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Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions
'An important read for anyone in need of optimism' Bill Gates
'Dazzling and deeply reported' David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth
'A highly readable reminder that efforts to cut emissions are achieving a lot more than is widely realised. Rathi brings this shift to life with engaging stories of people behind some of the most important advances in recent decades' Pilita Clark, Financial Times
It's now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.
Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it.
On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve.
Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.
'Dazzling and deeply reported' David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth
'A highly readable reminder that efforts to cut emissions are achieving a lot more than is widely realised. Rathi brings this shift to life with engaging stories of people behind some of the most important advances in recent decades' Pilita Clark, Financial Times
It's now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.
Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it.
On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve.
Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2023
About the author
Akshat Rathi
4 books62 followersAkshat Rathi is an award-winning senior reporter for Bloomberg News. His first book is Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions has been named one of the best books of the year by The Times and The Economic Times. He has also edited a book of essays from young climate leaders.
Akshat has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. You can sign up to his weekly Zero newsletter, subscribe to his weekly Zero podcast, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Previously, Akshat was a senior reporter at Quartz and a science editor at The Conversation. His work has been cited widely, including in New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The Guardian.
Akshat has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. You can sign up to his weekly Zero newsletter, subscribe to his weekly Zero podcast, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Previously, Akshat was a senior reporter at Quartz and a science editor at The Conversation. His work has been cited widely, including in New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The Guardian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 27, 2024
This is a breath of fresh air in the climate literature. Rathi focuses on success stories including Denmark, China, Unilever, Occidental Petroleum and even the Puerto Rican "energy insurgents" to demonstrate that addressing climate change is good for business as well as life.
November 8, 2023
A concise and excellent take on an issue of enormous importance. Stay tuned for my Daily Maverick review ... And here it is:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/artic...
February 4, 2024
Great book - interesting case studies
November 2, 2023
“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 – 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗻” because “𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝘁”.
📚 In his recent book “Climate Capitalism”, the Bloomberg journalist Akshat Rathi provides detailed background information on many of the biggest solutions to tackle climate change. He outlines that great progress has already been made, while repeatedly emphasizing the need to speed up.
𝗠𝘆 𝟰 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
💡 𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Nobody can solve this challenge alone. However, the stories of Wan Gang, the architect of China's EV strategy, Vicki Hollub, CEO of Oxy who aims to produce “net zero oil”, and Bill Gates, whose multibillion-dollar fund Breakthrough Energy has invested in more than 100 climate start-ups, clearly showcase that determined individuals make the difference.
💡 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀
A viable long-term vision must take climate into account, which is valued by investors: In 2017, Unilever could fight off a hostile takeover based on its sustainability strategy, while in 2021, Exxon lost a proxy fight against investors who complained that Exxon did not seriously tackle climate change.
💡 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝗿𝗮
Developed countries ought to lead in solving this issue, but renewables' cost efficiency may allow developing nations to adopt them more quickly. Near Bangalore, my current home, the Pavagada Solar Park is with 53 km2 (~Manhattan) the 3rd largest globally. Plans to more than double it in size are part of India’s ambition to achieve a 50% renewable share by 2030 (45% in EU).
💡 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
The IEA was established after the 1973 oil crisis to ensure Western access to fossil fuels. Over the years, its mandate has shifted and it nowadays actively shapes countries’ policies, e.g., it helped China and India develop their national cooling action plans. The IEA took the lessons from those two giants and now helps applying them in other regions.
This is a global problem and each day more people on this planet are working to find and implement solutions. Climate change is not only a risk, but also an 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿—across boundaries and economic systems. 🌎🌍🌏
A great book, truly refreshing and energizing! 🙂
📚 In his recent book “Climate Capitalism”, the Bloomberg journalist Akshat Rathi provides detailed background information on many of the biggest solutions to tackle climate change. He outlines that great progress has already been made, while repeatedly emphasizing the need to speed up.
𝗠𝘆 𝟰 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
💡 𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Nobody can solve this challenge alone. However, the stories of Wan Gang, the architect of China's EV strategy, Vicki Hollub, CEO of Oxy who aims to produce “net zero oil”, and Bill Gates, whose multibillion-dollar fund Breakthrough Energy has invested in more than 100 climate start-ups, clearly showcase that determined individuals make the difference.
