Cool Climate Collective reposted this
We’ve reached the point where reality is outpacing fiction… again. In the past few weeks alone, the abrupt dismantling of USAID programs has sparked geopolitical whiplash, the CIA 'accidentally' doxxed itself as it complied with an exec order (which, if you’ve seen Mission: Impossible, the list of CIA agents was literally the 1996 movie's plot), and now NOAA, the backbone of climate and weather modeling data, is being restructured in ways that could compromise access to critical data. Climate and weather data aren’t just for scientists. They guide insurance pricing, infrastructure planning, and financial markets. If that data becomes unreliable, restricted, or disappears, the ripple effects will be massive—insurers pulling out of high-risk areas, mortgages becoming harder to secure, property markets reshuffling based on uncertainty rather than foresight, and municipalities scrambling to cover budget gaps. To be clear, this isn’t a political argument, it’s a crack in the systemic foundation of modern markets, including the U.S. property market. When data goes dark, risk increases, and markets react accordingly. In an era where climate-driven economic shifts are accelerating, pulling the plug on NOAA’s data would be like shutting off the headlights while driving at full speed. I share more in my latest write-up, and thanks to Gopal Erinjippurath, Cool Climate Collective LP and co-founder of Sust Global, for his insights into how climate data is shaping financial and risk models. His background in geospatial analytics and climate risk has given him a front-row seat to how industries, from real estate to insurance, are integrating climate intelligence into decision-making. As foundational datasets like NOAA’s face uncertainty, it raises bigger questions about how businesses and markets will adapt. In venture, there’s a saying: the best investments are both contrarian and right. Some might look at the current headwinds and say climate is falling out of vogue. But if the signals are clear, the opportunity isn’t contrarian… it’s inevitable. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭. And as these structural shifts accelerate, the price will be paid: by insurers, by lenders, by property owners, by governments. The question is, who is positioned to absorb the shock and who is prepared to channel it into transformation? Private markets will correct for the gaps left behind, because they always do. The only real uncertainty is who will step in to shape that future, and whether they see the gains not just as profit, but as a lever to reduce the broader cost to society. I’ve put together a deeper dive into what this means for climate models, insurance markets, and financial stability. 👇 Read the full write-up below (linked in the first comment).