“a dry year will scare you to death, but a wet year will kill you.”

my papa’s words, often repeated by my dad, sum up the precarious balance farmers must strike between praying for rain and hoping you don’t get too much. growing up in robeson county, north carolina — an area at the heart of the swampy homelands of the lumbee tribe — i saw how the weather could swing year-to-year between drought conditions and floods, with dry spells prompting pastors to call for rain from the pulpit and wet years keeping farmers sidelined out of their fields.

my people have lived here since time immemorial, relying on deep ancestral knowledge to cultivate the land, but the 2024 growing season was a bundle of extremes hardly seen before. 

the summer began with only 1 inch of rain in june, the second driest june on record since 1895. farmers watched their crops struggle at a critical point in the growing season, with some counties going weeks without a single drop of rain.

then, in july, nearly 8 inches of water fell, making it the 11th wettest july in 130 years. this was a relief for farmers, but the rollercoaster ride wasn’t over yet. august brought nearly 10 inches of precipitation from tropical storm debby, wreaking havoc on crops still in the field through flooding and severe winds. while north carolina’s staple commodity crops like corn, soybeans, cotton, and tobacco struggled, one crop thrived through it all: hemp.

the resiliency and adaptability of hemp

hemp isn’t common in robeson county; in fact, my first real exposure to the plant came by chance last summer, when my dad, eddie moore, a farmer with 35 years of experience, participated in a hemp research trial. he planted a few acres in a back field near the cow pasture as a test, and was pleasantly surprised with how resilient the plant was through a less than ideal season.

speaking to the challenges of the flash drought, moore said, “the seed is pretty tough. during the dry spell, some seeds didn’t have enough soil moisture to germinate when planted, but they laid there patiently and came up later. i saw that the plant was really stressed with the drought, but it suffered right through until the rains came.”

and when the rain kept coming, he saw the plant soldier through again. “then it got really wet, and the hemp didn’t like that. but, it wasn’t a total disaster because the stem — the part used for fiber — was already made and we were still able to harvest it,” he said.

hemp’s resiliency last summer stands in stark contrast to the wilted corn and parched soybeans on nearby plots. as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns to the extremes in our homeland, lumbee farmers like my dad are on the hunt for alternative crops to keep the farm above water. could growing hemp be a viable way forward?

hemp is a fast-growing broadleaf plant often styled as a sustainability success story: it requires minimal inputs of fertilizer, pesticides and water to reach impressive yields; improving soil health and sequestering carbon; and restoring degraded ecosystems through phytoremediation (a process where plants absorb soil contaminants).

and, as my dad saw firsthand, hemp is shown to be very adaptable to the type of extreme weather north carolinians expect to face from climate change. while it’s easy to hear all that and get excited, experts say caution is warranted before casting hemp as a one-size-fits-all solution.

one solution of many

that’s how david suchoff, ph.d., assistant professor of alternative crops at nc state and lead researcher for my dad’s field trial, started our conversation in october: “i always tell folks to be very careful about selling hemp as a wonder crop. there’s no silver bullet to save us from climate change. it takes a system of solutions, of which hemp is a nice component.” 

in my dad’s case, he grew a particular variety of hemp whose fibers are useful for textiles. the focus on fiber was a strategic decision by suchoff, who knew farmers were wary of the boom and bust cycles associated with cbd hemp in previous years, and wanted to make sure that the next iteration of industrial hemp in nc had a more stable market.

to do that, suchoff built a research collaboration across the textile supply chain, connecting farmers to processors and textile engineers to end customers. why textiles? “just like agriculture, the textile industry is focusing on sustainability. textiles is a dirty industry from a number of aspects, from waste and water use to synthetics and microplastics. hemp fiber gives manufacturers a way to make the whole process more sustainable,” suchoff said. 

a more sustainable future is what motivated andre west, ph.d., associate professor and director of zies textiles extension at nc state, to focus on hemp fiber, too. my dad and i visited the nc state college of textiles in january where we toured a newly installed hemp fiber processing system meant to be a model for north carolina businesses interested in working with hemp blends.

west showed us around the production floor as he discussed ongoing work with the department of defense to design hemp uniforms for the u.s. military. he describes himself as a fashion designer at heart, but he has shifted his attention to raw material sourcing in the last decade. when asked why, west spoke with no hesitation: “this (being more sustainable to address climate change) is the most important thing in the world right now.” 

overcoming obstacles

if hemp is sustainable to grow and sustainable to use, then why isn’t it more widespread in the u.s.? pre-contact indigenous peoples throughout turtle island used native species of fiber hemp to create all manner of textiles, including ropes, nets, and clothing.

when europeans first arrived, they brought new strains of hemp with them and continued to use it for myriad purposes. but over time, a combination of factors — including the rise of cotton as a dominant cash crop, the proliferation of petroleum-based synthetic fibers, and the cultural stigmatization of psychoactive cannabis — led to a sharp decline in domestic hemp cultivation.

even though cotton is no longer as dominant and consumers are eager to shift away from synthetics, hemp production continues to be stymied by legacy government regulations that treat hemp much more strictly than other crops.

all three interviewees mentioned deregulation as a critical next step for greater hemp adoption. suchoff described the process in this way: “right now, under usda policy, hemp is hemp. it doesn’t matter if it’s cbd or grain or fiber. it’s all handled the same and a farmer has to get an fbi check to secure a license to grow it. then they have to get the crop tested for thc to make sure it’s under the legal limit, and that’s a lot of money.” 

the cost of regulation, high-quality seeds, and specialized equipment adds up quickly, creating a barrier to entry for farmers working with limited resources. the need for farmers to make a big initial investment for production is matched by high uncertainty among buyers in the market as they assess how willing consumers are to choose textiles made from hemp.

what’s next for hemp-growers in north carolina?

fiber hemp thrived in the drought-turned-deluge weather of north carolina last summer, but according to my dad, farmers need to know more than that before they start planting more acres. “what i’m interested in is finding out what the profit potential is. because ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. can we make money with this? can we survive growing it?” 

my dad’s question brings me back to my papa’s words. as lumbee people and a farming community, so much of our history is about figuring out how to survive as the world changes around us.

i can’t say for sure whether hemp will be a large part of our story, but i do know our people will find a way to survive. as my dad said, the success of hemp fiber depends not only on resilience in the field but also on its ability to offer a viable economic future for farmers. 

advocacy groups have long documented the republican party’s failure to act decisively on climate change. the league of environmental voters, an environmental advocacy group, keeps score of how often politicians vote for environmentally-friendly legislation. republicans consistently score worse than democrats. prominent party members like ted cruz, marco rubio and kevin mccarthy have lifetime scores of 3%, 7% and 4%, respectively.

legislators aren’t the only ones who disregard environmental concerns. a 2023 report from the yale program on climate change communications suggests around 44% of republicans are “doubtful” or “dismissive” of climate change. “doubtful” and “dismissive” are two of the six categories the yale program uses to describe how engaged certain demographics are with climate issues. 

although this group has a strong presence, it doesn’t describe the whole party. the same yale report indicated over one-quarter of republicans surveyed were “concerned” or “alarmed” about climate change. 

whether they work with a conservative climate group like the american conservation coalition or engage with environmental issues on their own terms, climate-oriented republicans are eager for legislative action that aligns with their values. understanding their perspectives will be essential to climate action during the next administration. 

an economic argument for climate action

the 2024 election revealed the extent to which economics weighed on americans’ minds. a gallup poll conducted in september found the economy was the issue voters were most likely to say was “extremely important” to their vote. 

katie zakrzewski, 26, said these heightened economic concerns create an opportunity to sell people on climate policy.