💡 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀
A viable long-term vision must take climate into account, which is valued by investors: In 2017, Unilever could fight off a hostile takeover based on its sustainability strategy, while in 2021, Exxon lost a proxy fight against investors who complained that Exxon did not seriously tackle climate change.
💡 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝗿𝗮
Developed countries ought to lead in solving this issue, but renewables' cost efficiency may allow developing nations to adopt them more quickly. Near Bangalore, my current home, the Pavagada Solar Park is with 53 km2 (~Manhattan) the 3rd largest globally. Plans to more than double it in size are part of India’s ambition to achieve a 50% renewable share by 2030 (45% in EU).
💡 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
The IEA was established after the 1973 oil crisis to ensure Western access to fossil fuels. Over the years, its mandate has shifted and it nowadays actively shapes countries’ policies, e.g., it helped China and India develop their national cooling action plans. The IEA took the lessons from those two giants and now helps applying them in other regions.
This is a global problem and each day more people on this planet are working to find and implement solutions. Climate change is not only a risk, but also an 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿—across boundaries and economic systems. 🌎🌍🌏
A great book, truly refreshing and energizing! 🙂
March 11, 2024
The book reads as easy as his podcast is to listen, telling great stories of the leaders and pioneers shifting the globe’s way to a net zero (or net negative!) future.
Each chapter was a tale in its own right, able to stand alone. I became envious that the book wasn’t around when I was in undergrad, a time where so often environmental professors would assign chapters from longer books that made little sense out of context. I hope Climate Capitalism finds its way onto syllabi in 2024.
With the clock to 2030 ticking, it was both encouraging and uplifting to read a book that felt positive but not baselessly so. There is always room for change, growth, and progress, and Rathi reminds us of that.
Each chapter was a tale in its own right, able to stand alone. I became envious that the book wasn’t around when I was in undergrad, a time where so often environmental professors would assign chapters from longer books that made little sense out of context. I hope Climate Capitalism finds its way onto syllabi in 2024.
With the clock to 2030 ticking, it was both encouraging and uplifting to read a book that felt positive but not baselessly so. There is always room for change, growth, and progress, and Rathi reminds us of that.
Read
March 27, 2024Really well written, using storytelling to keep the reader’s attention and interest in what could have been very technical, wonky content. I would have liked to have read this with a book club of energy nerds and climate and progressive social activists to discuss/debate some of the premises and to dig in on the stickier aspects of this topic that the book seemed to gloss over a bit.
Overall: super interesting, captured my attention and I enjoyed learning/growing in my understanding on a subject I care deeply about, and one in which I’ve built a career trying to be part of the solution.
Overall: super interesting, captured my attention and I enjoyed learning/growing in my understanding on a subject I care deeply about, and one in which I’ve built a career trying to be part of the solution.
December 31, 2023
Great book on how climate solutions emerge and take over, slowly at first, then all at once.
Well written and engaging - each chapter follows one main character that embodies change in a particular field or from a different point of view (solar, batteries, government, advocacy, etc)
Well written and engaging - each chapter follows one main character that embodies change in a particular field or from a different point of view (solar, batteries, government, advocacy, etc)
April 5, 2024
a surprisingly fun read on a complex topic
the title is accurate, this is about the business potential of providing new energy sources and technologies to both meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. You don't have to be a climate activist to enjoy this one.
the title is accurate, this is about the business potential of providing new energy sources and technologies to both meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. You don't have to be a climate activist to enjoy this one.
September 15, 2024
An academic but readable - and optimistic - digest of major technological innovations and advances that are steadily making it more and more feasible, and even more and more economical, to achieve net zero emissions in the near enough future to make a difference.
Loved this analogy: After cholera outbreaks, the British Parliament installed central sewers over the next 10 years. It cost about 2% of the city’s GDP at the time and even today it costs about 1% GDP annually to maintain the sewers.
