stories to watch 2017

Photo: Michael Fleshman/Flickr

FEATURING

Andrew SteerPresident & CEOJanuary 11, 2017

Strange Times

Photo: Flickr/Ted Eytan

Greatest Political Uncertainty Since 1989

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A Globalization Backlash

Photo: Ben White/ CAFOD, October 2015

People Feeling Left Out of Economic Opportunity

Photo: Flickr/Joseph

Devaluation of Facts

49% of Republicans believe #PizzaGate is real

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A NEW ADMINISTRATION:How Far Will Trump Go?

STORY 1

Photo: Flickr/Matt Johnson

WHERE DOES HE STAND?

Photo: Flickr/Jennifer Woodard Maderazo

SEPTEMBER 2015: “I don’t believe in climate change.”

DECEMBER 2009: “We support your effort to ensure meaningful and effective measures to control climate change.”

—Letter to Pres. Obama, signed by Donald Trump NOVEMBER 2016:

“I have an open mind to it.”

TRUMP’S FOSSIL FUEL CABINET

Photo: Flickr/Gage Skidmore, William Muno

EPA: Scott Pruitt DOE: Rick Perry STATE: Rex Tillerson DOI: Ryan Zinke

AMERICANS WANT CLIMATE ACTION

66%of registered voters

say U.S. should reduce GHG emissions

Photo: Flickr/Nick v

55%of Trump voters support climate

policies

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/Paul A.Fagan

• Ozone and Methane Emissions Standards• Renewable Fuel Standard Program• Energy Efficiency Standards• Waters of the United States Rule

Environmental Protection Under Attack?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Undoing the Clean Power Plan?

Photo: Flickr/ Ted Eytan

DC Circuit Ruling

Early 2017 Supreme Court?

Defund?Rescind and Replace?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

American Energy & Infrastructure Act,

first 200 days?

Infrastructure: Gray or Green?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will He Gut U.S. Climate Policies?

Source: “Delivering on the U.S. Climate Commitment: A 10-Point Plan Toward a Low-Carbon Future.”

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will He Gut U.S. Climate Policies?

Source: “Delivering on the U.S. Climate Commitment: A 10-Point Plan Toward a Low-Carbon Future.”

WHAT TO WATCH:

…and Will He Abandon the Paris Agreement?

Photo: COP Paris

• Syria• Nicaragua• Uzbekistan

WHAT TO WATCH:

How Will Congress Respond?

Photo: Flickr/Thomas Hawk

52REPUBLICANS

46+2DEMOCRATS + INDEPENDENTS

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will More States and Cities Step Up?

Photo: Flickr/Gage Skidmore

15 States &51 CitiesHave Called for Climate Action

WHAT TO WATCH:

Taking It to the Streets?

Photo: Flickr/Stephen Melkisethian

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Environmentalists Prevail in the Courts?

Photo: Flickr/wp paarz

27-11in Bush Era

WHAT TO WATCH:

Crossing the Line?

Gutting the OCE is “the dumbest fricking thing I’ve ever heard ....”

—Sen. Lindsey Graham,Fox News, Jan. 3, 2017

How Far Will Trump Go? STORY 1

Photo: Flickr/Matt Johnson

GLOBAL ENERGY MARKETS: A Fossil Fuel Renaissance or Renewable Energy Surge?

STORY 2

Photo: USFWS/Joshua Winchell

RESURGENCE OF COAL?

Photo: Flickr/Wojtek Mszyca

Source: US EIA

U.S. COAL INDUSTRY IS DECLINING

WIND & SOLAR POWER ARE NOW COST-COMPETITIVE

Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance

• Wind turbine technician is fastest growing U.S. job

• 769,000 U.S. jobs in renewable energy

Photo: Dennis Schroeder/DOE

CLEAN ENERGY: JOB CREATOR

• 71 Fortune 100 companies have renewable goals

• 22 Fortune 500 companies are committed to 100% renewables

Photo: Flickr/Walmart

U.S. COMPANIES DEMAND MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY

U.S. UTILITIES AREN’T TURNING BACK

• 450 Mw of new solar, equivalent to taking 118,000 vehicles off the road each year

• 500 Mw in the works

Source: http://buyersprinciples.org/corporate-re-strategy-map/

$266 BillionInvestment in renewable energy capacity was double coal & gas last year

Photo: Google Earth

AND AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL...

