Dan Hammer

I've been hearing a lot recently that policy makers, especially at the local level, still lack the tools to identify and reduce climate vulnerabilities. While we've made progress investing in GHG mitigation, we're still behind on #adaptation, particularly how to align goals for economic development with #climate resilience and other social objectives like racial justice. Is it time for a new generation of indicators and datasets? In this report I introduce a new metric: The Climate Vulnerability Gap, which combines climate risk data from the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University with census data. This new metric describes the difference in climate vulnerability between the state, region, or city average, and Black and Latino-majority census tracks to illustrate how race and place-based inequities amplify climate vulnerabilities and worsen disparities. Tools like these that express climate change not only as a GHG problem, but also a racial justice problem, could be core to helping local decision makers invest resources into adaptation and resilience in ways that also improve racial equity. Read it now at The Brookings Institution by following the link below. Andre M. Perry Xavier de Souza Briggs Tonantzin Carmona Brooks Nelson Brookings Metro PolicyLink Abbie Langston https://lnkd.in/eJ3sUcGn

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Discussions have been different this year at NYC climate week and UNGA. I have given speeches on NOAA science and state of the climate, but there have been 2 new discussions of note: 🕊️ Climate security: climate change has physical, biological, and chemical signatures. Those affect water, food, the built environment. Which has implications for transportation, energy, conflict, commerce. Read more on the U.S. framework for climate resilience and security: https://lnkd.in/epTkABqh 🐠 Nature: People are realizing how nature is affected by climate change and human activities. And are desperate for data to figure out what to do. NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is leading on various efforts in the nature space with several partners (e.g. Smithsonian Institution) to advance science, lower the cost of tech, monitoring, standards. 🪸 National Ocean Biodiversity strategy: https://lnkd.in/ePAuwTzs My thoughts in HBR: https://lnkd.in/eRAbKKim

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Looking for information on climate change? Curious about the potential for climate justice? Wondering about action for community adaption? Learn about all and more through the new U.S. Global Change Research Program 2024 Climate Literacy Guide! While the guide says it's for educators, communicators, and decision-makers, I'm pretty sure it's for everyone! We know that informal climate conversations are key to finding ways to work together to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions and act in ways that help us fair better in our warming world. We are all communicators on climate! https://lnkd.in/gRHTspPe #climateliteracy #climatechange #climateaction #climateadaptation

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Significant reading for all you remaining voluntary carbon market enthusiasts. #carboncredits What we need is not voluntary compensation efforts but mandatory prices on all types of ghg emissions, by way of simple, fair, and effective regulation. #climateincentive Many thanks Simon Evans for pointing out the essence of the findings reported by the Science Based Targets initiative.

