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Up to $10 million in grants from the Department of Energy will be available for advanced biofuel and other biobased product initiatives. The program is in support of the agency's aim to lower the cost of advanced biofuels to $3 per gallon of gasoline equivalent by 2022.

The Department of Agriculture is awarding more than $5.6 million in grant payments to 220 advanced-biofuel companies under its Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. The agency is also handing out $4 million in grants to bioenergy projects under its National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grants are part of the Obama administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to U.S. energy policy, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The Department of Energy has made available $8 billion in loan guarantee authority to support advanced fossil energy projects that avoid, reduce or sequester greenhouse gases.

Carigali-PTTEPI Operating Company Sdn. Bhd. is saving $52 million annually at its natural gas development platform in the Gulf of Thailand, while reducing water consumption and chemical use through General Electric's advanced cooling and chemical treatment technology.

The Minnesota Sustainable Growth Coalition is a business-led public-private partnership harnessing the collective expertise of over 25 companies, including 3M, Aveda, Dow Water, Ecolab, General Mills, the Great Plains Institute, and Target, to advance the next frontier of corporate sustainability - the circular economy - here in the U.S. Environmental Initiative, a local nonprofit organization, is convening and facilitating the coalition

Dell has become the second high-profile company to announce a deal with AirCarbon, an innovative plastic material from Newlight Technologies created by pulling carbon out of the air.

Cargill, McDonald's, Tyson Foods, and Walmart are among 42 founding members of the new U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef-a multi-stakeholder initiative to advance sustainable practices in the global beef value chain.

Last month, the World Green Building Council announced its ambitious new project, Advancing Net Zero, which aims to make all buildings net zero by 2050. Here are five companies that are providing first-rate technology, building products and services that have been and will continue to be important tools for the evolution of net zero buildings.

Drone boats will soon hit the famous, rusty bike-filled canals of Amsterdam. The ambitious "ROBOAT" project, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), will start a five-year trial of the vessels from 2017 to give the multi-purpose boats all sorts of interesting tasks for the busy waterways. The boats will support an array of sensors that can measure water pollution and quality, making assessments about how best to improve the environment. "Water is the bearer of life," says Arjan van Timmeren, professor and scientific director at AMS. "By focusing on the water system of the city, ROBOAT can create opportunities for new environmental sensing methods and climate adaptation."

Offshore wind is slowly taking off in the US, according to this analysis. Observers say that this trend can be seen in Massachusetts' proposed offshore wind bill, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's plan to hold an offshore wind auction for a tract of space off the coast of New York and Maryland's continued work on the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act. Some say these advances and several others could help the nation's fledging offshore wind industry reach critical mass.

Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin yesterday said climate change is a myth that scientists and policymakers are peddling to advance a political agenda.

New International Maritime Organisation rules that take effect in 2020 will require cruise ships to reduce their emissions. In advance of these regulations, several cruise companies are already taking steps to reduce their environmental pollution, the Guardian reports.

Consumer demand, advances in material technology and legislation will push sustainable packaging to a $244 billion market by 2018, according to report by Smithers Para. The "Future of Sustainable Packaging to 2018" report found awareness among consumers is driving demand for sustainability, particularly packaging that has a smaller environmental footprint.

A major initiative has been launched this week under the banner Global Forest Watch, promising to use advanced satellite and analytics technology to lead a new crackdown on illegal deforestation.

China may lead the renewable energy race and is projected to add more renewable energy facilities than the combined efforts from the U.S., EU and Japan through 2035, according to a report from the International Energy Agency. The report also projected that the share of hydropower, biomass, wind and solar energy in the world's supply will surpass 30% in two decades. Advances in solar and wind power technology will help increase output in these sectors by 45%.

At plants in Wisconsin and Holland, SC Johnson -- maker of cleaning products such as Mr Muscle and Pledge -- is using on-site wind turbines and advanced waste-reduction strategies to reduce its footprint. The aim is to develop a network of zero-waste, 100%-renewable facilities around the world. "Every place should be a better place because we are there," says CEO Sam Johnson.

One good place to start when deciding which program to look into is the comprehensive list of sustainability-focused masters programs from The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. It includes some 450 programs that offer training in sustainability, providing an excellent portal to get started. The list is also helpful for those looking to drill deeper into specific fields of sustainable study, with programs that hone in on design, entrepreneurship, policy, sustainable agriculture and more.

(Ethical Corporation) analyzes responses from 415 members in Ethical Corporation's global network to identify prominent supply chain sustainability trends. The analysis finds that around 24% of the respondent group cited industry collaboration as the most significant opportunity to advance supply chain sustainability; 16% cited the circular economy as the most significant opportunity in coming years.

The cost of electricity from wind farms in the U.S. dropped in 2014 to the lowest point yet, according to the Energy Department. Prices for utilities with power purchase agreements have declined two-thirds since 2009. Falling costs and continued advancements are ensuring that wind remains a reliable source of renewable energy, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said. The Hill (8/10), ReNews.biz (U.K.) (8/11) 

The days of conventional concrete and carbon-intensive building materials are waning. Along with promising advancements such as concrete made from biofuel waste, carbonate rock made from captured CO2 emissions, and a smart gypsum board that can help regulate room temperatures, three recent innovations in material development illustrate the intensifying search for more sustainable materials - from city streets to cement production plants