🌍 CAT Newsletter 274 - 2025-06-29
CAT 274 - 2025-06-29
Hey CATs,
Welcome to issue 274 of the ClimateAction.tech (CAT) Newsletter - your weekly summary of what's happening inside the CAT community, and in the wider world of climate and tech. New to CAT or looking to re-discover the community? Try out our onboarding checklist.
Remember you can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time - the link is at the bottom.
Stay safe & healthy 😌 💚 🐱su
CAT Community News
📗 CAT Book club
We're reading Insolvent: How to Reorient Computing for Just Sustainability by Christoph Becker.
RSVP | Add notes / questions on Outline | Post thoughts in #cat-bookclub
📅 CAT Events
Mon, Jul 7th - CAT book club: Insolvent [online]
📍 Other local events
You can also coordiante with CATs in our local channels to join meet at other local events like Jul 2-3 - Green IO in #local-munich
🍩 Community networking
Every 2 weeks, we match 2-3 CATs so you can connect over a quick 30-minute call. Join #cat-roulette, pick your region and wait for a message from Donut. The next round of matches will go out on Fri, July 11th. More info.
Media, events, and news
😺 CAT recommendations
▶️ CAT videos
10-15 minute videos providing accessible explainers to climate related issues.
Planet A: We're building solar in the wrong places. But we can fix that.
Solar power capacity has tripled globally in the last five years – and there's more to come. But it's not something everyone has equal access to. How did we get here? And how can we make sure everyone gets to benefit?
🎤 Podcasts
The latest climate-related podcast episodes. Don't forget, if you're looking around, there's a list of podcasts maintained by CATs
Green IO: Why Tech companies should not deprioritize future readiness
It is an endless debate between people advocating for the system to change from the outside and those willing to change it from the inside. In this episode Gaël Duez welcomes a strong advocate of moving the corporate world into the right direction from within? Having spent 2 decades in companies such as Siemens or Allianz, Rainer Karsher knows the corporate world well, which he now advises on sustainability. In this Green IO episode, they analyse the current backlash against ESG in our corporate world and what can be done to keep big companies aligned with the Paris agreement, but also caring about biodiversity or human rights across their supply chain.
Environment Variables: Year Three Roundup
It's been three years of Environment Variables! What a landmark year for the Green Software Foundation. From launching behind-the-scenes Backstage episodes, to covering the explosive impact of AI on software emissions, to broadening our audience through beginner-friendly conversations; this retrospective showcases our mission to create a trusted ecosystem for sustainable software. Here's to many more years of EV!
Outrage + Optimism: The Human Cost of Climate Inaction
Scientists warn that the world could breach its 1.5°C emissions limit within just 2-3 years. It's a scary thought, but across the globe, many are grappling with an even more immediate and visceral reality: the climate crisis is already a health crisis.
From deadly heatwaves to worsening air pollution and climate-related trauma, the health impacts of climate change are escalating. In this episode, Christiana Figueres and Paul Dickinson are joined by former Australian Prime Minister and Chair of the Wellcome Trust, Julia Gillard, who makes the case for why health must become central to climate communication - and why we should be talking about "lives lost", rather than simply degrees gained.
Zero, The Climate Race: What a venture capitalist does when climate tech loses its shine
Climate tech is not the hot investor thesis it once was a couple of years ago. After several record breaking years, and billions of dollars being poured into climate startups, venture capital investments are way down. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with Mike Schroepfer, who runs Gigascale Capital, a venture firm focusing on climate investments, and used to be Meta's chief technology officer. Schroepfer shares his views on the current investment climate, the danger of funding cuts to US research, and why demand for AI will prompt a new wave of energy innovation.
Catalyst: GM's big new battery tech push
Lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries could offer a rare combination in energy storage: high energy density at lower costs. They swap much of the expensive nickel for abundant, affordable manganese. But technical hurdles — like poor cycle life, voltage decay, and long formation time — kept them on the sidelines.
Now GM says it's solved these challenges. In May, it announced plans to mass produce LMR batteries starting in 2028. In energy density, the new chemistry would land between the two major alternative chemistries in the U.S., NMC and LFP. So what does this new entrant mean for the U.S. battery marke
📅 Submitted events
Want an event listed here? Use this event listing form to submit the details so we can add it in the newsletter.
Wednesday Jul 02, 2025 - Small Group Networking for Product People
Connect with fellow eco-conscious product professionals at this monthly meetup. You’ll join a few small breakout groups with climate-focused prompts to spark real conversations and make new connections.
Thursday Jul 03, 2025 - Green IO Munich 2025
Apidays Munich and the Green IO podcast have partnered to bring you the first Green IO conference for the DACH region, packed with the latest insights from thought leaders in Tech Sustainability and hands-on feedback from practitioners scaling Green IT.