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The first in-person authors' and Advisory Board meeting of the #RDR2025, Rural Development Report 2025, titled ''Financing for Rural Transformation'' occurred in #Rome this week. On behalf of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as the lead agency, we welcomed the entire team and we spent it discussing, writing and sharing. We are getting ready for launch just before the #FFD summit in Spain in July 2025 (#Financing for Development). So watch this space. Some key things already important/emerging: 1. Despite 3.5 billion (47%) people living in rural areas today, there is almost no data on rural people and rural areas. In 2050, this number will still be large (3 billion!) 2. Despite 80% of the poor (AND 80% of the extremely poor) living in #rural areas, we dont know what we need in terms of financing for basic needs (or for #SDGs). Is this millions or billions or trillions? (Any guesses?) 3. What we dont measure, we dont treasure. 4. So far, a large part of development thinking, has positioned rural areas as subservient to urban ones (the main argument being economies of scale/aggregation). We dont, have any idea what an empowered, strong, thriving rural transformation, could look like. 5. That argument changes dramatically, if we consider that with disaggregated, high frequency, data we can use the high fragmentation, to create ''e-scale economies'': Billions of data points representing lots of agents, helps us hedge, invest, and insure better at the meso/meta level. Suddenly, its actually important to have lots of small disaggregated farms and businesses rather than large ones. Small becomes truly beautiful. 6. Rural areas can be an #investment opportunity, BECAUSE, they have fewer #stranded assets, and there is the opportunity of creating new markets. 7. Rural areas represent the opportunity to re-imagine our future! Rural transformation means areas are PERC (Prosperous, Equitable, Resilient and Connected). Our fantastic advisory board: (In picture) Shenggen Fan, Ana María Ibáñez, Chris Clubb, Lee Ann Jackson, Louise Fox, Patricia Ojangole; We missed Johan Swinnen and @thomas Reardon. Our authors (global/regional): Adolfo Brizzi, @Niklas Kesseler, Joel Moktar, Jan Priebe Narasimhan Srinivasan, Hezekiah Agwara, Randa Hamza, Nick Maddock, Miguel Robles (and their teams), Nadia Martinez, MBA, Saib Ahmad, Alexia Ipiotis Mikhail Kourenkov and myself. We have excellent support (physical, academic, mental and in spirit and in humor) from Dr. Alvaro Lario, Gerardine Mukeshimana, Constanza Di Nucci, Alessandra Garbero, Rick Van Der Kamp, Gulnara Yunusova, Claudia ten Have, Malek Sahli, Stephanie Micallef, Caterina Firova, Alexandra Enascut, Federica Cerulli Irelli, @Ronald Hartman and many others. Special thanks to EIIS - European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability and Andrea Geremicca for their stewardship. It takes a village.

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I love weird, niche AI use cases like this - especially in critical infrastructure. Sewage systems are about the least 'sexy' AI use case imaginable, but one of many infrastructural 'big rocks' in our economy that we simply have to get right. I'm no sewer expert (and do not plan to be) but if we can use tech like this to analyze sewers and catch defects early, no doubt that can reduce leaks and prevent water contamination. While chatbots have taken a lot of the oxygen from the room, its important to note that AI has the potential to do real good for our most basic, critical infrastructure. While we need to be wary of threats, we must simultaneously ensure our rules and regulations enable the positives. https://lnkd.in/ezA2bEzX

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At the Democratic National Convention this week in Chicago, Global Strategy Group (GSG) and a coalition of leading environmental organizations – NRDC Action Fund, Climate Power, EDF Action, and LCV – presented polling that simulated a debate between Democrats and Republicans on climate and clean energy issues and showed Democrats are positioned to win on these issues at the ballot box. For us at NRDC Action Fund and NRDC Action Votes, this research validates a strategy that helped Democrats in tough races win on environmental issues in 2020 and 2022. Climate denialism will cost Republicans votes because it is seen as a significant character flaw, not just a policy difference. Voters simply do not trust candidates who deny the reality already hitting their pocketbooks with soaring insurance premiums and other fallout from unprecedented severe weather events.  NRDC Action Votes ads have highlighted the weirdness of climate denial, helping defeat candidates who side with Big Oil over science, health, and common sense. So many thanks to Melissa Bell, PhD at Global Strategy Group for her and her team's amazing work on this project. https://lnkd.in/e6DaXmNR

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I’m excited to be working as an author on the Sixth National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive analysis of the state of climate change in the United States. The report, which is relevant for policy and decision-making but does not advocate for particular viewpoints or strategies, evaluates climate impacts across 10 U.S. regions. Several of the topics include water, forests and ecosystems, coasts and oceans, agriculture and rural communities, and the economic impact of climate change. NCA6 will be published in late 2027/early 2028. https://lnkd.in/g7bCca57 #nca6 #nationalclimateassessment

