Empowered by Solar Panels, Here Come the Armchair Energy Traders
September 23rd, 2023
Courtesy of HeatMap, a look at the rise of the “armchair” energy traders, empowered by their home solar panels: The new film Dumb Money gives home traders the Hollywood treatment. The movie, based on the GameStop saga of 2021, recounts how amateur stock enthusiasts and trolls united on online platforms like Reddit drove up the stock price […]
Read more »One of the World’s First Insurance Schemes for Extreme Heat
August 25th, 2023
Via The Print, a report on one of the world’s first insurance schemes for extreme heat in which poor workers in Gujarat can receive payouts when temperatures add up to between 134C and 138C over three days, assessed using satellite data. The policy can pay out multiple times, to a maximum of $85. A bright […]
Read more »Green Buildings Can Reduce City Temperatures By Up To 2°C
July 12th, 2023
Via World Economic Forum, a report on the need for green buildings to become the norm to improve well-being, air quality and carbon emissions” Green buildings are vital in the fight against climate change. But, social benefits are also seen as users of these buildings will see improved well-being, health and productivity. One study saw […]
Read more »Biden’s Climate Law Will Supercharge Emerging Green Tech Globally
July 9th, 2023
Via Bloomberg, a look at how the Inflation Reduction Act gave a boost to sustainable aviation fuel, clean hydrogen and direct air capture: In addition to supercharging the US solar, wind and EV industries in the near term, incentives in President Joe Biden’s landmark climate law are paving the way for still-nascent technologies to help bring down global greenhouse […]
Read more »Financial Models On Climate Risk ‘Implausible’, Say Actuaries
July 4th, 2023
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on the limitations of financial models currently used for climate risk: Financial institutions often did not understand the models they were using to predict the economic cost of climate change and were underestimating the risks of temperature rises, research led by a professional body of actuaries shows. Many […]
Read more »The Choice Between A Poorer Today and A Hotter Tomorrow
July 2nd, 2023
Via The Economist, a look at the huge amount of investment needed to help developing countries go green: Suppose for a minute, that you are a finance minister in the developing world. At the end of a year in which your tax take has disappointed, you are just about out of money. You could plough […]
Read more »'Black Swans' are highly improbable events that come as a surprise, have major disruptive effects, and that are often rationalized after the fact as if they had been predictable to begin with. In our rapidly warming world, such events are occurring ever more frequently and include wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and drought.
'Green Shoots' is a term used to describe signs of economic recovery or positive data during a downturn. It references a period of growth and recovery, when plants start to show signs of health and life, and, therefore, has been employed as a metaphor for a recovering economy.
It is my hope that Black Swans / Green Shoots will help readers understand both climate-activated risk and opportunity so that you may invest in, advise, or lead organizations in the context of increasing pressures of global urbanization, resource scarcity, and perils relating to climate change. I believe that the tools of business and finance can help individuals, businesses, and global society make informed choices about who and what to protect, and I hope that this blog provides some insight into the policy and private sector tools used to assess investments in resilient reinforcement, response, or recovery.