Why climate change progress is possible

This chart shows something counterintuitive: many of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions actually save money rather than cost it. The left side shows solutions with negative costs - meaning they pay for themselves through savings. Switching office lights to LEDs, improving building insulation, and making industrial processes more efficient all reduce emissions while cutting energy bills. Let's put this in perspective with some real numbers: The savings are massive. Looking at just the top money-saving solutions on this chart, we could reduce about 8 billion tons of CO2 annually by 2030 while saving approximately €400 billion per year globally. That's roughly €50 saved for every ton of CO2 eliminated. For a typical large corporation, this might translate to millions in annual savings. A company reducing 100,000 tons of CO2 through efficiency measures could save €5 million yearly while hitting sustainability targets. The middle section shows low-cost solutions like solar power and wind energy, which have become remarkably affordable in recent years - often under €25 per ton of CO2 avoided. Only the most expensive solutions on the right - like retrofitting coal plants with carbon capture technology - require significant upfront investment, costing €40-60 per ton. This data comes from comprehensive climate research (see link in comments) showing we have about 38 billion tons of CO2 reduction potential by 2030. The key insight? We don't need to choose between environmental progress and economic sense - many climate solutions deliver both. This suggests that sustainability initiatives often improve the bottom line while reducing environmental impact. The question isn't whether we can afford to act on climate change, but whether we can afford not to pursue these win-win opportunities. #climatechange #sustainability #businessstrategy #energyefficiency #carboncapture

I’ve had thousands of conversations with investors about climate change over the past 8 years. One thing is very different today than it was back then. Climate used to be a ‘tomorrow’ conversation. We used to discuss it with clients within the context of their children’s future. What kind of world did they want to ‘leave behind’. —— That is definitely not the case now. —— This is very much now a ‘today’ conversation. —— They ask us: ‘Did you see the flooding in NYC last week? Crazy!’ ‘We went to Greece for Summer with the kids but couldn’t go outside thanks to the obscene heat / fire smoke’ ‘Our home insurance company just packed up and left the state entirely, saying flooding / hurricane risk is too high!’ Our clients are asking us about how this is affecting them now, because they’re literally seeing the effects today, not tomorrow. If there’s any silver lining to this new very clear reality, it’s the growing appetite for solutions and the willingness to put money to work. Investors of all sizes are recognizing that climate risk is financial risk, and ultimately portfolio risk. Portfolios are either taking climate risk into consideration and seeking new opportunities, or ignoring them both by ignoring climate. —— “On that front, there is some reason for cautious hope. The world is on the brink of a clean energy transition. The International Energy Agency recently estimated that a whopping $1.8 trillion will be invested in clean energy technologies like renewables, electric cars and heat pumps in 2023, up from roughly $300 billion a decade ago. Prices of solar, wind and batteries have plummeted over the past 15 years, and for much of the world, solar power is now the cheapest form of electricity. If we reduce emissions quickly, we can switch from a world in which warming is accelerating to one in which it’s slowing. Eventually, we can stop it entirely. We are far from on track to meet our climate goals, and much more work remains. But the positive steps we’ve made over the past decade should reinforce to us that progress is possible and despair is counterproductive. Despite the recent acceleration of warming, humans remain firmly in the driver’s seat, and the future of our climate is still up to us to decide.” Great piece by Zeke Hausfather and The New York Times https://lnkd.in/evEh8tJf #climatechange #climatetech #climateinvesting #climatesolutions