“i think there’s great economic gain in going environmentally friendly,” she said.

zakrzewski co-founded green tea party radio with two other young conservatives after realizing they could count the number of conservative environmental podcasts they liked on one hand. zakrzewski said she was excited by a clean energy transition’s potential to uplift struggling communities.

she referenced the inflation reduction act, which included landmark climate action legislation, and was passed by the biden administration in 2022. the legislation provides tax credits for electric vehicle purchases and increased tariffs on clean energy technology produced in china. a report from e2, a nonpartisan clean jobs advocacy group, estimated incentives from the inflation reduction act would generate 67,000 jobs and $2 billion in income for rural communities. 

republicans voted unanimously against the measure in 2022, though 78% of its investments went to republican-led districts. zakrzewski said the party complained about the price tag, but the fact that they still spent the money and are seeing results is “one of the strongest arguments for the benefits of addressing climate change.” 

president trump said he planned to go after the measure while on the campaign trail. but republican support for the measure appears to be shifting in its favor. a group of 18 house republicans signed a letter in august urging house speaker mike johnson to protect funds allocated by the act. 

david jenkins is the president of conservatives for responsible stewardship, a virginia-based nonprofit “founded on the premise that environmental stewardship and natural resource conservation are inherently conservative.” he said he’s concerned rolling back the measure would interfere with the direction the economy is taking. this is one possible conservative approach to evaluating fossil fuel alternatives: weighing their economic value. 

“put your faith in the market. if the market is saying solar is cheaper than making electricity with natural gas, then that’s fine,” jenkins said.

“all of the above” energy production

jeff kupfer is the president of conservamerica, a nonprofit conservation organization seeking to enact lasting policy that protects the environment and the economy. he said he hopes the trump administration will facilitate energy development in the u.s. across the board.

“we can’t just pick one or two types [of energy production] that we think are the right ones to pursue,” said kupfer. “we’re going to need all of the above.”

many republicans favor increasing fossil fuel production. however, their support for renewable energy is roughly equivalent. research from the pew center in 2023 found 73% of republicans supported increasing offshore oil and gas drilling but 70% supported building more solar farms.

part of increasing fossil fuel production could involve rolling back protections for public lands, a move that clashes with conservatives for responsible stewardship’s ethos. 

president trump indicated in campaign speeches that he plans to continue expanding oil and gas production in the u.s. he permitted drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge in alaska during his first term, a move that was widely criticized by environmental groups. jenkins said he expects trump will try again during his second term, and is concerned about what that could mean for vulnerable wildlife like the millions of birds who migrate to the refuge.

“that’s like the cradle of life of our country,” jenkins said. 

kupfer, on the other hand, said he’s open to the idea of opening more alaskan land for energy development. 

“looking at federal lands, not just for keeping them pristine and off-limits, but using them for various purposes is a reasonable approach to how we look at the country’s energy mix and public land usage,” kupfer said. 

conservatives can be environmentalists 

nicolas walker, a political science student at sam houston state university in texas, couldn’t get momentum going on a fundraiser for people impacted by hurricanes helene and milton. so the 22-year-old decided to switch tactics.

“i said, ‘you know what, i’m going to have to authorize boots on the ground.’” said walker. “but since i don’t have any executive authority, i had to put my own boots on the ground.”

on oct. 14, walker drove over 3,000 miles to florida to assist with recovery efforts. he spent a week traveling across impacted areas cleaning up debris, disinfecting houses afflicted with toxic mold and chatting with people affected by the disaster.

walker said he thinks partisan connotations behind the word “environmentalist” are part of the reason why conservatives don’t often use the label themselves.

“it conjures up this negative image of some hippie protesting on the side of the road or this guy throwing tomato soup on a van gough painting,” walker said. 

protesters with climate activism group just stop oil threw tomato soup on a van gough painting in an effort to draw attention to the climate crisis in october 2022. 

walker countered by pointing to environmental action under previous republican presidents. theodore roosevelt established the u.s. forest service, which manages nearly 200 million acres of public lands. richard nixon founded the environmental protection agency in 1971, which enforces federal environmental laws and cleans up toxic sites. george h. w. bush signed the clean air act, which is estimated to have prevented 120,000 emergency room visits associated with poor air quality as of 2020, according to epa data.

“i don’t believe that conservatism and environmentalism should oppose one another,” walker said. 

jenkins said he rarely gets pushback when talking to conservative groups about climate change, but the lack of party leadership on the issue can make it challenging for climate-concerned republicans to act. 

“it’s one of those problems that’s so big they don’t know what to do about it,” jenkins said. “and if their own party, the people they trust, are not offering solutions to them, then they don’t know what to do with that.”

since his audience “instinctually opposes” any policies proposed by democrats, jenkins says he uses liberal environmental policies as a foil to argue for republican-led climate action. his go-to phrase?

“the issue is too important to leave to the left.” 

but that’s not to say collaboration is off the table.

“it’s not about red [or] blue, it’s about green,” said walker. “no matter what state you’re in, no matter who the state voted for, you could benefit from pragmatic policy and conservation.”

in 2019, i read “the culture map” by erin meyer. the book came to me as an assignment from my boss at the time. we were building a team to take on global climate action with people from different countries, developing projects across five continents. cultural diversity was intrinsic to our day to day work, and my boss was embarking us on a journey to better understand how to navigate it.

in her book, meyer identifies eight scales that she believes are critical to understand when working with different cultures: communication, evaluation, persuasion, leading, decision-making, trusting, disagreeing, and scheduling. according to meyer, the interplay of these scales creates a culture’s map, and understanding where each culture lands on each of these scales helps us engage more effectively with others.

reading this book was eye-opening. suddenly, all the challenges we faced in our global team began to make sense.

i have been reflecting on these ideas a lot lately. in the lead-up to and during last november’s cop29, or the conference of the parties of the united nations climate change conference, i found myself thinking how meyer’s culture map might translate into international climate negotiation space. what role do cultural differences play when nearly 200 parties come together to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time?

implications in the international climate space

negotiations on climate finance took center stage at the recent cop29. the conference of the parties faced high expectations regarding the new collective quantified goal, with tension between developed and developing countries over the target amount, who should contribute, and the mechanisms for doing so.

in the end, delegations in baku agreed to a goal of $300 billion annually by 2035. this target triples the previous $100 billion goal but falls significantly short of the $1 trillion developing countries were advocating for. the results have significant implications, given the direct relationship between countries’ ambitions and the availability of financial resources.

from 11,400 km (7,083 mi) away, i followed the negotiations in baku, azerbaijan, captivated by the tensions between developing and developed countries over climate finance. it reminded me that i was able to experience a glimpse of these tensions in an entirely different setting. 

