founder Thread Thread makes it easy for guys to dress well. They combine expert stylists with powerful AI to recommend the perfect clothes for each person. Thread is used by more than 1 million men in the U.K., and has raised $35 million from top investors, including Balderton Capital, the founders of DeepMind and the billionaire former owner of Warner Music. Prior to Thread, Kieran founded one of the first video sharing websites at age 15 and sold it for $1.25 million at age 19. He was then CEO and co-founder of Playfire, the largest social network for gamers, which he grew to 1.5 million customers before being acquired in 2012. He’s a member of the Forbes, Drapers and Financial Times 30 Under 30 lists.

Lina Wenner Principal Firstminute Capital Lina joined firstminute from the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked alongside global corporates across Consumer, Energy and Heavy Industrials, advising on digital strategy, restructuring and M&A as a member of the corporate finance team. She gained an MPhil in Management from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Economics and Statistics from the University College Utrecht, the Netherlands, where she graduated with Summa Cum Laude. At firstminute, Lina leads on sourcing for the Nordic and German-speaking regions and has a strong interest in digital health, robotics, direct-to-consumer brands and femtech. ​She sits as a board ​observer of Evolution AI.

Luca Bocchio Principal Accel Luca Bocchio joined Accel in 2018 and focuses on consumer internet, fintech and software businesses. Luca led Accel’s investment in Luko, Bryter and Brumbrum. Luca also helped lead Accel’s investment and ongoing work in Sennder. Prior to Accel, Luca was with H14, where he invested in global early and growth-stage opportunities, such as Deliveroo, GetYourGuide, Flixbus, SumUp and SecretEscapes. Luca previously advised technology, industrial and consumer companies on strategy with Bain & Co. in Europe and Asia. Luca is from Italy and graduated from LIUC University.

Nate Lanxon (Speaker) Editor and Tech Correspondent Bloomberg Nate is an editor and tech correspondent for Bloomberg, based in London. For over a decade, he has particularly focused on the consumer technology sector, and the trends shaping the global industry. Previous to this, he was senior editor at Bloomberg Media and was head of digital editorial for Bloomberg.com in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nate has held numerous roles across the most respected titles in tech, including stints as editor of WIRED.co.uk, editor-in-chief of Ars Technica UK and senior editor at CBS-owned CNET. Nate launched his professional career as a journalist by founding a small tech and gaming website called Tech’s Message, which is now the name of his weekly technology podcast hosted at natelanxon.com.

Tania Boler CEO and founder Elvie Tania is an internationally recognized women’s health expert and has held leadership positions for various global NGOs and the United Nations. Passionate about challenging taboo women’s issues, Tania founded Elvie in 2013, partnering with Alexander Asseily to create a global hub of connected health and lifestyle products for women.

Holly Jacobus Investment Partner Joyance Partners, New York Holly Jacobus is an Investment Partner with Joyance Partners, investing in companies with the capacity to deliver Delightful Moments in US and EU. Her focus is new foods, consumer packaged goods, sexual wellness, femtech, farmtech and earth-positive manufacturing methods. Holly spent her career growing startups through early stage sales and PR, most recently as the Chief Revenue Officer at Citia, a NYC based global content creation, storage and distribution platform servicing Fortune 500 brands including GE (global), Mastercard (US), Viacom (global), and P&G (global). Holly was raised on a farm in California where she became the first graduate of Stanford University’s online high school (EPGY OHS) and an Academic All American Volleyball Player. She later studied bioengineering at UC Berkeley and French at Georgetown University where she played D1 Volleyball. When Holly isn’t investing or helping companies scale, you can find her backpacking the Sierra Nevadas or skiing the Tetons with her dog Smoky. Recent investments include: Unbound, WholyMe, TeaCrush, Finless Foods, Loli, MushLab, Weller, & Sigrid Therapeutics.

[triptychgroupeight-blog]

SUSTAINABILITY of the brand

How do we want to implement sustainability into our concept?

Life of the garment after the use?

swap it at events

damaged things can be send in/hand in to be recycled; then you will get a discount

What is the sustainable essence of the brand?

the events

less collections

no fast fashion

producing local in Europe

sustainable materials

stands on festivals

studio

What is the core of sustainability for our brand?