2015:• South Africa increased 329% ($4.5 billion)

• Chile increased 151% ($3.4 billion)

• India increased 22% ($10.2 billion)

Photo: Flickr/Brookhaven National Lab

EMERGING MARKETS LEADING IN CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS

CHINA: #1 IN RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT

Source: IEA

1/3 of new capacity planned is coal

80% of which is in a few rapidly developing Asian economies

Photo: Flickr/blake.thornberry

BUT, COAL REMAINS IN THE GLOBAL PIPELINE

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/Stuart Rankin

4:1 failure-to-completion rate of planned coal plants in Europe, South Asia, Latin America and Africa

Will Coal Plants Thrive or Fail?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Source: US EIA

Will U.S. Coal Exports Rebound?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/hsbfrank

• Tax credits• R&D funding

Will U.S. Support for Renewables Remain?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/Julian Schüngel

Will Financial Capital Shift Toward Clean Energy?

July 2017

G20 Summit

A Fossil Fuel Renaissance or Renewable Energy Surge? STORY 2

Photo: USFWS/Joshua Winchell

INTERNATIONAL ACTION:Will Momentum on Climate Continue?

STORY 3

Photo: Falcon Photography/Flickr

Source: CAIT/WRI

123countries

PARIS AGREEMENT RAPIDLY ENTERS INTO FORCE

19 countries joined since U.S. election

ECONOMIC GROWTH & EMISSIONS ARE DECOUPLING

Source: WRI

30countries

LAUNCH OF NDC PARTNERSHIP

8institutions

38countries

TURNING COMMITMENTS INTO ACTION

Source: http://www.wri.org/publication/achieving-mexicos-goals

NOVEMBER 2016: INDIA OPENS WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR PLANT

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Vinaykumar8687

648Megawatts

Enough to power

150,000homes

$360 billioninvestment in

renewables by 2020

JANUARY 2017: CHINA ANNOUNCES RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT

Photo: Flickr/Martijn van Gameren

13 millionjobs by 2020

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will We See Implementation Accelerate?

21 Countrieshave committed to restore

63 million hectares of degraded land by 2030

Source: AFR100

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will India Hit Its Solar Targets?

Sources: Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF); The Economic Times.

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will China’s National Carbon Market Take Off?

NEED PHOTO13%of global GHG

emissions covered by carbon pricing

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will China’s National Carbon Market Take Off?

NEED PHOTO25%of global GHG

emissions covered by carbon pricing

WHAT TO WATCH:

More Climate Refugees?

Photo: Flickr/UN Photo/Tobin Jones

26.4 million people displaced by disasters

per year since 2008

Equivalent to one person

per second

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will UN SG Prioritize Climate?

Photo: Flickr/ OEA-OAS

WHAT TO WATCH:

Who Will Step Up?

Photo: Flickr/Kevin Gill

WHAT TO WATCH:

European Elections?

Photo: Flickr/Indigo Skies Photography

Netherlands: March 15 (National Election)

France: April 23 (Presidential)

Germany: August-October (Federal Election)

Italy: New Prime Minister must be confirmed

Will Momentum on Climate Continue?STORY 3

Photo: Falcon Photography/Flickr

TOMORROW’S MARKETS:Will Businesses & Investors Accelerate Momentum Toward Sustainability?