one afternoon, during a discussion about the quantified goal in my climate finance class — a culturally diverse classroom — i witnessed 18 of us each wanting a different outcome, and i couldn’t stop thinking about this challenge for negotiators. beyond identifying a way to reach consensus on complex issues, negotiators must navigate a room filled with representatives from nearly 200 different cultures.

it struck me that meyer’s cultural scales could be just as relevant in climate negotiations as they are in business contexts. in particular, one question kept popping into my mind: how do different approaches to trust influence the outcomes of global climate agreements?

building trust across cultures

driven by the culture map and a series of life events that deepened my love for multicultural spaces, i decided to take a class on building trust across cultures during my master’s program. this class was taught by professor jacqueline (jacqui) oliveira, a leading expert in intercultural communication and trust-building, with more than 30 years of experience as an intercultural consultant. intrigued by the intersection of trust and culture, i met with her to ask her some questions about the role trust could have in international climate negotiations.

jacqui began working on intercultural trust in 2010 when she started asking clients what they needed for their multicultural business ventures to thrive. she recalls how the word “trust” kept coming up in their responses and said: “i started asking, ‘and what does that (trust) look like?’… and that’s where culture was really magnified, because what looked like trustworthy behavior in one culture can look completely the opposite in another culture.”

despite the varied expressions of trust across different cultures, jacqui emphasized its universal importance: “trust is ubiquitous. i have never met a culture that says we don’t need trust,” and continued: “…if you want things to happen, if you want people to be open to sharing information, to not withhold information, to be open about maybe a mistake that was made, be open about questioning authority. if you want that, you have to have trust.”

“(trust is) essential!” jacqui said in exclamation, adding, “intercultural communication, intercultural trust will tackle global challenges.”

author meyer identifies communication styles as one of the eight crucial scales to understand when dealing with different cultures. for jacqui, this is especially important in settings like international negotiations: “with regard to the many parties … communication styles are really different, and this is really important.”

she highlighted three different communication styles that are strongly influenced by culture: linear-active, multiactive, and reactive communication styles. she also emphasized how non-verbal cues can convey a depth of information.

as explained by jacqui in her class, linguist richard lewis defines these three communication styles as what he calls the lewis model: 

• linear-active communication is task-oriented. in this style, communication between the parties is methodical and linear. it follows linear procedures where one person speaks and the other one responds.the focus is on understanding facts and confrontation is approached with logic. 
• multiactive communication is dialogue-oriented. in this style, communication between parties is spontaneous and gregarious. this style is often associated with storytelling. the focus is to understand the impact the situation has on the group and confrontation occurs emotionally. 
• finally, reactive communication is listening-oriented, marked by patience, silence, and thoughtful responses. the focus is to understand the message’s intent and confrontation occurs with calmness.

during our conversation, jacqui and i recalled something we had studied in her class – what she called the three golden rules to build trust across cultures. the first rule is to know yourself, the second one is to be curious to understand culture, yours and others, and the third is to be open to change.

it’s important for professionals in international climate negotiation spaces to know themselves and their own culture.

“be mindful of your own biases and that includes good biases or bad biases,” jacqui said. “be involved with people who have a different mindset than yours. know what you’re walking into. learn. learn about them, and be open to change.”

a word of advice

global climate negotiations can feel very distant for those who are not participating in them. i asked jacqui what actions individuals can take, from a trust-building perspective, to contribute to a world more resilient and collaborative in addressing global challenges. 

“i think what every person on the planet can do, is really what victor franckl said,” she said.

“…there are three ways that people responded to the horrors of the holocaust. some people responded as victims – how could this happen to me? how could this be?” jacqui said. “some people responded as what he called capos, which is, you align yourself with the one in power. you become friends with it … and the third kind, he said, is the one who really understood what their purpose was.”

she continued with two practical and challenging pieces of advice:

“talk. talk to the people that you hate the most, which is so hard to do, but if you have a mindset of saving the planet …that will change who’s on your team.”

“everybody has something special. and (frankl’s) point was: know what you have, learn what your purpose is, and live it.”

amid rising temperatures, increasing floods, and intensifying storms, americans are seeing the effects of climate change but research shows they frequently have opposing views on how to address its impact. 

while the science is clear, polarized public opinion make response to the climate crisis a challenge, as shown in recent research from the proceedings of the national academy of sciences (pnas) nexus and a 2016 report from pew research center. as the 2030 deadline approaches to cut global greenhouse gasses by 47% outlined in the paris climate accords, reaching a consensus is becoming critical despite growing conflict between opposing groups.

but there are a few nonpartisan public and private climate organizations working to appeal to all parts of the political spectrum. by combating climate change through shared interests, they hope to benefit communities by directly connecting americans to the environment. 

connecting communities, big and small

since its founding in 1986, the rails-to-trails conservancy has created more than 41,400 miles of nature trails for public use. vice president of trail development at rails-to-trails liz thorstensen said she is working on building a network of walking/biking trails communities and commuters could use. 

a national network of interconnected trails and “active transportation” has the potential to cut as much as 12 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to a 2019 rails-to-trails report.

thorstensen said every trail rails-to-trails project is meant to be interconnected with other trails to create more access for communities by going through both residential and commercial areas. 

“in a lot of communities your only choice is to get around in a car,” thorstensen said. “we want to increase those transportation choices.”

thorstensen said rails-to-trails receives their funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, giving funding for local projects alleviating the effects of climate change and benefiting other areas of the economy. rails-to-trails also ensures funding granted to state governments is going towards creating trails.

specifically, according to the rail-to-trails conservancy website, they receive funding from a subset of the bipartisan infrastructure law called the reconnecting communities pilot program (rcp). the rcp provides $1 billion in funding for projects relating to “restore community connectivity,” by creating infrastructure related to areas such as mobility. 

“it gave us an unprecedented amount of funding for our movement,” thorstensen said in reference to the bipartisan infrastructure law and rcp. 

beyond the environmental health benefits and its funding, thorstensen said rails-to-trails recognizes communities have different priorities for what type of trail they want. to make sure these communities take advantage of the trail when it is in place, they connect with community members and local organizations. there are often a wide range of opinions and concerns. 

for example, some communities in the upper midwest requested their trails have outdoor lights along them as it gets darker outside sooner in the winter and residents still want to be able to safely use them. 

some other projects thorstensen said they worked on were the baltimore greenway trails network, with a metropolitan population of 2.8 million, and milwaukee route of the badger, with a metropolitan population of 1.4 million. 

one of the bigger projects the organization is working on is the great american rail-trail spanning 12 states and 3,700 miles.

“the key is actually engaging with the different stakeholders depending on where the corridor travels through,” thorstensen said. 

protecting beloved spaces

coastal communities are often the ones taking the hardest hits during hurricane season. the 2024 season was the second costliest on record, according to the scalia laboratory at ohio university, and produced five major hurricanes, including multiple rated as category 5.

climate central, a nonprofit researching the impacts of climate change, reported hurricane wind speeds increased by an average of 9 to 28 miles per hour in 2024 due to elevated sea surface temperatures caused by climate change.

