Michael J. Coren

One of the things we do at Cipher News is turn a spotlight on quality reporting happening across the climate landscape. Here are a couple of pieces that I called out this week in our "Top Reads/Hot Takes." https://lnkd.in/eg_cHZmm In the pipeline construction business, private inspectors report safety concerns to developers, but there isn't sufficient enforcement that problems get fixed, according to an E&E News investigation. This excellent reporting exposing a "potentially deadly gap in the regulatory apparatus" is especially critical, reporter Mike Soraghan points out, because we're going to need lots more pipelines. https://lnkd.in/e4yj6bAj Salesforce's Marc Benioff and the World Economic Forum launched their goal to plant or conserve one trillion trees by 2030 at Davos in 2020. So far, the project is behind schedule, Sophie Alexander at Bloomberg reports. The number of trees pledged to the effort is less than 15% of the goal and 2.6 billion trees, less than 0.3% of what's needed, has been planted or conserved, according to admittedly imperfect records. Have a scroll through CipherNews.com to see what my other esteemed colleagues — Amy Harder, Amena H. Saiyid, Anca Gurzu and Bill Spindle —are reading and why.

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“The current market for carbon offsets is a bit like a burning building. We need folks to be firefighters and run toward it, rather than walk away and let it burn to the ground. Limiting global warming to 1.5C simply isn’t feasible without having a functioning market for this sort of climate finance,” says Stephen Lezak, a programme manager at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford. Our report on last year's large drop in the voluntary carbon market size and efforts to resuscitate it. https://lnkd.in/e38ybxBT

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The U.S. presidential election will affect climate policy. Here’s how to talk about it: 🔗 How to talk with (just about) anyone about climate and the 2024 elections https://lnkd.in/eCgWzqqF

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Financing is urgently needed for climate adaptation and resilience, but investors are struggling to agree on metrics for tracking effectiveness and impact. Great deep dive into a very timely topic by Louie Woodall for Responsible Investor. #climateadaptation #climatefinance #esginvesting

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Heavy industries are among the world’s worst climate polluters. Yet only a tiny slice of total climatetech investment today goes toward efforts to decarbonize the industrial sector. This mismatch of proportions — big emissions, little funding — reflects the risky nature of using novel and expensive technologies to transform complex, large-scale processes. Increasingly, though, a handful of well-funded and high-profile venture firms are trying to fill that funding gap. The latest example comes from Massachusetts Institute of Technology-backed The Engine Ventures, which recently raised $398 million to invest in "tough tech" companies. My latest for Canary Media Inc. https://lnkd.in/g8xEUY5u

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In this week's episode of the #ESG Insider podcast, we bring you coverage of the annual S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit held in London on May 8. We sit down with panelists on the sidelines of the event to discuss key conference themes, including data challenges related to climate, nature and the energy transition; the role that technology and innovation can play in addressing these challenges and the potentially transformative role of AI; and the challenge of sustaining economic growth in emerging markets while accelerating the transition.  "We don't have enough actual innovation, we don't actually have enough quantum of finance going into developing countries," says Sagarika Chatterjee, Climate Finance Director and Finance Lead for the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions. "This is absolutely critical because this is where a lot of the emissions is going to come from. We can't change the past and the energy system of the past, but we can try to change the carbon that we have in future.”  For emerging markets and developing countries, "the lack of data is the biggest problem," says Budha Bhattacharya, Head of Systematic Research at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. If companies in developing economies embrace sustainability, "a huge amount of capital unlocks," he tells us.  Christopher Johnstone, a partner at management consultant Oliver Wyman, highlights the need for more asset-specific data to understand how companies will be impacted by climate change and biodiversity loss, and he explains the role AI could play here. He also talks to us about how approaches to sustainability are evolving around the world.  "Historically people have seen the climate, sustainability or the ESG agenda as being a very Western agenda," Christopher says. "What I am more and more seeing is this is a core topic across lots of different emerging market economies — even a large number of economies that would traditionally be seen as oil-based. They see the energy transition as actually being a key economic enabler and a growth lever as they look to move away from oil over time."  #AI #sustainability #data #climate #nature #energy #podcast

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Young people (and old), bring your talent — and your climate concerns — to the boss. Help your company be climate-friendly... or else! #Climate_quitting is a thing. #climatechange #ESG #netzero Wawa Gatheru https://lnkd.in/dF-SMr-s

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Vermont became the first state to enact a law sending the bill for climate change back to Big Oil. The state created a climate superfund, based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Superfund program, that will charge fossil fuel entities for their emissions in the state from 1995-2024. The Green Mountain State was one of four states to put the idea on its legislative docket this year, but solidified itself as quickest-to-enact. For ESG Dive:

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I spoke with Jade Sasser about her new book, “Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question,” which explores the complex intersection of climate change and reproductive decisions. We discussed the importance of diversifying the conversation around climate emotions, understanding climate anxiety as a collective experience, the challenges faced by climate-concerned parents, and cultural pressures around having children. Sasser emphasizes the power of inclusive dialogue and emotional resilience as we navigate this uncertain future together. Her insights provide much-needed perspective on one of the most profound questions of our time. Read our full interview through the link in comments. #ClimateAnxiety #ReproductiveJustice #HopeInAction

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As climate change bites, new forms of media will develop to cover it from new perspectives. One early one is @watchdutyapp, which tracks developing wildfires with all sorts of valuable info for those in their path. Check it out on @callawayclimateinsights Sustainability