It's mid-January, and we still haven't had any snow in northern Virginia — my four-year-old keeps asking when she'll have a chance to build a snowman. The latest data only confirms what we’ve all seen, felt, and heard for the past year: 2023 was the hottest year on record.   It’s alarming that we’re creeping up on 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and the news cycle has been full of despair. But let’s keep in mind the following facts:   (1) The energy transition is underway. Solar panels and battery cells are about 90% cheaper than in 2010. We’re expanding renewable capacity faster than anyone anticipated — China added more wind and solar in one year than the United States has in its history. At least 18 countries have already managed to decouple economic growth from emissions growth. We’ve hardly begun to fight, but we’re already advancing the battle lines.   (2) Once we slash emissions, temperatures will stabilize faster than we previously thought, potentially within two decades. Also, if we can scale up atmospheric removals — through photosynthesis, and eventually carbon capture technology — temperatures will gradually fall. Conservation International’s Exponential Roadmap for Natural Climate Solutions has laid out a pathway for removing 10 gigatons every year through protection, management, and restoration of nature.    (3) Even if we do “officially” breach 1.5°C, it should have no bearing on how we approach climate mitigation. There is no threshold at which it makes sense to give up. Every additional fraction of a degree means more species lost, more unpredictable weather, more tipping points triggered, more human suffering. We have no choice but to continue pressing onward.   I appreciated this article by Andrew Freedman of Axios — sobering, but also clear-eyed about what we should (and should not) take away from this moment.

“Over 90% of new renewables worldwide produced electricity for less than the cheapest new fossil fuel alternative. This is not just a shift in power. This is a shift in possibility... We have the tools to power the future for humanity. Let’s make the most of them. This is our moment of opportunity.” - António Guterres     The clean energy future is no longer a promise, it’s a fact. The latest Unitednations secretarygeneral synthesis report, Supercharging the New Energy Era - with contributions from UNDP and partners - captures this global momentum and sets out what’s needed to turn it into lasting, inclusive progress. The full report is available here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_HHrGzg    In 2024, renewables accounted for over 90% of new power capacity. Solar and wind are now the most affordable options in many markets. Battery storage has increased more than 40 times since 2015. Clean energy jobs now outnumber those in fossil fuels. These are not isolated achievements; they’re signs of growing global readiness to scale sustainable energy solutions that support the SDGs.    Yet we face a dual challenge: “The energy transition is unstoppable. But the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough.” Fossil fuels still dominate supply. Less than 20% of clean energy investment reaches the Global South - where it’s needed most. To turn momentum into inclusive, sustained progress, the report outlines six priority actions to keep the 1.5°C target within reach and ensure no one is left behind.    1️⃣ Align policies: Ensure coherence, clarity, and certainty by integrating energy, climate, and economic policies to accelerate a just transition.     2️⃣ Build infrastructure: Modernize grids, expand storage, and develop digital and physical systems to support a 21st century clean energy economy.     3️⃣ Power growth with renewables: Meet rising electricity demand - especially from AI and data centers - with clean, affordable renewable energy.     4️⃣ Center people and equity for a just transition: Put communities first by ensuring fair access, job creation and inclusive development in all transition efforts.     5️⃣ Expand global cooperation: Strengthen trade, investment and innovation partnerships to supercharge deployment and reduce costs worldwide.     6️⃣ Unlock finance for the Global South: Dismantle barriers to affordable capital and scale energy-transition investments to $1.4–1.9 trillion annually in EMDEs.    This is not only an energy imperative - it’s a development opportunity. @UNDP stands ready to help scale solutions, unlock investment, and ensure the energy transition powers progress for everyone, everywhere.    #EnergyForDevelopment #JustTransition #ClimateAction #DevelopmentFinance

The most persistent argument against climate action? "We can't decarbonise without killing economic growth." This idea of "degrowth" is what dominates headlines and feeds. But what if the data tells a different story? The "Our World in Data" chart shows a powerful result: Decoupling is possible. A growing number of countries have successfully managed to grow their economies while actively reducing their consumption-based CO₂ emissions. Consider the leaders in this decoupling race (2005-2020): ↳ Finland: +12% GDP per capita, -44% Emissions ↳ Sweden: +12% GDP per capita, -41% Emissions ↳ Denmark: +8% GDP per capita, -41% Emissions ↳ Ireland: +43% GDP per capita, -50% Emissions This is the result of deliberate, systemic policy choices: ↳ Investment in renewable energy. ↳ Strong carbon pricing mechanisms. ↳ Driving energy efficiency across industries. ↳ Shifting from heavy industry to service-based economies. This data doesn't suggest the job is done. The pace of decoupling does still need to accelerate dramatically. But if economic growth and emissions can be decoupled, is 'degrowth' still a relevant climate solution?

