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The challenge of climate change
- in the midst of a global pandemic
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As we live through the greatest health crisis of a generation, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt lives worldwide. At the same time, as a recent new multi-agency report from leading science organisations sets out, the heating of our planet and climate disruption has continued apace.
Climate change has not stopped for COVID19. The environment from local to global scales has witnessed apparent positive and negative impacts of the pandemic - global lockdowns have drastically altered the patterns of energy demand while at the same time personal protective equipment (PPE) has driven increased plastic pollution. Hospitals in Wuhan, the original centre of the outbreak, produced more than 240 tons of single-use plastic-based medical waste (such as disposable face masks, gloves, and gowns) per day at the peak of the pandemic, 6 times more than the daily average before the pandemic occurred
Sadly, greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are at record levels and continue to increase. Even within current UN treaties that limit temperature rises to 2°C, there will be harsh consequences including ocean acidification, sea level rises and mass extinctions. To have any hope of holding the rise to 1.5°C, at which a quarter of the world’s current GDP could be lost by the end of the century, we need to act within the decade.
As we are faced by a number of significant challenges – from health and the economy to climate change and inequality – now is a time to reassess our values and think about what we can all do, and how we can invest profitably, to be be more responsible and sustainable.
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FPC's Focus on Tackling Climate Change
Future Planet, working in partnership with scientists and founders emerging from the world’s top universities, is seeking those companies best able to meet this challenge and address the $50 trillion market opportunity created by the challenge of climate change.
The very essence of capitalism is to make more from less and the essence of responsible capitalism is to reduce unnecessary consumption and waste. A sustainable approach to emissions, consumption and the environment is not only profitable but will reduce untold suffering for billions of humans and their fellow creatures.
Future Planet brings together the world’s leading thinkers in these spaces and identities companies in three focus areas most likely to make a valuable difference to climate change, reducing our environmental footprint and husbanding bio-diversity.
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1. Energy & Emissions
25% of greenhouse gases derive from fossil fuels for electricity & heat production. This stores up problems for the future with climate change but, right now, air pollution as a whole impacts 90% of the global population and causes over 7 million premature deaths a year. Advances in AI and hardware will drive both investor value and impact in these systems. Key focus areas include Smart Cities, Transport, Clean Energy and Renewables and more.
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2. Sustainable Consumption
Embracing a circular, sustainable economy and living within smart cities is a matter of survival. Resource productivity / efficiency and waste elimination will have enormous impact & externality benefits for investors able to deploy & scale physical, digital & biological solutions to recycling and upcycling. Creating sustainable supply chains and new manufacturing methods, value chains will allow us to maintain productivity and create new opportunities in everything from FMCG to fashion.
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3. Environment & Agriculture
Agriculture, food, deforestation and changes in land use are a top three contributor to climate change and are predicted to lead to the extinction of over a million species. As humans encroach on more and more natural eco-systems there will be further pandemics and other diseases. Biotech, CRISPR & new deep tech are offering new opportunities to increase yields while lowering CO2 and waste in the global food value chain, in addition to new meat substitutes and advances in agri/aquaculture that maintain biodiversity and planet health.
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In a speech to the United Nations Forum of Mayors in Geneva, Foster said that he believes the current pandemic will not have a long-term impact on cities but will accelerate current trends.
The London-based architect, and Chairman of the FPF Advisory Board, believes that the coronavirus pandemic could speed up the adoption of more sustainable buildings and transport.
"We now have scientific evidence to prove that green buildings with natural ventilation are not only good for your health, but they enable you to perform better," he said.
"These kinds of buildings are now the exception. But they could become mainstream. We also have proof that green spaces in cities – however big or small – contribute to health and wellbeing."
For transport, he said that current trends towards electric vehicles will continue as well as a rise in use of e-bikes and scooters, while charging on the move could be introduced and monorails could return.
He also said car parks could be obsolete and went on to predict that farming could make a return to cities as one of several ways that urban areas could become greener.
"The cumulative effect of just some of these many trends are transforming city centres and local neighbourhoods, making them quieter, cleaner, safer, healthier, more friendly, walkable, bikeable and, if the opportunity is grasped, to be greener," he said.
The architect concluded that the current crisis could lead to cities being improved to become places that are more appealing to live in and more resilient to future health issues.
"The pandemic is a tragic event for so many, we have all lost loved ones and for the moment the virus continues," he said.
"But stepping back, I am confident that cities will prove their resilience and appeal – they will bounce back stronger and better as a consequence."
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What opportunities has this crisis revealed for how we can rethink public transportation and roadways to reduce congestion and pollution, and to make our cities healthier and more sustainable for the future? Listen to this conversation between FPF Advisory Board Member Robin Chase, founder of ZipCar and urban transportation visionary, and the Boston Globe's Editorial Page Editor, Bina Venkataraman. The conversation was recorded on 5/7/20.
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Challenge Investing
Within our universe, we have a significant number of companies that are helping to profitably address this significant and vitally important global challenge. If you’d like to invest in some of the most promising growth companies based on top research then please don't hesitate to get in touch.
This comes with very best wishes from everyone at Future Planet Capital.
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