WEF 2025: Decarbonising Rice project trials expanded in India, Laos & Indonesia

New Delhi, Jan 24 Trials on the Decarbonising Rice project, winner of the breakthrough scientific contribution award at the recently concluded World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, on Friday has been expanded in India, Laos and Indonesia.

Decarbonising Rice, led by Singaporean non-profit Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, is a three-pronged integrative approach that aims to revolutionise the sustainability of rice -- one of the world’s most critical crops.

The initiative works by employing novel scientific methodologies and fostering collaboration between rice farmers, governments, and the private sector.

In phase-1 trials conducted in Singapore and India, the project led to a reduction in methane emissions by 20 per cent to 50 per cent and water use by around 50 per cent. It also led to a 5 per cent to 10 per cent improvement in yields. “Production has now expanded to 100-hectare trials in India, Laos and Indonesia”.

The breakthrough scientific contribution award is one of the five cross-sector collaborations honoured in the five Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) awards at the WEF in 2025. The innovative collaborations awarded last night in Davos exemplify the scale, pace, and ingenuity needed to drive meaningful, sustainable progress in addressing global environmental crises.

The GAEA Awards honour partnerships that are advancing critical climate and nature goals in five key categories: climate, nature, and resilience science; innovation ecosystem; business action; philanthropic-public-private partnership; and intergenerational leadership.

The five awarded collaborations will receive tailored support throughout 2025 to advance and scale impact and drive systems-wide change.

“The GAEA Awards recognise institutions and partnerships that are catalysing transformative change for climate and nature,” said Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

“By showcasing successful innovations and collaborations across industry partners, and between government, business, and civil society, we hope to inspire more to step forward and work together to shape a sustainable future for all,” Neo added.

The WEF Annual Meeting 2025 took place in Davos-Klosters from January 20 to 24. It convened global leaders under the theme, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.

Source: IANS