Hey CATs,

Welcome to issue 301 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.

Join #fosdem for more info on FOSDEM 2026, and to co-ordinate with other CAT members!

Remember you can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time - the link is at the bottom.

Stay curious 😌💚🐱

CAT Community News

#️⃣ Slack conversation highlights

#greener-ai: C found an article on how humanising AI (e.g. with filler language that serves no functional purpose) is a trap. In the thread CATs are talking about the implications of this both at a societal and the environmental level.

#news: Amazon launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and CATs shared their takes on the topic in the thread.

#greener-webdev: R shared the recording of A**'**s talk about the Web Sustainability Guidelines at Green Software Brighton. Give it a watch and share your thoughts in the thread.

📍 From the local channels

#local-united-states: C shared a pledge Tech demands ICE out of our cities

#local-uk: M is wondering whether anyone has any experience with formal sustainability training?

#local-india: S announced the next CAT India meet up

#local-canada: F shared an event taking place in March titled 'The Cost of Growth in Toronto'

#local-austria: M is gathering information on the topic of "Local AI & Sustainability"

📅 CAT events

Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2026 - FOSDEM [in person] - join #fosdem for sharing travel plans and event info, or get support if you want to propose a talk

Sat, Feb 14 - CAT India meet up [online] - join #local-india to continue the conversation

Fri, Feb 20 - Book Club: How AI Destroys Institutions (40-page paper) [online] - join #cat-book-club to continue the conversation

🍩 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, Feb 6th. More info.

Media, events, and news

😺 CAT recommendations

▶️ CAT videos

10-15 minute videos providing accessible explainers to climate related issues.

Bloomberg: How Circular Deals Are Driving the AI Boom

The AI boom is everywhere, but much of it is illusory, with money flowing between a few players who have yet to profit. If it is a bubble and it pops, the consequences for everyone may be dire. If it turns out that AI is a bubble and it does indeed pop as many are warning, the consequences for everyone may be dire. Bloomberg Originals explains how circular deals between AI players figure into what's being called the "wager to end them all."

🎤 Podcasts

The latest climate-related podcast episodes. Don't forget, if you're looking around, there's a list of podcasts maintained by CATs - and there's a full playlist of all the podcast episodes shared in this newsletter this year so far, on ListenNotes - catch up with last year's here!

Tech Talks: Discover How Dirt is Actually the World's Best Carbon Capture Technology

We spend billions on climate tech, yet we know more about space than the soil beneath our feet. Robin Saluoks (CEO, eAgronom) reveals why dirt is actually the world's most advanced carbon capture technology, holding more CO2 than all living plants combined. He talks to David about the need to promote "climate pragmatism," why emissions should be treated as waste to be recycled rather than sin, and how data is turning farmers into the ultimate solution for a net-zero future.

Environment Variables: How to do Greener Prompting with AI and GreenPT

In this episode, host Chris Adams is joined by Wilco Burggraaf and Robert Keus of GreenPT to unpack what greener prompting and transparent AI actually look like in practice. They discuss why most AI services hide their environmental impact, how GreenPT exposes real energy and carbon data to users, and why user behavior plays a major role in AI's footprint. The conversation explores prompt length, session design, model efficiency, and the limits of chat-based AI, making a strong case for transparency, better defaults, and more purposeful use of AI if it's going to scale responsibly.

The AI Sustainability Podcast: Episode 11 - Women in AI with Dr. Julia Stamm

In this episode of the AI Sustainability Podcast, host Nina Benoit speaks with Dr. Julia Stamm, founder of She Shapes AI, about the intersection of women and artificial intelligence. They discuss the challenges female entrepreneurs face in the AI space, including funding disparities and confidence gaps. Dr. Stamm emphasizes the importance of community and education in empowering women to take leadership roles in AI. The conversation also highlights the need for responsible AI that addresses social impact and the potential for women-led ventures to tap into new markets.

GreenIO: #72 Green IO Paris 2025: Making Sustainability Easy to Discover with Chris Adams

Sustainability data isn't just for the marketing department - it's becoming an increasingly important element for regulatory compliance.So how easy is it for your business to report and that information?On today's special episode (recorded live at Green IO Paris), Gaël is joined by Chris Adams, Director of Tech and Policy at the Green Web Foundation. He's here to tell us about carbon.txt, a new tool from the GWF that aims to make sustainability data transparent, easy to share and verify. Hopefully this can spark few conversations around new norms for digital sustainability.

Techologie: #102 Désescalade numérique, 10 propositions pour les municipales (2/2), Technologos et Richard Hanna

Cet épisode est une rediffusion de l'émission Paroles Technocritiques diffusée sur Radio Fréquence Paris Plurielle le 24 janvier 2026.\nParoles Technocritiques est une émission animée par les membres de l'association Technologos qui ont invité Richard Hanna à continuer les échanges sur les 10 propositions de désescalade numérique pour les municipales.

This episode is a rebroadcast of the program "Paroles Technocritiques" (Technocritical Words) which aired on Radio Fréquence Paris Plurielle on January 24, 2026. "Paroles Technocritiques" is a program hosted by members of the Technologos association, who invited Richard Hanna to continue the discussion on the 10 proposals for digital de-escalation in the upcoming municipal elections.

📅 Submitted events

Want an event listed here? Use this event listing form to submit the details so we can add it in the newsletter.

Tuesday Feb 03, 2026 - AimHi Earth's 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!

