Earth Day highlights need for sustainable future

22nd April, London/New York – Today marks the 46th Earth Day, a movement which inspires initiatives to reduce the earth’s CO2 emissions and encourage the adoption of renewable resources. To commemorate the day, Earth Day Network begins its Plant the Trees campaign, which aims to encourage people to plant trees in their communities. The campaign's ultimate goal is to reach 7.8 billion trees around the world by 2020.

The 2 countries who account for 40 per cent of global emissions, the United States and China, are also commemorating Earth Day by officially signing the Paris Agreement – a global commitment that was secured during the Paris Conference (COP21) last December. Its framework sets out a series of initiatives for nations to combat climate change, with the key goal being to keep global temperature increases below a 2°C threshold. Over 120 nations are expected to sign the agreement, and confirm their commitment to the low carbon measures that it outlines. However, the agreement will only be operational this year if it exceeds 55 state signatures.

Marco A. Attisani, CEO & Founder of cleantech company Watly, comments: “The momentous progress that was made during COP21, between the world’s business and political leaders alike, displayed how important the fight against climate change has become. And with this deal sealed, everyone from all sides will be contributing to the effort. Business leaders are starting to see the profitability of integrating sustainable actions into their models. Sustainable initiatives are no longer just a means for charitable efforts, but can be used to help businesses save money and boost financial growth. The cleantech industry has demonstrated that this is possible, creating viable options for governments and businesses that are simultaneously sustainable and profitable.”

Cleantech company Watly is doing its own part to reduce the world’s CO2 emissions, whilst helping rural communities to “leapfrog” in development with its advanced technology. Following the successful trial of its machine the Watly 2.0 model in Abenta Village, Ghana, Watly is constructing a fully-sized version, at 40 metres and 15 tons. The Watly 3.0 will bring the three foundations integral to today’s modern society – clean water, energy and connectivity. During its lifespan of 15 years, one Watly can reduce as much as 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to 2,500 barrels of oil.

Marco continues: “Funding by the EU Horizon 2020 has allowed us to build our first Watly machine, which will be presented later this year. Obtaining such funds was not easy, but we proved that our technology was viable and will benefit the world. Our technology is not only addressing one of the greatest challenges to humanity, but also opening up huge business opportunities for nations and investors around the world.”

Watly recently launched an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign to fund its second Watly 3.0 machine. The campaign will allow supporters to contribute in providing an innovative solution to some of the world’s worst environmental issues. The top prized perk will give one contributor the opportunity to join the Watly team, when it implements its technology in Africa, as part of a Discovery Channel documentary.