STORY 4

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

CORPORATE COMMITMENTS ARE GROWING

579 Deforestation-free supply chains

84 100% Renewable Energy

205Science-based Targets

SOME COMPANIES ARE STARTING TO TRANSFORM THEIR BUSINESS MODELS

From coal mining to life-sciences company

Recognizes “peak stuff” & finite resources

Future is not just selling more cars

MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL ASSET OWNERS ARE HUNGRY FOR SUSTAINABLE CAPITAL

Multiple studies confirm ESG factors can lead to higher returns and are “neutral”

Photo: Public Domain

Recommendations of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

Photo: Flickr/Bank of England

PRESSURE ON MARKETS IS BEGINNING

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Sustainable Investments Keep Up the Pace?

Source: GSIA 2015

61% increase in professionally managed assets held in ESG screened investments

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will 100 More Companies Sign Up to Science-based Targets?

Will they go further to include land and water?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Demand Be Transmitted to Corporate Board Rooms?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Demand Be Transmitted to Corporate Board Rooms?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Demand Be Transmitted to Corporate Board Rooms?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Davos 2017: Business Commission on Sustainable Development

Photo: Flickr/David McIntyre/Crossroads Foundation Ltd.

How will businesses and investors respond?

Will Businesses & Investors Accelerate Momentum Toward Sustainability?

STORY 4

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

STORY 5

Photo: Flickr/Stacy Spensley

SUSTAINABLE FOOD:The Ascent of Plant-Based Protein?

FOOD DEMAND IS RISING

Sources: FAOSTAT (data 1980-2013), Alexandratos and Bruinsma (2012) with WRI adjustments (projections 2014-2050).

MEAT DEMAND GROWS AS INCOME GROWS

Sources: FAOSTAT (data 1980-2013), Alexandratos and Bruinsma (2012) with WRI adjustments (projections 2014-2050).

• Beef uses 1/3 of water for all agricultural production

• “Cattle Nation” = 3rd largest GHG emitter after China and U.S.

Photo: Flickr/American Committee for KEEP, Inc.

THE BIGGEST BEEF IS WITH BEEF

BEEF PRODUCTION:

• ~70% of deforestation in South America

• #1 driver of tropical deforestation globally

Photo: Flickr/CIFOR

A QUARTER OF THE EARTH IS PASTURELAND

• 2.5 acres of land for the average American diet

• One-half for beef

Photo: Pexels/Mail Maeder

BEEF PRODUCTION AND LAND USE

After 1 year of global dietary guidelines:

• 5+ million lives could be saved

• $700+ billion in healthcare costs avoided

Photo: Flickr/Many Goldberg

LESS RED MEAT IS BETTER FOR PEOPLE…

…AND BETTER FOR THE PLANET

If highest consumers cut beef consumption in half: It would free up ~300 million hectares of land (the size of India)

Photo: Flickr/Bureau of Land Management

WE GET NEARLY ENOUGH PROTEIN FROM PLANTS

Source: WRI/Shifting Diets

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AMERICANS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM BEEF

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/how-much-meat-do-americans-eat-then-and-now-1792/

• One quarter of Americans report eating less meat

• One in ten millennials is a vegetarian or vegan

Photo: Flickr/USDA

INTEREST IN PLANT PROTEIN IS GROWING…

• Tyson Foods launched $150 million venture capital fund to expand meat alternatives

• Better Buying Lab companies serve 25 billion meals per year

Photo: Flickr/Ronald Sarayudej

…AND BUSINESSES ARE RESPONDING

• China’s dietary guidelines call to reduce meat consumption by 50%

• Denmark proposed first-ever tax on red meat

Photo: Flickr/tosa muu

GOVERNMENTS ARE STARTING TO TAKE ACTION

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Health and Sustainability Agendas Align?

Photo: Loic Venance Via Getty Images

JUNE 2017: EAT-Lancet Commission recommendations on diet, health & sustainability

WHAT TO WATCH:

Photo: Flickr/Scrubhiker

Will Pressure on Beef Production Grow?

