February News You Can Use

1. View this email in your browser
Sunset, Portland, OR Feb. 2023. Photo by M Grossman
February News You Can Use
Celebrations of the Lunar New Year and the Jewish Celebration of Tu BiShvat (New
Year of the Trees) bring joy and light. The days are beginning to grow longer. There
are buds on the trees and other hints of spring. Hope of new life emerging and
gratefulness for the bounty nature provides.
And yet, as former VP Al Gore thunders in his remarks at the WEF in Davos, we are
Subscribe Past Issues Translate

2. losing our fight to save the planet from the harms we have created and are continuing
to create. It is easy to look away from current and future harm and suffering. Our
devices lure us to be distracted and entertained.
Read on for doses of reality and determination to act in the face of danger. This
newsletter includes new policies and programs at the State and Federal levels that
make resources available for meaningful change. There are also links to articles about
the challenges of reliable measurement systems and other impediments to
implementation. Change can be difficult and uncomfortable. It can also lead to
miraculous results. Please share with us your breakthroughs and progress.
Send us new technologies, resources, stories and insights.
Opportunites for Action
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)
Adaptation Planning Grant Program (APGP) Round 1
Planning grants of between $150,000 and $650,000 are intended to help identify
climate resilience priorities, engage in integrated climate planning activities, support
the development of social and physical climate resilient infrastructure projects, and
strengthen local coordination, leadership, knowledge, and skills to implement co-
beneficial projects and increase access to additional state and federal funding. Eligible
groups include local public entities, native tribes and community organizations. More
information is available here.
The Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program invites public comments
on the Draft Round 1 Regional Resilience Grant Program Guidelines (RRGP).
Comments can be sent to icarp.grants@opr.ca.gov no later than March 3rd at 5:00
pm. or shared at public workshops listed here.
A Roadmap for the US To Meet Clean Energy Goals
President Biden’s ambitious goal of eliminating carbon pollution from the Energy
Sector by 2035 received a boost from the NRDC and Evergreen Action in the form of
a report that outlines a path to success published in January.
The path they have laid out will require the EPA to enact strong carbon pollution
standards for new and existing power plants, along with additional steps at the state

3. and federal lever to accelerate the deployment of clean energy. The report sounds a
hopeful note, while at the same time promoting urgent action on a number of fronts,
including energy transmission, creating market parity for clean energy at the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), guidance on the implementation of the IRA,
and more. Read more in the coverage from The Washington Post and Common
Dreams.
Decarbonizing Transportation
In January 2023, the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation
Decarbonization, the landmark interagency framework of strategies and
actions to remove all emissions from the transportation sector by 2050, was
jointly announced by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development Marcia Fudge, and Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Michael S. Regan. The Blueprint offers a whole-of-government
approach to addressing the climate crisis and meeting President Biden’s
goals of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions
by 2050. Check it ou!
Motivating Change
Al Gore’s Fiery Speech at Davos

4. Excerpt of Al Gore speaking on panel at 2023 World Economic Forum.
Excerpt Link here. Or Link for full panel here.
Leading the Charge through Earth's New Normal Speakers: Yo-Yo Ma, Roshni
Nadar Malhotra, Marc Benioff, Joyeeta Gupta, Johan Rockström, Gustavo Francisco
Petro Urrego, Gim Huay Neo, Fawn Sharp, Andrew Forrest, Al Gore
Al Gore powerfully tells the painful truth that we are not winning in the fight to restore
the climate and save the planet. Another perspective about how to communicate
effectively is represented in the article cited below from Scientific American.
How do you contend with the desire not to paralyze people with fear, but still motivate
them to take radical action? Share your strategies at the next Climate Leaders
meeting on 2/16 at 4 pm PT. Request invitation.
Climate Communication Food For Thought
“The Right Words Are Crucial to Solving Climate Change,” according to this article in
Scientific American. We need to focus on more positive messages, messages of
opportunity and hope. The article also points out the unfortunate ways that climate
jargon confuses the general population, for example using the term “negative
emissions,” which sounds like pollution, instead of carbon removal or drawdown. Or
how the term '“natural disasters” can be misleading, as extreme weather events taking
place today are no longer natural, but are actually human-influenced. And how
“natural gas” can sound less harmful than “methane gas.” Words matter.

