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. 

atop the ford motor company’s rouge factory in dearborn, michigan, a vibrant 10.4-acre “living roof” stretches across an otherwise cloudy horizon, made up of thousands of tiny succulents. birds, insects, and pollinators flock to the rooftop, while hundreds of factory workers assemble trucks in the building below. 

the size of eight football fields, ford’s green roof is one of the largest in the world. every year, it collects and filters rainfall and, according to the henry ford museum, improves air quality in the building’s vicinity by up to 40%. notably, the museum reports the rooftop also reduces the building’s energy footprint by 7%, inching the company closer to its carbon neutrality goal.

installed more than 20 years ago now, company leaders at the time were quoted in press releases as saying the project was “not environmental philanthropy” but “sound business,” and, in the press & guide, “living proof of ford’s ongoing commitment to being an environmentally conscious corporate citizen.” the major project has since been acknowledged for helping kick off the green roof industry in north america.their living roof is just one project in ford’s efforts to decarbonize, which are part of a larger national movement toward carbon responsibility and environmental and social governance, or “esg,” in corporate spheres. ford is currently pursuing a goal of sourcing 100% carbon-free electricity for their global manufacturing operations by 2035.

a large rooftop with a small footprint?

ford employs over 177,000 workers globally and operates facilities in more than a dozen countries around the world. according to a ford 2024 integrated sustainability and financial report, about 1% of ford’s total co2 emissions come from operations whereas the vast majority of them result from tailpipe emissions as well as “energy production and consumption during vehicle use.”

tailpipe and energy production during use fall under the definition of scope 3 emissions, which are the kind that are indirectly linked to a company’s activities, such as those that result from a company’s product after it is purchased.

according to the 2024 ford report, in 2023 ford’s scope 3 emissions totaled 384,119,775 metric tons. given that total, a green roof would redress a fraction of a percent of ford’s total emissions.

the living rooftop’s meadow was installed at a cost of $15 million. “it was a risk. and it paid off,” added douglas plond, senior manager of the ford rouge factory tour. in his view, the rooftop’s value comes from its ample community benefits. 

“i think we see over 100,000 people come through this facility per year. so, we’ve sparked the interest of someone — at least one person — to see all the green initiatives that have gone on here at ford motor company. […] somebody may have gone home and said ‘well, i’m gonna try doing this at home,” plond said.

looking at the whole picture

ford, in addition to its emissions goals, aims to use only locally sourced clean energy in its manufacturing plants by 2035. other automakers like bmw and general motors have also announced sustainability ambitions, including carbon neutrality goals. automakers like subaru have focused on greening their plants, such as indiana’s subaru sia factory which produces zero landfill waste and is the only u.s. auto factory to be declared a natural habitat. 

still, back in dearborn, critics remain skeptical toward greening a plant that produces f-150s. among them is daniel becker, director of the sierra club’s climate change program. “whatever they did to the plant is marvelous, but if they’re producing pickup trucks that pollute too much, what are they accomplishing?” becker asked, as quoted in index project.

while the emissions of ford vehicles per kilometer driven have decreased 6% since 2019, according to ford’s 2024 integrated sustainability and financial report, “slower than expected demand,” in ev’s will require flexibility on ford’s part as they reach for carbon neutrality. recent market setbacks have curbed ev demand and prompted ford to shut down an f-150 lightning production shift at the dearborn factory. 

slowing growth of ev sales across ca, weakened carbon reporting rules from the sec, and difficulties decarbonizing ev supply chains raise ongoing questions about the future picture of sustainability. 

on the other hand, there are other initiatives at ford worthy of public attention: 

in 2022, for example, ford made the largest clean power purchase agreement in history, right in michigan. the contract with dte energy exceeds any other renewable energy purchase from a utility in the united states— including those by large tech companies. a press release by the energy company details that by 2025, all of ford’s purchased electricity for vehicle manufacturing in michigan will be carbon-free, and ford will avoid close to 600,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.  

