China’s Adaptation Advantage
October 23rd, 2023
Courtesy of The Wire, a look at China’s head-start in mobilizing to adapt and thrive in a rapidly warming world. If it succeeds, the geopolitical consequences will be profound; Illustration by Sam Ward. On an August day last year, Xi Jinping visited Saihanba National Forest Park to inspect the trees and flowers. Spanning nearly 200,000 acres northwest […]
Read more »Crisis Resilient Urban Futures: What’s Next for Asia-Pacific Cities?
October 23rd, 2023
Via The CityFix, commentary on urban resilience in Asia: Cities have always been dynamic hubs of culture, education, economic growth and opportunity, and most importantly, centers of social interaction attracting residents and visitors alike. It is no surprise then, that Asia and the Pacific have become increasingly more urban in recent years as people seek […]
Read more »The Bahamas Is Introducing the World’s First Carbon-Negative Construction Technology
October 22nd, 2023
Via Quartz, a look at a new home debuted by a sustainable materials firm that can remove as much carbon as 5,200 trees: The Bahamas has started pioneering the use of a construction material that naturally absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, a huge leap towards replacing carbon-intensive Portland cement and reducing emissions. A global first, […]
Read more »Could Billions of Oysters Protect Us From The Next Big Storm?
October 22nd, 2023
Via National Geographic, a report on how oysters are being used to protect shorelines from storm surge and high tides and reduce the impacts of erosion from intense rain: Flash flooding in New York City. Sinking coasts in Louisiana. To guard against the effects of climate change, these communities are turning to bivalves. This year […]
Read more »After its Hottest Summer On Record, Phoenix’s Mayor Outlines the City’s Future
October 21st, 2023
Courtesy of Inside Climate News, an interview with Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego how how the city is looking to address extreme heat and drought to build a more sustainable city: The Phoenix summer of 2023 was one for the record books. For 54 days straight—36 more than the previous record—the hottest city in the country […]
Read more »Taking Action: Reducing Buildings’ Carbon Footprint
October 19th, 2023
Via Semafor, a report on an urgent climate problem finally getting some attention: A sector responsible for around a quarter of energy-related carbon emissions could drastically reduce its footprint with solutions that are well-known, inexpensive, and easily deployable. So why doesn’t it? That is the question vexing experts and officials about the so-called built environment […]
Read more »'Black Swans' are highly improbable events that come as a surprise, have major disruptive effects, and that are often rationalized after the fact as if they had been predictable to begin with. In our rapidly warming world, such events are occurring ever more frequently and include wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and drought.
'Green Shoots' is a term used to describe signs of economic recovery or positive data during a downturn. It references a period of growth and recovery, when plants start to show signs of health and life, and, therefore, has been employed as a metaphor for a recovering economy.
It is my hope that Black Swans / Green Shoots will help readers understand both climate-activated risk and opportunity so that you may invest in, advise, or lead organizations in the context of increasing pressures of global urbanization, resource scarcity, and perils relating to climate change. I believe that the tools of business and finance can help individuals, businesses, and global society make informed choices about who and what to protect, and I hope that this blog provides some insight into the policy and private sector tools used to assess investments in resilient reinforcement, response, or recovery.