Giving Compass' Take:

• Joel Makower explains why we should consider climate change issues while responding to coronavirus. 

• How can your philanthropy help progress climate action during this time? 

• Read more on how to tackle climate change in 2020. 

Just because a problem isn’t in the news doesn’t mean it somehow has been solved. All of the above challenges remain, pandemic or not. And, to varying degrees, they all need to be kept alive, even amid other pressing priorities.

In fact, we need to be talking unapologetically about climate, the clean economy, renewable energy, resilient food systems, sustainable mobility, the circular economy and the Sustainable Development Goals with more vigor than ever.

So, isn’t this the time to talk about how that will unfold, about how to create a robust, resilient and regenerative economy for the next generation or two? And shouldn’t we be aligning our investments — and our tax dollars — in those directions?

Consider:

  • If airlines are taking a nosedive, and we taxpayers are to bail them out, shouldn’t we ensure that going forward, air travel’s substantial climate impacts begin to descend, even as air travel is projected to take off in the coming decades?
  • If we’re to prop up farmers and agribusinesses, shouldn’t we help them adopt climate- and ag-friendly techniques and technologies? Shouldn’t we take measures to ensure that our food systems provide healthy and affordable food for all without biting the land that feeds us?
  • If keeping fossil fuels in the ground is a climate imperative, shouldn’t we be viewing the oil and gas industry’s economic travails as an opportunity to support an orderly transition away from fossil fuels while building the next generation of clean energy companies and skilled workers?

 It will take everyone’s hard work and best intentions, not to mention visionary thinking, to ensure that the solutions to our economic woes align with where we want to go, not where we’ve been.

Read the full article about talking about climate change by Joel Makower at GreenBiz.