At UN climate talks, ‘sewage’ beer from Singapore highlights water scarcity and innovations

Nick Chow, part of the COP29 Singapore Pavilion team, poses for a photo with NEWBrew, beer made with treated wastewater, during the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Nov. 15, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. A NEWBrew beer, made with treated wastewater, is displayed at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Nov. 15, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In the sprawling pavilion section of the United Nations climate talks, where countries, nonprofits and tech companies use big, flashy signs to get the attention of the thousands of people walking through, small aqua and purple beverage cans sit conspicuously on a counter at the Singapore display.