Capitalism.

It's officially Summer and welcome to Climate Positive! If you are here to doom scroll, you're in the wrong place. This newsletter pulls together top headlines supporting a narrative that climate action is actually happening and making a real difference. A perfect read for your beach chair!

In this week's issue we look at recent pieces that discuss the role of capitalism and partnership in driving meaningful change toward saving the planet. This including Mike Bloomberg's Op-Ed which argues that the voluntary carbon market regulations will eliminate greenwashing, a Deloitte report on "sustainable abundance" -- apparently, yes we can have it all, an example of how global collaboration and partnership has reduced ozone depletion and can work now with climate change, and an interesting approach reducing highway emissions being championed out of Colorado, with other states following suit. Let's go.

It's not altruism.

In his 彭博资讯 article "The End of Greenwashing Is Now Within Sight ", Michael R. Bloomberg highlights the Biden administration's plan to revamp the voluntary carbon market. He explains that this overhaul is essential for effectively tackling climate change by engaging the private sector. Bloomberg points out that the current market's lack of transparency allows companies to engage in greenwashing, overstating their environmental efforts. By introducing transparency and standardization, these reforms will make the market more credible and efficient -- and prevent companies from making false sustainability claims and foster genuine environmental progress. Bloomberg's piece states, "Many business leaders recognize that the costs of inaction are enormous — and that tackling climate change is in their companies’ self-interest — and so they are setting ambitious decarbonization goals. That is not altruism. It’s capitalism."

Sustainable and abundant?

While the two words strung together give me some pause, a recent report by Deloitte, "Innovating toward Sustainable Abundance" suggests that humanity is naturally progressing towards a future where innovative solutions drive economic growth alongside environmental stewardship, paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous planet. According to the report, as individuals and corporations adopt "stakeholder capitalism" (i.e. i'll get on board if it's good for me too) and embrace responsible business practices, reimagining essential resources such as food, water, and energy will become a priority. Simultaneously, advancements in health and education, along with a renewed connection to nature through Indigenous knowledge and biomimicry, are becoming mainstream. These steps indicate a collective movement towards reducing environmental footprints through circular economies and virtualization, ensuring that human progress aligns harmoniously with the planet's well-being. [crosses fingers]

Roads? Where we're going, we don't need [wider]...roads

According to this New York Times story , Colorado is halting the expansion of highways and focusing on sustainable transit solutions. Driven by climate change concerns and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the approach has led to the reallocation of $100 million from highway projects to more responsible and cleaner transit initiatives including faster bus services and enhanced bike lanes. The move has and inspired similar actions in other states like Minnesota and Maryland. These efforts mark a significant shift towards creating communities where people can move efficiently without relying on cars, aligning transportation infrastructure with environmental goals and the future.

Remembering ozone depletion

As a young naturalist in the late 80s, I had my first existential crisis when asked to turn over my Aquanet hairspray in accordance of the Montreal Protocol of 1987 which aimed to close the huge hole in the ozone layer being created, in part by aerosols. Thankfully big bangs were out soon after, but 30+ years later, the global agreement is still having a positive impact with the hole continuing to shrink. A new study from the University of Bristol, published in Nature Climate Change , the significant global reduction in harmful hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), are now on the decline. This success story highlights the power of global cooperation and strict environmental controls in protecting our planet. Co-author Dr. Isaac Vimont, a research scientist at the NOAA in the United States, stated, "This study highlights the critical need to be vigilant and proactive in our environmental monitoring , ensuring other controlled ozone depleting and greenhouse gases follow a similar trend which will help to protect the planet for future generations." Wouldn't it be nice if we could look back nostalgically in 2050 and laugh at images of gas-guzzling SUVs?

That's it for this week. Please do share any positive news/stories you see that would be a fit. The more positivity and awareness we can build around climate progress, the more action we can inspire through hope. Like and follow if you'd like to see more.

And if you'd like my team to help tell your positive climate story, ping me at [email protected]