We need to talk about data
The data narrative is missing from climate tech, but it’s the bridge the connects goals to action.
The energy transition is well underway. It’s an encouraging time. The momentum toward positive change is palpable.
A lot of that momentum has come thanks to the investment in the conversation by the private sector: According to Axios, the number of companies setting net zero emissions targets has risen over 40% since June 2022. This is good news. Across industries companies are aiming for 24/7 clean energy targets, they’re shifting behaviors and they’re investing in clean or renewable energy where possible. Despite the “doom and gloom” narrative, the companies that account for a large chunk of the world’s emissions are taking steps to right the ship.
That’s the good -- the intention is clearly there. The not-so-good is that many (read: most) of these companies don’t have a clear roadmap in place to reach their goals. The same Axios report shared that just 4% of companies' net-zero targets meet the UN criteria for reaching the goal. We’re at an inflection point where intention is at odds with action.
This is, in part, a communication problem. The narrative that’s been loudest in the media (to date) has been around things like electrification, decarbonization, and clean energy. Again, not a bad thing -- in fact, a great thing. But in the rush to move towards these hopeful realities, we’ve forgotten to talk about the thing that will help us get there: energy data.
Just like tech’s larger big data revolution of the early 2010s, we’re on the cusp of a big energy data revolution. In order to reach the net-zero goals many companies have set, they need access to reliable data that can not only forecast, but that can also give them a clear, comprehensive picture of where they are today. Many climate tech stalwarts and upstarts are staking claim to the energy data space: capturing data from providers across electricity, water and waste, improving models for carbon accounting, creating cost-benefit analysis, and more. Arcadia, for example, is one company using global utility data to enable customers to use energy more efficiently and cost-effectively. The Carbon Call is a consortium of companies focused on improving GHG accounting.
The communications challenge -- and opportunity -- is to introduce the data layer of the clean energy transition to the world. It’s an imperative pillar to reaching the goals set by private sector companies and will only become more important as regulations across Europe and the U.S. begin to require more disclosures of companies’ emissions, and that of their supply chains.
As with anything climate communications related, the data story doesn’t come without challenges. We live in a sea of data, so the data we are communicating must be reliable. In fact, just a few weeks ago at MIT Energy Conference, a group of panelists discussed the idea of how the right data is core to moving from climate pledge to climate action.
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” said Christina Kopka, Head of Strategist Accounts at emissions measurement company Watershed.
Kopka and her co-panelists agreed it’s a nuanced challenge, especially in terms of how we talk about this data externally. It’s quite easy to jump at the numbers that perhaps look the best, or could tell the right story, but our collective job is to remain skeptical, question the inputs and outputs, and ensure our sources are coming from those with known experience in the industry. Singularity Energy’s CEO Wenbo Shi emphasized the outsized importance of data integrity for companies who are making net-zero pledges. But it’s fair to say the same goes for those charged with telling the climate story with accuracy and insight.
The call to communicators this year, and in the years to come, is to look at the data and weave it into roadmaps and conversations. The narrative of data and our use of it as we communicate will only strengthen the momentum brought by net-zero pledges. And hopefully, sway those private sector companies who rode the wave of net-zero pledges towards something more tangible. The data is the catalyst for the action. Thankfully, we live in an era where the data is there in troves. We just need to look for it. And then we need to talk about it.
Water (Cooler) Talk
🎬Climate’s Casting Call
What we see on the silver screen can influence how we see the world. At least, that’s what the folks behind the Hollywood Climate Summit believe. The second edition of the event gathered over 125 screenwriters to pitch their ideas for TV shows and movies focusing on climate change, writes Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times. According to USC research, out of the 37,453 scripted TV episodes and films released from 2016-2020, only 2.8% mentioned climate change-related terms. That’s an extremely low number for a pressing issue, especially when researchers have found that entertainment can change how we view the world. It’s too early to tell if the summit will produce the next climate change-focused blockbuster, but it’s a step toward telling these stories at a massive scale.🗣️Reframing Climate Comms for Action
Scrolling social media, and checking climate headlines can lead to a phenomenon known as “doom-scrolling.” A Resilience study found that “doomer” messaging (aka negative emotions) thrives on social media, where negativity is the norm – but it’s not the most effective way to spur people to action. One such way is the “power of us,” or using a more unified tone to push societal change. According to Resilience, this doesn’t mean that we should abandon negative science, but find a way to reframe the messaging that provides clarity of action and appeals to morality and ethics.💲Funding “Industrial Decarbonization”
This week, President Joe Biden announced $6 billion in funding for 33 projects across over 20 states to decarbonize “energy-intensive industries.” Okay… what does that exactly mean though? Industrial decarbonization is one of those industry terms that is often tossed around without specifically naming what is being addressed. This Twitter thread includes some great examples that are more precise on the types of industries that fall under the umbrella term. The funding from the federal government will go toward chemicals, refining, cement/concrete, iron and steel, food and beverages among others.