What is climate capitalism? …”it is a combination of people, policies and technology that is needed - in often different amounts - to grow the momentum of the global clean energy transition.” This book tells the stories of people working inside and outside of government, inside and outside of corporations — policymakers, activists, shareholders, values-driven and forward-thinking CEOs — that are increasingly effective at making the case for how aggressive climate action is in the best financial interests of the collective (yes, we knew that) but also individual corporations within our capitalistic global economy.
Loved this analogy: After cholera outbreaks, the British Parliament installed central sewers over the next 10 years. It cost about 2% of the city’s GDP at the time and even today it costs about 1% GDP annually to maintain the sewers.
No one questioned whether that was worth it. “Until people have the idea that throwing CO₂ in the air is like throwing poop in the street, we’re not going to spend what it costs. …[However], at 2% of global GDP, we can make the CO₂ problem go away.
What is climate capitalism? …”it is a combination of people, policies and technology that is needed - in often different amounts - to grow the momentum of the global clean energy transition.” This book tells the stories of people working inside and outside of government, inside and outside of corporations — policymakers, activists, shareholders, values-driven and forward-thinking CEOs — that are increasingly effective at making the case for how aggressive climate action is in the best financial interests of the collective (yes, we knew that) but also individual corporations within our capitalistic global economy.
January 24, 2024
I was in a reading slump until I picked up this book, which was gifted by my niece on my visit to India. I generally do not read the books by Indian authors and the bias stems because we were strongly discouraged from referring Indian authors during our M.Tech. in Environmental Engineering. However, I decided to read this book and was pleasantly surprised by what the book has to offer. It’s a well written book on the zero emissions goals of the countries and what it will take to achieve them. The author Akshat Rathi, who I think is based in the UK has interviewed a number of people (including Bill Gates) that are working in the governments, private sectors, and global institutions towards the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. He has written about the advancements being made in the renewable energy sectors in India and other parts of the world, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, laws, and what the private sector (and the stakeholders) is doing in terms of decreasing their carbon footprint to help realize the zero emissions, among other things. I am glad that my bias was shattered, and I hope to read more Indian authors on various subjects in future. The book gives a promising picture about the fight against Climate Change and makes you believe that though the time is running out, but all is not lost and there are steps that can be taken to correct the course towards a sustainable future.
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January 2, 2024*Book Review*
I recently concluded my holiday break, during which I immersed myself in "Climate Capitalism," a remarkable book on the environment. This work stands out as an exemplary guide that not only addresses environmental challenges but also emphasizes solution-oriented approaches. The author adeptly intertwines commerce and the environment, offering a compelling perspective on their interconnectedness. 🌄
The extensive research conducted by the author is unmistakably evident throughout the pages of the book, showcasing a profound dedication to the subject matter. This book distinctly underscores the pivotal role of the environment in shaping our future. 🌱
It was a worth reading book indeed! 💯
Warm Regards,
Viraj Umesh Mundada.😊
I recently concluded my holiday break, during which I immersed myself in "Climate Capitalism," a remarkable book on the environment. This work stands out as an exemplary guide that not only addresses environmental challenges but also emphasizes solution-oriented approaches. The author adeptly intertwines commerce and the environment, offering a compelling perspective on their interconnectedness. 🌄
The extensive research conducted by the author is unmistakably evident throughout the pages of the book, showcasing a profound dedication to the subject matter. This book distinctly underscores the pivotal role of the environment in shaping our future. 🌱
It was a worth reading book indeed! 💯
Warm Regards,
Viraj Umesh Mundada.😊
February 14, 2024
Very interesting approach to telling to climate story by profiling movers and shakers and telling it through themes. Highly enjoyed it!
July 7, 2024
Rathi's approach is refreshingly optimistic, emphasising success stories over doomsday scenarios. He introduces us to diverse protagonists such as Wan Gang, the Chinese bureaucrat whose policies propelled electric vehicles into mainstream viability, and Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum, who shifted her company’s focus from carbon extraction to carbon capture technologies. These narratives underscore a central theme: capitalism can drive transformative change when aligned with environmental goals.
This book's unique individual journeys include discussions on climate science. Rathi skillfully intertwines business strategies, political manoeuvres, and technological innovations to show how these elements come together to address climate challenges profitably. Whether detailing Denmark’s wind power revolution or India’s success with solar energy, each case study emphasises the vital role of visionary leadership and strategic policy-making.
