One of the world’s foremost sustainability experts has emphasised the need for improved climate policies.
- Lucas Joppa advocates for ‘bigger, faster, and stronger’ policies to combat climate change.
- He stresses that everyone can contribute by aligning passions with climate-focused actions.
- As Microsoft aims for carbon negativity by 2030, Joppa highlights the importance of innovation.
- Joppa urges individuals to confidently harness their unique skills towards sustainable solutions.
In an era marked by rapid environmental change, Lucas Joppa, a leading expert on sustainability, underscores the urgency for bigger, better, faster, stronger policies to address the climate crisis. Speaking in a recent interview, the former Chief Environmental Officer at Microsoft and current adjunct professor at Yale University called upon business leaders to take significant and immediate steps. “We’ve seen how transformational change can be delivered in a short amount of time,” Joppa said, emphasising the pivotal role of science-based policy making in achieving societal-scale solutions.
Joppa points out the pervasive impact of the climate crisis, stating that it affects every aspect of human life. This interconnection means that diverse skills and passions need to be channelled through a climate-conscious lens. He encourages individuals to find confidence in their unique abilities and to apply these towards climate solutions, stating, “Whatever you are good at, whatever you are passionate about, look at that through the lens of climate and look at climate through the lens of what you do, and then go forth and conquer.”
Highlighting Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability, Joppa shares the company’s ambitious goal to become carbon negative by 2030. This involves transitioning entirely to renewable energy and establishing a billion-dollar climate innovation fund. Joppa remarks that such measures aim to make the solutions Microsoft employs more accessible worldwide, indicating that innovation and scale are crucial to tackling these issues globally.
He also draws attention to the persistent and challenging nature of the climate crisis, noting that the systems fuelling emissions are intimately linked to those that power essential services, such as food and electricity delivery. Joppa acknowledges the complexity of these challenges, recognising that they require multifaceted approaches and global collaboration.
Lucas Joppa’s insights highlight the urgent need for innovative, collective action to address the climate crisis effectively.