News, Reconfigured: March 3rd
This is really becoming a thing...
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Hey there Climate Globetrotters!👋
Man, things are heating up, and not just in the Arctic. These past two weeks have been busy with really depressing news, ranging from the Trump-Zelenskyy showdown to more DOGE inspired layoffs. Most notably, the continued dismantling of current federal climate policies is taking place at an accelerated place, and that is really… not great.
Still, as I keep mentioning - the Reconfiguration is here, even if you’re not interested. The good news - I’ve got a great newsletter for you that is full of fascinating signals and some optimism to boot!
Hope you enjoy this edition, and as always: If you like this Substack, please share with your friends:
On Today’s Agenda:
🧭 Frontier Watch: Reconfiguration > Realignment
🎪 Globetrotting: I hereby declare myself King of the Arctic
🌊 Ripple Reports:
Amazon, Exxon, and Microsoft are trying to bring standards to voluntary carbon markets
Massachusetts launched a new strategy to turn itself into a global climate tech leader
💻 Tech, Reconfigured:
Happened in Tech: Laura Hodgkis and 120 climate investors
Startup Shoutout: Deep Green
🧭 Frontier Watch
Major shifts that caught our attention in the past two weeks.
Reconfiguration > Realignment
As has been in past few weeks, the Trump Administration keeps dominating headlines with one breakaway from tradition after another, ranging from Foreign Policy, Energy, Health and other fields. And of course, there’s DOGE, the gift that keeps on giving (headlines).
One comment that keeps on surfacing is that there is a big realignment happening, referring to geopolitical shifts taking place as the US is attempting rapprochement with Russia. Personally, I am not fully convinced.
Recent events on the Ukrainian front show that there’s a lot more at play than simply Trump’s desire to end wars and win a Nobel Prize. Rather, it’s more likely that Ukraine’s initial unwillingness to sign a monumental minerals deal is a more significant driver of events than initially seemed. Yes, there’s a realignment taking place, but I don’t think it tells the whole story. The Reconfiguration is at play as well.
Rare earth minerals that are in abundance in Ukraine are essential for the US, among other reasons, to reduce its dependence on China and diversify its supply chain, but they also have radical implications on climate change, as many of these minerals are necessary for renewable energy. Climate change is reconfiguring our supply chains and our economies, and nations are reacting by changing their foreign policies and their focus areas to compete for critical resources.
This is true even for those uninterested in decarbonization, such as the Trump Administration (which is really trying hard to reverse course). Long term, the race for critical minerals is not only an economic arms race, but also one with significance for the planet.
The Ukraine deal (which may or may not happen, depending on who you ask) is an important reminder that minerals and natural resources are the fuel that powers out modern life (aside from actual fuel), and are often a driver of geopolitical happenings.
The Ukraine deal is not an isolated event but part of a larger transformation driven by climate imperatives. This era of Reconfiguration demands that we rethink how nations compete for resources, how economies adapt to systemic shifts, and how we balance immediate geopolitical interests with long-term planetary survival. Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a force reshaping how we live, work, and compete. The question isn’t whether we can stop this transformation but whether we can steer it toward a sustainable future.
🎪 Globetrotting
Last week, I decided I had enough. I’m done playing by the rules. If everyone else is going to do whatever they want in the Arctic, there’s no reason why I can’t declare myself King of the Arctic 👑🥶
Aside from declaring myself as king, I dove deep into Arctic governance and how climate change, geopolitical competition and economic interests are slowly gnawing at established traditions of consensus and replacing decades of collaboration with fragmentation (and what that means for the future of the region).
Read more here:
🌊 Ripple Reports
The Reconfiguration is not always about making giant waves, but sometimes about making smaller ripples. Let’s take a look at some of the more subtle signals of the Reconfiguration:
Amazon, Exxon and Microsoft are trying to bring standards to voluntary carbon markets. The three giants joined a new task force led by the Bipartisan Policy Center in attempts to increase the credibility of scandal-ridden voluntary carbon markets, which have suffered many blows to their reliability in recent years. Carbon markets, which allow carbon emitters to buy credits from carbon capturing project developers, are an evidence to how our global economy is rewiring in the face of climate change, with many actors realizing there is both a need and an opportunity to treat carbon as a commodity (reported by TechCrunch)
While the Trump Administration is dismantling climate policy, Massachusetts launched a new strategy to turn itself into a global climate tech leader. The state’s economic development agency has released a new plan to develop its climate sector, in a move that is expected to add 35,000 new jobs over the next 10 years and train 25,000 individuals. (reported by NHPR)
👩💻Tech, Reconfigured
Innovators, inventors, and explorers building tools for our changing world
Happened in Tech
Laura Hodgkiss of HackGroup has recently published a great list of 120 European climate tech investors. If you need a piece of optimism in the wake of what seems to be a very rough month for climate policy and tech in the US ➡️this list is for you. Contrary to popular conception, Europe is leading the charge in backing exceptional climate technologies, with many firms offering support for breakthrough innovators. Thing is, it’s sometimes a bit hard to find them, and that’s where Hodgkiss and team are here to help: they have mapped 120 European VC investors that are actively supporting innovators. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is specifically for you. Check it out today! 💸💰
Startup Shoutout
Deep Green:
Say you have a swimming pool. You’re amazed by the energy bill that keeps on rising year-after-year. Getting a new heating system is out of the question - too much money, too little time. So, what can you do?
It used to be nothing. But today, you can call Deep Green:
Deep Green operates data centers (yes, the ones everyone is talking about these days), and uses “digital boiler” technology to capture the waste heat generated by servers to warm biodegradable mineral oil which is then used to heat water for swimming pools or other facilities.
The company pays for the electricity it uses, and the heat is provided for free. That means lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions, and happier communities.
Recently, at Exmouth Leisure Centre in Devon, their system cut gas requirements by 62%, saving £20,000 annually and reducing carbon emissions by nearly 26 tons.
Backed by a £200 million investment from Octopus Energy Generation, Deep Green is scaling up rapidly to bring its innovative solution to more public swimming pools and other energy-intensive facilities across the UK.
What I particularly like about Deep Green’s approach is the 2-for-1 combo: reducing waste from data centers while helping communities slash energy costs. Deep Green’s approach shows not only technological innovation, but also redefines the relationship between tech companies and the communities they are a part of. For me, this shows that the Reconfiguration doesn’t have to be scary. It can be fair, kind, and just: Solving for growing energy needs by power-hungry AI while solving for the Reconfiguration.
Check them out here.
That's a Wrap, Climate Globetrotters! 🌍✈️
We've reached the end of our second expedition into the Reconfiguration. Hope you enjoyed the ride! Here's what's on the horizon:
🧊 Next week: Part 6 of our Arctic adventure will recap our journey through the Arctic and will talk about the future of the region.
📅 In two weeks: Your next "News, Reconfigured" dispatch lands in your inbox.
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That’s it! See you next time on the frontlines! 👋🌊