Corporate Social Responsibility

Even when charged from relatively “dirty” power grids, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) outperform internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on lifecycle emissions. In key gobal regions studied — from the U.S. and China to the UK, Germany and Japan — EVs come out cleaner over their entire lifetime. Yes — manufacturing EVs (especially batteries) remains emissions-intensive. But once on the road, BEVs rapidly recoup that initial “carbon debt.” Over 250 000 km of driving, a medium-sized BEV’s CO₂ footprint can be 21–71% lower than the equivalent ICE car — depending on driving patterns and the energy mix. That matters — we can’t afford near-term paralysis based on imperfect grids or “worst-case” assumptions. As grids continue to decarbonise, the environmental advantage of EVs will only grow. If we want to accelerate transport decarbonisation at scale, the message is clear: EV deployment must go hand-in-hand with cleaner grids — but delaying electrification until perfect conditions are met is a luxury the climate doesn’t afford.

Sceptics of #renewables often point to the large land areas required, especially for #solar. But much of that land is not "lost". It can still be used as farmland, and of course #rooftopsolar doesn't consume any land at all. Co-locating #agriculture and renewable energy optimises use of the land and is known as #agrivoltaics. Several studies have highlighted the benefits. This particular study focused on animal welfare and tracked sheep in an open field as well as in a field with solar panels. It found that the sheep in among the solar panels spent a whopping 70% of their time sheltering underneath the panels. Compared to the sheep in the open field, they also: ➡️ Lay down to rest 71% more ➡️ Grazed 8% more ➡️ Spent 16% less time standing around idle, which is a sign of poor welfare And that wasn't all. The grass grew better and was more nutritious, drip fed by dew running off the panels. The panels also provide shade, helping to prevent the ground from drying out. And the sheep do their bit too, helping to keep grass and weeds down so they don't obscure the panels. Sheep are a good partner to solar panels. They are small enough to slip between the panels and don't chew through wires like goats do. A similar study in New Zealand with merino sheep found that they produced better wool, and more of it, when grazing under solar panels. And it increases income for the farmers too, because they can lease land to the solar farm as well as grazing sheep on it. Win-win. #energy #sustainability #renewableenergy #energytransition

The biggest efficiency gain in transport comes from adopting electric vehicles faster and retiring older ones sooner. The Energy Transitions Commission’s ‘The Road Ahead’ shows that road transport can cut its energy demand by nearly 70% by 2050, even as total distance travelled rises by a similar 70%. The core insight is clear: technology is no longer the barrier; progress now depends on how quickly we replace yesterday’s vehicles with tomorrow’s.   Electrification is doing the heavy lifting. As EVs mature, they are delivering improvements in efficiency, reliability, operating cost, and—critically—air‑quality. What holds the sector back is the long tail of older petrol and diesel vehicles that continue to lock in avoidable energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and urban air pollution. The opportunity cost of slow fleet turnover is now too large—and too visible in our cities—to ignore.   India’s draft CAFE 3 norms reinforce this direction. By rewarding cleaner technologies and tightening efficiency expectations across all powertrains, the policy signals a decisive shift: the market will increasingly favour automakers that move fastest on electrification and advanced hybrids. It recognises that India’s mobility growth cannot come at the expense of energy security, emissions, or worsening air quality—and that technology will deliver the majority of the gains.   Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gYUhBsDR   #roadproductivity #energytransition #EV #energyefficiency #energyproductivity

🌍 Today is Global Sustainable Transport Day: your reminder that every journey is a climate choice. Transport is now the largest source of global carbon emissions, shaped by the decisions we make every day: driving, flying, ferrying, biking, scooting, or taking public transport. If we are to preserve a livable climate, global per-capita emissions must drop from 6.3 tons (2020) to 2.1 tons by 2030. Rethinking how we move is one of the most powerful levers we have. Here’s your guide to climate-smart mobility 👇 ✈️ Be mindful of flying A single long-haul flight — New York to Tokyo — emits nearly 2 tons of CO₂. Even medium trips add up fast. Whenever possible, choose alternatives such as trains or buses, consolidate work trips, or explore closer destinations. Small decisions. Big planetary impact. 🚶♀️ 🚴♂️ 🚌 Walk, bike, take public transport, or carpool The cleanest journey is the one powered by your own energy. Public transport can cut up to 2.2 tons of CO₂ per person each year. Carpooling can save 1 ton. And living car-free? Up to 3.6 tons avoided annually. Cleaner air, healthier cities, healthier people. 🚲 🛴 🚗 Choose shared mobility Shared bikes, scooters, and cars increase the use of each vehicle and reduce the need for new manufacturing — a hidden driver of emissions. Cities from Berlin to New York are showing the way with shared EV fleets and bike-share programmes. A low-effort win. 🔌 🚙 Consider an electric vehicle If a car is essential, an EV — powered by renewables — can reduce your footprint by ~2 tons per year. Opting for a second-hand EV is even better, since manufacturing new vehicles is resource-intensive. And remember: the smaller the vehicle, the smaller the impact. 🚦 Sustainable transport is not only about cleaner vehicles — it’s about smarter choices, better urban systems, and shifting mindsets. Check out these United Nations websites: https://lnkd.in/eVaCM_w8 https://lnkd.in/eSsscYpY

