On EU side, the meeting was also attended by Executive Vice-President of the Commission for An Economy that Works for the People and interim Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen. On the Angolan side, the Minister of Economy and Planning Srgio dos Santos and the Minister of Industry and Trade Victor Fernandes took part in the meeting.

The meeting covered a broad range of topics that include political and security issues, the upcoming EU-AU summit, the COVID impact and response, the future of EU-Angola bilateral cooperation and trade and investment relations.

As the fourth biggest economy of Sub-Saharan Africa, and with its geographical position - straddling central and southern Africa - Angola has an important role to play to contribute to regional stability and promoting democratic values in a region where several neighbouring countries are facing domestic challenges and where persistent drivers of conflict are present.

During the meeting, the EU and Angola agreed to launch a roadmap aiming to establish a partnership on Security and Defence. The initial focus will be on consolidating the global rules-based order in support of the UN and the African Union, on possible Angolan participation in EU CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) missions and operations, and on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Angola has faced serious recessionary pressures, linked to a combination of factors including a severe reduction in oil revenue and the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joao Loureno, elected in 2017, has dedicated his leadership to modernizing the economy, improving the business and investment climate and deepening the democratic system.

The EU is actively supporting this reform dynamic. As an act of solidarity, Commissioner Urpilainen has announced an additional 20 million funding tosupport Angolas Covid-19 socio-economic response including economic restructuring. A business event focused on specific value chains will be organised in the coming months. One of the concrete actions that is already being launched in Angola is the development of coffee production, processing and marketing, developing a resource that can generate jobs and added value for the country.

In the near future, both parties are exploring the possibility of having an EU-Angola investment agreement focusing on investment facilitation, on top of the possibility for Angola to join the EU-SADC EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement).

In Angola, the EU is funding programs in areas that are essential for the populations well-being, supporting the fight against poverty and education. The areas of the cooperation include State capacity building to foster Angolas stability; job creation to build a viable future for the youth; and economic diversification to make the economy more resilient. Among other programmes, projects in sustainable agriculture, water and sanitation as well as technical/vocational training and higher education are also being implemented.

For more information: 5th Angola-EU Ministerial Meeting - Joint Way Forward

See more here:

Angola and the EU strengthen their multidimensional partnership and increase the Covid-19 response by 20 million - EU News

"Our state-of-the-art infrastructure and thriving business climate has kept Texas the top state for economic prosperity," said Gov. Abbott.

TEXAS, USA Editor's note: The related video was published in July 2018.

Texas is the best state when it comes to infrastructure and corporate investment, according to Site Selection Magazine.

The publication uses what it calls its Global Groundwork Index to rank states based on investment trends in infrastructure projects and corporate end-use facility projects like roads, bridges, airports, tunnels, pipelines, utilities, railroads to develop its rankings.

Site Selection publishes details for those involved in expansion-planning decisions, such as CEOs, corporate real estate executives and facility planners, human resource managers and corporate consultants. This is the third year the Global Groundwork Index is to be released, which uses a combination of data from Conway Analytics Conway Projects Database and a database from global infrastructure advisory and events firm CG/LA.

"Thanks to our premier workforce, Texas has been ranked #1 on Site Selections Global Groundwork Index, said Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure and thriving business climate has kept Texas the top state for economic prosperity. As our economy rebounds from the COVID downturn, we will continue strengthening our infrastructure, creating more jobs, and fostering a more prosperous economic environment for all Texans.

Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott received the magazines Governor's Cup Award for a record-breaking seventh year in a row. It was the 15th time a governor from the state of Texas won the award, which is more than any other state.

Follow this link:

Texas named top state for infrastructure and corporate investment by Site Selection Magazine - KVUE.com

The Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Market reports gives a far reaching review of the worldwide market size and global trends with values. Saas-based Enterprise Resource Planning Market reports additionally give a multi-year pre-memorable for the segment and remember information for financial information of worldwide. Key partners can think about measurements, tables and figures referenced in this report for vital arranging which lead to achievement of the association.

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New York, Sept. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Renewable Chemicals Industry" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p0305180/?utm_source=GNW The many disadvantages of traditional petrochemicals driving interest in renewable chemicals include major role in contributing towards environmental pollution; resource limitations; and generation of toxic byproducts and effluents. As the circular economy becomes the new normal, renewable chemicals will become mainstream feedstock`s in production activities. The circular economy flaunts the potential to create over US$5. 6 trillion worth of new opportunities for eco-friendly technologies among which renewable chemicals stands strong. Ozone depleting use of chemicals such as CFCs are already being phased out as the focus shifts to biosphere integrity. The circular transition impacts all industries and the use of renewable chemicals will expand far and wide across the manufacturing space. The market stands to benefit from technology innovations such as development of new renewable chemical platforms; evolving supply chains to support demand for alternative feedstock`s; innovation in production processes; continuous scaling up of commercial production; and increased research and development interest in green chemistry. Biomass is currently a rich renewable source for developing eco-friendly chemicals for industrial applications. Pyrolysis is an emerging technology that promises commercial level success in converting biomass into bio-oil, char and gases. While alcohols have been the major product segment that has achieved tremendous success over the years, other renewables such as polymers are growing in prominence in recent years.

Demand for renewable chemicals in the polymers segment is growing rapidly primarily driven by growing applications of bio-polymers in the production of biodegradable and compostable plastics and in various consumer goods such as laptops and cell phones. Thanks to increasing fossil fuel feedstock prices, chemical commodities including platform chemicals, such as itaconic acid and succinic acid, intermediates and polymers have emerged as economically viable options for producing renewable chemicals. Other noteworthy trends in the market include expanding role of renewable chemicals in consumer products as a result of the unprecedented popularity of organic and natural products; steadily growing market for bio-based chemicals and the promise it brings in cost reductions via economies of scale as manufacturers scale up production capacities to meet projected demand; focus on sustainable textile manufacturing and strong consumer demand for organic fibers and the ensuing adoption of renewable chemicals in the textile industry; biotechnological improvements in the production of bio-based succinic acid production; development of bio-isoprene to replace the use of traditional isoprene in tire and rubber production. Flaunting the world`s highest environmental standards, Europe represents the largest market worldwide. Asia-Pacific ranks including China is a major market led by factors such as rising governmental support for renewable chemicals, abundant biomass availability at low costs; growing pressure on developing markets to meet climate change goals and the resulting policy led support for promoting a sustainable environmental framework for renewable.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p0305180/?utm_source=GNW

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. MARKET OVERVIEW Renewable Chemicals: An Introduction Applications of Renewable Chemicals Feedstock Options for Renewable Chemicals Key Renewable Chemicals Technologies Types of Manufacturing Processes Renewable Chemicals: Eco-Friendly, Sustainable and Clean Alternatives to Conventional Chemicals Recent Market Activity Transition towards Green Chemical Industry: Opportunity for Renewable Chemicals Europe and the US: The Largest Renewable Chemicals Markets Worldwide Developing Countries to Spearhead Future Growth Renewable Chemistry: A Much Sought After Research Field Production Scenario Global Production Capacity of Select Bio-based Chemicals (in kt) Production Capacity of Select Bio-based Products in the EU (kt/a) Renewable Chemicals Market Fortunes Tied to the Health of Global Economy Global Economic Outlook: Real GDP Growth Rates in % by Country/ Region for the Years 2018 through 2021 Competitive Landscape What Does It Take to Survive in the Marketplace? Investment Scenario in Renewable Chemicals and Industrial Biotechnology Venture Capital Investments Continue to Slowdown Standard Measurement Frameworks: A Key Requirement for Green Investment Impact of Covid-19 and a Looming Global Recession

2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS Amyris, Inc. (USA) Archer Daniels Midland Company (USA) Avantium Technologies (The Netherlands) BASF SE (Germany) Braskem (Brazil) Cargill Incorporated (USA) Corbion NV (Netherlands) DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company, LLC (USA) Eastman Chemicals Company (USA) Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. (USA) Enerkem, Inc. (Canada) Evonik Industries AG (Germany) Genomatica, Inc. (USA) Gevo, Inc. (USA) GreenField Global, Inc. (Canada) LanzaTech, Inc. (USA) NatureWorks LLC (USA) Novamont SpA (Italy) Novozymes A/S (Denmark) PureVision Technology Inc. (USA) Royal DSM NV (Netherlands) Virent, Inc. (USA) Zea2 Boardman Bioworks (USA)

3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Increasing Focus on Environment Friendly Chemicals: A Strong Growth Driver Annual Greenhouse Gas Emission Savings by Bio-based Chemical (t CO2/t of product)) Rising Prominence of ?Green? Production Technologies to Boost Market Demand Biorefineries Grow in Prominence Sustainability: Order of the Day Renewable Technology Advancements Spearhead Growth Industrial Biotechnology: The Next Generation Technology for Developing Renewable Chemicals Favorable Government Policies Promote Market Penetration Regulations/Policies Supporting Bio-Based Chemicals in the US, Canada, and the EU Excessive Dependence on Crude Oil: A Fundamental Growth Driver Average Annual OPEC Crude Oil Price (in $/barrel) for the Years 2010 through 2019 Lignin: One of the Fastest Growing Renewable Feedstocks Increasing Usage in Aromatic Fine Chemicals Production Drives Demand for Lignin Biomass: The Largest Renewable Resource Marine Biomass Exhibits Increased Usage in Diverse Industries Algae: The Next Generation Renewable Feedstock Biomass-to-Chemicals Conversion: Challenges to Reckon with GHGs Reducing Capability Drives Demand for Renewable Alcohols Renewable Chemicals and Biofuels: Essential for Securing Future Energy Needs Ethanol Spearheads Renewable Chemicals Market Growth Demand for Cellulosic Ethanol Remains Stable Expanding Scope of Renewable Methanol as Alternative Fuel Biofuel Wastes: A Potential Renewable Feedstock Renewable Chemicals to Drive Future Growth in Bio-fuels Market Booming Shale Gas Extraction Benefits Market Growth Shale Gas Resources of Top 10 Countries Worldwide: 2019 Renewable Platform Chemicals Witness Robust Growth in Demand Global Renewable Platform Chemicals by Type (in %) for 2019 Itaconic Acid: Fully Sustainable and One of the Most Promising Platform Chemicals Global Itaconic Acid Market Breakdown by Application (in %) for 2019 Succinic Acid: Renewable Chemical with Huge Market Potential Carbon Dioxide Emissions (in Tons) Per Ton of Succinic Acid Bio-Succinic Acid: Facilitating Commoditization of Renewables Cost Structure for Bio-Succinic Acid Biosuccinic Acid Finds Application as a Chemical Building Block for Polyurethane Succinic Acid Market by Application (in %) for 2020P Synthetic Biology Gains Significance in Production of Bio-Based Chemicals and Biofuels Synthesis of Acetic Acid from Bio-based Materials Gathers Momentum Bio-Epichlorohydrin: A Niche Renewable Chemical Biocatalysts Witness Greater Demand from Chemistry Related Industries Spiraling Demand for Renewable Polymers Strengthens Market Prospects Average Biomass Content in Select Renewable Polymers Global Production Capacity of Bio-based Polymers: Breakdown (in %) by Region for 2019 Global Bioplastics & Biopolymers Market by Application (%) for 2019 Biodegradable Polymers: An Economically Viable Substitute for Conventional Polymers Starch: An Omnipresent Ingredient Bioplastics Fast Replacing Conventional Petrochemical Based Plastics Global Production Capacity of Bioplastics: Percentage Share Breakdown by Material Type for 2019 Acetic Acid: The Green Building Blocks of Eco-friendly Plastics Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics Fuel Demand for Renewable Chemicals Demand for Eco-Friendly Materials Boost Growth in Bio-Based Construction Polymers Market Bio-based Construction Polymers Market by Product in the US (in %) for 2019 Bio-based Polyurethane (PU) Market: Gaining Momentum over Conventional PU Key Challenges & Issues Hampering Widespread Adoption of Renewable Chemicals Renewable Chemicals: An Uphill Task for Producers Market Barriers Cost Competition from Traditional Sources Lack of Smooth B2B Integration Restrains Market Growth Carbon Capture Concerns over Natural Resource Depletion May Eclipse Renewable Projects High Costs of Commercialization END-USE APPLICATION INDUSTRIES: A MACRO PERSPECTIVE Automotive Production Trends to Impact Demand for Renewable Chemicals Automotive Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Rubber Manufacturing: Emerging Application Area for Renewable Chemicals Demand for Renewable Chemicals from Consumer Healthcare Sector Goes Up Consumer Healthcare Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Food Industry Shows Interest in Renewable Feedstock Food & Beverage Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Renewable Chemicals Gain Acceptance in Industrial/Manufacturing Sector Industrial Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Renewable Chemicals in Garments and Textiles Garments & Textile Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Environment Related Applications of Renewable Chemicals Environment-Related Applications of Renewable Chemicals: Percentage Breakdown by Application for 2019 Construction: An Emerging End-Use Market for Renewable Materials Renewable Chemicals in Sporting Goods

