Climate Collective

?? Whats the most interesting AI application for #nature and #climate you've come across? ?? #AI certainly has the potential to level the playing-field, accelerate progress and super-charge the people working hard to curb pollution or reimagine a more regenerative world. ?? It can also amplify societal injustices and push our energy/emissions curve up. Not to mention deepen the already wide digital divide. We'll have more to say about that in the coming weeks. For now, Climate Collective is preparing to launch a new #accelerator focused on AI. To define the opportunity space we've talked to a number of AI-experts and climate/nature solutions-holders to structure our thinking around specific AI-capabilities and get a read on the current landscape. This helped us define 4 broad categories of AI with relevant sub-categories. Next, we're mapping the AI x climate/nature tech space to see where the market is crowded and where there is blue space. ?????? Know of an AI-powered climate or nature solution? Please tag them below ?? ? Gold star if you can link them to one of our 4 categories: ?? Prediction and monitoring - - Forecasts, models, and simulations - - Computer vision and remote sensing ??? Optimization and efficiency - - Productivity, efficiency, and speed - - Personalization and behavior change - - Resource optimization ???? Automation and action - - Robotics and material sciences - - Agents and automation ?? Knowledge and insights - - Data synthesis and integration - - Creating and analyzing content Ping friends and family for reach: Samhir Vasdev Jack Policar Jack Fritzinger Louisa Durkin Andrew Means, M.P.P. Nathalie FLORES Matthew Gee Abe Tarapani Dan Hammer Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink Amy Rosenthal Amy Guterman Tariq Khokhar Bruno Sanchez-Andrade Nu?o Tim Christophersen Evan Paul Svenja Telle Hiba Larsson Nat Bullard Allison Voss

We’re thrilled to welcome Hula Earth into the Climate Collective! Our planet is experiencing an unprecedented decline in biodiversity, and reversing this trend requires bold, innovative action. There is a major role for corporations to play here. But according to the World Benchmarking Alliance, the majority of businesses are still in the process of understanding how their operations impact and rely on natural ecosystems. Only 5% of companies worldwide have assessed their environmental impact, and less than 1% understand their dependencies on nature - this urgency-action gap can in part be explained by lack of reliable data. For companies to make impactful, measurable contributions to nature restoration, they need reliable, ongoing data—and this is precisely where Hula Earth excels. ? Founded in 2023 by Florian Geiser and David Schmider, Hula Earth was created from a deep-seated commitment to protect biodiversity. Having grown up on farms, the founders witnessed firsthand the alarming loss of natural ecosystems and the urgent need for actionable solutions. They set out to harness advanced space data and IoT technology, enabling companies to invest in biodiversity with measurable impact. Through Hula Earth, Florian and David aim to drive positive change in biodiversity conservation, fostering a more sustainable planet for generations to come. Here is how Hula Earth stands out: ?? Continuous biodiversity monitoring: The proprietary Hula Platform integrates real-time satellite data with IoT sensor networks, providing a 360-degree view of key ecosystem indicators like biomass, species health, and resilience. This continuous monitoring approach offers companies precise, actionable insights, enabling data-driven decisions that drive impactful conservation strategies. ?? Innovative ecosystem monitoring: Hula Earth leverages a scalable, self-sufficient sensor network that once deployed, autonomously collects 24/7 microclimate and bioacoustic data without requiring ongoing maintenance. This innovative solution integrates on-site data with advanced analytics, supporting a wide range of initiatives—from offsetting and insetting to managing agricultural plots and infrastructure like solar farms. ??Empowering corporate biodiversity investment: Hula Earth provides corporations with the opportunity to understand the biodiversity aspect in their own value chain and improve it via insetting or offsetting initiatives, like biodiversity credits from projects managed by their trusted partners. These projects are continuously monitored using Hula’s advanced system, ensuring accountability and measurable impact. We welcome Hula Earth and together we strive to stop biodiversity loss by enabling funding for nature and helping businesses to understand their impact on biodiversity. Anna Lerner Nesbitt Jack Policar Ana Velástegui Niko P. Thomas Rother Alexander Waldner