Climate Communication Reimagined: Appealing Across Moral Foundations Recently, while working on energy transition scenarios for the Netherlands’ decarbonization by 2050 with TenneT, Jonathan Haidt’s insights from The Righteous Mind came sharply into focus. Full article: https://lnkd.in/gKQ4HfaQ Haidt research highlights six moral foundations — Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Sanctity, and Liberty — and argues that conservatives broadly use all six, while progressives strongly emphasize Care and Fairness. This explains why traditional climate messaging, dominated by progressive framing around harm prevention and fairness, struggles to resonate with broader audiences, especially conservatives. Effective climate advocacy requires blending messages to activate moral intuitions across this entire spectrum. For example, on clean energy jobs, progressives emphasize economic fairness, while conservatives focus on national strength and independence. A blended message: “Let’s revitalize America with clean energy, creating good jobs for all to keep our nation strong and independent.” On pollution, progressives speak to health impacts, conservatives to purity and national pride. Combining these, we get: “Cutting pollution protects our children's health and maintains America’s beautiful landscapes and clean air.” Framing climate change as a shared national challenge connects progressive concerns about global justice with conservative values around national security and heritage protection: “Protect our homeland from climate threats, safeguarding communities and the American way of life we cherish.” Even innovation and tradition can align: “Clean energy innovation continues America’s proud history of leadership, preserving the land and values we cherish for future generations.” In the Netherlands, debates around overhead transmission expansion benefit from similar messaging. Instead of purely technical arguments, framing transmission infrastructure as essential to national pride, heritage preservation, and economic vitality can resonate widely: “New transmission lines represent Dutch innovation, safeguarding our landscapes, health, and economy for generations.” I encountered this effective moral framing earlier while co-authoring Canada’s municipal guide for planned retreat amid climate risks. Communities rallied behind retreat initiatives when messaging emphasized collective good and community identity. European research, especially around Brexit, reinforces that messaging inclusive of national identity, sovereignty, and cultural integrity resonates more deeply than approaches limited to individual-focused morality. Ultimately, climate advocacy must leverage the full range of moral foundations to bridge divides and build broader consensus. Haidt’s framework is not only insightful, it’s essential for effective communication on climate and energy transitions.

The Clean Energy Value Story We Need to Tell 🔍 After nearly 15 years in clean tech, a pattern has become clear: The solutions work, but our value story isn't resonating broadly enough. Working across high-growth startups and established organizations since 2011, I've watched our industry consistently prioritize policy goals over immediate customer needs. The IRA rollout is a perfect example - two years in, manufacturers have expanded capacity but contractors and consumers still struggle to access benefits or understand the value proposition. Over the last year, I've had countless conversations with business leaders about their market challenges. A consistent theme emerges: We're talking past our customers, not addressing their real needs. The contrast between intention and impact is striking: • We emphasize emissions while customers worry about rising costs • We focus on rebates while consumers need to understand total cost savings • We push electrification before addressing building performance and comfort • We market energy savings when health and resilience drive decisions Something I've learned selling solutions across diverse communities: I'd rather, and have more successfully sold clean tech in rural areas than urban centers. Why? Because when you focus on immediate value - lower operating costs, better building performance, protection from extreme weather - you build trust that transcends policy debates. Organizations frequently hire for policy expertise and within their networks over industry experience. Our messaging reflects this - we lead with future benefits while customers need solutions to today's problems. Meanwhile, small businesses and contractors lack the support needed to effectively deliver these solutions. But there's good news: When we lead with immediate value, the results are transformative. I've seen this consistently: 1. Focus on building performance and occupant health 2. Demonstrate resilience to extreme weather events  3. Show measurable outcomes and real cost savings 4. Build trust through proven results Consider an alternative approach: • What if we prioritized contractor success over $100B in manufacturing build out? • What if we made small businesses leaders rather than just implementers and beneficiaries? • What if we focused on solving immediate problems instead of long-term goals? • What if we measured success by customer outcomes not just deployment numbers? The path forward is clear: • Reframe around customer priorities • Support contractors in delivering verified outcomes • Create value today, not just promises for tomorrow • Make performance the product, not just clean energy The technology works. The economics work. Now we need to tell that story in a way that connects with real needs and priorities. Question for industry leaders: How can we better align our value proposition with the immediate needs of customers and contractors? #BuildingPerformance #CleanTech #ValueCreation #Resilience