“you had communities that had no dunes, no real beaches, and they got destroyed,” said dan ginolfi, senior vice president at warwick group consultants, llc. 

warwick group is a private firm assisting businesses and government entities with coastal infrastructure and flooding projects. ginolfi is working with coastal local governments such as in new jersey and florida to add more beach nourishment, such as sand and dunes, to combat hurricanes causing flooding.

according to data shared by ginolfi, coastal communities spend roughly $175 million to $200 million on beach nourishment per year to combat flooding. maintaining the beaches by adding new sediment supports beach tourism, generating approximately $520 billion in return, ginolfi said. for every $1 spent on beach nourishment, ginolfi said this yields $3,000 in economic return for the community. 

ginolfi often talks with people in these coastal communities who do not attribute flooding issues and beach erosion to climate change. but to these individuals, he said, there is “no doubt” rising sea levels and hurricanes are destroying tourism in their communities. 

“mother nature doesn’t see boundaries,” ginolfi said. “mother nature doesn’t see politics.”

besides extreme weather events, he said these communities also face “sunny-day flooding,” or when areas flood during normal high tides rather than storms. the national oceanic and atmospheric association reports sunny-day flooding has increased from 400% to 1,100% compared to the year 2000. 

ginolfi said he works on getting the authorization for communities to spend money for beach restoration/nourishment projects through the water resource development act, which provides funding for flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration for communities affected by flooding. he also said there can also be state and county assistance depending on the area. 

ginolfi said there’s something “particularly american” about the pastime of going to the beach, as he noted many people will drive from places like pittsburgh, pennsylvania, all the way to myrtle beach, south carolina, to experience coastal relaxation. 

he also said these coastal areas are not only where people vacation, but also where they live, retire, and work.  

“when i’m at the beach, i look around and i just remind myself that, wow, everybody’s having the time of their life,” ginolfi said. 

shared passions break barriers 

the national audubon society, headquartered in new york city, seeks to protect birds and the places they habit. according to the organization’s website, part of their mission is to reach “across aisles. across landscapes. across borders.” 

sam wojcicki, the senior director of climate policy at the national audubon society, said he is working toward building a healthier planet for the birds through state and federal legislation. 

“as many as two thirds of north american bird species could go extinct if we fail to address the climate crisis,” wojcicki said in reference to the organization’s research. 

he said audubon works to prevent their risk of extinction by advocating for cleaner and renewable energy such as offshore and solar. the challenge, according to wojcicki, is what society wants to spend their money on is not necessarily renewable energy. 

but like for rails-to-trails, these economic concerns are alleviated under the federal government. for audubon, renewable energy programs are not only funded under the biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law but also inflation reduction act, giving funding to projects like renewable energy.

in “most cases” renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel-based energies, according to a report from the united nations. and according to a 2023 report from the international renewable energy agency, an intergovernmental group focused on the energy transition, after decades of falling costs and improved performance in solar and wind technologies, the economic benefits are “now compelling.”

rather than directly advocating for new forms of renewable energy or supporting any one political party, wojcicki said audubon instead shows the public how climate change is affecting the connection between birds and people.

“most people do not spend their days thinking about energy, but there are a lot of people who think about the birds,” wojcicki said. 

before joining audubon, wojcicki worked for rep. sean casten (d-ill.) where he learned people put their guard up when having a conversation about climate change or transitioning to renewable energy, but they were emotionally affected when hearing about birds going extinct. wojcicki said many americans have bird feeders in their backyard or like to go bird watching. 

“everybody’s got a bird story,” he said. 

to americans there is a “powerful” presence of nature and interest in the diversity of species in our environment, he said, which makes people care about birds. this means, wojcicki said, the national audubon society can have conversations with the public about the warning signs of climate change, and how these changes could impact the birds living by their homes, and in their communities.

“it’s not a story about politics,” wojcicki said. “it’s a story about nature.”

washington – only nine years after the signing of the paris agreement — a landmark treaty promoting international cooperation to combat climate change  — global carbon emissions are out of line with paris’ global warming targets, the international monetary fund (imf) reported in a staff climate notes report this month. 

the imf report calculated that greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 25% to meet a 2 degrees target or 50% to reach 1.5 degrees. currently, national targets would result in only a 12% drop in emissions. 

they prescribed urgent action to avoid an “emissions cliff edge,” which would make limiting global warming to only 1.5 degrees celsius, and even 2 degrees celsius, unattainable by 2030. 

“we’re in the greatest transition since the last industrial revolution,” said simon stiell, executive secretary of the united nations framework convention on climate change, at an imf climate panel in washington, d.c., wednesday. 

the paris agreement target

at the 21st conference of the parties to the un framework convention on climate change (cop21) in 2015, the paris agreement set a target of ideally 1.5 degrees celsius and “well below” 2 degrees celsius, beginning in november 2016. 

environmental economist and stanford professor charles kolstad, who was not present at the imf panel on wednesday, said it was not surprising that current national contributions were not aligned with the target warming rates. he added that, while the 2 degrees target is helpful in measuring progress, it was a political agreement, rather than a scientific goal. 

“it’s a helpful goal to have,” he said. “just because they didn’t meet the goal doesn’t mean it didn’t serve its purposes.”

“if we don’t achieve 50% by 2030, we’re going to see what we call a ‘climate cliff,’” imf deputy managing director bo li said at the imf panel. “we’d have to do dramatic reduction in the next 30 years after 2030, and that might be unbearable for the global economy.”

the panel focused on “mitigation,” or strategies to lessen the destructive impact of climate change. stanford professor rob jackson, who was not present at the panel, said mitigation is essential to “stave off the worst damages of climate change.”  

mitigation through carbon pricing

one of the mitigation strategies presented by the report was setting a carbon price of $85 per tonne, which would align emissions with the 2 degrees celsius target. in order to reach the 1.5 degrees celsius target, the price would have to be much higher. 

carbon pricing is a strategy that attaches a financial cost to carbon emissions, passing on part of the burden of emissions to polluters and consumers. currently, the imf reports the global carbon price to be only $5 per tonne. 

some u.s. states have adopted emission permit programs to indirectly raise carbon prices. climate policies, such as subsidies, can also impact carbon pricing, kolstad said. still, there is no comprehensive federal or international carbon pricing program. 

“carbon pollution is essentially free in the u.s.,” jackson said. 

during the panel, li suggested that large economies should take the lead on negotiating an international carbon pricing floor, adding that carbon pricing is critical to climate mitigation policy. 

the need for international collaboration

he also noted that climate action demands international cooperation, referencing last year’s sunnylands statement, in which the u.s. and china reaffirmed their commitment to working jointly against the climate crisis. 

