TheGreenBillioness - 23 January 2024 (Tuesday Briefing)

Market - MTD

News Spotlight

• Microsoft will buy enough U.S.-made solar panels to power 1.8 million homes. Full Story.

• Latin Americans Are Embracing Plant-Based Foods — a Growing Opportunity for Investment. Full Story

• Veteran US and Chinese climate envoys step down. Xie Zhenhua has stepped down and John Kerry has announced he will do the same in a few months time. Full Story

• Why we still have brutal cold snaps even as the planet warms to record levels. After a summer of record-breaking heat, vast swaths of the United States are now grappling with extreme cold as a brutal Arctic blast brings snow squalls, deadly ice and life-threatening wind chills. Full Story

• The world’s cities are not ready for climate change. Urban areas must rapidly become more resilient to rising temperatures. Full Story

Sustainable Finance

• Amazon Invests in Over 100 New Solar and Wind Projects Over Past Year. Amazon announced that it invested in more than 100 new solar and wind energy projects in 2023, claiming the title of largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fourth consecutive year. Full Story.

• EU Banking Regulator Releases Proposed Requirements for Banks to Manage ESG, Climate Transition Risks. EU banking supervisor The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced the launch of a consultation on new proposed guidelines, setting out requirements for banks to identify, measure, manage and monitor ESG risks, including setting plans to address risks arising from the EU’s transition to a climate-neutral economy. Full Story.

• Barclays Launches New Sustainable Banking Business. Barclays announced today the establishment of a new Sustainable Banking Group within its Capital Markets business, bringing together the bank’s Sustainable Capital Markets and ESG Advisory teams, in a move aimed at addressing the sustainability needs of clients across industries. Full Story.

• $4 Trillion Investor Group Urges Shell to Set Paris-Aligned Scope 3 Emissions Target. Full Story.

• Forbes: 10 Key Programs On Climate And Green Finance At The World Economic Forum. Full Story

Technology & Solutions

• Green Steel Startup Element Zero Raises $10 Million. Element Zero, a green materials platform company, announced today that it has raised $10 million in seed funding, with proceeds to be used to scale up its platform aimed at decarbonizing iron and other critical metals production. Full Story.

• Energy Storage Startup Tiamat Raises €22 Million for Lithium-free Battery Tech, Backed by Stellantis, Arkema, MBDA. Full Story.

• Cleantech Company Hexagon Purus Raises $96 Million to Scale Zero Emissions Mobility Solutions. Full Story.

• New Sustainable Method for Creating Organic Semiconductors. Researchers have developed a conductive ink as a sustainable material for use in organic electronics. Full Story.

• AI Takes Center Stage and the Cloud Soars, but None of It Matters Without Green Tech. Full Story

Q&A

• Q1: How much has Earth's average surface temperature risen since the late 19th century?

• Q2: How much forest does the world lose each year?

  _{Kindly peruse the content below to access the answers.*}

RECs

• Reduce water waste by fixing any leaky faucets or pipes in your home.

• Opt for a meatless meal or go completely vegetarian for the day to reduce your carbon footprint.

• Use public transportation, carpool, or walk/bike to work or for errands instead of using a personal vehicle.

• Reduce single-use plastic by bringing a reusable water bottle and shopping bag with you throughout the day.

• Start composting kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peels or coffee grounds.

The Q&A Answers are:

• A1: The Earth's average surface temperature has risen about 1.18 degrees Celsius since then.

• A2: The world loses 10 million hectares of forest each year, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute!

Did you Know?
Did you know The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world, covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.

With Inspiring Climate Activists

Tzeporah Berman is a Canadian environmental activist, campaigner and writer. She is known for her role as one of the organizers of the logging blockades in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia in 1992–93. In 2009, Berman served on British Columbia's Green Energy Task Force.watch her Ted Talk titled: The bad math of the fossil fuel industry

Main Events in 2024
Here are some of the major sustainability and climate change events scheduled for 2024:

1. Innovation Zero (April 30 to May 01, 2024): An event showcasing the latest in climate technology and convening entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to push forward net-zero emissions solutions.

2. World ESG and Climate Summit (June 18-19, 2024): This summit brings together global leaders, experts, and stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities related to sustainability and ESG practices.

3. Climate Week NYC – We Can (October 23-31, 2024): An annual event that showcases climate action and accelerates the transition to a net-zero future with world leaders, policymakers, businesses, and citizens.

4. COP29 (November 6-18, 2024): The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan.

    

    _{*also read Top 10 must-attend sustainability events in 2024.}

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