☁️ Let's count the number of carbon removal companies + 🛢️ $793B won’t divest from fossil fuels
Your 3-minute summary of climate tech, startups, better habits, and deep work.
In today’s 3-minute read, we’ll cover these juicy nuggets:
☁️ How many carbon removal companies are there?
📝 Two accelerators for your climate startup(s).
😣 Human psychology + climate change = Oil + water
🛢️ $793B won’t divest from fossil fuels?
💀 The best email autoresponder ever?
Enjoy.
Chris
☁️ How many carbon removal companies are there?
I don’t know exactly.
At least 319.
But…
This monster list from Grant Faber (Senior Techno-Economic Analyst at Twelve) probably has your answer. Thanks, dude.
https://airminers.org/explore
https://www.carbon-removers.com
https://circularcarbon.org/innovator-index
https://climatetechvc.org/carbon-to-value
https://climatetechvc.org/carbon-capture
https://joshgreen.substack.com/p/where-do-climate-and-crypto-intersect?s=r
https://sosv.com/SOSV-climate-tech-100-list
https://www.coollist.earth/
And Tristan Copley Smith (Editor at The Climate Switch from Terra.do) reminds us of these two other great sources. Good reminders!
https://www.diamondlist.co
https://climatescape.org
📝 Two accelerators for your climate startup(s).
If you’re a startup looking for validation, capital, and coaching…
Or an investor looking for vetted pre-seed and seed-stage startups…
Then you will want to know about these two accelerators below.
Note:
I’m sure I’m forgetting 10+ other kickass climate accelerators. If you, dear reader, are affiliated with one of these, please share details in a response to my Twitter and LinkedIn post about this newsletter issue.
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#1: AirMiners Launchpad - Batch #4
In their words…
Carbon removal is a trillion-dollar opportunity disguised as an existential crisis.
Developed in partnership with XPRIZE and Creative Destruction Lab, AirMiners Launchpad is a 6-week program for early teams or individuals interested in the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal. Innovators and entrepreneurs hoping to compete for the prize should join the AirMiners Launchpad for startup support.
Applications for Batch #4 are now open until March 31st.
The first weekly session for Batch #4 begins on Tuesday, April 26th.
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AirMiners is the place for entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists, and designers working to extract carbon from the air. It exists to support the global carbon-negative community with networking, events, education.
Got questions?
Ready to apply?
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#2: Third Derivative (D3) -June 2022 Cohort
In their words…
Bring your innovation to market faster with the best-networked climate tech accelerator.
We’re here to help you bridge critical finance and resource gaps by uniting and aligning the world’s most promising climate tech startups—like you—with D3’s network of committed investors, corporate partners, market experts, and mentors.
We’re looking for world-changing climate tech startups addressing billion-dollar markets in the areas of hard science, hardware, software, and business model innovation. If accepted, you’ll take part in our virtual, 18-month-long accelerator program.
We are now accepting applications for our June 2022 Cohort.
Submissions received from January 21–April 12, 2022 will be considered for inclusion in this cohort.
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Founded by RMI and New Energy Nexus, Third Derivative (D3) is accelerating the rate of climate innovation through our inclusive ecosystem approach, which rapidly finds, funds, and scales climate tech globally.
Today D3’s collaborative ecosystem includes $3.6T market cap of corporate partners, $5B AUM of investor partners (across five continents), and over 60 startups addressing climate challenges across all major emissions sectors. Together, we are moving markets to achieve a brighter, more equitable climate future.
Got questions?
Ready to apply?
😣 Human psychology + climate change = Oil + water
Ever wonder why it’s so f’ing hard to move the meter in the climate crisis?
In this 9-minute video, fellow Duke University professor Dan Ariely explains why.
Btw, if you don’t know Dan, here’s a sample bio. (That is, he’s worth listening to.)
Author - Irrationally Yours, Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty
Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics - Duke University
Founding Member - Center for Advanced Hindsight
Here’s a teaser. If these seem off topic, that’s the point.
Why did Baby Jessica — a baby that fell down a well in Texas in 1987 — get more media attention than the Rwanda genocide?
Why might people care more about the person drowning vs. the one exposed to malaria risk?
Why do Toyota Prius drivers smile more? (This was from 2012!)
🛢️ $793B won’t divest from fossil fuels?
Currently, a California bill could require that the states biggest pension plans — CalSTRS and CalPERS, with $473B and $319B in assets, respectively — to divest from fossil fuel investments by 2027.
But it’s unlikely to pass.
The CalSTRS board has voted to oppose it.
Does that mean they love climate change?
Nope.
But as gargantuan investors, divesting can be challenging because they:
need to “own” the economy — that is, all sectors — and fear underperformance versus relevant investment indices
are often stuck in illiquid, [10]-year investments — e.g., private equity fund — from which they can’t easily extract themselves contractually
may not be able to find a corresponding quantity of high-quality, low-carbon investments (which is sometimes the expectation in divestment scenarios)
want to have a seat at the table in oil and gas companies in order to advocate for the energy transition — that is, no seat, no standing, no power
Are these justifications perfect?
Nope.
But divestment is not as simple as it seems.
💀 The best email autoresponder ever?
When you have serious deep work to do, consider this one below.
Thanks to my boy, Tim Ferriss, for this curation. My words, not his. 😎
But seriously, if not for Tim’s 2009 book — The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich — I’m not sure where I’d be.
That’s all, y’all.
Make it a great week, because it’s usually a choice.
— Chris
P.S. “Ask for feedback to sell.”
If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money.
Thanks to Dru Riley of Trends.vc for this jewel. Plus, his business trends analysis is delicious. 👍
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Dr. Chris Wedding
Founder and Chief Catalyst, Entrepreneurs for Impact
The Only Private Executive Mastermind Community for CEOs, Founders, and Investors Fighting Climate Change
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Today our Mastermind members represent over $5 billion in market value or assets under management. Plus, they’re great human beings — humble, giving, and eager to grow.