|
|
|
By Justin Worland
Senior Correspondent
|
|
Lately, I’ve found myself
using the phrase climate
change less and less—despite
the state of our planet being
an increasingly unavoidable
topic. Just last week, I gave
opening remarks at a
discussion about the latest
trends in energy. Over 15
minutes, I covered the war in
Iran, electricity demand
growth, and the latest policy
moves in Washington. After I
wrapped one of the audience
members chimed in with an
observation bordering on a
provocation: the phrase
climate change hadn’t come up
once.
|
|
It’s a response I’ve heard
again and again over the last
year. And as politics and
global events go haywire, I
don’t think I’m alone
experiencing this shift.
|
|
But while the literal usage of
the phrase climate change is
dwarfed by the language of the
issue du jour, it’s not true
that the topic has disappeared
from conversation. Quite the
opposite. In a more
fundamental sense, the effects
of climate change have evolved
from the language of science
fiction to real economics.
And, crucially, the forces
once discussed under the
banner of climate, from clean
energy to industrial policy,
are now reshaping markets,
industry, technology, and
geopolitics. Climate is
infused throughout everything.
For a while now, I’ve said
that to talk about climate
change you need to understand
these other forces; today,
it’s increasingly clear that
to fully understand the
evolving world you need to
understand climate—or at least
the technological, economic,
and political dynamics that it
has created.
|
|
It’s time to widen the
aperture of these discussions.
And, with that in mind,
yesterday in London we
launched Future Proof.
Beginning this week, the name
of this column will change.
Every week, I’ll continue to
bring you analysis of our
energy and climate economy,
grounded in a recognition that
traditional climate coverage
captures only one part of a
much larger transformation.
And we have more in store. In
the coming months, we plan to
unveil new components of this
newsletter, in-person
convenings, and multimedia
offerings designed to expand
the Future Proof conversation
to new audiences.
|
|
|
|
In many ways, this rebrand represents a
natural evolution. When we first launched
the CO2 newsletter three years ago, the
thinking was simple: to cut carbon
emissions would require companies to act.
With Future Proof, that focus continues
but the frame is wider. I’ll cover growing
clean tech trends, the expanding role of
AI in our economy, and the changing trade
landscape. We won’t provide you the latest
headlines for every evolving story, but we
will give you the 30,000 ft. perspective
necessary to understand where the energy
and climate economy is headed and why it
matters.
|
|
This broader frame has become increasingly
essential. You can’t understand the
strategic implications of conflict in Iran
without understanding the way the energy
sector has evolved under the banner of
transition. And any analysis of the
data-center buildout would be incomplete
without an understanding of how cheap
clean tech has offered a lifeline to
power-hungry tech companies.
|
|
It’s impossible to know how policy and
narrative will evolve. Many climate people
posit that the coming extreme weather
events will eventually lead to a popular
outcry for national measures that cut
emissions. We’ll see. In the meantime, to
understand our climate future we need to
look beyond the language of global warming
and beyond conversations happening
exclusively in the climate community. Only
then can you future proof your business,
community, or country.
|
|
Before you go…
|
|
Earlier this week I was in Houston at
CERAWeek by S&P Global, the annual
gathering of the top officials in the
energy sector from around the world. The
big takeaway? Energy companies are unsure
how to navigate this geopolitical moment.
Meanwhile, AI companies are forging ahead.
Read more here.
|
|
