Caitlin Bristol

In the middle of a heatwave, I am representing Rabin Martin at the London Climate Action Week's Climate Action | Innovation Forum 2024. How ironic… Today, we are discussing the importance of private sector investment in addressing climate change and the need for policy accountability, support, and stability. There needs to be a urgent focus on sustainable energy solutions to overcome barriers like low ROI in renewables and reliance on harmful emissions. Investment in infrastructure crucial for successful transition. Key action items: 1. 70% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, we must address the role of cities and climate action, including building sustainable and appropriate infrastructure to meet demand. 2. Data is the key to unlocking issues and directing investment – around data use to identify issues, challenges, IPO moratoriums, and infrastructure barriers. 3. Scaling of innovative solutions that can improve energy access and standards, particularly addressing health equity issues such as gender. 4. Sector-specific implementation pathways to support countries' climate commitments. 5. Address barriers to private investment like risk perception, cost of capital, and lack of local presence for investors in Africa. 6. Health systems need financing to adapt to the impact of climate change, and education is needed for healthcare companies to support meaningful ESG commitments. We must continue to share experiences on overcoming challenges to accelerate climate action, but discussion must be complemented with commitment from all stakeholders including private sector and governments. #climateactionweek #climatechange #healthequity

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Useful article from Innovation Zero Love this bit 💚💚 Shifting Incentives: Under our current system, companies who choose to purchase carbon credits do so at the risk of being accused of greenwashing and acting irresponsibly in their approach to addressing climate change, whereas those who do nothing face no criticism. This reputational risk creates a clear lack of incentives for responsible investment in carbon credits. How do we create a system that stimulates demand for forest-based carbon credits by recognising and rewarding companies who responsibly utilise VCMs as part of their net zero strategy and hold accountable those who fail to take action?

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"we need to put people at the heart of climate action" - CAST research confirms what many of us in the field know - transformative systems change can not happen without working on models of co-design and participatory decision-making. Ownership and agency is key for people to not just see themselves in the climate story - but to see their own power to have impact. #climate #communications #climateAction

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Becoming ClimateWise - Benefit #1 for Associations: Cost savings! Embracing climate action brings more than environmental impact—it delivers cost savings and market opportunities. Benefit 1 in our series highlights how associations can help members transition to efficient, low-carbon practices, reducing expenses while unlocking new markets. Additionally, reviewing operations for Scope 1 emissions—like energy use, travel, and paper—further cuts costs for both associations and their members. https://lnkd.in/gsCCTbhk Stay tuned for more benefits in our ClimateWise Associations series, right here on LinkedIn! #ClimateWise #Sustainability #Associations #Leadership #ClimateAction #BusinessCase #ImpactfulChange

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Check out these #socialimpactjobs #communicationsjobs.

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The voluntary carbon market... Yes, it can be controversial. Yes, it is complex. There are some good carbon projects out there: ones truly making a difference to emissions reductions and properly sharing benefits with communities. There are also many that aren’t great - additionality, overclaiming, greenwashing and poor governance have all eroded trust in the voluntary carbon market as a vehicle for good. But what if trust and integrity could be improved through citizen-led accountability? Could a more local solution be the answer? Can carbon projects become better by raising the voice from communities themselves and how can we support this shift of power? Imagine the possibilities if we could trust high integrity carbon markets to work better for both the Planet AND the People.... I've written up some of my musings on the topic and I'd love to hear your thoughts https://lnkd.in/e5eqkX9b #voluntarycarbonmarkets #ICVCM #CCPs #carboncredits #integrityaction #citizencentredaccountability

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I've been reading Hannah Ritchie's Not the End of the World, and while I cannot get myself to quite share her optimism, I highly recommend the book. For our continuing transition to a more sustainable (human life on this) planet, a few intermittent conclusions: - We won’t successfully restrict our way to sustainability: it’s implausible that we could convince a large enough majority to take massive hits to their quality of life.  - Which means: we need to maintain the overall quality of life at a certain level and manage to change the underlying systems for broad enough support.  - What it doesn’t mean: that everyone can continue as is. It must be ok to make changes, including some hard ones. The overall/median quality of life must be good enough for enough people, smaller groups might have to change some things, and the overall majority support must be strong enough to force this.  - Which means: transportation in cities, as an example, must change completely. We must get to a fraction of cars. Not just to make space for bike or bus lanes but also to open up sealed surface areas for climate resilience. Generally, to widen the options space by making more public space available again.  - It also means: Vulnerable groups need extra support (for example, commuters and SUVs don’t need to be able to drive into the city, but people with mobility issues will need to be able to access their homes and run their errands, which might require driving in the city, etc.). One important note that I feel is important to add: In her book, Ritchie often points out that it's not necessarily too late, that reasonably good outcomes are still possible — IF WE TAKE QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION. Currently, the political system is under enormous pressure through populism and an extreme right, which erodes political options. We are in a moment of intense time pressure while the systems are... creaky? Often blocked? Without pushing back right wing populists, the necessary change simply isn't possible. So that's an additional challenge on top of everything else. Anyway, I recommend the book. I certainly learned a lot (and found out I had internalized some misconceptions, which is always good to learn).