5. New Study of “Negative Emissions” Technologies and Practices
Negative emissions technologies and practices (NETPs) have been deemed essential
to avoid climate catastrophe. This study evaluated 36 NETPs for technical maturity,
economic feasibility, greenhouse gas removal potential, resource use, and
environmental impacts. While there is no one best solution, and they recommended
using a regional lens for portfolio development, they did identify six as particularly
promising: forestation, soil carbon sequestration (SCS), enhanced weathering with
olivine and three modalities of direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS). They
acknowledged that while forestation and SCS are best for rapid deployment, the risk
of carbon release lowers their attractiveness. Enhanced weathering also comes with
risks, in particular risks to human health. They conclude that DACCS presents
significantly fewer downsides, mainly its substantial energy demand. Investing now in
DACCS could reduce costs and accelerate scale-up. The authors hope the insights
from the study will help accelerate and guide research into and scaling-up of NETPs.
You can read the full article, published in Environmental Research Letters here.
How India Became the Most Important Country for the Climate’s
Future
India is growing so rapidly that its energy demand is effectively insatiable. Inside
the country, this presents in two very different scenarios: intensive coal mining,
and growing government investments in renewable energy. The big question, for
India and the world, is whether they can leave coal behind and rely on low-
carbon energy to fuel their growth. To meet rising demand India will need to add
a power system equivalent in size to that of the entire European Union, according
to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Historically that has only been
achieved with fossil fuels. India is the test case for achieving growth at scale with
low-carbon fuels.The rest of the developing world is watching, and India’s
success or failure could prove very influential. Read more here in Time.
Top Climate Tech Trends to Watch in 2023
The Westly Group, a leading climate-focused VC fund, has created a list of trends to
watch for 2023 including: fleet electrification, V2G and VPP DER, commercial &
industrial building decarbonization, residential electrification, circular economy and
more. They also provide market backdrop, opportunity zones and a few notable
startups in each category.

6. The World is Protesting the US Climate Plan
The Inflation Reduction Act is generally seen as a huge win for climate action.
However, it is not without questions and detractors. Issues range from frustration that
it lacked funding to support other vulnerable countries, to concerns that Republicans
could overturn provisions, and importantly, concerns from many allies that the plan is
overly protectionist. Balancing climate and trade concerns will be vital to ensure
success. More on the EU’s reactions can be found here.
EU unveils Green Deal Industrial Plan at Davos
In her speech announcing the new plan at the WEF in Davos, European Commission
president Ursula von der Leyen positioned The Green Deal Industrial Plan as a
response to both the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US’ Inflation Reduction Act
(IRA). The plan addresses key areas: the regulatory environment, financing, skills and
trade. Read more about the plan here.
WEF Initiative “Giving to Amplify Earth Action” launched at
Davos
In other news from Davos, The WEF launched the Giving to Amplify Earth Action
(GAEA) to help unlock the USD 3 trillion of financing needed each year to reach net-
zero, reverse nature loss and restore biodiversity by 2050. The campaign is supported
by 45 partners, including leading foundations, companies, public sector organizations
and academic institutions.Over the next 12 months, supported by McKinsey
Sustainability as a knowledge partner, GAEA will work with founding members to build
momentum around three clear objectives:
Convene leaders from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to identify
and target climate and nature solutions where they are best positioned to play a
catalytic role
Pilot and refine funding models that can support PPPP interventions
Scale up and replicate successful approaches to new sectors, regions and
actors
Discouraging News In Carbon Offsets