Return clothing? Exchanging?

How does the concept can be translated into the marketing?

How will we convince the customer?

transparent supply chain

returning / handing in

Responsible:

Packagin

Marketing

Marketing:

Social Media as Medium, but nothing is filtered or edited, only show the raw pictures

no fotoshootings at studios but just on the street to safe energy of the studio lights

Guerilla Marketing with events in different cities

word-of-mouth recommendation

no printing flyers and posters

physical store (tent)

sell at festivals in a tent

fashion fairs

swapping events

recycle leftover materials into new pieces of the new collection (example patchwork of the Adidas tracksuits)

online store, instagram

studio: repairing, see us working, hand in the old things; no screen zone

Meeting:

multifunctional

Patchwork

reused material

film tapes (hint to the movie)

cables

afterlife

repurposing

sustainable statement (how and why?)

Anim Sustainability

Sustainable statement

The main focus of our sustainable concept is the repurposing.

Compared to an Alter Ego, who has a second life, we also try to give all of the materials we use a second life by repurposing their functions in something new.

Sustainability is an essential part of every company by the year 2030. The long-term effects of climate change are all present and the world still has to change the behaviour.

The SDG’s have to be implemented into companies by this year, so we don’t especially focus on working on them.

Marketing

Our motto is back to the roots, so we try to work analog again.

Selling Points

Instead of a normal physical store, we have a studio. There, you can see our work in progress, hand in your old clothing so that we can upcycle it and you can take part in workshops. This studio is also a screen-free zone where you just feel free and there is no pressure and you can feel free.

SDGs

3: Good Health and Well-Being

5: Gender Equality / 10: Reduced Inequalities

12: Responsible Consumption

Awareness Platform

social media used to make people aware of its bad sides

Events:

promote

takes place on locations where is a lot of traffic

collaborate with places

nomad style

secret appointment

make flyers from used paper like newspapers

workshops for upcycling and swapping

“come find us in the real world”  

stay away from news/articles

[abujaihs-blog]

N900b Probe: Senators, Reps To Return Fake Projects Funds

Investigators are hitting the road today in search of lawmakers’ N900b constituency projects in states. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is verifying constituency projects executed by immediate past senators and members of the House of Representatives. The commission said it will make recoveries on projects/contracts confirmed to have been inflated or in which contractors underperformed or did not perform at all. To be verified are 180 key projects in the 36 states at the rate of five per state. The probe covers projects between 2015 and 2018 embarked upon by members of the 8th National Assembly.   About 2, 516 projects were tracked between 2015 and 2017. Of the lot, 918 were not done, 395 ongoing and 214 cannot be located.

According to a document released by the spokesperson for the commission, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, the first phase will be conducted in 12 states. The states are: Kogi and Benue (North-Central); Adamawa and Bauchi (North-East); Sokoto and Kano (North-West); Imo and Enugu (South-East); Lagos and Osun (South-West); and Akwa Ibom and Edo (South-South). Okoduwa said members of the Steering Committee of the investigation/ verification team were drawn from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, “Premium Times”, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the Public and Private Development Centre, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Community for Peace & Corrupt-free Society and BudgIT. The document said: “The first phase of the exercise is to commence in 12 states across the six geo-political zones of the country from Tuesday. At least five projects have been identified for tracking in each state. “Site visits in each state by the tracking team will involve ICPC and representatives of other members of the Steering Committee as well as a competent officer from the executing agency for each project. The tracking teams is to: investigate fraudulent procurement practices in the award of contracts for constituency projects and other projects with potential to impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians; monitor in collaboration with critical stakeholders, the implementation of constituency projects from inception to completion; make recoveries on projects/contracts confirmed to have been inflated or in which contractors underperformed or did not perform at all; Track contracting companies for all statutory regulatory compliance, including, among others but not limited to, tax obligations. The ICPC listed expected outcomes as improved delivery of social welfare services to the citizens; value for money in execution of public projects; increased performance of the Commission’s enforcement mandate; enhanced collaboration between the Commission, CSOs and the media; increase in the quality and quantity of shared information/intelligence; increase in recovery of public funds; and improved opportunity for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, gave a three-year breakdown of the projects done by the lawmakers. He said: “The level of implementation of constituency projects in 16 focus states for 2015 is revealing. Out of 436 constituency projects for the year that were tracked, 145 were completed, 77 ongoing while 211 were not executed at all. “For 2016, out of a total of 852 constituency projects in 20 states in the 2016 Budget that were tracked, 350 were completed, 118 were ongoing, 41 locations not specified in the budget and 343 not done or performed. “In 2017, a total of 1,228 constituency projects in the budget were tracked for performance as at June 2018. Out of these, 478 were completed, 173 in unspecified location, 200 ongoing, 13 abandoned and 364 not started. The level of performance of constituency projects is therefore disputable.” He said constituency projects had been turned into avenues of corruption. Owasanoye added: “Constituency projects are intended to be developmental, such as provision of water, rural electrification, rural clinics, schools, community centres and bursary for indigent students.