To tackle climate change, we need big solutions, and we need big solutions fast. Oftentimes, these solutions will come in surprising packages. One of my favorite examples is our work in contrails – you know contrails, those little fluffy white clouds behind planes? Surprisingly, according to the IPCC, they make up roughly 35% of aviation’s global warming impact. The great news is that contrails are relatively easy to avoid because they only form in cold and humid regions of the sky – so pilots can adjust their altitude to avoid them, just like they do for turbulence. Since Google announced our work with American Airlines and Breakthrough Energy, where we used AI to help American Airlines pilots reduce contrails by over half, it’s been amazing to see how the sustainability conversation in the aviation industry has shifted, thanks in large part to the dedication of Jill Blickstein, Dinesh Sanekommu, and Marc Shapiro. Contrail avoidance is now recognized in the aviation industry as another (much nearer term!) solution alongside needed innovations in electric planes, hydrogen planes, and biofuels. Our team recently released a paper with more details on our work with American Airlines. Here are key takeaways: 𝟭. 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (seen in satellite imagery!): Flights that adjusted their routes based on our AI-based contrail predictions showed a 54% reduction in contrail kilometers, when compared in satellite imagery with control flights that didn't have access to AI predictions. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Pilots made relatively small adjustments to their ascent or descent profiles to avoid contrail-forming regions, demonstrating a practical approach that integrates into existing flight operations. One of my favorite memories is that after flying American's first flight to avoid contrails, Captain John P. Dudley remarked that it was easy to avoid them, our predictions looked right based on all the contrails he saw in the sky, and best of all - he even came up with a new approach to contrail avoidance that we informally named after him  😊 𝟯. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗼𝗳𝗳: The study found a slight increase in fuel consumption per adjusted flight (around 2%). The great news is that only a small fraction of flights create contrails, so this likely scales to 0.3% additional fuel when scaled across an airline's fleet. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀: The approach we used to predict contrail formation utilized both AI from Google and physics-based simulation (thank you Breakthrough Energy!). Link to paper: https://lnkd.in/gxKHXCps What excites me most about this research is its ability to scale near-term. We still have important research to do, and we’ll share more about that in coming months - but compared to other climate solutions, contrail avoidance has the ability to scale in a matter of years, not decades. We need more solutions like this to meet the climate challenge.

Last year was officially the hottest on record in 175 years, surpassing 2023. For the first time, global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the #WMO. The past decade (2015–2024) now stands as the warmest ever recorded. Yet, amid these stark warnings, there are signs of progress: ✅ Decoupling emissions from growth: 2023 marked the first time global building sector growth continued without increasing #emissions (#UNEP). ✅ #Carbonmarket innovation: Over 30 organizations are developing the Carbon Data Open Protocol (CDOP) to standardize and enhance transparency in carbon markets. The first version launches this September at New York Climate Week. ✅ Public support for climate action: A 2024 global survey (“Global representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action") found that people are willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good. Challenges remain, but momentum is building. Can 2025 be the year where ambition meets action? #ClimateAction #NetZero #Sustainability #CarbonMarkets #Decarbonization

As we head into another #NYCW, and certain headlines certainly look bleak (attacks on the EPA and Parks service?), I found myself drawn to this less dramatic but much more significant-for-the-world headline: https://lnkd.in/eu2ndXr9 Technology that is simply better and cheaper always wins the global market, and that technology is electric and decarbonized. Batteries, solar, wind, and other technologies are seeing price drops of up to 10-25% PER YEAR. The cost of solar panels dropped 50% in the past 2 years alone. This is the power of advanced manufacturing, manufacturing at scale, and mature supply chains to continuously drive down price. It’s what made flat screen TVs, iPhones, and laptops cheap, and we’re seeing the same inevitable and rapid progress in Electrotech. Meanwhile, Oil & Gas has to “Run faster just to stay in place” on costs, according to (noted radical environmentalist rag) The Wall Street Journal. Oil & Gas technology is not subject to advanced manufacturing improvements and will inevitably lose on cost. So, as we head into Climate Week, let’s not forget that while progress definitely needs to move faster to avoid climate catastrophe, we are headed in the right direction and better technology is leading the way.