“climate change is such an existential threat to humanity that we believe, and we hope, that countries can put aside their differences and collaborate,” li said. “we can collaborate on many fronts, including carbon pricing, including climate finance.”

the imf report also provides emissions targets aligned with the paris goals for 2030, averaging the reductions between countries based on their per-capita income. this design would provide for a more equitable distribution of climate responsibility, placing more of the burden on richer countries. 

during the panel, li highlighted how countries with lower levels of pollution are often most affected by climate change, such as island countries in the pacific and caribbean. he added that, even within countries, certain groups will be more disadvantaged by the transition to reduce emissions and urged domestic policymakers to support the affected groups.

next month, almost 200 countries are expected to attend cop29 in baku, azerbaijan. nicknamed the “finance cop,” the conference will center on funding climate solutions. 

cop29 hopes to renew ambition surrounding climate action and increase financial support for developing countries hoping to transition to cleaner energy, mukhtar babayev, cop29 president-designate said at the imf panel. 

at cop29, countries may also present updated national contributions, or emissions strategies. per the paris agreement, these are due by early 2025.

rapid ocean warming poses existential challenges to maine’s largest commercial fishery. stress induced by rising temperatures can make lobsters more susceptible to shell disease, compromising their ability to reproduce successfully. in warmer waters, tiny copepods eaten by larval lobsters are growing smaller and shifting their seasonal migration patterns. this results in less nutritious food for baby lobsters, greater mismatch between lobster larvae release and food availability, and fewer juveniles surviving into adulthood. in the wake of these changes, experts predict that lobsters will increasingly seek refuge in colder, deeper waters and migrate northward toward canada. 

transcript: generally, we are seeing a pattern of lobster shifting further into the northeast region of the gulf of maine into cooler, deeper waters during certain life stages. but, that doesn’t necessarily imply that they’ve all migrated there or moved or marched up from southern new england. it will be more about redistribution of where lobsters are more available, which relates to how readily some people compared to others can capitalize on those different changes. and perhaps abundances returning to early or mid-2000s landing levels rather than staying at that peak that we have known in more recent years.

kat maltby, ph.d., postdoctoral research associate in the integrated systems ecology lab at the gulf of maine research institute (gmri).

notably, ocean warming has supported a boom in maine’s lobster industry and a bust in southern new england. in the gulf of maine, temperatures have become optimal for lobster reproduction and species range shifts have contributed to record commercial catch. yet, experts predict that rapid warming will only exacerbate the volatility of maine’s lobster industry, posing novel challenges to fishers and business owners to adapt alongside the shifting crustaceans.

on the frontlines: lobster fishers

ivan bly started lobstering in midcoast maine when he was young. today, he hauls commercial traps from the iris irene, a boat named after his grandmother, irene, and 12-year-old daughter, iris. alongside her father, iris has been lobstering her entire life. “we’ve had her out here before she remembered. we used to put her in a lobster crate,” bly said.

bly lobsters out of tenants harbor, where his state commercial fishing license allows him 800 traps within an established fishing zone. state and federal licenses are coveted and scarce in maine, requiring extensive apprenticeship, extended processing times, and expensive permitting costs. those born into the lobster industry are entering increasingly precarious waters, where rigid rules and regulations preoccupy fishers and lack adaptive measures for climate impacts.

bly recognizes ocean warming and its contribution to maine’s lobster boom. he also knows the challenges and costs of fishing in deeper waters. “when you go further out, it costs more money, and it’s a bigger risk. you need bigger rope, heavier, bigger traps,” he said.

yet, faced with the annual volatility of a dynamic industry, his anxieties are resigned to the short-term: “i think we’ll kill the industry with chemicals and nonsense before that. warming is the least of my concerns. when the water warms up that much, i’ll be long gone.” for bly, “nonsense” includes the environmental and economic costs of chemical pollution, offshore wind development, and inconsistent rope and trap regulations for north atlantic right whale protection.

contributing to bly’s focus on pollution and regulation is the rigid territoriality built into the culture and permitting of the lobster industry. while a commercial fisher can move their traps within a permitted zone, they risk retaliation and violence from encroaching on another fisher’s territory.

according to bly, “you’d be welcomed with shotguns and knife blades” if you messed with another’s traps. notably, a state license prohibits fishing in federal waters further offshore and can rarely be transferred to a different zone within state waters.

in this rigid framework, fishers like bly cannot follow lobsters into northern, deeper waters beyond where their permit allows. “the fishing grounds do move. different areas have had great fishing and hopefully, we get our turn. but, you gotta fish where you live,” bly said.

from sea to table: lobster shacks

in maine’s coastal economy, changes in the water directly affect livelihoods on land. in bar harbor, patti staples is the owner and manager of the happy clam shack, where hand-picked meat is enjoyed by consumers in iconic lobster rolls.

since 2015, staples has operated a sea-to-table business that values quality over quantity. to do so, she buys catch directly from local fishers and picks the lobster meat in-shack each morning. having experienced increased costs, decreased tourism, and supply chain shortages during the pandemic, staples sees ocean warming as another existential threat to her business and local suppliers.

“if they don’t have their product, we don’t have their product, and the families don’t have their product. if the gulf doesn’t stop warming up, they’re going to crawl into canada,” she said.

profit and catch in the lobster industry fluctuate with consumer demand and market price. for instance, in 2023, maine experienced its lowest lobster haul in 15 years, as inflated fuel and bait costs disincentivized fishers to get on the water. yet, the second-highest price ever recorded ($4.95 per pound) contributed to a noticeable rebound from lower profits in 2022.

ocean warming will only exacerbate these unpredictable boom and bust cycles. as warming decreases regional productivity and increases operational costs, per-pound prices will reflect the increased effort and resources needed for fishing in deeper waters. as a result, staples anticipates higher costs for herself and her customers. 

transcript: unfortunately, we will see the prices go up. we won’t see as many businesses like our lobster pound being able to sustain if we don’t have a product. if it gets too costly, a lot of people — the families we want here to enjoy our lobster — won’t be able to afford it. and if our fisherman aren’t catching their product and they are paying all this money for their sternmen, their gas, their bait, how are they going to be able to sustain also? it’s scary. we don’t want to see our product leave.

patti staples, owner and manager of happy clam shack

what’s next for maine’s warming waters and its lobsters?

since ocean warming intersects with the economic and regulatory challenges facing fishers like bly and business owners like staples, climate adaptation is an opportunity to build a more resilient, productive, and profitable industry. at the gulf of maine research institute (gmri), kat maltby, ph.d., studies the social resilience of imperiled fisheries to inform adaptive planning in maine’s lobster industry. to her, adapting to warming waters requires a holistic management approach in collaboration with industry, government, and the scientific community.

transcript: there’s an opportunity for us to be more integrated in joining efforts to think more holistically about supporting resilience. when we talk about adaptation strategies, we need to talk about that in the context of all the other issues the industry is concerned about and think holistically about the future needs of the fishery and the industry together. just thinking about climate change in a silo risks maladaptive strategies or implementing strategies and solutions that might not work as effectively or successfully because there are other drivers of change that haven’t been considered.

kat maltby, ph. d., gulf of maine research institute

for fishers, she emphasizes empowering a sense of agency over diverse livelihood options, including:

• directly changing fishing practices or shifting fishing grounds, if possible.
• moving into direct sales with consumers to increase the value of lobster products. 
• diversifying into other fisheries or marine occupations like aquaculture and kelp farming.  
• participating in science-industry partnerships and management decision-making at the state, regional, and federal levels.

