The 2024 New York Climate Week felt different, not because of the topics discussed, but because the time for debates about the context of the Climate Emergency is over. It’s a given—we no longer need reminders of the urgency. The dire predictions scientists had forecasted for decades from now are already upon us—floods, wildfires, and rising temperatures are today’s reality. The message was clear: everyone understands the context, and it’s time for bold, collective action.
The question is no longer if or when we should act. It’s about how. Collaboration is key, both at the individual and institutional levels. Yes, our personal carbon footprints matter, but so does the collective pressure on corporations, governments, and institutions to accelerate climate action. A great example: carbon markets. They have the potential to drive change, but regulation and global coordination are painfully overdue. Getting the incentives right is crucial, and this echoed throughout the week.
Some takeaways:
> Carbon markets are growing, but their credibility still faces challenges. The Symbiosis Coalition, powered by Salesforce, Microsoft and others, is working to establish a new generation of carbon removal standards with a focus on technologies and data-backed transparency.
Meanwhile, Wildlife Works’ Mike Korchinsky stressed the importance of balancing remote monitoring with ground data. We need thousands of projects, and even as we lose millions of hectares of forests, new developments are still in their infancy. The market needs clear regulations to ensure projects deliver meaningful impact.
> Technology and AI were central topics and at Positive Ventures, most of our companies are leveraging ML and AI to bring innovation that will be key in years to come tackling the climate-related challenges we’ll face.
We hosted several of our US-based startups across various events and Happy Hours. Companies like Pathways, Fram Energy, Funga, Windfall Bio, Ten Lives and Pachama are leading the way with innovative solutions. We were joined by co-investors such as Breakthrough Energy , Emerald Technology Ventures , Sunna Ventures, Savvia, Salkantay Ventures, Reciprocal, and Silence, all committed to driving climate action through innovation.
There was consensus that the climate crisis is evolving. For instance, while most of those solutions leverage AI and ML, data centers alone are projected to consume up to 10% of global electricity in the next decade. The need for continuous innovation to tackle these shifting problems is clear.
The Path Forward
The takeaway? We’ve crossed the threshold of awareness into an era where action must be bold, swift, and collective. Individual efforts matter, but the change we need will come from our ability to collaborate—across sectors, industries, and borders.
#ClimateAction #CarbonMarkets #VentureCapital #AIforClimate #CollaborationForThePlanet #CarbonStandards #RegenerativeEconomy #NYCW2024
