Climate Policy Consulting

📣 Major democratic states are fighting back against the anti-science, anti-climate wave coming from Washington! Despite the Trump Administration's shelving of the SEC climate rule, withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and persecution of virtually anything sustainability-related, a number of influential states are stepping up. New bills put forward in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and Illinois are following the model of California's SB253 in requiring emissions reporting. These bills also have a much better chance of getting through than the SEC rule did of being enforced on a national level. The chaos at a national level is dispiriting, but these bills, as well as the ones in California, cast a strong net for emissions reporting. Very few major companies will manage to avoid conducting business in these states, meaning that even though they are state-level, they have the potential for national impact. The team and I put together a comparison of these four new rules to show what they cover, when they would come in, and what they mean for businesses. I hope you find it helpful! #climate #sustainability #esg #esgreporting #sustainabilitystandards #emissions #america #scope3

Health Safety Environment Officer, Solar Specialist, and Sustainability Consultant are the three fastest growing green titles in India with an average yearly growth rate of 55.50%, 50.55%, and 44.67%, respectively over the last three years, according to LinkedIn data. What skills do candidates need to enter these job titles? And what skills do professionals in this field need to get ahead in their careers? Swati Purohit, Director — Human Resources at Recykal.com, says, “The major skills needed for a Health Safety Environment Officer are technical expertise in risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and EHS standards.” Meanwhile, for a Sustainability Consultant, carbon footprint assessment, energy optimisation, and stakeholder engagement are the top requirements, she adds. Tune in to the video below for more insights on the topic from Purohit and Vinit Kulkarni and share your thoughts in the comments section. 📊: Akash Kaura 📹: Isha Chitnis, Ajithesh Guru Prasath ✍️: Divya Pathak #GreenerTogether #LinkedInVideo

We often hear: “𝘞𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴.”⁣ ⁣ That’s true.⁣ ⁣ The occasional hot summer has always been part of our climate. What has changed is the frequency, persistence and intensity of those hot years. The graph illustrates that shift. The isolated extremes of the past have given way to a sustained period of exceptional warmth.⁣ ⁣ But we should be careful not to think of this as a new normal. It is better understood as the beginning of an ongoing escalation. Unless global greenhouse gas emissions are reduced rapidly, today’s climate will not become a stable benchmark. We should expect increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, alongside greater risks from flooding, drought and wildfires as the climate continues to change. ⁣ ⁣ For those of us working in the built environment, this has profound implications.⁣ ⁣ Mitigation remains essential. Every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions we avoid helps to limit future warming and reduce long-term risk. But mitigation alone is no longer enough.⁣ ⁣ We also have to adapt.⁣ ⁣ That means assessing the resilience of the buildings and infrastructure we already have, and ensuring that everything we design and construct today is fit for the climate it will experience over the next 50, 75 or even 100 years—not simply compliant with standards that were developed for a different climate. This is a message that Professor Hayley Fowler has consistently championed: our future climate, not our historic climate, should increasingly inform the decisions we make today.⁣ ⁣ The UK’s Climate Change Committee has repeatedly warned that we are not adequately prepared for the impacts of climate change already locked into the system. Its latest assessments conclude that adaptation is no longer optional—it is now a core part of protecting lives, communities, infrastructure and economic resilience. ⁣ ⁣ Reducing emissions and increasing resilience are not competing priorities. They are two sides of the same response.⁣ ⁣ 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘋 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘓𝘓𝘗 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘖𝘈𝘈 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 (1880–2024). 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘋𝘏

