Built Areas and Infrastructure: Stretching the Boundaries of Sustainability
July 11th, 2023
Via Earth.org, a look at the impact that built urban areas and infrastructure has upon sustainability: Globally, built areas account for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Three materials – concrete, steel, and aluminium – are responsible for 23% of GHG emissions, as reported by Architecture 2030. Global road networks, bridges, dams, and almost every […]
Read more »Lighter Pavement Really Does Cool Cities When It’s Done Right
July 10th, 2023
Via The Conversation, a look at how lighter pavement really does cool cities when it’s done right: When heat waves hit, people start looking for anything that might lower the temperature. One solution is right beneath our feet: pavement. Think about how hot the soles of your shoes can get when you’re walking on dark […]
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 »It’s Time for Buildings To Stop Using A Third of US Energy
July 8th, 2023
Via Stateline, an article on the potential for improving building energy efficiency as a key tool in combatting climate change: That building looming on the corner? With a few tweaks, it might help with climate change. States with big commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are beginning to require that the owners of large buildings […]
Read more »The Cooling Challenge
July 4th, 2023
Via the Clean Cooling Collaborative, a summary of the challenges/opportunities ahead: As temperatures rise, cooling demand is expected to triple by 2050. Cooling already produces more than 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions and if we don’t transform how we cool, these emissions could double over the same period. However, if we get cooling right, […]
Read more »AstraZeneca To Invest $400M To Plant 200 Million Trees
July 3rd, 2023
Via Greenbiz.com, a report on AstraZeneca’s ambition plans to expand a global reforestation program to support its 2045 net-zero and nature goals: AstraZeneca has expanded its global reforestation program with an enhanced commitment to plant over 200 million trees worldwide by the end of the decade, backed by $400 million of fresh investment. The British […]
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.