John,
It’s been a whirlwind for our team here at COP27—the United Nations Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
As someone who cares deeply about the future of our planet—the only home we have, hearing what’s been happening on the “front lines” of the climate conference is important.
The Ceres team and investor and business partners have met with national leaders, climate scientists, community representatives, and other important stakeholders. Ceres conducted one-on-one and closed door meetings with several U.S. Senators, Secretary Granholm from the U.S. Department of Energy, and C-Suite decision makers from PSEG and Vale, among others. During the past few days, a few things have become clear:
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The accelerating frequency and strength of “historic” climate events like wildfires, floods caused by torrential rains, hurricanes, and devastating heat waves, have awoken a new and heightened sense of urgency in leaders worldwide that the time for immediate, impactful action is now.
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There is also increased recognition that this kind of impactful action will require deliberate collaboration from all parts of the globe—and all aspects of society. We must transform the worldwide economy, and this will require collaboration from governments, industry, investors, and every day people like you and me.
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The starkness of the imbalance between those emitting the most carbon dioxide and those who are most impacted by a warming planet has become painfully apparent during the discussions at COP27. Quite simply, a thriving planet cannot be one without equity and justice. We must continue to raise the voices of those who are most immediately impacted and least prepared to manage the effects of rising temperatures and historic climate events.
Our team here at COP27 knows what’s at stake. We know that our model is a proven one: it’s going to take the proverbial global-village to transform the global economy. When I think of the scale of this task before us, I am not overwhelmed. Rather, I am heartened by the knowledge that thousands of supporters like you stand with us—and are wholly behind the momentum to push world leaders to not just commit to transformative climate policies, but to act on those commitments.
-Amit Bando
Chief Economist and Senior Advisor for Just and Inclusive Economics, Ceres |