Climate Week: Exploring the Business Solutions and Opportunities
By Greg Kahn
Emerging Tech Exchange
Founder & CEO
Published on September 12, 2023
The big, two-part question for investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, brands, and media attending this year’s Climate Week NYC (Sept. 17-24) sessions is this: what is the role for business in addressing the challenges of a rapidly warning world — and where are the specific opportunities right now?
Given the economic volatility and the political polarization hovering over those questions, the conversations at Climate Week are likely to have a great deal more urgency. But that also means the opportunity for a true impact by breakout companies and leaders taking on the issue of climate change is just as great.
The amount of investment that’s been projected into climate tech points to that critical rush to meet the challenges we’re facing right now.
According to a Goldman Sachs report, the total investment opportunity will reach $56 trillion by 2050 on the path to global net zero. Overall, the average annual investments in decarbonization by that date are projected to reach $1.9 trillion, with a peak in 2036.
Last year, climate start-ups in the United States raised nearly $20 billion, topping 2021’s high of $18 billion and nearly tripling 2020’s $7 billion, according to Crunchbase, a data provider. At least 83 climate-focused companies around the world are worth more than $1 billion, according to HolonIQ, a research firm.
On a personal level, we all need to have a discussion about our tech consumption — and the ways tech consumers energy. For some perspective, I noted this point about AI over the weekend:
Data centers and data transmission networks are responsible for nearly 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to rising global temperatures and climate change. To get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, emissions must be cut in half by 2030, according to TechTarget.
I have the utmost faith in great minds being able to tackle these problems. Resigning ourselves to a dire situation’s inevitability is the only way humanity succumbs to global warming.
That’s why I’m energized by next week’s event to hear from leaders like AI Iannuzzi, Vice President, Sustainability, The Estee Lauder Companies, who promises to offer “Advancing Climate Solutions for the Beauty Industry & Beyond.”
Other notable Climate Week NYC speakers include:
Anders Karrberg, Head of Global Sustainability, Volvo Cars
Sarah Chandler, Vice President of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation, Apple
Laura Corb, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Leader of McKinsey Sustainability, North America
Charlie Donovan, Senior Economic Advisor, Impax Asset Management
Ije Okeke, Managing Director of Catalytic Climate Capital, Rocky Mountain Institute
Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer, Google
Megan Sharp, Global Head of Decarbonization Partners, BlackRock
Rachel Muncrief, Acting Executive Director, International Council on Clean Transportation
How can startups, leading marketers, and investors in the sustainability and climate tech sector enhance their marketing? Drop me a note. (And if you’re attending, reach out.)
Greg Kahn
Emerging Tech Exchange
Founder & CEO
