Wren

Your monthly dose of Wren-curated #GoodClimateNews is here! It's been a tough month for the environment, but don't let it distract from progress. Let's take a minute to focus on some good climate news from all over the world 🌍 These real-world examples of climate action can inspire your own environmental efforts. We have sources and bookmarks in the comments below! 🌳 Cattle ranching is a leading cause of deforestation in Colombia, but more farmers are adopting agroforestry practices such as rotational grazing and silvopastoral systems. 🔋 Scientists from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and University of Bristol have developed the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery, offering a safe and sustainable source of continuous low-power energy. 🐟 A genetically-modified fish producer ceased their operations following years of protests from environmental activists and Indigenous communities over ecological risks. 🚗 Beginning in 2027, the European Commission will introduce a landmark annual cap of over 1 billion tonnes of CO₂e—decreasing yearly with a goal of a 42% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. 🐄 Grazing cattle produce more methane than feedlot and dairy cows. Dietary seaweed pellets have been found to reduce their methane emissions by about 40%, without affecting weight or health. 🪶 After over 100 years, endangered Polynesian storm petrels have returned to Kamaka Island in French Polynesia thanks to conservationists and the local Mangareva community. 🚨 Scotland proposed an “Ecocide Prevention Bill” that could jail the bosses of businesses responsible for mass ecosystem damage, such as oil spills, deforestation, pollution, and mining. 🇿🇦 Young campaigners won a landmark climate case against government plans for 1,500MW of new coal-fired power in South Africa, emphasizing citizens’ constitutional right to a healthy environment. 🪨 A coal plant in Texas, United States begins its conversion to a solar and battery storage facility, expected to eliminate 1.8M tonnes of annual CO₂e emissions while conserving water and restoring land.

Wren is a 100% remote company, and the projects we fund are often hundreds, or thousands of miles away. The solution? A few times a year, we bring the whole company together to visit a project in-person. Most recently: we held a company retreat in Arkansas and visited our project partner Graphyte to watch agricultural waste transform into permanently stored carbon. Graphyte collects waste biomass from rice mills and sawmills in Arkansas, condenses the material into brick forms, wraps the blocks in an impermeable barrier, and buries them underground in engineered chambers. After the chambers are filled and sealed, they are monitored for unexpected greenhouse gas release, with data sent to Isometric for monitoring, reporting, and verification. Check out the YouTube video we made about our experience here: https://lnkd.in/dg_7gaBv

As 2024 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible progress we’ve made at Wren to support carbon dioxide removal (CDR) innovation. This year, we hit some major milestones: 🙌  Launching the Wren Climate Collective — creating a platform for donors to support cutting-edge CDR initiatives.  💸 Raising $100k for Mati Carbon’s expansion — helping scale its critical carbon removal technology. ⚡  Kicking off our ‘Slingshot’ campaign — aiming to raise $100k to support three promising CDR startups: Lillianah Technologies, HyveGeo, and SamudraOceans. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gBrEBAGx 📖 Publishing our Giving Thesis — open-sourcing our selection criteria to increase transparency and collaboration. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ghK52na4 🔮 Looking ahead to 2025, I’m excited to expand our community of climate donors and accelerate CDR innovation even further. Curious about our approach? Check out our recent webinar on climate philanthropy: https://lnkd.in/g9pCb-CQ Let’s keep pushing for climate solutions together!

The Wren team visited the Graphyte plant in Arkansas to watch Carbon Casting in action and they captured this amazing video! Watch: https://lnkd.in/eX_r6xBA Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eY2jdjhc #CDR #carbonremoval #carboncasting

How can agricultural waste be transformed to permanently store carbon? Recently, the Wren team took a trip to Arkansas, United States, and found out for ourselves. Check out our latest YouTube video for the trip report. https://lnkd.in/es3Uf8bF Our project partner Graphyte collects waste biomass from nearby agribusinesses such as rice mills and sawmills, condenses the material into brick forms, wraps the blocks in an impermeable barrier, and buries them underground in engineered chambers. After the chambers are filled and sealed, they are monitored for unexpected greenhouse gas release, with data sent to Isometric for monitoring, reporting, and verification. Carbon removal is a critical lever in the fight against the climate crisis, and we're proud to support many partners paving the way in this space—including Graphyte 🌾 #CarbonRemoval #Sustainability #Biomass

