John Kerry: Sustainability Rebranding Needs to Focus on «Materiality»
In order for sustainability advocates to achieve greater success, more emphasis should be placed on «materiality», according to former US Secretary of State John Kerry, including the improvement of economic fundamentals.
Focus on sustainability has been shrinking in recent times with notable events such as the second withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump. Outside of politics, the topic has also become less popular amongst the broader public, partly due to the belief in the lack of pragmatic benefits.
According to John Kerry, ex-US Secretary of State and co-executive chair at climate-focused investment firm Galvanize Capital, sustainability is due for rebranding to revive support.
«So the morality argument, I believe, is always going to be there. But what's going to work in terms of being able to affect this transition is materiality,» Kerry said during the «Building Bridges» conference in Geneva. «I believe that the new paradigm, the new narrative has to first be economic, jobs, income, make life better.»
Tangible Improvements
Kerry believes that there are already a number of developments that can support the economic argument for sustainability. He cites tangible improvements such as the lowering cost of wind and solar energy and progress in China on expanding energy storage of sodium-ion batteries.
«We believe we have to create a critical mass of people who are focused on the economic fundamentals,» Kerry reiterated.
AI Factor
And with the emergence of artificial intelligence and its need for data processing power, Kerry stressed that there will be a «massive add-on of energy demand».
«If that energy demand is going to be answered by building out massive gas infrastructure, we're in trouble because you all know that infrastructure is going to be there for 30 or 40 years,» he said.
Political Support
On the issue of Trump’s policy stance, Kerry notes that he was able to mobilize over a thousand US mayors via his so-called «We’re Still In» movement to continue supporting sustainability despite changes in Washington.
«And the result of that was that at the end of Donald Trump's first term, as dramatic as his pullout was, as disappointing as the absence of leadership […] 75 percent of new electricity came from renewables,» Kerry added.
«I'm willing to bet you that at the end of Trump’s [current] term, you will now see 90 percent deployment of electricity by renewables.»
