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

The Singapore pavilion at the United Nations climate talks offers attendees free beer with an ingredient that's surprising to many — treated wastewater. NEWBrew, from Singapore, is made with NEWater, the name of treated wastewater that's part of a national campaign to conserve every drop in one of the world’s most water-starved places. Some attendees jokingly call the drink “sewage beer.” It's is one of many examples of climate- and environment-related innovations on display during this year’s climate talks, COP29, in Azerbaijan. Still, not everybody even knows they are drinking beer made with wastewater. “I was really surprised,” said one attendee, adding he liked it so much that, “I can even suggest that they make more and more."