4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE Table 1: World Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 2: World Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 3: World 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 4: World Current & Future Analysis for Ethanol by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 5: World Historic Review for Ethanol by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 6: World 15-Year Perspective for Ethanol by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 7: World Current & Future Analysis for Ketones by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 8: World Historic Review for Ketones by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 9: World 15-Year Perspective for Ketones by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 10: World Current & Future Analysis for Bio Polymers by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 11: World Historic Review for Bio Polymers by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 12: World 15-Year Perspective for Bio Polymers by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 13: World Current & Future Analysis for Platform Chemicals by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 14: World Historic Review for Platform Chemicals by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 15: World 15-Year Perspective for Platform Chemicals by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 16: World Current & Future Analysis for Other Product Types by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 17: World Historic Review for Other Product Types by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 18: World 15-Year Perspective for Other Product Types by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 19: World Current & Future Analysis for Biomass by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 20: World Historic Review for Biomass by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 21: World 15-Year Perspective for Biomass by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 22: World Current & Future Analysis for Corn by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 23: World Historic Review for Corn by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 24: World 15-Year Perspective for Corn by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 25: World Current & Future Analysis for Sugarcane by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 26: World Historic Review for Sugarcane by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 27: World 15-Year Perspective for Sugarcane by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 28: World Current & Future Analysis for Algae by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 29: World Historic Review for Algae by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 30: World 15-Year Perspective for Algae by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 31: World Current & Future Analysis for Other Feedstocks by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 32: World Historic Review for Other Feedstocks by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 33: World 15-Year Perspective for Other Feedstocks by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 34: World Current & Future Analysis for Automotive by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 35: World Historic Review for Automotive by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 36: World 15-Year Perspective for Automotive by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 37: World Current & Future Analysis for Medical by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 38: World Historic Review for Medical by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 39: World 15-Year Perspective for Medical by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 40: World Current & Future Analysis for Food & Beverage by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 41: World Historic Review for Food & Beverage by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 42: World 15-Year Perspective for Food & Beverage by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 43: World Current & Future Analysis for Petrochemical by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 44: World Historic Review for Petrochemical by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 45: World 15-Year Perspective for Petrochemical by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 46: World Current & Future Analysis for Textiles by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 47: World Historic Review for Textiles by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 48: World 15-Year Perspective for Textiles by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 49: World Current & Future Analysis for Agriculture by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 50: World Historic Review for Agriculture by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 51: World 15-Year Perspective for Agriculture by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 52: World Current & Future Analysis for Other End-Uses by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2020 through 2027

Table 53: World Historic Review for Other End-Uses by Geographic Region - USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 54: World 15-Year Perspective for Other End-Uses by Geographic Region - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for USA, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa for Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

III. MARKET ANALYSIS

GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS

UNITED STATES Market Overview Government Mandates Drive Renewable Chemicals and Bio-Fuels Markets Renewable Chemicals to Replace Petrochemicals in the Long Run Biofuel Mandates Present Growth Opportunities to Overcome Weak Domestic Demand Ethanol Production Capacity in the US by State (in Million Gallons per Year) US: One of the Leading Producers of Cellulosic Ethanol Commercial Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Capacity & Status in the US Discovery of Shale Gas Promises Bright Prospects for Renewable Chemicals Federal Stimulus Funding for the Renewable Chemicals Sector Tax Credit Law Facilitates Easy Access to Capital Farm Bill: A Boon to the US Bio-Economy Market Analytics Table 55: USA Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 56: USA Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 57: USA 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 58: USA Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 59: USA Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 60: USA 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 61: USA Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 62: USA Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 63: USA 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

CANADA Table 64: Canada Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 65: Canada Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 66: Canada 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 67: Canada Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 68: Canada Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 69: Canada 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 70: Canada Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 71: Canada Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 72: Canada 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

JAPAN Table 73: Japan Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 74: Japan Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 75: Japan 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 76: Japan Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 77: Japan Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 78: Japan 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 79: Japan Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 80: Japan Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 81: Japan 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

CHINA Demand for Green Products Drives Market Growth Tight Maize Supply: A Road Block for Renewable Chemicals Market Growth Chinese Maize Production in Million Tons for the Years 2016-17 to 2019/20 Market Analytics Table 82: China Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 83: China Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 84: China 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Product Type - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Ethanol, Ketones, Bio Polymers, Platform Chemicals and Other Product Types for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 85: China Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 86: China Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 87: China 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by Feedstock - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Biomass, Corn, Sugarcane, Algae and Other Feedstocks for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

Table 88: China Current & Future Analysis for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for the Years 2020 through 2027

Table 89: China Historic Review for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses Markets - Independent Analysis of Annual Sales in US$ Billion for Years 2012 through 2019

Table 90: China 15-Year Perspective for Renewable Chemicals by End-Use - Percentage Breakdown of Value Sales for Automotive, Medical, Food & Beverage, Petrochemical, Textiles, Agriculture and Other End-Uses for the Years 2012, 2020 & 2027

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The global Renewable Chemicals market is projected to reach US$125. 6billion by 2025 - GlobeNewswire

BRUSSELS & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Today, Solvay and Veolia (Paris:VIE) are pleased to announce their partnership on a circular economy consortium to offer new solutions that promise better resource efficiency for critical metals used in lithium ion electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

With the number of electric vehicles on the road expected to grow from 8 million in 2020 to 116 million by 2030, ensuring stable access to raw materials is a strategic challenge. Furthermore, materials used today in EV batteries are not always recovered at their maximum value.

Solvay and Veolia, through its subsidiary SARP Industries, are already actively engaged in discussions with a car manufacturer and battery cell producers, to coordinate, collaborate and leverage on respective technologies and core competences at each step of the value chain - from access and spent battery feedstock to dismantling, metal extraction and purification.

Solvay's role in this consortium is to optimize the extraction and purification of critical metals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium and transform them into high-purity raw materials for new batteries, ready for another fresh start. The project demonstrates that Solvay's technologies are essential in closing the loop of circular economy. Solvay is also present in the EV and hybrid battery value chain thanks to its high-performance specialty polymers for binders and separators and specialty additives for electrolytes.

I am truly excited about our partnership with Veolia, aiming to take circularity another meaningful step forward towards cleaner mobility," explained Solvay CEO Ilham Kadri. "At Solvay, our technologies will bring new life to batteries at the end of their cycle. Our unique know-how combining Specialty Polymers, Composites and Mining solutions together with Veolias unique experience in waste management, is a fantastic opportunity to build a greener battery ecosystem.

In its recycling plant in eastern France, Veolia has already been dismantling batteries for electric vehicles since 2013. The combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical processes makes it possible to treat the active cells and extract the active metals. These metals are then used by industry and transformed into new materials.

The recycling of electric vehicle batteries and the management of the pollutants they contain are major ecological and industrial challenges. By partnering, Veolia and Solvay help develop the recycling value chain and the production of strategic raw materials for the production of new batteries. If today the essential compounds of batteries are mainly imported, tomorrow they will be regenerated in Europe, declares Antoine Frrot Chairman and CEO of Veolia.

Establishing this partnership is integral to Solvay Groups sustainability ambitions and its Solvay One Planet commitments. By 2030, Solvay will generate 15% of its revenues from either bio-based or recycled-based materials.

About Veolia

Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With nearly 179,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions which contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In 2019, the Veolia group supplied 98 million people with drinking water and 67 million people with wastewater service, produced nearly 45 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 50 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of 27.189 billion in 2019 (USD 29.9 billion). http://www.veolia.com

About Solvay

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 24,100 employees in 64 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet plan crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering better life. The Groups innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the worlds top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of 10.2 billion in 2019. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels (SOLB) and Paris and in the United States, where its shares (SOLVY) are traded through a Level I ADR program. Learn more at http://www.solvay.com.

Follow us on Twitter @SolvayGroup

Ce communiqu de presse est galement disponible en franais.Dit persbericht is ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar.

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Solvay and Veolia Partner to Renew the Life Cycle for Electric Car Batteries - Business Wire

Another shockwave has hit the Newfoundland and Labrador oil industry, with Husky Energy announcing Wednesday that it will carry out a review of the massive White Rose extension project, which was suspended in March during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision throws a major project in the province's offshore industry into limbo, as it involves thousands of construction, production and supply jobs, as well as billions of dollars in revenue for the provincial government.

In addition, the Calgary-based oil major, which operates the White Rose oil field in offshore Newfoundland,will also review "future operations" in Atlantic Canada.

"A full review of scope, schedule and cost of this project is critical, given the minimum one-year delay to first oil caused by COVID-19, and our priority of maintaining the strength of our balance sheet with ample liquidity," Husky CEO Rob Peabody said in a news release Wednesday morning.

"Unfortunately, the delay caused by COVID-19 and continued market uncertainty leaves us no choice but to undertake a full review of the project and, by extension, our future operations in Atlantic Canada."

It's a further blow to a vital industry that forms the backbone of the province's fragile economy, and has already endured repeated setbacks, including several thousand job losses,since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the worldwide economy earlier this year.

Husky's decision comes amid a campaign by business, labour and other groups to persuade the federal government to do somethingto shore up the oil industry. Indeed, Husky'sown announcementwas issued with comment from outside groups, indicating that its communications plan included co-ordinating with others.

Wednesday's announcement drew an immediate response from federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan, who offered assurances that delicate discussions are underway following months of lobbying for federal help for the industry.

"We are at the table with the province right now, hammering out the concrete steps needed to support the offshore," O'Regan stated.

"Workers and their families are at the centre of all our discussions. Our government has worked every day with the province, industry, unions, and investors to sustain the competitiveness of Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore."

Husky and its partnerssanctioned the projectthree years ago at a cost of $2.2 billion. But construction came to a halt and hundreds of workers were sent home in March because of public health concerns, a crash in oil prices driven by a collapse in the demand for transportation fuels, and a production war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

A massive concrete gravity structure was 60 per cent complete at a special graving dock in Argentia, and a smallermodule was also under construction at the Cow Head fabrication yard in Marystown.

The main topside module was being built by Kiewit in Texas.

"This is a very difficult decision for us," said Peabody.

"We know thousands of Canadian families depend economically on these well-paid construction, contract and operational jobs, and that these are not easily replaced."

Peabody said Husky has discussed the project's challenges and risks with the provincial and federal governments, and the company has proposed "ideas designed to protect jobs and the economic benefits the project will deliver."

He said the project's longer-term fundamentals remain attractive, given lower incremental costs per barrel and expected lower emissions intensity of the oil produced.

"However, sustaining project costs through a long delay in a negative economic environment is not an option," Peabody said. "We need to find a solution now."

Husky is the operator of the White Rose field and satellite extensions, which are located in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, about 350 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Husky statement also included comments from Canadian labour and business leaders, who continued the call for Ottawa to make public investments into the oil industry.

"We support government investment to move this project forward, putting thousands of unionized skilled trades people back to work immediately and ensuring decades of ongoing maintenance work on the project,"Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, said in the statement.

"Our province, region and country depend on the oil and gas industry. Newfoundland and Labrador has proven we are a place rich in resource, expertise and ability to deliver. It only makes sense for our federal government to support our industry," saidSt. John's Board of Trade chief executive officerAnn Marie Boudreau.

Meanwhile, oil industry supporters are planning a rally at Confederation Building in St. John's on Sept. 16.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

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Jobs, billions at risk as Husky announces sweeping review of White Rose extension - CBC.ca

When New York City went into lockdown, I needed to print a return label. Stores were closed, and so was my office, the land of free printing. I was moving, for the fourth time in three years this time across the ocean and trying to declutter my life as much as possible.

I was already feeling nostalgic about leaving the city and grateful for all it had taught me, and then a small act of kindness exemplified why. A neighbor casually gave me their old printer for free, through posting on our local Buy Nothing group.

Ive been on my sustainability journey for years, shopping secondhand and making my own products, but I was discovering a new way to live: I wanted to buy less. I wanted, if possible, to buy nothing at all.

Even before the pandemic, no-buy and zero-waste movements were already on the rise, as a growing social currency has developed around being a conscious consumer. The Buy Nothing project, a worldwide social movement, is the largest community of hyperlocal, volunteer-run groups on Facebook where neighbors can offer free items and services to each other, with no expectation to give anything back in return. It was founded in 2013 to encourage a circular economy where people can depend on their communities over corporations and, owing to word of mouth, now has more than 1.2 million participants in 25 countries. Although community share and mutual aid groups have always existed, Buy Nothing has become the most well-known network in the world. I had learned about the project from a WheezyWaiter video and absentmindedly joined my local group last November.

Slowly, I started to interact more with my community by posting items in the group, and felt happy that they were getting a new home. One neighbor showed up on my doorstep for old plates, which she used to make a mosaic. Another hosted a beeswax workshop where we pooled our raw ingredients and made our own lip balm and reusable food wraps.

I loved it I could get the dopamine rush of having something new without buying anything, and feel the satisfaction of rescuing products that might have been thrown away. Buy Nothing introduced me to other local community share groups, which helped curb my impulse to shop: I stopped caring about brands and packaging and only asked for things I needed, like food and shampoo. It helped me save a lot of money and be more intentional about what I was investing in. These groups became a staple in my schedule, a community model that was my replacement for consumerism. It was exciting to see dozens of posts on Facebook every day, as we built a community around supporting each other through free items. Living in Brooklyn, my default was to tackle everything on my own, but through being a part of several regional Facebook groups, which discussed everything from local activism to restaurant recommendations, I learned how to depend on my community.