This book's unique individual journeys include discussions on climate science. Rathi skillfully intertwines business strategies, political manoeuvres, and technological innovations to show how these elements come together to address climate challenges profitably. Whether detailing Denmark’s wind power revolution or India’s success with solar energy, each case study emphasises the vital role of visionary leadership and strategic policy-making.
July 31, 2024
“It’s now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.”
That’s the first line of Akshat Rathi’s optimistic book Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. In this book, Rathi presents ten case studies showing how the world is making progress on tackling climate change. Most of the chapters pivot around new technologies like solar and wind power, batteries, electric vehicles and carbon capture. But the real focus of the book is the people behind these developments. Rathi profiles key leaders in the climate fight, from scientists and technologists to venture capitalists and bureaucrats.
Rathi is an unapologetic advocate for capitalism, but it’s a reformed capitalism, one that serves the needs of society and the planet, a capitalism shaped by appropriate laws, policies and public spending.
You can read my full review here: https://unsolicitedfeedback.blog/2024...
That’s the first line of Akshat Rathi’s optimistic book Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. In this book, Rathi presents ten case studies showing how the world is making progress on tackling climate change. Most of the chapters pivot around new technologies like solar and wind power, batteries, electric vehicles and carbon capture. But the real focus of the book is the people behind these developments. Rathi profiles key leaders in the climate fight, from scientists and technologists to venture capitalists and bureaucrats.
Rathi is an unapologetic advocate for capitalism, but it’s a reformed capitalism, one that serves the needs of society and the planet, a capitalism shaped by appropriate laws, policies and public spending.
You can read my full review here: https://unsolicitedfeedback.blog/2024...
July 26, 2024
Picture two groups of people engaged in a very angry debate. One side are the environmentalists, and the other side are big business. The environmentalists are yelling that big business is destroying the planet. The businessmen are arguing that the environmentalists are destroying the economy. And in the middle of all of this is Akshat, gathering arguments and data and crafting pragmatic ideas for a path forward. He presents the case for both sides and looks for solutions that can address the very real issues that need to be addressed, that is, we must reduce emissions much faster than what we are doing now and there are ways of doing it without breaking the economy. If you like this book, I would also recommend his Podcast - Zero on Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/green-zero-...
September 9, 2024
Very interesting overview of recent developments of green technologies, and the policies behind them.
I appreciated how each chapter described a different, country specific, approach to net zero, being solar, batteries, wind, carbon capture etc. And, at the same time, how politics and finance worked together to allow those new technologies to go ahead and become profitable and effective.
The main critic, for me, is that the author mentioned very little about nuclear energy. As it is one of the key technologies for net zero, it would have deserved a dedicated chapter (perhaps focused on France).
I hope the author will write another book on this topic to cover, other than nuclear, novel approaches to net zero like lab growth meat.
I appreciated how each chapter described a different, country specific, approach to net zero, being solar, batteries, wind, carbon capture etc. And, at the same time, how politics and finance worked together to allow those new technologies to go ahead and become profitable and effective.
The main critic, for me, is that the author mentioned very little about nuclear energy. As it is one of the key technologies for net zero, it would have deserved a dedicated chapter (perhaps focused on France).
I hope the author will write another book on this topic to cover, other than nuclear, novel approaches to net zero like lab growth meat.
July 22, 2024
Interesting, useful case studies to take away from the book and apply to other industries which are trying to break through the barriers of running sustainable business models.
For the younger audience (35) a super important book, as you can read historically what political decisions, what changes in the economy led to certain decisions and trends in major markets, such as oil & gas, automotive (electrical cars), wind power and even carbon capture & storage.
For the younger audience (35) a super important book, as you can read historically what political decisions, what changes in the economy led to certain decisions and trends in major markets, such as oil & gas, automotive (electrical cars), wind power and even carbon capture & storage.
June 1, 2024
Insightful book and very well written. I’ve followed Akshat Rathi’s Bloomberg articles and have appreciated his sharp writing so I knew this would be a good one. The book strikes a good balance: it’s accessible for those not too familiar with the climate “industry”, yet still insightful and interesting for those who have been in this space for some time.
