‘Devastating consequences’: Climate change likely worsened floods after Helene (USA Today)
Less than 10 days after Helene made landfall, Florida braces for another hurricane, potentially a Category 3 (CNN)
Six Truths About Climate Action That All Companies Should Know (TIME)
Decades-long research reveals new understanding of how climate change may impact caches of Arctic soil carbon (Phys)
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green (CNN)
Hurricane Helene Shows How Broken the US Insurance System Is (WIRED)
Supreme Court declines to block Biden rules on planet-warming methane and toxic mercury emissions (NBC NEWS)
The rising power of ESG. It’s not just better. It’s better business (Forbes)
Starbucks invests in two innovation farms to help climate-proof its coffee (CNBC)
Google announces renewable energy partnerships in India (Power-Technology)
Ex-carbon offsetting boss charged in New York with multimillion-dollar fraud (The Guardian)
Nike Partners with EFM to Further Offset Carbon Emissions (Nike)
How businesses can become more resilient to the physical impacts of climate change (World Economic Forum)
Investing in the next phase of the energy transition. Coal power may have ended in Britain, but Europe has a long way to go to reach its 2030 target (Environment-Analyst)
Across the World, Diplomats Gird for a Trump Assault on Climate Action. Some leaders insist that the global clean energy transition will happen with or without the United States (New York Times)
USDA to fund analysis of how U.S. businesses approach decarbonization (Penn State University)
Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions; cost USD 1 trillion annually (UNFCCC)
E-fuels are better for the climate than fossil fuels, so why haven’t they taken off yet? (The Bulletin)
How US banks can lead in the global shift to sustainable finance (Fintech Global)
Although awareness of climate change is growing, many still fail to grasp the urgency of addressing its most pressing challenges.
Our planet and communities are increasingly impacted by climate-driven disruptions, geopolitical instability, and the critical need for a more sustainable and resilient electric power system.
As global electricity demand is projected to surge by over 50% in the next two decades, energy systems must navigate complex challenges such as energy security, grid resilience, and reliability in the face of extreme weather events, cybersecurity risks, and political instability.
Electricity is fundamental to modern life—vital for prosperity, health, and safety. As the backbone of civilization, the future electric power system must meet the needs of a growing global population, the current global population of 8 billion, while ensuring equitable access to power for the 760 million people still living without electricity. Beyond this, the system must adapt to integrate diverse, sustainable energy sources while maintaining or improving reliability, affordability, and environmental responsibility. Ensuring reliable electricity for underserved regions is essential for fostering economic growth, security, and improved quality of life.
In parallel, the energy sector must accelerate decarbonization efforts through the ongoing energy transition, which is vital to keeping pace with the increasing demand for electrification. This requires leveraging existing low-carbon technologies to reduce emissions in the near term, while advancing breakthrough innovations that can achieve the long-term goal of net-zero emissions.
Electrification is a cornerstone of this transition, offering a pathway to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale by shifting from fossil fuels to electric alternatives powered by clean energy sources.
To support economic growth, improve access to underserved populations, power critical infrastructure like data centers and artificial intelligence, and electrify key sectors such as transportation, industry, and heating, the power industry must prioritize substantial CO2 reductions. This requires a careful balance of short-term actions—such as deploying renewable energy sources like wind and solar—and long-term innovations, including hydrogen production, carbon capture, and energy storage technologies like batteries and pumped storage. Grid modernization and expansion are equally essential to enable the integration of these new energy sources.
Additionally, new energy generation should aim to avoid carbon emissions when compared to traditional fossil-fuel-based alternatives. This means that new power plants must be designed not only to reduce emissions today but also to be adaptable for near-zero emissions in the future, ensuring they can be upgraded as new technologies emerge.
The task ahead is monumental. Achieving these three goals—lower carbon intensity, avoided emissions, and future-proofing for net-zero readiness—will be critical in making meaningful progress on climate change. Organizations can make immediate advances by addressing these challenges while setting the stage for long-term success in global decarbonization efforts.
The road to deep decarbonization will rely heavily on technological advancements that are still being developed or have not yet been deployed at scale.
Public-private partnerships will be essential in ensuring that technology, infrastructure, and policy are aligned to support the adoption of these breakthrough innovations.
Only through global collaboration, innovation, and concerted action can we address the immense challenge ahead and create a sustainable future for generations to come.
Beatriz Canamary is a consultant in Sustainable and Resilient Business, Doctor and Professor in Business, Civil Engineer, specialized in Mergers and Acquisitions from the Harvard Business School, and mom of triplets. Today she is dedicated to the effective application of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Multinationals.
She is an ESG enthusiast and makes it possible to carry out sustainable projects, such as energy transition and net-zero carbon emissions. She has +15 years of expertise in large infrastructure projects.
Member of the World Economic Forum, Academy of International Business and Academy of Economics and Finance.