For #biodiversity?credit markets to really take off they need two things:? 1. Demand (will cover more on this in a?future post), and 2. High-integrity supply ?? Integrity can mean many things but when it comes to biodiversity credits it must include data AND process integrity (ping Caitlin Smith and our paper on this topic with?RMI below! ??) as well as a whole new approach to shareholdership for Indigenous and other local partners (ping Nkwi Flores, Lauren Serota authors of a paper on this ??). ?? This new?wave of transparent integrity is enabled by digital tech. ? Terrasos and Regen Network Development PBC - two Climate Collective members - have teamed up to build a solution for essential market needs - transparency, fairness, security and scalability - in order to unlock biodiversity markets at scale. Why is this important right now? ?? Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (#GBF) aims to mobilize significant resources for nature protection. In #Cali at #COP16 we noted governments and institutions opening pathways for biodiversity markets to emerge (France, UK, EU, Brazil, Colombia - who else?) - its crucial that these are built with scalable, transparent, and accountable solutions from the start. So what is this new partnership about? ?? It essentially leverages Terrasos pioneering work on habitat banks with Regens technology platform based on distributed ledger technologies. ?? Together, they have launched a voluntary biodiversity credit (a unit is called Tebu), that helps fund exceptional conservation projects. Buyers can help protect critical ecosystems by supporting 10 m2 of threatened ecosystems and secure their?conservation for 30 years. This framework ensures rigorous standards for traceability, permanence, and impact. ?? For the last 3 years Climate Collective have been accelerating and supporting groups who are pioneering new ways to leverage digital tech like geospatial, AI, blockchain and sensors to?strengthen dMRV and increase transparency across the value chains of environmental?credit markets. ? I loved catching up with both?Mariana Sarmiento and Gregory Landua in Cali and purchased another round of Tebus - robust biodiversity credits with full transparency, on chain ?? Check out our friends at InvestConservation? Savimbo and Qarlbo Biodiversity who are bringing another set of impactful biodiversity credit products to market - ping Aleksandra Holmlund Roberto Duif / Drea Burbank / Fernando Lezama and Anja Rundquist / Andres Vergara. Adding some biodiversity credit experts for their input on what I missed? Simas Gradeckas Ollie Potter Oliver Dauert Oliver Bolton David Fortson Jen Stebbing Gilad Goren Nature Tech Collective

?? One of the most controversial (but important?) carbon credit types - #REDD+ - gets a much needed boost. First, a quick 101 on what REDD+ is: ?? 'REDD' = 'Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.? ?? '+' =?additional forest-related activities that protect the climate: sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. ?? In short: - - Reducing emissions from deforestation. - - Reducing emissions from forest degradation. - - Conservation of forest carbon stocks. - - Sustainable management of forests. - - Enhancement of forest carbon stocks. ?? Several studies have questioned the effectiveness of REDD+ projects due to the difficulty?to verify the 'counterfactual' (what had happened if the project hadn't taken place) and weak baseline calculations ?? Other studies have concluded that the projects have indeed had positive impact but struggled from erratic?funding, interdependencies on political priorities, and the vastly different conditions and dynamics across global project sites squeezed in to a few standardized methodologies. ?? Three big announcements hoping to change some of these shortcomings: ?? [Market access for high-integrity REDD+ credits] The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) announced that it?approved three methodologies?for issuing high-integrity carbon credits for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+). ?? [Predictability of REDD+ financing] Green Climate Fund (GCF)?adopted a policy on REDD+ results-based payments, which marks a major boost for forest finance. The policy permanently integrates REDD+ results-based payments into GCF’s regular project activity cycle.?#GCF expects results-based payments to flow in the hundreds of millions to countries from all regions and all categories. ?? [$10B by 2030 for Brazil] A public and private sector coalition launched the #Brazil Restoration & Bioeconomy Finance Coalition (BRB Finance Coalition) to accelerate the conservation and restoration of Brazil’s forests, with a targeted, aggregate investment of at least $10 billion by 2030. ?? I expect this to result in a large increase of REDD+ credits on the market in coming months. A big supply boost isn't always helpful for pricing,?so if you're a project developer you might want to think hard about pricing,?offtake agreements and timing of your?credit issuance. That said, a number of netzero pledges are maturing and forests are an integral part of a blended portfolio. ?? While this COP so far has underdelivered on finance and nature, this is a major recognition of nature conservation as a climate mitigation strategy that has the promise to significantly?boosts?available funding #forest #reforestation #deforestation Josep Oriol Steve Zwick Leland Werden Jake Levine Mafalda Duarte Alexia Kelly Amy Merrill Gabriel Labbate