Climate Risks Are Financial Risks An alarming USD 1.14 trillion in corporate value, linked to the world's largest stock markets is exposed to severe socio-economic impacts from #climatechange by 2050. Data from the Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Index (CHVI) highlights a critical blind spot for many businesses: 📌 48 countries will be highly vulnerable to socio-economic climate impacts by mid-century, double today’s figure. 📌 Major emerging markets are expected to face significant climate-related disruptions. 📌 India alone accounts for over USD 1 trillion of the at-risk corporate assets, dramatically impacting global markets and supply chains. 🚨Companies must place dedicated climate leadership at the highest level to proactively identify risks, anticipate market disruptions, and strategically invest in long-term resilience. 🚨 Businesses should move beyond physical hazards to systematically report and manage socio-economic climate vulnerabilities. Transparent, detailed disclosures help stakeholders understand risks and encourage informed investments. 🚨 Corporates must prioritize investment in resilient infrastructure, diversified supply chains, and sustainable practices, particularly in vulnerable regions. This strategic foresight protects operational continuity and market valuation. The globalized nature of corporate operations means that climate vulnerability anywhere becomes a financial risk everywhere. 🌱 Is your company equipped with climate leadership at board level? Read more here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eFnsnjyY #ClimateRisk #ClimateLeadership #SustainableGovernance #ESG #BoardGovernance #InvestmentStrategy #Resilience #ClimateAction

New major study on the dynamic use of the #plenataryboundaries framework is out. There is a continuous deterioration until 2100 for almost all boundaries for a business-as-usual scenario without additional policy measures (exceptions: ozone layer and air pollution). But when ambitious climate policies are combined with a shift to a low-meat diet, halving food waste and efficient use of water/nutrients, the damage to Earth system processes can be halted and in some cases even reversed. Key message: Climate policies by themselves are not enough. The authors (among them J. Rockström) call for an integrated policy approach. "This necessitates a wider whole-Earth system approach to policy-making, going beyond climate change and biodiversity, while accounting for synergies and trade-offs among the planetary boundaries." The science is clear. We need a focus on integrated sustainability regulation and our food system should be a top priority! However, what get is a simplifying discussion of the "simplification" of sustainability regulations... === Full study (open access): https://lnkd.in/dc9Uk6du

NEW RESEARCH - WHY THE ENERGY TRANSITION IS DISRUPTIVE & COULD BE MUCH FASTER THAN WE THINK: The clean energy transition isn’t just about swapping out old tech for new—it’s a complex, non-linear process full of feedback loops, tipping points, and unexpected consequences. Our new “Systems Archetypes of the Energy Transition” brief is a must-read for anyone shaping policy, investing, or innovating in this space. Key takeaways: 1) Feedback loops drive change: Reinforcing loops (like learning-by-doing and economies of scale) have made solar, wind, and batteries cheaper and more widespread, often outpacing even the boldest forecasts. 2) Path dependence is real: Early advantages for a technology (think BEVs vs. hydrogen cars) can snowball into market dominance, making policy choices and timing critical. 3) Limits and synergies: As renewables grow, market dynamics like “cannibalisation” can dampen investment—unless we design markets and storage solutions to keep the momentum going. 4) Policy design is everything: Well-intentioned fixes (like price caps or broad subsidies) can backfire, while smart, targeted interventions can unlock positive feedbacks across sectors. 5) Tipping points and decline: The decline of fossil fuels isn’t just a mirror image of clean tech growth—it comes with its own feedbacks, risks, and opportunities for a just transition. The brief also offers practical guidance on using causal loop diagrams and participatory systems mapping—powerful tools for understanding and managing the complexity of the transition. If you’re working on energy, climate, or innovation policy, I highly recommend giving this a read. Let’s move beyond linear thinking and embrace the systems view—because the future will be shaped by those who understand the dynamics beneath the surface. This briefing was led by Simon Sharpe at S-Curve Economics CIC, Max Collett 柯墨, Pete Barbrook-Johnson, me at Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford & Oriel College, Oxford & the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and Michael Grubb at UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources.