June 17, 2024
Really 3.5 stars
July 21, 2024
A vital resource for empowerment. I am certain that for years to come I will be referencing and recommending this book.
July 22, 2024
Excellent read on the fight against global warming and how we can be optimistic about our future if all facets come together to generate clean energy.
August 25, 2024
I loved this book. It covers a range of climate related topics and perspectives, I learned a huge amount and its optimistic solution oriented tone is infectious. I’ve recommended it to so many friends. Well worth a look
June 22, 2024
Climate Capitalism" by Bloomberg News reporter Akshat Rathi has made a lot of noise recently. After seeing news about its release across various podcasts, online talks, and posts, I decided to give it a try. It is definitely a good read with a collection of various business cases, from Chinese EV market development to climate advocacy against ExxonMobil, with many interesting facts. I, however, was expecting more discussion on "climate capitalism" as a new economic theory. So, the book would be a good fit for practical business leaders. Having read that left me with the impression of how much still needs to be done to change the short-sighted capitalistic paradigm of maximizing profits for shareholders. Also, there is definitely a hunger for information and new business literature talking about energy transition and climate change. Recommend.👍
February 28, 2024
Akshat es mi escritor climático favorito, sus artículos siempre están llenos de información pero son muy digeribles. Este libro no es la excepción, súper fácil de leer y lleno de datos e historias que dan esperanza.
July 18, 2024
The good: well written, good information with minor discrepancies
The bad: if you listen to his podcast, this is essentially a transcript of it. 80% if not more is directly from the podcast. A tad disappointing
The bad: if you listen to his podcast, this is essentially a transcript of it. 80% if not more is directly from the podcast. A tad disappointing
July 21, 2024
In this book, Bloomberg correspondent Akshat Rathi sketches out how climate is a huge wealth creation opportunity through the lives of 12 people and the organizations they've played a critical role in. It reads a bit like 12 articles put together as a book. I thought most of the chapters were OK and I found myself skimming in multiple chapters. The first two chapters contained most new information for me, about China's efforts to promoted EVs and to form CATL.
This is not the kind of book that transforms how you think about climate change, nor does it offer a framework for thinking about energy transition. For more on the financial opportunity, read Jigar Shah's Creating Climate Wealth; for more stories on climate entrepreneurs, consider Tom Weirich's We Took The Risk; for roadmaps to a net-zero carbon economy, read Reinventing Fire or Speed & Scale.
This book could be a better fit for someone who is new to the economic opportunity of climate.
--
Chapter 2: China EVs, Wan Gang
- Wan Gang was minister from 2000-2018. He finished a PhD in Germany and worked at Audi for a long time.
- He pushed the Chinese gouvernement to develop EVs. This included a target of 1,000 electric cars and buses for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Chapter 3: CATL, CEO & COO
- Car industry employs 1 in every 7 Germans!
- CATL was a rebirth from ATL. ATL was founded in 1999 and built batteries for walkmans and other mobile devices. It was acquired in 2005 by TDK. Then, the founders started CATL, denoting “contemporary ATL”. They had a partnership with BMW to produce the Zinoro which taught them a lot.
- QuantumScape’s innovation is that they have a solid electrolyte. This is supposed to halt degradation.
Chapter 4: ReNew Power, Sunman Singha
- Sunman Singh raised $200M from Goldman Sachs to start ReNew Power. He had been COO for Suzlon, a wind turbine manufacturer, before that.
- India achieved 60 GW of solar power by the end of 2022.
Chapter 5: IEA, Fatih Birol
- They have a budget of 20M euro per year, and a few hundred staff -- smaller than RMI.
Chapter 6: Bill Gates
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures was started in 2015 at the Paris Climate Summit, together with Mission Innovation, the civic society counterpart, coined by Modi.
Chapter 7: Julio Friedmann, Carbon Direct
- He makes the analogy that not doing carbon capture is like throwing our poop in the streets. In London, in the 19th century, during the Great Stink, the U.K. parliament decided to open up all the streets and to dig a central sewer. This ended up costing 2% of GDP, but nobody questioned whether it was worth it, because the stench was so terrible.
