For anyone that spends every day of their working life carefully considering the impending climate and ecological disasters that we face and even those who have just dipped their toe into the water of engaging with humanity’s biggest threat knows that it does not come without a toll. The prospect of a world warmed beyond 2℃ is not one that I believe could fill anyone with hope, and fear thrives in the absence of hope. With this fear, in my experience, climate anxiety can so often become the spectre at the feast. I don’t claim to have found the perfect answer to deal with this, and I expect that for each of us, the fix will differ. With that caveat addressed, I can say that the three days I spent attending the Aspen Future Leaders summit, where I joined over 250 18-30-year-olds from around the world, allowed me to find my hope again. With exceptional, driven and passionate individuals all around you, it was hard not to be reinvigorated, enlightened, and hopeful. Understanding that whilst alone, we may be just a drop in the ocean, together we are the ocean and the tide is turning. A community of like-minded individuals surrounding you, in my opinion, cannot be underestimated when it comes to continuing to attempt to address the climate crisis. Your team, your people, will recharge your determination and ensure that your own personal pursuit of sustainability is itself sustainable.[i]
Perhaps the most high-profile speaker at the Aspen Ideas Climate conference was US Vice President Kamala Harris. VP Harris discussed the work of the Biden administration in addressing their climate goals. At the heart of their strategy is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); this was a theme of many of the discussions at the event, and for many, it seemed to be seen as vitally important. The IRA includes tax breaks and incentives for the manufacture of hydrogen, renewable electricity, sustainable aviation fuel, and electric vehicles built in the United States.[ii] Whilst widely lauded, this act is the beginning of the journey for the Biden Administration. One who is familiar with such a journey towards tangible change in regard to climate objectives is Ivan Duque, who spoke prior to VP Harris. Ivan Duque is the former President of Colombia, and he spoke at length about his actions while in office. He described how his aims as he entered office turned into measurable action. By the end of his term, 34% of the nation had been declared an environmentally protected area.[iii] Seeing two examples of politically driven engagement with the climate crisis, one at the very beginning of its efforts and one having seen through its programme and achieved the change they hoped.
Another aspect of the conference was hearing from a group of policymakers from the Miami area. What was important about this panel was that it included individuals from all corners of the political spectrum, and it highlighted the importance of ensuring that climate conversations do not exclude anyone based on their political leanings.
The leading theme of the Aspen Ideas Conference was how the world can afford to make the changes it needs to make. As discussed, the IRA was a huge talking point, but the dollars and cents attached paled in comparison to that of the private sector’s pledges. Hearing from leaders at the Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, it was clear that capital investment in the climate crisis would be enabled by policymakers but predominantly funded by the private sector. Paul Donofrio, Vice Chairman of the Bank of America, spoke passionately about how commitments from businesses to achieve net zero will have more impact in the next 28 years on the world economy than the industrial revolution.[iv] Perhaps a scary thought, but uncertainty is rarely the friend of enterprise. But in this case, we can all be certain that change does need to happen; greenhouse gases must be brought under control and as Donofrio said at the event, ‘Companies who do this well, across all industries, not just high emitting industries, will see their market share grow.’.[v]
[i] Aspen Ideas Climate- 250 Young People from Around the World Gather in Miami Beach for the Future Leaders Climate Summit
[ii] BBC- Climate targets 'may mean higher taxes'
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
