Why engineers should be climate optimists

I get asked all the time: How do we stay optimistic about climate progress when fossil fuels are still so embedded in our economies? In this new podcast episode by The Eco Expertsd we dig into this question. A few reasons I’m hopeful: 1) Momentum is real: Heat pumps, renewables, and EVs keep breaking records. Policy is catching up, and costs are coming down faster than expected. 2) Diffusion beats disruption: Change often looks slow—until it’s suddenly everywhere. We’re crossing tipping points in tech adoption and market design. 3) Pragmatism over perfection: It’s not about switching everything off tomorrow. It’s about accelerating the economics and policies that make clean the default. 4) People power: Cities, companies, and communities are moving ahead—even when national politics stall. That bottom-up action compounds. Optimism isn’t denial; it’s a strategy. It helps us focus on what works, scale it, and keep pushing for better policy and smarter investment. If this resonates (and also if it doesn't), have a listen to the conversation and let me know what you think. Find the link in the comments.

With #COP28 underway, I wanted to share some insights from a conversation I recently had with Christiana Figueres for my latest podcast episode. Christiana is the former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework on Climate Change. In this episode, she talks about how embracing an optimistic mindset helped her lead the process that secured the Paris Agreement, and how she now applies this way of thinking to our current challenge: that we need to execute climate solutions much faster and at greater scale to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. “Optimism,” she said, “is not the output. It’s the input. It’s the mindset. It is the focus of our attention and our conviction that we actually have everything that it takes to solve a problem.” One reality is that we are behind. The other reality is that, with technology, we are “way forward, way faster, than we ever thought possible.” I agree with Christiana that now is the moment to set these two realities side by side – “to see them in equal importance” – and get to work. Yes, we are behind. But we can still catch up and build a sustainable net-zero future. And I’m proud that, at COP 28, Siemens is in the Green Zone showcasing technology to make this possible. After all, as Christiana said, if energy is driving 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, energy can also be 75 percent of the solution. #OptimisticOutlook

If you're feeling down about progress on climate... you need to follow cognitive scientist Pooja Paul, PhD Pooja shares 6 reasons why she believes we can be optimistic about our climate future: 1. The climate concerned are now the new majority (and across all sectors of society) 2. People want to be part of the solution (130k people from 125 countries, 69% willing to contribute 1% of the monthly income towards tackling climate issues) 3. Technology makes climate choices easier and cheaper for all of us (cost of clean energy). 4. Behaviours spread like wildfire (When one family puts up solar panels, others show interest) 5. To nurture is in our nature (we want to protect and conserve life) 6. We are part of nature (when we connect with nature we feel better and care more > forest bathing) About Pooja: Pooja is a Cognitive Scientist-turned-Climate Entrepreneur on a mission to leverage her expertise on human behavior in the fight to curb a quickly warming planet. She is the Founder of Habitable Earth, a VC-backed startup that uses the best insights on human behavior and motivation – borrowing both from academia and the world of gaming – to make planet-friendly lifestyle choices easy, fun, and rewarding for the new global majority of climate-conscious consumers. WATCH: 6 Reasons to be optimistic about our climate future > https://lnkd.in/deQYRHrK TEDx Tralee How does Pooja's message connect to my work? I've spent over 20 years getting impactful ideas out into the world. I know from my own journey and helping others that making these ideas a reality is what makes the difference to making a better future, or not. Currently working on AI for Good, funding climate startups (Raaise) and making learning fun (Rebel Book Club )