7. A new analysis of carbon credits issued by Verra, the largest certifier of carbon credits,
shows that more than 90% are worthless, and may be doing more harm than good.
The conclusion is the result of a nine-month investigation by the Guardian, the
German weekly Die Zeit and SourceMaterial. Verra has countered that the
conclusions are incorrect, pointing out that their work since 2009 has channeled
billions of dollars to forest preservation.Read more here.
More on this from NOAA here.
Deloitte 2023 CxO Sustainability Report Indicates Where
Business Leaders Stand
Concerns over climate change continue to rate high in this survey of more than 2000
CxOs from 24 countries. Many ranked it as a top 3 issue. 75% reported their
companies have increased sustainability spending in the past year, while only 29%
said they believe the private sector is “very” serious. The top actions reported include
using more sustainable materials, increasing energy efficiency, and developing new
climate friendly products and services. The bulk of the survey participants indicated
strong confidence that business will be able to continue to grow while also addressing
climate concerns. Do you agree?

8. Earth Index - A Tool For Conversations and Policy Priorities
The Earth Index looks at the interactions people have with each other, with other life
forms, with ecosystems, and with their human designed systems and organizations to
create an indicator of the investment a country makes to the liveability of our planet.
They report on the 20 countries that had the highest and the lowest Earth Index
scores in 1992 and 2019. They encourage people to start conversations about
improving the earth index of their country, city or organization.
Events
Moderated by Marianna Grossman for USAsia Venture Partners
Monday, 27 Februuary, 2023 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Plug and Play Tech Center, 440 N Wolfe Rd, Sunnyvale, CA
Event Registration

9. Climate Leaders Monthly Meeting
Thursday, February 16, 2023 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM PT
Join the Climate Leaders Meeting to exchange resources and inspiration with others
who are also taking action to create a vibrant and healthy future.
All leaders are welcome.
This is a monthly event hosted by Minerva Ventures.
Request Invitation

10. A selection of the talks are available to watch online here.
Resources
Black Oak Collective – Black Environmental Network
Black Oak Collective aims to create a safe space for Black environmental career
development, support, and community through in person and virtual events, job
boards, mentorship and more.
An Interesting New Technology for Your Home Food Waste
(if you don’t want to make your own compost or if your
community does not collect food waste for compost)
Mill, created by Nest Co-founder Matt Rogers, is a kitchen bin and subscription service
designed to address the issue of food waste. Each night the food scraps placed in the
Mill are dehydrated and turned into “food grounds” that can be placed in a prepaid box
and sent off to be used, once they refine the process and approvals, into chicken feed.
Read more here.

11. Extraordinary Compilation of Climate Resources
This continually updated google doc includes: Communities,Job Boards, VCs &
Accelerators, Newsletters, Volunteer Opportunities, Fellowships / Internships, Climate
Recruiters, Climate Education, Podcasts, Non-profits, Books, Blogs, Programs with
Applications, Movies/TV shows/Media/TikTok/Instagram, and the catchall category of
“Other.” It’s continually growing, perhaps waiting for your recommended additions
here.
Climate Career Week Recordings and Resources Available
Climate Career Week, hosted by a coalition of Climate Draft, Terra.do, MCJ Collective
and Work on Climate in January 2023, has made available the recordings of sessions
by investors, founders, and experts from across climate tech sharing latest
perspectives on climate tech and climate careers
Regeneration.org’s “Nexus” Resource for Learning and Action
This is a remarkably comprehensive (still under construction) catalogue of actions and
resources for just about anyone looking to engage in meeting the challenge of the
climate crisis. Check it out here.
Reconsidered: Purpose Proof Points
A continually updated list of recent ESG statistics and proof points from reputable
research reports to help make the business case for sustainability.
Sustainable San Mateo Resources: In-depth report on building electrification that's
posted on Sustainable San Mateo County's website, along with a press release, blog
and videos of speakers at the recent Indicators Launch.
Carbon180 works with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and peer organizations across
the US to design policies that will bring necessary carbon removal solutions to gigaton
scale.
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) is a platform for industry, academia and