Once quarantine started, the groups became my lifeline. I felt disconnected and confused, with most of my friends far away in different parts of the city, but started to feel less alone once I began talking to people in my community. Terry rescued food from local stores; I would bike to her house every other week for fresh produce. Shaunda worked at a food pantry where I donated clothing and kitchen supplies. Fenda and I swapped poetry books. Our mutual aid group even installed a community fridge so people could have 24/7 access to free, healthy food.

As we were adjusting to social distancing, I noticed that people were more active in our Buy Nothing group, since they were cleaning, taking on home projects, and stocking up for the weeks ahead. Suddenly, people seemed more invested in connecting with each other and less self-conscious about asking for help. We were learning how to live with less and building a more minimal lifestyle, like 60 percent of Americans who have been spending less in quarantine. My community became closer than ever through trading puzzles, sewing masks for essential workers, and helping our older neighbors buy groceries. Our gifting groups were a necessary comfort at a time when many people were losing their jobs and trying to save money, pay rent, and make the most of what they had.

But after the first few weeks of quarantine, Gov. Cuomo enforced the stay-at-home order and our local Buy Nothing group went on a freeze, which created some tension in our neighborhood and divided our community. After months of freely giving to each other, we werent allowed to gift anything except food or services. Initially, people were patient and understanding, but after two months, many of us became vocal about our frustration with how the group was moderated.

The pandemic magnified our need for Buy Nothing groups when people were suddenly trapped at home, except our local group shut down. It left a lot of people out in the cold at a time when their need was the greatest, explains Timothy ONeal, one of my neighbors who co-founded Crown Heights Share in June, a new community space that was created after a reckoning in the Buy Nothing group.

Our community discovered some flaws with the Buy Nothing framework, which put the moderators in charge of ethical decisions like which items were considered essential during a pandemic, and whether the person asking for items was worthy of them. It was putting some people in the position to judge what is a qualified need for other folks, says ONeal. I dont think its appropriate for anyone to ask others to justify their needs. I fully believe in their good intentions ... [but] the group had the potential to help a lot of people, and they just let that sit on the table.

At one point, child care supplies were considered nonessential, which parents disagreed with, and a members post was deleted when they asked for a folding cart for mutual aid deliveries. The unrest started when one member wrote a post sharing their disappointment that the admins were being so strict. A few hours later, the admins turned off comments, censoring a conversation many of us wanted to have. It started a series of uncomfortable interactions where people were trying to openly discuss how the group should be structured, but some members who disagreed with the admins were removed from the group, and many, including me, chose to leave when the climate became hostile.

Through being a member of a Buy Nothing group, you have to follow a specific set of rules and participate in a hierarchical power structure, which most of our neighbors, as evidenced by polls in the Facebook group, found difficult to navigate during the pandemic. For example, you can only join one Buy Nothing group in the area where you live, and people even one block away are not allowed to be a part of that community, regardless of what their needs may be. Recently, a member who supposedly lived one block outside of the radius offered someone an ethernet cable and a moderator commented that he was put on posting restrictions based on his behavior. He joined Crown Heights Share, posting, So glad this group exists I was pretty emotional and upset after being scolded in public and private for being in the wrong group and then blocked from posting just for offering someone an Ethernet cable.

We realized that we couldnt build the inclusive, caring community we wanted in our Buy Nothing group. It was started by a white woman from Washington [and inspired by her relief mission in Nepal], so its completely founded on white saviorism, adds Terry Chao, a founder of Crown Heights Share, along with Tim and Rachel Newman. I think when its trying to divert stuff from landfill and connect people, it is successful. I just dont agree with the hierarchy in terms of having it be super hyperlocal. I saw another group get split, and people were complaining about how it was stratifying the neighborhood along income lines.

By restricting our gifting economy when we needed each other the most, our local Buy Nothing group made many of our neighbors feel unheard and unsafe. Thankfully, our other community groups were still active, so I spent more time on Crown Heights Share, our mutual aid group, and a neighboring group in Prospect Heights that were less strict and allowed us to make our own judgment calls. Through divesting from the Buy Nothing model, we were able to define our own rules, communicate our needs, and connect in a more open way with neighbors we had come to know through the pandemic. It gave me hope to see everyone so excited to talk to each other and find ways to help.

In a time of personal transition, my neighbors became like family. When I was applying for a new passport, one neighbor notarized my documents and another helped me print out my application. The funny thing is, because of contactless pickups, I never met many of these people, but I still felt like I knew them. They told me that I could visit anytime, and that I would always have a place in this neighborhood. It gave me a sense of home I never had before. Im used to moving countries every few years, but this was the first time I felt like I could come back.

Since I moved to India, Crown Heights Share has become a hub for the community, from 20 to almost 1,000 members, and created offshoots like Crown Heights Social and Crown Heights Plant Share, which are moderated by different community members. These spaces were designed based on our needs and are open to everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of where they live. One member commented that they found the group more open, less controlling, and less divisive. You can feel it through the energy of the conversations, with people offering to share items, coordinating donations for local shelters, and becoming friends with each other.

In Crown Heights Social, Tim started a biking group where neighbors can join him for a few loops around Prospect Park every Tuesday and Thursday, and Terry organized a board game meetup at a local cafe. The Buy Nothing groups felt very transactional and businesslike during the pandemic, but we saw an increase in numbers of people who were looking for a group where the focus was human connection, which is a valid need under these circumstances, says ONeal. The group feels like an extended friendship circle, with people inviting the community to their personal events, from socially distanced chamber music reading sessions to anti-racist book clubs.

Over the past few months, the pandemic has brought us back to our local communities and taught us how we can take care of each other outside of the cycle of consumerism. From all weve been through, weve become even more connected than before. Ive learned that self-care is also community care we have a responsibility to look after ourselves and the places we live.

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Neighbors are gathering online to give and get the things they need right now - Vox.com

South Africa urged to redouble efforts to improve its innovation trajectory

Urgent steps need to be taken for South Africa to realise its economic growth and human development targets and to place the country where it ought to be among the world's nations. This sentiment emerged during the release of the 2020 South African Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Indicators Report which reveals that the current state of STI in South Africa is less than ideal.

The launch of the report recently, was accompanied by a policy forum on the state of innovation in the country. This included a presentation on the reviews of the National Research and Development Strategy (NRDS) and the Ten-Year Innovation Plan (TYIP), as well as a presentation on the Agricultural Business Innovation Survey 2016-2018.

The gaps identified in the STI Indicators Report provide a starting point for role players to take South Africa's national system of innovation (NSI) forward to meet the country's STI and development targets.

In producing the annual report, the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) reviews the state of STI in South Africa over time and in a global context. Thus, it provides all stakeholders, including the government, private sector, civil society and academia, with critical feedback on the country's strengths and weaknesses in the STI domain.

The 2020 STI Indicators Report reflects progress on some indicators, while pointing to areas of concern. Although South Africa's research system, particularly public institutions such as universities and science councils, has shown a steady increase in scientific publications over many years, more recent performance indicates a decline. South Africa's publications per million of the population declined from 371 in 2017 to 360 in 2018.

Improvements continue to be evident at school level. The National Senior Certificate pass rate in Physical Sciences improved from 58,6% in 2015 to 75,5% in 2019, while the Mathematics pass rate improved from 49,1% in 2015 to 58% in 2018, before declining to 54,6% in 2019.

Most of the doctoral degrees produced in South Africa are in the field of the natural and agricultural sciences, with 1 051 doctorates produced in 2018. Only 7% of doctoral degrees produced are in the field of engineering.

The number of researchers within the business and higher education sectors increased by 14,7% and 15,7% respectively between 2016/17 and 2017/18. Unemployment is lower among those with higher levels of education. Among those with master's and doctoral degrees, unemployment increased from 2,4% in 2018 to 2,8% in 2019.

Financing of the NSI continues to be a challenge. In 2017/18, South Africa's gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) was 0,83%, which remains below the 1,5% target. Business expenditure on research and development (BERD) as a percentage of GERD declined from 58,6% in 2008/09 to 41% in 2017/18, and as a percentage of GDP, declined from 0,52% in 2008/09 to 0,34% in 2017/18.

In contrast to the business sector, GERD in the public sector increased from R4,1 billion in 2008/09 to R13 billion in 2017/18 - an increase of 85% in 2010 rand-value terms. Increased funding of universities contributed to an increase in both the number of postgraduate students (a national long-term objective) and the number of publications from universities.

The number of master's degrees (by research) also increased, from 6 460 in 2013 to 8 610 in 2018, while the number of doctoral graduates increased from 2 051 in 2013 to 3 307 in 2018.

The report suggests that, if the underlying forces during the past period remain intact, the number of doctoral graduates will reach the target of 5 000 per annum by 2030, with partnerships between science councils and universities contributing to the significant enrolment and graduation of both master's and doctoral candidates.

NACI Council Member and CEO of the Water Research Council, Mr Dhesigen Naidoo, said an 'extraordinary' effort was needed to improve South Africa's innovation situation.

'We are now looking at a point in this country where we have never had so many highly skilled people unemployed. It is a travesty, and the youth dividend is definitely at risk,' said Mr Naidoo. Noting the 2,8% unemployment rate among master's and doctoral graduates, he added that, given South Africa's current structural socio-economic challenges, the country could not afford to have even a single unemployed graduate.

Mr Naidoo cited the GERD and BERD trends as additional cause for concern, as well as the relationship between the technology balance of payments, the trade balance and economic growth.

Discussing the reviews of the NRDS and TYIP, Prof. Johann Mouton, Director of the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology at Stellenbosch University, said the original objectives of the two technology-related strategies - to contribute towards the transition to a knowledge-based economy, to improve the sector's competitiveness through advanced manufacturing and innovation, and to leverage resource-based industries - were still valid.

What had changed over time, he said, was the introduction of new technological initiatives in areas including fluoride-based electrolytes, additive manufacturing and advanced materials.

'Technology changes are fast-moving and are often linked to new challenges resulting from fundamental shifts in social dynamics. It would thus be prudent for the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to revisit its current portfolio of technology programmes, in light of recent global developments as well as the recommendations of the Research Foresight Exercise,' he said.

He also urged the DSI to undertake an in-depth review of existing funding instruments targeting business and innovation in order to achieve optimal coordination and efficiency.

In building the next generation of scientists and scholars in the country, Prof. Mouton said a study should be conducted to investigate possible synergies between the investments of universities, funding agencies such as the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), and government departments such as the Departments of Higher Education and Training, Water Affairs and Forestry, and Health.

Releasing the results of the Agricultural Business Innovation Survey 2016-2018, Dr Glenda Kruss, Executive Head of the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII), said the fisheries sector invested over 60% in research and development, and more than 80% in marketing of innovations across all fish farming categories.

Agriculture only invested 40% in research and development, with 20% going to marketing of innovations. Much of the investment, accounting for 60%, went to training, followed by procurement of farming equipment.

Click here the full STI Indicators report(link is external)

For enquiries, please contact:Veronica Mohapeloa083 400 5750veronica.mohapeloa@dst.gov.za(link sends e-mail)

Excerpt from:

Science and Innovation calls for increased efforts to improve innovation in the country - Marketscreener.com

Covid-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in health care systems across the United States and world. To reduce infectious risk to patients and providers, and conserve critical resources such as personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and intensive care (ICU) beds most states in the U.S. enacted a temporary ban on elective surgery from March through May 2020.

The ban has resulted in a backlog of uncompleted procedures that had been scheduled over this three-month period, as well as a dynamic backlog of surgeries that continue to be delayed as the health system experiences diminished capacity. The problem is that the elective in elective surgery is largely a misnomer, serving only to distinguish between emergent care and non-emergent care. While elective implies optional, most elective surgical cases fall somewhere between vital preventative measures (e.g. screening colonoscopy) and essential surgery (e.g. cataract removal). Ample literature across surgical specialties demonstrates worse patient outcomes and higher costs when these treatments are delayed.

Together, these factors have resulted in an astounding number of patients failing to receive the medical attention they need. (One recent study predicts that the post-pandemic backlog will exceed one million cases for spinal fusions and joint replacements in the field of orthopaedic surgery alone.) This anticipated demand in combination with health providers decreased capacity will likely result in creation of wait lists and potentially worsened health impacts on patients.

Now that most states have lifted restrictions on elective surgery, hospital leaders across the country have been rushing to implement ramp up strategies. Covid-19 exposed that healthcare systems have been largely unprepared to deal with this shut down and ramp-up. In addition to addressing the growing patient backlog, the motivation to restart elective surgery includes tempering revenue shock from decreased surgical volume, a substantial contributor to the margin of hospitals and medical centers. In fact, deferment of medical care has a broader impact on the national economy, as approximately half of the annualized 4.8% U.S. GDP decline in the first quarter of 2020 is attributed to health care services, especially delayed elective procedures.