Chapter 8: Vicki Hollub, Oxy
- She was invited by the Pope to come to the Vatican in 2018. Upon her return, she was a changed woman. She decided to invest in Carbon Engineering, a CCS startup. They are building the first large-scale plant in Texas, which should be profitable, given incentives from IRA and other places.
Chapter 9: Orsted (formerly DONG), led by Henrik Paulson
- DONG was formed after the Arab oil crisis in 1973, because 90% of Denmark's energy was imported in the form of oil.
- This is also why Denmark started to promote district heating—its contribution to heating doubled from 20% to 40% between 1972 and 1990.
- Denmark also had several energy efficiency companies—Grundfos (pumps), Danfos (radiator valves), Velux (windows), Rockwool (insulation).
Chapter 11: Unilever, in the ten years it was led by Paul Polman
- Unilever fended off a hostile bid from Kraft-Heinz, backed by 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway. It did this by getting others to speak out for them—the head of Greenpeace, the union of workers, and even the prime minister, Theresa May.
This is not the kind of book that transforms how you think about climate change, nor does it offer a framework for thinking about energy transition. For more on the financial opportunity, read Jigar Shah's Creating Climate Wealth; for more stories on climate entrepreneurs, consider Tom Weirich's We Took The Risk; for roadmaps to a net-zero carbon economy, read Reinventing Fire or Speed & Scale.
This book could be a better fit for someone who is new to the economic opportunity of climate.
--
Chapter 2: China EVs, Wan Gang
- Wan Gang was minister from 2000-2018. He finished a PhD in Germany and worked at Audi for a long time.
- He pushed the Chinese gouvernement to develop EVs. This included a target of 1,000 electric cars and buses for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Chapter 3: CATL, CEO & COO
- Car industry employs 1 in every 7 Germans!
- CATL was a rebirth from ATL. ATL was founded in 1999 and built batteries for walkmans and other mobile devices. It was acquired in 2005 by TDK. Then, the founders started CATL, denoting “contemporary ATL”. They had a partnership with BMW to produce the Zinoro which taught them a lot.
- QuantumScape’s innovation is that they have a solid electrolyte. This is supposed to halt degradation.
Chapter 4: ReNew Power, Sunman Singha
- Sunman Singh raised $200M from Goldman Sachs to start ReNew Power. He had been COO for Suzlon, a wind turbine manufacturer, before that.
- India achieved 60 GW of solar power by the end of 2022.
Chapter 5: IEA, Fatih Birol
- They have a budget of 20M euro per year, and a few hundred staff -- smaller than RMI.
Chapter 6: Bill Gates
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures was started in 2015 at the Paris Climate Summit, together with Mission Innovation, the civic society counterpart, coined by Modi.
Chapter 7: Julio Friedmann, Carbon Direct
- He makes the analogy that not doing carbon capture is like throwing our poop in the streets. In London, in the 19th century, during the Great Stink, the U.K. parliament decided to open up all the streets and to dig a central sewer. This ended up costing 2% of GDP, but nobody questioned whether it was worth it, because the stench was so terrible.
Chapter 8: Vicki Hollub, Oxy
- She was invited by the Pope to come to the Vatican in 2018. Upon her return, she was a changed woman. She decided to invest in Carbon Engineering, a CCS startup. They are building the first large-scale plant in Texas, which should be profitable, given incentives from IRA and other places.
Chapter 9: Orsted (formerly DONG), led by Henrik Paulson
- DONG was formed after the Arab oil crisis in 1973, because 90% of Denmark's energy was imported in the form of oil.
- This is also why Denmark started to promote district heating—its contribution to heating doubled from 20% to 40% between 1972 and 1990.
- Denmark also had several energy efficiency companies—Grundfos (pumps), Danfos (radiator valves), Velux (windows), Rockwool (insulation).
Chapter 11: Unilever, in the ten years it was led by Paul Polman
- Unilever fended off a hostile bid from Kraft-Heinz, backed by 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway. It did this by getting others to speak out for them—the head of Greenpeace, the union of workers, and even the prime minister, Theresa May.
