IMPACT FESTIVAL

💰 🌱 How can we advance impact investing? At #ImpactFestival24, four experts shared their perspectives: Espen Daae | NorNAB - Norwegian National Advisory Board for Impact Investing Angela McClellan | PwC Deutschland Marcus Witzke | Hoffnungsträger Stiftung In a dynamic panel, each leader - representing family offices, consulting, and foundations - revealed their approaches to making sustainable finance a reality. From collaborative funding to tackling regulatory hurdles, they emphasized the power of creativity and cooperation in scaling impact. ▶️ Watch the full panel on #YouTube https://lnkd.in/e4P8-PkH

💼 🌱 Is it just us, or are CEOs raising the bar on sustainability today? According to a recent KPMG survey, 70% of CEOs hold firm to their climate commitments. The catch? They’re shaking up how they communicate those plans, aiming to better resonate with evolving stakeholder expectations. They say, “We’re in it for the long haul, and we want everyone to know exactly how.” But let’s not sugarcoat things. Challenges abound. Decarbonizing sprawling supply chains? Not easy. Finding the right talent to turn plans into action? Equally daunting. And here’s a reality check—only about half of U.S. CEOs feel confident they’ll hit net-zero goals by 2030. Still, there’s an upside. A solid 60% believe their sustainability investments will deliver returns within 3-5 years, tying ESG efforts directly to financial success. That’s a game-changer, suggesting these strategies aren’t just ethical but profitable. So, what’s your perspective? Are these trends making waves in your industry? And how are you rethinking ESG messaging to keep up? Let’s dig in. Source: KPMG “2024 CEO Outlook” https://lnkd.in/gv_dYiVH

🤖 🤯 Is ESG data becoming too complex to manage? At #ImpactFestival24, our expert panel dove into the challenges of ESG reporting. As PwC’s Andreas Feiner said, “The days of spreadsheets are over.” With 1,000+ data points and mounting regulations, companies face tough questions: How do we balance compliance with actionability? Can AI improve transparency and efficiency? Inna Amesheva, PhD | Tareno AG Erik Breen | Dataland Simon Krieger | WM Datenservice ▶️ Watch the whole discussion on #YouTube https://lnkd.in/e5NxHBbQ

Is the European Green Deal solving the climate crisis or shifting the problem? The EU's ambitious push to hit carbon neutrality by 2050 sounds great on paper, but it comes with a significant catch. Meanwhile, slashing emissions at home could trigger a staggering 244% increase in emissions elsewhere. Here's why. Policies like planting three billion trees to boost biodiversity demand enormous amounts of land that can't be used for growing food. Food production shifts to regions like Africa and South America to fill the gap, where emissions will likely skyrocket. Are we cleaning up Europe's backyard only to dump the mess elsewhere? Maybe there's a more innovative way to tackle this: GO PLANT-BASED Transitioning to a "planetary health diet" could slash global emissions and reduce land use tied to livestock farming. RECONSIDER BIOFUELS Cutting out food-based biofuels could unlock land for sustainable agriculture instead of fuel production. BOOST GLOBAL FARMING EFFICIENCY Supporting better agricultural practices in developing regions could ease the pressure on land and limit emissions globally. As public support for sustainability grows, fixing these blind spots is more than a nice-to-have—it's the only path forward. Source: Zhong, H., Li, Y., Ding, J. et al. Global spillover effects of the European Green Deal and plausible mitigation options. Nature Sustainability, 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01428-1 Benedikt Bruckner | Kuishuang Feng | Laixiang Sun | Christina Prell | Yuli Shan | Klaus Hubacek

🌎 What happens when the systems that keep our planet alive start to fail? Six of nine critical planetary boundaries—the safety thresholds that keep Earth stable—have already been breached. From rising ocean acidity to widespread deforestation, the warning lights are flashing. Are we nearing the point of no return, or can we still pull back from the edge? CLIMATE CRISIS CO₂ levels in the atmosphere are now at their highest in 15 million years. The result? Global temperatures have surged beyond safe limits, fueling extreme weather, faster ice melt, and rising seas that endanger entire coastlines. BIODIVERSITY LOSS We’re witnessing an unprecedented collapse in life on Earth. Species are vanishing 100 times faster than the natural rate, shredding ecosystems supporting food supplies, clean air, and disaster resilience. LAND TRANSFORMATION Deforestation, expanding cities, and intensive farming are rewriting the map of our planet. Forest loss is especially damaging, undermining biodiversity while worsening climate change. WATER STRESS Freshwater use is outpacing supply in many regions. Changing rainfall patterns and unsustainable consumption drive droughts and leave key areas vulnerable to scarcity. NUTRIENT OVERLOAD Excessive fertilizer use has overwhelmed ecosystems with nitrogen and phosphorus. These pollutants create dead zones in oceans and trigger harmful algae blooms, crippling aquatic life. CHEMICAL POLLUTION Synthetic chemicals and plastics have infiltrated every corner of the planet. Often untested for long-term harm, these substances contaminate water, disrupt ecosystems, and raise red flags for human health. ACIDIFYING OCEANS Oceans absorb much of the CO₂ we emit, but this comes at a price: rising acidity. Coral reefs, shellfish, and entire marine ecosystems are threatened, putting global fisheries at risk. This crisis isn’t just about the planet—it’s about humanity. When nature’s systems falter, our food, water, and survival hang in the balance. But there’s still a choice. What if we redefined progress—not by how much we consume but by how well we care for our shared home? Imagine success measured in healthier ecosystems and stronger communities. Shifting from reckless consumption to sustainable stewardship can still secure a livable future. The question is: will we rise to the challenge? Source: Planetary Boundaries Science “Planetary Health Check - A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet” https://lnkd.in/e2xbtxTT PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research | Levke Caesar | Boris Sakschewski | Lauren Seaby Andersen | Tim Beringer | Donovan Dennis | Niklas Kitzmann | Sina Loriani | Maria Anne Martin | Sabine Mathesius | Anja Paolucci | Sofie te Wierik | Johan Rockström