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This is a great resource for all my former colleagues (from fintech and beyond) who may have noticed I'm working on building trust in carbon markets, but aren't totally sure what that means. If you want to know more about what carbon removal is, how it works, and why it's essential to combating climate change, check out this great explainer from Kenza Bryan at Financial Times.

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🙊 Monkeys are better at adapting to change than humans...which means that climate action will only be led through exceptional leadership. I'm a fan of the 4P model for change management - Purpose, Picture, Plan, Part. I've previously reviewed how we can motivate climate action through a compelling Purpose and inspiring Picture. Now we need a good ✅ PLAN. Given the scale of climate change, global ambitions and agreements are important. BUT it's also important to activate action at a hyperlocal, community level. 🤔 Why? Because that's where the vast majority of humans can take steps and gain immediate benefit. As long as the solution feels like someone else's, we'll all stay on the sidelines. Here are examples of climate leaders with a PLAN: 〰️ The Lycée Concordia empower student and parent groups to build plans for their communities. 〰️ Parents for Climate gives you clear plans and actions locally when you join (https://lnkd.in/g5nTjFDq). 〰️ Earth Hero gives your family bite-sized goals to achieve to improve your footprint. 〰️ WorkforClimate gives you a plan to activate action within your company. 〰️ Terra.do helps you build a personal plan for impacting climate. (Curious about those monkeys? A 2019 study found that our pri-mates outperformed humans on cognitive flexibility - see link in comments).

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Some really important new research from UNEP-WCMC, showing just how valuable investing in nature can be - for the UK, it's suggested that for every £1 invested in closing the natural capital gap, £34 will be returned in benefits. This benefit-cost ratio is well above the average for the 40 countries considered.     The total potential net benefit for the United Kingdom is about £1 trillion over the period 2021 to 2030.    The potential benefits are huge, not least as these figures are likely to be underestimates. They show how much of an opportunity there is for investing in nature and the scale of rewards to us all, as we tangibly see nature's recovery over time and for generations to come. This report follows recent research from Green Finance Institute that shared nature loss could lead to an estimated 6-12% loss of GDP in the coming years, greater than that in the global financial and Covid-19 crises.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eGRReRPy  #Economy #NatureBasedSolutions #Investment

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Who knew environmental sustainability and digital health ROI were linked? It's a question I was recently asked and Featured in an article entitled "How Do Economists Incorporate Environment Sustainability into Economic Analyses". More specifically, I believe it's crucial to integrate environmental sustainability into economic analyses for long-term viability and ethical responsibility. Here's how I approach it: 1) Life-Cycle Assessments (LCA): Evaluate the full environmental impact of technologies. 2) Environmental Cost Accounting (ECA): Quantify environmental costs associated with healthcare activities. 3) Sustainability Metrics: Track key environmental performance indicators. Example: Telehealth and Remote Monitoring Telehealth and remote monitoring solutions offer significant potential for reducing healthcare's environmental footprint by: 1) Reducing transportation emissions 2) Decreasing energy consumption 3) Minimizing waste generation By incorporating these factors into economic analyses, we can demonstrate the long-term cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits of innovative healthIT solutions. Thanks for reading, and of course, I always appreciate your thoughts and insights in the comments #healthIT #innovation #sustainability #LCA #ECA #telehealth #remotemonitoring #environment https://lnkd.in/gcReHMXD

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🚨Earth Impact Alert🚨 In the crowd of New York...I'd love to lift up a most important innovation that was announced this week. The Planetary Health Check is a critical new tool from leading earth system scientists Johan Rockstrom/PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Katherine Richardson of University Of Copenhagen, Will Steffen/Australian National. Its goal is to translate science into action in order to better guide global development. In their words... "The Planetary Health Check has been created to provide a regular, comprehensive, scientific assessment of the state of the Earth system based on the Planetary Boundaries Science, to better monitor changes, gauge risks, identify urgent actions, develop solutions, and assess our progress in maintaining a safe operating space for humanity. Our goal is that the PHC becomes a regularly visited resource for policymakers, business leaders, media and the general public to understand the status and latest science on the health of our planet. The Planetary Health Check is the most comprehensive, science-based global initiative dedicated to measuring and maintaining the Earth system."