maltby upholds that the burden of adaptation should not be on fishers alone. she contends that all levels of the industry must adapt simultaneously. this includes changing processing and handling capacities in the supply chain in order to enable diversification into other fisheries.

she also recommends maintaining working waterfronts that protect coastal properties for commercial fishing and aquaculture use. lastly, maltby supports the creation of more flexible permitting structures that incorporate information and decision-making from lobster fishers like bly.

while lobster redistribution is inevitable in maine’s warming waters, fishers already follow strict sustainable fishing standards that support stable, resilient lobster populations in the gulf of maine. these practices include notching the tails of egg-bearing females and measuring catch to ensure small juveniles and large, reproducing lobsters remain in the water.

transcript: ivan: is it a boy or girl? iris: girl. ivan: does it have a v-notch? eggs?

a gmri study found that the lack of protections on larger reproductive lobsters in southern new england made the population less resilient to warmer waters, contributing to its collapse. on the contrary, conservation measures in the gulf of maine supported a lobster boom and can mitigate expected productivity declines. given maine’s lobster fishery is already resilient due to sustainable management, maltby sees hope and opportunity for the broader industry to operate in warming waters. “it’s not all doom and gloom. this really provides us an opportunity to think about the kinds of futures we want.”

transcript: climate change is a very big risk and has a lot of impacts now and will continue to have for many coastal communities in maine. but, it is not all doom and gloom. this provides an opportunity for us to think about the kind of futures that we want and think about the processes that allow us to get there. drawing on more innovative and creative ideas and solutions. really connecting people who haven’t necessarily been able to exchange ideas and information before. it doesn’t have to be such a gloom-and-doom narrative.

kat maltby, ph. d., gulf of maine research institute

climate change is threatening people globally, but it also presents business opportunities through innovation and sustainability, said bea perez, global chief communications, sustainability, and strategic partnerships officer at coca-cola.

perez addressed hundreds of global influencers and upcoming mba entrepreneurs at northwestern university’s kellogg climate conference this spring. perez and other corporate leaders advocated for sustainability during the impending climate crisis linked to rising temperatures, economic instability, weather disasters and water insecurity. 

the conference drew on expertise from the energy, transportation, agriculture, food, finance and other sectors to leverage solutions, such as the generating enough electricity and parts to transition to electric fleets for corporate shipping and mass transit. 

an anticipated $1.3 trillion in investment will be needed to innovate and curb climate pain points companies have inflamed in recent years, turning the spotlight on the sustainability leaders globally. 

perez focused on coca-cola’s recent sustainability efforts and errors at the conference hosted by the kellogg school of management and northwestern’s paula m. trienens institute of sustainability and energy. 

evaluating big business’s responsibility to mitigate climate change

kellogg brought corporate leaders from companies including exxon-mobil, invenergy, and general motors under one roof to educate and prepare future business leaders to prioritize sustainability and innovation. 

there’s two things everybody should understand about climate — where do greenhouse gasses come from and how are industries and companies following through on climate mitigation goals, said meghan busse, associate professor of strategy at the kellogg school of management. 

perez combined the outlook for commercial profitability and sustainability to evaluate what roles the fortune 500 company plays in prioritizing the climate as a key strategy in decisions, not just an offshoot program. 

her theme was accountability — owning up to coca-cola’s mistakes and reimagining the company’s more recent role in mitigating climate change. some steps included changing bottle design and water conservation. 

“don’t you think we have a responsibility as a business to manage those resources [water and carbon] and do better?” perez said.

taking accountability

by reducing the amount of carbon used to produce a singular coca cola product by 25%, perez said the company found a loophole when they first tried to focus on sustainability. 

their per unit carbon usage was down, but since business was growing, it let coca-cola grow their carbon emissions in “absolute terms,” perez said. 

“we made a mistake,” perez said. “and so just as any smart business group would do… we had to reset the plan.”

in other words, coca-cola needed to establish new targets that held all aspects of their business accountable in lowering their carbon emissions – and not just their production line. 

perez also recognized the role fortune 500 companies play in restoring resources like water. 

“you can’t have a conversation about climate, unless you talk about water,” perez said.  

coca-cola established three goals hoping to restore all the water they use for production globally: using 100% regenerative water across 175 facilities facing “high water stress,” improving 60 watersheds’ health, and returning two trillion liters of water to communities. 

in 2021, coca-cola introduced regenerative water as a metric for achieving their sustainability goals. the concept includes reducing, reusing, recycling and replenishing water to communities for nature and other stakeholders to use, according to their 2021 sustainability report. 

perez’s talk put more responsibility on corporations to work on climate change mitigation, rather than falling on the consumer. 

“water is a human right… a lot of places in developed countries don’t have water regulation. if you go into emerging markets, they typically do. and so how do you make sure there’s [a] great water policy in place for people and for society?”

emphasizing community

perez said that between 2018 to 2022, there were only 18 days, on average, between every billion-dollar disaster, compared to 82 days in the 1980s. 

coca-cola shifted its value proposition from getting communities to spend money on their products to investing back into the communities where resources are acquired from.

“if you don’t have strong communities, you don’t have businesses,” perez said. 

“water still will always be number one, but it cuts in many slices… some people say, ‘we saw you met your target five years ahead of schedule, so what are you doing today?’” perez said. 

she said coca-cola is now working to replenish 100% of the water it uses. 

room for improvement

despite getting ahead of their target, coca-cola falls short compared to the company’s leading food and beverage competitor: pepsico.

pepsico used 1.4 liters of water per liter of beverage product produced, according to their water stewardship approach, which is 0.39 liters less than of coca-cola’s usage in their latest business and sustainability report. 

perez also spoke about the importance of independent auditing for environmental, social and governmental reporting. 

“imagine if it were just coca-cola saying, ‘hey, we did this,’” perez said. “do you think you would believe me? this is a little bit like a conflict of interest, right?” 

esg reporting involves publicly disclosing information about environmental, social and governmental business operations, according to the corporate governance institute. 

coca-cola made the switch to sustainability report auditing through ernst and young, a multinational professional services company, in 2015. 

coca-cola was one of the first in the pack, since only 2% of fortune 500 companies started esg reporting back then, perez said. 

perez urged audience members to look up coca-cola’s business and sustainability reports, which replaced the reports that were originally only geared towards quantifying how well the company was reaching sustainability targets.   

the transition came after coca-cola realized it was sending “unintended signals” that they had two separate reports, perez said. 

“it would look as if it [sustainability] wasn’t important to our business,” perez said. “frankly, you saw throughout those charts how important it [sustainability] is to our business].”

a data-informed approach

coca-cola incorporates a next-generation data platform to track and manage progress against esg metrics and has abided by the sustainability accounting standards board standards since 2020, according to their 2021 reporting frameworks and sustainable development goals. 

the company focuses on water leadership, packaging, climate, sustainable agriculture and communities in their esg report, according to their 2022 business and sustainability report. 

