Voluntary commitments are not enough. $820B in climate+human health impacts.
Plus: Tell better stories like South Park’s creators. Science says you’re not a slacker if you sleep in. (vol 148)
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Today’s topics.
⚕️ Climate change is a human story, too
⛔ Are voluntary commitments enough?
💬 Tell better stories like South Park’s creators
⏰ Science says you’re not a slacker if you sleep in
1.
⚕️ Climate change is a human story, too
If we only talk about climate change in terms of protecting ecosystems and future generations, we’ve already lost the battle.
It’s also about human health. Right now.
Consider this research from Morgan Stanley. (#NotTreehugging)
The U.S. already incurs more than $820 billion each year for hospitalizations, injuries, medical treatments, mental health conditions, and lost wages linked to air pollution and climate change.
They also share helpful tables that link climate hazards to health outcomes and economic impacts today.
Remember:
Some people like polar bears.
All people like (at least a few) other people.
2.
⛔ Are voluntary commitments enough?
This new report from the European Central Bank says no.
First, the context:
Just over two years ago, the world’s largest lenders and asset managers gathered in Glasgow and pledged to spend a collective $130 trillion (nearly 5x larger than the US economy) to tackle climate change. What emerged was the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) – now made up of 675 financial powerhouses spanning 50 countries.
Second, the results:
Banks in the GFANZ did not increase interest rates on loans to companies with high carbon emissions, and the companies receiving loans from banks in the alliance were not more likely to set goals for decarbonization.
Since 2018, they found that European banks had reduced their lending by just 20% to carbon-heavy sectors like oil, gas and transport. […] The decline was the same for all banks, regardless of whether they signed [onto GFANZ.]
Glass half full:
It takes longer than two years for the GFANZ to create positive outcomes.
Glass half empty:
Governments need more robust carrots and sticks to motivate banks to change.
3.
💬 Tell better stories like South Park’s creators
South Park is a carton that tries to offend every demographic in the world —humorously.
It began in 1997 and has produced 300+ episodes.
They’re doing something right.
Maybe it’s linked to their storytelling techniques — as explained in this video.
The WRONG way = Two parts of your story include the words “and, then”
The RIGHT way = Two parts of your story include the words “but” or “therefore”
Think of #1 as the way a 4-year-old tells a story.
If you tell stories to your customers, team, or investors like a little child, you might get the same results they do.
“Ah, how cute…” 💖
We don’t want to be cute. We want to be effective.
4.
⏰ Science says you’re not a slacker if you sleep in
The meditation app Calm notes that:
A staggering 90% of adults in the US and UK say they feel unrested, with 75% struggling to fall asleep and/or stay asleep.
But good sleep doesn’t mean that you have to get up before the sun does. ☀️
According to Dr. Matthew Walker:
Twenty-two different genes influence our “chronotype,” our body’s natural tendency towards sleep and when we actually wake up. There are three chronotypes: morning, evening, and neutral.
If you need to prove to your 5:00 am friends that high performers can follow other sleep schedules, here’s more info.
That’s all, y’all.
Make it a great week because it’s usually a choice.
Founder of EFI, North America’s biggest peer group for growth-stage climate CEOs
—
P.S. What makes German engineers cry?
P.S.S. This CEO sold his last business for $100M. Now he’s working on school buses.
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