💚🌊 The GreenWave Podcast By Synergy International 🌊💚 Episode 24 was out earlier this week and you don't want to miss this one!

The Global Green Hydrogen Subsidy Race, Part 3

European Central Bank: Lagarde Table for One, Just Water Please

🧊 The euro area’s economy is on thin ice, not just from inflation or geopolitics, but from good old-fashioned drought.

💧 According to the ECB’s own Nature Value at Risk (NVaR) framework, a shocking 15% of euro area GDP is directly exposed to surface water stress. That’s not a typo. In Southern Europe, that figure jumps even higher, with agriculture forecast to lose up to 30% of its output in high-scarcity scenarios. Imagine a wine harvest in Spain—or olive oil production in Italy—cut by a third.

🌾 But it’s not just food. Energy, mining, manufacturing—all rely on abundant water. And the financial system? Over €1.3 trillion in bank loans are tied to businesses in high water-risk sectors. That’s more than a liquidity issue—it’s a solvency one, if nature stops playing nice.

🧮 The ECB's framework is a signal to banks, investors and regulators: you can’t hedge against systemic risk if you’re not pricing it. Water scarcity isn't just a sustainability issue—it’s a fundamental economic and financial one. And ignoring it is fast becoming the most expensive mistake central banks and capital markets could make.

🪨 So while some economists are still debating monetary tightening, the ECB just pointed out something much tighter: Europe’s water supply. And if we don’t start building climate resilience into financial systems now, we’ll be downstream from disaster sooner than we think. Read more...

Glaciers Melting Faster, Blatten Destroyed in Latest 🧊 Collapse

📉 A groundbreaking new study published in Science has quantified the collapse of over 2,700 glaciers globally since 2000—many of them catastrophically. Using advanced satellite radar imagery, researchers tracked sudden drops in glacier elevation, linking them to permafrost thaw and accelerating melt from warming temperatures. And the worst part? The pace is quickening.

🧠 Until now, glacier collapse was seen as dramatic but rare. This paper maps out the evidence that it’s all systemic. The mechanisms—internal melt, weakened ice dams, destabilized rock—are all turbocharged by rising temperatures. That means more collapses, more flooding, more deadly landslides. What happened in Blatten could be the future for dozens of mountain communities across the Alps, the Andes, and the Himalayas. Read more...

Madrid’s €500M New Green Bond Didn’t Just Sell — It Soared

🌍 This isn’t just a Spanish success story—it’s a signal. The appetite for credible, transparent green debt is outpacing supply. Investors are no longer content with ESG lip service—they want labeled instruments with real impact, and they’re willing to pay for them. So it's a huge investor endorsement for the recently introduced EuGB label under the EU Green Bond Standard (EU GBS).

💸 The aggregate sustainable debt market just smashed through the $5 trillion mark in 2025. That’s not a niche anymore—it’s a juggernaut. Behind the scenes of this green surge is one truth: capital is finally starting to move with climate alignment in mind. The question is whether you’re tracking it—or missing it.

💶 Madrid’s move underscores this broader shift. As cities and regions step up with green bonds, they're not only financing sustainable projects but also setting benchmarks for others to follow. The success of this issuance could inspire more local governments to tap into the green bond market, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Read more...

The Latest Sustainability Developments

Check it out here.

Date; 9 June - 13 June 2025 Location: Nice, France The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (the 2025 UN Ocean Conference) will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025.

London Climate Action Week

Date: June 23 - 26, 2025 Location: UK London Climate Action Week (LCAW) is one of the world's largest independent climate change events, bringing local and global experts from across sectors to harness the unique power of London for global climate action.

African Energy Week (AEW) 2025

Date: September 29 to October 3, 2025 Location: Cape Town International Convention Centre 2 (CTICC2) in Cape Town, South Africa Organized by the African Energy Chamber, AEW serves as a premier platform uniting African energy stakeholders, global investors, and industry leaders for discussions on the continent's energy future. The event features high-level discussions, networking opportunities, exhibitions, private meetings, deal-signing forums, and project site visits, all aimed at driving industry growth and development.

20th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES)

Date: September 2025 (Exact dates to be confirmed) Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia This conference will gather scientists and professionals to discuss sustainable development in energy, water, and environmental systems. It serves as a platform for sharing research and advancements in these fields.

COP30 – 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Date: November 10–21, 2025 Location: Belém, Pará, Brazil The 30th UN Climate Change Conference will convene global leaders to discuss and negotiate actions to address climate change. This marks the first time the conference will be held in the Amazon region, highlighting the importance of rainforest conservation.