While there are many good reasons to ramp back up quickly, it is important that speed does not overtake strategy. Restarting elective surgery haphazardly may result in unintended consequences. Ambiguous policies and procedures for scheduling and distributing resources across elective surgical cases can create bottlenecks that impede overall hospital operations. Ramp up strategies that do not prioritize equitable access to care may inadvertently favor patients with socioeconomic privilege, reinforcing existing disparities in access and quality. For example, racial and ethnic minority patients have historically had lower rates of elective operations such as knee replacement and the Covid-19 pandemic may result in further reduction in access to health care for minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

As clinicians and health care leaders work to address the backlog and treat new patients in ways that are consistent with the clinical, financial, and ethical goals of their organizations, they need a more systematic approach. Developing this approach now is beneficial for the current state of health care and may be beneficial in potential future surgical suspensions as well.

Here we suggest five strategies that health care leaders can employ today to meet their clinical objectives, while aiming for better operational efficiency and equity in access to care:

Develop consistent, transparent, and bias-aware algorithms for surgical prioritization.Since elective surgeries were given the green light to proceed in May of this year (though some states are reversing course on this decision), most health systems have introduced broad, rudimentary guidelines for surgical prioritization. However, the prioritization decision in many cases is left to individual surgeons or a small group of health leaders who use their personal heuristics or preferences for decision making. A consistent and transparent prioritization framework has generally been missing from these efforts.

To address their growing backlog, a gold-rush mentality has emerged among surgeons and surgical groups who are vying for operating room (OR) blocks based on first-come, first-served and loudest voice wins methods. This mentality can unfortunately lead to tribalism among different surgical specialties, with each group trying to expand their footprint and claim more surgical resources (e.g., OR time, surgical beds, and ICU beds). This local-optimization approach is not in the best interests of the health systems and may put patients of less vocal surgeons at risk.

A prioritization framework that is ethics-driven and takes into account the values of multiple stakeholders is necessary to maximize patient benefit and minimize Covid-19 exposure. One potential silver lining of Covid-19 has been a growing acceptance among clinicians and health care leaders of digital transformation. This change in attitude may help facilitate algorithmic approaches to surgical prioritization.

There are already algorithms being developed to auto-prioritize patients in real-time. For example, one such prioritization algorithm, being developed through work at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative, is inspired by multi-criterion decision analysis and considers three types of factors: surgical risk factors (e.g., patient age, surgical urgency), capacity requirement factors (e.g., OR time, PPE consumption, ICU bed requirements), and Covid-19 risk factors (e.g., Covid-19 status, case transmission risk, and Covid-19-specific comorbidities), in order to provide consistent, systematic prioritization decisions among the population of patients in need of elective surgery.

Of course, such algorithms must be keenly aware of potential biases to ensure they narrow, rather than widen, existing disparities in access to care across patient groups. Regardless of the specific algorithm adopted, these tools will need to be transparent, consistent, and bias-aware.

Expand surgical capacity by transitioning to outpatient care.Transitioning care from historically inpatient to outpatient settings may aid in expanding surgical capacity through decentralization of care from hospitals to less-intensive care centers or physician office settings. These lower-acuity outpatient settings may increase patient throughput and result in streamlined and focused care given the capacity-constrained, resource-intensive hospital setting.

Fields such as ophthalmology and dermatological surgery have long embraced this strategy and done so successfully. For instance, dermatologists treating skin cancer are able to perform Mohs micrographic surgery whichcombines tumor removal, complete margin evaluation using frozen section histopathology, and advance reconstruction techniques all in one visitusing local anesthesia in an outpatient office suite. Covid-19 has illustrated the value for more traditionally hospital-anchored surgical specialties to venture into these spaces for lower-acuity cases.

Accomplishing this shift would require lobbying state legislators to waive certificate-of-need requirements that have been historical roadblocks in the use of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Further, health systems are frequently reimbursed by insurance companies at higher rates for the same patient care delivered in a hospital vs. in an ASC. Renegotiating contracts to achieve better rates in the ASC setting may both boost the health systems financial viability and provide improved access for patients.

Form dedicated teams to improve operating room efficiency. A patient does not expect to have their hernia repair performed by their orthopaedic surgeon. Yet, when it comes to the surgical staff, specifically OR nurses and surgical technicians, the same care team members often work on cases covering a variety of surgical specialties. Frequently, the expectation from the hospital and surgical leadership is that staff should cross-train to work interchangeably with a diverse range of surgical teams. Though intended to pool limited resources and ease staffing constraints, these traditional models can generate significant inefficiency within the OR. A particular surgical technician may not be as familiar with a given surgery and thus hinder surgical efficiency compared to a seasoned technician who is experienced in the same type of surgery. This lack of familiarity and pressure to master-it-all may also increase the risk of error.

In response to revenue losses from Covid-19, hospitals leaders may be tempted to cut their workforce and focus on cross-training and deploying a smaller pool of staff more broadly. Yet, in light of the operational challenges post-pandemic, doing so may prove self-handicapping as hospitals move forward. Substantial research shows dedicated OR teams helps increase throughput, lower error rates, reduce waste, and improve satisfaction among team members. Strengthening dedicated teams can help hospitals achieve a speedy recovery to pre-pandemic efficiency levels.

Think beyond the traditional five-day work week. Disease progression does not pause on the weekends. Yet, most hospitals run ORs only from Monday through Friday, reserving weekends slots for emergencies. The obvious rationale for this is workforce scheduling. However, expanding scheduling can improve equitable access for patients, especially those struggling to take time off work for their elective surgery, and flexibility for staff who may be facing challenges with childcare or other responsibilities at home.

As surgery restarts in the wake of Covid-19, it is clear that OR slots are a major bottleneck. A quick win for many hospitals working through their elective surgical backlog would be to expand access to OR time on the weekends. Expansion does not mean that any given surgeon or perioperative team member works seven days a week, but that providers and patients are allowed the flexibility of performing surgical cases on the weekends. In addition to immediately expanding operating room capacity and increasing equity in access to care, this solution will decompress the weekday schedule and allow for better social distancing.

Focus on simplifying patients surgical care experience. Ultimately, the prime focus of healthcare ought to be improving patients quality of life. Unfortunately, the pandemic has resulted in significant fear of catching the virus by going to the hospital, leading many patients to avoid seeking health care. Health care leaders ought to design strategies that make patients lives easier such that seeking care does not feel like an undue burden. For instance, telemedicine has expanded substantially in response to the pandemic and has proven to be a powerful means to connect with patients and families. Even as clinics start to reopen, we should continue to leverage telemedicine for preoperative counseling and clearance to continue to offer the incredible convenience it entails.

At the same time, an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic has been increased unemployment amid the economic downturn. Historically, a major problem in health care has been price opacity. Patients frequently have to jump through multiple hoops to get an estimate of out-of-pocket cost. While not all aspects of cost are predictable, simplifying this process to provide median expected out-of-pocket costs with confidence intervals may instill confidence and allow for better planning for patients and families.

One strategy that may improve patient experience is to deploy dedicated surgical navigators employed by the health system who help patients with logistical planning and provide critical financial and clinical information. This individual could assist with preoperative appointments and requisite workup including Covid-19 testing, telemedicine logistics, day-of-surgery arrival and drop-off details, and postoperative care coordination. Thinking carefully about the patient experience and designing strategies to ease some of these challenges can go a long way in increasing patient care outcomes and satisfaction.

The disruptions due to Covid-19 provide an opportunity to rethink many aspects of health care. To avoid a haphazard ramp-up and address the large surgical backlog, it is important to adopt strategies that are operationally efficient and ethically sound. Certainly, these issues are multifaceted, and require solutions that draw from multiple stakeholder communities and disciplines. We are optimistic that a dedicated community of professionals can come together to address these challenges and restore high-quality surgical care to those in need.

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Covid-19 Created an Elective Surgery Backlog. How Can Hospitals Get Back on Track? - Harvard Business Review

John Mathewson, Chief Operating Officer, Americas Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)

Age:61

Education: He earned a masters in health services administration fromGeorge Washington University with a concentration in policy, planning and marketing. He has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Howard University.

About him:Mathewson serves as chief of staff, head of business operations, and helps to drive AHIPs strategic planning. Before joining the association in 2018, he held several leadership roles for a variety of healthcare groups including health insurance providers, hospital and home care companies. He also served as executive vice president of strategy and operation for the HSC Foundation & Health Care System, an integrated health system and health plan for young people with disabilities. In addition, he had roles at Cigna and Kaiser Permanente in commercial markets and national accounts.

Today, hes shaping AHIPs focus on equity and diversity, impacting the nearly 1 million employees and millions of patientsserved by AHIP members.Forget incrementalism and try to go legendary by putting on your cape, turning on your superpowers, and those of others, he said.

In the last year, he helped lead AHIPs Project Link, a social determinants of health program that outlines best practices for the health insurance industry. In addition, he expedited turning the annual AHIP Institute & Expo 2020 into a full virtual format due to COVID-19 and expanded association webinar offerings.

First job:After college, I worked in the clinical laboratory as a medical technologist before moving into marketing, and, later,management. I had a great boss and many others who sponsored me along the way.

Accomplishment hes most proud of:First and foremost, being a husband, and the dad of an awesome daughter who is a scholar athlete. Also, he said, he's groomed multiple direct report leaders that later ascended to the C-suite and top leadership roles.

Problem hes most passionate about trying to solve: Generating a vibrant economy based on the social determinants of health in the midst of COVID and major unemployment across the nation. Also, ensuring that there is diverse leadership in healthcare across boards, C-suites, the larger workforce, and suppliers to help create a more equitable healthcare system.

Book he recommends: Authentic Leadershipby Bill George. This book is one of many a leader needs and its even more relevant now as leaders must rely on their deep, personal resolve to successfully address COVID-19 and pervasive health inequities," he said.

Advice he would you give his younger self:Dream bigger. Dreams are 100% free and you can never fail. Find your lifes work and learn to laugh a lot. Try to do something legendary, at least once," he said.

What hed do with his career if it wasnt this:He said hecant imagine a career that didnt follow his desire to impact millions of people in a positive way. Hed like to serve as a venture capitalist that does something industry changing, such as creating a new category or sector that further helps stimulate and grow the social determinants of health economy.Its inclusive and equitable throughout its infrastructure and redefines health as a better resource for living. It reaches urban streets, main streets, cul de sacs, and dirt roads.

Advice hed give to healthcare leaders seeking to make a real impact on the systemic problems of racism:Start with personal courage and resolve. Its impossible to emphasize enough how deeply strong leadership matters for this work. Find your greatest authenticity and use your courage to hear, learn and act decisively. Be brutally honest and act boldly, overcoming your fears.

He also emphasizes that the journey takes everyone in the room, so make allies from every spectrum.We all know its a marathon and wont be fixed today or tomorrow, but start anyway and find the fuel to not stop.

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AHIP's John Mathewson is shaping the association's strategic planning, focus on equity - FierceHealthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted much of the globalized system of trade and has challenged the viability of key international institutions. At this uncertain time, what is needed now, more than ever, is co-operation between like-minded countries with shared values and priorities to rebuild better systems of trade and international governance.

In this context, its in Canadas interest to support Taiwans efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

As the COVID-19 crisis has proven, many countries are very dependent on trade to secure crucial medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE). However, with much of the worlds PPE manufactured in China, importing countries were plagued with quality control issues, lack of access, threats of restricted access, and other concerns.

OPINION: Lessons on handling the COVID-19 outbreak from Taiwan

Clearly, the health and well-being of all people, including Canadians, requires a better system of trade that is less dependent on bad actors. Rather than turn to isolationism or inefficient self-reliance, democracies must find better solutions to work more closely with one another on trade so as to satisfy shared needs.

Enter Taiwan.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Taiwan has ramped up its production of PPE and other medical supplies quickly, placing it in the fortunate enough position to act as a significant provider of the crucial material. This includes the donation of 1.7 million masks and other PPE items to Canada, as well as direct support from Taiwan to help develop Canadas domestic mask-manufacturing capacity.

By integrating Taiwan into agreements like the CPTPP, Canada could stand to reduce its trade reliance on countries that do not share the same values, instead placing its trust in a like-minded partner with a proven track record on trade. Such a move would further strengthen the rules-based, free, open, and multilateral trading system that is the basis for the global economy.

Moreover, the benefits of Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP go beyond the immediate crisis. Indeed, even if the world were not subject to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fundamental logic of including Taiwan in this important international partnership remains the same.

Compared to current CPTPP members, Taiwan has the fifth-largest economy. Adjusted for purchasing-power parity, Taiwans GDP per capita would be the third-largest of this group. Consistently, Taiwan ranks as among the best countries in the world in trade, investment, ease of doing business, economic freedom, and more. This means that Taiwans ascension to the trade partnership would be of significant multilateral benefit to all members.

Particularly for Canada, Taiwan makes sense as a trading partner. Taiwan manufactures precisely the kinds of high-tech products that Canada imports, and Taiwan imports precisely the kinds of high-quality commodities and natural resource-based products that Canada exports. From both import and export perspectives, strengthening this trading relationship would be of significant mutual benefit to both countries.