Wednesday Feb 04, 2026 - Using Product–Market–Earth Fit as a Diagnostic Tool

Hands-on workshop for Product Managers & Business Leaders. ​In this session, we’ll explore Product–Market–Earth Fit (PME Fit) as a way to diagnose everyday product decisions and uncover hidden impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Wednesday Feb 04, 2026 - Design Essentials for Climate Tech Leaders

Learn the top 3 misconceptions preventing climate companies from using design strategically. Fast-paced workshop for product leaders, innovation teams & founders who want to leverage design as a competitive advantage—no design background needed.

Thursday Feb 05, 2026 - GovClimate Show and Tell

The monthly GovClimate Show and Tell

First Thursday of each month at 4pm

People from across the public sector sharing work, challenges and ideas about the climate crisis.

👉 Sign up for reminders and info at https://bit.ly/govclimatereminders

Thursday Feb 05, 2026 - Pilots at BAT Info Session

Climate founders: if what you need right now is customer proof real world deployment experience and credibility this may be a strong fit.

Pilots at BAT supports companies deploying technology in live operating environments while building traction with NYC based partners.

Wednesday Feb 11, 2026 - Using Product–Market–Earth Fit as a Diagnostic Tool

Hands-on workshop for Product Managers & Business Leaders. ​In this session, we’ll explore Product–Market–Earth Fit (PME Fit) as a way to diagnose everyday product decisions and uncover hidden impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Wednesday Feb 18, 2026 - Naarm Solarpunk: Reclaiming the Internet for Humans

Our speakers reconnect to our hopes for the impact of the web, compared to platforms that remove our ability to connect to our communities. Share these ideas with others who care about using tech in service of Sustainable, Resilient and Just futures.

Thursday Feb 19, 2026 - Sustainable Tech Kickoff Social: Food, Drinks & Boardgames at Brân

Join us at Brân, Cardiff's Belgian beer and boardgames bar! This is an informal gathering to meet fellow group members and get to know each other over food and drinks. We'll have some simple games to help break the ice, but the focus is connecting with like-minded people.

Wednesday Feb 25, 2026 - Climate Tech Time

Climate Tech Time is the UK’s largest monthly gathering for climate tech, run by Climate Connection.

Tuesday Mar 03, 2026 - Make It Count: Sustainability Communication Workshop

The ultimate 90-minute workshop to get to grips with how you can make every sustainability conversation count.

✅ Start better conversations about sustainability ✅ Avoid the awkwardness or overwhelm ✅ Share your passion in a way that invites curiosity – not shutdown

📰 News Highlights

Smith School: Why location matters as much as the scale for impact on nature - lessons from the paper industry

Companies and investors are increasingly expected to understand and disclose how their activities affect nature. Yet despite rising expectations, action has often lagged. This is because measuring impacts on nature is complex, technical and time-consuming. There is therefore a clear need for approaches that are faster and still robust enough to inform sustainability decisions.

Carbon Herald: Can Carbon Capture Solve Data Center Emissions?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the global economy, but its growing energy demand is creating new climate challenges that policymakers and tech companies are only beginning to confront. As data centers scale and electricity consumption rises, carbon capture and removal technologies are increasingly being positioned as part of the solution.

The Invading Sea: Despite its steep environmental costs, AI might also help save the planet

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has sharply increased electricity and water consumption, raising concerns about the technology's environmental footprint and carbon emissions. But the story is more complicated than that.

AI is already helping to save energy and water, cut emissions and make businesses more efficient in agriculture, data centers, the energy industry, building heating and cooling, and aviation.

UN: From family farm to climate tech: How one Kenyan woman is helping farmers outsmart drought

In Kenya, agriculture employs up to 75 per cent of the population, but farmers' livelihoods are being threatened by a changing climate and the loss of productive land, which is impacting the whole of Africa.

As droughts and extreme weather events in the East African nation increase in frequency and intensity, Maryanne Gichanga believes innovation is vital in helping Kenya's agricultural community build resilience.

Edie: What's in store for climate tech in 2026?

Despite a tumultuous financial and political environment globally, the need for solutions to climate challenges like water scarcity and energy storage has never been greater. Springwise's content editor Matilda Cox asks whether 2026 is really likely to be an annus horribilis for cleantech investment.

💚 Papers We Love 💚

Society for Conservation Biology: When digital technologies stumble - Exnovating for conservation science and practice

Digital technologies are rapidly transforming conservation efforts in response to pressing planetary environmental challenges. However, these expanding innovations also introduce significant risks and failures that can deepen existing injustices. Although growing approaches to responsible innovation establish ethical standards and best practices for conservation technologies, gaps remain in addressing limited and obsolete methods. This perspective article presents the integration of exnovation strategies into conservation science and practice as a set of deliberate efforts to mitigate, diagnose, repair, remove, and substitute misaligned, ineffective, or harmful technologies.

💼 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.

Vizzuality - Back End Engineer - NodeJS - €30,000 - €49,000 - Permanent - Totally remote

We're on the lookout for a back-end developer with experience in NodeJS/TypeScript.

Mid-level and senior developers are welcomed, we can offer a salary range of €30,000 - €49,000, remote in Spain, Portugal or UK.

WHY JOIN US?

👉 At Vizzuality, we aim to reach a fair and sustainable planet by creating tools that empower people to make positive changes. 👉 We are a world-leading technology, design, and science agency. We design and develop data-driven tools and applications for international organizations focusing on solving climate change and inequality. 👉 Solving such large and complex problems will bring you into contact with new technology and some of the world's most interesting organizations and academics in machine learning, remote sensing, and planetary data.

Support our work

You can support us financially on Open Collective.