Incite Post | One to Ten Thousand

There is a lot of talk in startups about how to go from zero to one. And there’s no doubt getting an idea off the ground is challenging – in fact, that’s why we do what we do. But when it comes to innovative technologies tackling climate change, we’ve largely mastered the zero to one challenge – many of the solutions exist. We’ve proven that we can suck carbon dioxide out of the air or that we can decarbonize industrial processes in pilots. Now, the challenge turns to scaling in a meaningful way. The question becomes: What catalyzes exponential growth for climate technologies that sit within complex environmental, economic, and social systems? What does one to ten thousand look like?

First, Positive Feedback Loops. We spoke with our expert friend, Kate Gordon, former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, who shared this, “The only way we have sustained action towards climate is if people feel like they’re part of it.” Some might view incorporating community voices into climate projects as a roadblock. But what if communities were the superpower accelerator we need for exponential growth? With the latest Community Benefits Plans required of any private projects funded by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and now the Loans Program Office, we are already seeing this in action. Municipalities are entering into negotiated enforceable agreements resulting in economic benefits at the local level and some are even getting equity in these climate projects. When one community sees the economic benefits another is experiencing from a new battery manufacturing plant or a direct air capture hub, others will want in. Instead of pushing these developments on communities, what if they began pulling for them? That’s a chance for virality.

Second, Politically Engaged Citizens. For exponential climate progress, we cannot afford to take steps backwards by revising the historic legislation that this administration has brought. The nearly $1 trillion of incentives from the IRA and BIL has set us up for success, but the implementation of tax credits and subsidies for critical clean energy infrastructure and decarbonization technologies are just beginning. While the IRA is likely too big to be rolled back entirely, a change of federal leadership would drastically constrain the growth we need to see before 2030. So, if you care about climate, it’s imperative you get to know your candidates and show up for elections, especially this year. And being an engaged citizen isn’t just about the presidential race. In fact, 75% of the United States’ climate commitments under the Paris Agreement can be realized through state and local governments. Over 200,000 people will run for office in 2024 – many in climate-critical races – and you can make a difference up and down the ballot.

Wondering where to get started? If you’re looking to vote on climate this year, Climate Cabinet’s Moneyball for Climate program helps you find the most important races, nationwide, from county commission to state legislature, to drive meaningful progress. Additionally, their National Scorecard rates all current state legislators on their climate voting record to date. Stay tuned throughout the year as the team will be making updates every few weeks to the over 500 candidates they’ll be supporting in key races.

And if you’re a climate startup or developer preparing a Community Benefits Plan, The Green Economy Program of the UC Berkeley Labor Center has been contracted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to provide no-cost technical assistance to those implementing the job quality and skilled workforce and labor engagement components of CBPs.