“In the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects and based on actual releases by the government, it is firmly believed that the impact of constituency projects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians ought to be more visible. “Regrettably, available statistics from open sources paint a bleak picture of the level of performance or delivery of constituency projects. “Over the years, constituency projects have become enmeshed in controversy among non-state actors, the promoters of the projects and the communities that are supposed to benefit from the projects. “The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents, many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption.” Source: thenationonlineng Read the full article

[endenogatai]

The Europas Awards goes virtual: Votes, workshops, pitches, networking, live awards & DJs

The Europas Awards for European Tech Startups is doing what everyone in tech has done before: pivoting! Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be ‘going virtual’ on an amazing new platform, to be unveiled. (OK, but not VR – just yet!). A percentage of proceeds from the event will be donated to charities across Europe helping to fight the pandemic.

Judging will be entirely virtual and the Awards themselves will be announced live on 25th June at an online event which will feature special guests, and live entertainment — so we can party!. All long-listed companies in the People’s Vote will be showcased on TechCrunch.

Of key interest to startups short-listed in the awards will be the opportunity to attend over 20 workshops built around the awards categories, to which investors will be invited. That’s 20+hours of programming. Shortlisted companies will be able to pitch live on the platform, with slides. IN addition the “Pathfounder Sessions” will offer exclusive workshops with specially invited guests, aimed at European startups raising money at this time.

If you’d like to talk about sponsoring, please contact Claire Dobson on claire@thepathfounder.com. Sponsors will be able to attend and participate in workshops.

The application form to enter is here.

NEW CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 24 April 2020

Our new platform will even allow everyone to network virtually and easily exchange contact details, just as you would at a real-world event.

Our virtual attendees will be limited to only 500 people, and will include only Investors, Founders and Senior Executives of mid to late-stage companies as well as some of the newest companies on the scene.

The Europas is always attended by journalists from major tech titles, newspapers and business broadcasters, and will still be.

The initial long-list will draw from late-stage seed and Series A companies tackling these ambitious goals with proven product-market fit and growing traction who have been carefully scouted and invited to apply.

We are delighted to unveil our judges for the awards, listed below.

The Awards — which have been running for over 10 years — will be live held on the evening of 25 June 2020 from the London time zone.

TechCrunch is once more the exclusive media sponsor of the awards and conference, alongside The Pathfounder.

We’re scouting for the top late-stage seed and Series A startups in 23 categories. After a decade of identifying the most innovative tech startups in Europe including Spotify, Transferwise, Soundcloud, and Babylon Health, The Europas has shown itself capable of finding Europe’s hottest startups. The Europas Awards have been going for the last 10 years, and we’re the only independent and editorially driven event to recognise the European tech startup scene. The winners have been featured in Reuters, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, Forbes, Tech.eu, The Memo, Smart Company, CNET, many others — and of course, TechCrunch.

You can nominate a startup, accelerator or venture investor that you think deserves to be recognized for their achievements in the last 12 months. This year we are particularly looking at startups that are able to address the SDGs/Globals Goals.

Timeline of The Europas Awards deadlines:

24 April___________Final deadline to submit applications 27 April___________All startups notified of longlist 04 May_____________Public voting begins 17 May_____________Public voting ends 25 May_____________Shortlist announced 26 May – 16 June___Awards Category Deep Dives + Pitches 17- 23 June________Pathfounder Workshops 25 June____________Winners announced / Virtual Awards

The Pathfounder Workshops Prior to the awards we will be holding special, premium content events The Pathfounder, designed be a “fast download” into the European tech scene for founders looking to raise money or enhance their business. This will be followed by the awards!

