The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University

Insights from climate scientists I was honored to help kick off the Office for Financial Research- Cornell University conference on #Climate Science and #Climate Finance.  We began reviewing the newest findings from climate scientists, starting with an insightful and sobering keynote from Professor Johan Rockström. I then had the pleasure of moderating a panel with Dr. Gavin Schmidt, Prof. Tim Lenton, and Dr. Rebecca Shaw.  Here in the run-up to #COP29 where the emphasis will be on #climatefinance, here are some of my key takeaways from the discussions: ·     The bad news: The newest UNEP Emissions Gap report (https://lnkd.in/eVdpQyvs) puts us (probabilistically) on a very treacherous path. The newest Planetary Health Check Report (https://lnkd.in/ekA9eCeu) show us breaching six of nine planetary boundaries. Negative tipping points are threatening. Climate and nature are intertwined, so we must focus on both. ·     The good news: We know what we have to do and largely have the technology to make progress.  We can also trigger positive tipping points. It's mostly a question of our determination to act. ·     Specific advice for climate finance and finance academics: o  Get out of our silos. Work in larger research teams that include not only economists but also scientists so that our work is better grounded in the latest science. o Look forwards, not only backwards. Look beyond historical data and gain comfort with research based on foward-looking forecasts and scenarios. But in doing this, appreciate that some well used scenarios, such as NGFS, may underestimate plausible outcomes. o  Keep learning. Climate science is a huge field and even scientists struggle to keep up with all of the work. There are ways to keep up with the science, including Gavin Schmidt’s excellent RealClimate blog (https://lnkd.in/e3xqYHfD)   o  Don't pretend that our work is value-free. As economists we often pass on "distribution" issues that involve questions of fairness and ethics. Gavin's latest blog post discusses the fallacy of "value-free science." (https://lnkd.in/eNQRMHMJ) While we must do our work rigorously, this does not exempt us from interpreting it as citizens--which necessarily involves our values. Alissa M. Kleinnijenhuis, Andrew Karolyi, Dashol Kim (OFR), The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, Harvard Business School, HBS Business and Environment Initiative,

Thank you to all who attended the second annual Salata Institute Climate and Sustainability Career Expo on Friday! 55 organizations and 450 Harvard and MIT students and alumni attended, making important connections 🌱💼 A big thanks to all our partners in hosting this great event: Harvard Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS), Harvard Business School, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Environmental Defense Fund has been exploring how insurance can help support and accelerate the energy transition. Building off our session at NYC Climate Week with the The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, we have launched a blog series exploring these issues in more detail. Take a read of the second in the series by HBS's Peter Tufano on how insurance can help support needed innovation and scaling of clean tech.

I'm excited to share my latest insights on how the insurance industry can help drive the energy transition. With the right frameworks, insurers can support new climate technologies and accelerate clean tech growth. Key Takeaways: 1️⃣  De-risking for Progress: By offering new types of risk transfer, like performance guarantees and specialized coverage, insurers can make it easier for capital providers to fund high-potential projects. 2️⃣  Bringing Together Stakeholders: Innovators and insurers must collaborate closely, with support from government and civil society, to unlock scalable climate solutions. 3️⃣ Expanding the Insurance Mindset: From data sharing to sandbox environments, insurers can take proactive steps to align with climate goals, turning uncertainties into manageable risks. The ideas in the blog sprouted from a great discussion with insurance stakeholders during a New York Climate Week event last month from The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University and Environmental Defense Fund. The two institutions are collaborating on a multi-part content series where we explore the role of insurers in supporting climate innovations and overcoming the unique risks faced by emerging clean tech solutions. More to come! https://www.edf.org/Z6EA #NYCW #CleanTech #InsuranceInnovation #climatesolutions #climatetech Harvard Business School Digital Data Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard #insurance

New from Peter Tufano with EDF Business: the second in a series on how insurers can support the clean energy transition. Read more about how insurers can de-risk clean tech: https://lnkd.in/eC5mhAC7

I’m excited to share our new report, “Lessons from Leading EV Charging Cities.” Designed to guide city governments earlier in their own journeys to create EV charging networks for their residents, it explores lessons from a June workshop with eight early adopter cities.   Public charging is particularly crucial in cities. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that urban EV owners will do 62% of the charging away from home, versus just 32% for suburbanites and 16% for rural residents.    Cities have a large toolkit to facilitate investment in charging, from directly investing in chargers, to facilitating private investment, to using building codes to encourage investment at multi-family residences and workplaces. We hope “Lessons from Leading EV Charging Cities” will help cities leverage all their tools.   Check out our blog and the full report at https://lnkd.in/epYNzuh2. #EV #Climate

Transitioning to electric vehicles is key to the clean energy transition. But charging infrastructure in cities is holding potential #EV drivers back. Our new guide with MIT - Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research and the Taubman Center for State & Local Government offers lessons learned from 8 leading EV charging cities. Read the blog by co-authors Elaine Buckberg, Laila Ale, and Kathryn Carlson and download the report here:

We are thrilled to announce that four Harvard University research teams have been awarded translational funding and business development support to propel their climate change technologies toward real-world impact. The Climate and Sustainability Translational Fund, launched by #OTD and The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, aims to advance innovations that are both visionary and practical in addressing the urgent challenges of climate change. This support underscores Harvard's commitment to turning innovations in the lab into tangible solutions for a greener, more sustainable future. From revolutionizing carbon capture to advancing renewable energy technologies, congratulations to the research teams leading these vital initiatives. https://lnkd.in/eFkYNeXr #HarvardInnovation #ClimateChangeTech #Sustainability #TranslationalResearch

NEW: Four Harvard University research teams win Salata Institute and Harvard Office of Technology Development (OTD) funding to advance climate change tech: 🟢 From the labs of Pam Silver, Elliot T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, and Michael Springer, Professor of Systems Biology, a research team led by Neil Dalvie, a Fellow in Systems Biology, is developing a technology that uses engineered bacterial strains to accelerate mineral weathering. The technology may provide a natural, scalable solution to accelerate CO2 sequestration for long-term storage. 🟢 Making hydrogen peroxide, a key industrial chemical used widely in manufacturing products, currently requires fossil fuels and expensive catalysts, and contributes to climate change. A research team led by Michael Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies, has developed a novel approach to produce ‘green’ hydrogen peroxide. 🟢 A research team led by Daniel Nocera, Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy, is developing a biofuel alternative to fossil-based jet fuel. The hybrid inorganic-biological system only requires sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air to produce hydrocarbons. 🟢 Creating plastics requires fossil fuels, contributing to climate change. Thanks to dyes and additives, many of the plastics in use today are un-recyclable. A research team led byed by Vinothan N. Manoharan, Wagner Family Professor of Chemical Engineering and Physics, and Audrey von Raesfeld, a PhD student in Applied Physics, has demonstrated a new way to produce recyclable plastic that retains the protective properties currently achieved by dyes. #ClimateChange #Sustainability #Climatech Read more about the projects here: https://bit.ly/4hkU3JU

What does the rise of AI mean for climate change? Professor Le Xie of Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences says energy regulators must get creative as computing demands from artificial intelligence strain the grid. Read more: https://lnkd.in/euEdyhqV