Looking Ahead to Climate Week NYC

Next week, changemakers from around the world will converge in New York City for?Climate Week . The central theme for this year’s event is “It’s Time.”?

What will it take to trigger real action? As heads of state, CEOs, scientists, activists and many others come together to promote progress on climate challenges, what issues are top of mind for you? And when it comes to ideas, new pathways and innovation for the transition, what are you hoping to hear during this week?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Spotlight: 10 Insights on the Future of ESG

“In the Summer of 2024, the Aspen Institute Business & Society Program drew together 200 leaders for the Aspen ESG Summit, an invitation-only immersive gathering at the frontier of business transformation.”

What are corporate leaders, financiers, subject matter experts, and influential decision-makers thinking about the future of ESG??This new report ?brings together ten of the key takeaways from this summer’s insightful ESG Summit.?

News Roundup

1. Microsoft’s Hypocrisy on AI ?(The Atlantic: Karen Hao)?For better or worse, issues around AI are no longer hypothetical. Now that the commercial opportunities of AI intersect with sustainability commitments, what considerations are rising to the top when companies make choices? (also see?Microsoft Role in Fossil Fuel Expansion—Despite Climate Pledge—Spurred Me to Leave the Tech Giant )
2. Data Centers Strain Power Grids. Should Tech Firms Pay for Upgrades? ?(The Washington Post: Caroline O’Donovan) “Who will pay for the huge upgrades needed to meet soaring energy demand from the data centers powering the modern internet and artificial intelligence revolution?” (also see?America Needs an Energy Policy for AI )
3. A Ponzi Scheme of Promises ?(The American Prospect: Adam M. Lowenstein) From talk to action: What has changed in the years since the BRT statement on corporate purpose, and what comes next? And as Judy Samuelson asks in her?commentary on the article , “What is possible if BRT members put the health of our society at the center of the conversation?”
4. You Want Lower Emissions? Try Attaching it to Pay, Says Mars Sustainability Chief ?(WSJ: Perry Cleveland-Peck) How has realigning incentives moved executives from “I don’t know how” to “how can we do that”? (also see?Why a New Nature of Business Is Needed for Sustainable Prosperity )
5. What the Jumbo Fed Cut Means for Renewables ?(Heatmap News: Matthew Zeitlin) Will falling?interest rates signal a new era for sustainable energy investment?

Also on Our Radar

What else caught our attention this week?

• A message from American businesses: Don’t walk away from the UN
• Michael Lewis profiles “The Canary,” a man working for mine safety when the free market won’t.
• Do you really know how the US power grid works? You should. Here’s why.

One for the Road

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— The Business & Society Navigators

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Founded in 1998, the?Aspen Institute Business & Society Program ?works to align business decisions and investments with the long-term health of society—and the planet.