12. government leaders around the world to promote innovations to address global
warming. Since 2014 the government of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organisation (NEDO) hosts the ICEF Annual Meeting. In addition, ICEF has
developed a series of “Roadmaps” exploring critical topics in carbon removal.
The US Climate Resilience Toolkit helps cities document climate hazards that could
harm the things they care about, decide which situations they most want to avoid, and
come up with workable solutions to reduce their climate-related risks. Preparing a city
to withstand weather and climate-related hazards can be addressed by applying these
steps to regular updates of municipal plans.
Futures Forward develops communities to be regenerative, addressing social,
economic and environmental priorities. If you are considering migrating north or want
to be inspired to make change where you are, check them out!
The Multi-Solving Institute is led by Elizabeth Sawin. They work with a range of
stakeholders to deliver shared solutions that yield multiple benefits. This is a great
example of applied systems thinking.
The Climate Mobilization gives people a channel to turn anxiety into action. They
have catalyzed more than 200 declarations of climate emergency, clearing the way for
much more significant local action
Smart Surfaces can help raise albedo and lower temperatures to reduce the heat
island effect and keep communities healthier. The Smart Surfaces Coalition can help
local, regional and state governments to write legislation that enables total cost and
benefit accounting for integrated projects.
ClimateVoice, founded by Bill Weihl who led energy and sustainability at Google and
Facebook, organizes employees of tech companies to push their executives to
support climate policy, including Build Back Better.
Currently is a daily weather information service that connects you with meteorologists
and a community to understand weather and climate.
The Sustainable and Resilient Resources Roundtable held a workshop with the
US EPA on new Climate Change Indicators in Sept. 2021. Proceedings can be found
here (video & presentations).
Ellen MacArthur Foundation leads breakthrough work on the circular economy
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept
Hunter Lovins champions Regenerative Capitalism through Natural Capital Solutions:
https://natcapsolutions.org/regenerative-economics-101/
RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute) founded by Amory and Hunter Lovins has

13. vast treasure troves of information on transforming the way we use energy throughout
our economy and society. https://rmi.org/
Here are some links to the many initiatives in architecture and planning:
Whole Building Design Guide https://www.wbdg.org/resources/living-regenerative-
and-adaptive-buildings
International Living Futures Institute offers the Living Building Challenge and other
initiatives to transform buildings, neighborhoods and communities. Their annual
meeting will be virtual from April 20-23, 2021. https://living-future.org/
Architecture 2030 https://architecture2030.org/
Share Your Resources
About Minerva Ventures:
Are you concerned about climate change and seeking ways to take action? Business
survival depends on addressing competitive challenges every day. Leaders attend to
urgent business matters while counting on tomorrow’s weather and operating
conditions to be similar to yesterday’s. What happens when underlying conditions
change as climate consequences become more severe? It is hard to adjust to a
disruptive future while you are focused on competing today.
Minerva advises clean tech companies on strategic and business development. We
help you find customers, new markets, and new investors to build your momentum
and success.
Minerva helps established companies create strategies to identify and contend with
climate risks to your business. Discover how you can protect your operations, assets,
products, and services. Understand how climate risk will affect your suppliers,
customers, and partners. Determine how you can strengthen your company to
navigate change and seize opportunities as markets reconfigure in the face of the
coming changes. Find innovative ways to change your operations, products, and
services to help address climate change. Consider policy measures that your industry
can pursue that will help address shared risks.
Minerva can help you find new solutions that will make your business more resilient
and adaptable to change. Your company will be advancing climate solutions rather
than just reacting to disruptions to your industry and markets.

14. Visit Minerva Ventures’ new website at MinervaVentures.com!
Contact Minerva
Copyright (C) 2023 Minerva Ventures. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe
Want to subscribe to future newsletters from Minerva?
Click here