?? Careful what you wish for. ?? Wealthy countries sent climate funding to the developing world in recent years with interest rates or strings attached that benefited the lending nations. ?? A really important report dropped in May this year, and received surprisingly little attention. ?? In light of the tense negotiations in #Baku around a new 'finance goal' - or in formal negotiation terms a "New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance" - its important to not just look at the number but the strings attached. #NCQG Here is the gist: - Japan, France, Germany, the United States and other wealthy nations are reaping billions of dollars in economic rewards from a global program meant to help the developing world grapple with the effects of climate change - The financial gains happen as part of developed nations’ pledge to send $100 billion a year to poorer countries to help them reduce emissions and cope with extreme weather by channeling money from the program back into their own economies. And the numbers? Wealthy nations have loaned at least $18 billion at market-rate interest, including $10.2 billion in loans made by Japan, $3.6 billion by France, $1.9 billion by Germany and $1.5 billion by the United States At least another $11 billion in loans – nearly all from Japan – required recipient nations to hire or purchase materials from companies in the lending countries. At least $10.6 billion in grants from 24 countries and the European Union required recipients to hire?companies, nonprofits or public agencies from specific nations – usually the donor – to do the work or provide materials. ?? Let's be honest - This isn't new. Criticism that the development finance system isn't working has been around for decades, but with natural disasters on the rise and the reinforced impact from biodiversity loss the topic is highly relevant again. Ping Pep Bardouille and the #bridgetowninitiative - and Assaad Razzouk who highlights impactful news. Data and analysis from OECD - OCDE Thomson Reuters Big Local News of Stanford University

?? It's tomorrow! Join us?and Carbon Business Council this Wednesday at 12 pm EST for a webinar on how digital infrastructure can help to strengthen the responsible growth of carbon removal in the Global South. Our CEO Anna Lerner Nesbitt will be joined by Neil H. (Isometric), Shrey Agarwal (Alt Carbon), Specioser Mutheu (Octavia Carbon), and Isabella Corpora (moderator, Carbon Business Council) to discuss responsible deployment, co-benefits, local partnerships, and the resource trade-offs involved in scaling carbon removal. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore how carbon removal can be deployed to maximize benefits for local communities while responsibly managing risks. #ClimateTech #CarbonRemoval #ResponsibleDeployment

Our CEO Anna Lerner Nesbitt Lerner spoke on Untangling Climate Finance with Jay Tipton from Gordian Knot Strategies, here are some nuggets: ”Climate Collective is pretty good at identifying a high impact topic, where tech and data can be pivotal. We’ve made three bets so far - we then structure cohorts and communities around these opportunities, where we find like minded entrepreneurs that are building tech and data solutions to address those challenges or opportunities. Our previous cohorts have focused on carbon markets, nature tech, and green accountability.” -Anna ??“Green Accountability (GA) is at the mingling of climate finance and transparency.”? It extends the principles of social accountability- making sure people and communities have a voice and agency- into climate. It empowers individuals and communities to ensure climate finance is used equitable, effectively and transparently. By prioritizing inclusion and participation, GA can maximize the impact of every dollar invested in climate finance. ??In early 2025 we will launch our next accelerator focused on leveraging AI for climate and nature solutions. AI can have a transformational impact on our ability to address climate, it can be used to significantly accelerate decarbonization, but also have a substantial nature and energy footprint. There is definitely an equity perspective here. When people talk about the energy consumption of data centers, let's think about what the capacity of these data centers is used for- social media videos or more productive things? ???Monitoring and verification has always been a cornerstone of nature markets. Leveraging the digital tech available today this is getting a whole new meaning. For example, geospatial solutions are resolving decades of weak data integrity across environmental markets, by providing much more granular, high fidelity credible data on what is happening on the ground - in real time, at a fraction of the cost. “For the first time data scarcity isn't the primary barrier to effective coordination on climate action. We are inundated with data. The challenge lies in interpreting this data and leveraging this massive information we have effectively.” How could we think differently about Climate Finance? Climate Finance reflects our willingness to pay to address the situation we have created ourselves. Given the extent of the mess we’re in, going forward, all public and private spending should be climate informed and climate aligned.??

