How to start learning about climate solutions

Are you working in an unrelated field and motivated to put addressing climate change front and center in your next chapter? If so, here are a few tips: #1: spend some time learning about the nature of the problem first! It’s a megatrend that will play out over decades and it’s hard to get your brain around! The foundational knowledge will serve you well. Both the overall problem, but also the sectors and sub-sectors that are contributing to it. #2: once you have a sense of the nature of the problem, spend some time learning about the types of levers that can help. Those could be in the mitigation bucket (reducing new emissions), the removal bucket (removing emissions already in the atmosphere), or the adaptation/resiliency bucket (better resilience and planning for functioning in a warming world). Helpful to look across sectors for this one as well, to understand what it will take to decarbonize each sector individually and make them more resilient. #3: look at what companies, organizations etc are doing work in these areas to get a sense of the types of activities, the types of business models, the types of technologies, the risk profile and timelines, etc that are out there. #4: look at your own skillset, risk profile, career goals, etc and see how those map to the industries and orgs you learned about in #3. #5: trial and error! Attend events. Write. Read. Consult. Do a project. Take a job. Start a company. Run for office. Take whatever steps feel natural to you to get closer to the action. Some may choose to jump in the deep end and others may take small steps that lead to bigger ones and either can work. These are not meant to be linear, several of them can happen in parallel. And everyone’s process is different. Just kind of a mental model I used that I figured I’d share in case helpful for others.

9 must-read books on climate change 🌎 Understanding the climate crisis requires more than knowing the science—it demands awareness of its political, economic, and social dimensions. The books below offer a wide lens on these intersecting issues, making them essential reading for decision-makers, sustainability professionals, and anyone shaping the future of business and policy. Here are nine widely recognized and impactful books that offer diverse insights on climate change: Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation – Paul Hawken A solutions-focused guide emphasizing systemic action to reverse global warming through regeneration and equity. The Climate Book – Greta Thunberg A multi-voice compilation from over 100 contributors outlining the urgency and complexity of the climate emergency. Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World – John Vaillant A powerful narrative on wildfires and the link between extreme climate events, fossil fuels, and modern risk. The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet – Jeff Goodell A compelling exploration of how rising temperatures are becoming the most direct and deadly threat of climate change. On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal – Naomi Klein A call for bold systemic change that combines climate policy with social and economic justice. Climate Injustice: Why We Need to Fight Global Inequality to Combat Climate Change – Friederike Otto An evidence-based argument on how inequality exacerbates climate vulnerability and weakens global resilience. All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis – Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine K. Wilkinson A curated collection of voices—primarily women—focused on climate leadership, courage, and community-based solutions. The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet – Michael E. Mann A scientific and strategic breakdown of delay tactics by polluters, and how to counter them with collective action. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate – Naomi Klein A foundational critique of how current economic systems drive environmental degradation—and what needs to change. These books offer a valuable foundation for anyone navigating the intersection of sustainability, business, and policy. They’re not just informative—they challenge assumptions, reframe responsibility, and expand the conversation beyond emissions to justice, governance, and transformation. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climatecrisis

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱. So many solutions, so many paths. I made plenty of mistakes before I found my niche. If I could go back, here’s what I wish I knew: 🔬 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀. I started with books like ‘How to Avoid a Climate Disaster’ by Bill Gates and Speed&Scale by John Doerr. These books were helpful, but were very tech and VC-centered perspectives. Project Regeneration’s Cascade of Solutions was ultimately a better, more objective, and comprehensive resource. 📕 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. Work on Climate’s #i-got-a-job channel is full of successful climate transition journeys by engineers, designers, marketers, PhD candidates, and more. 👋 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. Terra was mine, but My Climate Journey (MCJ), Work on Climate, or Job Search Councils are great options. 😡 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. What do you want to protect from climate change? Who do you want to build for? What pisses you off? Your answers can point you to your niche. ⚓ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲. If possible, keep your role & location the same while switching to climate—it makes the transition easier. 🚗 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀: come up with 2-3 ideas for where you might fit. This could be a climate solution (residential solar), a type of organization (large environmental nonprofit), or even a way to effect change in your current role. Use networking, side projects, or small actions to validate your fit. 🤝 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲: The Open Door Climate directory is full of folks happy to chat. After many twists & turns, I focused on software product management roles at climate tech startups where business and climate incentives were aligned. This led me to organizations like food waste and renewable energy, and away from areas like carbon removal. What climate niches are you interested in? How are you finding where you fit?

