April 8, 2021

New Hope for Climate Finance in Emerging Markets.

With green finance commitments topping $500 billion in 2020, the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI), founded and chaired by Mike Bloomberg, is out today with recommendations for how governments in emerging markets can build more resilient economies through investments in clean energy, low-carbon mass transit, climate-friendly water and waste systems, green buildings, and sustainable land use.

“Investments that cut greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change also spur economic growth,” said Mike Bloomberg, Founder and Chair of the CFLI.

Around the world, emerging markets are working to build back from the Covid-19 pandemic in ways that accelerate investments in the low-carbon transition and help meet nationally determined contributions (NDCs) as outlined in the Paris Agreement.

“Emerging markets can take certain steps, with support from business and the international community, to attract more private capital for green projects, create new public-private partnerships, and ensure a strong recovery from the pandemic,” Mike said.

The Climate Finance Leadership Initiative was formed by Mike Bloomberg at the request of UN Secretary-General António Guterres in conjunction with his work as UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions. Bloomberg's Mary Schapiro serves as Vice Chair of the initiative.

Read the full report here.

Getting Ghost Guns Off of Our Streets.

Coming Today: President Biden to Unveil Executive Action Requiring Background Checks on "Ghost Guns" (Politico)

Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun safety advocacy organization founded and funded by Mike Bloomberg, calls ghost guns the 'fastest growing gun safety threat' in America. They are just as deadly as other guns but even easier to get and even harder to trace.

“Ghost guns” avoid regulation and serial numbers because they are sold unfinished or as kits.

They evade the law because the federal government defines firearms to not include so-called 80-percenter guns, which are not quite finished but can be quickly turned into a finished weapon, as New York Times columnist Nick Kristof explains.

“This is a huge and important thing to address. It's a huge threat,” Daniel Webster, a gun policy expert at Johns Hopkins University, told Kristof.

Covid Today.

Good News: Nearly One in Four U.S. Adults Now Fully Vaccinated (Washington Post)

As Predicted: UK Variant Now the Dominant Strain in the U.S., CDC Says (Bloomberg)

Keep Your Distance & Mask Up! Nearly Half of New U.S. Cases Coming From New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey (Associated Press)

Containing India's Surge: Vaccine Shortages in India's Worst-Hit State Hamper Effort to Combat Rise in Cases (Bloomberg)

The Return to 'Normal.'

The End of WFH: Jamie Dimon Says JPMorgan Won't Go Remote After the Pandemic (Wall Street Journal)

JPMorgan expects “nearly all” of its staff in trading and critical as well as bank-branch employees to report back to a physical location full time, among some other groups, CEO Jamie Dimon wrote in his annual letter to shareholders.

A smaller group will work under a hybrid model and maybe 10% of employees in “very specific roles” will work from home every day, Dimon added.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Says In-Person Meetings Are Top Priority After Covid (Bloomberg)

Larry Fink said in his annual letter to shareholders Wednesday that the thing he looks forward to most in the post-pandemic world is meeting with clients again.

“I miss the personal connections and unexpected ideas that come from meeting face-to-face and sharing a meal together,” Fink added.

Encouraging Vaccination: Beijing Is Color-Coding Buildings to Boost Vaccination Levels (Bloomberg)

The financial district is leading a campaign to put up signs showing a building's vaccination progress: green signs to show more than 80% of people vaccinated, yellow for those with 40% to 80% vaccinated, and red for fewer than 40% vaccinated.

Click here to get the latest on The Return to 'Normal.'

What I'm Reading.

Once-in-a-Generation Investment: President Biden Pitches Infrastructure Plan as Vital to Keep Up With China (Bloomberg)

Road to Zero: Tech Companies Are Setting the Most Ambitious Net-Zero Goals (Bloomberg)

BloombergNEF has rolled out a new research tool showing which of the 400 biggest corporations in heavy-emitting industries have declared a net-zero emissions target and which haven’t.

Capitol Insurrection Fallout: Veterans Group Launches $10 Million Campaign to Combat Disinformation (Politico)

The radicalization issue has only gained urgency since the Jan. 6 riots, because many military veterans were among those who stormed the Capitol.

The group is wary that disinformation targeting veterans could also make it harder to get the community more fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Flipping Congress Red: Inside a Stealth ‘Persuasion Machine’ Promising Republican Victories in 2022 (Washington Post)

The plan includes new Facebook pages that aim to engage with voters by sharing practical information while also seeking to gin up anger over claims of government malfeasance.

The sites are aimed at politically pivotal states and are part of a strategy to make today's GOP more palatable to moderate voters ahead of the 2022 midterms by reshaping the "cultural narrative" on hot-button issues, according to the Washington Post.

Keep the Fresh Air Flowing: Covid-19 Has Meant More Outdoor Time Which Leads to Better Health and Concentration (Bloomberg Opinion)

Cherry Blossom Warning: Japan Recorded Earliest Cherry Blossom Bloom in 1,200 years and Scientists Warn It's a Symptom of the Larger Climate Crisis (CNN)

Ready for a Royal Picnic? Queen to Open Buckingham Palace Grounds to Public for Summer Picnics for the First Time (The Independent)

What I'm Reading.

“Vladimir Putin has just signed a law that could allow him to remain President until 2036. Which means Putin will still be in office by the time we’ve elected President Chalemet.” -- James Corden

“Why even pass the law? It’s like passing a law that I might sing songs on this show. I don’t care if you don’t like it, I’m doing it.” -- James Corden

On President Biden's push to make all Americans eligible to be vaccinated by April 19, 2 weeks earlier than his previous goal:

"Way to go, Joe! Getting it done early. Although, supporters of the previous president are quick to point out that he was able to finish his entire presidency a whole four years before his original goal." -- Stephen Colbert

"Or as Biden calls it: Operation Early-Bird Special." -- Jimmy Fallon

"You get a shot! And you get a shot! And you get a shot! Thanks, President Joe-prah!" -- Jimmy Kimmel

On the Texas Rangers major league baseball team hosting opening day at their stadium in Arlington, Texas at full capacity with nearly 40,000 fans:

"Despite warnings from health experts, the Texas Rangers had a full crowd of more than 38,000 people for their home opener. When they walked in all of the fans got a Dr. Fauci bobblehead that only shook its head ‘no.’" -- Jimmy Fallon

On a national ketchup shortage due to a shift over the pandemic to takeout and a crush of demand on ketchup packets:

“Imagine someone from 2019 trying to understand the sentence, ‘Ketchup is the new toilet paper.’” -- James Corden

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