The business of decarbonization is too important to wait, say experts. But merely having climate commitments that focus on 2050 isn’t sufficient, as such pledges may lull business leaders into thinking there is still some time left until they need to act. It’s not only possible but prudent for organizations to decarbonize, safeguard nature, and build resilience rapidly — now. In fact, businesses that fail to address growing climate risks in the near term are more likely to experience steep financial losses throughout the coming decade. Two WEF reports – “The Cost of Inaction: A CEO Guide to Navigating Climate Risk” and “Business on the Edge: Building Industry Resilience to Climate Hazards” provide a roadmap for companies as they move forward toward net zero operations. The authors describe the roadmap as a plan that every business leader should be activating within the next 24 months to drive better executive level decision-making. Avoid economic loss by enhancing resilience. Increase revenues and sustainability through adaptation. Collaborate to protect communities and ecosystems, through resilience and adaptation. Accept that it is a decisive moment for action. With the planet already facing irreversible tipping points, the frequency and severity of climate hazards with a direct impact on business and societies globally will continue to grow. The cascading economic and societal risks for business are complex and interconnected, but they can be understood in three separate ways: direct operational costs, supply chain disruption, and instability in nature and society. Natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires have had a direct impact on the business climate. The climate crisis is already having profound effects on the global economy with climate-related damages having surpassed $3.6 trillion since 2000 , more than doubling in 20 years. Climate inaction means missing out on opportunities, as the global green economy is expected to expand from $5 trillion in 2024 to $14 trillion by 2030. The economic case for decarbonization is better than most may think, as industries can reduce 10-60% of their emissions at no or limited additional cost. At carbon prices in line with net zero requirements, almost all sectors could abate over 50% of their emissions, with some achieving net zero. The US has seen hundreds of billions of dollars in clean technology investments since the 2022 passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — solar installations, offshore wind farms, electric vehicle manufacturing, battery factories, mining and processing of battery minerals, adoption of heat pumps, and other energy efficiency improvements. Whew! Our CleanTechnica editor, Zachary Shahan, says that the IRA has been “one of the most under-appreciated pieces of legislation in American history.” Lots of businesses are already investing in decarbonization. The IRA is the biggest reshoring and pro-manufacturing legislation that the US has ever experienced. Its strategic and numerous incentives have been crucial to motivating EV and battery manufacturing. IRA investments are recreating a strong domestic EV manufacturing sector as well as breaking China’s dominance of critical mineral and battery component supply chains. Yet, as the global energy mix shifts toward low-emission sources, further significant investments are required to modernize infrastructure and ensure the reliability of power generation. This includes upgrading transmission grids and expanding energy storage systems to support the integration of variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar. To make this leap, it’s important for businesses to understand the full scope of emissions that are produced by the world economy – as categorized under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol – is essential for companies to assess and manage their carbon footprints effectively: Scope 1: Direct emissions from company-owned or controlled sources, such as factory emissions. Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy, like electricity. Scope 3: All other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, including material extraction and processing, transportation, waste management, and the use and end-of-life treatment of sold products. In a December 2024 interview, John Mennel, a managing director at Deloitte and its purpose strategy leader, outlines how, because renewables are the cheapest source of energy, “companies generally save or make money when they’re more sustainable.” Companies, of course, will only move as quickly as they can define investments profitably and finance them. Unlike direct emissions produced by an institution’s own operations, financed emissions represent the broader climate footprint resulting from the allocation of financial resources to entities that may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their operations. Two types of climate risks are becoming material for business: physical risks (acute events like floods and chronic issues like sea level rise) and transition risks (e.g., regulatory changes and stranded assets). Companies now need to consider the risks to the existences and assets from climate change. Moreover, if they do have a decarbonization plan, they must anticipate how to reduce the capital expense to accomplish it as well as how to increase the return on investment. Together, these risks are reshaping industries, threatening financial stability, and creating urgency for climate action. Powerful statistics that emerge from new World Economic Forum research include: Companies investing in adaptation, decarbonization, and resilience are seeing up to $19 in avoided losses for every dollar spent. That’s the equivalent to the economic impact of COVID-19 every two years. Businesses investing in adaptation, resilience