Matthew Anderson

We spend a lot of time talking about how to cover climate change, but the fact is it's here. Instead of projections, local news orgs are deep into trials by fire, innovating as they go to keep their communities safe, informed and connected. It's ironic and wildly impressive that In the midst of AI hand-wringing and viral disinformation campaigns, innovation right now means going back to the basics in areas completely cut off by Helene's devastation. How are they doing it? Here's an initial short list, via an American Press Institute round-up, and other posts trickling in. If you have more, please feel free to add them in the comments -- I know I'm not the only person thinking a huge focus for support is equipping media for this new normal. -From CNN's Brian Stelter: Local radio stations have been a lifeline for residents, sharing updates on road closures, providing verified information on relief efforts and opening up the phone lines to answer questions and help connect people. -Daniel Williams and the folks at NC Local News Workshop helped developed a text-only, lite version of Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR) built on Newspack that was rapidly deployed to get critical information into the hands of folks in Western North Carolina struggling with weak cell service. There are no ads or images so it loads fast. It also includes resources with links for services and other critical community resources. https://text.bpr.org/ -From Jeremy Markovich on North Carolina Rabbit Hole: In Black Mountain, town leaders gathered in person in the Town Square to share information about the status of the utilities and other necessities. Residents learned about the meeting from posters, and outlets have used whiteboards placed around town.   -The Asheville Citizen-Times launched a text message service to help to answer questions directly about news and local services. (This is part of a larger trend towards text messaging as an audience tool, Charlotte Tobitt wrote in Press Gazette, noting that SubText will send roughly five billion text messages this year.)  🙏 to the journalists out there doing the work.

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Very excited to share my latest piece in Forbes - "Adaptation and resilience in corporate climate agendas" If any of the below resonates, esp. with those working on adaptation + resilience and/or corporate climate + sustainability - our team at Riffle Ventures would love to hear from you! Main idea - climate adaptation and resilience can be an innovation driver for companies and we need to accelerate this agenda. 🏭 Most discussions around corporations and their climate agendas focus on if, how, and how quickly, big businesses are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, as well as decreasing their own negative externalities on the natural environment. 💰 However, in parallel climate change is creating growing financial, infrastructure, health and other risks that could disrupt large companies, some of which is already happening. While the tools and strategies for decarbonization are fairly well-covered, we are only scratching the surface when it comes to building resilience and adapting to a warming planet. 🈺 Of course, emissions and corporate sustainability targets need urgent attention and commitment, but in parallel we need to make sure companies writ large are adapting to and building resilience against climate risks - e.g. droughts, floods, fires, grid instability and weakening infrastructure - are all a growing reality on a warming planet. 🆘 Corporations, regardless of industry and geography will require support across the board in navigating climate change's most pressing threats. The risk of not doing so could have near-term, material impacts on protecting critical infrastructure as well as access to necessary products and services - food and medicine - and could also negatively impact human's themselves - heat stress, job loss, etc. 🤖 There is a growing technology solution set focusing on climate adaptation and resilience, and we need to bridge the gap between between these climate tech startups and the corporate sector. In turn, corporations can have an enormous impact in helping to scale climate innovations and bolster the surrounding ecosystem. Many thanks to Jackie Roberts for providing time and insight for the article, Dhruv Jesrani for being the design wizard and to Suma Reddy Connie Bowen Abrar Chaudhury Alhan Fakhr Laith Kawar Madeleine Futterman Emmanuelle Palikuca Omar Saif Andrew Chang Hope Petraro Tom K. Deepa Lounsbury for their guidance along the way while we did the research for this, and for Dahna Goldstein for being the connection to Jackie! #ClimateAction #SustainableBusiness #CorporateResponsibility #SustainabilityGoals #ClimateLeadership #CorporateSustainability #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateInnovation #ClimateChangeAdaptation #ResilienceStrategies #SustainableSolutions #ClimateResilience #BuildingResilience #ClimateChangeResponse #AdaptationStrategies