💰 🌱 Wie treiben Investoren den Wandel zu mehr Nachhaltigkeit voran? Im Interview bei #ImpactFestival24 teilte Christin ter Braak-Forstinger, Dr., LL.M. von Chi Impact Capital wertvolle Einblicke: Nachhaltigkeit ins Kerngeschäft bringen: Unternehmen müssen Nachhaltigkeit direkt in ihre Strategie einbauen und nicht nur als Extra behandeln. Nah dranbleiben für echten Wandel: Investoren sollten engen Kontakt mit ihren Unternehmen halten, um wirklich etwas zu bewirken. Klare Motivation: Christines Antrieb ist die Verantwortung gegenüber künftigen Generationen – sie möchte eine nachhaltige Wirtschaft mitgestalten, die Mensch und Natur schützt. ▶️ Das ganze Interview auf #YouTube https://lnkd.in/eavHPdAz

Imagine trying to triple something massive - like turning one Eiffel Tower into three - in just seven years. Now, multiply that challenge by the stakes of saving the planet. That's the scale of what the International Energy Agency (IEA) has laid out for us to hit the COP28 climate goals. 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE IEA'S REPORT 1. Renewables: We Need to Triple Down We'll need to add 1,000 GW of renewable energy annually through 2030 to meet the goal. That's nearly double the record-breaking 560 GW added in 2023—time to hit the gas—or, better yet, the wind and sun. 2. Grids Need a Glow-Up Renewables are great, but they're useless without modernized grids. We must build or upgrade 25 million kilometres of power lines by 2030. Picture circling the Earth 625 times—yeah, that many kilometres. 3. Emissions Cuts: Go Big or Go Home If the COP28 goals are fully realized, global energy emissions could drop by over 60% by 2035. But half-measures? They'll leave us far short of the 1.5°C warming target. 4. EVs: The Road to Change Electric vehicles aren't just a trend—they're a game-changer. By 2030, EVs could displace 10 million barrels of oil per day. That's a colossal step forward for transportation emissions. 5. Energy Storage: Batteries Are the Backbone Investments in energy storage need to soar. Battery capacity must hit 1,500 GW by 2030 to ensure grids can handle the ebb and flow of renewable energy. Without this, grid flexibility could bottleneck progress. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? Here's the bottom line: building the future we need takes more than feel-good speeches and optimistic reports. Old infrastructure has to go. Coal? Time to phase it out. Renewable investments? Crank them up. Source: International Energy Agency "From Taking Stock to Taking Action - How to implement the COP28 energy goals" https://lnkd.in/eaus8SX6

🌾 🌡️ How can carbon farming reshape agriculture and tackle climate change? At #ImpactFestival24, experts discussed the future of sustainable agriculture. Thales R. Condé Pires | Bayer Christian Decher | OCELL Christian Holzleitner | European Commission Can carbon farming help tackle climate change? This panel suggests it can—by reducing carbon and boosting soil health, but it needs smarter financing, strong incentives, and hands-on support for growers to succeed. ▶️ Watch the full panel on #YouTube https://lnkd.in/eafaxMxa

🔥 #Green #capitalism can’t save us. Renewables and carbon markets promise progress but overlook the real issue: endless economic growth. Instead, we must champion #degrowth - a bold shift toward equity, sustainability, and actual well-being over profit. Ready to rethink the future? 👉 The newsletter has more.

💣 🌱 Warum wirkt Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation oft wie ein Minenfeld zwischen Greenwashing-Vorwürfen und echten Maßnahmen? Genau darum ging es in der Paneldiskussion beim #ImpactFestival24 # Christoph Helfrich | LGX Logistics GmbH & Co. KG # Nuvia Maslo | VERSO GmbH # Rafael Rybandt | Brandlead® # Marvin Stöcker | PwC Deutschland Warum fällt es Unternehmen oft so schwer, Nachhaltigkeit glaubwürdig zu kommunizieren? Die Antwort liegt oft in einem Mangel an Transparenz und fundierten Daten. Doch genau hier liegt der Schlüssel: Mit echten, überprüfbaren Daten, klaren Zielen und einer offenen Kommunikation können Firmen Greenwashing vermeiden und Vertrauen aufbauen. ▶️ Die ganze Diskussion auf #YouTube https://lnkd.in/eaGaVp7h