??How can digital infrastructure strengthen the responsible growth of carbon removal in the Global South? ?Join the Carbon Business Council and Climate Collective for a webinar on CDR technology in the Global South, featuring expert insights on responsible deployment, co-benefits, local partnerships, and potential trade-offs in resource use. Date & Time: ?? Wednesday, November 13, 2024 ?? 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST ???This is a unique opportunity to explore how carbon removal can be scaled to maximize benefits and minimize risks for local communities in the Global South, with our CEO Anna Lerner Nesbitt alongside Neil H. Isometric, Shrey Agarwal, Alt Carbon, Specioser Mutheu, Octavia Carbon and moderator Isabella Corpora, Carbon Business Council ?

????♀? I've kept thinking about ways to strengthen alignment between the different conventions. ?? Claudia Ortiz of UNDP has years of experience navigating these topics, and she generously shared some thoughts on how the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) could be aligned in order to strengthen synergies and efficiencies across them. ? UNDP has a long standing mandate to support countries prepare both of these policy documents. ?? If you're new to NDCs and NBSAPs, take a look at this first: NBSAPs (National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans) and NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) are both crucial tools in international efforts to address global environmental challenges, but they focus on different aspects. ?? NBSAPs Focus: Biodiversity conservation and sustainable use Goal: To protect and restore biodiversity, ecosystems, and genetic resources. Framework: Developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Content: Includes strategies, targets, and action plans for conserving biodiversity, using it sustainably, and sharing benefits fairly. ?? NDCs Focus: Climate change mitigation and adaptation Goal: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Framework: Developed under the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Content: Outlines countries' climate action plans, including emission reduction targets, adaptation strategies, and climate finance plans. ?? While NBSAPs and NDCs address distinct challenges, they are deeply interconnected. ?? Many climate change solutions, such as afforestation and reforestation, can also contribute to biodiversity conservation. ?? Similarly, healthy ecosystems can help mitigate climate change by storing carbon and protecting against natural disasters. ?? Therefore, countries are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating climate and biodiversity actions - to achieve greater synergies and more effectively address both climate change and biodiversity loss.

?? Here's a 101 on the three Rio Conventions and two controversial ideas for unlocking more energy, time and funding towards the actual work that's needed to move the needle.. ?? The three Rio Conventions are a set of three United Nations conventions that address environmental and development issues. ?? There is one focused on Climate, Biodiversity and Desertification. ?? These Rio Conventions are linked and in a way work in tandem. ?? The regular meeting of the Parties to the Convention - that is, those entities that have signed on to the convention is called Conference of the Parties - or COP in short. ?? Here is a fun fact: For the first time since 2000, the Parties to the Conventions will have their negotiations in the same year. ?? COP16 has a big finance focus - where should resources come from - and where should they go. ?? Here are two - somewhat controversial - proposals for securing sufficient financing to deal with climate change and nature restoration: ?? ?? Lets merge the Conventions - the amount of time and money spent on PROCESS, bureaucracy, admin and reporting is wild. Efficiencies from merging them would make a real dent. ?? ?? Let’s drastically simplify the way these conventions are reported on and engaged with. The process of drafting climate or biodiversity plans is so complex that countries need hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in support, as well as hand holding from the UN and other well meaning nonprofits to make their plans and report on them. If all that energy and resources could be spent on IMPLEMENTATION we would be in a much better place.