Climate Game Changers

The declaration of a Climate Emergency by many countries, including New Zealand, highlights the urgency and speed at which mitigating actions must be taken.  The number of days per year when the temperature reaches 50°C has doubled since the 1980s, and in August 2021 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that extreme weather events have become “more intense and more frequent,” and that the planet will have warmed to the critical threshold of 1.5°C by mid-century. In its 2030 Imperatives White Paper, Schneider Electric calculated that emissions must be halved from present levels by 2030. Many reports, papers and statements from credible sources also support immediate and urgent action to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. 

These warnings can be alarming for individuals and communities who become overwhelmed and feel helpless, discouraged, and confused about how they can make a difference. As we consider what we can do to make a positive impact on the climate it becomes easy to  conclude that it is all too hard and our efforts would be meaningless. Once this position is reached, we rely on global and national government bodies to solve the problem for us. This is deeply concerning given the lack of action by governments over the past twenty years. 

Energy for Good believes that there is strong evidence that actions taken by individuals, communities, organisations and businesses can make a material difference to the achievement of a safer and more sustainable future. Whilst many individual actions can reduce our impact on the environment, some actions collectively will make a big difference, we call these actions Climate Game Changers.

Strategically, it will be impossible to implement every greenhouse gas reduction option that we identify. Investing time and resources on suboptimal actions will be damaging in the long term. It will also increase the perception of the futility of taking actions. Identifying the Climate Game Changers, calculating their probable impact, and promoting investment in the actions needed to realise environmental benefits will be critical. 

From an energy perspective, a transformation is underway. Generating and storing energy locally, managing demand flexibility, and becoming increasingly energy efficient are changing the ways in which energy is delivered to and used by communities. Local energy production can be linked to other community services, such as food production, waste management and transportation. The possibilities and options for communities to meet their energy needs are increasing exponentially, which is good, but choosing the optimal actions will be critical to the community and to mitigation of climate change.

Whilst any investment comes with some risk, making investments during transformational times carries increased risk. For climate change mitigation investments, making optimal decisions will mean that any future impact of climate change will be efficient and effective. For example, a solar rooftop installation may prove to be suboptimal in reducing greenhouse gases if there is an ample supply of low cost renewable energy available from other sources. However, if the solar panels are installed alongside an agricultural activity (agri-solar) and combined with energy storage batteries, the output can be complementary to other community climate mitigation actions. Through this integrated perspective, the investment risks can be reduced and small projects become vital components of Climate Game Changer actions. 

Individuals and communities will need reliable support, advice, and guidance on how to evaluate energy related climate mitigation options. These evaluations will include how individual projects integrate with the broader energy infrastructure and supply arrangements and with other community activities. In essence, investment decisions will need to be based on good business cases that include investment risk and options analysis. In addition, the business cases will need to include whole of asset lifecycle considerations including consideration of end of life costs and environmental impact.

Climate Game Changer Projects

Energy for Good is currently undertaking an initial strategic study to identify potential Climate Game Changers that communities can make. The objective of the study will be to inform strategic planning and provide guidance to individuals, communities and community organisations on the best actions they can take to make material contributions to climate change mitigation.

In parallel with the study, Energy for Good will develop an assessment framework and business plan template that will guide and assist communities to make optimal decisions when considering climate change investments.

An output from the above projects will be information on potential technologies. This information can be considered by communities with a view to inclusion in strategic climate change mitigation plans. Energy for Good intends to create a library of potential climate game changing technologies that will be accessible to all communities. The information will be held in technical information sheets. Communities can use these detailed sheets to undertake initial feasibility studies on specific or combinations of technologies. Energy for Good’s objective is to be able to provide communities with access to technical advice on technology adoption through its collaborator resources.

To complete the above projects, Energy for Good intends to enlist collaborators that are willing to assist communities to make better informed investment decisions on climate change mitigation options. The result will be communities that are Climate Game Changers.

If you have relevant experience and skills, and are willing to help in our Climate Game Changers initiatives, please contact Energy for Good.