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INVESTING IN CLIMATE TECH IS SOOO SIMPLE: PART I After a spectacular closing session to #ClimateWeekSF at 9Zero, I thought I'd share a few morsels from our sustainable VC session (organized by Niki Gastinel & moderated by Ron Erd w/ fellow panelists Joshua Posamentier Nare Janvelyan, PhD & Shaun Chaudhuri). Top 3 DD questions I seek to answer: I         Would I work for this person? I've been a founder 5x (3 startups, 2 VC funds) & always seeking to grow. When I'm being pitched by a founder, I imagine what it would be like to work for them, because, while team is important, the CEO is everything. The CEOs I back have: ·     Command of the Market: They are intimate with & drive discourse on distro channels, market players/dynamics, the competitive landscape & where the ball is going. All about founder-market fit! ·     Evangelical Sales Ability: They’re always selling, intelligently, whether it’s for recruiting, fund-raising, distribution... ·     EQ IQ: I back intelligent founders but I want that paired with street savvy & deep understanding of what to prioritize & when, not just how to do it. I look for emotional intelligence & how they read the room & adjust comms. I look for CEOs that have done the hard work on their own personal growth & have the right lens to make big decisions. ·     Battle-tested: I look for founders that are resilient & risk-tolerant. They have been tested in some aspect of their lives: personal challenges (athletics, hardship, military) and/or professional challenges. II        Is there a Big Accessible Market (BAM)? ·     Big TAM: I invest in companies seeking unicorn performance (financial & impact). Matters less where the TAM is today but more importantly where it's going. ·     Clear and Present Sales Channel: I want to see a beefy sales channel(s) with a clear decision maker; tangible, massive pain for this painkiller solution (not a vitamin); and an accretive path for the customer. Know who your actual buyer is. Hint: It’s not the sustainability exec! ·     Weighted Average Pipeline: I want to see a well thought out, organized sales pipeline that is dynamically linked to your financial forecasts & produces a justifiable exciting ARR forecast. ·     Product Market Fit: Because we do seed, we only see the beginnings of traction & sometimes focusing too much on fit can lead to a false negative. This is the time for risk-taking & iteration so you can learn. It’s more about DDing the product as an extension of how the team thinks & executes. III      Is There Big Accessible Impact? ·     Paul Hawken: We have Paul & he is unabashed about rooting out pretenders when it comes to impact. If he doesn’t buy your impact, we won’t invest. It’s that simple. ·     Qualitative: Because we are software first & seed stage investors, we don’t do hard core quant on your impact. We do our best to gauge the potential decarbonization impact of your company at scale. You know it when you see it. What questions do you ask?

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Check out some of out Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) registrants - the programs and solutions to decarbonize the making of our clothes... #climatesolutionsportfolio #fashionclimatefund #apparelimpactinstitute

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Had a great conversation with SustainCERT during Climate Week NY 2023. Excited to announce that we will be back in NYC in September to launch and workshop our "Brand & Retailer Sustainable Finance Playbook." The playbook will bring together brands, retailers, suppliers, banks, development banks, and philanthropies to defragment and align various ways to invest in decarbonization, creating demand for suppliers to take on critical factory efficiencies, upgrades & improvements. Join us in creating a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Check out this interview from last year's Climate week NYC with SustainCERT #ClimateWeekNYC #SustainableFinance #FashionIndustry #Decarbonization

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🌍💡 Embracing Interoperability: The Evolution of Carbon Markets 💡🌍 The landscape of carbon markets is rapidly evolving, with a significant shift towards fungibility and interoperability. What does this mean? We (at the SoHo Global Climate Fund) spoke with leading climate fund manager, Charles Bedford of Carbon Growth Partners, to shed light on this important trend in the carbon markets. It's about creating seamless connections between compliance and voluntary markets, allowing for the exchange and recognition of carbon credits across borders and sectors. This trend marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts towards combating climate change. By enabling carbon credits to be fungible and interoperable, we're fostering a more efficient and scalable approach to carbon pricing and emissions reduction strategies. Companies and organizations now have greater flexibility to participate in markets that align with their goals. #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction #Fungibility #Interoperability #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalImpact

