Esteban Ortiz’s Post

Gov. Walz signed into law a target for Minnesota to get 100% of power from zero-carbon sources, incl. nuclear, by 2040, & coal has fallen behind renewables & #nuclear as state’s top sources of power for first time during his tenure. #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #energytransition #CleanEnergy #GreenEnergy #uranium #energy https://lnkd.in/eytd4Y9i

Check out the latest research highlight by the Initiative in Sustainable Finance, featuring a deep dive into US climate lobbying. Based on a recent study from the University of Zurich - Department of Finance, the researchers found that companies with higher emissions spend more on lobbying, often to oppose stricter climate regulations. Read the article in full here: https://lnkd.in/eX_5Sveh #ResearchHighlight #Climate #ClimateLobbying #SustainableFinance 

Initiative in Sustainable Finance 👉🏻 Research Highlight   In order to prevent stricter climate regulation, firms with higher carbon emissions spend more on climate lobbying. But what exactly is climate lobbying and who are the main actors in this landscape?    This study by Prof. Markus Leippold, Prof. Zacharias Sautner and Dr. Tingyu Yu at the University of Zurich - Department of Finance takes a deep dive into corporate climate lobbying in the United States and its consequences.    Among others, our researchers found that the biggest climate lobbyists operate in the utility sector. While gas and coal electricity generators typically engage in anti-climate lobbying, nuclear energy generators focus more on pro-climate efforts. Interestingly, renewable energy producers don't spend more on pro-climate lobbying than other energy producers.   For more insights, read our latest research highlight here: https://lnkd.in/eX_5Sveh #WeAreDF #ResearchExcellence #FinancialResearch #Innovation #ClimateLobbying #SustainableFinance   Photo: Sean Pollock by Unsplash

Big moves in US climate action this week: 1️⃣ The Biden administration just launched a massive $850 million program to tackle methane emissions. 2️⃣ Congress passed a bipartisan nuclear energy bill with overwhelming support. These steps could be game-changers for climate change mitigation in the US. But with the presidential election looming, what's next for climate policy? Dive into the details and potential impacts in our latest blog post, written by Abigail Bassett ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dVubVaFA #climateaction #uspolicy #methane #nuclearenergy

It isn't a popular position, particularly within academia. But climate change isn't the only global issue America is facing, and proposing a U.S. industrial transition at this scale and of this magnitude shouldn't be relegated to a popularity contest. Transitioning the world's largest industrial economy and greatest military power away from the energy resources on which it was built and currently stands, without prioritizing nuclear power and with renewables at the tip-of-the-policy-spear, has national security implications that haven't been thoughtfully considered. Particularly given the current geostrategic challenges stretching across Europe, the Middle East and into China--challenges that likely will remain throughout the 21st century. The U.S. cannot unilaterally battle global climate change by transitioning away from fossil fuels. But it can unilaterally put itself in a position of industrial base weakness by trying to do so. And America's challengers are looking for such weaknesses to exploit. Henry Stimson's charge to post-WWII America in 1947, holds for today--America must act in the world as it is, not as we wish it were. ("The Challenge to Americans; Foreign Affairs, 1947). https://lnkd.in/ecBTtHtH

The burning of fossil fuels is responsible for almost 80% of carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution. My thinking ... Let's give Deep Geothermal Funding to use the earth for utility scale cogeneration and storage. N. B. It's a safer alternative to nuclear power in times of global conflict. #renewableenergy #climatewarming #Eavorloop https://lnkd.in/e8cwz5mz

Here are a few data points that accent the significance of Gov. Shapiro's clean energy and decarbonization plan as well as illustrate the challenges (and opportunities) for campaigns to engage policymakers and build coalitions to bend existing or shape new policy. 1.) PA is ranked 2nd as a net energy-supplying state, trailing only Texas; 2.) PA is ranked 2nd in natural gas production, again trailing only Texas; 3.) PA is ranked 3rd in coal production; 4.) PA is ranked 2nd in nuclear power generation; and 5.) PA is the only state in the nation with a full-time, divided legislature. https://lnkd.in/e_iJQMH6

Solving Energy and Environmental issues in one stroke. https://t.co/nbYeiyptkD

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 | 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Climate change, depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution... Consciously and unconsciously, we burden future generations with problems because we created a mess. But how can you consciously take this into account if this group has no rights? Fons Coomans drew up a guideline together with a group of scientists and experts in the field of human rights. Since it was presented in February 2023, more than 75 human rights organisations, experts and scientists in and outside Europe have endorsed it. “We, the current generations, do not have a good solution for the storage of nuclear waste. Yet the Dutch government wants to build two new nuclear power stations. We put the waste in concrete containers, far underground. We don't worry about it anymore. But what if earthquakes occur hundreds of years from now, causing those containers with nuclear waste to leak? Future generations are saddled and confronted with danger over which they had no say.” Read the full story of Fons Coomans 👉 https://bit.ly/3zw0mbW #MaastrichtUniversity #FacultyofLaw #Humanrights #Futuregenerations

There has been tremendous progress on climate and clean energy projects across the U.S., and CATF is tracking where these projects are and how they are moving us to deep decarbonization – for communities, states, and the country.  Our interactive map tracks projects focused on decarbonizing industry, transportation, power, and land, and represents key federal investments in clean energy technologies including advanced nuclear, carbon management, and hydrogen, and development of transmission infrastructure. The map also includes key grants for states to plan for and implement deep emissions reductions. https://lnkd.in/egwH4PXn