đ CAT Newsletter 279 - 2025-08-03
CAT 279 - 2025-08-03
Hey CATs,
Welcome to issue 279 of the ClimateAction.tech (CAT) Newsletter - your weekly summary of what's happening inside the CAT Slack community (join here and check out our onboarding checklist), and in the wider world of climate and tech.
Remember you can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time - the link is at the bottom.
Stay curious đđđ±
CAT Community News
#ïžâŁ Channel highlights
#greener-marketing: Channel host O shared an article on how AI Overviews are killing click through traffic. Have a read and share your reflections in the thread
#local-netherlands: W posted about the next GSF event Sustainable Coding: Rust Meets the Right to Repair
#cat-bookclub: Vote on a next date to get together for a discussion on summer reads.
â€ïž Help a CAT
In #greener-infra S is looking for details on an Ecosia project where they reduced carbon emissions from their cloud computing. Share some insider info
In #local-london S is wondering whether anyone is planning on joining the Green Special Interest Group session during RSECon25 (Research Software Engineering) this September. Make yourself known if you're planning to attend
đ© 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, August 8th. More info.
Media, events, and news
đș CAT recommendations
đ± A cutting from Branch
The latest issue Branch magazine out, it's time to bring back our a cutting of Branch, where each week we feature a single piece from the magazine by and for people who dream of a just and sustainable internet for all.
Our first pick from issue 9 is An Internet that Works with Our Natural Rhythms, from CAT member Nick Lewis (aka @Nick L in the CAT slack). Enjoy!
Go read Branch issue 9: An Internet that Works with Our Natural Rhythms
â¶ïž CAT videos
10-15 minute videos providing accessible explainers to climate related issues.
Planet A: Can this nickel-eating plant solve the battery crisis?
Using plants to get metals out of the ground is known as "phytomining". Decades after it was first developed, green-thumbed entrepreneurs are trying to finally make it a business out of hyperaccumulator plants. Will they succeed?
đ€Â Podcasts
The latest climate-related podcast episodes. Don't forget, if you're looking around, there's a list of podcasts maintained by CATs
CXO Bytes: The Green IT Value Case with Marc Zegveld
Host Sanjay Podder speaks with Marc Zegveld, Managing Director of ICT at TNO, about the competitive value of green IT. Drawing on the recent Green IT Value Case, real-world case studies, and research, they explore how sustainability initiatives can enhance business performanceâfrom cost savings and supply chain clarity to talent attraction and regulatory preparedness. Together, they discuss how businesses can embed sustainability across operations to thrive in a tech-driven, low-carbon future.
Catalyst: PJM and the capacity crunch
The PJM capacity auction this month broke records with sky-high wholesale power prices â and that was by design. Under PJM's auction rules, tight supply raises prices, incentivizing the development of new generation and encouraging existing generation to stay online. The big driver of that tight supply? Data-center driven load growth. The independent system operator covers Virginia, one of the densest and fastest-growing regions for data center development.
So will higher wholesale prices incentivize enough generation to meet load growth without provoking the public with higher bills?Â
House of Life: 009 - The $500 Billion AI Gamble
This episode unpacks the "money moat" strategy, where vast wealth is used to dominate industries, questioning whether this reflects true capitalism or a modern feudalism. The conversation spans the societal impact of AI, the concentration of power in mega-corporations, the implications of unlimited money to dominate society, and the potential for smaller, AI-empowered organizations to reshape the future of work.
Zero - The Climate Race: Is this the biggest thing to happen since the Paris Agreement?
In 2019, a group of law students from Pacific island nations set in motion a case that made it to the world's highest court: The International Court of Justice. The students wanted answers to two important questions: what responsibility do countries have to stop climate change? And if countries don't stop polluting, will they have to pay for the damages? Now the ICJ has delivered its verdict, and it seems like a huge win for the climate. But is it?
đ Submitted events
Want an event listed here? Use this event listing form to submit the details so we can add it in the newsletter.
Monday Aug 04, 2025 - Digital Collage workshop ONLINE
The Digital Collage is a fun and collaborative 3-hour workshop based on collaboration and collective intelligence. The aim of the workshop is to raise awareness and train participants on the environmental issues of digital technology.
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025 - Sustainability Essentials for Professionals
The ultimate 90-minute crash course for professionals to get to grips with the key climate, nature and sustainability concepts, how they link together and how to talk about them with impact!
This is a free session for anyone interested in getting a taste of our live training.
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025 - Portfolio Tips and Tricks
In this session, we will be doing a live portfolio redesign for an early career UX/UI designer looking for a new mission-driven role. We'll cover how to show your skillset in a way that directly targets the jobs you want. All ages and career levels welcome.
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025 - Designing for Impact â AI, User Behavior, and the Climate Cost of Design Choices
How do AI tools like ChatGPT nudge user behaviorâand whatâs the hidden environmental cost of those choices? In this hands-on session, weâll analyze real examples of AI product design and explore how we can reshape those experiences for smarter, climate-conscious outcomes.
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025 - Measuring and Mitigating AI Carbon Emissions
As AI adoption scales rapidly, its environmental footprint is a major blind spot in digital transformation and sustainability strategies. Learn how to identify emissions risks, evaluate tracking challenges, and explore practical methods for managing AIâs carbon output.