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We just published a new podcast episode of #InOurHands with Nigel Sizer, a globally recognized authority on ecology and development policy, and executive director at Preventing Pandemics at the Source Initiative. We discuss everyone's least favorite but most important topic: the connection between pandemics and climate change. Listen or read to learn more (spoiler: deforestation and forest trade are some of the reasons, and we need to fix this). https://lnkd.in/gsvi_RDW

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The SBTi just published an evidence review that pretty comprehensively trashes carbon credits: "[V]arious types of carbon credits are ineffective in delivering their intended mitigation outcomes." "There could be clear risks to corporate use of carbon credits for the purposes of offsetting. This includes potential unintended effects of hindering the net-zero transformation and/or reducing climate finance." "All Tier A evidence challenge the legitimacy of offsetting claims, arguing that treating carbon credits as fungible with other sources, sinks, or reductions of emissions is inadvisable, illogical, or damaging to global mitigation goals." https://lnkd.in/eJfTuPyD

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In an exclusive with Danielle Rossingh, Impact-Investor.com., Ninety One's Emerging Market Fixed Income team has announced the launch of the Sovereign Biodiversity Index to assess how governments are impacting nature and biodiversity. Portfolio Manager Peter Eerdmans said: “As #sovereigndebt investors, we need a practical way to assess how governments impact nature and the risks stemming from #biodiversity loss, as they can significantly influence economic performance and consequently a nation’s ability to service its debt. This is particularly key for investors in #emergingmarkets, where economies often rely heavily on nature, partly because of the relative importance of the agricultural sector.” https://nty.one/3YpMYAu #fixedincome #nature #deforestation #emergingmarketdebt #sovereigndebtinvestor #institutionalinvestor #naturefinance #climateinvesting #transition #netzero #netzerotransition #impactinvesting #sovereign #SDG #ecosystem

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Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

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In the 50th episode of Ash Cloud we focus on the climate related violence. Our guest, Peter Schwartzstein, describes this as a messy marriage of climate stress and poor governance. ISIS profited from collapsing agricultural positions to bolster its ranks in Iraq and Syria. The recruitment rate of jihadis was three time higher from villages reliant solely on rain than from similar villages with access to irrigation water. The developed world is not immune, above and beyond the global impacts of migration it has been documented that violence against women in Greece appears to increase almost in lockstep with summer temperates. In the United States, 85% of the mass shootings that occurred in 2022 took place between June and September, with the physiological changes unleashed by higher temperatures appearing to be a determining factor. The migration stories that make the headlines are only the tip of the iceberg. These are based on the 10% of people that flee their homes due to conflict and migrate internationally. The other 90% impact the towns and cities within their countries. However, as it's generally the best educated and wealthiest people that can actually afford to leave this also undermines the governance and financial security of the impacted villages further undermining these societies. You can listen to our conversation here. Ismahane Elouafi Karen Ross Aimable UWIZEYE, PhD Ermias Kebreab Marcelo Mena Fred Krupp Joseph W. McFadden Britt Groosman John Blackburn AO Mick Ryan, AM John Nicholson, General U.S. Army Retired Hayden Montgomery Andy Jarvis Allan Savory Mary Shelman Colin South Maik Kindermann Charles Brooke Kosta Stavreas Sparsha Saha, PhD Anneline Padayachee [PhD] Richard Eckard Tim Benton Andrea Bertaglio David Hughes David Tuck Paula H. Adrian Edwards Francette Geraghty-Dusan Britt Spyrou Louisa Burwood-Taylor Elaine Watson Doc Brown J. Matthew Pryor Claudia Arndt Ben van Delden John Roulac Paul Greive