• Group of investors representing $1.25 trillion pushing meat industry to diversify

• Will more beef companies make deforestation commitments?

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Momentum for Meat Alternatives Build?

• Beyond Meat products in more than 11,000 stores

• Top restaurants & chefs serving Impossible Burgers

Photo: Flickr/ Michael Saechang

The Ascent of Plant-Based Protein?STORY 5

Photo: Flickr/Stacy Spensley

STORY 6

Photo: Flickr/thisisbossi

AUTONOMOUS, SHARED, ELECTRIC: Will Mobility Trends Help People & the Planet?

UNACCEPTABLE COSTS: CONGESTION…

Photo: Flickr/Neil Rickards

Workers lose 8 days of productivity per year sitting in traffic

POLLUTION…

Photo: Flickr/AIRS

TRANSPORT SECTOR:

• 14% of global emissions globally

• #1 source of emissions in U.S., surpassing energy

…AND LIVES

Photo: Flickr/AIRS

• 1.25 million road deaths per year

• 90% due to human error

MOBILITY FACES MAJOR DISRUPTION

Photo: Flickr/AIRS

• Ridesharing• Electrification• Automation

RIDESHARING ON THE RISE

Photo: Flickr/ Tauno Tõhk / 陶诺

UBER:• 1 million

rides/day

• $62.5 billion valuation

DIDI:• 20 million

rides/day

• $28 billion valuation

CAR OWNERSHIP ON THE WAY OUT?

Photo: Flickr/Spiros Vathis

“By 2025, owning a car will go the way of the DVD.”

—Lyft co-founder John Zimmer

ELECTRIC VEHICLES POISED FOR TAKEOFF

Photo: Flickr/ Håkan Dahlström

• 1 million electric vehicles on the road globally

• 30,000 U.S. charging outlets

• Battery tech advancing

Photo: Flickr/AIRS

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES LEAP FORWARD

Photo: Flickr/Steve Jurvetson

SELF-DRIVING RIGS ON THE ROAD

Tested in Ohio, Colorado and Nevada

AUTOMATION: AN ECONOMIC DISRUPTOR

Photo: Flickr/AIRS

A TIME FOR CAREFUL NAVIGATION

“Simply eliminating the drivers from cars, and keeping everything else about our system the same, will be a disaster.”

—Robin Chase, co-founder of Zipcar, WRI Board Member

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will EVs Go Mainstream and Reduce Emissions?

Photo: Flickr/Paladin27

Chevy Bolt: 2017 Car of the Year

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Auto Innovation Crowd Out or Complement Mass Transit?

Photo: Flickr/rachaelvoorhees

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will Robots Pass Their Road Tests?

Photo: Flickr/smoothgroover22

• Gothenburg: Volvo• Detroit: General Motors• Munich: BMW• Phoenix: Waymo• Cologne: Ford• Boston: nuTonomy• Los Angeles to New York City: Tesla

WHAT TO WATCH:

Will It All Come Together?

WHAT TO WATCH:

A Better Way?

Photo: Flickr/William Murphy

Will Mobility Trends Help People & the Planet?STORY 6

Photo: thisisbossi/Flickr

500 YEARS AGO

Photo: Wikimedia Common

100 YEARS AGO

Photo: Russian Public Domain

10 YEARS AGO

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Michael Fleshman/Flickr

STORY 1 A NEW ADMINISTRATION: How Far Will Trump Go?

STORY 2 GLOBAL ENERGY MARKETS: A Fossil Fuel Renaissance or Renewable Energy Surge?

STORY 3 INTERNATIONAL ACTION: Will Momentum on Climate Continue?

STORY 4 TOMORROW’S MARKETS: Will Businesses & Investors Accelerate Momentum Toward Sustainability? 

STORY 5 SUSTAINABLE FOOD: The Ascent of Plant-Based Protein?

STORY 6 AUTONOMOUS, SHARED, ELECTRIC: Will Mobility Trends Help People & the Planet?