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There were howls of protest at the Science Based Targets initiative over research that questioned the effectiveness of carbon credits. Backers of the voluntary carbon markets, many of whom were expecting a new version of SBTi's widely-used corporate decarbonisation standard that might allow firms to use carbon credits to offset their Scope 3, or full value chain emissions, went into meltdown over the discussion paper. Some said that by questioning the effectiveness of carbon credits as a tool to combat climate change, peoples' lives were being put at risk as carbon projects were being abandoned. Some said SBTi's "indecision" over the use of carbon credits to meet sustainability goals was prompting businesses to roll back net zero targets. Its paper was published on the same day that Air New Zealand abandoned a 2030 emissions reduction target, citing difficulties in meeting decarbonisation targets in the hard-to-abate sector. Others said SBTi’s analysis was “out of date”. Some said that SBTi itself is out of date, and is headed for oblivion and irrelevance. But a former SBTi executive told Eco-Business that since its founding after the signing of the Paris Agreement, the organisation has never considered carbon credits as a replacement for the direct decarbonisation of the value chain. SBTi’s review of the effectiveness of carbon credits is necessary, given how quickly the regulatory landscape is changing, says Steve Newman, chief sustainability officer of EarthCheck. It highlights the challenges of verifying net-zero claims that will come under greater scrutiny as a result of the European Union’s Green Claims Directive (EU GCD), which aims to clamp down on greenwashing, for instance green claims that over-rely on carbon offsets, he says. SBTi remains the gold standard for corporate target-setting. However, the chief sustainability officer of a Hong Kong-based firm, who asked not to be named, said that relatively few Asian firms were setting full-term science-based targets – that is, short- as well as long-term targets – because of a lack of viable SBTi-aligned transition pathways. If more options are available to Asian firms to mitigate their Scope 3 emissions, such as the use of carbon credits, then more would participate in the SBTi ecosystem and set full-term targets, she said. #carboncredits #climateaction

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*Wonk alert* As a comms professional, I closely follow the work of Yale's Anthony Leiserowitz. I was super excited to read that Tony and colleagues recently published an article in Nature, 'The evolving climate change investing strategies of asset owners,' a deep dive into #assetowners engagement with climate change. This dovetails with CPI's recent analysis of #pensionfunds progress on aligning portfolios with climate change realities, 'State of European Pension Funds’ Net-Zero Transition.' After banks, pensions funds are the largest source of investable capital, and other asset owners like foundations and family offices are hugely influential in investment trends. We need more active engagement from asset owners to address the climate emergency. #climatefinance Both studies find ample opportunity for asset owners to engage with advisors, asset managers, portfolio investments, and each other to overcome barriers and accelerate efforts. Learn more: The evolving climate change investing strategies of asset owners https://lnkd.in/gt5ixy_w State of European Pension Funds’ Net-Zero Transition https://lnkd.in/gnhu-JXp

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🇺🇸 The U.S. Federal departments and offices have just released the "Voluntary Carbon Markets Joint Policy Statement and Principles”. We at International Carbon Registry celebrate more clarity on the direction of this important market and its role in the climate crisis. Notable developments include: • The emergence of multi-stakeholder initiatives that have set out standards and principles for high-integrity credit development and responsible credit use; • Improvements to key crediting methodologies, their guiding standards, and tracking systems; • New and improved analytical products and services that aim to strengthen credit transparency and quality comparability, such as carbon credit rating services; • Technologies to support robust measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV); • Multilateral rules, guidance, and procedures developed under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the international aviation sector's global carbon market-based measure, which shape certified emissions reductions and removals that often find their home in VCMs'; and • Advances in the development of market infrastructure to improve transparency and liquidity, as well as the integrity of market transactions.

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The Peace-Led Climate Friendly Sustainable Development Forum The literature landscape on peace–sustainability nexus: A scientometric analysis https://lnkd.in/gdyw7i7G

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$250 billion per year in #ClimateFinance by 2035 as proposed in the latest #COP29Baku draft is woefully inadequate. The #Adaptation Gap Report shows $400 billion is needed annually just for adaptation alone. This shortfall jeopardise our planet’s future. The draft also Invites developing country parties to make additional contributions. The world deserves real ambition, not diluted responsibility.

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Climate Capital Guidebook: The Biden-Harris Administration is releasing a new Climate Capital Guidebook to provide a simple, comprehensive map of capital programs across the federal government that are available to climate-related start-ups, small- and medium-sized businesses, and their investors. While larger, institutionally-backed climate companies may have the resources to identify and access federal funding opportunities, smaller enterprises may face greater challenges in navigating these federal programs. https://lnkd.in/eJ3QV4Fw #climatechange #climatetech

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I appreciate Ben's points below. I want to add that cities are crucial actors because they will ensure we keep talking about climate change in the US. Beside their direct role in GHG emission reduction, they also have an indirect role to play as policy actors participating in norm diffusion and debate.

