The Topline
Key data points
- Bloomberg Philanthropies convened three major events during Climate Week and the 79th UN General Assembly: the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, the Global Renewables Summit, and the Bloomberg Global Business Forum where President Joe Biden delivered the keynote address.
- During the Innovation Summit, HRH Prince William announced 15 finalists for the 2024 Earthshot Prize in five categories: Clean Our Air, Protect and Restore Nature, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.
- This year, temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit for a record 113 straight days — just one example of the escalating impacts of climate change. Mike wrote about the need for climate leaders to move beyond pledges and take real action to protect the planet.
- An expanded partnership between CDP and the Net-Zero Data Public Utility will make corporate climate emissions data from more than 10,000 companies publicly available for free, arming policy makers and climate leaders with a powerful tool to drive progress.
- Emerging markets and developing economies need $2.4 trillion in annual climate finance by 2030. A new digital platform launched by the Global Capacity Building Coalition will be an important resource for building resilient, sustainable economies and enabling the global transition to net zero.
Climate Innovations, Tripling Renewable Energy , President Biden’s Climate Action, and More
What does it mean to say that climate change is an all-hands-on-deck challenge?
It means that, to have a real impact, we need innovators with big ideas and bold solutions that can be scaled up. It means we need artists and activists to share stories and inspire people to do their part. We need government leaders at all levels to advance policies that cut emissions and accelerate the clean energy transition. And we need the business world to invest in opportunities that will create new jobs and game-changing technologies.
That’s why we brought all those groups together for three major events at Climate Week in New York City.
At the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, we heard from people working on ideas that can help repair and regenerate the planet in the next decade. The 15 finalists for this year’s Prize were named at the Summit, adding their ideas to the long list of creative solutions that are already making a difference in the five “Earthshots”: Clean Our Air, Protect and Restore Nature, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.
At the Global Renewables Summit, public and private sector leaders came together to share ways to reach an ambitious goal: tripling renewable energy around the world by 2030, with a focus on emerging markets and developing economies.
Finally, the Bloomberg Global Business Forum focused on private sector climate opportunities and other issues that will shape the future of our global economy. As the keynote speaker President Biden said, “When I think climate, I think jobs.”
Are Climate Pledges Translating into Climate Action?
This is a moment of historic climate action, and momentum is growing. But it’s also a time of unprecedented climate disasters. “Climate change is becoming increasingly destructive to our economies and health — and the price we are paying for moving so slowly continues to rise,” wrote Mike in an op-ed about the urgent need to accelerate climate action. Mike called on global leaders to follow up on the ambitious climate pledges made at gatherings like COP and Climate Week with actions and investments that will meet the goals they set. “There is wind at our back, but enormous obstacles — and unprecedented dangers — remain in front of us.”
Making Corporate Climate Data Free to the Public
Reliable climate data is the cornerstone of effective climate action. An expanded partnership between CDP, a repository of voluntary environmental disclosure data, and the Net-Zero Data Public Utility, which tracks company-level climate emissions, will improve the quality and quantity of corporate climate data — and make it free to the public. That will provide important data resources for climate leaders working to develop and deploy solutions for maximum impact.
Helping Clean Energy Investments Take Hold in Emerging Markets
Clean energy can have an outsized impact in emerging markets by displacing dirty fossil fuels, driving economic growth, and improving the quality of local air. The Global Capacity Building Coalition launched a beta version of a digital platform designed to provide free resources and technical assistance to leaders in developing countries. With access to those tools and support, it will be easier for developing economies to unlock investment capital and seize opportunities in the global clean energy transition.
Photo Spotlight
