Decarbonization in Cultural and Creative Sectors

NOW Partners: From the COP29 Green Zone

NOW Partners Foundations' Managing Partner Daniël Povel, spoke recently in the COP29 Green Zone at the Azerbaijan Art Pavilion. The panel brought together a broad selection of experts to address international decarbonization in cultural and creative sectors.

Panel on Decarbonization in Cultural and Creative Sectors in the Green Zone. © bFuture

Speakers included:

Sadagat Davudova, Deputy Chairman of Reserves Management Center of Azerbaijan (moderator)
Ramil Abbakirov, bFuture
Daniel Povel, NOW Partners Foundation, EoL Global, Economy of Love
Annateresa Rondinella, UNESCO Chair on "Sustainable Energy Communities” of the University of Pisa
Paola Borrione, President and Head of Research at Fondazione Santagata for the Economics of Culture

Decreasing Emissions, Offsetting Unavoidable Emissions

Within the discussion of decreasing CO2 emissions in the cultural sector, Daniel Povel, of NOW Partners Foundation & EoL Global, highlighted the importance of a threefold view on sustainability: cultural, social and ecological.

The culture sector has many options available to reduce emissions. Povel highlighted various strategies for cultural institutions to reduce their carbon footprint, including:

Improving energy efficiency: Implementing insulation, solar energy, and other measures to minimize energy consumption.
Sustainable waste management: Reducing waste generation and promoting responsible disposal, particularly at festivals and events.
Regenerative food sourcing: Offering food produced through regenerative agricultural practices.

In addition to these measures, which support institutions to reduce their emissions, they can also develop plans to offset the unavoidable emissions.

The remaining emissions that cannot be avoided can be offset directly or indirectly through carbon neutral carbon credits. These can be purchased as Carbon Credits like EoL’s Whole System Carbon Credits - which provide fair compensation to farmers for their crucial social and ecosystem services. In the case of EoL, farmers are trained in regenerative, organic and biodynamic farming methods - all of which sequester higher levels of carbon than industrial agriculture, in addition to regenerating degraded soil, increasing water absorption and improving resilience when faced with drought and flood.

Povel emphasized that carbon credits are not intended as a stand alone solution, but rather as a tool in addition to the essential reduction of systemic carbon emissions.

Povel commented, "Here at COP29 we are launching EoL Global, which marks a pivotal moment in sustainable development. The EoL Carbon Credit system has been proven successful in Egypt, is available on the Egyptian stock exchange and endorsed by the Financial Regulatory Authority. It not only mitigates climate impact but also uplifts tens of thousands of Egyptian farmers. With EoL Global, we are now scaling this system globally in partnership with the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA) and NOW Partners Foundation - to internationally expand high-integrity carbon credits globally, supporting both environmental sustainability and farmer livelihoods."

See also: forum special entry on COP29 - A collection of reports and comments by forum correspondents

Kontakt: NOW Partners Foundation | info@now.partners | www.now.partners

Umwelt | Klima, 21.11.2024