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For decades, but especially since the IPCC report in 2018, climate movement has been couched in terms of deadlines and timelines -- 12 years left to save the world, Zero hour, etc etc. Or often, when we experience a new terrible climate impact, someone will say or write, "This will get worse in the future UNLESS we cut carbon, quickly." That has created a sense of urgency and suspense that has driven intense and successful climate action and transition work. It's also paradoxically been used to drive complacency with industry talking about "carbon budgets"-- which is like if I told you you had lung cancer and you were like, how many more cigarettes can I smoke? Well, with Trump in power, the deadlines are really dead. Warming is going to pass "safe" levels, we are heading into an era of unsafety. This will all get worse for the foreseeable future, EVEN IF we cut carbon as quickly as possible. 2 questions: -Do you agree?  -How does the climate movement absorb this reality and how should it change its messaging? 

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👋 I want to share some additional context on the amazing milestone that Absolute Climate and Evident announced today. ICYMI: Today, AC announced the adoption of the Absolute Carbon Standard (ACS) by Evident Global, a leader in sustainability certification. This is a really big deal. The carbon removal industry has struggled with conflicts of interest and a lack of consist project evaluation throughout it’s 30+ year history. Evident’s adoption of the ACS is a major step in the right direction. Why this partnership matters: 1️⃣ Independence and incentive alignment in credit issuance: ACS separates the roles of setting standards and issuing credits, addressing one of the most persistent conflicts of interest in carbon removal. 2️⃣ Universal and consistent standards: ACS is the first standard to apply the same rigorous criteria across all pathways, enabling fair, transparent comparisons between projects. 3️⃣ A sophisticated registry with deep experience: Evident’s track record and diversified business bring unparalleled credibility and stability to carbon removal. While my co-founder Peter Minor has written about the importance of independence in certification, I want to focus on why Evident is the ideal partner to bring this model to market. Why Evident stands out: For project developers, the lack of experienced registries with long-track records is a major challenge. Many existing registries are relatively new, have no experience in compliance markets, and are entirely reliant on carbon removal—a narrow focus that introduces significant business model and longevity risks. If you’re a project developer investing in a facility with a 20+ year lifespan, these are very real concerns. Will your registry still be around in two decades? Can it help you transition from voluntary to compliance markets as regulations evolve? That’s where Evident really shines: - A proven track record: Evident has over two decades of experience in sustainability certification, crediting thousands of projects across voluntary and compliance markets in more than 60 countries. - Business model stability: Unlike registries solely reliant on carbon removal, Evident’s diversified portfolio—anchored by its renewable energy credit business—ensures financial resilience and multi-decade staying power. - Policy expertise: Evident’s experience working directly with governments in compliance and voluntary markets positions it to support carbon removal as our industry integrates with policy frameworks and scales into compliance markets. For Absolute Climate, there isn’t a better partner to bring a new certification model to life. Evident brings the credibility, expertise, and stability that carbon removal urgently needs to build trust and scale responsibly. We’re thrilled to welcome Evident Global to the carbon removal space and are so excited for the impact we’re going to create together. 👉 Curious to learn more? Check out details here: https://shorturl.at/Vz9P1

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With the #COP29 meetings underway, Diane-laure Arjaliès and I took the opportunity to advocate for nature-based solutions in this article in The Conversation. Nature-based solutions are initiatives that mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, such as cover crops, wetland restoration, and buffer strips. There is systematic evidence to show that these initiatives are cheaper, quicker, and more effective than manmade infrastructure or engineering solutions. We offer specific ways in which cash-strapped governments can catalyze private capital investments. We hope this article will serve as a reminder for the delegates at COP29 of the importance of nature-based solutions as a viable and practical solution to mitigating and adapting to climate change. https://lnkd.in/eq7tJWNH Ivey Centre for Building Sustainable Value, Ivey Business School at Western University, Western University, Innovation North

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Learning a ton at Industrial #Decarbonization North America by Reuters Events Energy Transition. Love getting to connect with really smart people who are working on tough challenges. #IDNA My main take-aways so far 1) demand signals are important for market-making and 2) consistent and a favorable policy environment by government is mandatory.