90seconds Nature Masterclass with Anna. Today: Nature-based Solutions! Nature..-What❓Lets dive right in! Nature-based Solutions (NbS) finally get the attention they deserve for combating climate change & achieving the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target. They can provide 37% of climate change mitigation until 2030, but only 1.5% of all public international climate finance has gone to support them. So what are they? NbS involve the protection, restoration, & sustainable management of ecosystems. Thereby leveraging nature's ability to capture & store carbon dioxide through processes such as photosynthesis. What are additional benefits? 👉 Preserving biodiversity 👉 Enhancing ecosystem resilience 👉 Providing valuable ecosystem services to humans What are concrete examples? 🐠 Seagrass meadows & coral reefs: Seagrass under the sea can store a lot of CO₂, even more than some forests, & help create homes for sea life. Fixing coral reefs is also crucial because they are vital marine ecosystems that help absorb carbon from the atmosphere. 🌱 Mangrove & peatland restoration: On coasts, planting mangroves helps capture CO₂, their roots give fish homes & protect coastlines. Making dry peatlands wet again is important for stopping CO₂ from getting into the air, which helps fight climate change. 🌳 Reforestation: Planting new trees or using forests wisely stores carbon. This includes creating forests with a mix of tree types that are native & can handle climate changes protecting areas. As well as protecting old growth forests & stop cutting them. Putting plants on buildings and roofs also helps. 🚜 Regenerative agriculture: In farming, there are many ways to help store more carbon, like changing what crops are grown, using less fertilizer, planting trees on farms, & adding biochar to soil. These steps help take in & reduce CO₂. We must understand: Nature is our best ally in the climate crisis! Nature based solutions are scientific proven & cost effective ways to help our climate, but biodiversity & people too. So time to invest more in Nature! 90 seconds… did I manage? #90secondmasterclass #nature #naturebasedsolutions

Starting a Career in Climate feels like being lost in the desert. To find water, you must first ignore everyone telling you this 👇 We all know the people who tell you. → If you try hard enough, it’ll work. → Just apply for more jobs → It’s a numbers game. → Next week is better. Ignore all those words. Here’s what you do instead 👇 1️⃣ Fundamentals first Look at the entire climate economy. Pick two sub-sectors. → Start with the solutions map from Climate Drift. → Use the Project Drawdown solution library to drill deeper. Learn everything you can about your 2 sectors. 2️⃣ Find your Transferable Skills Most people completely underestimate their professional skills. Write down the answer to: “What am I really good at and why?” Then find your current job within a climate company. And map your skills to that job. 👉 Share “what you’re really good at” in the comments. I will give feedback + it will inspire others + it will help you become better 💪 3️⃣ Find your Pitch Find somebody doing your “future” job in a climate company. Ask them how they do their job. Pay attention to: → How they describe their work. → What tools do they use. → What KPIs matter. Focus on their words. Learn the language of a climate company in your target sector. And then use that intel to refine your pitch. 👉 Find people to talk to here: → #OpenDoorClimate climate by Daniel Hill has many climate tech execs.  → MCJ Collective by Jason Jacobs, Yin Lu, Leone Baron is one of the best. → Work on Climate by Eugene Kirpichov, Eva Marina, Nicole Sturzenberger is equally great. 4️⃣ Think Skills-Sector Fit. Not Impact. Everyone wants to work on something with a huge CO2 impact. That’s great. BUT Don’t re-invent yourself so you can work in a “big impact” sector. Go where your skills fit best. Where you can actually move the needle. Because the best impact is the impact that happens. Not the impact you keep chasing but never materializes. Use this list to find water in the desert. And make yourself successful 🙌 —— PS. In case you’re wondering ❓Why trust my advice❓ Maybe this helps (slightly blushing as I write this 😳) → I taught 100s of students at the best universities (Harvard, etc.) → Personally helped 1,000s of people transition careers. → Built a 6-figure, 7-figure, and a 8-figure business. → Advising 10+ early stage impact companies. PPS. 👉 If you want help with your career transition? 👈  Here are two options: 👉I’m offering 50 Free 1on1 Career Mentorship sessions (I have 200+ people on the waitlist 🤯) 👉I’m running a 1-day Climate Career Transition Workshop (Links in first comment).