Thursday Aug 07, 2025 - Building Successful Corporate Innovation Pipelines: From Strategy to Implementation
đ Transform innovation from cost center to growth engine: Aug 7, 4pm CEST
Join Calum Cameron (Edasi Lab) for a FREE masterclass on building corporate innovation pipelines that deliver results.
Learn strategic frameworks, startup collaboration , innovation & ROI maximization.
Friday Aug 08, 2025 - Portfolio Peer Review
This is a feedback session for anyone who is looking for detailed feedback on their portfolio. We've reviewed 100s of sustainability creatives' portfolios and we can tell you one thing: visual design and storytelling are hugely important. Bring a rough draft and get started!
Monday Sep 08, 2025 - VC-Founder Climate Matchup
Announcing the 2025 Climate Tech VC-Founder Matchup, with meetings taking place online between Sept 8th (Monday) to Sept 12th (Friday). Read more - https://sosv.com/announcing-sosvs-vc-founder-climate-tech-matchup-sept-8-12/
Tuesday Sep 09, 2025 - Doubling Your Startup's Runway: Survival Strategies for a Tough Funding Climate
đ° Facing startup funding challenges in 2025's tough climate? Sept 9, 4pm CEST Join Cornelius Schmahl & Matt Ward for battle-tested runway extension strategies. .
Learn cash conservation, alt funding & emergency fundraising tactics.
FREE!
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.
đ° News Highlights
PV Magazine: Collision of art, culture and solar sets Guinness World Record
A residential building's vibrant, art-drenched solar façade brought renewable energy to new heights, setting a Guinness Book of World Record for the largest solar panel mural. The solar installation is an extension of the building's 85-foot-tall mural, a tribute to First Nations and Chinese Cultures by local Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal.
TechXplore: Researchers develop AI route planner to reduce car dependency
Cars are still the number one mode of transportation in Germany, in spite of their high carbon emissions. To make eco-friendly alternatives more attractive, an AI for multimodal route planning is being developed to help get people to where they are going seamlessly, conveniently, and reliablyâand all without privately owned cars.
Sustainability Magazine: Google's US$6bn Indian Renewable Energy Data Centre
Google plans US$6bn data centre in Visakhapatnam with US$2bn for renewables, backing cloud growth, AI demand and sustainable infrastructure in India. The project includes US$2bn allocated specifically for renewable energy development, anchoring the facility's sustainability strategy.
BBC InDepth: How the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis
As the world transitions to more renewable energy sources, the demand for it has soared. Is the world's race to decarbonise unintentionally stoking another environmental problem?
El PaĂs: The goat brigade that stops raging forest fires in Chile
Biologist RocĂo Cruces and her husband, forestry engineer VĂctor FaĂșndez, are the creators of the organization Buena Cabra ("Good Goat"). The couple is developing a smart collar to advance strategic grazing that prevents fires in the central BiobĂo region, the third-most-populated region in Chile.
Tech Republic: OpenAI's First AI Data Center in Europe
Norway will host OpenAI's first AI data center in Europe, a key development under the company's Stargate project, which aims to build the infrastructure needed for generative AI. The data center will hold 100,100 NVIDIA GPUs and use entirely renewable energy, if all goes according to plan.
đ Papers We Love đ
University of Grenoble: Computing, Complexity and Degrowth - Systemic Considerations for Digital De-escalation
Research on digital degrowth predominantly critiques digital expansion or presents alternative digital practices. Yet, analyzing the link between digital technologies and complexity is crucial to overcome systemic obstacles hindering digital de-escalation. This article presents the different types of links between complexity and computing observed in the literature: the infrastructural complexity inherent in digital technologies, the socio-political complexity induced by them, and finally, the ontological complexity (individual's ways of relating to their environment) hindered by digitization.
đŒ 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.
GovTech (Government Technology Agency of Singapore) - Senior/Lead Product Manager - sadly, there isn't a culture of disclosing salary ranges upfront in Singapore yet :( so even i don't know what the actual pay range is :p but I googled, should be $8-10K per month at least as base pay! - Contract - Flexible - remote ok
this product has two goals. - key goal â help gov agencies reduce their resource consumption (e.g. elec, water, fuel, waste), through accessible data and actionable insights. - sub goal â walk-the-talk in our productâs digital design and SWE process; document learnings; share with the rest of SG gov đ. --- so we can get buy-in to green more SG govâs digital services đ„č
youâll be part of a team thatâs building a tool to: - gather relevant data, help gov agencies more easily and quickly understand what actions they can take. and importantly, - humanise the data to nudge gov officers to take action đȘđœ.
JOIN ME PLEASE!!! (cos i'm currently a one-pax team đ we're in the midst of forming the team!)
Icebreaker One - Account Manager - circa ÂŁ35k/yr. We work a 4-day week Mon-Thu - Permanent - Totally remote
Icebreaker One (IB1) is a UK-headquartered non-profit with a mission to make data work harder to achieve Net Zero. Weâre looking for someone to work as part of the team that extends and strengthens our network of partners across corporate, government and funding sectors.
Support our work
You can support us financially on Open Collective.