and decarbonization are seeing tangible returns — up to $19 in value for every dollar spent. Businesses that fail to adapt to physical climate risks could lose up to 7% of annual earnings by 2035. Companies that fail to decarbonize face mounting transition risks: up to 50% of profits by 2030 in heavy-emitting sectors. For the average listed company, climate-driven losses equate to a drop in earnings of 8.1–10.1% per year by 2045. Green markets are projected to expand from $5 trillion to $14 trillion by 2030. Extreme heat and other climate hazards are expected to cause $560–$610 billion in annual fixed asset losses for listed companies by 2035. Telecommunications, utilities and energy companies are most vulnerable. While it is a long way short of requirements of the Paris Agreement, we are at the beginning of a “prolonged period of decline for the first time since the industrial revolution,” according to DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook . What will it take to reduce the emissions of the formidable power, buildings, transportation, and agriculture industries? It will require hundreds more wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and storage batteries. The production of these industries, in turn, will require water, energy, rare earth elements, and critical metals to produce, creating more emissions from production. Is this progress toward decarbonization achievable? While some say that decarbonization remains a significant challenge, pathways to a net zero future are on the horizon. The business of decarbonization requires leaders who are both visionary and practical, innovative and articulate. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditZAGREB (Reuters) -Borussia Dortmund eased past hosts Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday to stay firmly on course for a top-eight finish and automatic qualification to the knockout stage. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens fired last year’s finalists into a deserved lead in the 41st minute before the unmarked Ramy Bensebaini headed in their second goal in the 56th. Forward Serhou Guirassy, back after a short illness, also got on the scoresheet in the 90th, slotting in after coming on as a substitute. The Ruhr valley club, who also hit the woodwork twice, have now won four of their five matches in the competition despite struggling on the road in the Bundesliga this season with no away wins. They are now on 12 points in fourth place of the new-format Champions League with three games left. Dinamo are on seven points in 23rd. The top eight teams automatically qualify for the knockout stage while the next 16 teams go into qualification playoffs. It was one-way traffic from the start with Dortmund controlling possession and hitting the woodwork through Bensebaini’s looping header and Donyell Malen’s effort a little later. The Dutch forward then saw Dinamo keeper Danijel Zagorac spectacularly stop his point-blank header in the 41st, seconds before the ball landed with Bynoe-Gittens who shook off two defenders and unleashed an unstoppable shot past the keeper. Bensebaini then did it better himself, heading in a corner after being left with far too much space in the box. Dinamo’s Zagorac had to come to the rescue again in the 65th, palming a deflected Malen shot wide. Zagorac could do nothing in the final minute of the game when Guirassy broke clear and pounced on a deflected pass to slot in through the keeper’s legs. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );Dow Jones futures will open Sunday evening, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures, with the stock market set to wrap up 2024 and ring in the new year. The stock market rally saw sharp Friday losses to slash what had been strong weekly gains. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 aren't that far from record highs. But the Dow Jones, Russell 2000 and other key measures are below key levels. ( ) fell back from an early entry and key levels, though it eked out a gain. Tesla stock tumbled Friday but still rose for the week. ( ) will report fourth-quarter and full-year deliveries and production figures, likely before early Jan. 2. China EV makers ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ) will release sales as well this coming week. Nvidia stock is a hedged position on , with Tesla on the Leaderboard watchlist. Nvidia and Zeekr stock are on the . Dow Jones Futures Today Dow Jones futures open at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures. Remember that overnight action in and elsewhere doesn't necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular session. Stock Market Rally The stock market rally continued a rebound for much of Christmas week, until Friday, although those the indexes came off their worst levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.35% in last week's still below the 50-day line. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.7%, but fell back below the 21-day line on Friday and briefly undercut the 50-day line. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.8% after skidding 1.5% Friday to undercut the 21-day intraday. The small-cap Russell 2000 eked out a 0.2% gain. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF ( ) was just above break-even for the week. The First Trust Nasdaq 100 Equal Weighted Index ETF ( ) climbed 0.5%. Leading stocks are still doing well. Speculative plays such as nuclear and quantum computing were big winners for the week, even with some falling Friday. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped 10 basis points to 4.62%, at the highest level since early May. U.S. crude oil futures rose 1.6% to $70.60 a barrel last week. ETFs Among growth ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF ( ) edged up 0.2% last week after Friday's 2.9% loss. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF ( ) fell 1.3%. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF ( ) gained 2.3%. Nvidia stock is the No. 1 holding in SMH. ARK Innovation ETF ( ) dipped 0.2% last week and ARK Genomics ETF ( ) bounced 3.2%. Tesla stock is a major holding across Ark Invest's ETFs. Cathie Wood's Ark also has a big Nvidia stake. SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF ( ) edged down 0.2% last week. The Energy Select SPDR ETF ( ) gained 0.5% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) advanced 0.7%. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) fell 0.4%. The Financial Select SPDR ETF ( ) climbed 0.5%. Tesla Stock Tesla stock rose 2.5% to 431.66 for the week. Shares jumped initially, hitting 465.33 intraday Thursday, before slashing gains. TSLA stock has been consolidating since peaking at 488.54, but doesn't show a buying opportunity right now. Tesla will report fourth-quarter and full-year deliveries and production figures in early January, likely before the open on Thursday, Jan. 2. Analysts expect Tesla to report record Q4 deliveries slightly above 500,000. Elon Musk, on the Q3 earnings call, predicted full-year deliveries would slightly top 2024's 1,808,591. To do that, the EV giant must reach 514,925 in Q4. Tesla has offered various discounts and incentives to boost demand. China has been strong, while the U.S. and especially Europe have been weak. The company also will disclose battery storage deployments for Q4. While the deliveries and storage figures will be key for Q4 earnings, they may not have a huge impact on Tesla stock. TSLA stock's huge gains in recent months have come on optimism about self-driving, AI, robotics and more, with a Trump administration seen easing the regulatory path. Nvidia Stock Nvidia stock gained 1.8% to 137.09 for the week. Shares flashed an aggressive entry Tuesday as it moved above the 50-day line. But NVDA stock then retreated, falling back below the 50-day and 21-day lines Friday. Nvidia now has a shallow with a 146.54 buy point, right next to the top of a prior base. Tuesday's intraday high of 141.90 could serve as an early entry. What To Do Now The stock market rally continues to look fine, despite being somewhat divided. Leading stocks generally are acting well, despite Friday's losses, though many are extended. The end and start of the year is a strange time, with whipsaw swings fairly common. That makes new buys difficult. Holding steady with significant to heavy exposure is still a good strategy. But work on your watchlists. A number of leading stocks are setting up. You want to be ready to take advantage. Friday's losses in some high-octane leaders show why investors may want to have some steadier names, often outside of tech, to balance out your portfolio. ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ) are names to watch. Read every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Baijiayun Announces Up To $15 Million Convertible Promissory Notes And $50 Million Standby Equity Purchase Agreement

FRANKLIN - A little girl from Massachusetts can't wait to become a meteorologist. After being inspired by a school visit from WBZ-TV meteorologist Jacob Wycoff, she put together an impressive weather forecast of her own. Hailey Crowshaw is a third grader at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Franklin, where Wycoff visited Thursday as part of the weather team's school visits program . Inspired to make her own forecast Hailey's father said that she came home from school after learning about weather, science, and broadcasting from Jacob and wanted to make her own forecast. She researched the upcoming weather forecasts, wrote her own script, and learned how to navigate the weather models used by professional meteorologists. She called her first weather forecast the Haileycast! Her father chipped in to help her create graphics and edit the piece for her, which he posted on social media early Friday morning. So today at my daughter’s school @4cast4you visited and spoke about all things weather. She’s already a weather nut (gets it from her dad 😜) and when she got home from school she was on a mission: make her own made for tv weather forecast. She spent the rest of the night... pic.twitter.com/Z91AmjAKJC Hailey is clearly a natural meteorologist in front of the camera, throwing in her jokes and her own spin on the forecast. "We finally put an end to our dry spell today with some much-needed rain. It had been so long since it rained I had forgotten where my raincoat was!" Hailey said at the beginning of her forecast. "Something we haven't had to think much about in the last year, snow! Not gonna lie I am a little jelly of the folks in New York who could see close to a foot of snow as this storm system works through. We aren't expecting any here in Franklin, but that could change." She also made sure to give her Thanksgiving week forecast, and she says that Wednesday looks perfect for last-minute errands! Jacob's message for Hailey The post has more than 11,000 views so far. Wycoff saw Hailey's forecast and had a message for her Friday. "Hey Hailey I just want to say amazing job on your forecast. I am so proud of you. You sat right there in the front row, you were one of the most attentive students that I've ever spoken to. I could tell that you were just itching to ask me questions yesterday," Wycoff said. "The weather world is going to be much brighter with you in it when you get a little bit older. So keep up the amazing work Hailey! I'm so proud of you and hope to see you on TV soon enough!" Riley Rourke is digital producer for CBS Boston. She graduated cum laude from Emerson College with a degree in Journalism in 2023. She has previously worked for Emerson student organizations like WEBN and the Emerson Channel.