The Europas “Diversity Pass” We’d like to encourage more diversity in tech! That’s why we’ve set aside a block of free tickets to ensure that pre-seed female and BAME founders are represented at The Europas. This limited tranche of free tickets ensures that we include more women and people of colour who are specifically “pre-seed” or “seed-stage” tech startup founders. If you are a women/BAME founder, apply here for a chance to be considered for one of the limited free diversity passes to the event.

Lastly, remember: stay home, stay safe!

Meet our speakers and judges:

Anne Boden CEO Starling Bank Anne Boden is founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a fast-growing U.K. digital bank targeting millions of users who live their lives on their phones. After a distinguished career in senior leadership at some of the world’s best-known financial heavyweights, she set out to build her own mobile bank from scratch in 2014. Today, Starling has opened more than one million current accounts for individuals and small businesses and raised hundreds of millions of pounds in backing. Anne was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018.

Bernhard Niesner CEO and c-founder busuu Bernhard co-founded busuu in 2008 following an MBA project and has since led the company to become the world’s largest community for language learning, with more than 90 million users across the globe. Before starting busuu, Bernhard worked as a consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He graduated summa cum laude in International Business from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and holds an MBA with honours from IE Business School. Bernhard is an active mentor and business angel in the startup community and an advisor to the Austrian Government on education affairs. Bernhard recently received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 UK Awards in the Disruptor category.

Chris Morton CEO and founder Lyst Chris is the founder and CEO of Lyst, the world’s biggest fashion search platform used by 104 million shoppers each year. Including over 6 million products from brands including Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Prada and Saint Laurent, Lyst offers shoppers convenience and unparalleled choice in one place. Launched in London in 2010, Lyst’s investors include LVMH, 14W, Balderton and Accel Partners. Prior to founding Lyst, Chris was an investor at Benchmark Capital and Balderton Capital in London, focusing on the early-stage consumer internet space. He holds an MA in physics and philosophy from Cambridge University.

Claire Novorol Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer Ada Health Dr. Claire Novorol is Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Ada Health. Prior to founding Ada, Claire worked as a Paediatrician within the NHS before specialising in Clinical Genetics. She has degrees in Pathology and Medicine as well as a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. Claire is also the founder of Doctorpreneurs, a global community for healthcare professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. She is a member of the Advisory Team Steering Group for the AHSN Network Community for Artificial Intelligence, an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a member of the UK Digital Health Council. In 2018, Claire was featured on Business Insider’s Tech 100: The 100 coolest people in UK tech and Forbes’ Europe’s Top 50 Women in Tech, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing on healthtech.

Clare Jones Chief Commercial Officer what3words Clare is the chief commercial officer of what3words; prior to this, her background was in the development and growth of social enterprises and in impact investment. Clare was featured in the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list for technology and is involved with London companies tackling social/environmental challenges. Clare also volunteers with the Streetlink project, doing health outreach work with vulnerable women in South London.

Emily Orton Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer Darktrace Emily is responsible for global marketing and communications, a role she has held since Darktrace’s foundation in 2013. She is also a commentator on cyber security issues and has appeared in leading media outlets including BBC News, Sky News and Channel 4. Emily has ten years’ experience in technology marketing. She has an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge.

Husayn Kassai CEO and co-founder Onfido Husayn Kassai is the Onfido CEO and co-founder. Onfido helps businesses digitally onboard users by verifying any government ID and comparing it with the person’s facial biometrics. Founded in 2012, Onfido has grown to a team of 300 across SF, NYC and London; received over $100 million in funding from Salesforce, Microsoft and others; and works with over 1,500 fintech, banking and marketplace clients globally. Husayn is a WEF Tech Pioneer; a Forbes Contributor; and Forbes’ “30 Under 30”. He has a BA in economics and management from Keble College, Oxford.