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✨ Great to see so many credible organizations coming together to make sure carbon finance delivers for Indigenous Peoples. 🍃 Last week Terraspect launched a comprehensive toolkit called "From Co-Benefits to Core-Benefits: How to Ensure Carbon Finance is Fairly and Transparently Delivered" 🍃 It provides guidance on the design and implementation of community compensation plans that are equitable, transparent, and accountable. 🍃 Read the guide here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eh_fWNGU 🔡 Wording is important, let's move towards CORE-benefits! 🔡 On the same note, there are a number of good reasons for NOT bundling IPs and LCs (legal, cultural, agency, etc) This pairs nicely to two things Climate Collective is working on: 1. Our Green Accountability Accelerator, where two teams (Integrity Action - Brittany Stevens Arran Leonard Paul Maassen - and Savimbo - Drea Burbank Roberto Duif) are building #opensource #tech to make climate and nature finance more accessible for local communities and Indigenous Peoples alike. Team descriptions 👉🏻 https://t.ly/DxCnF 2. Our paper on reimagining engagement and business models for Indigenous Peoples across environmental markets 👉🏻 https://shorturl.at/QBCTY Daniel Ortega Pacheco Dr. Emmanuel Nuesiri Tripurari Prasad Raj Pattni Jen Stebbing The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), IUCN Climate Asset Management, Peoples Forests Partnership, Conservation Finance Alliance, One Acre Fund, Ponterra, ERS - Ecosystem Restoration Standard, Renoster, Tree Aid We're looking at how to support more of this work at Climate Collective - who can we learn from? Who's pioneering interesting tech or data in this space? Who's funding or implementing this type of work? #Indigenouspeoples #carbonfinance #nature #naturebasedsolutions

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"By acting boldly and collaboratively, philanthropy can bridge divides and help build a sustainable and equitable future for all" - Helen M., President and CEO, ClimateWorks Foundation The climate crisis demands urgent action—and philanthropy is stepping up. The ClimateWorks Foundation 2024 Funding Trends report reveals that philanthropic giving for climate mitigation grew by 20% in 2023, yet it still accounts for less than 2% of total global philanthropy. Here’s what you need to know: 1. Foundation funding for climate tripled from $1.7B in 2019 to $4.8B in 2023. Key sectors: Clean electricity, forests, and food/agriculture remain top-funded. Emerging strategies like sustainable finance and methane reduction are accelerating. 2. Gaps Persist: Low-to-middle-income countries received only 14% in core funding, compared to ~33% for U.S. and Europe. 60% of regional funding is concentrated in the U.S. and Europe, leaving Africa, Asia, and Latin America underfunded. 3. Opportunities for Impact: 1️⃣ Collaborate Boldly: Join forces with other funders to multiply impact—case studies like the Global Methane Hub show how. 2️⃣ Invest in Capacity: Focus on core, multi-year funding to empower grantees, especially in vulnerable regions. 3️⃣ Think Holistic: Support solutions that integrate climate with health, equity, and economic resilience. Philanthropy can catalyse transformative change, but we must scale ambition and act with urgency. Full report available here: https://lnkd.in/g4TPaZAd #ClimateAction #Philanthropy #Sustainability

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THIS WEDNESDAY: 🗓 Join us for a discussion on our Climate Career Standards White Paper and the skills it takes to succeed in a climate career. You’ll hear from Meghan Daniels, the White Paper Principal Consultant, Neil Farrell of Farrell Associates | Certified B Corp™, a leading ESG and sustainability recruiter, and Diego Espinosa, one of the most experienced climate career coaches in the space. Together, they will spotlight the results of our interviews with 35 hiring managers, recruiters, and climate professionals and explain what it means for you. ❓ The discussion will be followed by a Q&A session, so get your questions ready! Whether you are recruiting or hiring in the climate field and want to improve how you screen for candidates or seeking to pivot into a new climate career and want to know what skills to highlight, this discussion will help you identify the day-one skills that sustainability and decarbonization professionals need to succeed. Don’t miss this unparalleled, free coaching session that can help guide your job search and recruitment strategy toward success. Find the registration link below. ⬇ #FreeOnlineEvent #ClimateCareers

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Interesting story via BBC News ….. “AI drives 48% increase in Google emissions” Have a read etc. But did get me wondering. Besides the need to actually address the climate challenge of course, for public sector organisations procuring stuff that uses AI (or indeed cloud hosting services) how does an increase in emissions like this meet the social value criteria for fighting climate change that forms part of the scoring? How do the data centre providers get this under control? How do the AI software providers? An interesting challenge….. #DigitalHealth #NHS #PublicSector #AI #ClimateChange #Procurement https://lnkd.in/eUHfQEKq

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In the cover feature from the EOS at Federated Hermes Q1 Public Engagement Report, engagers Michael Benedict Yamoah and Shoa Hirosato weigh up the pros and cons of carbon capture, utilisation and storage, which hard-to-abate sectors are likely to rely on to get to net-zero emissions. #climatechange #stewardship #ESG https://bit.ly/4aVTliA

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