If Ottawa were to support Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP, it would hardly be acting alone. Japan and other major players have already indicated that expanding the pact to more Asian economies remains a priority. It is a sensible move with broad support within existing CPTPP members.

While the CPTPP ministerial meeting would touch on the issue of new members, Canada can help strengthen this important international trade partnership. In so doing, Canada could bolster economic diversification, reinforce access to key goods, and, ultimately, hasten the post-COVID economic recovery through the well-established economic benefits of free trade between free nations.

Supporting Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP is a win-win at a time when closer co-operation between democracies with shared values is desperately needed. It is our hope that we can count on Canadas support.

Winston Wen-yi Chen is the Representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the authors alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.

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Canada should support Taiwan's admission to the CPTPP - iPolitics.ca

A newly released standard - IEEE 1547.1-2020 -creates nationally applicable guidance for distributed energy resource (DER) manufacturers on how grid support functions in their products will be tested. This paves the way for U.S. states to adopt more modern interconnection requirements for DERs on the grid, contributing to the grid modernisation that will be needed to support high levels of renewable energy and energy storage.

Brian Lydic ischief regulatory engineer at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a US-based organisation which aims tobuildthe foundation for rapid adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency to benefit people, the economy and our planet.

As the grid evolves and more distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar and energy storage, are added, the dynamics of the grid are becoming more complex. As we look towards a future where renewable energy supplies a large proportion of electricity, new grid support functionality in DERs (including inverters) will be important to help ensure that the grid functions reliably.

In recent years, some U.S. states have begun to require that inverters with these functions (smart inverters) be used when connecting DERs to the grid (interconnection). Smart inverters can see information about the grid at their location (i.e. voltage and frequency) and can respond autonomously in ways that help maintain grid stability. However, to date there have been no test procedures that hardware manufacturers could look to for guidance on how smart inverters could comply with a national standard, complicating the process of bringing compliant products to market.

A newly released, but long-awaited, standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)Standard 1547.1-2020establishes these testing procedures. This gives much needed certainty to manufacturers so they can create products they know will be compliant with requirements that are now being put in place by leading states adopting new national standards.

It also paves the way for more states to require grid support functionality for DERs connecting to the grid, because they can be confident that compliant products will soon be readily available. In this way, the release of IEEE 1547.1-2020, will contribute to progress on the grid modernisation efforts needed to support high levels of DERs including energy storage.

In this article, I explore the significance of the IEEE 1547.1-2020, the timeline for its implementation, and the status of state-level adoption of modern DER interconnection requirements enabled by this new development.

In April 2018, IEEE published base standard IEEE Standard 1547-2018, which laid out many sweeping changes to the technical rules of interconnection for DERs, compared to the previous version from 2003. The capabilities of modern equipment connecting to the grid had advanced substantially, especially for smart inverters which were adapting to higher penetration around the world, and IEEE 1547-2018 modernised interconnection requirements to reflect the need for these capabilities.

However, the test procedures for dealing with those new capabilities needed major revision before any equipment could be certified for the new standard. Product engineers typically rely to a large extent on the test procedures during the design phase to ensure the product they are building will pass the tests once the design is finalized.

On May 21, 2020, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published IEEE Standard 1547.1-2020, IEEE Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources with Electric Power Systems and Associated Interfaces. This is the test standard for grid interaction for solar PV and battery storage inverters, as well as other DERs, based on the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018. That day had been long anticipated by states and utilities preparing to implement advanced or smart inverters (or doing so already).

Now that IEEE 1547.1-2020 is published, inverter and other equipment manufacturers can re-engineer existing products as needed, or design new ones to meet the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018. There is also now greater certainty for states and utilities working to adopt IEEE 1547-2018 because they have a clearer timeline for when they can expect certified products on the market.

Today, most U.S. states and utilities have yet to adopt DER interconnection requirements based on IEEE 1547-2018; most continue to use requirements based on the 2003 version. One reason for this is that it would be challenging to implement the new standard without certified compliant products (e.g. PV or storage inverters) on the market. Now, with the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020, states and other stakeholders have a clearer picture of when they are likely to be available. This will help those working to adopt the new standard understand when it can actually be implemented.

PV and storage inverters and some other products are listed to the safety standard UL 1741, which requires grid interactive equipment to pass the tests in IEEE 1547.1. UL is preparing to publish updates to this standard in early August to reference the new tests in the 2020 version. After that, manufacturers will be able to certify inverters to the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018.

Note that in the past, updates to UL 1741 (the Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources) have been given a grandfather period, typically 18 months, during which either the older or newer requirements may be used for product certification. This gives the manufacturers time to develop the products to meet the new requirements. However, this is the first time IEEE Standard 1547 has been revised, and with such major changes it is unclear how it will be adopted throughout the nation. For the time being, UL 1741 will leave the grandfather period open-ended and allow the manufacturer to certify to either the 2003 or 2018 requirements. Over time, once it is clear that most jurisdictions require the 2018 version of the standard, UL 1741 will be updated again to remove any reference to the old standard and manufacturers will have to meet the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018 moving forward.

Although UL will provide a grandfather period in which manufacturers may continue to use the older testing requirements for product certification, we may see products certified to the new standard before the end of 2020, with more coming to market in 2021 to meet requirements already in place in leading states.

It should be noted that UL has a supplement (UL 1741 Supplement SA) that defines some test procedures for advanced inverter functions similar to those now required by IEEE 1547-2018. These test procedures have been used by California, Hawaii and some other locations for certification of inverters since September 2017, in advance of IEEEs new standards being developed. IEEE 1547.1-2020 supplants most of the tests in Supplement SA, so inverters will not need to be tested to both sets of procedures. Most or all of the supplement will be removed from UL 1741 after the grandfather period has closed.

As the grid evolves and more distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar and energy storage, are added, the dynamics of the grid are becoming more complex. Image: 8minute Solar Energy.

Maryland updated its interconnection rules (Code of Maryland Regulations 20.50.09) this year with a requirement that DER systems must utilise inverters certified to IEEE 1547-2018 in order to be approved for interconnection to the grid starting January 1, 2022.

The Hawaiian utility Hawaiian Electric already required advanced inverters tested to UL 1741 Supplement SA, and has been working to harmonise its interconnection (Rule 14H) requirements with the new IEEE standard. They recently released inverter capability requirements, noting those which differ from IEEE 1547-2018 for frequency support due to the island nature of Hawaiis electric system (Source Requirements Document Version 2.0). Those requirements, in addition to the rest of IEEE 1547-2018, must be met for interconnections beginning January 1, 2022 as well. 3

This gives manufacturers about 19 months from the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 to be certified for those markets. This may be just enough time for many products to be certified.

Minnesota was the first state to undertake the significant lift of modernising its technical interconnection rules to reflect advanced grid support functionality now reflected in IEEE 1547-2018, helping to ensure that high levels of DERs can be integrated without adverse effects on the grid. Minnesota both created technical interconnection rules from scratch and adopted IEEE 1547-2018 in the process (State of Minnesota Technical Interconnection and Interoperability Requirements, or TIIR).

However, the state opted to wait to order implementation of elements of the TIIR that require IEEE 1547-2018 certified equipment until a later date when it is clear that such equipment is readily available on the market. This perfectly illustrates the significance of IEEE 1547.1-2020 in enabling states to move forward with modernising their interconnection requirements to enable a smarter grid with more renewables and energy storage.

Massachusetts utilities are currently at work developing proposals for adopting the interconnection requirements established in IEEE 1547-2018. This work is being led by a task force as part of their Technical Standards Review Group (TSRG). It is envisioned that the proposals will develop into revisions to the TSRGs Common Technical Standards Manual, but no specific date is yet targeted for implementation.

California is just beginning its efforts to harmonise its interconnection requirements (Rule 21) with IEEE 1547-2018. Since Rule 21 already contains advanced inverter requirements, Californias Smart Inverter Working Group (which helped create the requirements) will convene to determine how to revise Rule 21 and transition to utilizing IEEE 1547-2018. It is anticipated that revisions to Rule 21 will be submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission in February 2021. Determining the implementation date for the new requirements will be part of that process.

Now that a fully developed national standard exists (IEEE 1547-2018, paired with the testing procedures in IEEE 1547.1-2020), there is a standard that all states can adopt. This means that individual states will no longer have to undertake the arduous process of developing their own requirements, as California did. The national standard has caught up to where forward-looking states were heading on their own.

Now that equipment certification for IEEE 1547-2018 requirements is available through IEEE 1547.1-2020, the stage is set for more states and utilities to adopt these modernised interconnection requirements that will enable greater DER deployment in the long term. The publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 provides greater clarity on the realistic timeline for implementation. Over the next year or so we will get a better picture of the developing market for products certified to the new standard.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners adopted a resolution [2]recommending that states adopt the current IEEE 1547; and align implementation of the standard with the availability of certified equipment. If states were waiting for a starting gun for beginning the adoption and implementation of the new standard, the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 is exactly that.

Notes: [1]More information about Hawaiis implementation of IEEE 1547-2018 can be found on Hawaiian Electrics Customer Energy Resource (CER) Equipment page.

[2] Resolution recommending state commissions act to adopt and implement DER standard IEEE 1547-2018

Cover Image Credit: GlidePath.

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The long-awaited IEEE standard that paves the way for more energy storage on a smarter grid - Energy Storage News

The Center will be based at the NSSTC facilities in Al Ain, with Airbus supporting NSSTC during the design, outfitting and commissioning of the facility. Airbus will also manage the procurement, installation and operational qualification required for the equipment. The collaboration was established and facilitated by Tawazun as part of its important role as an industry enabler dedicated to driving a collaborative defense and security ecosystem, securing and progressing technology development, and building national competencies and skills within the UAE.

This is our second project after Yahsat, and there are many more projects to come, as Tawazun works to further develop the UAE space sector, said Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Chief Economic Development Officer of Tawazun. The UAE is building and acquiring the knowledge required to become a regional hub for space activities and advanced research and development. This Center is an integral part of those plans and consequently Tawazun has worked to make sure that it operates as a sustainable resource for the next five to seven years with a view to becoming permanent.

We also value the significant contribution that Airbus is making to the Centers sustainability, as well as to the increase and development of our Emirati resource and expertise. NSSTC will accumulate critical knowledge from Airbus through this project, and our national competencies and skills will increase significantly, added Al Romaithi.

The space industry is an important and strategic sector for the UAE, as it enables the development of high-level skills and drives innovation, said Mikail Houari, President Africa and Middle East, Airbus.

Airbus remains committed to supporting the advancement of all key elements of the UAEs aerospace industry. For many years, we have worked closely in partnership with the nations leading industrial entities to help create new technological solutions and provide global expertise and experience to local talent. This new collaboration will support the future growth of the UAEs space and satellite sector, contributing to the countrys economic diversification strategy. It will also support the continued efforts around Emiratisation, which will be vital for ensuring long-term sustainable development of the sector, added Houari.

Currently the UAE space sector has provided 3,000 jobs at 50 space related entities, five space research and development centers and three universities offering space degrees. This new project will create 32 new jobs (at least 22 of whom will be UAE nationals) with significant know-how transfer and training being conducted at Airbus facilities in France as well as locally.

Saeed Ahmed Ghobash Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University emphasised the importance of the scientific research collaboration with Tawazun, which he says is aligned to the vision and strategic direction of the University. The NSSTC is an entity created by the UAE University alongside the UAE Space Agency, and Chancellor Ghobash said that UAEU has established a credible standing and reputation among national, regional and international institutes because of its continued strive for excellence.

This is in line with the vision of the UAE government, achieving the goals of the national agenda through the implementation of contemporary, sustainable developmental projects, said Ghobash, UAEU possesses distinctive scientific and technical capabilities that enable it to keep abreast of global trends in applied scientific research, the fourth industrial revolution, the requirements of artificial intelligence, and space science and technology. The universitys work contributes to the development of a knowledge and digital based economy.

Part of the mandate for NSSTC was to develop satellite AIT capability, and it is a pleasure to form this partnership with Tawazun and Airbus to achieve that very objective, said Dr Khaled Al Hashmi, Director of NSSTC. The UAE will soon have a fully autonomous AIT satellite capability, and this will benefit the countrys satellite programs as well as further enhancing space-related skills within the country. The NSSTC will become the center where the knowledge that Airbus has imparted will come together to support the UAE space sector.

The UAE Space Agency is funding the first two projects that will be completed under the management and operation of NSSTC. The first project will be a satellite that will augment navigational capabilities for the UAE and the second will be the Arab 813 Satellite; a project announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Both projects are currently underway with the support of Airbus and will be completed at the new facilities.

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Tawazun to create satellite assembly, integration and testing center - SpaceWatch.Global

Communication is about sharing information with others. The evolutions of communications technology has enabled us to be more connected than ever before, meaning that information can be shared anytime and anywhere.

In mobile communication, a business with a well-established global ecosystem, from equipment manufacturers to telecommunications operators, common rule is essential to keeping the ecosystem moving forward collaboratively. This is where the process of standardization comes in, which sets internationally agreed-upon standards to give users access to better products and services at lower prices. A representative example demonstrating the benefits of international standardization is the global roaming service, which allows users travelling to foreign countries to use their mobile devices as they are.