“we integrated the data,” perez said. “we made sure that we have the same standard that we have in our financial reporting as we have in here — [the esg report].”

currently, companies are only required to report scope 1 and scope 2 criteria, which involve reporting greenhouse gas emissions from sources an organization directly owns and from indirect energy sources the company has purchased, according to the securities and exchange commission. 

scope 3, emissions that the company does not produce by itself and are not from the companies’ assets, and water consumption reporting are still not required by the sec.

navigating the future of esg reporting

currently, coca-cola’s reporting has been voluntary in the u.s., so accountability hasn’t come at a penalty cost, yet. 

but what happens when the sec enforces mandatory esg reporting?

on march 6, the sec adopted rules to “enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures by public companies,” according to the sec’s enhancement and standardization of climate-related disclosures for investors. 

while declaring water-usage was proposed as an inclusion  for the final rule, it was ultimately axed to simplify requirements and prevent putting a “topical focus” on any one climate-related disclosure, according to the disclosure. 

coca-cola has already begun anticipating the sec’s future moves towards making sustainability reporting mandatory.  

 perez said she tells her team to consider how much voluntary reporting they’re doing that could impact mandatory reporting in the future. 

“if you report work you’re really not doing, with the sec rules, you’re going to have personal fines to executives, criminal penalties potentially. so the stakes are higher,” perez said. 

according to the united nations, in 2022, two billion people worldwide did not have access to safe drinking water, and only 0.5 percent of water on the planet was usable freshwater. to help combat this water insecurity, we use desalination, a process implemented globally to increase the amount of fresh water available by removing salt and other pollutants from seawater and brackish water. desalination, while an effective method of producing freshwater, is not without its challenges.

the process produces brine, a waste product of highly concentrated salt water. but what if this waste product could be used to create something positive?

elizabeth north, ph.d., a scientist and professor at the university of maryland center for environmental science, and her team of researchers are currently developing a biomanufacturing process that uses brine to produce calcium carbonate, a chemical compound needed in various industries.

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

the research team is led by umces professor elizabeth north with co-principal investigator ryan hoover from the maryland institute college of art as well as collaborators from purdue university, salisbury university and facilitated solutions, llc. this project is funded by the national science foundation’s convergence accelerator (https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/convergence-accelerator) program. launched in 2019, the nsf convergence accelerator builds upon nsf’s investment in basic research and discovery to accelerate solutions toward societal and economic impact.

mykal bailey is a rising junior at howard university. she is studying film and political science, and is a passionate advocate for environmental justice and climate solutions.

additional reporting by emma marold, rising senior at suny-esf, majoring in environmental studies.

this story was produced as part of the planet forward summer seminar in multimedia storytelling.

if electric vehicles (evs) are charging us into the future, range anxiety could be hitting the brakes. according to jd power, ev sales grew last year at a 50% pace, reaching one million units. by 2025, electric vehicle sales could comprise almost 20% of new car sales. 

• range anxiety is the fear that an electric vehicle will not have enough battery charge to reach its destination, leaving occupants worried about being stranded. 

why it matters: carbon emitted from internal combustion engines account for 28% of greenhouse gases emitted annually, according to 2022 data. as contributors to climate change, many are arguing that motor companies have the responsibility to introduce innovative solutions such as evs and hybrid models to mitigate additional harm to the planet.

range anxiety is particularly threatening to the long term ev transition because consumers are hesitant about long distance travels along stretches of road where there may be fewer ev charging stations.

early this year, reports found that electric vehicle sales had slowed as more consumers turned to hybrid models as their primary means of transportation. however, while tesla continues to struggle, politico recently reported that ev sales by traditional auto manufacturers saw a 75% increase this april. with dynamic shifts happening in the industry, auto-manufacturers’ responses to range anxiety in consumers could make or break annual sales. 

the big picture: to ensure a smooth and steady transition to electric vehicles, motor companies must address range anxiety and quell consumer apprehension.

• even with more long-range options and increased charging stations, battery-powered cars are making some drivers anxious. a survey from aaa showed that about 75% of respondents were undecided or unlikely to purchase an ev due to concerns about charging infrastructure and range anxiety. however, survey results showed that younger generations were most open to purchasing an ev (31% of millennials).
• in a june 2022 survey by forbes magazine, americans were found to be worried about range regardless of their geographic location. however, drivers in the midwest were most stressed about charging on the go, despite efforts to increase fast-charging stations along major highways. 
• a reported 78% of ev owners report that feelings of range anxiety decrease with increased driving and vehicle knowledge. 
• auto manufacturers such as ford motor company have designed apps that help alleviate range anxiety and instill confidence in the consumer. their fordpass app, for example, provides ancillary equipment and technology that allows users to set their departure times, pre-heat/cool the battery, and prepare the vehicle for long distance travel. 

range confidence 

car manufacturers are working to instill range confidence, as opposed to range anxiety. according to jp helveston, assistant professor at george washington university in the department of engineering management and systems engineering, the key to range confidence is building higher-range evs. “while battery prices have fallen exponentially, oems (original equipment manufacturers) have decided to make longer-range evs instead of less expensive, and smaller range, evs. this has translated into an ev market in the us with longer-range, and very, very heavy, evs than anywhere else in the world, but at the expense of affordability,” helveston said. 

the primary focal point when it comes to range confidence is understanding how much people use the vehicle on a daily basis. ford’s research found that people are driving anywhere from 15 to 50 miles per day (which is well within what studies have found to be typical average of 26.4 minutes). 

several factors impact a car’s energy usage, including heating and cooling systems. in certain ford models, such as the mach-e suv and f-150 lightning, the console displays a chart mapping out how much energy is consumed. 

driving behaviors also impact a car’s range. a driver going at a rapid acceleration of 80 miles per hour on the highway will likely experience a rapid decline in energy compared to a driver going at a steady 30 miles per hour. 

according to whitney pineda, technology communications manager at ford motor company, the key to instilling range confidence lies in understanding how consumers are using their vehicle and helping them find the right vehicle for a great experience. 

while the consumer is responsible for choosing a vehicle that makes sense for their needs, pineda said that education about charging and how to condition their vehicle are crucial to easing the transition for ev drivers. 

“if you are getting ready to hit the road with the family, you are packing up your car and running around the house and may quickly want to check the vehicle and charge information,” pineda said. 

ford offers the fordpass app as the one stop shop for this type of information. owners of ford vehicles can download the app and link an account to their vehicle’s vin. using the interface, they can track their vehicle’s status and performance including fuel and charge levels, as well as vehicle health alerts.

the big transition

while jd power agreed that evs are still in the ‘early adopter phase’ at the end of 2023. sam trentin, a 75-year-old michigander and owner of a f-150 lightning, lives in escanaba and first became interested in purchasing the lightning after seeing television advertisements on electric vehicles. 

