What is the Climate Pivot? Climate will be the big story of the next several decades. New weather patterns are disrupting how and where we live and work, creating a new sense of urgency about climate risk. It is focusing attention on the need for adaptation and building resiliency into our infrastructure and systems.
Can we work together to create a more sustainable and resilient world?
I’m starting Climate Pivot to do my part to help navigate this transition. Each week I’ll highlight an issue where climate change presents new risks, and share resources, including news reports, podcasts, videos and subject matter experts to follow.
A brief word about me: I’m a writer and analyst focused on specialized B2B journalism. That’s why a key focus of Climate Pivot will be the growing role of the business sector. My hope is that this newsletter will be a helpful resource for business leaders and those tracking the future of infrastructure.
Policymakers and non-profits will continue to play key roles, but business will by necessity become a larger part of the solution. As the disruption of the economic landscape advances, companies must mobilize in new ways to operate in a changed world. The status quo will not hold, and innovation, adaptation and resiliency will be the key drivers of the transition.
This shift is my lens for writing about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, with a particular interest in data and technology as enablers of big change. This will manifest in several broad themes:
- Climate will alter the economics of real estate, supply chains and labor, as well as access to key resources.
- Carbon tracking and mitigation will be supplemented with a growing focus on risk management, adaptation and resiliency.
Over the last 23 years, I’ve seen how digital infrastructure has transformed our world, and changed the way we do just about everything. It’s an epic example of how huge, rapid change becomes possible when innovation, technology and capital align.
Business and technology can play a similar role in the coming climate transition, which will disrupt business models and asset valuations. But it will require investment, and the ability to manage for both sustainability and impact.
Our hope is to create better understanding of how climate change will change our lives and work, and equip readers to adapt and succeed – and build a better future for our planet in the process.
Here are some of the themes and topics we’ll be exploring:
- Risk and How We Think About It: The geography of risk is changing. Climate change is influencing the amount and severity of natural disasters, which in turn influences the value of property and buildings and the cost to insure them. There are changes ahead for risk management, and a growing role for data-driven strategies (including AI and satellites).
- Climate Modeling: Projections of future climate impact rely upon advanced computer models, which have become critical tools for businesses and the investment community. This is clearly seen in the recent consolidation in the sector, with financial players like Moody’s, S&P Global, McKinsey and Blackrock buying companies that specialize in modeling physical climate risk.
- Adaptation and Resilience: As climate change advances, it will require new thinking about building for the future. Real estate and infrastructure will need to be hardened for the climate of tomorrow, shedding prior assumptions about creating safe and secure environments. Shoreline economies must plan for sea-level rise, which could include everything from nature-based solutions to sea walls.
- Polar Ice Science: Expect periodic outbreaks of nerdy climate science, including updates from scientists studying the polar ice sheets and their impact on ocean currents and sea level rise. This is a topic that will be of growing importance in assessing models, risk and the timeline for change.
- Carbon Removal Strategies: One of the most notable updates in the latest IPCC report is the emphasis on carbon removal, which encompasses a range of strategies to remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it underground. Carbon removal is nascent, expensive and controversial, particularly among climate activists who see carbon removal technologies as an enabler of continued emissions by energy companies.
I invite you to join us on this journey, and invite your friends and colleagues as well.