Standardization is one of main driving forces behind the growth of the mobile communication industry since a new generation has been introduced once every decade. Large-scale investments into mobile communication have been triggered when each new generation of communications is commercialized, explained Dr. Han. When certain countries or companies run their businesses with proprietary solutions, the risk of failure increases. This means that the chance of success can increase only when the stakeholders of the mobile communication ecosystem come together to define the most relevant technologies and discuss aspects like implementation early enough. Determining communications standards and developing products following these standards is an equitable process, noted Dr. Han. These standards are crucial.

Standardization is two-fold: the de jure standards obligated by regulators and the de facto standards established by the global communications industry which, while not compulsory, specify unified ways of operation for stakeholders around the world to follow. The Standards Research team of Samsungs Advanced Communications Research Center oversees both standards.

For example, in order to utilize the extremely high frequency band (mmWave) for 5G, de jure standardization is a prerequisite for the commercialization of any device using the band, which includes assigning a set of frequency bands to mobile communication, setting regulated conditions such as maximum transmission power and out-of-band emission, and ensuring its safety for the human body and existing devices, explained Dr. Han. We are also simultaneously developing protocol technologies and working on de facto standardization to include these technologies into the standards by participating in standards developing organizations such as 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Dr. Han emphasized that both de jure and de facto standards are equally important.

Frequency bands are a limited resource. It is inevitable that different parties will clash over acquiring such an in-demand resource, which is why each frequency band is already allocated to a specific purpose, e.g. fixed communications, mobile communication, broadcasting, satellite, or other uses. The extremely high frequency band adopted for 5G was an unexplored territory from the perspective of mobile communication. When Samsung initially proposed it, there was pushback at first.

Standards experts are supposed to take the initiative of reserving such new spectrums for the mobile communication industry. By stressing mobile communications contribution to the economy, we managed to persuade the governments of each country, and attracted more supporters by showing them the feasibility of applying this extremely high frequency band to mobile communication, recalled Dr. Han. We actively presented many details to justify our claim, including the simulation results of a coexistence study. As a result, we were able to have this extremely high frequency band assigned to 5G.

There is no almighty judge when it comes to fairly determining which technology among many candidates should be selected as a part of the standard. Moreover, any technology has its own pros and cons, said Dr. Han. There is a decision-making process inherent to standardization. Proposals are first made by companies, intensive and technical debate on each proposal then follows, and participants finally build a consensus to reach a conclusion. We have to avoid sticking to our own interests. Instead, we are trying to communicate with other stakeholders to find the best way forward based on an understanding of the industry as a whole. When we take care of the ecosystem, proposals that we develop to make it healthy and sustainable will be supported by the majority as a result.

Similar to the role of the diplomat, standardization experts participate in global standardization conferences and will there represent their company or their country. They are expected to be the best in their own field. As we are contending at the forefront of these international discussions, technical competitiveness is the key requirement for Samsung delegates, explained Dr. Han. Therefore, in our projects, anyone who is most competitive in a certain area is designated as the champion of the area, regardless which team he or she belongs to.

4G is a communications technology designed to enable the wireless broadband service for smartphones. In particular, 4G as a universal communications platform aggressively adopted the Internet protocol that was popularly used in past wired packet communications. Therefore, many Internet-based services could easily migrate to cellular systems. 5G, then, is designed to expand its territory from the broadband service for smartphone users to vertical markets including the smart factory, automobile, healthcare, private network, smart city, and more. 4G as a universal solution led to a huge growth of the communications market. On the other hand, 5G aims to create new markets based on its new design principle of customizable networks to fulfill the specific requirements of a particular industry sector.

To realize the innovations that 5G has promised, Dr. Han and his team have been working on Rel-16, the second version of 5G. Rel-15, the first version of 5G, laid a new framework for the technology and focused on how to provide differentiated experiences to conventional customers, i.e. smartphone users, noted Dr. Han. We joined the global collaboration to develop Rel-16 in order to realize the 5G vision. Rel-16 introduces and enhances 5Gs features for vertical markets. For example, V2X1 is for connected cars, industrial IoT communications is for smart factories and the data analytics function has been improved for network AI.

Even though 5G has been commercialized, the standardization of 5G for further enhancements will never stop. Until the launch of 6G, the 5G standard will continuously evolve in order to improve and expand 5G. As soon as we concluded the development of 5Gs second version, we immediately began work on the third version, Rel-17, commented Dr. Han. We have discovered some areas to improve commercial 5G networks with, including coverage expansion and NR-MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output). These will be amended and enhanced in the upcoming versions. Furthermore, we will continue to discover new features to add in order to enable new 5G applications. Innovations we are looking at include media delivery for AR glasses-type devices and edge computing enablers for low latency services from cloud servers close to users.

Samsung is constantly pushing the boundaries of 5G in order to bring its unique experiences to users. One key characteristic of 5G is its ultra-low latency, brought about by its nine-tenths latency reduction in the radio access link between terminal and base station as compared to the previous generation. In order for users to experience the quality of ultra-low latency services, the end-to-end latency between the user terminal and the cloud server should be reduced. Samsung believes that edge computing will solve the rest of this puzzle, this being latency reduction in the backbone network, by placing the server closer to users. Thanks to 5G and edge computing, users will finally be able to enjoy 5Gs signature service on their devices.

The link between a device and its server was out of 3GPPs scope, said Dr. Han. But it is also hard for other standards organizations who are not experts in 5G to develop the standard for edge computing without a complete understanding of 5G systems. Due to this difficulty, attempts were made to develop edge computing-enabled communication using proprietary solutions which would lead to serious market fragmentation. Samsung initiated discussions on edge computing inside 3GPP and persuaded other participating companies. We are now leading the standardization effort for enabling edge computing in 5G systems as one of the key items of Rel-17.

In 2009, Samsung began the early stages of 5G research with the question of how can we improve cellular networks to be 10 times better than 4G LTE? Samsung will continue to develop further enhanced technologies for the future of 5G. Samsung plays various key roles in the influential standardization organization for mobile communications and leads those standards and related technologies, explained Dr. Han. Based on our perseverance for over 10 years in this field, we will overcome whatever obstacles we encounter and will make 5G a big success.

Dr. Han began working in this field because when he was a student, he was extremely curious about who made standard specifications, the ground rules that were akin to a communications bible. And today, he is leading the team shaping the future of communications with standards. What resolution has he set?

When we worked on LTE standards, we did not even expect that the term LTE, back then only used by selective standard engineers, would become a common and popular term, noted Dr. Han. This experience reminded me that the technologies we create can change the world and the daily lives of people. We are also aware of high expectation from 5G that we have developed. I firmly believe that our work will benefit the world.

Dr. Han is also working on promoting Samsungs 6G vision to inspire people in this field. In the future, the main customers in the communications market wont just be human, but will include robots and other machines, too, explained Dr. Han. People will start to enjoy hyper-connected experiences and be able to explore reality in a virtual world without temporal or spatial constraints. 6G will present fundamental technologies for such innovations. We will begin communicating with stakeholders as per Samsungs 6G White Paper, published on July 14. Our 5G experience and the insights captured in our 6G vision will help us prepare for the long journey toward another success story with 6G.

Moreover, the sustainable growth of society and the communications industry will be key considerations for shaping 6G.

Read more:

[What's Next in Communications Technology?] Defining the Boundaries of Communications - Samsung Newsroom India

As we walk the road of reconciliation together, the federal government remains strongly committed to creating economic opportunities for Indigenous businesses and communities.

Government of Canada supports Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development

In celebration of this important day, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Mlanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada(WD), today announced $895,000 in funding to support initiatives that aim to bring culturally-relevant programming for Indigenous peoples to fully participate in the economic growth of Saskatchewan.

Delivered by WD, this funding will support two made-in-Saskatchewan projectsled by Indigenous communities, businesses, and organizations in the region. It will create good local jobs and spur entrepreneurship and career development by helping the Ya'thi Nn Land and Resource Office develop training and employment opportunities for residents of northern Saskatchewan affected by the slow-down of uranium mining in the Athabasca Basin. Funding will also support the Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. to build on a successful entrepreneurship pilot program focused on Mtis entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan.

Quotes

"True reconciliation means supporting Indigenous communities and businesses by providing opportunities for their success. This investment from WD will do just that helping Indigenous business people to seize opportunities, helping Indigenous organizations deliver important local projects and supporting Indigenous communities on their path to self-sufficiency and prosperity. I'm excited to see the difference that this investment will make for Indigenous communities across Western Canada."

-The Honourable Mlanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

"Our government is making strategic investments to help communities and businesses capitalize on economic development and growth opportunities and kick-start the country's economy. Indigenous small- and medium-sized businesses exemplify the ingenuity and drive that is at the core of the region's entrepreneurial spirit."

-Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

Quick Facts

Associated Links

Stay ConnectedFollow the department on Twitter: @WD_Canada

WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378) TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

Backgrounder: Western Economic Diversification Canada's investments support Indigenous skills development and jobs in Saskatchewan

As we walk the road of reconciliation together, the Government of Canada remains strongly committed to creating economic opportunities for Indigenous businesses and communities.

The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), is investing $895,000 to support Saskatchewan Indigenous communities.

Indigenous-focused projects supported by WD

Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. $745,000Build on a successful entrepreneurship pilot program focused on Mtis entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan. The intent is to train 350 individuals, while creating 20 jobs and completing 13 community-based projects. The funds will also help in the creation or expansion of 100 Mtis-owned businesses.

Ya'thi Nn Land and Resource Office $150,000Create training and employment opportunities for residents of northern Saskatchewan affected by the slow down of uranium mining in the Athabasca Basin. The intent is to train 50 Indigenous participants while creating 25 jobs. Training will be tailored to employment opportunities available in northern Saskatchewan such as health, trades, hospitality and aviation.

SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada

For further information: Alexander Cohen, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, [emailprotected]; Rhonda Laing, Director, Policy, Planning and External Relations, Western Economic Diversification Canada, [emailprotected]

http://www.wd.gc.ca/

Go here to see the original:

Government of Canada invests in Saskatchewan Indigenous businesses and communities - Canada NewsWire

Illinois public health officials on Monday announced 1,319 new confirmed case of COVID-19 and one additional death.

The numbers came after the statewide count surpassed 2,000 in Illinois for two straight days on Friday and Saturday. The state has now reported 195,399 cases overall and 7,637 confirmed deaths.

Starting Monday, Illinois renters who have been unable to pay their rent due to coronavirus-related financial difficulty can apply for one-time grants of $5,000 through a new state program and relief for homeowners is next.

In the last few months, research has evolved from the early days of the coronavirus, when it was shown that wearing masks protected others youre with, Pritzker said. Now, study after study after study has shown us that if you wear a mask, it protects you too.

Heres whats happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

3:33 p.m.: CPS will reduce funding for school resource officers by half and wont pay for police while schools are closed for remote learning

With the campaign to end school police only gaining traction since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Chicago Public Schools introduced a budget Monday that would cut in half funding for school-based officers.

CPS had a $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department for the previous school year. But in the coming year, the school district will no longer pay $7.5 million for 48 officers on mobile school units and will receive at least $10.5 million in credit for remote learning days, when officers arent assigned to schools, according to CPS budget documents.

CPS CEO Janice Jackson said the cost will be pro-rated based on the number of days of in-school instruction. Remote learning will continue in CPS for at least the first quarter of the school year.

(Updated: 1:04 p.m.) 12:08 p.m.: 1,319 new known COVID-19 cases, 1 additional death

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reported 1,319 newly-confirmed cases of coronavirus and one additional death, raising the statewide totals to 195,399 known cases and 7,637 deaths since the pandemic began.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate as of Sunday was 4.1%, and as of Sunday night, 1,481 people in the state with COVID-19 were hospitalized. Of those patients, 352 were in an intensive care unit and 138 were on ventilators.

The daily tally of new cases reported on Sunday was slightly higher 1,382 after two consecutive days of daily case counts that reached past 2,000.

On Monday, the state reported 32,353 tests conducted during a 24-hour period.

Daily test totals were higher over the previous few days the department reported on Sunday more than 41,000 tests conducted over the previous 24 hours.

On Saturday, the state reported 48,016 tests during a 24-hour period, as well as 2,190 newly-confirmed cases that day. And on Friday, the state reported 46,869 tests during a 24-hour period and 2,084 newly-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

12:18 a.m.: Big Ten officials are nearing a decision on college football, but no votes have been taken at this time

With the Big Ten football season on life support, some players are speaking out on social media using #WeWantToPlay.

But they face long odds, especially if Dan Patricks reporting is true.

The longtime radio/TV host said Monday that based on information he received, the Big Ten and Pac-12 will cancel their seasons Tuesday. The ACC and the Big 12 are on the fence, and the SEC is trying to buy time to see if it can play.

11:46 a.m.: Wisconsin-based Epic Systems backpedals, makes return to office voluntary amid coronavirus concerns

Epic Systems has told its employees they will not be required to return to in-person work on Monday at the health care records company based in Wisconsin.