“i think one of the things that we’ve focused on in the last few years, in particular, is the sourcing of the energy to run the plant. that’s been the biggest thing — trying to make contracts with [electricity suppliers] where our clients are located. […] and i think that that’s probably moving the needle the most,” said alyssa werthman, ford’s environmental sustainability manager.

essentially, whenever a company like ford buys more renewable power than they need, they can supply not only their factories but several of their major suppliers, and millions of homes. artealia gilliard, environmental leadership & sustainability at ford, notes that these agreements both strengthen the grid and “create that push and pull in the market.”

as a symbol of sustainable commitments, ford’s living rooftop is in many ways intended to compliment the company’s even more concrete strategies to leverage its corporate power for good: buying into power purchase agreements, persistently improving the accessibility and recyclability of electric vehicles, and directing all suppliers towards sustainability. 

“we also write the requirement for our suppliers to establish science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets and action plans to support carbon neutrality no later than 2050 globally into our supplier code of conduct,” werthman said.

according to gilliard, it is these initiatives that “[drive] the suppliers to do exactly as we’re doing, which is purchase carbon-free electricity. it drives them to invest in the grid where they’re pulling from — or create their own.”

the bottom line

the living rooftop could have valuable signaling power as a “living pledge” toward more robust scope 3 decarbonization at ford.

even amid ev sales challenges, recent progress is promising. ford motor company received an “a” rating in a 2023 carbon disclosure project report and is reportedly on track to meet its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

though the direct impact of the roof may be small, the greenery above the production lines may continue to be a useful living reminder of this commitment.

the brick is known as ‘filter cake,’ and although they are not yet ready to be used in construction, the company is producing up to 100 tons of filter cake bricks each day that would have otherwise been shipped to landfills.

by replacing raw materials with recycled ones, the production of filter cake bricks also means that there will be less need for quarrying, which produces over 15.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year in the uk alone.

in the middle of a solar panel array in north carolina, the grass rustles with movement. a raccoon wanders between the panels. a fox wriggles through the permeable fencing and darts around the site. a cluster of turkeys stare accusingly into the wildlife camera. eventually, a curious bobcat prowls outside the fence, slinking inside and outside of the site boundary. 

the animal sightings were made possible by a carefully-placed camera trap used for conservation research. the project is part of efforts from the nature conservancy to investigate how solar development influences animal movement and work with solar developers to preserve the small corridors — or wildlife passageways — that allow for that movement. 

the sight of wildlife lingering at a solar facility between crystalline panels is an unusual one. but in north carolina, a state that ranks fourth in the nation for solar energy production and ninth for biodiversity, scientists and developers are realizing that the choice between renewables and biodiversity doesn’t have to be a trade-off.  

solar energy in the energy transition and climate crisis

amid national efforts to decarbonize the u.s. energy sector and achieve current emissions reductions goals, the u.s. is increasing its buildout of renewable energy. in the last decade, the solar industry saw an average annual growth rate of 24%, according to the solar energy industries association. 

as more and more renewables projects gain traction in states like north carolina, biologists have raised concerns over potential impacts on wildlife populations, especially amid overdevelopment and fragmentation. scientists have begun to research those impacts, but many studies have focused narrowly on bird deaths, habitat conversion,  pollinator habitat, or soil ecosystems, with fewer insights on migration and movement specifically. with climate change exacerbating the need and scale of future migrations, this research gap is a pressing one. 

while people often think of climate change as the biggest threat to biodiversity, the answer is actually habitat loss. liz kalies, the lead renewable energy scientist at the nature conservancy, spreads this message in her conservation work. “we can’t justify poor siting of renewable energy in the name of biodiversity,” said kalies. 