January 22, 2024
“The best way to understand the subject of climate change and the chronology of milestones, in the journey with the real players”
The Chronological arrangement: The developments from Volta in 1799 till date have been explained in a very simple & friendly language for any one to understand easily. The narration has become very interesting in every page and don’t take the reader through any jargon. This is absolutely commendable, as it is very difficult to write in simple language.
The format: With the chapters as per personalities is really perfect for a layman to understand the role played by the personalities in dealing with the ‘Climate Change Issues’ in their way. They were definitely ‘ahead of times’. The details of the technical & commercial actions taken by the individuals to pursue their ideas/dreams to achieve their goals are informative and inspiring.
The Dynamics: The ‘Climate Change’ is a very dynamic subject with changes happening very rapidly in recent times. To write a chronicle in a limited space of 211 pages was a Herculean Task, and Mr. Akshat has achieved this in a very praiseworthy manner
The Doer: This chapter is the highlight for people like me from India. The mention of 'Reva’ car was very nostalgic. The happenings in India & the initiatives taken by the government are very important today for the people to understand & update.
I liked your quote “Climate Capitalism is economic common sense & if you care for Climate change, you got to care about climate maths”.
Your solution: The idea to setup right institutions and the right framework to make progress is very crucial & I feel India is making good progress, though slowly. Things are changing.
Energy Efficiency is also being taken seriously in India. I am working in Urban Water supply field and feel that the First Water concept must be introduced on the lines of First Energy. This has been pointed out rightly.
I wish you a very happy writing future & I am sure that you will to continue to play a very crucial role in this field.
Warm regards,
Shreerang Deshpande, Mumbai, India
The Chronological arrangement: The developments from Volta in 1799 till date have been explained in a very simple & friendly language for any one to understand easily. The narration has become very interesting in every page and don’t take the reader through any jargon. This is absolutely commendable, as it is very difficult to write in simple language.
The format: With the chapters as per personalities is really perfect for a layman to understand the role played by the personalities in dealing with the ‘Climate Change Issues’ in their way. They were definitely ‘ahead of times’. The details of the technical & commercial actions taken by the individuals to pursue their ideas/dreams to achieve their goals are informative and inspiring.
The Dynamics: The ‘Climate Change’ is a very dynamic subject with changes happening very rapidly in recent times. To write a chronicle in a limited space of 211 pages was a Herculean Task, and Mr. Akshat has achieved this in a very praiseworthy manner
The Doer: This chapter is the highlight for people like me from India. The mention of 'Reva’ car was very nostalgic. The happenings in India & the initiatives taken by the government are very important today for the people to understand & update.
I liked your quote “Climate Capitalism is economic common sense & if you care for Climate change, you got to care about climate maths”.
Your solution: The idea to setup right institutions and the right framework to make progress is very crucial & I feel India is making good progress, though slowly. Things are changing.
Energy Efficiency is also being taken seriously in India. I am working in Urban Water supply field and feel that the First Water concept must be introduced on the lines of First Energy. This has been pointed out rightly.
I wish you a very happy writing future & I am sure that you will to continue to play a very crucial role in this field.
Warm regards,
Shreerang Deshpande, Mumbai, India
November 5, 2024
Pragmatic, institutionalist view of how to solve climate change. Which I like. Outlines successful ways in which capitalism has helped move towards climate/sustainability goals (which really means, has focused on intergenerational well-being and the long-term and not just short-term profits). Examples are of: successful government-private partnerships, policies that encouraged investment and growth of crucial, beneficial sectors (often within social democracies, but talked about success of private sectors in China too), successful company ESG initiatives, politics of boardrooms leading to change, and more. Author is a journalist from Bloomberg Tech and that shows - in many ways the book is a collection of news stories with a throughline.
