🌱 The Grumpy Optimists #144
Wind saves billions, regulators wake up, and Exxon still sues someone.
Happy Monday. 👋
Welcome back to your weekly recap of news that makes you not want to give up on climate action. This week there’s a mix of good and bad, but that’s just life I guess?
Next weekend I’m heading to Tokyo with Zevero. I’ll still write a blog, but it could be fuelled by Sake and Asahi, so lower your expectations, that’s all I’d say.
On a more serious note, besides spending time with our excellent team out there, planning for 2026 and eating well, I’ll also be meeting our fantastic clients like Tokyo Government. You can read more about that here. Not bad for a boy from Leeds, ey?
Anyway, let’s get into it…oh and recommend this blog to a friend while you’re being nice will you.
😠 News to make you grumpy
Sorry, this week there are two things we can’t ignore…
🛢️ Exxon sues California to stop new climate reporting laws. Exxon has filed a lawsuit against California over mandatory climate disclosure laws. The case could delay or derail efforts to make corporate emissions data public. Transparency clearly still scares some.
🌎 US officials warn COP30 will test global credibility. With COP30 approaching, US officials warn that global trust in climate pledges is fading. Progress has been too slow, and many countries risk missing their targets.
👀 News to make you feel good this week
📊 FCA welcomes legislation to bring ESG ratings providers into regulation. The FCA has announced new rules to regulate ESG ratings providers, helping ensure climate data and sustainability scores are consistent and transparent. The move brings the UK in line with global efforts to tackle greenwashing and improve investor trust.
🌬️ Wind power has cut £104bn from UK energy costs since 2010, study finds. Energy is so expensive, we should scrap net zero. Not quite true. I won’t dispute that energy prices in the UK are high, but that’s not because of renewables - it’s how our market sets prices. More on that another time.
A recent study from UCL found that wind power has saved the UK £104 billion since 2010. This is mainly due to reducing the demand for gas and avoiding new infrastructure being built. So next time someone says net zero is the reason our prices are so high, I’d like them to study the work. Ben James puts out great content about energy prices, so check him out.
🌍 New report finds efforts to slow climate change are working — just not fast enough. A global study shows climate policies are slowing emissions growth for the first time in decades. But progress remains too slow to hit the 1.5°C target. Encouraging signs, but we’re still far from safe ground.
💡 UK unveils new carbon budget delivery plan to get back on track for net zero. The UK government has released a revised plan to close the gap to its 2030 climate targets. Measures include EV charging rights for renters, heat pump rollout, and industry energy discounts; no new costs expected for households. Although critics say enforcement remains weak and it’s just a repackaging of old claims. We’ll see what Client Earth have to say…
🩺 Bill Gates says let’s talk less about climate, more about human health. This is an interesting one for me in how we frame climate action. Gates, in a recent memo is shifting his climate message from warning about catastrophe and emission cuts to focusing on improving human welfare.
Bill Gates says climate efforts should make clean tech as affordable and practical as fossil fuels by cutting the “Green Premium” to zero. He wants each COP to show how sectors like energy, manufacturing, and transport are progressing so leaders know what’s ready, what needs scaling, and where policy can help.
💭 My thoughts. This article initially seems to look as if Gates has gone from caring about climate to forgetting about it, but that’s very much not true. Instead, I like the framing, especially in the current political climate.
People care about their lives being better now, not what emissions look like in 2050. This framing is important about making climate accessible for everyone.
I’ve written about this back in 2021 here. You’re welcome Bill.
Thanks for your pity last week with my wisdom tooth folks, can confirm, not a great experience. This week’s music recommendation is Justin Timberlake’s Tiny Desk Concert. An all timer.
I also wanted to do a quick 📣 shoutout 📣 to Hannah Cox who is running 100 marathons in 100 days under The Salt Run to raise £1 million for people and planet. Nutter, but a bloody good one.
George, the Grumpy Optimist 💚