Climatrends Climatrends

How do we apply the principles of financial risk management to the challenge of climate change? In this episode, we connect the worlds of climate and finance with renowned economist Dr. Bob Litterman.

How do we thread the needle with smart policy that avoids a worst-case warming scenario? What responsibilities do businesses have to go from talk to real climate action? In this episode, Dr. Andrew Dessler lends his expertise in climate impact and climate change policy as delve into what needs to get done.

The process of creating evidence-based, actionable solutions to climate change is a science all its own. How can climate science be made more useful for decision makers?
In this Episode:
A discussion with Dr. Kripa Jagannathan, an expert in climate science usability and adaptation.
What is “coproduction?”
Managing the complexities of applicable climate science for business leaders.
How can you become a climate leader in your industry/business?
Episode Links:
More about Kripa and her work: https://erg.berkeley.edu/people/jagannatan-kripa/
The Drought from a Farmer’s Perspective: https://lifeaterg.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-drought-from-farmers-perspective.html

EPISODE 8: Thinking Big. How Government and Markets Can Work Together on Climate Solutions.
Climate change is a complicated web of science, politics, technology, economy, and controversy. Where do we begin in building a solution?
In this Episode:
A discussion with Dr. Zeke Hausfather about realistic greenhouse gas emissions trajectories.
The challenges of predicting human behavior.
Can we rely on markets and companies to innovate ourselves into a net zero economy? Where does the government fit in?
Dr. Hausfather’s take on the role of carbon emissions capture technology.
Episode Links:
Zeke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hausfath
Carbon Brief: https://www.carbonbrief.org/
The Breakthrough Institute: https://thebreakthrough.org/
Welcome back to another episode of Climatrends. I’m meteorologist Susie Martin. At the time we’ve recorded this, news of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reaching levels 50% higher than during the industrial revolution hit the headlines. This is according to measurements from the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii…
https://www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-atmospheric-co2-now-hitting-50-higher-than-pre-industrial-levels
The data is clear. This is an urgent matter and unfortunately, there is no quick solution to the climate crisis. Climate change is a complicated web of science, politics, technology, economy, and controversy. With oil as the lubricant of the global economy, how can we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels? Coal supplies roughly half of the electricity used in the U.S. and nearly that worldwide. Then there’s the matter of infrastructure. Approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from infrastructure construction and operations such as power plants, buildings, and transport. There are layers upon layers upon layers to this.
There are two main players to the solution: the government and markets. There is a growing expectation that your company be not only prepared to handle the business implications of physical and transitional risks associated with climate change, but also do your part to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. It’s tricky because this is a moving target as policies shift and new science emerges.
Our goal with the podcast is to have meaningful discussions with true experts with a business lens and peel the layers. I’m particularly excited about our guest today. We’re going to be discussing the complicated dynamics of climate change and what this means for businesses. What technologies may be part of the solution? What is the role of government? How is this going to affect markets? One thing is for sure: going into this blindly is a dangerous proposition for your business.
Note that in this episode, we mention the IPCC AR5 report. For those that don’t know, it is the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was released in 2014. We also briefly discuss RCP scenarios that were used in the IPCC AR5. RCP stands for representative concentration pathway. The RCP scenarios are an attempt to predict future greenhouse gas emissions trajectories based on human behavior. The four RCPs range from very high (RCP 8.5) to very low (RCP 2.6) future concentrations.
Without further delay… let’s begin.

More than two decades ago, Dr. Michael Mann and his colleagues published the iconic “hockey stick” graph--an estimate of how temperatures varied over the past thousand years. The truth, as it turns out, is quite inconvenient.
In this Episode:
Dr. Mann discusses the science and controversy surrounding the “hockey stick.”
Climate change’s impact on the finance and investment industry.
How have climate models been performing?
The role of government in climate policy.
Episode Links:
Dr. Mann’s latest book, “The New Climate War”
Dr. Mann’s website

Running a successful business entails managing a multitude of risks every day from new competitors to new technology. Climate change itself brings a plethora of business challenges. How can we frame the threat? What threats are top of mind for businesses?
In this Episode Introduction to Dr. Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at the National Center of Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder and an Honorary Academic in the Department of Physics, Auckland University in Auckland, New Zealand An in-depth discussion on the impact of climate change on business What is Dr. Trenberth worried about most? How far does resilience/retrofitting really go? Episode Links Dr. Kevin Trenberth's staff page at UCAR Climate Impacts on Water Resources