To meet net-zero ambitions, it looks like we’re going to need a whole lot of solar energy, and fast. And a complex value chain is bracing for soaring demand. In this episode, we work through the risks and opportunities for investors and for companies (and it’s not only the ones you’re expecting).

The Colorado river is shrinking and the tens of millions of Americans that rely on the water source are having to deal with the possibility of imposed water cuts. The urban sprawls that have peppered the desert are also in competition with the industries that operate in the area and use the water from the Colorado river: agriculture, semiconductors, and energy. In this week’s episode we discuss what happens when companies no longer have access to the water they need to operate.

What if there is a water utility that saves a city millions of gallons worth of water a day, but also increases its carbon emissions by a large amount? What if a company makes a product that saves people, but it allegedly uses forced labor to do so? Do you avoid these companies and products? Are you a follower of the Ethics of Ambiguity in that the means of production is the same as the ends? In this episode, we discuss the conflicts that arise for investors, impact investors especially, due to the inherent conflicts that are present in the operations of some companies.

Emissions-intensity metrics can help compare the relative contributions of different holdings to a portfolio’s carbon footprint. However, understanding the reasons behind a firm’s changing emissions is key to identifying sustained reduction trends.

The EU taxonomy for sustainable activities and U.S. Inflation Reduction Act may give power generators in the EU and U.S. incentives to invest in low-carbon power.

The Inflation Reduction Act may help utilities and energy firms reduce direct and indirect emissions through tax-credit incentives designed to scale up the deployment of renewables and accelerate development of frontier decarbonization technologies.  

A massive provision called the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in the US Senate on August 7 and is making its way to US President Biden. If signed into law, it hails as one of the largest climates, health care and tax bills ever passed in the US. We discussed some of the most impactful provisions in the climate and energy security provision of act through an ESG lens. We will discuss the changes to the tax code and healthcare in later episodes.

The US Customs and Border Protection agency released operational guidance for importing companies on how to comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which was signed into law on December 23, 2021. The big ask for companies was for more supply chain transparency. We discussed what UFLPA means for the world’s economy and why supply chain transparency is still so difficult. Then we discussed the most recent ruling US Supreme Court ruling that limited the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Every fund manager with an ESG fund seems to be under routine but detailed examination by financial regulators into their use of “ESG” in said fund label or how they incorporate ESG in their investment process. We explore what this means for the industry and why it matters. Then, we discuss the current state of the wind energy industry, exploring the companies that are leading the chart for a cleaner energy world.

A USD 1 trillion deal is scheduled to be signed into law by US President Biden on Monday, November 12. The deal, in the White House’s words, is imperative for the US to meet its commitment to reduce U.S. emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels in 2030, create a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, and achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. It allocates funds toward updating the US transportation system, its energy infrastructure, its climate resiliency, and its water system. We discussed how these plans move from the political stratosphere to the more habitable land of economic stimulus.

It is climate week this week in New York city. So, we decided to throw a climatepalooza for you all by examining the climate plans of three companies in the most the most pollutive industries. In this episode, we give you a roadmap for the climate plans that have been coming out this week and tell you what to pay attention to as you sort through a company’s emissions reduction plan.