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🌍 Exciting news! Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) has just announced the newest round of Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) grants, part of the $250 million Fashion Climate Fund aimed at unlocking $2 billion in blended capital for industry-wide decarbonization. These grants provide essential funding and support for scalable, science-based solutions that help the fashion industry reduce its environmental impact.🌱 This round of grantees – Pozzi, Grant Thornton, and Amphico – are tackling unique supply chain challenges with innovative technologies, offering measurable greenhouse gas reductions. Collectively, these projects have the potential to save over 24,000 tCO2e within their first year of implementation! 💡 Highlights include: * Pozzi's advanced heat recovery system for the textile wet processing sector * Grant Thornton's innovative approach to energy conservation in the lubricant industry * Amphico's cutting-edge color-mixing technology for textiles, creating vibrant fabrics with reduced environmental impact A huge congratulations to these trailblazers for their commitment to a sustainable future. Learn more about their projects and how Aii is driving decarbonization efforts across the industry #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Decarbonization #FashionIndustry #ApparelImpactInstitute #InnovationForImpact #CSPGrantees #SustainableFashion #Decarbonization

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Congratulations to Elemental Excelerator on the release of their report "Traversing the Climate Technology Scale Gap"! This report highlights the need to close the $150 billion scale gap that is making it difficult for new climate technology to be funded, deployed, and scaled. Read this report for insights from experts from different industries on what we can do to unlock funding for climate tech that can advance opportunity. https://lnkd.in/d7f8ZjV8

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What does it say when one region expands investment that considers sustainability factors, and another region contracts? "European consumers, and politicians, have supported greener products and climate-minded regulations. Meanwhile U.S. Republican politicians including many from energy-producing states have stepped up their attacks on investors' use of ESG considerations, saying firms should focus on traditional financial results." Authenticity matters: the EU is driving towards a more sustainable economy (and lifestyle), and it's reflected in their policy, words, and deeds. Positioning matters: US detractors spun an impressive web of attacks on ESG. Advocates said little, did little, watching the tide erode the foundation until the walls caved in (a little climate change metaphor for you there). Communications matter: the EU has been consistent and aggressive in communicating guardrails and commitments to getting this right. The US has done the opposite in every respect. Now we have two worlds, one in which sustainability is the guiding light, and one in which it is labeled as a distraction with nefarious intent. Whether the mainstream knows it or not, we're living in both simultaneously. Sounds like fun! #esg #sustainableinvesting #sustainability

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Excellent blog post on the realities of Climate & VC. While these are "tough times for the transition," there are also many opportunities. Significant capital will continue to flow, with Corporate VCs playing a larger role in financing this transition. Through this process, they will strengthen their LP positions in funds tackling climate challenges. I receive weekly calls from large Holding & Corporate VCs seeking introductions to Climate / Energy / Infra VC Funds. When I ask about their target sub-verticals within Climate / Energy, they often mention that they default to focusing on specific regions due to limited resources and coverage. In other words, rather than evaluating whether a DACH VC is better positioned for solar or grid-tech compared to a Nordic or US VC, they simply pursue whichever regions they can access—a haphazard approach at best. I always advise LPs to evaluate VCs within their operating market context. Since sourcing is crucial in venture capital, Holding Cos. and Family Offices should carefully assess a VC's location, regulatory context, and market environment before investing and building a portfolio of Funds. I've heard "I wish I had discovered this VC / region sooner" far too many times... * At ComposeVC's Built World Fund, we do not invest in Climatetech or Energytech directly, only as it relates to our Built World thesis.

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