Turning Green includes three divisions: HRK, GPS PLAS, and PVA PRO. HRK started operating in 2019 and focuses on eco-friendly solutions for HORECA and the retail industry. GPS PLAS began operating in 2017 and specializes in biodegradable and compostable polymers. PVA PRO started operating in 2022 and focuses on developing the first water-soluble polymer. With its eco-friendly products, Turning Green aspires to provide innovative packing solutions that help industries adopt sustainable practices, reduce plastic waste, and satisfy future compliance.  The bioplastic market worldwide will reach $ 60 billion by 2028. Indeed, more and more people know plastic can cause severe issues to the ecosystem and animals. It takes synthetic plastic hundreds of years to be decomposed. They tend to adopt more sustainable purchasing habits and consumptions. Perceiving this trend globally, Turning Green has developed biodegradable alternatives for packaging industries to combat this pollution.  This impact tech is the leading producer of biodegradable plastics in Vietnam. The firm is a one-stop solution for customers by providing various innovative products and services related to degradable packaging for industries. The firm’s product portfolio comprises paper-based materials, natural fibres, and recycled, biodegradable, compostable and water-soluble plastics. Turn Green can supply raw materials, semi-finished goods, and finished goods to serve the different needs of businesses from various industries.  Being the leading producer of biodegradable plastics in Vietnam and a passionate advocate for a more sustainable world, Turning Green has been awarded numerous recognitions, including Best Ecofriendly Packaging Supplier by APAC 2022, Winner of Shinhan Bank Start-up Program, Winner 2022 Best Sustainable SME by EUROCHARM, Top 5 Techfest in 2022 and 2023, and Top 5 Green Innovation Fellowship 2024.  The exciting thing about Turning Green is that the firm takes advantage of the abundance of rice in Vietnam. Indeed, the impact tech uses Vietnamese rice stem agricultural waste to create a fully bio-based paper coating material. Seaweed-based polymers are under development and have even more potential. Turning Green’s products have reached customers in various developed countries, including the U.S. The firm’s management team believe that the more customers their products get, the more sustainable the world is.  Author: Bao Hoang, Ph.D.

Quality education comes forth among the UN’s 17 SDGs. Despite its fourth position, education has a decisive impact on achieving the other 16 SDGs. Indeed, education has been considered the most effective instrument in helping people overcome poverty and inequality. However, developing countries are facing severe issues with the quality of education. Indeed, half of 1.8 billion students worldwide cannot achieve essential reading and numeracy skills. This problem is even worse in the least developed countries. 90% of 10-year-olds in Sub-Saharan Africa are illiterate. Fortunately, AI can play a significant role in mitigating the learning crisis in poor countries.  Currently, 95% of the population lives in areas covered by the internet, and smartphones are more popular than ever. This raises the possibility that developing countries can utilize AI to address the learning crises among children. Indeed, some AI-empowered learning platforms, including ALEKs, can provide students with feedback and tailor the learning content according to students’ needs. More impact techs for education utilising AI to support learning should be available in poor countries. These education techs should be approachable for most children, even those who don’t have opportunities to go to school. In other words, children can use these AI-powered platforms with no costs and without too many technical difficulties.  Given that AI can improve education quality in developing countries, it cannot replace qualified teachers. To solve the learning crisis, developing countries should enhance the quality of their educators by equipping them with AI skills. While some teachers are eager to learn new things, including AI and digital skills, others are unwilling to make changes. As a result, developing countries should provide the necessary resources to those teachers who want to upgrade their digital skills. For those reluctant to change, developing countries should incentivize them to get familiar with AI and digital tools that can enhance their classroom capabilities. Some AI-based platforms, including MagicSchool and Ummia, can help teachers create engaging learning materials that align with the curriculum. More impact techs like those should be more available in developing countries. Teachers can then use them in the classroom to enhance their students’ learning. In addition, new AI-based platforms should be affordable for teachers in poor countries. In addition, they should be user-friendly to avoid the technology fatigue that is quite popular among people who need to be tech-savvy and those who are not good at tech. Author: Bao Hoang, Ph.D.

The U.S. has led the world in green hydrogen research and applications. Indeed, five out of 12 leading green hydrogen companies worldwide are from the U.S. They are Air Products, FuelCell Energy, Bloom Energy, Plug Power, and Hyzon. This includes only a few American startups focusing on developing green hydrogen batteries and other applications. The other seven are spread over countries, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Norway. This indicates that the American private sector is the country’s leading force in climate tech.  The use of hydrogen as a source of fuel has been introduced previously. Indeed, it has been used in spaceships. However, the popularity of green hydrogen emerged again recently as one of the practical tools to combat climate change and global warming. The International Energy Agency estimates that around 830 million tonnes of CO2 can be saved annually when this gas is used. To produce green hydrogen, researchers or scientists have to break down water molecules (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2). The unique thing about green hydrogen is that it only emits water vapors when used. This is unlike the use of fossil fuels.   In addition, this gas is also easy to store and versatile. In other words, the green hydrogen can be converted to synthetic gas or electricity. Then, they will be used for transportation or other industry purposes. However, there are some pitfalls with green hydrogen. Like other green technologies, green hydrogen is still costly to produce. The good news is that this cost will be reduced by half in 2030, according to the World Hydrogen Council. In addition to the high price, other disadvantages include high energy consumption and safety issues. Indeed, hydrogen is very volatile and flammable.  Actions mitigating climate change require committed participation from developing countries. As we mentioned earlier, only a small group of advanced countries can afford the research and application of green hydrogen. Japan has even gone further and aspires to develop a green hydrogen-based economy. The high costs of green hydrogen prevent developing countries from adopting green hydrogen anytime soon. As a result, advanced countries, including the U.S. and EU, must be committed to transferring green hydrogen technology to underdeveloped countries. Developing countries have one of the most effective tools to decarbonize the economy if this happens. Author: Bao Hoang, Ph.D.