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Climate change has been top of mind for many of us over the past few weeks. Record-breaking heat in California and the destructive power of Hurricane Helene, which scientists say was intensified by global warming, reinforced the critical need to invest in climate solutions — especially with another storm barrelling toward Florida this week.
However, we’ve also seen signs of hope in a recent surge of climate-related announcements and studies that came out around Climate Week NYC, including:
- Both Bloomberg NEF and Climate Analytics say global emissions may have peaked in 2023, and 2024 could be the start of a sustained decline.
- Demonstrating that sustainable economic growth is possible, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders announced it slashed emissions by 10% between 2019 and 2022 — while growing revenues by 18%.
- Trellis released its annual 25 Climate Tech Startups to Watch, featuring early-stage startups innovating toward net zero in land use, energy, transport, buildings, and industry.
If you are looking for ways to make an impact through service and philanthropy, NBC News has a few ways to support hurricane victims. You can also check out One Green Thing’s Service Superpower Assessment, which helps identify the unique role you can play in climate action based on your personality.
Read on for more stories of people dedicated to making a difference for the climate and beyond.
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Motivating Youth to Stand Up for the Future
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Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we have been reading about the contributions of so many Latinx trailblazers who have made impactful contributions to the planet, humanity and culture. One such individual is 22-year-old Xiye Bastida, whom Time Magazine has described as “one of the most prominent climate-justice activists of our generation.”
A Mexican climate justice activist and member of the Indigenous Otomi community, Bastida is a leading voice in the youth climate movement. Shortly after organizing a 300,000-person climate strike in New York in 2019, she cofounded the Re-Earth Initiative, a nonprofit engaged in climate solutions funding, movement building, and storytelling-driven advocacy.
Bastida has spoken to world leaders in multiple forums as part of her efforts to bridge the gap of policy, youth inclusion, and funding. Her words emphasize the urgency of the climate crisis and reinforce the importance of remembering our roots as we build a better future. Above all, she inspires hope and a spirit of cooperation.
As Bastida said at the Forbes 30/50 Summit earlier this year, “Only when we listen to each other can we move forward. And I hope we move forward to that world of climate justice, that world of regeneration — not just sustainability — that world of hope, optimism, love, and joy.” |
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| The Future Face of Impact Investing |
| Business school students across the US are training to become impact investors through student-led impact funds that invest in startups focused on issues ranging from health care and inclusive finance to climate technologies and affordable housing. Impact Alpha recently highlighted several student-led funds at leading schools, including Northwestern University, Stanford, Columbia and the University of California Berkeley, among others. |
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GIIN Shows Steady Growth in Impact Investing Assets
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| The impact investing market continues to expand, with assets under management growing at a 14% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last four years. That’s according to the Global Impact Investing Network’s latest State of the Market report. Check out the report for a deep dive into all the latest trends, from geographic allocations and sector themes to financial returns and impact performance. |
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| INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP |
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| 7 Women-Led Companies Changing the World |
| The 52 businesses included on Fortune’s “Change the World” list demonstrate capitalism’s potential to address social problems. This article spotlights a few of the women-led companies committed to doing good while turning a profit. They’re making an impact by offering ways to increase access to healthcare, reduce carbon emissions and more. |
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Inspiring Words from Latina Entrepreneurs
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| The 2 million Latina-owned businesses in the US are an economic powerhouse, employing over 845,000 and generating $175.2 billion in revenue. This collection of inspiring quotes celebrates their significant contributions to our economy. One of our favorites is from Honest Company founder Jessica Alba: “When you come from people having zero expectations of who you could be, there’s a fearlessness; you can only go up from there.” |
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