Business and Economics

Cost is a commonly cited reason for resistance to climate action, however when we factor co-benefits and the real costs of inaction the logic for action is overwhelming  Research shows that when we include reduced death and disease as well as increased technological innovation and other co-benefits, the costs of climate action offer a  net economic benefit. When we add up the costs of action and compare them to the costs of inaction the value equation becomes clear.  The benefits of climate action far outweigh the costs.  This includes $160 trillion dollars worth of savings associated with climate action and...

Stock market losses associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) equals the cost of climate adaption over the next decade.  Standard and Poor's 500 recorded a $1.7 trillion loss in two days of trading due to coronavirus. This is roughly equivalent to the estimated cost of climate adaption until 2030. This according to a 2019 report from the Global Commission on Adaptation which is led by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Bank chief executive Kristalina Georgieva and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as well as and 31 other world leaders. The report indicated that investing $1.8 trillion in climate adaptation could yield benefits...

“I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done. They’re just done. We’re starting to see divestment all over the world.” - CNBC’s Jim Cramer The fact that investors, insurance companies and banks are abandoning the fossil fuel industry is a clear sign that coal, oil and gas are in the final stage of their energy dominance. Those who refuse to come to terms with this fundamental reality will by punished financially and in the court of public opinion. Jim Cramer is a stock market pundit and he sees the writing on the wall. "I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done. They’re...

Shame may be able to move us in a more sustainable direction, it may even be able to help us change the paradigm. There is reason to believe that we can leverage the little voices in our heads to do better. We may even be able to curtail our culture of over-consumption, make more responsible consumer choices, and better buying decisions.Change is difficult but is it precisely what we need if we are to succeed in addressing the climate crisis, ecological degradation, and biodiversity loss. Superficial changes will not suffice, what we need is a cultural change and shame can...

In less than six months Amazon has gone from being a climate champion to a corporate villain. Despite an ambitious climate plan and renewable energy leadership employees are being threatened for demanding that the company do more. An employee letter that circulated in April gained the support of more than 7,500 Amazon employees. It called for a resolution demanding an aggressive climate plan. However, shareholders voted the resolution down in May. Around the same time Amazon updated its communication policy for employees requiring them to seek prior approval before speaking about the company in any public forum.Amazon has shown leadership...

The transportation sector is the largest source of emissions in the U.S. and the second biggest source of GHGs globally. Reducing transportation emissions is an essential part of keeping temperatures below critical thresholds (1.5 - 2 C). The key to reducing emissions in this sector is scaling up zero-carbon transportation Driven by e-commerce and business travel the transportation sector has passed the energy sector as the largest source of American emissions. This sector is responsible for 27 percent of emissions in the U.S. and 23 percent globally. “Fighting dangerous climate change requires an all-encompassing approach that curbs every important source...

Renewable energy is on the rise and the sun is setting on fossil fuels. The economic dominance of the old energy industry is coming to an end and a new economic powerhouse is gaining ground. Demand for coal has collapsed and oil and gas are sure to follow. Led by renewable energy the green economy now provides many more jobs than the fossil fuel industry.  IRENA reports that there were 11 million people employed in renewable energy last year. The report also says transitioning away from fossil fuels towards renewables makes good economic sense. This includes $160 trillion in savings...

Clean energy offers many benefits not the least of which are jobs.  The number of good paying green jobs keeps growing and renewable energy jobs are the leading the way. Renewable energy technologies employ millions of people around the world. Over the last few years the renewable energy sector has grown by an average of almost a million jobs each year. According to a 2019 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report there were 11 million jobs in renewables last year. In 2018 IRENA reported that there were almost 10 million renewable energy jobs in 2017. That is up from 8.3...

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that there are $160 trillion of savings associated with renewables and other climate actions. Led by renewable energy the green economy is growing by leaps and bounds yet it is still an undervalued opportunity. Clean energy is benefiting from the mutually reinforcing factors of increasing demand and declining costs. Tremendous declines in the price of solar and battery storage make a compelling business case for renewables. Despite resistance from the federal government, the US is seeing a renewable energy boom as states and utilities are setting ambitious clean energy goals. According to an...

The green jobs boom comprises both the public and the private sectors. Current and future employment opportunities include urban growers, water quality technicians, clean car engineers, recyclers, natural scientists, and green builders. Green jobs are in high demand and that demand will only increase. The number of green economy jobs has been growing for years. In 2013, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) said that 2.3 percent of private sector jobs or about 2,515,200 positions were related to the production of green goods and services. This includes everything from clean power production to green buildings and electric cars. Senior personal...