A Sneak Peek Into Net Zero And Climate Risk In 2024: 3 Of Our 10 Predictions

A Sneak Peek Into Net Zero And Climate Risk In 2024: 3 Of Our 10 Predictions

Each year, the Verdantix Net Zero & Climate Risk team makes 10 predictions about how the research spaces we cover will change in the coming year. Last year, we hit more than we missed (“firms will walk back net zero targets”, “EU-based banks will double down on staff with climate skills”, “methane emitters will get caught dumping methane”, “carbon credits will see more nationalization” – check, check, check, check).

We published our predictions for 2024 in the first week of the year, and followed this up with a webinar. Here’s a sneak peek at what I feel are some of the most important of the predictions:

• At least 40% of the Fortune 500 will kick off work on their first climate adaptation plan.
  The rate of climate disasters ain’t slowing down – a fact that your friendly neighbourhood insurance adjustor could confirm. Losses in the US casualty market are piling up. Most firms are currently playing blind, deaf and dumb to these risks. That’ll change this year, and they’ll finally decide they need to come to terms with a hotter, more dangerous world.
  
  
• Technical climate skills will leap up to the top 5 in professional training programmes.
  Our analysis last year showed that there were more open positions for climate specialists than the total number of such specialists currently employed. When has that kind of thing ever happened? Maybe at the very start of the digital transformation. In 2024, firms are going to spend heavily on talent and training to get on top of the climate challenge.
  
  
• Nature-focused software start-ups will raise at least $100 million in VC funding.
  Natural capital and biodiversity has probably been the number one most common question or area of interest we’ve heard sustainability teams spontaneously bring up over the past 12 months. The TNFD and national rules-making around nature assessments are creating a scramble for nature-related data that firms can use to cobble a strategy from. Forward-thinking VCs will know where this is headed, and jostle for early strategic investments.
  
  

The report and webinar go into a lot more detail than I have here, with all of the charts and links that establish our point-of-view and tell you what it should mean to you, whether you’re in climate tech or a sustainability leader in a corporate role. As always, if you want to discuss these findings, we’re happy to talk – just get in touch.