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MAJOR RELEASE | Our team at Brookings just published an extensive, applied study of what’s limiting total and equitable climate investment across the U.S. The answer: public officials and investors must address nine major pain points to tap the power of financial markets. https://lnkd.in/e4dVThyA We launched this project with a particular focus. We wanted to better understand the dissonance between existential dread via rising climate damages and the rosy storytelling from new climate pledges and one-off projects. Because if we all take an honest second, the truth is—for all the consensus around spending trillions of dollars—the U.S. is investing too little, too slowly, and overlooking our most vulnerable people and places. To better understand that dissonance, we spent months talking to over 30 industry experts and reading everything we could find. The result is “Mobilizing the Markets: The barriers to financing a more scalable climate response”. The project series gives people multiple entry points. -         If you just want a taste, try the landing page or the beautiful PDF version of the Executive Summary. -         If you want the full report, go for the long-form PDF. -         If you want to learn more about climate equity or specific economic sectors, jump to the context section for six additional long-form briefs. I come out the other side of this work with a deeper appreciation for what’s creating our collective action problem, and I hope you will, too. If the first step is recognizing you have a problem, I hope our work can focus some minds on what we need to overcome our investment gaps. And if you’ve read this far: we’re hosting an event tomorrow in DC to hear what others have to say about climate finance. Come join! https://lnkd.in/e6XFQRnV Finally, a huge thanks to the author team here. This was truly collaborative, spanning multiple Brookings programs. Joe Kane Anna Singer Jenny Schuetz Manann Donoghoe Xavier de Souza Briggs Eve Devens Sanjay Patnaik Riki Fujii-Rajani Samantha Gross.

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🌧️ Reassessing Climate Risk in the U.S. 🌍 A recent study highlights the inadequacy of the traditional "100-year return period" model due to climate change in the U.S. Key insights include: Increased Extreme Events: More frequent and intense precipitation events in the South and Southeast demand new risk assessment models. Population Impact: Up to 146 million people could face high climate risks with 4°C warming. Agricultural Vulnerability: Significant farmland is at risk of drought, affecting food security. Socioeconomic Disparities: Low-income and disabled communities are disproportionately affected. As climate risks evolve, trends in risk assessment are shifting towards incorporating non-stationary models, improving data resolution, and focusing on localized vulnerabilities. These efforts aim to enhance resilience and adaptation strategies across sectors. How are you incorporating climate risk into your assessment framework, and what strategies are proving most effective? Share your thoughts and insights below! Read More: https://buff.ly/3SAmoBc #ClimateChange #RiskManagement #Sustainability #Resilience #Adaptation #ClimateRisk #Modeling

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Excellent primer on the use of the "#polluterpaysprinciple" under #ClimateSuperfundBills by Vermont, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts that could "collectively require large fossil fuel producers and refiners to pay for hundreds of billions of dollars of state-level climate adaptation infrastructure." Also provides a good overview of potential legal challenges and hurdles. The question for us: who is going to pay for #climateadaptation - the #taxpayer (FEMA, disaster declarations) or the #polluter? As an aside given my past posts on EPA's regulation of #PFAS clean-up by major manufacturers under #Superfund, it will be interesting to see how the #polluterpaysprinciple is applied to different forms of pollution and damages. https://lnkd.in/e-gNK_sT

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New Payne Institute for Public Policy Financial Flow blog post! Observations from The World Bank about potential growth in #carboncredits demand to pay #carbontaxes or for #emissions allowances. (In other words, compliance demand growth may not have to wait for resolution of seemingly never-ending Article 6 negotiations.) #carbonoffsets #sustainablefinance #netzero #carbonemissions #carbonmarkets https://lnkd.in/eX8aQYbh

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