Matthew Jellicoe, co-founder of OnePlanetCapital, a sustainable investment house focused on tackling climate change, comments on the latest IPCC report:
“In reality we are on a trajectory for 3C warming. The window of opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5C is now very small, and we need to be aware that the consequences of a 3C rise will be huge. Natural disasters, including drought, flooding, loss of ecosystem, and more, will become the norm for billions of people.
“What’s interesting about this IPCC report is the need to focus on climate adaptation just as much as proactively reducing emission levels. Going forward, the world needs new approaches to tackle climate change. Covering everything from the way we build houses and cities, to marine infrastructure and ports, climate adaptation will be key. The world needs to look at energy, infrastructure and disease management, just to name a few, to help tackle the risk of 3C warming.
“Looking at energy specifically, we need to see climate responsive energy markets, updated design standards, robust transmission, systems and improved capacity to respond better to supply deficits. Renewable energy resources and generation should be decentralised depending on context, via wind, solar and small-scale energy markets. We’re seeing a wealth of early-stage companies emerging in the green energy sector built with these challenges in mind. Supporting the companies of the future will be key in slowing the path to a 3C warming.”