Sunday Jul 06, 2025 - Pacific Northwest Climate Week
Pacific Northwest Climate Week is a community-powered event series that unites individuals & organizations. Accelerates the fight against climate change. The week-long gathering brings together climate innovators, thought leaders, & enthusiasts from Seattle, Vancouver, & Portland
Tuesday Jul 15, 2025 - Green Data Center for Green Software – Green Software for Green Data Center
Green Software Development and Data Centres are dependent on each other if we want to build and operate green software. This event will bring together the players in digitalisation - Developers, Scaleway, Heat & Cloud and windCORES. Let's start a dialog
Wednesday Sep 24, 2025 - Green IO London 2025
Green IO and apidays London have partnered to gather 350+ responsible technologists to answer a simple question requiring complex answers:
"Good for the Planet, Good for Business?"
Hosted by Apidays, this takes place on September 23 to 24, 2025 in etc.venues, 155 Bishopsgate.
Sunday Aug 29, 2027 - Biodiversity Basics for Product Professionals
The products we build rely on and affect nature. This workshop will address: 1. What is biodiversity and why is it relevant for product professionals 2. What can you do & practical examples 3. Your takeaway: first biodiversity analysis along your product's value chain
📰 News Highlights
BusinessGreen: Role of climate tech in the drive to reach net zero
Innovative technology already offers huge potential in the fight against climate change and resource scarcity. Forecasts show that around 45 per cent of the CO2 reductions required to reach net zero could come from technologies that currently exist, but haven't been deployed in the market at scale. These new technologies could make it simpler for businesses and consumers to embed sustainability into their lives in a much easier way, transforming the way we all live and work.
R&D World: Flint secures $2M seed funding to advance sustainable paper battery technology
A deep-tech startup based in Singapore specialising in cellulose-based paper batteries, has raised $2 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialisation of its sustainable energy storage solutions.
France24: French Senate adopts bill to regulate fast fashion industry
The French Senate on Tuesday adopted a bill to regulate fast fashion providers, in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry, sanctioning companies and banning advertisements. The bill would also impose sanctions on influencers who promote such products and ban
fashion advertisements.
Wall Street Journal: How Much Energy Does Your AI Prompt Use? I Went to a Data Center to Find Out.
What really happens after you hit "enter" on that AI prompt? Demand for these GPU-filled buildings keeps multiplying. WSJ's Joanna Stern heads inside a datacenter to trace the journey and then grills up some steaks to show just how much energy it all takes.
PetaPixel: 15 Stunning Underwater Photos from the United Nations World Oceans Day Contest
The winners of the twelfth annual photo competition for United Nations World Oceans Day were announced this week, celebrating stunning ocean photography. A panel of judges selected four first place winners from thousands of global entries made by both amateur and professional photographers. This year's competition featured the categories of: Big and Small Underwater Faces, Underwater Seascapes, Above Water Seascapes, and Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.
PV Magazine: Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe
Ireland joins the ranks of other European nations exiting coal by shutting off power generation at its sole remaining coal plant. Industry observers say Ireland's increased renewable energy generation in recent years, particularly in wind, has contributed to this milestone. The plant Moneypoint, in County Clare, now functions as a backup oil burner under emergency instruction, but it is no longer active in the wholesale electricity market.
💚 Papers We Love 💚
ACUNS 2025: Sustainable Web Design: Policy Recommendations for Mitigating the Environmental Impact of United Nations' Website
Presented at the ACUNS 2025 Annual Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, this policy brief examines the ecological impact of United Nations' websites and proposes a framework for integrating sustainable web practices across the system.
Jobs
Remember only jobs listing salary ranges are listed here - to get your job listed, you need to list a salary range. Folks can still look in the #jobs channel. Remember: if you're looking for advice finding a role, check our #climate-careers channel.
Working Families Party - Data Systems Engineer - $100,000-$137,000 - Permanent - Totally remote
I'm hiring for a Data Systems Engineer at Working Families Party to help build out the data infrastructure of the electoral left! To win change on climate we need an electoral strategy to win governing power, and powerful electoral organizing requires a powerful data team! This is a senior level role working on data engineering, cloud infrastructure, web applications, and workflow automations. This role is remote and the salary band goes up to $137,500.
No need to meet ALL the qualifications sought on this job post. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
If you know someone who might be good - please make sure they see this! Thank you!
Vizzuality - Business Development Sustainability - €27,000 – €35,000 Eur a year - Permanent - Totally remote
Hiring / Business Development Sustainability
Do you have experience in Sustainability, ESG, business development, and client relationships? If yes, you might be our next team member!
🔍 Role: Business Development - Sustainability 📍 Remote work (Spain, Portugal, UK) 💼 Full-time or part-time (min. 80% dedication) 💰 Salary range: €27,000 – €35,000, depending on experience
🌍 At Vizzuality, we design and develop data-driven tools and applications for international organizations that focus on Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Inequality. Our teams are passionate, values-driven, and committed to making meaningful change.
Why work with us?
✅ Work on projects that tackle climate change & environmental justice. ✅ Flexible hours, generous holiday, and remote work. ✅ A culture rooted in autonomy, care, and collaboration.
Overstory - Senior Product Designer - 130k-200k depending on location - Permanent - Totally remote
Helping to build an AI climate resiliency platform for electric utilities. We use remote sensing data (satellite, aerial...) to pinpoint risky locations alongside a utility network and help them reduce the risk of a wildfire or power outage.
Support our work
You can support us financially on Open Collective.