Fantastic report by Bain & Company on the strategy for CEO's on sustainability! The report delineates a profound evolution in corporate environmental governance: a strategic pivot from ambitious pronouncements to rigorous, value-driven execution. The findings underscore that, despite surface-level headwinds, sustainability is irrevocably integrated into the calculus of competitive advantage. What are the key insights? →The 'Do-Say' chasm: The data reveals a compelling trend: CEOs are deliberately scaling back public rhetoric while accelerating concrete, verifiable actions. This shift represents a maturity wherein sustainability ceases to be an external narrative and becomes an intrinsic operational discipline. →Engine of enterprise value: Sustainability is no longer perceived as a purely ethical or regulatory impedance, but as a formidable lever for commercial advantage. The report highlights a surging commitment from B2B buyers, with an overwhelming majority planning to significantly accelerate procurement from their most sustainable suppliers. →Profitable decarbonisation: A significant economic incentive now underpins climate action. Bain's analysis confirms that a remarkable 25% of global industrial CO2 emissions can be mitigated today through levers that yield an attractive, positive return on investment (ROI). This transforms decarbonisation into a strategic capital allocation priority. →From efficiency to resilience: The global supply chain milieu demands a reorientation toward robustness. Visionary leaders are prioritising diversification and adaptive capacity over mere cost efficiency, a crucial manoeuvre for mastering the complexity of Scope 3 emissions and navigating emergent regulatory regimes. →The AI accelerant and risk: While Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming indispensable for optimising resource use and tracking progress, its deployment requires judicious management. Companies must proactively govern the ancillary energy consumption and carbon footprint of their expanding AI and data center infrastructure. The path to 2030 is paved with pragmatic action. #sustainability #esg #strategicleadership #corporategovernance #businesstransformation

More than 40 climate scientists have issued an open call to the Science Based Targets initiative and Article 6 Supervisory Body to ensure Nature--our most powerful and scalable carbon storage and removal system globally-- isn’t left on the sidelines in the climate fight. Their message is clear, we cannot deliver on climate stabilization without large scale nature interventions. My favorite points below: 💡 Managing the Earth’s climate over the coming decades is as important as managing it over the coming centuries. ✅ Framing “permanence” as a binary threshold—either 1,000 years or failure—does not serve climate science or policy. A more accurate framing focuses on durability, a concept based on reversal risk: how long a tonne of CO2 is likely to remain out of the atmosphere, and what mechanisms exist to manage reversal risk and compensate for lost carbon. 🔎 Unlocking the ~11 Gt yr -1 of mitigation potential available through NCS in the next decade (IPCC, 2023; Griscom et al. 2017), will require policy measures that evaluate and address reversal risks associated with all carbon storage and removal pathways, rather than policies that default to an exclusion of a wide swath of options. 👍 NCS are not a substitute for fossil fuel phaseout or engineered removals. But geological storage cannot deliver the immediate, large-scale climate benefits that nature can. Climate mitigation must be portfolio-based: incorporating options across the durability-scale spectrum, matched to specific goals, timelines, and risk tolerances. ⚠️ Insisting that only 1,000-year removals count toward climate neutrality—a proposition that has appeared with increasing frequency in policy and guidance documents—ignores the fact that climate risk is cumulative and time-sensitive. Temporary reductions can have lasting impact if they help flatten the emissions curve, delay peak warming, and keep us within planetary boundaries. Conversely, failing to act—by excluding credible, well-managed, near-term options—carries irreversible consequences. ‼️ Successful approaches to climate mitigation that combine NCS, energy, and industrial alternatives will not be an “either, or” strategy but a “yes, and” strategy (Anderson et al. 2019). I am really excited about the conversation we're having on permanence and durability system design and management. We can deliver approaches to durability and reversal risk in the carbon markets that can ensure the atmosphere stays whole, projects can get done in the real world, and we have strong regulatory and legal frameworks in place that enable large scale finance to flow and for nature to play its necessary role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. See the full letter here: https://lnkd.in/gRx4H8vi

This publication means a lot to me. After years of witnessing the difficulties cities and regions face in identifying their #ClimateRisks for #ClimatePlanning, we decided to create a detailed guidebook. 🌦️🌆 It offers a step-by-step process in an original way, following a fictional city as a case study, as well as real-life examples, and several FAQ highlights. 🎯A key innovation in this guidebook is the section on setting #AdaptationGoals, complete with practical targets and indicators to track progress over time. 🔗 Take a look here: https://lnkd.in/dPA8mj-v Feel free to share it with your network and let us know your feedback. Valentina Palermo, Gema Hernández Moral, Paulo Barbosa, Giulia Melica EU Covenant of Mayors, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), EU Science, Research and Innovation #ClimateAdaptation #Resilience #RiskAssessment #ClimateAction