State of the climate: Looking back at 2023 and ahead to 2024

From climate-fueled disasters to the just-completed COP28, climate change  has been much in the news this past year. At the same time, Project Drawdown has doubled down on our efforts to accelerate adoption of proven climate solutions.

In this latest in our series of monthly Ignite webinars, Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley reflects on climate solutions action over the past year and shares exciting plans for 2024. 

Top Takeaways:

  • The past year brought sobering evidence of climate change – as well as encouraging news from those working to halt it. Many climate solutions are now cheaper than their counterpart carbon-intensive technologies and practices. Dozens of countries around the world have seen a decline in greenhouse gas emissions, and others are poised to join them.
  • Key to further progress is to “see the whole board”: cut emissions across all sectors with a focus first on immediately available, highly impactful, science-based “emergency brake” solutions; deploy carbon removal as needed; and engage multiple “accelerators,” including altering policy, shifting financial and human capital, and changing behavior.
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  • In 2024, Project Drawdown will double down on our efforts to accelerate adoption of proven climate solutions with five bold new initiatives based on greatest opportunities to gain traction:
    • Drawdown Food Initiative – a new effort focused on high-impact opportunities to reduce emissions in the food, agriculture, and land use sector
    • Drawdown Biodiversity Initiative – groundbreaking work aimed at advancing solutions that address climate change and protect biodiversity at the same time
    • Drawdown Capital Coalition – a recently launched project to bring scientific expertise to investors’ and philanthropists’ decisions about where to best target funds for maximum climate mitigation
    • Global Solutions Diary – a new user-generated video series that will provide people around the world who are working on solving climate change a chance to share their stories and inspire others to act
    • Changing the Conversation – a major international advertising campaign to elevate hope and inspire climate action across countries, communities, and cultures.

As we lean into these new initiatives, we'll continue to accelerate ongoing efforts focused on deploying climate solutions as quickly, safely and equitably as possible. We encourage you to help by following this work as it unfolds, sharing it with others, offering expertise and insights, and bringing additional ideas to the table.

A brighter future is possible, and together we can – and will – make it a reality.

Useful Links:

Four Things You Can Do NOW:

  1. Share the webinar recording with colleagues and friends through a text, email, or social media post.
  2. Watch the Drawdown Roadmap video series to learn how strategic investment of time and money can halt climate change before it’s too late.
  3. Sign up for our biweekly newsletter to stay in the loop on the latest from Project Drawdown.
  4. Check out past Drawdown Ignite webinars for more insights on impactful approaches to halting climate change.