Companies tackling the climate crisis have no shortage of solutions to choose from. But which strategies, tactics, and tools will yield meaningful results? Sometimes the activities that attract the most attention, resources, and funding are less effective than others that are less visible. there is.
GreenBiz analysts looked at the food, construction, transportation, and energy sectors to examine this year's most overhyped and underappreciated sustainability trends. Here is their determination.
food
Overestimated: soil regeneration
Regenerative agriculture has gone mainstream over the past five years and has been adopted by Cargill, Danone, and Walmart. These practices improve soil health and food nutrition while reducing emissions and pollution. but, Scientists warn that carbon emissions potential is overestimated. Moreover, it is not enough to improve the well-being of people and the environment. More attention is needed to tackle nitrous oxide, deforestation and livestock emissions.
Underestimated: Restoring farm worker health
The food system robs not only the planet but also the health and well-being of farmworkers. In the United States, farmworkers do hard labor in extreme heat for about 15 percent of the farming season. 20 times more likely to die from heatstroke. However, industry groups are lobbying against improvements in working conditions and wages. „Achieving our environmental goals requires taking care of the people we rely on to achieve our environmental goals,“ said Seth Olson, senior manager of systems at GreenBiz. say.
Climate change technology startup
Overestimation: Using AI to revolutionize climate solutions
AI-powered climate modeling looks like a game-changer, but it's only effective if it's based on high-quality data. AI is a tool that requires tempering expectations and using it responsibly. Flawed or biased data can lead to inaccurate results and undermine the climate goals that AI models are meant to achieve. According to researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Overrated: Collaborating with the community
When startups partner with local organizations and governments, they can make a difference on the ground.of Distributed AI InstituteFor example, we aim to ensure that AI reflects diverse experiences.These stakeholders work together to ensure real-world solutions tailored to community needs and expertise. In addition, community partnership It increases reliability and leads to innovative, adaptive, and resilient outcomes. “We need more attention to these people-driven initiatives that deliver holistic outcomes that are deeply rooted in real-world situations,” said Sherry Totoki, Senior Director of Startup Programs at GreenBiz.
transportation
Overestimated: Vehicle electrification
Electric cars are five times more efficient than internal combustion engine cars and have no tailpipe emissions. EV sales are expected to rapidly increase from 10.5 million units in 2022 to 27 million units in 2026. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. But transport cannot reach net zero without addressing lifecycle emissions and decarbonizing supply chains. 39% of vehicle emissions It comes from maintenance, manufacturing, and energy production. Due to EV battery packs and materials such as steel and aluminum, the emissions of the supply chain are 50% higher than those of fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Overestimated: Decarbonizing car manufacturing
Polestar, Volvo's luxury EV brand, is committed to climate neutrality. Develop offset-free vehicles by 2030. Volvo is designing EX30 will be the car with the lowest carbon footprintPart of it is thanks to recycled materials. Mercedes' goal is to reduce emissions from production by 80 percent by 2030. “Now is the time for all manufacturers to do the same and for everyone to move faster,” said Vartan Badarian, director of transportation at GreenBiz.
carbon
Overhype: Planting new forests
98% of Fortune 500 companies support tree-planting projects; According to the 2022 survey Published in the magazine „Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management“. But these lack the huge trees and rich ancient soils that take centuries to develop in natural forests. New forests use up land and water that could support other habitats and local economies. Natural forests, on the other hand, store more carbon in biomass, coarse woody debris, and soil.
Underestimated: Protecting the oceans
The ocean absorbs a third of human carbon dioxide emissions, yet it is the least funded ocean. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The “living below the surface” goal of SDG 14 is one where investment has not yet been achieved. 5 percent of the required amount. In 2023, UN member states finally agreed to a high seas treaty that covers 64 percent of the oceans outside their jurisdictional boundaries. Alex Novarro, senior manager of nature at GreenBiz, says investors should look to blue economy, blue food and marine biodiversity credits as the next big climate investment.
energy
Hype: Clean energy goals set by individual companies
Hundreds of pioneering companies are offsetting all of their annual electricity use with clean energy, and dozens are pursuing 24/7 carbon-free energy. But too often focusing on individual energy emissions is an accounting exercise rather than decarbonization. For example, an organization may add renewable energy to a portion of its power grid that is already fairly environmentally friendly. „At worst, it looks like companies are selling polluting assets to take emissions off their books and onto someone else's,“ said GreenBiz's vice president of energy and director of her VERGE program. says Sarah Golden.
Underestimation: Pursuing system-level clean energy goals
Transformation of the entire energy system is urgently needed. Organizations need to position themselves to understand how their actions are having a broader impact on emissions. Companies need to maximize the marginal emissions from each energy decision. “This shift in mindset from myopic to holistic thinking is transformative and emblematic of where climate action needs to go,” Golden said.
building
Overrated: nothing
Heat pumps, building electrification and low-carbon concrete should be covered wherever possible. However, innovative building products are often business-to-business and invisible to consumers. Sustainable features such as insulation, heating and cooling are often literally invisible.
Overrated: All
According to the International Energy Agency, buildings account for 40% of the world's carbon emissions.Sustainable buildings improve our quality of life – our spending 90% of our time is indoors. Natural light in the office reduces headaches, and circulating fresh air indoors improves productivity. 2018 study by Cornell University using View Dynamic Glass. „Creating sustainable buildings is not just about reducing 40% of the world's carbon emissions, it's also an opportunity to rethink our society's relationship with nature,“ he told GreenBiz says James Ball, director of architecture.