This week the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its report—based upon current emissions projections—about long-term climate change impacts. Scene setting has already begun around the globe, as wildfire, flooding, and unpredictable agricultural conditions becomes regular news. Absorbing this information is hard to process alone. I am reaching out to spur discussion within the Confluence community.
First off, I want to acknowledge all the change agents that have carried these findings for over a decade and responded by working tirelessly to shift social, financial, and economic paradigms and to create the solutions that we already have in hand. There is nothing new about this data. What is significant is final scientific agreement that these impacts are unequivocally human caused. Thank you to those that acted quickly to respond with vision, time, resources, and intellect. Because of your expression of Love, we have a fighting chance.
If you haven’t had a moment to review the findings here are some links that you might find useful:
What all the research tells us is simple: the time is now to save ourselves and the other beings that share this version of the Earth with us. As the call to Net Zero amplifies atop ever more mounting evidence, the changes that we will undergo are tough. While we have clear roadmaps and the beginnings of strong frameworks, the truth is that we must learn to live differently. When activists demand ‘Real Net Zero,’ this is what they mean.
Here are just a few actions that support a transition to Real Net Zero solutions:
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Values aligned investors can lead the way by modeling small-scale, realistic changes as behemoth institutions undertake more complicated organizational change processes. We encourage all our Members to begin working on your expression of a Net Zero commitment and to share those within and well beyond the Confluence community.
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The debate is over and it is time to end fossil fuel development. Active ownership, corporate accountability, the press, and if needed, divestment are the sharpest instruments for values aligned investors.
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We need new economic models because endless economic growth is not sustainable. The IPCC report indicates that a significant degree of warming is irreversible at this point. Each day that we continue business planning as usual, increases runaway climate acceleration, lengthens the reduction timelines, and drives catastrophic risk. It is time to evaluate obsolete financial models and build businesses reflective of the global constraints.
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Resist the tendency to normalize climate chaos and resource the resilience, and, climate justice movements. Let’s work together to identify opportunities for values aligned investors to uplift most vulnerable populations through advanced planning and ‘pre-covery’ investment instruments. This is an area where nimble values driven investors can make pioneering impacts.
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Geoengineering, running to space, accelerating machine intelligence, as a response to a crisis created by energy use, are false solutions. We aren’t going to outwit ecological recalibration and there is no vaccine for climate chaos. Let’s organize against the great escape by publicly challenging false solutions.
We must make real commitments at work and at home. Confluence seeks to support our members in the transition to embody ‘Real Net Zero’ and we welcome everyone in that imperfect journey. We look forward to joining you in rich discussion in the season ahead.
Your public and private responses are most welcome.