11:14 a.m.: Chicago Public Schools proposes $8.4 billon budget for 2021 as it copes with financial impact of COVID-19

Chicago Public Schools is proposing an $8.4 billion budget for the 2021 school year, according to budget documents released Monday.

Despite the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, CPS expects revenues to increase this year, in large part because of substantial levels of federal emergency relief funding to cover emergency expenses and offset previously anticipated revenue increases that will not materialize, the district said.

The greatest funding stream continues to be local property taxes, which are based on the prior years assessments.

Yet that outlook still does not elevate the districts revenue collection enough to provide students with everything they need, and CPS would still require more than $1.9 billion in additional state funding in order to fully fund schools based on the states assessment, according to CPS.

10:27 a.m.: This has been our busiest year: Crowded Lake County beaches struggle to maintain social distancing

Social distancing is becoming a challenge at Lake Countys beaches as crowds are getting larger after a hot July, and beaches are becoming smaller because of rising Lake Michigan water levels.

Lakefront beaches from Illinois Beach State Park, which stretches from the Wisconsin state like to the northern end of Waukegan, to Highland Park are adjusting their regulations to contend with the coronavirus pandemic and visitors from Chicago where beaches remain closed.

Officials at the state beach as well as in Waukegan, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest and Highland Park all said visits to their beaches are more frequent this summer and harder to accommodate because of pandemic-related social distancing.

10:26 a.m.: Around the world, the pandemic is wrecking Class of 2020s hopes for landing a first job

Around the world, young people armed with new degrees, diplomas and professional qualifications are struggling to enter the workforce as the pandemic pushes the global economy into recession. COVID-19 has thwarted hopes of landing first jobs important for jump-starting careers as employers cut back graduate recruiting plans or even revoke job offers.

The latest U.S. job numbers Friday underscored the murky outlook: 1.8 million jobs were added in July, a sharp slowdown in employment growth from the month before. It means the worlds biggest economy has regained just 42% of jobs lost to the coronavirus.

9:45 a.m.: Illinois renters can apply for $5,000 grants to cover unpaid rent due to COVID-19 starting today and homeowners are next

Illinois renters who have been unable to pay their rent due to coronavirus-related financial difficulty can apply for one-time grants of $5,000 through a new state program beginning Monday and relief for homeowners is next.

The state will give $300 million in rent and mortgage grants this fall to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, offering one-time grants of $5,000 for tenants and $15,000 for homeowners. The programs, administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, are funded through federal money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed earlier this year.

Applications for renters are available until Aug. 21. Homeowners can apply for grants Aug. 24-Sept. 4.

6 a.m.: COVID-19 shutdowns create mad dash for ACT, SAT spots as college application season looms

When it has come to getting a standardized test score during the onslaught of COVID-19, fate has been cruel to Illinois rising high school seniors. They werent able to take the SAT at their schools in April, and many ACT sittings were canceled over the spring and summer after test sites, mostly schools, closed their doors.

That led to a mad dash last week as aspiring test-takers swamped ACTs website trying to reserve a spot this fall. ACT officials wont say how many were left in the cold, but judging by social media chatter, the number could be considerable.

Two hours in queue, one parent wrote on ACTs Facebook page. When (I) got my turn ALL September seats in Illinois and neighboring states are TAKEN. First available date is December!!! Whoever is the genius who came up with this solution should be looking for a new job.

The bedlam is happening even as colleges seek to assure applicants that standardized test scores will be optional this year. About 350 have made that declaration since the start of the pandemic, including big names such as Northwestern, Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

But parents and students interviewed by the Tribune dont buy it. Theyre still convinced the lack of a good score will be a disadvantage at a competitive school.

Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.

Here are three things that happened this weekend related to COVID-19.

Link:

COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Monday - Chicago Tribune

EVANSTON The fourth and final webinar in the Powder River Basin Resource Councils series entitled Reclaiming and Growing Wyomings Future, focused on Funding Wyomings Transition. Speakers included Ben Alexander with the Resources Legacy Fund, Cindy Winland with the Just Transition Fund and Chris Markuson with Colorados Blue-Green Alliance, all of whom have been extensively involved with work in rural communities dependent upon energy production and power plants.

Alexander opened by providing some economic context for the presentation, noting that Wyoming is the most energy-focused state in the nation. Long-term trends that have impacted energy-focused economies include components of globalization, automation, industry maturity, competition from developing countries, the development of a modern services economy and information economy and de-localization, all of which have fundamentally shifted the geography of our economy and opportunities for local places and businesses to compete.

Alexander has been conducting research on similarities and commonalities between communities in the Intermountain West that have successfully transitioned and diversified from being solely reliant on energy extraction, and coal in particular. His research has become even more timely with the COVID-19 pandemic that in many respects has hastened and worsened the long-predicted decline of coal.

Alexander said adapting to a changing economy is different for urban and rural communities and said many rural communities in particular are struggling to adapt, in part because we face fierce competition for some of our natural resource sectors. He also emphasized the broader transition to a service-based economy on a national scale. Such economies, said Alexander, have a real mix of high-paying and low-paying jobs, rewarding generally sort of the urban components of the higher knowledge aspects of that services economy and punishing, if you will, some of the lower-skilled aspects of the service delivery economy that in many places are replacing some of our higher-paying natural resource sector jobs.

Strategies to address these fundamental shifts through economic development and resiliency, said Alexander, are very localized and unique to each community. He emphasized that economic development is both an outcome and a process. The outcome side is the creation of jobs and wealth and the improvement in quality of life. The process side is the process that influences growth and restructures the economy.

Resilience, said Alexander, is not necessarily about having the fastest growth or generating the most wealth, but about surviving change. Its not trying to keep a place or an economy the way it is in the face of change or even about trying to control change. Its really about shifting attention and resources to cope with or adapt to change.

Alexander said his research revealed there is no single silver bullet for addressing diversification and resiliency processes because all communities are unique and have different assets, challenges and market opportunities. Instead, he said there is a range of techniques and approaches. He said he also began to realize that the response to change is fundamentally different in different areas.

In the West, we know that economics and culture are closely tied. Our identities and our occupations are closely aligned, and so our response to economic change when one industry is under threat is often very personal and we fight to keep that industry and our identity alive. Thats an entirely legitimate response to change, said Alexander. It may not be the most adaptive and resilient response to change, however. More successful places over time dont focus on trying to keep places the way they are or to control change so much as to figure out how they can benefit from it. Alexander said declines in key industries, plant closures, etc., are what he describes as ruptures that create great upheavals in communities. Dealing with those ruptures requires leadership to either take the rupture and use it as an opportunity to double down on the past or use it to look at other possibilities. He said leadership requires not just telling people what they want to hear but telling them the sometimes-painful truth.

Local leadership, then, is critical in helping communities adapt and move forward with economic development strategies. Part of that process, said Alexander, is focusing on a vision, including a lists of area strengths and weaknesses, as well as creating a specific strategy that includes two key components, which he labeled where to play and how to win.

Alexander said too often leaders in a community will take a kitchen sink approach, trying everything to see if something sticks. Knowing where to play involves looking at and analyzing opportunities and finding in-demand sectors that align with area resources. How to win involves looking at ways to ensure that investments in new training or technology pay off by delivering either the lowest-cost product or a specialized, differentiated in-demand product that isnt already readily available elsewhere.

Successful economic development requires a long-term strategy and commitment to process as, according to Alexander, its not at all unusual for multiple ruptures to occur throughout the life of a community, necessitating repeated adaptation.

Winland, senior fellow with the Just Transition Fund, echoed Alexanders comments on economics and identity, and addressed the fear that often accompanies the decline in a sector. A lot of communities are afraid to say it out loud, as though thats going to cause the plant to close or the mine to close, but its important to recognize this is going to be in our future and we need to think about it.

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) specializes in offering support to communities dealing with a closure and economic transition, working with local officials, business leaders, educational institutions and more. The nonprofit JTF utilizes a hybrid approach to provide both technical assistance and funding to help communities come together, strategize and focus on specific locally-derived and -driven goals and plans and how to meet them.

Winland said the JTF avoids coming in with a cookie-cutter solution to just drop on a community and instead focuses on meeting with local people to understand a communitys assets, resources, challenges and more to help locals develop their own vision and solutions. She said unfortunately oftentimes community leaders try to simply find someone else a savior to just take over the closing plant, utility, etc., to fill the void, which is not actually economic diversification or doing anything to address the inevitable loss of that industry/employer.

The JTF offers free tools online as part of the organizations technical assistance services, including tools to help start a transition planning process, to help connect to other communities that have faced similar challenges, to help identify public and private funding sources to facilitate employee training and education needed for any successful transition, to provide grant-writing assistance, to help with conducting outreach within communities and facilitating meetings and to share information and resources.

Winland said even if theres disagreement within a community about politics and policies or about the causes for an industrys decline, its important to develop some consensus on how to proceed and move toward the future, and the JTF can help facilitate meetings to help local leaders find that consensus. If we arent all in the room and working toward the same thing, its much less likely to succeed. That sounds like a Miss America statement, but its really important.

The JTF has provided both technical assistance and funding in numerous states around the country, including Wyoming, although the organization doesnt necessarily have to provide both assistance and funding in any given community. She said the first step in the process is simply to reach out to the JTF to begin an introductory conversation to begin to understand the community, the stage of transition (whether a plant has already closed or whether a closure is imminent, for example) and the goals for the future. Next steps can include outlining resource needs, determining timelines and milestones, helping to develop and implement training and educational programs and more.

Finally, Markuson, director of Colorado and state economic transition policy with the Blue-Green Alliance, spoke about some of the work he has been involved with in Colorado to transition economies from being solely coal reliant. Markuson said a challenge in Colorado and throughout the West has been political unwillingness to recognize how increased demand for clean energy is happening regardless of politics. He said people who dont believe in climate change, for example, argue a transition is unnecessary; however, that ignores market realities of a continued decline in the predominance of coal in energy production. Conversely, some argue that climate change is so important that the loss of jobs and even entire communities is a justified cost to save the planet. Neither viewpoint is helpful in helping communities transition and survive.

Markuson too said communities often make the mistake of just trying to replace a large employer when a plant closes; however, the community then finds itself in the exact same position when another closure occurs and the economy hasnt actually been diversified. He emphasized some of the same factors as Alexander and Winland, noting its easy to attract low-wage, low-skilled jobs, but those arent necessarily sustaining to communities or families.

According to Markuson, its important to seek assistance and look to other communities that have successfully transitioned in pursuing an economic development plan, in part because it can become a classic chicken and the egg scenario. Attracting long-term, community-sustaining employers requires a highly skilled workforce, but its challenging to invest in workforce training for an employer that is not yet in the community.

All three presenters repeatedly emphasized the multiple facets of economic development, especially in coal communities. Focusing only on short-term mitigation of economic impacts may help families and communities for a brief period, but it wont create sustainable jobs. Focusing only on long-term competitive economic opportunities does nothing to immediately help families in need, which often results in families moving away before those opportunities can be realized. Successful plans require a balance of both short-term mitigation and long-term opportunities.

They also all stressed the importance of education, whether that is through community colleges, vocational and technical programs, stacked certificate training in which an individual is able to continually work through programs to build credentials and career ladders, apprenticeships or some other training.

Its crucial to work with local school districts and other educational entities to create needed programs to develop the skilled workforce that can lure stable employers to an area. Especially in the current economic downturn, with community colleges and vocational programs facing huge budget cuts nationally, the three said finding a way to invest in training could offer Wyoming communities a huge competitive advantage.

America is what it is because of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, said Markuson. Weve kind of lost that and need to bring it back. Fostering that requires intentional effort Be bold. The time is now.

Read the original post:

Final webinar on coal transition offers advice and resources for communities - Uinta County Herald

By Kevin Orland and Kait Bolongaro on 8/6/2020

CALGARY (Bloomberg) --If any place in North America should have been prepared for the crash in oil prices, its petroleum-rich Alberta, the Saudi Arabia of Canada.

Back in 1976, Albertas government established a special fund to save some of its oil and gas revenue for leaner times when prices dropped or resources ran dry. For decades, royalties poured into Albertas coffers, with the gusher accelerating in the boom of the early 2000s as the province developed its vast oil-sands reserves, the worlds third-largest oil resource.

But successive governments failed to stick to the savings plan. Today, as weak oil prices upend economies around the world, Alberta is confronting its own painful regrets. Had it set aside more during oils boom, Alberta could have had a C$575 billion ($433 billion) wealth fund to cushion the blows of Covid-19, according to one economists estimates.

Instead, the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund is down to just C$16.3 billion after losing C$1.9 billion because of the pandemic and a wrong-way bet against market volatility. Thats not enough to provide much help in a province suffering from Canadas second-highest unemployment rate at 15.5%, a falling credit rating and a dark period ahead for its most important industry.

Many people in Alberta might not even realize that the Heritage Fund still exists, said Trevor Tombe, an economics professor at the University of Calgary. The fact that there is such a large missed opportunity, that had we been saving royalties we could have had a fund in the hundreds of billions, is not widely appreciated.