He shows something essential in this which I view as CRUCIAL to articulate in the discourse around sustainability nowadays: capitalism and social democratic policies are not mutually exclusive. We have to be shouting this from the rooftops more. As much as the right will suggest that any government involvement whatsoever is socialism/communism/marxism (mostly as a scare tactic), the reality is that good government policies to shape markets (for example incentivizing sustainability and intergenerational well-being) leads to healthier democracies, expanded liberties, and an overall better economic system. In interviewing executives for his book, this was a common theme which the industry is realizing. But, I wish he had articulated and discussed this relationship between government and the private sector more. Because the right would probably malign his book as actually advocating for communism, not capitalism. What does capitalism mean to you dude?! Idk I just wanted some more philosophy there which would have neatly tied the bow for me.
He shows something essential in this which I view as CRUCIAL to articulate in the discourse around sustainability nowadays: capitalism and social democratic policies are not mutually exclusive. We have to be shouting this from the rooftops more. As much as the right will suggest that any government involvement whatsoever is socialism/communism/marxism (mostly as a scare tactic), the reality is that good government policies to shape markets (for example incentivizing sustainability and intergenerational well-being) leads to healthier democracies, expanded liberties, and an overall better economic system. In interviewing executives for his book, this was a common theme which the industry is realizing. But, I wish he had articulated and discussed this relationship between government and the private sector more. Because the right would probably malign his book as actually advocating for communism, not capitalism. What does capitalism mean to you dude?! Idk I just wanted some more philosophy there which would have neatly tied the bow for me.
August 3, 2024
For a book on climate, the first chapter focussing on China is definitely an interesting editorial choice - likewise some of the rest.
Overall, Akshat Rathi does a good job on articulating the potential leap-frogging has for developing countries like China and India, showcasing accomplishments in renewable energies and EV-batteries - which gave a critical advantage to China in the automotive industry. He also does a good job, visualizing the potential venture capital has to speed up green tech.
Nonetheless, he seems to favor those facts and stories that cater to the current narrative in the chapter. That is often unavoidable in non-fiction books like this one but needs a lot of attention from author and editors alike to walk that fine line well. One part I‘d like to quote is on page 48, where it reads: „India‘s size and yet-to-come economic growth could mean a lot of fossil fuel use, which is something the country is entitled to as a matter of fairness“ - this is just one of many sections that follow the same pattern, where the author mixes subjectivity with objectivity to create a factual statement (that is actually personal opinion).
Overall I found the book to be missing a consistent thread tying it all together, and found myself needing to work hard to actually create some insights from the sheer amount of information compressed on these pages. While the quantity of information is vast, it was lacking in quality & I was left wondering who the audience of this book actually is.
Overall, Akshat Rathi does a good job on articulating the potential leap-frogging has for developing countries like China and India, showcasing accomplishments in renewable energies and EV-batteries - which gave a critical advantage to China in the automotive industry. He also does a good job, visualizing the potential venture capital has to speed up green tech.
Nonetheless, he seems to favor those facts and stories that cater to the current narrative in the chapter. That is often unavoidable in non-fiction books like this one but needs a lot of attention from author and editors alike to walk that fine line well. One part I‘d like to quote is on page 48, where it reads: „India‘s size and yet-to-come economic growth could mean a lot of fossil fuel use, which is something the country is entitled to as a matter of fairness“ - this is just one of many sections that follow the same pattern, where the author mixes subjectivity with objectivity to create a factual statement (that is actually personal opinion).
Overall I found the book to be missing a consistent thread tying it all together, and found myself needing to work hard to actually create some insights from the sheer amount of information compressed on these pages. While the quantity of information is vast, it was lacking in quality & I was left wondering who the audience of this book actually is.
June 22, 2024
Timely, well-researched, well-written vignettes of climate leaders and their success stories, implemented at national or global scale. The writing is at once technical and approachable. I learned about several leaders who may not be well-known outside of their sectors. I appreciated the global perspective, though none of the success stories were from Africa or South America. Of the 10 featured leaders, two were women. To underscore the thesis that capitalism can yield favorable results to business and to the environment, perhaps each chapter could start with metrics about GHG reduction as well as financial success. Some of these figures are woven within the chapters, but I found myself wondering how the author measures success. Finally, I thought this book might advocate for systems that enable capitalists to be more climate conscious, but it did not, per se. In almost all vignettes, tailwinds of government policy and / or incentives propel successful climate enterprises, so it's clear that capitalism alone won't save us.
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