🌱 The Grumpy Optimists #145
My trip to Japan and a roundup of the most uplifting climate wins, policy shifts and sustainability stories from the past two weeks.
Happy Monday. 👋
Konnichiwa from Japan. Sorry for not giving you a weekly update last week, between a 14 hour flight, lots of meetings and a dose of jet lag, I just didn’t get the chance to finish the blog. This week, I’ve included some of my favourite stories over the last two weeks instead.
One thing I always love about coming to Asia and Japan specifically is how motivated it makes me to keep pushing along the path of climate action. Japan is a fantastic country but there are so many lessons that can be learnt from Europe and across the world when it comes to climate action. I'm looking forward to another week of getting stuck into meeting corporates, spending time with the Zevero team and maybe even doing a little karaoke…
For now, let’s get into some good news.
👀 News to make you feel good this week
🌍 Thousands march outside COP30 summit in call for action. Thousands of protesters gathered outside COP30 in Belém, Brazil, marking the first time since 2021 that public demonstrations have been allowed at a UN climate summit. This in itself is mental btw… Activists carried symbolic coffins labelled Oil, Coal and Gas and called for an end to fossil fuels. Indigenous groups played a major role, highlighting land rights and the Amazon’s protection. Despite the pressure from civil society, negotiations inside the venue are reportedly making slow progress, with a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending.
💭 My thoughts. COP seems to have been hijacked a little by corporate interests and fossil lobbies, but the inclusion by force and choice of indigenous groups is a positive sign. I’m not optimistic about COP, but it’s good to show that globally people give a sh*t about climate action.
🌊 Reef Cubes scale up ocean regeneration. Reef Cubes, modular blocks designed to restore marine habitats, are rolling out in new projects and proving that engineered structures can accelerate biodiversity recovery. It’s a reminder that climate tech is not just software; it’s physical, tangible interventions at scale.
📚 EU makes climate education a priority. The European Union has formally included climate education in its 2025 Nationally Determined Contribution, committing all 27 member states to embed climate learning from kindergarten to grade 12. The move aligns the EU with more than 60 countries that have adopted Earth Day Org’s model language and signals a major shift toward making climate literacy a global norm.
💭 My thoughts: Embedding climate knowledge early is vital. Policy like this compounds over decades.
⚛️ Wylfa nuclear plant plans move ahead. The UK has approved a first-of-its-kind small modular reactor station at Wylfa in Anglesey. It promises up to 3,000 jobs and could eventually power around three million homes. Construction is planned to start next year with electricity generation targeted for the mid-2030s.
💼 ISSB expands into nature-related reporting. The ISSB will develop standards covering nature, biodiversity, and ecosystem impacts, extending beyond carbon as a measure for corporate impact. This is good news for being able to track nature-related impacted and most importantly, create more positive impact.
🌍 The world’s biggest companies are ramping up net zero targets again. A new Accenture analysis of 4,000 large companies shows target setting has resumed after last year’s stall. 41 percent of the largest 2,000 now have value chain net zero targets, up from 37 percent. Europe leads at 65 percent; North America trails at 29 percent. Companies are also using more decarbonisation levers, averaging 13, and 75 percent have reduced emissions intensity. Yet, only 16 percent are on track for net zero operations by 2050.
💭 My thoughts. The rebound matters, but ambition still isn’t matching delivery. Heavy emitters continue to lag and the pace is nowhere near fast enough. Targets are good; action and capital shifts are what count.
🌞 Supply boom in cheaper renewables will seal end of fossil fuel era, says IEA. The IEA projects renewables will outpace all other energy sources over the next decade. Solar is expanding rapidly in the Middle East and Asia, while global datacentre investment now exceeds oil spending. Despite political resistance, the fossil fuel shift is deemed inevitable. Nuclear is also gaining traction as tech companies seek stable low-carbon power.
📘 Want to know the latest in climate policy? Look no further than here. My fantastic marketing and sustainability team at Zevero put together a monthly recap of all the global policy updates you need to know about sustainability reporting. Go check it out…
📹 Sustainability shouldn’t be unsustainable. A great video from Ecologi talking about the challenges and importance of the work sustainability teams do.
That’s all from me folks. Instead of boring you with an outro, I thought I’d treat you like an Instagram post and show you how beautiful Japan is. By the way, best cardamom bun I’ve ever had in my life…and I’m well-travelled in that regard.
Have a great week.
George, the Grumpy Optimist 💚