Julia Hawkins Partner LocalGlobe Julia Hawkins is a Partner at LocalGlobe. Previously, Julia worked at Goldman Sachs, Last.fm, BBC Worldwide and most recently Universal Music where she set up their Corporate Venture arm and led investments in ROLI and Sofar Sounds among others. Julia enjoys working with mission driven founders and has a keen interest in consumer, entertainment, media and health tech from wellness to genomics. She holds a 1st from LSE, is a Kauffman Fellow and Board Trustee of Shwachman Diamond Syndrome UK, a charity dedicated to finding a cure for SDS, a rare genetic disease.

Kieran O’Neill CEO and co-founder Thread Thread makes it easy for guys to dress well. They combine expert stylists with powerful AI to recommend the perfect clothes for each person. Thread is used by more than 1 million men in the U.K., and has raised $35 million from top investors, including Balderton Capital, the founders of DeepMind and the billionaire former owner of Warner Music. Prior to Thread, Kieran founded one of the first video sharing websites at age 15 and sold it for $1.25 million at age 19. He was then CEO and co-founder of Playfire, the largest social network for gamers, which he grew to 1.5 million customers before being acquired in 2012. He’s a member of the Forbes, Drapers and Financial Times 30 Under 30 lists.

Lina Wenner Principal Firstminute Capital Lina joined firstminute from the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked alongside global corporates across Consumer, Energy and Heavy Industrials, advising on digital strategy, restructuring and M&A as a member of the corporate finance team. She gained an MPhil in Management from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Economics and Statistics from the University College Utrecht, the Netherlands, where she graduated with Summa Cum Laude. At firstminute, Lina leads on sourcing for the Nordic and German-speaking regions and has a strong interest in digital health, robotics, direct-to-consumer brands and femtech. ​She sits as a board ​observer of Evolution AI.

Luca Bocchio Principal Accel Luca Bocchio joined Accel in 2018 and focuses on consumer internet, fintech and software businesses. Luca led Accel’s investment in Luko, Bryter and Brumbrum. Luca also helped lead Accel’s investment and ongoing work in Sennder. Prior to Accel, Luca was with H14, where he invested in global early and growth-stage opportunities, such as Deliveroo, GetYourGuide, Flixbus, SumUp and SecretEscapes. Luca previously advised technology, industrial and consumer companies on strategy with Bain & Co. in Europe and Asia. Luca is from Italy and graduated from LIUC University.

Nate Lanxon (Speaker) Editor and Tech Correspondent Bloomberg Nate is an editor and tech correspondent for Bloomberg, based in London. For over a decade, he has particularly focused on the consumer technology sector, and the trends shaping the global industry. Previous to this, he was senior editor at Bloomberg Media and was head of digital editorial for Bloomberg.com in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nate has held numerous roles across the most respected titles in tech, including stints as editor of WIRED.co.uk, editor-in-chief of Ars Technica UK and senior editor at CBS-owned CNET. Nate launched his professional career as a journalist by founding a small tech and gaming website called Tech’s Message, which is now the name of his weekly technology podcast hosted at natelanxon.com.

Tania Boler CEO and founder Elvie Tania is an internationally recognized women’s health expert and has held leadership positions for various global NGOs and the United Nations. Passionate about challenging taboo women’s issues, Tania founded Elvie in 2013, partnering with Alexander Asseily to create a global hub of connected health and lifestyle products for women.

Holly Jacobus Investment Partner Joyance Partners, New York Holly Jacobus is an Investment Partner with Joyance Partners, investing in companies with the capacity to deliver Delightful Moments in US and EU. Her focus is new foods, consumer packaged goods, sexual wellness, femtech, farmtech and earth-positive manufacturing methods. Holly spent her career growing startups through early stage sales and PR, most recently as the Chief Revenue Officer at Citia, a NYC based global content creation, storage and distribution platform servicing Fortune 500 brands including GE (global), Mastercard (US), Viacom (global), and P&G (global). Holly was raised on a farm in California where she became the first graduate of Stanford University’s online high school (EPGY OHS) and an Academic All American Volleyball Player. She later studied bioengineering at UC Berkeley and French at Georgetown University where she played D1 Volleyball. When Holly isn’t investing or helping companies scale, you can find her backpacking the Sierra Nevadas or skiing the Tetons with her dog Smoky. Recent investments include: Unbound, WholyMe, TeaCrush, Finless Foods, Loli, MushLab, Weller, & Sigrid Therapeutics.

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