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David Jaber: Climate Positive Business

Ryan Honeyman
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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t easy, but with 70 more ppm of these gases in the atmosphere than there should be, we are well past the point where we have a choice around whether we are going to do it or not. In order to achieve the Paris Agreement target of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases over the next 12 years, a collaborative, holistic approach is essential.

By now, everyone has heard of the terms net-zero and carbon-neutral, but today’s guest takes this concept one step further by advocating for climate positivity. David Jaber is the founder of Climate Positive Consulting, a company that helps other companies advance their climate strategy, undertake carbon footprint analyses, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. He is also involved with a number of other organizations working towards social and environmental justice, and he is the author of the recently released book, Climate Positive Business. 

In today’s episode, we discuss David’s lifelong interest in sustainability, what carbon offsetting is and the problems with this model, and what companies should be doing instead, so as not to inflict damage on the environment. David has been working in the climate realm for many years, and the explosion of interest that he has seen take place in this space relatively recently gives us all hope for the future. 

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Key Points From This Episode:

  • Where David’s interest in environmental issues originated, and how it developed over time.

  • The main aims of David’s company, Climate Positive Consulting. 

  • David explains the difference between carbon neutral and climate positive goals. 

  • How greenhouse gas analytics work in terms of scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. 

  • The Paris Agreement target: a 50% reduction of greenhouse gases in the next 12 years. 

  • David shares his thoughts on problems with the offsetting strategy.

  • Political battles which prevent real, significant change from taking place in the climate realm.

  • Tradeoffs that need to be considered before a sustainability-focused project is undertaken.

  • Embodied (“zombie”) carbon; what it is and how companies can address it.

  • Steps for companies to follow to reduce their emissions. 

  • The explosion of interest in tackling greenhouse gas footprints, and what David thinks is responsible for this. 

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Tweetables:

“I would define a climate positive business as one that has a net zero goal, coupled with a science-based target. It goes beyond net zero by seeking to have some sort of positive benefits through its efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses.” — @djaberclimate

“Setting a science-based target will result in a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases in 12 years.” — @djaberclimate

“We’re well past the time where any of these inherently bipartisan issues can be partisan.” — @djaberclimate

“Substitution can only get you so far. For real success on climate, companies are going beyond their own boundaries and doing a lot of value chain collaboration.” — @djaberclimate

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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