“i knew i wanted electric, but i wanted a pickup,” trentin said. “i bought it because of the environment.” trentin’s desire to help the climate may have been the motivation behind his purchase, but he loves the truck itself. beyond its strengths in sustainability, trentin said the car is much smoother than gas and boasts better acceleration. “i love it,” he said, firmly. but issues relating to weather and charging have posed threats to his adoration for the truck. 

as a resident of escanaba, michigan, where daily low temperatures often fall between 23°f to 15°f, and can drop below 0° during peak winter months, trentin relies on a car that can charge him through the cold weather. “the problem is the cold; i have issues when it gets into the 20s,” trentin said. “the cold impacts the mileage.” 

the phenomenon trentin is referring to is neither new nor surprising, and where battery preconditioning is helpful. the cold slows down the chemical process that electric vehicle batteries use to store and release energy. as a result, ev owners like trentin must deal with low battery performance and increased charging times, especially during long distance trips.

this past christmas, trentin claimed he was unable to go to spend time with his son, who lives just 140 miles east of escanaba. “i can’t go to any place in that type of weather and there is no charging station between st. ignace and escanaba,” trentin said. the f-150 has a range of an epa-estimated 300 miles, but in below-freezing temperatures, the vehicle can lose 36% of its range according to research by ev reselling platform, recurrent.

to help counteract the effects of cold temperatures, drivers can use the fordpass app to check their battery charge and “precondition” or prepare their vehicle before a long-distance trip. users can plug in and set their departure times in addition to pre-heating and pre-cooling their batteries and cabins in preparation for a ride. 

according to the fordpass website, preconditioning the vehicle allows the battery to warm to optimum temperature before use, which positively affects the range and driving dynamics for longer distance driving. 

as the ev market evolves with rapid battery innovation, renata arsenault, technical expert for advanced battery recycling at ford, said that ford’s battery technology has “surpassed what people expected.” 

bridging the technology gap 

experts like helveston believe the solution to tech-related issues lies in expanding the charging infrastructure and creating more models. “workplace charging is increasingly important for people to be able to refuel during the day on solar energy that is increasingly in large supply on the grid. consumers also have very few options right now for an ev. we need way more different types of models and classes: ev suvs, pickups, minivans, etc.,” helveston said.

car manufacturers are pushing for consumers to purchase an ev in the first place. a survey conducted by recurrent revealed that ev range anxiety drastically diminished with the experience of owning an ev. according to the study, range anxiety is highest among potential ev buyers in the one-to-two years before their first purchase, but with prolonged ownership, the feelings decrease significantly. public education programs such as national drive electric week also provide opportunities for potential consumers to get acclimated with evs. 

the bottom line: for as long as humans drive, they will have personal preferences for how they use their vehicles. the solution to range anxiety and a smooth ev transition lies in satisfying individual customer needs, while bridging the gap between early adopters and the next generation of ev owners.

“leading the charge,” the theme of an april 10 kellogg climate conference at northwestern university, brought together an all-stars cast including leaders from coca-cola, gm energy, start-ups, academics and conservation groups to redefine business strategy in a changing climate.

the mission? counter climate change and find new profit pipelines there as well.

a standing-room-only crowd of business executives, experts, and students explored company examples of innovative and cost-effective climate change mitigation at the all-day conference sponsored by the kellogg school of management’s energy and sustainability club and the trienens institute for sustainability and energy at northwestern.  

meghan busse, associate professor of strategy at the kellogg school of management kicked off the conference with what she called, “a greenhouse emissions breakdown,” in other words, a lively lowdown on the challenges ahead.

according to busse, in the u.s, one-fourth of gas emissions come from electricity generation, one-fourth from transportation, one-fourth from industrial processes, and one-fourth covering both agriculture and buildings. the conference program covered all these sectors and how each one is providing new solutions and innovative technology to decrease emissions.

“our goal of the day is to leave you all feeling armed to become climate capable leaders where you are willing to ask questions and start thinking about no matter what your job is, how does climate plan into my strategy?” said busse.

the incentive to act for companies is linked to the impact on their pockets. climate change is expected to cost u.s. businesses over $1.3 trillion in the next three years. such high stakes have pushed industries around the world to seek massive technological and business transformations. but experts say that refusing to invest is climate solutions will cost even more in losses due to rising costs, resource uncertainties, extreme weather damage, and other factors.

speakers at kellogg conference emphasize solutions

keynote speakers included business leaders across the board to share the specifics their companies have implemented to prioritize sustainability as a core component of strategic decision-making. coca-cola is the number one plastic polluter in the world, according to coke’s executive vp bea perez who took center stage her talk on “navigating sustainability and profitability.” she focused on the importance of accountability, transparency and support from top corporate leaders for a company to move toward sustainability. she asked the audience to envision the size of 120,000 olympic size swimming pools, the pyramid of giza and every single volcano in the world to show the massive amounts of waste that the coca-cola company generates. she emphasized solutions.

businesses and consumers should examine a company’s business and sustainability reports to see if sustainability strategy is embedded into the finances of the company, she said. without that commitment, the measures are irrelevant, said perez, global chief communication, sustainability and strategic partnerships officer at coca-cola.

according to the coca-cola company’s 2022 business & sustainability report, the company aims to “make 100% of our packaging recyclable globally by 2025— and use at least 50% recycled material in our packaging by 2030.” perez explained how water, packaging, and climate goals are interconnected and that by creating a circular economy for packaging, they can lower their carbon footprint.

in their 2022 business & sustainability report, coke claimed that 90% of its packaging is recyclable, 15% of plastic bottles made with polyethylene terephthalate (pet) are recycled, and that 61% of packaging (is) collected for recycling. coke’s innovation of a 100% plant-based bottle prototype is a key component to helping them achieve their sustainability goals. “if you don’t have strong communities, you can’t have strong businesses,” said perez.

infrastructure challenges

at the scaling the energy transition panel, key challenges focused on infrastructure development. shashank sane, a kellogg alum, and evp at transmission invenergy, said that supply chain delays are making it challenging for businesses to amplify the grid system. projects may take up to a decade from supply chain to completion and a major challenge that business owners face is the lack of policy and government support for funding.

at a global scale this sets the u.s behind. for comparison, germany which backed up by government policy, is capable of placing massive national orders for supplies, while business owners in the u.s are limited by their procurement resources. consequently, the lack of infrastructure affects other sectors like the transportation sector.

companies such as nexteramobility which focuses on developing, constructing, and operating power projects to produce electricity are restricted in mass capacity by the infrastructure of grid placements. however, even with the use of a massive electric plant to compensate for fuel, yann kulp, director business development, fleet electrification advisory, argued that having one major source of emissions is better than having millions of sources of emissions, making the carbon capture in one place more manageable.

insight into regenerative farming

the panel seeds of change: cultivating a sustainable future in food and agriculture introduced ancient processes and cutting-edge initiatives as change-makers. sonali lamba, co-founder and executive director of the soil inventory project, brought to light how regenerative farming practices could be a greater part of the solution for fighting climate change and restoring our soils through farming.

regenerative farming, as lamba explained, roots back to indigenous practices. this kind of farming focuses on supporting local farmers and even funding their businesses to incentivize healthier farming practices that avoid pesticides, other chemical and erosion-causing practices that harm both earth and our health.

“why not pay people to do things the right way,” said meera bhat, global director of equitable conservation for the nature conservancy.

this year’s kellogg climate conference brought together an audience of about 300 business leaders and mba students, each with different perspectives on how to decrease their carbon footprint in their business sector. regardless of their business strategy, attendees shared kellogg’s mission that day to educate, strategize and mobilize, for the sake of change.

doris alvarez is a graduate student at northwestern university’s medill school of journalism.