“but similarly, if we ignore climate change, that will also have severe consequences for biodiversity. so, we just really need to keep the two in our mind simultaneously, and not sacrifice one for the other,” she said.

strategies for building wildlife-friendly solar

fortunately, solar developers haves several options to avoid making those sacrifices: selecting sites responsibly (including repurposed mine land), building in wildlife passageways (small corridors to allow animals to pass through)—which could mean splitting a site down the middle—and letting nature reclaim parts of the facility by growing wildflowers, planting native species, or building pollinator habitats. a simple change, such as mowing the lawn in september or october instead of august, after breeding season, can make a difference, according to a research team in new york. 

one of the most promising strategies so far is permeable fencing: swapping out traditional chain-link fencing for larger-holed fencing, which is meshy enough to allow small-to-medium sized mammals to slip through. animal monitoring reports show the early promise of this fencing, as camera traps capture foxes, birds, and coyotes navigating around the fencing. in one study, wildlife-permeable fencing increased the probability that ungulates (hoofed mammals) successfully crossed through the fence by 33% — and they were able to do so in 54% less time.

camera trapping and bobcat tracking: the research behind wildlife-friendly solar

kalies and her team have launched several projects to study solar-wildlife interactions, including the camera trap project, direct site visits with developers, and even a bobcat-specific project. kalies and her team are currently working on the latter, which involves locating, sedating, radio collaring, and tracking bobcats to generate visual maps of their meanderings. bobcats are secretive, elusive animals who prefer uninterrupted vegetation, making them good candidates to study the challenges that animals may face in in solar landscapes. 

surprisingly, bobcats are interacting with the solar facilities. from the videos kalies played, it appears some of them are even drawn to the facilities for unknown reasons. in their preliminary data, one bobcat appeared to cut through a solar facility that didn’t even have a permeable fence. the team hopes to increase their sample size of bobcats in order to predict impacts of solar buildout on their populations through simulation alone.

do developers really want foxes and bobcats roaming through their facilities?

sometimes, the answer is yes, according to developers. medium-sized predators may help quell rodent populations, and rodents have been known to gnaw through the panels’ wiring, breaking the solar array.  

wildlife passageways offer other benefits to developers. at face value, building wildlife-friendly infrastructure is great for a company’s brand image and public relations — especially when local opposition to renewable projects is so prevalent, and sometimes stems from animal conservation concerns. additionally, installing wildlife-friendly fencing is economical, according to kalies. it costs roughly the same as a chain-link fence and holds up just as well structurally, based on her reports from developers. 

“i love the idea of wildlife friendly fencing,”  said scott starr, co-founder of highline renewables. 

“you’re going to be a partner with the community for 30 plus years. so, you want to do things like screen it with evergreens or use wildlife friendly fencing […] and even if it’s a small upcharge, you are looking for things to make the project work that don’t just show up in the pro forma but are also a benefit to the community.” 

as a developer who specializes in small-scale distributed generation,  starr notes that it’s common to screen for endangered species early on as part of choosing a site. “we are very careful as developers towards critical species, critical habitat, wetlands, things like that. that is part of the process.” 

but, when it comes to sharing land with wildlife, the territory is more unfamiliar. starr elaborates on the policy gaps in how governments incentivize wildlife-friendly buildout. 

“the only things that i’ve really seen are ‘we’ll give you adders to put it on this rooftop!’ and ‘we’ll give you adders if  you put it on a brownfield or co-locate with some kind of agricultural operations!’ said starr. “there never is really anything about wildlife corridors—we just don’t know.” 

while developers can’t claim that solar sites are equivalent to wildlife refuges, they do share some compelling similarities: they’re quiet, isolated, fenced off, and relatively low-disturbance on the landscape. whether or not a site is wildlife-friendly often comes down to what’s adjacent to the facility, says kalies, meaning rural sites typically have better luck than urban, overdeveloped, already-degraded plots of land. 

challenges and limitations of building wildlife passageways

some of the biggest research-specific challenges for kalies’s team include accessing sites in the first place, finding partners willing to collaborate, and hours of challenging fieldwork. another difficulty lies in data interpretation. even with data from camera traps, for example, seeing an animal onsite doesn’t mean it’s necessarily benefitting. the animal could be migrating, breeding or nesting, foraging, lost, or simply hanging out. 

starr adds that, from a developer’s perspective, even if you support wildlife-friendly fencing,  you may get a ‘no’ from the county, from financiers, or from any long-term owners of the project who might consider wildlife a risk to their multi-million dollar asset. (some developers are even concerned about bird droppings reducing the efficiency of their solar panels.)