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I've been in #Iceland this week at Climeworks, the newest, largest direct air capture #carbon removal plant in the world. The technology is fascinating, but the speed to scale is the real story here. The co-CEO, Jan Wurzbacher, told me that while the plant can operate for up to 25 years, he'd rather it not because R&D is already outdoing itself, making the next plant more efficient and cheaper. Climeworks is now in the U.S. working on a plant in Louisiana. Soon DAC will pop up all over the nation, making it potentially as common as #wind and #solar farms. CNBC Orka náttúrunnar / ON Power Carbfix Lisa Rizzolo Sanfuentes #climate #climatechange #climatecrisis #carbonremoval #directaircapture #DAC

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Hey folks: If you've listened to any of the 17 episodes of the Everyday Climate Champions podcast (https://lnkd.in/gcsd5iw7) and wondered "What is an easy way to support this?" - have I got an idea for you! You may have heard our brief (15-minute) interviews with Logan Evasco, Mira Hapsari, Anu Ramamurty, Marcia Pugsley, Shaandiin Cedar, Abbe Hoenscheid Clemons, Ravinder Sehgal, Sean Armstrong, Ambrose Carroll, Peri Plantenberg, Aditi Anand, Pete Kronowitt, Jennifer Silverstein, or many others. We're collecting brief notes of support from our listeners. Might you be able to write a few sentences about your experiences/takeaways from the podcast? A few things you might touch on: - Choice of local guests like me ("everyday people") - Choice of topics that interest me - Rotating team of different local hosts (adults and teens) - Episodes of only 15 minutes - Transcripts/blog posts are helpful - Show notes offer good resources - Production value (I enjoy the music, sound effects, and/or sound quality) - Frequency (currently about once a month) - Recommend it to others in my life Below are some examples of what we've gotten thus far: • "This podcast is one of the best examples of solutions-based locally focused climate content. It's rare to find such a great amalgam of best practices all in one program." • " I think this podcast will help me reorient my thinking…I tend to think climate action is done at the high policy level and I’m often frustrated. I think: 'what can I really do?'” • "I had an ‘aha’ moment! …That relatable, local story is what stood out." • "It gave me ideas and hope." Thanks *so much* for considering this! Just type in your comment below.

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While not as clear-cut as roads, clean water, and air, the democratic value to society of public interest journalism is, in my book and many others, a public good, writes Daily Maverick's Styli C.. "The recent tsunami of bad news about the news has raised an interesting question. Are we seeing the effects of a market failure playing out, or are we seeing the death of an industry that failed to innovate and keep up with the times?" #journalism #publicinterest #news #publishing

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Vermont has enacted a first-in-the-nation law that holds major fossil fuel companies financially responsible for the climate pollution associated with their products. The state's Climate Superfund Act became law on May 30 without Gov. Phil Scott's signature. The governor cited several concerns with the novel legislation, warning that “Taking on Big Oil should not be taken lightly.” In a statement responding to the law's enactment, the American Petroleum Institute criticized the law as a detriment to US economic and national security needs. “This punitive new fee represents yet another step in a coordinated campaign to undermine America’s energy advantage and the economic and national security benefits it provides,” API spokesman Scott Lauermann said. “Rather than work collaboratively with the industry to further our shared goal for a lower carbon future, state lawmakers opted to pass a bill designed by activists to further their own interests.” In passing the new law, proponents say Vermont is taking the first step in shifting some of the cost burden of responding and adapting to climate-related disasters from taxpayers and onto the corporate polluters whose products are driving climate breakdown. "It marks a new era in efforts to hold fossil fuel companies accountable through legislation as opposed to just through lawsuits,” said Elena Mihaly, an environmental attorney and vice president of Conservation Law Foundation’s Vermont office. More in my news story here https://lnkd.in/ej2ZZe_e

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Four years ago, during the US election, I published a Presidential Climate Policy Report Card on CleanTechnica. It's time again to assess and compare administrations. Setting the stage: https://lnkd.in/gGDe_-hF Back then, Trump’s climate record was clear, while Biden/Harris’s promises were just campaign rhetoric. We looked back to the Obama/Biden era to contrast with Trump’s term and the Democratic platform. Obama/Biden had mixed results: an A for reducing military personnel overseas, a B+ for treaties and industry, a B for land use, a C+ for transportation, and a C for electrical generation. This was still better than Trump/Pence, who mostly scored Fs, except for a D in transportation due to aviation industry lobbying. Now, we can evaluate the Biden/Harris Administration’s actual track record. Trump's term mostly stands, but the needle on climate urgency has shifted, making today’s grading stricter. The notable exception is Trump’s late-term enactment of allowances and a market mechanism for high global warming potential refrigerants, improving his industry score from F to D-. Biden/Harris has made significant climate strides, while Trump’s term was marked by climate inaction and other failures. The possibility of Trump returning to office, despite his record and recent controversies, is perplexing and concerning for many. The framework assesses emissions from electrical generation, transportation, land use, and industry, along with military impacts and global treaties. Adaptation to climate impacts and carbon drawdown are also crucial. Stay tuned for the weekly detailed climate policy report card series for the 2024 election, analyzing each key area and providing a comprehensive wrap-up. #elections #unitedstates #policy #climateaction

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A bedrock assumption of ESG is that carbon emissions are a good proxy for a company’s long-term health. But if we’re not yet headed for net-zero, is being a heavy emitter such a liability? I wrote about two new tools pushing past emissions to measure how the energy transition is becoming financially material to companies today: https://lnkd.in/ejxmyRM2

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Check out my video for Bloomberg Opinion on our latest mammoth data visualization: The red districts where green factories are getting built and what it means for November and climate politics. Read the column and interactive graphics here: https://lnkd.in/eXxXCTTU

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An important milestone for The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), allowing the VCM 2.0 to continue to scale with true integrity and impact.

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