Pausing Solar Tariffs, Tesla’s Stock Split And Quantum Computing For Sustainable Manufacturing

This week’s Current Climate, which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.

Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced a two-year pause on the imposition of new tariffs and duties on imported solar panels from China, a move it says would create a “bridge” to spur construction of stalled solar projects in the United States. Reaction from the solar industry was mixed. Domestic manufacturers criticized the move, unhappy that the president was ushering in unwanted competition. Solar installation companies, on the other hand, praised the move.

John Berger, CEO of Sunnova, told Forbes that, “A two-year moratorium is a great step in the right direction. Tariffs not only hurt the American economy and the consumer, they also stifle innovation and competition in the market.”

The Big Read

This Collaboration Will Use Quantum Computing To Make Manufacturing More Sustainable

German industrial manufacturer Covestro aims to develop software with QC Ware that would use quantum computing to create more efficient chemical reactions and better materials. Read more here.

Discoveries And Innovations

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a photosynthesis-inspired process that may provide a pathway for making commodity chemicals using much less energy (and money.)

The federal government is considering a proposal for a California coastal marine sanctuary that would be led by the Chumash tribe.

Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, and Hermès are introducing handbags, shoes, and coats made of mycelium leather – an alternative to animal hides created from roots of mushrooms.

Monarch butterfly breeding populations have remained stable since 1993, a new study finds, disputing previous concerns raised by scientists that the butterfly species could face extinction because of dwindling winter colonies affected by climate change.