Innovative 💡 Roads that charge electric vehicles (EVs) while driving, using wireless charging technologies like inductive coils embedded in pavement, offer significant advantages. They extend EV range, reducing range anxiety and the need for frequent charging stops, thus improving mobility by enabling seamless long-distance travel. For urban commuters, dynamic charging could reduce reliance on large battery packs, lowering vehicle costs and weight. By facilitating widespread EV adoption, these roads can significantly cut carbon emissions, as EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions compared to fossil-fuel vehicles. Studies suggest that if 1% of roads were electrified, EVs could achieve unlimited range, potentially reducing global transport emissions by up to 30% by 2050. However, high installation costs and infrastructure upgrades pose challenges. Integrating renewable energy sources into these systems could further enhance sustainability, making them a promising solution for decarbonizing transportation and improving mobility.

Whenever the topic of EVs comes up, I'm almost always asked about this: "𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺?" Released today, a University of Michigan study found that a battery electric vehicle (BEV) pickup truck carrying 2,500 pounds STILL emits less than 30% of the lifetime greenhouse gases of a conventional gas-powered pickup with no cargo. The "cradle-to-grave" LCA confirms that the use phase of a gas vehicle's life cycle is far more damaging than the production of an EV battery, recognizing that the gas truck is the real climate culprit over its lifetime. Here are some of the key figures I found interesting: 🟢 On average, an ICE pickup truck produces 486 grams of CO2 equivalent per mile. That's the highest emitter on the road. 🟢 The lowest emitting vehicle in the study, a compact sedan BEV, produces just 81 grams of CO2e per mile. 🟢 Switching to a BEV pickup would reduce those emissions by a massive 75% (!!!) This research illuminates a powerful feedback loop that's already in motion. As our grid continues its journey toward decarbonization, every new EV becomes a progressively cleaner vehicle over its 15-year lifetime. The data proves that we are building a transportation system whose environmental benefits are not static but grow year over year. The more we electrify, the stronger the case for clean energy becomes, creating a virtuous cycle where vehicle choice and grid evolution reinforce each other for a more sustainable future. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dwdhvHZi #ElectricVehicles #Sustainability #DataDrivenDecisions #ClimateAction #CleanTech

An often-forgotten benefit of EVs is their ability to aid in the reduction of air pollution within cities. As I travelled around Beijing last week, I couldn’t help but notice there was a distinct lack of the infamous smog, despite learning about the city's problems with heavy pollution years ago. So, I dug out some air quality data from Beijing, and plotted it against the overall NEVs on the road in China. There is a noticeable correlation between the decrease in particulate matter levels and EV adoption. Another thing that has helped is the license plate lottery in Beijing, with strict limits on the number of vehicles that can be registered each year, and EVs are favoured. NEVs are 42% of total sales in Beijing so far this year. Of course, increased EV adoption isn’t the only reason for this, as Leon Shepherd taught me over a coffee. Removal of coal burners from streets, improving heating infrastructure and planting trees on the outskirts of the city to act as a natural barrier from dessert sand, all contributed to this improvement. Also, there have been increasingly stringent emission standards on ICE vehicles. As Sam Adham reminded me, improving air quality was one of the initial driving forces behind the Chinese government’s decision to heavily invest in electric vehicles. Therefore, EVs are not only good for global emissions levels (even independent of the electricity source) but are also great for cleaning up the air in our cities. #sustainability #pollution #airpollution #climatechange #electricvehicles

B2B climate tech needs to cool it on the ‘save the planet’ messaging. It has its place, but it should be only one small piece in your customer-facing comms. (Do you speak directly to the business challenge your customers are looking to solve — or are you too caught up in the aspirational?) Rather than making vague environmental promises — Get specific on the business benefits your solution provides. This means focusing less on your company’s mission (an intraorganizational guidepost, not the end-all be-all of your messaging) and more on what your customers will get — and how their business will improve (!) — when they buy. #climatetechmessaging