overall, the solar industry’s ability to become “wildlife-friendly” may depend on the level of discussion happening in government. “we need clear guidance and policymaking that incentivizes these kinds of considerations,” said starr.

the future of wildlife-friendly solar 

despite these challenges, pursuing wildlife-friendly solar in north carolina may be a promising step toward preserving biodiversity. the state ranks the 13th highest in the nation for risk of species loss. while wildlife movement patterns are being studied in the western u.s. (such as pronghorn migration), more research is needed on patterns in eastern states.

the first step to preserving biodiverse populations is ensuring that animals can continue to move freely across landscapes. through siting adjustments, permeable fencing, planting wildflower pollinator habitat, and actively collaborating with scientists, the solar industry has a chance to protect wildlife. energy developers and biologists alike can take part in this initiative, giving a new meaning to “energy conservation.” 

thayer’s comedic timing and dyed hair may throw some people off who are used to suited pundits or images of scientists in lab coats. but these features are just scratching the surface of why she has struck a chord with nearly 200,000 followers on instagram. 

communicating climate online

across the internet, climate change coverage often comprises dire warnings and complex scientific explanations. while such forms of expression have an important purpose, comedy can also attract attention to the climate crisis.

hazel thayer, a climate activist, video creator, and amateur stand-up comedian, has set out to reshape the narrative on climate issues. her unique approach involves simplifying complex problems by focusing on tangible solutions while also intertwining humor with environmental activism.

thayer’s journey towards environmental activism originated with her frustration in the one-dimensional focus on science in climate communication and her realization that she wanted a different outlet to address climate issues. she was already engaging with friends in conversations on climate aspects, in a manner that combined seriousness and comedy, as she explained when i interviewed her. 

recognizing the difficulties of understanding critical aspects pertaining to the climate crisis, such as government policy or economic implications, thayer embarked on a mission to make intricate climate topics relatable through humor.

she eventually decided to create her own social media accounts focusing on climate change, including a tiktok account that has amassed 128,000 followers. because of her growing popularity on social media, she was approached to create two online web series, namely “the climate breakdown” with the weather network and “unf*cking the planet” with pique action.

when asked how she goes about creating content on climate change, thayer stated that she would look at complex words thinking, “how would a regular person describe this?”

bringing the conversation into the real world

because her work has resonated so well with youth, she has recently partnered with reservoir: center for water solutions in washington, d.c. which has a special interest in youth education. on feb. 8, she served as the keynote speaker for a reservoir event, titled “careers for change: climate action” which was geared towards college students and young professionals. students were later able to network with several industry professionals in attendance including thayer.

according to thayer, getting involved in the climate movement doesn’t require becoming a climate scientist or an environmental lawyer. as she emphasizes, “there’s a lot of different ways to get involved.” she is convinced that the climate crisis can only be addressed if fairness is a key consideration. in her view, “anything that kind of improves living standards and equality will wind up helping the climate as well.”

in her keynote speech, thayer honed in on the intricate connection between economic disparity and climate change. she highlighted the disproportionate contribution of the world’s wealthiest people to climate change, as compared to the global poor and the middle classes.

as thayer stated, the challenge has shifted from having to convince people of the reality of climate change to seeking to foster an agreement on viable solutions. her central argument revolves around the idea that creating a more equitable economy is intrinsic to addressing climate issues.

youth voices come to the forefront

thayer’s journey, from expressing her climate concerns to friends to becoming a prominent figure in online climate activism, while injecting humor into the conversation, showcases the myriad ways in which young people can contribute to addressing the climate crisis.

“already, young people are figuring it out that it’s kind of about speaking up and being annoying about climate,” thayer said in an interview.

thayer’s unique blend of comedy and activism is meant to inspire others to find their own pathways to activism and pursue their own climate action, as she recounts instances in which people credited her for their presence at the 2023 march to end fossil fuels.

by turning serious issues into comedic content, she has effectively captured the attention of a younger audience, injecting new life into the climate change conversation. often times, a good laugh can be a step toward positive change.