Your monthly dose of Wren-curated Good Climate News is here! Check the comments for the full articles and sources :) 🐝 A rewilding project in Scotland boosted bumblebee numbers 116× in two years, doubling species diversity. Native plants replaced barley crops, proving wildlife thrives with space and opportunity. 🚘 The United States Environmental Protection Agency reported that model year 2023 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles cut CO₂ emissions by 11% compared to previous models. Last year’s American greenhouse gas emissions also hit a record low. 🌳 Paris, France recently published their 2024-2030 Climate Plan, which includes establishing 300 hectares of new green spaces (equivalent to the area of 420 soccer fields) by the end of the decade. Much of this is in effort to avoid the urban heat island effect. 🫶 The United States Green and Resilient Retrofit Program benefits over 30,000 low-income renters by cutting energy costs, reducing carbon emissions, and making buildings safer during extreme weather events. 💧 Las Vegas’ major investments in renewable energy and water conservation are starting to pay off, with some resorts achieving 100% renewable energy and adopting aggressive water-saving measures. 📉 The European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 8% in 2023 from the previous year, reaching 37% below 1990 levels, driven by decreased coal use and increased renewables. ⛏️ The United Kingdom plans to ban new coal mines, aiming to become a world leader in clean energy and combat climate change. This follows the October closure of its last coal-fired power station. 🔬 Researchers at the University of Missouri developed a new solvent mixture capable of extracting more than 98% of nanoplastics from both fresh and salt water in laboratory conditions. 🌍 The resolution of the Article 6 impasse at COP29 lays the groundwork for a robust global carbon market, ensuring “a new wave of investment in the developing world.”

Last chance to register for Wren's final webinar of the year: https://lnkd.in/g9bZAufW Join speakers Sophie Westover, Sara Lomelin, Michael Monteiro, and Stephen Forte as they discuss how to make the most of year-end giving opportunities, for the good of our planet. There are less than 30 days remaining in 2024, but still so much potential to accelerate our collective climate impact. We hope you'll join us in the session.

The University of Oxford estimates that we need 7-9 GT of carbon removal per year by 2050 to meet Paris Agreement temperature targets, but we’re barely scratching the surface. This #GivingTuesday, consider supporting Wren’s latest carbon removal fundraiser. Your donation will help develop new cost-effective ways to remove carbon from our atmosphere. If you believe in a world where nature thrives and communities flourish, we encourage you to take action today. Every dollar you give has the power to make a difference. Visit the link in the comments to fund incredible climate work.

We’re excited to announce that our CEO, Sara Lomelin, will be joining Wren for an inspiring online webinar. In this virtual fireside chat, Sara will team up with Wren donors Michael Monteiro and Stephen Forte, alongside Wren's Sophie Westover, to share actionable strategies for: 💸 Maximizing your year-end giving opportunities 🫶 Amplifying your impact through collective giving 🌱 Advancing critical climate initiatives Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make your giving go further while supporting planet-saving solutions. Stay tuned for more details, and let’s close out 2024 with meaningful action! Register Here:  https://lnkd.in/esKx_q98

Excited to share that I’ll be moderating Wren’s final webinar of the year on December 5th! 🌍✨ 🔗 RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/g6uWS3YN This virtual fireside chat will explore how to optimize your year-end giving while making a real impact by supporting critical carbon dioxide removal innovation. I'll be chatting with Sara Lomelin, Michael Monteiro, and Stephen Forte about: 💸 How to maximize employer matching and tax benefits 🫶 Why collective giving can amplify your impact 🌱 The importance of closing the funding gap for critical climate projects Let’s wrap up 2024 with actionable ways to support our planet. 🌍 Even if you can’t attend live, register to receive the recording on-demand.