Norway Envy

Tombes estimate that the Heritage Fund could have been worth C$575 billion uses the funds actual investment returns but assumes that the province had followed practices similar to those that helped Norway amass its $1.12 trillion Government Pension Fund Global. Those guidelines include contributing all of its resource revenue to the fund and withdrawing only 4% a year.

Norway plans to exceed that cap this year, withdrawing about 4.2% of the fund, or roughly $37 billion, to shore up its budget.

Despite striking oil about half a century earlier than Norway, Alberta has no similar piggy bank to crack. With the oil crash devastating resource and income tax revenue and spending soaring to keep the economy afloat, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has estimated the provinces deficit could hit about C$20 billion in the current fiscal year. Thats on par with the latest deficit estimate from Ontario, a province with three times as many people.

Prior to the crisis, Alberta was producing about 3.8 million barrels a day, more than every OPEC member other than Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Analysts have estimated that Albertas producers idled 1 million to 1.5 million barrels of production at the depths of the crisis, and its unclear how much has been brought back on since the North American economy began to reopen.

If we dont get people back to work, if we dont restore investor confidence and get our economy growing again, the fiscal challenge will become insurmountable, Kenney said in late June.

Rainy Day

The Heritage Fund, which initially received 30% of Albertas non-renewable resource revenue, was meant to transfer the provinces oil wealth to future generations, not serve as a rainy day fund or as a vehicle for diversifying the economy, said Colleen Collins, who worked in Premier Peter Lougheeds office as he set up the fund in the late 1970s. Collins now serves as a vice president at the Canada West Foundation, a think tank.

In 1987, the provincial government stopped adding resource revenue to the Heritage Fund as low oil prices caused mounting deficits. The fund has limped along since, contributing investment income to the provinces general revenue pool while receiving occasional, ad hoc infusions during better times.

There was this sense of Well, its a rainy day fund and man is it rainy, Collins said. Nobody wants to see services cut. Nobody wants to see public servants salaries cut. How do you say no to people when you have all that money in the bank?

Alberta politicians have argued that a giant Heritage Fund might have become a fat target for the federal government, continuing a long series of intergovernmental clashes over control of the provinces oil resources and the wealth they generate. As a unitary state, Norway hasnt faced any such tensions, she said.

The University of Calgarys Tombe concurs, saying that the federal government likely would have reduced its transfers to Alberta or raised other taxes affecting the province, making the Heritage Fund smaller than his calculations project it could have been.

Top Credit Rating

Still, Albertas politicians may have been lulled into false sense of financial security by a long stretch of good times and bullish projections that the U.S. and China would be ready buyers for the provinces crude for decades to come.

The province, which has been governed by various conservative parties for about 81 of the past 85 years, has the lowest corporate tax rate in Canada, relatively low personal income-tax rates and is one of the few North American jurisdictions without a provincial or state sales tax. Even with low taxes, the rise of the oil sands in the 1990s allowed Alberta to post 14 consecutive years of budget surpluses before the streak was ended by the 2008 financial crisis.

The province held onto its AAA credit rating even longer than the U.S. did. S&P Global Ratings didnt downgrade it until 2015. S&P has cut it three more notches since, to A+. Some have called for Kenneys pro-oil government to work on an economic plan that isnt so dependent on fossil fuels.

The odds that the province will seek increased contributions from the industry are low, and the exploding budget deficit makes the chances slim that it will divert revenue to build up the Heritage Fund.

Tombe recommends starting by contributing a small fraction of the provinces resource revenue to the fund and increasing that percentage over time. The lost revenue could be made up by raising tax rates elsewhere or implementing a sales tax.

Either way, he hopes that the lessons of the current pandemic crisis arent lost on Alberta.

The scale of the economic disruptions and the fiscal disruptions are so big that I think it is genuinely leading people to think we need to do something differently, Tombe said. And if an event like this does not cause us to change how were doing things, I dont know what will.

More here:

Alberta's oil-based wealth fund misses a $433 billion opportunity - WorldOil

When people find themselves without food, water or shelter, they turn to the nonprofit sector to help meet their basic needs.

After-school providers keep children academically and socially engaged. Mental health agencies help people deal with issues that feel too hard to handle, and cultural and arts programs provide a break for those seeking respite from daily routines or struggles in life.

Anything that might be a resource for people during the pandemic (and before it) likely touches a nonprofit, said Kelley Kuhn, vice president of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. But because of COVID-19, there are no guarantees those organizations will always be around.

The sector is in unprecedented territory, facing significant change and contraction as it grapples with revenue losses, ballooning demand for services, operational shifts needed to keep people safe and the possibility of recession, according to industry leaders.

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how nonprofits operate, from logistics like incorporating safety measures into in-person service and program delivery to shifting programs and fundraisers online and nonstop contingency planning to adapt to changing revenue streams and human resource capacities, Kuhn said.

All of those shifts have taken a toll not only on nonprofit finances but also on nonprofit leaders and employees, many of whom have worked nonstop during the pandemic.

"If an economic downturn happens to an already fragile sector, what will be the stress and burden when nonprofits will be continually asked to fill gaps in services to community?" Kuhn said.

"The safety net is going to need attention and support."

What we've learned: Nonprofits have collectively lost millions of dollars in earned revenue with building closures and contributed dollars with canceled fundraising events. Yet some, like food banks and rescues and shelters, ramped up their efforts with each new wave of demand, costs be damned.

To conserve cash, employees were furloughed. To help recoup lost revenue, some shifted to virtual fundraisers and innovative events like drive-in theater gatherings. Some secured federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Mental health agencies began telehealth visits with clients to handle increased demand for counseling, and hospitals restarted elective medical procedures. Educational and cultural groups launched new programs online. But it's become clear that among nonprofits there are disparities in the ability to access and leverage technology, Kuhn said.

Racial disparities have taken on a new importance amid the pandemic, forcing nonprofits to view their work through a racial equity lens.

How nonprofits are doing financially differs from one to the next, depending on their mix of public vs. private funding, their reliance on earned vs. contributed revenue and how much they can rely on their donors to support them right now, said Mariam Noland, president of the Community Foundation.

Unanswered questions: Leaders agree that demand for human services will continue to rise, but no one knows how much. It will depend on how quickly the economy turns around, Noland said. And several factors play into that, including the prospect of a recession and whether or not school is in session and parents can return to full-time employment.

"What happens with kids is a huge determinant of what happens with who can go back to jobs, where ... people put their priorities," she said, noting there is also a related impact on arts and cultural organizations, since people are unlikely to go to a theater performance if money and time are tight.

What's next: Leaders are watching what happens with the economy and Michigan's phased reopenings, since both factors have a ripple impact on earned and contributed revenue.

They are also monitoring the rise in the demand for human services, whether government will step up to support the increased demand, and the mental well-being, burnout and work-life balance for nonprofit employees. Whether there will be more federal relief that nonprofits can access without the same issues they encountered in securing the initial PPP loans is another question, Kuhn said.

Based on their financial models and limited cash on hand, a "shocking number" of nonprofits will not survive the pandemic, with closures most likely spread out over the next two to three years, Jeff Williams, director of the community data and research lab at Grand Valley State University's Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, said in June.

Leaders are seeing some indicators that nonprofits are beginning to look at consolidations, and partnerships are taking shape as those organizations navigate the pandemic and post-pandemic environment, Kuhn said.

"If you are looking to continue to do the work in a resource-stressed environment, then you're creatively looking towards consolidations and partnerships" to best meet community needs, Kuhn said.

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What's Next: Fragile nonprofit safety net facing tests that threaten survival - Crain's Detroit Business

No artist of international reputation or even national notoriety for that matter born in Philadelphia has been able to live here. That was renowned illustrator Joseph Pennell writing in the 1930s.

Things have changed for artists in Philadelphia but the lack of local affirmation and support remains a frequent refrain. Artists note particular challenges with finding commercial outlets in the city and their invisibility to the citys most prestigious institutions.

The fragile support extends to City Hall where officials champion the arts but set aside relatively little money to support its production. In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the city invested approximately $9 million .2% of the citys $5 billion budget. That small investment delivers dividends across Philadelphias neighborhoods and burnishes the citys reputation on the national and international stage. Yet the payoff didnt stop Mayor Jim Kenney from proposing a post-pandemic budget for this fiscal year that eliminated the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund entirely while putting only a .5% dent in the $650 million shortfall.

While the budget that City Council ultimately passed reinstated some of those cuts, Philadelphia is moving into the new year with less money for art than in the past. Kenneys initial budget and even the compromise said something loud and clear about the value city government assigns to art.

The struggle for recognition and even basic survival is heightened for artists of color and artists from other marginalized communities. Grassroots organizations that contribute at the neighborhood level face a catch-22. Many provide critical services in communities that are not effectively engaged by larger institutions. Yet their status is precarious because they lack the social capital or staffing levels to pursue traditional sources of nonprofit funding. Especially now, during an unprecedented pandemic a time of skyrocketing unemployment, uncertain prospects for public education and heightened healthcare concerns.

Yet in the face of these challenges and the many persistent variations of the Philly shrug, the citys artists continue to persevere, thrive, and produce work that is shaping our collective future.

Emblematic of this spirit is the Reentry Think Tank. The United States has incarcerated more than 2 million people, nearly 25% of the worlds prison population. In this landscape, Philadelphia boasts the highest incarceration rate of any large U.S. jurisdiction, according to a 2018 report. Reentry Think Tank partners with artists to restore the humanity of formerly incarcerated men and women to help them succeed in their communities. Through wheatpaste posters, reclaimed spaces, and amplified voices, artists act as engines for education, beautification and political movements and contribute mightily to the most positive aspects of our city.

The turmoil of 2020 is forcing all of us into unwelcome choices and calculated risks. The ongoing uncertainty is dismaying and exhausting. It is a struggle to find precedent and guidance in this moment. One historical lesson we should remember is how the arts have provided a haven in Philadelphias times of crisis. The citys affirmation of and investment in culture especially at the grassroots level has always benefited the city well beyond the direct recipients. Structures that deliver resources to artists have created outcomes that are efficient, effective, and even transformative.

During the original Great Depression of the 1930s, the federal government launched the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Its programs included the Federal Art Project (FAP), a nationwide initiative that ran from 1935 to 1943. The program provided subsidies for artists creation of murals, easel paintings, sculpture, graphic art, posters, photography, theatre scenic design, and arts and crafts.

Philadelphias rich tradition in printmaking includes hosting the United States first lithograph. The FAP site in Philadelphia came out of this history and was one of five nationwide sites that was designated a Fine Print Workshop. Pioneering Black artist Dox Thrash and colleagues that included Samuel Brown, Claude Clark, Hugh Mesibov, and Raymond Steth oversaw a laboratory for technical innovation, inventing the carborundum printing process. The Workshop also modeled racial inclusion when most local institutions were segregated. Today, the legacy of Dox Thrash continues to inspire young people to invest in their neighborhood with a vision for community betterment.

Another period of significant investment happened in the 1960s and 1970s. The federal Model Cities program, and slightly later, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), were efforts to counter failed, top-down urban renewal projects and increase citizen participation. In 1966, during President Lyndon Johnsons administration, the Model Cities Program launched with an emphasis on local control: The idea that there could be an effective working partnership between elected officials and representatives of local communities took hold on both sides. For Philadelphia, the program brought resources to the tune of $25 million annually for 40 programs, ranging from housing subsidies, job training, healthcare, transit and the arts.

North Philadelphias Ile Ife Black Humanitarian Center is among the initiatives that benefited from Washingtons investment. The scale of Ile Ifes activities increased when its founder Arthur Hall became cultural arts director of Model Cities in 1970, one year after the center opened. With his connections to the federal program, Hall could program the center more ambitiously, advocate more effectively, and engage the public through a variety of artistic expressions. Charles Searles, Barbara Bullock, and Twins Seven Seven were among the notable artists who led programs at Ile Ife. Ile Ife closed in 1989 but its spirit has lived on through the work of the Village of Arts and Humanities, which took over the space when the center closed.

The Village practices artist-facilitated community building, and has created a network of murals, parks and gardens in North Philadelphia. During the current crisis, it has used its platform to support artists in the 19133 zip code and to address food insecurity in partnership with the Share Food Program of Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, CETA, active from 1973-82, funded job training initiatives that included direct benefits to artists. CETA was estimated to have invested over $175 million on art projects and employed 10,000 artists.

Philadelphia beneficiaries included Brandywine Workshop, a resource for artists and the larger community that lives on today. The CETA funds allowed the organization to employ 38 local artists annually between 1977 and 1980.

If the present confusion and uncertainty has revealed one thing, it is that the old status quo is unacceptable. What would a more just, equitable city look like? Our past investments in artists and creativity offer lessons.

Blake Bradford is a Philadelphia-based writer, educator and cultural advocate. His appointments include serving as the Director of the Lincoln University-Barnes Foundation Museum Studies Program and as the inaugural Bernard C. Watson Director of Education at the Barnes Foundation.

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Opinion: Investing in Philly artists during the pandemic could help - WHYY